This story, contained mostly in a type-written letter, comes to us from a
person who has been following my thread about a Model of 1899 that was shipped
to Cadet Leroy Hillman in the spring of 1900, his senior year at West Point. In 1918,
he was CO of Rock Island Arsenal, and died that year in the midst of the Great Flu
Epidemic.
The interesting fact about Col Hillmans private life is that he married Miriam Ellis, the
sister of then-Lt. Wilmot Ellis, later in the summer of 1900 . Lt. Ellis graduated West
Point in 1889, and was rotated back to West Point for a two-year teaching assignment
for the school years 1898-1899, and 1899-1900. Miriam met Leroy during a visit to
her brother sometime in 1900, and stayed the rest of the school-year with her
brother.
The interesting fact about Lt. Ellis's private life is that he was married to a direct
descendant of William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1803. By virtue of his
marriage, Miriam is an Aunt to all future Clark descendants along this path, and therefore
Leroy Hillman is an Uncle to these same people.
This first image is the Clark Family tree, set up to show the straight-line path
through Lt Wilmot Ellis, and on down to one of the present-day survivors. Judith Hull,
in the last entry, is the provider of the letter about the gun that was presented to
her grandfather Col. Charles Jones. (Note that three of the boxes have WP: in them.
This denotes West Point graduates, with their Cullum number and graduation year.)
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition celebrated the centennial of the
1803 Louisiana Purchase. It was hosted at the 1904 Worlds Fair in
St Louis, otherwise known as the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair. It
ran from April 30 1904 to December 1 1904, being delayed a year
to allow participation by more states and foreign countries.
One of the purposes of the Exposition was to memorialize the
Lewis & Clark Exposition of 1804. To that end was the dedication
in 1904 of the Clark Memorial Oblisk in the family burial plot.
At the dedication were as many members of the Clark family as could
be present.
This next picture was taken at the dedication. The lady in white
with the hat is Seddie Clark Lauderdale Ellis. Seddie was the closest
living blood kin to Clark at that time and that is why she was at center.
To the right (as you look at photo) is Wilmot Edward Ellis.
The little girl is her daughter Dorothy Ysidra Ellis and the young man
on Seddie's arm is her son Edward Lauderdale Ellis.
After his death William Clark was buried on the farm of his nephew,
Col. John O'Fallon. In 1860 his body along with other relatives were
moved to Bellefontaine Cemetery. The memorial was placed in 1904 by
his son, Jefferson Kearney Clark. The memorial had fallen into
disrepair and $100,000 was raised to renovate the memorial and it was
rededicated in 2004 to celebrate the bicentennial of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. (O'Fallon Missouri is a town west of
St Louis, and was named for John O'Fallon.)
The William Clark journals of the 1804 Expedition are an
interesting story. As told by Judith Hull,
"My aunt Eleanor and uncle Col. Daniel Hine had the Clark
journals with them at the Rock Island Arsenal.(Note: Col.
Hine was CO of Rock Island Arsenal, as was Leroy Hillman.)
They were handed down through the years. We all lived in
Quarters # 6 then - big old 3 story house on the Mississippi River
with a dungeon and servant's quarters (not used for that - my
oldest cousin Virginia claimed it for her own). The Hines had
the first two floors and Mother and I had the 3rd floor. When
Mother and I first moved in with them (having left San Francisco
where Dorothy Ysidra lived), Eleanor and Danny let me take a
journal to school so I'd have something interesting to "show"
when I met my new classmates. I was 10 or 11. I was in 6th grade I think.
The gov't took them around 1957 or so. They were very upset that
we had them - they had been sort of manhandled by the kids.
I think they are here in St. Louis now. I keep meaning to go and see. "
Col Jones was not West Point, but rather came up through the ranks. In 1927 he was
working the line at a Camp Perry shooting meet. He won, or was awarded, the
"Courtesy & Efficiency" prize . That year, the prize was this .22 Single Action, with
a Pope Barrel. This gun was donated by Joseph Martin, a long-time member of
"The Manhattan Rifle & Revolver Association" in New York City. The letter, forming
the central part of this thread, is the story about the significance of the Pope barrel
on this revolver.
This next image is a flyer that came with the letter. It shows the gun, and lists the
buyer, in 1992 . The seller was his widow. Col Jones was married into the Clark
family from about 1914 to 1935, when they divorced. He subsequently married
another person, and this gun stayed with Col Jones until his death in 1970. The gun
stayed with Mary Jones until she (or her estate ) sold it in 1992.
When Joseph Martin found out that Col Jones had won the prize he donated, he
wrote this long letter to Col Jones. The letter itself must have stayed in the Clark
family, and wound up with Judith Hull. These next six images are the letter.
This last image is an obituary for Col Jones, written by his grand-daughter Judith
Hull. Its a very good summary of his military postings.
