Aged 56 years 3 months 28 days

Civil War
Company I
15th Regiment
Kansas Vol Cavalry

Death of a Valued Citizen: Samuel W. Greer.
Died at his residence in Winfield on Saturday morning, September 30th, of consumption, Samuel W. Greer, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. He had been suffering from this dread disease for twelve years or more and for the last year he has been so feeble as to scarcely be able to be out of doors but a short time. His death was not unexpected, indeed, he lived much longer than his friends had reason to hope for. He preserved his clear reason and intelligence to the last and made directions for the funeral and burial.

Samuel W. Greer was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, near West Newton, June 2nd, 1826. In 1853 he moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where in 1855 he was married to Clotilda Hilton. He came to Leavenworth, Kansas, in October 1856. In October, 1858, he was elected Territorial Superintendent of Public Instructions. That campaign was the first free state triumph at the polls. This office he held for three years, till 1861, by reason of the time of election being altered by the legislature. During this time he made three reports. The recommendations of his second report are almost literally carried out in the formation of our present school system.

He entered the Army April 14th, 1861, in Washington City as a private in the Frontier Guards. He was armed, equipped, and drilled in the east room of the White House. He assisted in protecting the White House until other troops were transported, when he returned to Kansas and was enrolling officer at Ft. Leavenworth for a time, after which Gov. Carney gave him a commission of Second Lieutenant as a recruiting officer, and he recruited Company I, 15th Vol. Cav., after which he was unanimously elected captain and commissioned by the Governor, in which capacity he served until mustered out in October, 1865.

He was engaged in active business in Leavenworth until 1871. In January of that year he came to Cowley County and has permanently resided here since. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and six children, four boys and two girls.

Mr. Greer was a man of clear, strong mind, well balanced. In the days of his vigorous manhood, before the fatal disease had debilitated him and set its prohibition on excessive effort both physical and mental, he was one of the most active and influential men of the territory and young State of Kansas. He entered enthusiastically into the struggles of the early history of this young state and did noble work in helping to shape its future destinies. His active work and sound judgment were of great value and were recognized and honored. He was one of the men who have made Kansas what she is today. When the war of the rebellion broke out, he was one of those who volunteered early to fight or work in any place where he could do the most good and it was during the exposure and hardships of that war that he contracted pneumonia and it became so deeply seated that he was never able to recover but has declined until the end. His life was just as surely sacrificed on the altar of his country as were those who fell on the field of battle. He was a noble, generous, self- sacrificing man, cultured, and strong mentally, one whose usefulness was cut short in the days of middle life. (Winfield Courier, October 5, 1882.)

Capt. Samuel W. Greer, one of the early Free State men of Kansas, and an old settler of Cowley County, died at Winfield on the 20th ult., at the age of 57. Capt. Greer was a native of Allegheny Co., Pa. In October 1856 he settled in Leavenworth. In 1858 he was elected Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, at the first victory of the Free State men won at the polls in Kansas. In 1872 he raised Co. I of the 15th Kans. Cavalry, was mustered in as Captain, serving in that capacity until the close of the war. It was our good fortune to have a personal acquaintance with Capt. Greer in the early days, when such as he were struggling to make Kansas a free state, and knew him to be a man in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of his fellow man. A true man, he has gone to his rest after a life of usefulness to his fellow men. (The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.) (reprinted in the ARKANSAS CITY TRAVELER, OCTOBER 18, 1882)

Note: Obit provided by Ruth Mullin

Aged 56 years 3 months 28 days

Civil War
Company I
15th Regiment
Kansas Vol Cavalry

Death of a Valued Citizen: Samuel W. Greer.
Died at his residence in Winfield on Saturday morning, September 30th, of consumption, Samuel W. Greer, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. He had been suffering from this dread disease for twelve years or more and for the last year he has been so feeble as to scarcely be able to be out of doors but a short time. His death was not unexpected, indeed, he lived much longer than his friends had reason to hope for. He preserved his clear reason and intelligence to the last and made directions for the funeral and burial.

Samuel W. Greer was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, near West Newton, June 2nd, 1826. In 1853 he moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where in 1855 he was married to Clotilda Hilton. He came to Leavenworth, Kansas, in October 1856. In October, 1858, he was elected Territorial Superintendent of Public Instructions. That campaign was the first free state triumph at the polls. This office he held for three years, till 1861, by reason of the time of election being altered by the legislature. During this time he made three reports. The recommendations of his second report are almost literally carried out in the formation of our present school system.

He entered the Army April 14th, 1861, in Washington City as a private in the Frontier Guards. He was armed, equipped, and drilled in the east room of the White House. He assisted in protecting the White House until other troops were transported, when he returned to Kansas and was enrolling officer at Ft. Leavenworth for a time, after which Gov. Carney gave him a commission of Second Lieutenant as a recruiting officer, and he recruited Company I, 15th Vol. Cav., after which he was unanimously elected captain and commissioned by the Governor, in which capacity he served until mustered out in October, 1865.

He was engaged in active business in Leavenworth until 1871. In January of that year he came to Cowley County and has permanently resided here since. He leaves a family consisting of a wife and six children, four boys and two girls.

Mr. Greer was a man of clear, strong mind, well balanced. In the days of his vigorous manhood, before the fatal disease had debilitated him and set its prohibition on excessive effort both physical and mental, he was one of the most active and influential men of the territory and young State of Kansas. He entered enthusiastically into the struggles of the early history of this young state and did noble work in helping to shape its future destinies. His active work and sound judgment were of great value and were recognized and honored. He was one of the men who have made Kansas what she is today. When the war of the rebellion broke out, he was one of those who volunteered early to fight or work in any place where he could do the most good and it was during the exposure and hardships of that war that he contracted pneumonia and it became so deeply seated that he was never able to recover but has declined until the end. His life was just as surely sacrificed on the altar of his country as were those who fell on the field of battle. He was a noble, generous, self- sacrificing man, cultured, and strong mentally, one whose usefulness was cut short in the days of middle life. (Winfield Courier, October 5, 1882.)

Capt. Samuel W. Greer, one of the early Free State men of Kansas, and an old settler of Cowley County, died at Winfield on the 20th ult., at the age of 57. Capt. Greer was a native of Allegheny Co., Pa. In October 1856 he settled in Leavenworth. In 1858 he was elected Territorial Superintendent of Public Instruction, at the first victory of the Free State men won at the polls in Kansas. In 1872 he raised Co. I of the 15th Kans. Cavalry, was mustered in as Captain, serving in that capacity until the close of the war. It was our good fortune to have a personal acquaintance with Capt. Greer in the early days, when such as he were struggling to make Kansas a free state, and knew him to be a man in every way worthy of the respect and confidence of his fellow man. A true man, he has gone to his rest after a life of usefulness to his fellow men. (The Caldwell Commercial, Thursday, October 12, 1882.) (reprinted in the ARKANSAS CITY TRAVELER, OCTOBER 18, 1882)

Note: Obit provided by Ruth Mullin