I think you have got the scoop on this old scoundrel. He did tell a reporter that he was born Oct 21, 1811 and his parents were Thomas and Catherine. He did say he had jumped ship. One newspaper account says it was in Liverpool, another Baltimore so maybe it was New Orleans. He had three sons to three Indian women from three different tribes Chippewa (Ojibway), Iowa, and Sac-Fox. He married the middle one by Iowa custom but it wasn't recognised by the State of Missouri.

He brought out his niece Catherine Galbraith to be his houskeeper in 1865. She was accompanied by her brother Peter Galbraith. She would have replaced a slave woman housekeeper who would have received her freedom at the end of the Civil War.

Catherine Galbraith was born May 5th 1833, Kent England and died at the home of her brother Peter Galbraith May 31, 1917 in Holt County, Mo. according to her funeral card.

If you would like further information Peggy Banks, please leave your email address substituting "at" for @ and leave spaces between "at".