Regards, Mike Priwer
person who has been following my thread about a Model of 1899 that was shipped
to Cadet Leroy Hillman in the spring of 1900, his senior year at West Point. In 1918,
he was CO of Rock Island Arsenal, and died that year in the midst of the Great Flu
Epidemic.
The interesting fact about Col Hillmans private life is that he married Miriam Ellis, the
sister of then-Lt. Wilmot Ellis, later in the summer of 1900 . Lt. Ellis graduated West
Point in 1889, and was rotated back to West Point for a two-year teaching assignment
for the school years 1898-1899, and 1899-1900. Miriam met Leroy during a visit to
her brother sometime in 1900, and stayed the rest of the school-year with her
brother.
The interesting fact about Lt. Ellis's private life is that he was married to a direct
descendant of William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1803. By virtue of his
marriage, Miriam is an Aunt to all future Clark descendants along this path, and therefore
Leroy Hillman is an Uncle to these same people.
This first image is the Clark Family tree, set up to show the straight-line path
through Lt Wilmot Ellis, and on down to one of the present-day survivors. Judith Hull,
in the last entry, is the provider of the letter about the gun that was presented to
her grandfather Col. Charles Jones. (Note that three of the boxes have WP: in them.
This denotes West Point graduates, with their Cullum number and graduation year.)
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition celebrated the centennial of the
1803 Louisiana Purchase. It was hosted at the 1904 Worlds Fair in
St Louis, otherwise known as the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair. It
ran from April 30 1904 to December 1 1904, being delayed a year
to allow participation by more states and foreign countries.
One of the purposes of the Exposition was to memorialize the
Lewis & Clark Exposition of 1804. To that end was the dedication
in 1904 of the Clark Memorial Oblisk in the family burial plot.
At the dedication were as many members of the Clark family as could
be present.
This next picture was taken at the dedication. The lady in white
with the hat is Seddie Clark Lauderdale Ellis. Seddie was the closest
living blood kin to Clark at that time and that is why she was at center.
To the right (as you look at photo) is Wilmot Edward Ellis.
The little girl is her daughter Dorothy Ysidra Ellis and the young man
on Seddie's arm is her son Edward Lauderdale Ellis.
After his death William Clark was buried on the farm of his nephew,
Col. John O'Fallon. In 1860 his body along with other relatives were
moved to Bellefontaine Cemetery. The memorial was placed in 1904 by
his son, Jefferson Kearney Clark. The memorial had fallen into
disrepair and $100,000 was raised to renovate the memorial and it was
rededicated in 2004 to celebrate the bicentennial of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. (O'Fallon Missouri is a town west of
St Louis, and was named for John O'Fallon.)
The William Clark journals of the 1804 Expedition are an
interesting story. As told by Judith Hull,
"My aunt Eleanor and uncle Col. Daniel Hine had the Clark
journals with them at the Rock Island Arsenal.(Note: Col.
Hine was CO of Rock Island Arsenal, as was Leroy Hillman.)
They were handed down through the years. We all lived in
Quarters # 6 then - big old 3 story house on the Mississippi River
with a dungeon and servant's quarters (not used for that - my
oldest cousin Virginia claimed it for her own). The Hines had
the first two floors and Mother and I had the 3rd floor. When
Mother and I first moved in with them (having left San Francisco
where Dorothy Ysidra lived), Eleanor and Danny let me take a
journal to school so I'd have something interesting to "show"
when I met my new classmates. I was 10 or 11. I was in 6th grade I think.
The gov't took them around 1957 or so. They were very upset that
we had them - they had been sort of manhandled by the kids.
I think they are here in St. Louis now. I keep meaning to go and see. "
Col Jones was not West Point, but rather came up through the ranks. In 1927 he was
working the line at a Camp Perry shooting meet. He won, or was awarded, the
"Courtesy & Efficiency" prize . That year, the prize was this .22 Single Action, with
a Pope Barrel. This gun was donated by Joseph Martin, a long-time member of
"The Manhattan Rifle & Revolver Association" in New York City. The letter, forming
the central part of this thread, is the story about the significance of the Pope barrel
on this revolver.
This next image is a flyer that came with the letter. It shows the gun, and lists the
buyer, in 1992 . The seller was his widow. Col Jones was married into the Clark
family from about 1914 to 1935, when they divorced. He subsequently married
another person, and this gun stayed with Col Jones until his death in 1970. The gun
stayed with Mary Jones until she (or her estate ) sold it in 1992.
When Joseph Martin found out that Col Jones had won the prize he donated, he
wrote this long letter to Col Jones. The letter itself must have stayed in the Clark
family, and wound up with Judith Hull. These next six images are the letter.
This last image is an obituary for Col Jones, written by his grand-daughter Judith
Hull. Its a very good summary of his military postings.
Regards, Mike Priwer
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