charles radziminski: patriot, exile, pioneer

8/3/2019 CHARLES RADZIMINSKI: PATRIOT, EXILE, PIONEER

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CHARLES RADZIMINSKI: PATRIOT, EXTCE, PIONEERBy STtanky F.Radzyminski.An historical marker located on U. S. Highway 183 inSouthwestern Oklahoma, two miles north of Mountain Park,bears this inscription :++

CAMP RADZIMINSKISite 2 Miles WeatEstablished September 1858 by fourtroops of crack 2nd Cav., nnderMajor Earl Van Dorn. Named inmemory of L t Charles Radziminski,a former member of the Regt.E. Kirby Smith, Cornelius Van Camp,Fitzhngh Lee, W. B. Royal1 allserved here. Permanent type bnild-ings never erected : Post abandonedby Army, Dec. 6, 1859.

A strange turn of events brought the subject of thiastory, Charles Radziminski, a Polish Revolutionary exile,to a lift of adventure and useful service in his adoptedcountry. He took part in the Polish revolution againstRussia in 1830-31, was interned in Austrian prisons forthree years, and finally came to United States ss exilein 1834. He was engaged as a civil engineer in Virginiaand he fought as an officer in the United States Dragoonsduring the war with Mexico. As surveyor and later secre-tary for the United States-Mexican Boundary Commissions,he crossed, on foot and horseback, hundreds of miles ofharsh terrain in the Southwest.1 He later sewed as anofficer in the old Second Ctmalry in Texas nnder ColonelRobert E. Lee and finally met an untimely death in 1858.

Charles (Karol) Radziminski was born in Warsaw, Po-land, in 1805 while Europe was in the midst of the Napoleon-ic Wars.' Nothing is known about h is early life in Poland,his immediate family or details of experiences in UnitedStates. No diaries or photographs have been found in theNational Archives or other sources. The Radziminski fam-

+Stanlq Francis Radeyminski, M.D, Chief Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Veterans Administration, Marion, Indiana, was born in Poiand,aad came to the United Statea in 1912. He received hia A.B. degree fromWestern Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 1927; and hi M.D. degreetrom Layola University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, 1931. Hiw d c e , U.S. Army 1950-45, included overseas duty in the South Pacificu t d on OMnawa. He commanded an Army Reld Hospital as IieutrmntColonel Medical Corps.-Ed.

** Roadside Marker erected br Oklabama Historical Socieh. 1950.


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ilia lived in and north of Warsaw, in the old Polish provinceof Masovia. They were, for the most part, small land own-ers, with some professional people and government officialsamong them. The town of Radzymin (Radzimin, on oldmaps), located about fifteen miles northeast of Warsaw, warthe original seat of one of the Radziminski families.

Following the Congress of Vienna, national freedomceased to exist in the war-torn country when Poland wasagain partitioned between its powerful neighbors-Russia,Austria and Prussia. The Poles rebelled in 1830 againat thepolitical and other oppressions imposed upon them by theRussian government, under Tsar Nicholas I, and the GrandDuke Constantine, Governor General for Poland. The Pol-mustered s volunteer army, drawn from a11 walks of lifa,under the leadership of Generals Chlopicki, Dwernicki,Skrzpecki, and other officers who formerly served in Na-poleon's Grand Army. The revolutionary army was equippedwith only such material which was readily available in thecountry. Lack of adequate material. leadership and-aupportfrom other comtries was to handicap the Poles in theirstruggle f o r liberty.= Charles Radziminski had his firatmilitary experience to the Polish Revolutionary Army in1830-1, t a youthful age.

The Revolution continued for about a year and waa suc-cessful at first, but was eventually crushed by the numer-ically superior Russian Armies under the command ofGenerals Dybich and Paskevich-Erivansky. The Pole8aought help from the other European powers, but none came.Austria and Prussis decidedly opposed the revolution.France and the United States were ~ p p a t h e t i cwith thePolish cause but were not able to help the Polea mat?ria1l;r.Both countries, after the revolution was suppressed, offeredaayh~m o many Polish Revolutionary exiled

A8 the success of the revolution ebbed in the fall of1831, aeveral Polish military units, hard premed by Rmianamier, crossed Pmssian and Austrian frontiela and laiddown their arms. They were interned and eventually im-prisoned by these powers. Charles Radziminski was in on0of the units which crossed the Austrian border. He waa in-terned in an Austrian camp from 1831 to 1834 at Berno,Moravia, and, later at Trieste, until his departure fromAustria. The enlisted men were forced to return to Ruuisn


