"Here's a dollar to buy something good to put in that box for the lonesome boys at Camp Funston." said Mrs. Candas Carter, better known as Grandma Carter to this reporter, the other day as she stepped into our kitchen for a morning call. She sat down and gave us the following little history that seems interesting enough to pass on.
"I know something about what war means and I know it's the boys who go to war and never get any letters or anything from home or friends are the ones that are so glad to be remembered if its only once. My father fought in the battle of New Orleans and when the war was over he started home a foot to Kentucky; but because of a shoulder wound, he had to live six months in a Cherokee Indian camp before he was strong enough to continue his journey. I had a brother who with five sons fought in the battle of Pittsburgh Landing. My second brother was in the regiment of cavalry men that spike the cannons of the enemy at the battle of Nashville and after doing his part, his horse whirled and threw him and before he could rise, the cavalry horse trampled him to death. My youngest brother stood guard over General Grant one night while he slept and he was only fifteen years old when the war was over and he marched with Sherman to the sea. My husband served also and was at Stone River when the news came that Lincoln was assassinated. I had six children when he went to war and the oldest boy was not yet able to harness a team. Oh I know something about hardship. I had to raise the crops of corn, potatoes, and tobacco, but we had plenty when he came home. Then I bore two more children and adopted four more so in all I raised twelve children. I am eighty-five years old now and have a good health. I have 60 great grand children, and 2 great-great grandchildren. I used to go to church when the services were preached by the first Methodist Preacher that ever was in the state of Indiana. His name was Jesse Alexander. Well, I guess I'll be getting back home now." And as she went down the steps from the porch, the thought came to us that here is in our town was a woman whose life has been touched by the wars of 1812, 1861, 1898 and 1917, whose heart goes but to our boys in the camps at Funston, because she knows something of what being a soldier really means.
James & Candas (Davis) Carter
Obituary
McCracken Enterprise, 25 Apr 1924, Fri, Page 5, McCracken, KS, newspapers.com
CHILDREN OF CANDUS DAVIS CARTER:
1. John William Carter (1849-1925)
John married Nancy Frazier in 1868. They are enumerated in 1870 in Pike County, Indiana and in 1880 in Chautauqua County, Kansas. They had six children. In 1921 there was a mention in the local newspaper at Winslow, Pike, Indiana - John Carter of Topeka, Kansas and W.S. Carter of Abilene, Kansaa are visiting friends. John Carter has not been here for 45 years. These men were both reared here on a farm south of town known as the Freshour farm.
2. Jesse Thomas Carter (1853-1910)
Thomas moved to Kansas with his parents. After the death of his father he took care of his mother. He never married. The following is his obituary in the Hays Free Press, 28 May 1910:
Last Saturday J. Tom Carter died at the home of his mother, Mrs. Candas Carter of the south Smokey Hill country, at the age of 58. He has been having serious spells for some time, and would get better and come to town, but finally death stretched forth his hand and bade him come. He was a bachelor and leaves his mother and several brothers and sisters to mourn his departure. The funeral was held on Tuesday and the body laid to rest in our cemetery. Many friends attended and sympathized with the dear old mother, as Tom was her home boy in her declining years.
3. James Marion Carter (1854-1885)
In 1875 he married Mary Black. They were enumerated in Pike County, Indiana in 1880 with one child. They had two more children before his death in 1885 in Indiana.
4. David Newton Carter (1855-1935)
David married Hulda Mason in 1883 in Pike County, Indiana. They had three children. David was involved in several law suits due to default on taxes. He also disposed of his portion of his father's homestead that he inherited. He did this while his mother was still living there. There was a lawsuit that went to the Kansas Supreme court and ultimately David won on appeal. The following article from the Winslow Dispatch in Winslow, Indiana was printed in July 1923 (Sylvester is David's son):
5. Sarah N. Carter (1860-1891)
Sarah married James Mason in 1879. They lived in Pike County, Indiana. There were six children born to Sarah and James. After Sarah's death James remarried and had 5 more children.
6. Mary Carter
Mary's first husband was Samuel Cobb. Family tradition says he was Cherokee. He worked in the mines but died at age 24 of malaria. They had one child. This was the same year her parents moved to Kansas. Mary moved with them with her infant. She met and married George Schade. They moved back to Pike County, Indiana and Mary lived there the rest of her life. She and George had three children. He died in 1892. She married for a third time to Joseph Redden Kinder. He was a Civil War veteran 40 years older than her. He died in 1904. Mary married a fourth time to James Spradley in 1908.
7. Henry Franklin Carter (1867-1946)
Henry Deloria Belle Ward in 1892. She is 1/4 Cherokee and their children on the Cherokee Rolls.
They had 10 children and lived their lives in Oklahoma.
8 Warren Stinson Carter (1869-1939)
Went by the name Dick. He lived in Ellis County, Kansas for 28 years and them moved to Clay county in 1913. He moved again in 1931, this time to Colorado. He married Francis Irene McDonough in 1889. They had six children. After Frances' death he married Amanda Brewer in 1899 and had three more children.
Candus Davis is my 3rd great aunt. Her brother, Jesse Gross Davis, Jr., is my 2nd great grandfather.
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