US Wynkoop, Edward Wanshear

Edward Wanshear Wynkoop
​

Born: June 19, 1836

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great Grandfather: Continental Congressman Henry Wynkoop 1737 – 1816

(Buried: Low Dutch Reformed Church, Richboro, Pennsylvania)​

Father: John Wanshear Wynkoop 1794 – 1837

(Buried: Charles Baber Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvania)​

Mother: Angelina Estill 1803 – 1877

(Buried: Charles Baber Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvania)​

Wife: Actress Louisa Matilda Brown Wakley 1836 – 1923

(Buried: Olivet Memorial Park, Colma, California)​

Married: 1861

Children:

Emily Reville Wynkoop Ferrenbach 1863 – 1941​

(Buried: Angelus Rosedale Cemetery Los Angeles California)​

​

Private Charles W. Wynkoop 1871 – 1946​

(Buried: Los Angeles National Cemetery Los Angeles California)​

​

Corporal Herman Henry Wynkoop 1872 – 1959​

(Buried: Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe New Mexico)

Occupation before War:

1856: Followed his sister to Kansas Territory.​

​

Moved to Colorado Mining Settlements​

​

Sheriff of Arapaho County, Colorado Territory.​

Civil War Career:

1861: 1st​ Lt. of 1st​ Regiment of Colorado Volunteers​

​

1862: Captain of Second Provisional Battalion​

​

1862: Led his Battalion at the Battle of Glorieta Pass​

​

1862 – 1865: Major in the Union Army, Cavalry.​

​

1864: Assumed command of Fort Lyon on Santa Fe Trail.​

​

1864: Convinced Black Kettle to meet with Governor John Evans.​

​

1864: Investigated the Sand Creek Massacre​

​

1865: Escorted Peace commissioners to meeting with Cheyenne and Arapaho on the Little Arkansas River.​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1868: United States Special Agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans.​

​

1867: Congress amended the Treaty of Little Arkansas, eliminating Indian lands along the Smoky Hill River, but the Cheyenne and Arapaho refused to leave their lands.​

​

1867: The U.S. Army under General Winfield Scott Hancock destroyed a Cheyenne village on the Pawnee Fork.​

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1867: Wynkoop met with tribes on the Medicine Lodge River, resulting the Treaty of Medicine Lodge​

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1868: Wynkoop resigned as U.S. Special Agent after the Battle of the Washita.​

​

Prison Warden of the New Mexico Penitentiary​

Died: September 11, 1891

Place of Death: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cause of Death: Kidney disease

Age at time of Death: 56 years old

Burial Place: Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

[Belfoured]

Edward Wanshear Wynkoop
​

View attachment 395533

Born: June 19, 1836

Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great Grandfather: Continental Congressman Henry Wynkoop 1737 – 1816

(Buried: Low Dutch Reformed Church, Richboro, Pennsylvania)​

Father: John Wanshear Wynkoop 1794 – 1837

(Buried: Charles Baber Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvania)​

Mother: Angelina Estill 1803 – 1877

(Buried: Charles Baber Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvania)​

Wife: Actress Louisa Matilda Brown Wakley 1836 – 1923

(Buried: Olivet Memorial Park, Colma, California)​

Married: 1861

Children:

Emily Reville Wynkoop Ferrenbach 1863 – 1941​

(Buried: Angelus Rosedale Cemetery Los Angeles California)​

​

Private Charles W. Wynkoop 1871 – 1946​

(Buried: Los Angeles National Cemetery Los Angeles California)​

​

Corporal Herman Henry Wynkoop 1872 – 1959​

(Buried: Santa Fe National Cemetery Santa Fe New Mexico)View attachment 395535​

Occupation before War:

1856: Followed his sister to Kansas Territory.​

​

Moved to Colorado Mining Settlements​

​

Sheriff of Arapaho County, Colorado Territory.​

Civil War Career:

1861: 1st​ Lt. of 1st​ Regiment of Colorado Volunteers​

​

1862: Captain of Second Provisional Battalion​

​

1862: Led his Battalion at the Battle of Glorieta Pass​

​

1862 – 1865: Major in the Union Army, Cavalry.​

​

1864: Assumed command of Fort Lyon on Santa Fe Trail.​

​

1864: Convinced Black Kettle to meet with Governor John Evans.​

​

1864: Investigated the Sand Creek Massacre​

​

1865: Escorted Peace commissioners to meeting with Cheyenne and Arapaho on the Little Arkansas River.​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1868: United States Special Agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans.​

​

1867: Congress amended the Treaty of Little Arkansas, eliminating Indian lands along the Smoky Hill River, but the Cheyenne and Arapaho refused to leave their lands.​

​

1867: The U.S. Army under General Winfield Scott Hancock destroyed a Cheyenne village on the Pawnee Fork.​

​

1867: Wynkoop met with tribes on the Medicine Lodge River, resulting the Treaty of Medicine Lodge​

​

1868: Wynkoop resigned as U.S. Special Agent after the Battle of the Washita.​

​

Prison Warden of the New Mexico Penitentiary​

Died: September 11, 1891

Place of Death: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cause of Death: Kidney disease

Age at time of Death: 56 years old

Burial Place: Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Thanks for posting this. He was a very interesting guy, and had a role in post-War relations with the various tribes that was fundamentally different from that of many of his colleagues.

 

[Pollaco]

That Cheyenne chief, Black Kettle, that he convinced to see the governor was later killed in a massacre by Custer's 7th Cavalry.

 

[Seduzal]

Wow! Thanks for sharing this awesome article. Enjoyed reading it.

 

[James N.]

That Cheyenne chief, Black Kettle, that he convinced to see the governor was later killed in a massacre by Custer's 7th Cavalry.

Custer and other professional officers of the postwar army cared little for Wynkoop and similar Indian Agents who they thought were working directly in opposition to their own attempts at "pacification" of the Plains Tribes. Whether or not the affair at the Washita was a "massacre" depended then and still depends on attitudes based on information pro and con that's still controversial. That Black Kettle had peaceful intentions himself and was killed unfairly is highly likely - whether or not he was shielding members of his tribe who were involved in depredations including rape and murder is also questionable but equally likely.