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Poland. The officers had a choice between returning andfacing exile to Siberia o r emigra ti ng t o those countries whichwould offer them asylum. A n agreement between theAustrian government and United States, negotiated by thePolish National Committee in P a r i s under Marquis deLafayette permitted many of the Poles interned in Austriato emigrate to the United States,"

On March 31, 1834, two Austrian frigates, the Otter-&re and the H e b e , commanded by Commodore Bandieraarrived in New York with 235 Polish exiles. A third ship,Lipsia, arrived a short time later with 50-60 more. Manyof the emigrees settled i n citi es and towns along the AtlanticCoast, as f a r as Louisiana an d Texas. While a great maiorityremained in the Ea st , some re ceiv ed free land and settledin Illinois, as well as ot he r Mid west ern states. Many ex-iles experienced extreme hardshin due to financial diffi-cnlties and their ~ ~n f am i l ia ri tv ith the Endish lanmaqe.Moreover. they had no official backing or divlomatic S ~ D -port of t h e i r n a t k e land mhiph was occunied by the hostilepower-Russia. Char1e~ Rad 7irn nski mas among these ex-iles.' He settled in Was hi ng to n. D.C.. and mas evntnall~.enpaaed as a civil enaineer wi t h t h e James River KanawhaCanal Companv of Richmond.' This comnanv was organi-4in 1835 to derelop and maintain a canal rnnning narrtllelto the James River, from Ri chmond to Buchanan. Virginia.The canal was an important w a t e r w a v durinc the years 1840-1861. It fell into disuse during the Civil War and waseventually abandoned and replaced by a railroad.

On March 8, 1847, after t h e outbreak of war withMexico, Raddminski received a commission as Second Lien-tenant of Infantry, appointed from Louisi~na. He wastransferred to the Third Regiment, United States Dragoons,April 9. 1847, a newly organized regiment of Light Cavalry,authorized by Congress fo r t h e durat ion of the war. Thisregiment was commanded by Colonel Edward O. W. utler,a West Pointer of St. Louis, Missouri. Other prominentofficers in this regiment were Major Lewis Casq Jr., dip-lomat, son of Lewis Cass, sta tesma n, and governor ofMichigan, and Major William H. Polk, brother of PresidentPolk, ex-minister t o Naples.8 While in the Third Dragoons,

6M. Haiman, Z Przeszlosci Potskiej w Amcryce. Szkice Historycm,(Buffalo, l9Z').6 Jeny J. Lerski, A Polish Chapter in Jacksonia America, (Madibon,1958).7 Bolek, o p . cit.8 Cadmus M, Wilcox, History of the Mexican Var, (Worhington, D. Clm).


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Ckartcs Radziminski: Patriot, Ezile, Pioneer 357Charles Radziminski served in a company commanded byCaptain Alphonse Duperu of Virginia which took an activecombat part in Mexico.9 Captain Duperu's company par-ticipated in battles near Vera Cruz, Contreras and Churu-busco. Other units of the Third Dragoons fought a t Molinodel Rey, Altixco, and Mexico City.lo The regimental head-quarters was located at Camp Mier and la ter a t Matamoros,Mexico.

Charles Radziminski served as Regimental Quarter-master from June 15 until October 17, 1847. He was ap-pointed regimental adjutant, March 16, 1848, to replace theformer adjutant, Lieutenant Edward McPherson, who was'killed in a duel a t Camp Mier, h-lexico. He served asadjutant until he was honorably mustered out with theentire regiment on July 31, 1848, at Jefferson Barracks,Missouri.ll

Following the Mexican War, Radziminski returned tohis civilian profession as a surveyor and civil engineer. Hewas engaged until 1851 as assistant to Lieutenant ColonelJames D. Graham of the Topographical Engineers in theoffice of the Northeast Boundary Commission in Washing-ton, D.C.12 This commission completed the survey, accord-ing to terms of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, to end thelong disputed boundary dispute between Maine and NewBrunswick, Canada.

