Husband Oliver Collins Pollock 1 2
Born: 15 Oct 1852 - North Strabane Twp, Washington Co, PA 3 4
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Father: Samuel Pollock (1813-1883) 5 6
Mother: Esther McNary (Abt 1814-1890) 1 6 7
Marriage: 3 Dec 1880 3 8
Biographical Sketch: Joseph F. McFarland, 20th Century History of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1910).
To read this brief biographical sketch of his life and career, click here.
Wife Anna Bell Weaver 3 8
Born: 13 Nov 1854 3
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Father: Thomas Dell Weaver ( - ) 3
Mother: Eliza Caldwell ( - ) 9
Children
1 F Bessie Jeanette Pollock 10
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Spouse: E. L. Campbell ( - ) 8
2 F Viola Pearl Pollock 10
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3 M Oscar Dell Pollock 10
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4 F Eliza Weaver Pollock 10
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5 F Lucy Esther Pollock 10
AKA: Inez E. Pollock 8
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6 F Edna Loretta Pollock 10
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Died: when four months old
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Spouse: Did Not Marry
7 M Adez Clark Pollock 10
AKA: Adis C. Pollock 8
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8 M Earl Collins Pollock 10
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9 M Samuel Blaine MacDonald Pollock 10
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General Notes: Husband - Oliver Collins Pollock
Oliver C. C. Pollock in early manhood added an additional initial to his name, on account of having a brother with initials of A. C. residing at the same time at Canonsburg, and retained the initial after the death of the brother.
He attended Christy's school when but four years of age. When his parents moved to Canonsburg in 1858, he attended high school; studied under Colfelt and Stevenson; attended Dickson and Dunbar's Academy during 1869-70; Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Pennsylvania, 1871-72; Westminster College, at New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, 1873-74, where he graduated with honor on June 16, 1874, in a class containing thirty-three students. While attending the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Allegheny, being struck with gold fever, from reports of the Black Hills, and wishing free transportation, on November 20, 1875, he enlisted in the United States Cavalry Service; the next day he was sent to Jefferson barracks, St. Louis, Missouri, transferred to Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming; assigned to Company M, Third U. S. Cavalry, under Capt. Anson Mills, on January 9, 1876; took part in the winter campaign against the Sioux Indians, leaving Fort D. A. Russell on February 20, and Fort Fetterman March 1, and returning the 26th with the thermometer averaging twenty-six degrees below zero, the greatest cold being on the night of the 16 and 17th of March (St. Patrick's day), when the thermometer registered forty-five degrees below zero. They were on a forced march of twenty-four hours' duration to attack Crazy Horse's village, at the mouth of Otter creek in Dakota, said village containing 110 tepees or 600 warriors, which was destroyed March 17, 1876. The expedition took part in the summer campaign under Brig.-Gen. George Crooke (noted Indian fighter of the plains) against Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse's combined forces, [It was during the time of this campaign that Gen. Custer and men of the Seventh U. S. Cavalry were massacred, being encamped within fifty or sixty miles of the death-trap, at the headwaters of Powder river, at the foot of Big Horn mountains, awaiting communications with Brig-Gen. Terry. They were engaged June 17, 1876, in a whole day's running fight with Sitting Bull's and Crazy Horse's entire band of 3,300 warriors on Bose Bend river, at the mouth of Dead Man's Caρon, Montana, within three miles of the death-trap, and they escaped it only through the sagacity of their noted guide-Frank Guiard. From their supply camp they started on the 5th of August, with fifteen days' rations, on Indian trails to avenge Gen. Custer's death, and following the trail into the Bad Lands of Dakota, the trail becoming dim, they lost the trail and themselves in those alkali lands, where no wood thicker than rose bush stalks appears, and the water is like the lyes from wood ashes. Running out of rations, and no wild game accessible, they were compelled to live on rose buds and horseflesh to appease their hunger and quench their thirst. Having escaped from the Bad Lands, they came upon and destroyed American Horse's village of 104 tepees at Shin Battle, South Dakota, on September 9, 1876; which being rich in dried meat and ponies, they lived passably well until they arrived at Belle Touche river, near where Fort Meade now stands, about September 20, where they procured supplies from the citizens of Crooke's City in the Black Hills. Here they were issued raw beef, flour and green coffee to make a meal, each man having in his possession cooking utensils, consisting of a tin plate, a quart tin cup and a knife and fork. They remained in Crooke, Deadwood Hill and Custer cities until their supply train arrived on the 5th of October, just two months after leaving this place at the foot of Big Horn mountains. By this time Mr. Pollock had learned that "all is not gold that glitters," and that gold could not be picked up by the handful in the Black Hills; yet being young, and liking the roving and exciting life of a cavalry-man in the West, he preferred to stay with Uncle Sam, and served five years. He came to Camp Sheridan, near Spotted Tail Agency, in the last of October, and soon thereafter, Crazy Horse having surrendered, came to Red Cloud Agency, and stayed over winter, when, becoming tired of Gov. Chuck, and desiring the free and roving life of the prairie, he and a few followers started north, but were overtaken and captured near Spotted Tail Agency by Indian soldiers about 8 o'clock in the evening. Mr. Pollock, known to be a reckless rider, was detailed (no one else being willing to volunteer) to carry the news to Fort Robinson at Red Cloud Agency. At night and alone, in order to insure secrecy, and being given direction not to spare horseflesh, he made the distance of forty-five miles, arriving at Fort Robinson about midnight. He was present next day when Crazy Horse, having refused to be placed in the white man's guard-house by Capt. Kennington, received his death wound. That night (the pickets being doubled) about midnight, the Indians at the agency took up the death-song (he having expired). A shot was fired somewhere on the picket lines, and thinking the Fort was attacked, officers' and soldiers' wives came running into the soldiers' quarters in their nightclothes, exclaiming "for God's sake save us." It took Mr. Pollock four days to return to Camp Sheridan with the horse (which never recovered). He was present in 1877 when the Third Cavalry so gallantly headed off, captured and subdued the Cheyenne Indians, whose leaders were Wild Hog and Yellow Hand. He was with the soldiers in removing Spotted Tail and Red Cloud bands of Sioux Indians to the Old Ponco Reservation on the Missouri river, in the fall of 1877, and to what is now known as Pine Ridge Agency in the spring of 1878. Afterward he was stationed at Fort Sidney, Nebraska, on the Union Pacific Railroad; at Fort McKinney, Wyoming; at Camp Rawlins, on the Union Pacific Railroad, after Maj. Thornburg's (pay-master) massacre by the Piute Indians, November, 1879; at Fort Laramie and at Fort D. A. Russell, Wyoming, where he was honorably discharged November 19, 1880, at the expiration of five years' service (Capt. Deane Monahan, commander of Company M, Third Cavalry). Mr. Pollock came back to Pennsylvania, and engaged in rural pursuits. [CBRWC, 613]