Celsius Putnam Bodwell (1854-1941)

Son of: Benjamin 1815

On 12 July 1917, Celsius filed for a Pension for service in the Indian Wars, claiming service in 1874.

Celsius served in Captain J. G. Connell's Company C of the Texas Rangers from December 10, 1873 to March 6, 1874 and in Captain June Peak's Company B of the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers from March, 1878 to April, 1878. (Texas Ranger Indian War Pensions, Robert W. Stephens, 1975, p. 10) He also served as a US Government Teamster under General McKinzie in the war with the Comanche and Kiowa Indians on the Staked Plains, the Winter of 1874 and part of 1875.

The Frontier Times describes June Peak's activities as Captain of Company B: "The early part of 1878, June Peak was commissioned by the Governor as a second lieutenant in the Texas Frontier Battalion for the purpose of destroying the Sam Bass gain of train robbers, and was promoted to Captain in May following. By July of that year he had succeeded in disposing of the entire band, excepting Bass, Barnes and Jackson, driving these out of North Texas in the trap arranged by Major John B. Jones at Round Rock…In 1878, Company B, Texas Rangers was made up of the following: June Peak, captain; Thomas Floyd, sergeant; and the following privates: James Bruton, Dick Armstrong, Ebb Dee, Sid McHenry, C. R. [P] Bodwell, Alexander Buchanan, W. Y. Buchanan, Tobe Daniels, Mat Peak, Will Scott, Charley Tucker, Lou Wright, Arthur Boren, N. L. (Buffalo) Jenkins, Curron Longmyer, Hirald Berry, Pearce Stevens, Harry C. Carmack, and Bob Williams. Frontier Times, September, 1927, Vol. 4, No. 12, pp. 4-6.

Celcius enlisted first in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas and the second time in Dallas, Texas. He listed his occupation at time of enlistment as cowboy. At the time of his first enlistment he described himself as five feet, seven inches; fair complexion, blue eyes, with black hair. After 1878, Celcius lists his places of residence as: Bowie County, Texas for 23 years and later residences as: Dallas, Johnson, Van Zandt, Upshur and Cass Counties, Texas. (Texas Ranger Pension Application 14297)

Born	Died	Married	Spouse
31 Aug 1854	1 May 1941	2 May 1880	Emaline Cassandra Strain
Henry Co, Tn	Santa Clara Co, Ca	DeKalb, Tx	b. 11 Sept 1860
		Jul 1910	Zella Nelson Thweatt
		Van Zandt Co, Tx

Children of Celsius and Cassie (Strain) Bodwell

	Name	Birth Date	Birth Place	Death Date	Death Place
1.	James B.*	9 Feb 1881	Tx	2 Aug 1940	Mexico?
2.	Joseph	Nov 1882	Tx
3.	Callie L.	Apr 1886	Tx	196?	Fort Worth, Tx
4.	Mattie T.	Oct 1887	Tx	1934	San Antonio, Tx
5.	Thomas	Dec 1888	Tx
6.	Grant Howard*	25 Oct 1891	DeKalb, Tx	Aug 1976	Carter Co, Ok
7.	Celsius Putnam	17 Dec 1894	Oak Grove, Tx	30 Oct 1957	Fresno, Ca
8.	Edward	ABT 1896	Tx	at 2 months
9.	Noble Irwin	10 Aug1898	(?), Tx	31 Mar 1962	Winterset, Ia
10	Claude Leonce	28 Dec 1901	Oak Grove, Tx	2 Dec 1965	Dallas, Tx
11	Adah Mae*	13 Dec 1903	Bowie Co, Tx	196?	Chicago, Il

• James quarrelled with his father, left home and was never seen by the family again. He may have changed his name to Bardwell.
• Grant served in WW I in Company D, 9^th Infantry from September 1917 to January 24, 1919, he was discharged at Jefferson Barricks, Md.
• Ada Mae and her husband Earl Mayer were killed in an auto accident in the 1960's in Chicago, Ill.

01/03/97

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