Colonel Graham was assigned in the spring of 1851 tothe U. S. Mexicsn Boundary Commission and mas on hisway to Texas and New Mexico. Charles Radziminski joinedColonel Graham and a staff of other officials a t San Antonio,Texas, May 10. 1851. The party proceeded b y wagon trainto El Paso del Norte to join the U. S. Commissioner JohnRussell Bartlett and his large staff of engineers, surveyorsand technicians, who were engaged to survey the newU. S.-Mexican boundary.13 A Mexican Commission, underGeneral Garcie Conde', and Jose Salazar y Larregui, wasworking together with U. S. Commission to set tle theQ Land Bounty Grant issued to Charles Radziminski, 1850, National Ar-

chives, Washington, D. C.10 John Frost, A Pictorial History of Mexico and th e Mexican V a r , (Phil-adelphia, 1862).11F. 5. Heitman, Uistorical Dictionary of the US. Army, (Washington,1903).l a l i e u t . Col. John D. Graham, "Report on the Boundary Line BetweenUS. and Mexico", S e ~ t e xecutive Document, 32nd. Congress, (Washington,1853).1sGmham, op cit.


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boundary extending from the mouth of the Rio Grande tothe Pacific Ocean.14Radziminski was on the staff of Commissioners JohnR. Bartlett, Robert W. Campbell, and later Major WilliamH. Emory, Topographic Engineer, from Nay 1851 to July1856. He assisted in the survey of boundary along the RioQrande River, initially as assistant principal surve3-or. Thecommhion labored under difficulties because of many dia-put- between its members, thus delaying the progrese ofthe survey. As a result of mounting disputes, Radziminskiwas sent to Washington by Commissioner Bartlett on August

16, 1851, with dispatches t o Secretarp of Interior, HonorableAlex H. H. Stuart, fo r instructions to settle the disputes.He returned to El Paso in January, 1852, with importantdirectives which eventually speeded the progress of theaurvey and changed the organization of the commission.15There was much correspondence between the disputingmembers of the Commission and between the commissionersand the Secretary of the Interior. On return from Wash-ington, Radziminski wrote a letter to Major Emory, whowar on a field trip along the boundary, informing him ofimportant dispatches from Secretary Alex H. H. Stuart. Theletter is given here in its original form as an example ofhis personal correspondence :l6 Dona Ana, New MexicoJ a n u a r y 26, 1852- AM

M ~ o F : I und erstand from Skil lman, whom I met nine miles from thirplace, that you intended to s t a r t on yesterday morning f rom El Pawi n rea rch of Mr. Bart let t ; an d I send this le t ter per express af ter you,to ray t h a t I have very important despatches from the Departm ent ofthe Interior for the hea ds of th e commission-no sm all portion of thembeing for you. Being responsible for the i r safe delivery, I f e a r toins t ruct them to the express-man, and shall keep them, subject toyour order@.

I would respectfully adviae your return to the headquarters of thocommi6sion, from the fact that , previous to my departure wi th der-patche s from Washington, Mr. B art let t had ordered m e to re tu rn toSan Diego, where, after the reconnaissance of the Gila River, it warhi8 intention to proceed. After wa iting my ar riv al the re uome reason-able time, th e commissioner expected to return by the Is thmus, toW-hington or to El Paso, and there is strong probability OF yourarriving the re too l a t e t o meet him.

Previonr to my depar ture f rom Washington I advised Depart-ment of the commiaaioner'a orders to me relative to my journey back,and the Depar tment of th e In te r ior thought i t p roper to modify them14 Major William H. Emory, "Mexican Boundary Survey*, Senate Exccu-

tk Docurnut, 34th. Conpes6, (Washington, 1857).16lbiL16GGrrbu, op dt.


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by instructing me to return to the headquartera ot the commission;and I take this to be an additional reason tor taking the iiberty tosuggest your return to the Pam.I shall wai t your orders; and have the honor to remain, Major,very respectfully, your obedient servant,Charles RadoiminskiBearer of DespatchesMajor W. H. Emory,Chief Astronomer U.S. and M. Boundary Commission

I n the course of its activities along the Rio Qlrande,in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas, the commission wasconstantly exposed to attacks by hostile, thieving Apachesand Comanches. Some of its members were killed byIndians, others died from disease or suffered from mal-nutrition. The land traversed was harsh and inhospitable;food and other supplies were difficult to obtain.17

