Moses Embree Milner (May 8, 1829 – October 29, 1876), also known as "California Joe", was an American

miner A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...

and frontier

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

Biography

Moses Embree Milner was born in Stanford, Kentucky on May 8, 1829. At age 14 he moved west to St. Louis, Missouri for a short time and then on to Fort Laramie, Wyoming where he became a fur trapper. In 1846, during the Mexican–American War, Milner began working as a scout for General

Stephen W. Kearny Stephen Watts Kearny (sometimes spelled Kearney) ( ) (August 30, 1794October 31, 1848) was one of the foremost History of the United States (1789–1849), antebellum frontier officers of the United States Army. He is remembered for his significan ...

and Colonel

Alexander W. Doniphan Alexander William Doniphan (July 9, 1808 – August 8, 1887) was a 19th-century American attorney, soldier and politician from Missouri who is best known today as the man who prevented the summary execution of Joseph Smith, founder of the Church ...

. Following the war he married Nancy Watts and moved to California, where he became a gold prospector and was then known as "California Joe". In 1853, he left California and built a cattle ranch in near Corvallis, Oregon. In 1866, Milner was a scout based in Kansas at Fort Riley and later out of Fort Harker, where he became acquainted with Wild Bill Hickok and

Texas Jack Omohundro John Baker Omohundro (July 27, 1846 – June 28, 1880), also known as "Texas Jack", was an American frontier scout, actor, and cowboy. Born in rural Virginia, he served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He late ...

. Then, in 1868, Milner was named Chief of Scouts for George Armstrong Custer in Fort Hays, but Custer soon found him drunk and immediately demoted him. Milner returned to prospecting and ranching in 1870 near Picoche, Nevada. In 1875, he scouted for the Newton–Jenney geological expedition and remained in the Black Hills to prospect. On an undisclosed winter night in late 1875, Milner and a man named Tom Newcomb stopped by the camp John Richard and his nephew, Alfred Pallardie, near the headwaters of the Running Water. Richard and Pallardie had been trading with the Sioux between Fort Laramie and Fort Robinson. What happened next is unknown, but Newcomb arrived at Fort Robinson the next day claiming that Milner had murdered both Richard and Pallardie at their camp. Milner was soon apprehended at Fort Robinson, but he was eventually released due to a lack of evidence. While in custody, Milner blamed the murders on Newcomb. Eventually, the blame was placed on the Cheyenne Indians. The fact that blame for the murders of Richard and Pallardie had been placed on Natives did not settle the matter. According to a witness named Frank Salaway, Milner continued accusing Newcomb for the killings. In turn, Newcomb declared that he would kill Milner on sight for the perceived slander. Matters came to a head in October 1876 at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, when Milner was shot by Newcomb. Milner was buried at Fort Robinson and now is at

Fort McPherson National Cemetery Fort McPherson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery, located south of the village of Maxwell in Lincoln County, Nebraska. Administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, it encompasses , and as of 2014, it had ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, California Joe 1829 births 1876 deaths People of the American Old West People from Stanford, Kentucky Burials at Fort McPherson National Cemetery deaths by firearm in Nebraska 1876 murders in the United States