The Turgeon Bullwhackers

Turgeon Freighters in Deadwood

Our ancestor, Philias Turgeon, along with his brothers trekked to Deadwood freighting goods from Wheeler, Dakota Territory.  One Turgeon freight train started from Fort Pierre.  Phil’s brother, Abraham, had a freighting contract with the US military and other groups; therefore, they made this trip quite regularly.

The photograph below shows a freight train heading towards Deadwood which was taken during the 1880s.

 

 

The following photograph shows teamsters driving freight through Deadwood, Dakota Territory.  It was taken in the mid-1880s and may be one of the Turgeon’s freight trains. 

 

  

 

Photo shows Bull Team in old Deadwood taken in the mid-1880s.

 

Abe and Benjamin Turgeon in the Black Hills

The Black Hills Daily Times (Deadwood) dated May 20, 1884, shows a list of Deadwood residents from Ward One supporting a councilman candidate.  Among this list appeared the following two names - Benjamin Turgeon and Abe Turgeon.  At this time we believe these names are linked to our own Turgeon family tree.  However, another Abraham Turgeon also from Bellechasse, QC, may have lived in Deadwood during this time frame.

The following 1884 snippet appeared in the Black Hills Daily News.  The telegraph office had a dispatch for Abe Turgeon and Charles Tucker.  Charles Tucker was a teamster who worked for Abe Turgeon.  From a later press release, his full name was listed as ‘Charles E. Tucker’ and he may have been born in Union County, Dakota Territory.

 

 

Pictured below on the left is Abraham Turgeon, freighter, who lived in Charles Mix County, Dakota Territory.  Pictured to your right is Benjamin Turgeon, Abraham’s brother.

            

 

Scuffle with General Fields

Samuel Fields was a born a free black man around 1849 and raised in Louisiana. In 1864, at the age of 15, he joined the Union Army where he served as a private in the 114th Infantry Regiment, Company F. After receiving a distinguished service discharge, he returned to Louisiana where he worked as a farm laborer.

However, when news arrived about the gold rush in Deadwood, Fields joined the thousands that flocked to the Black Hills seeking gold and fortune. Arriving in Deadwood in 1876, this flamboyant man, who went about saying that he had been a General in the Union Army during the Civil War, immediately drew the attention of Deadwood's newspapers. Described with words like "irrepressible, duplicatory, and candescent", he was most often referred to as "Nigger General, General Fields, or General Darkey".  Seemingly unbothered by the racial slurs, Fields, too, often referred to himself as the "Nigger General.”

Becoming an active participant in Deadwood's African-American Community, which was even more of a minority than the Chinese, Fields was quick to speak out at the many "Colored Citizens Meetings,” as well as city political gatherings. An eloquent speaker, he soon earned yet another nickname – the "Shakespearian Darkey.”  General Fields was one of the more colorful characters in early Deadwood.  He was picked up for burglary, murder (later disproved) and disorderly conduct.  Later in life he worked as a bellhop in a Rapid City hotel where afterwards he disappeared.

The following news article appeared in the June 22, 1885, edition of the Black Hills Daily Times.  One of Abe Turgeon’s bullwhacker’s, Charles Tucker, had a tussle with one of Deadwood’s more colorful characters, General Fields. 

Black Hills Daily Times
Deadwood, Dakota
June 22, 1885

Examination in the case of the City vs. General Fields, went over until today.  No little interest is entertained by the public in this matter.  Fields, full of liquor a greater part of the day (Thursday), began chaffing a bullwhacker standing by the side of his wagon, and finally took the teamster's whip and endeavored to pilot the outfit down Main street, but succeeded only in turning the yoke on the leaders.  The teamster thereupon, assisted by Officer Duffy and others, adjusted the yoke and proceeded with his outfit down Main street, at the lower end of which thoroughfare he was arrested and jailed, and subsequently fined.  He was somewhat intoxicated, but no more than Fields, and certainly was not so much of a nuisance.  He has a family at Pierre, and if released, doubtless would at once leave town.  If he was guilty, Fields was none the less so.

Several days later Charles Tucker was released by Mayor Sol Star. 

 
Picture of General Samuel Fields. Deadwood. Date unknown.

What is undeniable is our ancestors came into contact with one of Deadwood’s more colorful characters.  They may have helped restrain General Fields after his drunken spree through lower Deadwood.  Of course, the Deadwood community attracted many colorful and memorable characters which are part and parcel of this city’s lore.

Deadwood License for Patrie and Turgeo

Black Hills Daily News
Deadwood, Dakota
July 2, 1884

This is an odd item found in the Deadwood newspaper.  Licenses were issued by the County Commissioners in 1884, and one license was issued to a partnership listed as ‘Patrie and Turgeo’ (Turgeon?).

In mid-1880’s Deadwood lived a Joseph Patry.  Our ancestor, Merida Patry Turgeon, had a brother named Joseph, who lived in Gregory County, Dakota Territory.  By 1904 Joseph and his family were living in Legal, Alberta.  It is unknown if Joseph Patry of Gregory County and Joseph Patry of Deadwood were one  and the same person.  Joseph Patry of Deadwood was also a volunteer fireman in the Eighteen Eighties.

 

Old Photograph circa mid-1880’s which shows Deadwood Volunteer Fire Department members.