During one journey south of the Rio Grande, Radd-minski accompanied Commissioner Bartlett and a smallpar ty of surveyors in the fall of 1852 on an exploratory jour-ney from El Paso, through Chihuahua, Saltillo and Monte-rey to Ringgold Barracks on lower Rio Grande. Whiletraveling near Rio Florida in the state of Chihuahua,Mexico, the party was attacked by a band of hostileComanches, and was in great danger of being annihilated.The Indians were driven off, however, through cool con-duct and able defense of the party.18 Shortly after arrivala t Ringgold Barracks, in January, 1853, CommissionerBartlett was relieved from his post because of inefficientmanagement. About the same time, Major Emory andRadziminski made a special trip to Washington in con-nection with reorganization of the boundary commission andto report on its progress.lg

In March, 1853, Robert W. Campbell was appointedU. S. Commissioner to replace John R. Bartlett and thecommission was reorganized. Major Emory was appointedchief astronomer and Charles Radziminski was placed incharge of surveying parties. The commission was, to com-plete the survey according to terms of the Treaty of Guad-dupe Hidalgo. He continued in this position, surveyingvarious stretches of the boundary along the lower RioQrande until the fall of 1854, when the commission waareorganized again. The able and efficient Major Emory17John R. Bartlett, Personal Narratim of Ezplor&ns and Zncidcnk hTern, New Mexico, California, Sonora and ChiAuoliw Dwing JM Year818S, 1852,1853, (New York, 1854).18 lbid.18Emory, op cit.


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was appointed U. S. Commissioner. Radziminski was ap-pointed to the important position of secre tary fo r thecommssion. The commission's s t a f f co nt ai ne d about onehundred men, including surveyors, engineers, draughtsmen,artists, technicians and others. J o s e Salazar y Larreguiwas Mexican Commissioner, af t e r t h e death of GeneralConde in December, 1851. This commission completed thefinal boundary survey under ne w t e r m s of Th e GadsdenPurchase in the fall of 1855. T h e new boundary wasestablished and marked from the mouth of the Rio Grade(Rio Bravo) through El Paso, to the Pacific Ocean, southof San Diego, California.

On J a n u a r y 31, 1855, near E l Paso, Texas, a memorableevent took place when the foundat ion was laid for a monu-ment marking the initial bo undar y p o i n t on t h e Rio Grande.Officers of the joint commissiou w i t h other American andMexican officials of both sides were present to witnessthe ceremony. The event is described i n the Report of the UnitedStates and Mexican Boundary Survey :2 *

E l Paso Del NorteInitial Point on the Rio Grande

Latitude 31,47'J a n u a r y 31, 1855The Commission Met According To A g r e e m e n t A t The Meridian

The chief officers of the vicinit y, mi li ta ry and ciril, fromboth sides of the line, being pre sent , t h e foundat ion of themonumeut was laid. The following paper, one copy in English,and the other in Spanish, was signed by t h e two Coxnluissioneraand by the persons aforesaid, placed i n a glass bottle, and de-posited, at the depth five feet , u n d e r the center of the monu-ment. C O P Y O F PAPL'RWE T H E UNDERSIGNED, HAVE T H U S ASSEMBLED TO WIT-NESS THE LAYING O F THE FOUNDATION O F T H E MONUMENTWHICH IS TO MARK THE I N I T I A L P O I N T O F T H E ROUXDARYBETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE REPUBLIC O FMEXICO, ON THE PART OF THE U N I T E D STATES BY WILLIAMHELMSLEY EMORY, AND ON THE PART OF THE REPUBLIC O FMEXICO, B Y J O S E SALALAR Y LAHKEGUI , LATITUDE 31' 47'.AGREED UPON UNDER THE T R E A T Y W I T H MEXICO.W. H. EMORY, U. S. COMMISSIONERSJOSE SALAZAR Y LARREGUI ( M E X I C A N COMMISSIONER)C. Khl~%li\ .IISSKI, EC'IiY, U. S- BOUXDhRY COMMISSIONJOEL ANKRIME. B. ALEXANDERCALEB SMITHE. K. SMITH (E. KIRBYJUAN JOSE SANCHEZANTONIO ZEPEDAGUADELUPE MIRANDAVISCESTE AGUlRRE20 Emory, op. cit.

