urn:taro:utexas.cah.02067 A Guide to the John Creaton Reminiscences, 1929-1932 Original EAD encoding by Bethany Anderson according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. November 2010 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Creaton, John, b. 1856 Creaton, John, Reminiscences 1929-1932 Materials are written in English. 1 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin This collection describes Creaton’s experiences as a child witnessing the Civil War in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and his subsequent move with his family to Fort Griffin, Texas. Biographical Note

John Creaton (b. 1856) was born near Brusby Creek about seven miles from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Creaton’s father was a soldier, killed during the Civil War. Following the War, his mother married Captain Richey, a cavalry officer who was transferred to Fort Griffin, Texas, in 1869. Creaton, his mother, and his sister Ida moved with Richey to Texas. In 1874, Creaton became a scout for the United States 4th Cavalry Regiment led by Colonel Ranald MacKenzie (1840-1889) during the Indian Wars. During his service, the regiment moved to Jacksboro, Texas, and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In 1881, Creaton accepted a position at Fort Duncan near Eagle Pass, Texas. On October 13, 1886, he married Matilde Theresa Sutor, with whom he had two children, though only his son LeRoy Bates Creaton (1895-1918) survived into adulthood. LeRoy Creaton attended the University of Texas at Austin and he fought in 168th Infantry 42nd Division (the Rainbow Division) during World War I. He was killed in action on July 28, 1918.

Scope and Contents

The John Creaton Reminiscences, 1929-1932, describe Creaton’s experiences as a child witnessing the Civil War in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and his subsequent move with his family to Fort Griffin, Texas. Ruminating on his enlistment in the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Jacksboro and Fort Sill, Creaton discusses his confrontations with Native American tribes, including the Comanche, Kiowa, and Seminole. He also mentions his encounters with Native American chiefs Santana, Big Tree, and Satank. In addition, Creaton describes life in the border town of Eagle Pass as well as travel to Fort Union, New Mexico. The collection contains two typescripts of his reminiscences.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Index Terms Subjects (Persons) Creaton, John, b. 1856--Archives Subjects (Organizations) United States. Army. Cavalry, 4th--History--19th century Subjects Cheyenne Indians--History--19th century Comanche Indians--History--19th century Indians of North America--History--19th century Kiowa Indians--History--19th century Seminole Indians--History--19th century Places Carlisle (Pa.)--History--19th century Eagle Pass (Tex.)--History--19th century Fort Duncan (Tex.)--History--19th century Fort Griffin (Tex.)--History--19th century Fort Sill (Okla.)--History--19th century Fort Union (N.M.)--History--19th century Jacksboro (Tex.)--History--19th century United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 Preferred Citation

John Creaton Reminiscences, 1929-1932, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2Q490 Two typescript reminiscences, 1929-1932