Cornelius Gilliam | |
|---|---|
| Missouri State Senator | |
| In office 1838–1842 | |
| Constituency | District 12 |
| Missouri State Senator | |
| In office 1842–1844 | |
| Constituency | District 10 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 13, 1798 |
| Died | March 24, 1848(1848-03-24) (aged 49) |
| Spouse | Mary Crawford |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States Provisional Government of Oregon |
| Branch/service | Army |
| Years of service | 1832–1838, 1847–1848 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | Black Hawk War Seminole Wars Cayuse War |
Cornelius Gilliam (April 13, 1798 – March 24, 1848) was apioneer of theU.S. state ofOregon who was best known as the commander of the volunteer forces against theCayuse in theCayuse War. A native ofNorth Carolina, he served in theBlack Hawk War andSeminole Wars before settling inMissouri. There he served in the militia against theMormons, was a county sheriff, and a member of theMissouri State Senate before immigrating to theOregon Country.
Cornelius Gilliam was born inNorth Carolina on April 13, 1798.[1] According to one of Gilliam's daughters, Martha Collins, he began working as aslave catcher while in his teens. Collins said that her father was highly successful at forcing slaves back into captivity and was elected sheriff on the strength of this reputation.[2]
In North Carolina he married Mary Crawford in 1820, and they had eight children, six of those daughters.[1] He fought against the Native Americans in 1832 during the Black Hawk War in the Midwest, and in 1837 in the Seminole Wars inFlorida.[3] During the Seminole War he served as a captain.[1] Following the war he settled in Missouri where he continued his military service as a captain in the state militia during the battles with theMormons in 1838.[1] That year he was elected to the Missouri Senate to represent District 12, and was re-elected in 1842 to represent District 10.[4] In Missouri, Gilliam was also the sheriff ofClay County.[5]
In 1844, he headed west over theOregon Trail to the unorganizedOregon Country.[1] Gilliam was in charge of the wagon train at the beginning of the journey, though the wagon train later split into smaller groups.[6] After theWhitman massacre in 1847, theProvisional Government of Oregon organized a force of about 600 and made Gilliam colonel to prosecute the Cayuse.[5] In 1848, he led his forces east to engage the Native Americans, arriving atThe Dalles in February.[7] His forces pressed on to theWhitman Mission, arriving in March.[7]
Gilliam then headed back to The Dalles to resupply that settlement and then on toOregon City to report to GovernorGeorge Abernethy when he was accidentally shot and killed in what is nowMorrow County on March 24, 1848.[1][7] His body was returned to Oregon City byHenry A. G. Lee and he was buried inPolk County at the Dallas Cemetery.[7]Gilliam County, Oregon is named for him.[1][8] The shipCornelius Gilliam was also named for him; it was used inWorld War II in the U.S. Merchant Service.[9]