SMITH, C AP TA IN , INFANTRY)


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CAorIes Rodriminski: Patriot, E d e , Pioneer 361While on duty with the Mexican Boundary Commission,Radziminski was appointed a First Lieutenant in the newly

organized Second Cavalry Regiment. Jefferson Davis,Secretary of War was responsible for the organization oftwo new cavalry regiments authorized by congress in March1855. These new cavalry units were considered essentialfor the protection of the settlers and pioneers in the rapidlyexpanding frontiers in the West against the hostile maraud-ingThe Second Cavalry was one of the best mounted regi-ments in the service at that time. The majority of officemvere Southerners, who, during the Civil War attained high

rank in the Confederate Army. This regiment. called "JeffDavis' Own," was organized in Louisville, Kentucky, inthe spring of 1855. Its horses were purchased from thebest stock available in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.This newly organized Cavalry Regiment war com-manded by Colonel Albert Sidney Johnson, a Texan byadoption, who in 1861 became Major General and Commanderof the Confederate Forces in the West. Second in command

was Lieut. Colonel Robert E. Lee, the future Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Armies. Officers in the Regimentwho became prominent during the Civil War included:Majors William J. Hardee and George H. Thomas, theRock of Chickamauga; Brevet Major Earl Van Dorn;Captains E. Kirby Smith, George Stoneman and CharlesWhiting; Lieutenants Fitzhugh Lee, Walter H. Jennifer,William B. Royall, George B. Cosby, John Bell Hood, andTheodore 0 Hara, author of Bivouac of th e Dead.22

The Second Cavalry moved to Jefferson Barracks,Missouri, in the summer of 1855 for its final organizationbefore its march to Texas. The Kegiment began its longtrek October 27, 1855, across Oklahoma into Texas toestablish headquarters a t San Antonio. Units were deployedto Fort Mason, Camp Sabiual, Fort Clark, Fort McIntoshLaredo), Fort Belknap, Camp Inge, Fort Wichita, andCamp Cooper on the Clear Fork of the I 3 r a ~ o s . ~

A t the outbreak of the Civil War the remnants of theRegiment escaped to the North and were reassembled atCarlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. The Regiment was re-designated as the Fifth Cavalry of the Union Forces.- -

21 Captain George B. Price, Across the Continent with the Fijth CarnJtJ,(New York, 1883).22 Ibid.= b ia


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362 The Chronicles of OklcJIomaRadzbimki was appointed to the Regiment June 30,1855, but continued with his duties with the Boundary

Commission until the completion of the survey. He joinedthe Regiment a t Fort Mason, Texas, March 25, 1856, andwas assigned to Company K, under Captain Charles Whiting.He se rve d a t several stations and camps in Texas as theunits were moved about in Western Texas on the lookoutfor troublesome Indians. The Comanches, Kiowas, Lipansand Apaches were the scourge of Western Texas andNorthern Mexico after the withdrawal of Spanish Troopsin 1821."

While waiting for departure from San Antonio to FortMason, h e met his future commanding officer, LieutenantColonel Robert E. Lee. The two officers traveled togetherwith a convoy to Fort Mason on their way to Camp Cooperin the newly established Comanche reservation. The follow-ing incident is told in the book, Robert E. Lee in Texus:25In March 1856 just before leaving San Antonio for Fort Mason,

he instructed Lieutenant Charles Radziminski, hie young Polteh Sub-altern, t o procure supplies which they would need on thelr longjourney and after they arrived a t Camp Cooper. He had explainedthat his own needs were simple, "a boiled ham, hard bread, a bottleof molassea and one of extract of coffee." However, he also addedother thing- canvas tent, tables, camp chairs, crockery and cook-ing utensils.Captain George Price in Across the Continent with theFifth Cavalry gives a narrative history of the Regiment andincluded bio.graphica1 sketches of officers who served f rom1855 t o 1883. The following biographical sketch of Lieu-tenant Charles Radziminski appears in the book :26

