John C. Hunton

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John C. Hunton
BornJanuary 18, 1839
DiedSeptember 4, 1928
Resting placeLakeview Cemetery, Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
OccupationRancher
SpouseBlanche Taylor

Colonel John C. Hunton (January 18, 1839 - September 4, 1928) was an American Confederate veteran, pioneer and rancher. He was the founding president of the Wyoming Pioneer Association.

Early life[edit]

John C. Hunton was born on January 18, 1839, in Madison County, Virginia.[1] During the American Civil War of 1861–1865, he served in the 7th Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States Army.[1][2] He was also in Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg.[3] Later in life, he became known as "Colonel" Hunton.[3]

Career[edit]

After the war, Hunton worked in freighting in Missouri and Nebraska until 1867, when he moved to the Wyoming Territory and became a clerk to the post-trader at Fort Laramie.[1] From 1888 to 1890, he took over as the post-trader.[1]

Hunton established a ranch along the Chugwater Creek in Bordeaux, Wyoming, where he raised cattle.[2] He was the first president of the Wyoming Pioneer Association.[2] He was also "an authority on Indian warfare,"[4] and a diarist.[2]

Personal life, death and legacy[edit]

Hunton married Blanche Taylor.[2]

Hunton's grave.

Hunton died on September 4, 1928, in Torrington, Wyoming.[1] He was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[2] In 2010, the United Daughters of the Confederacy added a Confederate marker to his grave.[2]

Further reading[edit]

  • Flannery, L. G., ed. (1956). John Hunton's diary. Lingle, Wyoming: Guide-Review. OCLC 5156868.
  • Flannery, L. G. (1963). This old gentleman John Hunton. Fort Laramie. OCLC 38743487.
  • Griske, Michael, ed. (2005). The Diaries of John Hunton. Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "WYO. PIONEER DIES AT HOME. John Hunton Succumbs to Paralysis at Age of 89". The Billings Gazette. September 5, 1928. p. 4. Retrieved August 21, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barron, Joan (September 5, 2010). "Wyoming pioneer John C. Hunton gets Confederate gravestone". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Visiting Old Fort Laramie". The Nebraska State Journal. Lincoln, Nebraska. December 19, 1909. p. 26. Retrieved August 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "WYOMING AUTHORITY ON INDIAN WARFARE IS DEAD". The Independent Record. Helena, Montana. September 5, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved August 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.