Slaughter

The patriach of our family was Louis Harrison Slaughter (photo 1, photo 2). Born in Dallas, Texas in 1872, he attended Texas A&M for his education. In the late 1890s, he moved to the Indian Territory (Oklahoma), to try his luck at farming. He met and married Edna Gertrude Paulsell, daughter of A.C. Paulsell (photo) who had recently moved there from Missouri with his family.

Unfornately, life on the farm was difficult and took it's toll on the family. They lost two children due to the hard conditions. In 1911, Louis and his wife decided to pack up their two daughters, Thelma Fern and Beulah Maude, and moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. Louis quickly found a job with the new railroads being built all over north Texas and southern Oklahoma.

Little is known about Louis' parents. Census records list his father's place of birth as Mississippi and his mother's as Texas.. It is said that his mother died when he was very young, forcing he and his brother to be sent to live with relatives.

Louis shared many stories with his grand- and greatgrand- children of growing up in post-Civil War Texas. He also often spoke of his "grandfather" who was governor of Kentucky.

While the direct links have yet to be proven, it was easy to discover that there was a Governor of Kentucky by the name of Gabriel Slaughter. From born into the early Colonial Slaughter family of Virgina, Gabriel served as a Colonel in the United States Army during the War of 1812 against the British. He played an important role in the famous Battle of New Orleans.

Information about Gabriel Slaughter has been gathered from various historical and genealogical sources.

The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume IX

page 385
SLAUGHTER Gabriel, governor of Kentucky, was born in Virginia,
in 1767. He moved to Kentucky in childhood, became a farmer,
and was a representative from Mercer county in the Kentucky
legislature, 1799�1800, and senator, 1801�08. He was colonel
of a Kentucky regiment at the battle of New Orleans, and won
a vote of thanks from the legislature for gallant conduct.
General Jackson entertained a high opinion of him as a soldier
and patriot. He was a man of determined firmness, and in that
respect resembled Jackson. On one occasion, while acting as
president of a court-martial the result of which was not in
accordance with General Jackson's views, the court was
ordered to reverse its proceedings, but Slaughter [p.385]
declined to comply, saying that he knew his duty and had
performed it. He was lieutenant-governor of Kentucky,
1808�12, and again in 1816, on the ticket with George
Madison for governor. Madison died Oct. 14, 1616, and
Slaughter was thereupon ex officio governor for the term
of four years ending with 1819. He died in Mercer county,
Ky., Sept. 19, 1830.

Another, more infamous relative was Samuel Strawhun (Strawhan, Strawn, Strawhorn). Related to the Paulsell and Hudgen families of Phelps County Missouri, Samuel was a "notorius desparado with many notches on his gun." In 1869, he crossed the famous Wild Bill Hickok who had just been elected Sheriff of Hays, Kansas.

"...as Hickok settled a disturbance in a saloon, Samuel
Strawhun (variously spelled) drew on him. Same result.
Hickok pulled the twin Colts and put two shots into
Strawhun before he could pull the trigger."

Read the whole whole article at Wild West Magazine.