Charles Radziminski was born In Poland and emigrated at anearly a g e to the United States. He served in the War with Mexicoas a Sec on d Lieutenant in the Third Dragoons (organized by Act ofCongress of February 11, 1847, for the War with Mexico), from April9, 1847, to July 31, 1848, and was engaged in civilian pursuits in NewMexico, when he was appointed from Louisiana a s First LieutenantIn the Fifth (Old Second) Cavalry to date from June 30, 1855. Hejoined t h e Regiment a t Fort Mason, Texas,March 25, 1856, and servedat Camp Cooper, Camp Sabinal, and at Forts Inge and Clark untilMay, 1857, when he was compelled to avail himself of a sick leave ofabsence. He rejoined the Regiment ,(his company) at Fort Clark InNovember, 1867, and served a t tha t station, For t Mason and on theClear F o r k of the Brazos until July 24, 1858, when rapidly failinghealth again compelled him to seek a change of climate, and he dtedat Memphis, Tenn., of consumption (tuberculosis) on August 18, 1858.Efe Waris hfghly esteemed for manly qualities and generous dispooit@on.

24 Ibid,Carl Coke Rioter, Robert E. Lee in Texas, (Norman, 1946).Rice, op. c k


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After he left Camp Cooper on his second sick leave inJuly 1858, Charles Hadziminski journeyed to Memphis,where he registered at the Oayoso House, which was oneof the most fashionable hotels a t that time. Being veryill and not certain about his future, he asked the manage-ment to notify the Secretary of War Floyd, and an acquaint-ance of his, a Colonel J. Knox Walker of Memphis, in theevent of any emergency. He was found dead sitting onhis bed, on the morning of August 18, 1858. Inspection ofhis papers revealed no relatives or friends listed. He wasburied on August 22nd in an unknown cemetery in Memphis.As there was no will or next of kin mentioned in hiepapers, Colonel Walker became the administrator of theestate which consisted of his personal effects, valuablesand an extensive wardr~be.~' A recent check of Memphiscemeteries failed t o locate his grave. I t was learned thatsome of the older cemeteries were done away with, andthe records destroyed.

His death was reported to the Secretary of War Floydby a visiting government official, Thomas R. Shallcross,in the following letter given in its original textMemphis, Tenn.23 Aug. 1858Dear Sir:

Went C. Radzimineki of the U. S. Army died a t the Oayom Houmin this city on Tuesday the 18th Inst. shortly after his arrival fromTexas. As his approaching end was not anticipated by himself or hieattending physician so soon, he left no directions with anyone, so tothe disposition he wished made of his remains, or effectr. He diedrlane sitt ing on the side of t he bed. His disease, consumption.

He had in hie possession about $145 in money and Dfta. on theTreasury amounting to $837. with an extensive wardrobe. On bLarrival at the hotel he enquired tor and expressed a desire to amCol. J. Knox Walker, who was a t the time and still is absent from thecity. His remains were placed in a metallic coffin and deposited in apriv8k vault, where they were kept until yesterday, awaiting &areturn of Col. Walker, who is supposed to know him relatives andtriendr, and who i t was intended should communicate th e intelligenceof his death, and learn from them what they desired to be done withhis remains and effects, but Col. Walker failing to arrive and doubt-ing the propriety of keeping the body in the vault longer, Mr. Knowl-ton of the Gayoso House had it deposited in the cemetery yetatordaymorning.

'7 Old Army Records, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Nm, item& a t death of Lieut. Radziminski The Memphis Appeal, (August 19,1858).28 Old Army Records, National Archives.


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364 The Chronicles of OWaliomcrNever having known Lieat. Radziminsld, I am entirely disinter-eated and governed alone by sympatny Lor me friends of tue aeixwedin communicating the foregoing facts to you.

I am very respectfullyYour obdt. servantThos. R ShallcrosoSpl. Agt. P.O. Dept. ofWheeling, Va.Hon. John B. FloydSec'y of WarWashingtonD.C.In addition to this brief sketch of Radziminski's life

it is thought appropriate to give a brief history of themilitary camp named after him. Camp Radzirninski in theWichita Mountains of Southwest Oklahoma, perpetuatedhis name for over a hundred years, on maps, in articlesand books dealing with military history of our Southwest.Another land mark which commemorates his name is MountRadziminski, a massive granite pile which lies about onehalf mile to the southeast of the camp site.2g This mountaink known to the people living in the vicinity of the camp,although it is not shown on official maps of Oklahoma.

