Samuel Benton Callahan (January 26, 1833 – February 17, 1911) was an influential,

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...

politician, born in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, to a white father, James Callahan, and Amanda Doyle, a mixed-blood Creek woman. Callahan is listed as 1/8th Creek by Blood on the

Dawes Rolls The Dawes Rolls (or Final Rolls of Citizens and Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, or Dawes Commission of Final Rolls) were created by the United States Dawes Commission. The commission was authorized by United States Congress in 1893 to exe ...

. One source says that James was an Irishman who had previously been an architect or a shipbuilder from Pennsylvania, while Amanda was one-fourth Muscogee.Callahan, S. Alice. ''Wynema: A Child of the Forest''. p. xiii. (1891)
/ref> His father died while Callahan was young; Callahan and his mother were required to emigrate to Indian Territory in 1836. His mother married Dr. Owen Davis of

, where they raised Samuel. Callahan married Sarah Elizabeth McAllester, the daughter of a Methodist minister in Sulphur Springs, in 1858. Callahan then moved back to Indian Territory. During the American Civil War, Callahan fought in the First Creek Mounted Volunteers of the Confederate Army. In 1864, Callahan resigned his command to serve in the Second

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Congress in Richmond, Virginia, where he would represent the Creek and Seminole nations as a delegate. Very soon after Callahan left to join the army, a band of marauders invaded his ranch, burning or looting everything valuable they could find. His wife barely escaped discovery and fled to safety in Sulphur Springs along with a slave nurse, a bag of gold, and two small children. Callahan returned to his family in Sulphur Springs, then moved back to Indian Territory after the war. Settling near Muskogee, Callahan resumed farming and ranching and soon became a significant player in the politics of the Creek Nation. Callahan served in the Creek National Council as clerk of the House of Kings (the Creek equivalent of the Senate) for four years, then as clerk to the Creek Supreme Court. Callahan also acted as executive secretary for three notable principal chiefs, Samuel Checote, Roley McIntosh, and Isparhecher. Callahan worked as editor of the Muskogee ''Indian Journal'', starting in 1887. Callahan was the superintendent of the Wealaka Boarding School. In 1901, Callahan was appointed Justice of the Creek Supreme Court. Samuel Callahan was born in

, as a member of the Creek tribe. Callahan represented the Creek and

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

nations in the

Second Confederate Congress The 2nd Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, met from May 2, 1864, to March 18, 1865, during the last year of Jefferson Davis's presidency, at the Virginia ...

. Removed with his tribe to

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

, Callahan fled with his family to

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. His daughter Sophia Alice Callahan was born during their time in Texas. Still, at War's end, the family returned to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee. Callahan served as the editor of the ''Indian Journal'' in Muskogee, Oklahoma, Muskogee. Callahan was active in tribal affairs, serving as executive secretary to three principal chiefs of the

Muscogee (Creek) Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

and became a justice of the Muscogee Nation Supreme Court in 1901.

Parental family and move to Indian Territory

Samuel was born to James Oliver Callahan and Amanda (Doyle) Callahan. Amanda Doyle was born in Georgia (part of the Old Creek Nation) to a white man, Nimrod Doyle, and a Creek mother, Susannah Islands. Little is known of James other than that he died in Alabama before the United States forced Creek Indians to emigrate to Indian Territory. Amanda married James Callahan when she was 16 years old. The Callahans moved to Alabama, where they had two children, but one died in infancy. Amanda and Samuel, the surviving son, were forced to emigrate from Alabama to

in 1836. Amanda married Dr. Owen Simpson Davis of

Sulphur Springs, Texas Sulphur Springs is a city in and the county seat of Hopkins County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 15,941. Sulphur Springs is located in Northeast Texas. History Sulphur Springs McKenzie College in Clarksville, Texas">McKenzie College (Texas)">McKenzie College in Clarksville, Texas. After graduation, Callahan became editor of the Sulphur Springs ''Gazette''. After two years at the newspaper, Callahan returned to Indian Territory, where he settled in Okmulgee and began a cattle ranch.Foreman, Carolyn Thomas. "S. Alice Callahan: Author of Wynema ''Child of the Forest''. ''Chronicles of Oklahoma''.
Accessed November 21, 2016.

Marriage and family

In 1857, S. B. married Sarah Elizabeth Thornberg, daughter of Methodist minister William Thornberg, in Sulphur Springs. They had eight children: Josephine, James Owen, Jane Evylin, Samuel B. Jr., Sophia Alice Callahan">Sophia Alice, Emma Price, Walter McKenzie, and Edwin Thornberg.

Service to the Confederate States of America

During the American Civil War, Callahan served in the First Creek Mounted Volunteers of the Confederate Army. Callahan was popular among the men of his unit, who were mostly full-blood Creeks. Callahan was commissioned as a first lieutenant. Callahan was promoted to

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

later that year. Callahan assisted in reorganizing his unit in 1863 and emerged as Captain of Company K, First Creek Regiment. On May 18, 1864, Callahan resigned from the Confederate Army to serve in the Second

Congress in Richmond, Virginia, where he would represent both the Creek and Seminole nations as a delegate, beginning May 30, 1864. When the ''New York Times'' published a list of members of the Confederate Congress in 1864, S. B. Callahan was identified as representing both the Creek and Seminole Nations.

Post Civil War

Callahan remained heavily involved in governing the Creek Nation after the Civil War. Callahan was elected to the Creek House of Kings and served from 1868 to 1872. Callahan also served as Private Secretaries for three Creek Principal Chiefs: Roley McIntosh, Samuel Checote and Isparhecher. After his term in the House of Kings, Callahan became a Creek Supreme Court clerk. Callahan worked as editor of the Muskogee ''Indian Journal'', starting in 1887. Callahan was the superintendent of the Wealaka Boarding School from 1892 to 1894. In 1901, Callahan was elected a justice of the Creek Supreme Court.West, C. W. "Dub". ''Turning Back the Clock.'' 1985.
Accessed November 5, 2016. Callahan died in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, on February 17, 1911, and was buried in Greenhill Cemetery.
Accessed November 8, 2016. Just before Callahan died, he was the last living member of the Confederate Congress in Richmond, Virginia. His daughter noted that Callahan was buried wearing his Confederate Army uniform. According to his obituary, Callahan was survived by the following children: J. O. Callahan and K. W. Callahan of Muskogee; Bent Callahan of Morse, Oklahoma; Mrs. Adair of Little Rock; Mrs. Eva Shaw of Waggoner; and Mrs. H. B. Spaulding of Muskogee."Capt. S. B. Callahan." ''Confederate Veteran Magazine''. December 1911.
Accessed November 4, 2016.

Notes

References

Sources

http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/node/5303
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Callahan, Samuel Benton 1833 births 1911 deaths Arkansas Democrats Oklahoma Democrats Members of the Confederate States House of Representatives Muscogee slave owners Muscogee Confederates Politicians from Mobile, Alabama People from Sulphur Springs, Texas Native American tribal government officials in Indian Territory Politicians from Muskogee, Oklahoma McKenzie College alumni Confederate States Army officers 20th-century Native American people Military personnel from Texas Muscogee (Creek) Nation people Muscogee people on the Dawes Rolls