About a month after Radziminski's death, Brevet MajorEarl Van Dorn, West Pointer from Port Gibson, Mississippi,marched from old Fort Belknap, located south of NewCastle, Young County, Texas, with Companies A, F, H, andK of the Second Cavalry, one company of infantry andsixty Caddo and Delaware scouts under the Indian AgentLawrence Sul Ross, to establish a new base of operationsnorth of the Red River. The movement of these troopswas ordered by Brevet Major General David Twiggs,Commanding General of the Department of Texas. Thismove was deemed necessary because the hostile Comancheswere moving north from Texas into Indian Territory toharass the settlers where there was insufficient prote~tion.~

The expedition under Major Van Dorn, after crossingthe Red River, established a temporary camp, September23, 1858, on the southwest bank of Otter Creek, near Tipton,Tillman County, Oklahoma. This camp, Van Dorn namedCamp Radziminski in honor of Lieutenant Radzimiuski ofK Company, in accordance with an Army custom to namecamps and forts after deceased military men or prominent

~9Kent Ruth, Oklahoma,A Guide to the Sooner State, pp. 454.455, (Nor-man, 1957).8, William 8. Morrinon, Militmy Posts md Camps in O h h o m a , (Okla-boma City, 1936); CoL W. S. N e, Carbine and h c e , pp. 18-26, Normm,1943).


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Americans. It was from this base that Van Dorn stagedan attack on large bands of Comanches under Chief BuffaloHump, a t Wichita Village near Rush Springs on October 1,1858. The Cavalry and Indian Scouts defeated and dia-persed a band of 500 hostile Indians. Major Van Dornand "Sul" Ross were seriously wounded in this battle.Lieutenant Van Camp, a young West Pointer, was killed.n

In November, 1858. the troops moved and made campseveral miles upstream on Otter Creek. The grazing landin this new location mas exhausted by March 1859 whichnecessitated another move. Van Dorn crossed to the westbank and marched north to the point where Otter Creekemerges through a gorere between two granite peaks of TheWichita Mountains. He found a cove, sheltered f rom the"northers," with plenty of timber and grass nearby. Allthree camps were called Camp Radziminski. The last campwas the most permanent and best known and is the onetFat has the historical marker. This third camp was ait-uated in the southern slopes of the Wichita Mountains: tothe south ~ n d est Iav a great plain which snpnortedthonsands of huffdo. Big ham sheep nnd elk mere numerouein the rugged granite mountains to the north.$'

While the troops were encamped for the winter, BnffdoHi~mpgathered new warriom snd continned raiding: settle-ments and committing denredations further north nenrKansas. Van Dorn or-anbed another expedition, May 30,185% with Capt. R. Kirhv Smith aq second in ~ommand. ndtrailed the hostile Tndimcl into Kansas. The exneditianmirnriseil r\. large body of Kiowas and Comanrheq an CrookdCreek (N ~s c~ trn nm ), south of Old Fort Atkinson, nearDodge City. Kansas. The Comanches were again defeatedand disnersed nnd henceforth became a lesser threat t othe sett lers in the Sonthwest. Major Van Dorn was n d nwnnnded in this battle. as were Cantain Edrnnnd KirbySmith and Tlieutenant Fitzhugh Lee. Lee carried an arrow-bead imbedded in his chest the rest of his life. The troopsnow returned to Camp Radziminski to rest and convaleacefrom their wounds. Shortly after return t o camp, MajorVan Dorn was ordered to San Antonio, leaving CaptainSmith in command of the troops at Radziminski through

Indian Campaigns t.he troops weredrilling recruits and mounta. Thewest ofMonntain Park, Kiora County.)

the summer of 1859.53While preparing forengaged in training and

31 Jhid.$2 Ihid.aMorrison, op. cit. (Site ie


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only recreations were hunting, mountain climbing. andhome racing a t the camp. The horses were trained to re-turn to camp when alarm sounded to prevent their beingatampeded. It was the strategy of the Comanches to runoff the horses for their own use and leave the troops afoot.The interesting book, Story of the Fifth Caualry, has thefollowing note about horse racing a t Camp Radziminski:a

Major Van Dorn was owner of a splendid running horse whichhad won more money than any other horse in the regiment. He waronce defeated by Lieutenant Royal1 with Minnehaha, owned by Lieu-tenant Radziminski; a beautiful mare, thoroughly trained in theBaucher System and a saddle animal of great endurance. She finallybecame the property of Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee, but wa8left behind when the regiment marched to the coast en route to theNorth. (1861)

Camp Radziminski was abandoned by the troops ofthe Second Cavalry, December 6, 1859, when the units wereordered back to duty in Texas. The old camp site wasoccupied later b~ Texas Rangers, who remained for abouta year, patrolling the border and skirmishing with theremaining bands of marauding Indians.

Even though officially abandoned by the Army, th ecamp site continued to be used as bivouac area by U. S.Cavalry units after the Civil War. It was visited on manyoccasions by Army officials and persons interested in thehistory of the region.On June 27, 1868 the ruins of Radziminski mere visitedby Colonel B. H, Grierson with units of the 10th Cavalry.from Fort Arbuckle. He was making a reconnaissance ofthe Wichita Mountains area for a location of a new perma-nent Army f o r t in that region. Colonel Grierson wwfascinated by the site of the old camp in the Wichitas hs-muse of the tales of buried treasures there. While camp-ing near the site, he was visited by a band of Comanches.A conference was held with these Indians, as a result ofwhich aeveral captive children, including four whitea andtwo negroes, were ransomed.=The site of the new fort was eventually chosen on Jan-uary 8, 1869, by General Phillip Sheridan, on the banksof Medicine Bluff Creek, about thirty five miles east ofCamp Radziminski.renamed Fort Sill1869, and at Fort

It was first called Camp Wichita. butat department headquarters on July 2,Sill on August 1, 1869. This post has


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become the famous and historical Army installation ofthe Southwest. At the present time it is used as an Artilleryand Missile Training Center.=The site of old Camp Radziminski was occupied ss acamping area on March 4 and 5, 1869, by the famousSeventh U. S. Cavalry and the Nineteenth Volunteer KansasCavalry under the command of General George A. Cnster.This was shortly after the establishment of Fort Sill, fol-Iowing Custer's destruction of Chief Black Kettle's Chepenne Village on November 27, 1868.*The site of Camp Radziminski is located about fourmiles northwest from the town of Mountain Park, KiowaCounty, on the farm of Mrs. Olivia E. Walker, her son A.

0. "Red" Walker and daughter Claudia Walker. It lieson the west bank of Otter Creek below the granite mountainsto the north. The land is partly under cultivation f o rwheat and other crops. About one half mile to the south-east lies Mount Radziminski which is also called MountFrisco by the local residents, after the Frisco Railwaywhich passes to the east of it. According to Mr. "Red"Walker, there were six graves on the camp site. The re-mains were moved to the cemetery at Fort Sill in the late1920's. There were occasional visitors including Armypersonnel who came to inspect the site and gather informa-tion about it from the Walker family. Miss Claudia Walkershowed the author during his visit there, some souvenirs,auch as buckles, horsehoes, bits and bottles and other itemspicked up on the site from time to time. A rectangle ofstones and an abandoned well remain to identify positivelythe location of the mess-haKm

Private interests acquired the mgqed slopes of MonntRadziminski in 1915. Extensive granite quarrying opera-tions begun a t tha t time by Anton Souknp and FrankSvoboda, Bohemian born citizens of Omaha, Nebraska. Inthe past, as many as five hundred granite cutters have beenemployed a t one time, although shipments in recent pan,were reduced to several carloads a m0nth.m Pink, red andgray granite is quarried there for monuments by the QilhamGranite Company of Mountain Park.86O b h o m a Historical Sites Survey, Oklahoma Hiotorical Society, ( O k bhoma City, 1958); Muriel H. Wright, uA History of Fort Cobb", CAronidrr

of Oklahoma, VoL XXXTV No. 1, Spring 19561, p. 70.87 Nye, op. cit, pp. 94-95.~8Information obtained from Mr. A. 0. "Red" Walker,a resident of CunpRsdziminski Area.WRutb, op. cir.; Lawton Constitrction, Augaa 11, 1957, "Camp Rdd-W Iast in the Rubble."


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$68 T h Chronictes 01 OklahomaHere ends the brief story of Lieutenant Charles Radzi-

minski and the camp named in his honor. He died untimely,an exile from his native land, buried in an unknown grave,after a cob-ful and useful career in his adopted country.For his services in the cause of freedom and the faithfulperformance of his duties, his name will live on in theArchives of Army, the Boundary Commission and in thelandmarks of Oklahoma.

charles radziminski: patriot, exile, pioneer

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