Schuyler County ILGenWeb Project “Oliver P. Brumback”

Oliver P. Brumback
History of Bulter County Kansas

Oliver P. Brumback, a Butler county pioneer and Civil war veteran, comes from an old and distinguished American family whose members participated in the Revolutionary war, under Washington. Mr. Brumback was a native of Kentucky. He was born August 17, 1830, a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Estes) Brumback. The father was a native of Virginia and a son of Peter Brumback. Peter Brumback, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in 1750, and lived to he ninety-six years old, dying April 6, 1846. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary war, serving in the Continental army throughout that long and tedious struggle of seven years, for a new Nation. He was twice wounded by British bullets, receiving one wound at the Battle of Camden. Oliver P. Brumback often discussed incidents of the Revolutionary war with his grandfather, he being sixteen years of age when the latter died

In 1854, Mr. Brumback went from Kentucky to Schuyler county, Illinois where he was married to Miss Susan E. Allphin, a native of Schuyler county. She is a daughter of Reuben and Susan (Brumback) Allphin. Reuben Allphin was born in Boone county, Kentucky, and was a soldier in the Mexican war, in which his son William also served. The Allphin family are of French origin. Reuben Allphin was a son of Zebulon who was a native of Orange county, Virginia, where he lived at the time of the Revolutionary war but was too young to enter the service. His father was a native of France and a member of the old Bourbon aristocracy.

To Oliver P. Brumback and wife have been born the following children: Austin M., born in 1857; Mrs. Clara (Perry) Gaylord, born in 1859, and died in Texas; Virgil and Viola, twins, born in 1861; Grace, born in 1864, married George L. Haskin; Everett, born in 1866; Charles E., born in 1868; Edgar, born in 1870, served as county attorney of Butler county, being the youngest man ever elected to that office, and is now deceased; Harry W., born in 1873, deceased; George W., born in 1875, deceased; William, born in 1877.

During the Civil war, Mr. Brumback raised a company in Schuyler county, Illinois, which was mustered into service as Company F, One hundred and Nineteenth regiment Illinois infantry, and he was elected first lieutenant of the company at its organization. This company received its baptism of fire at the battle of Shiloh, and Mr. Brumback was in the thick of the fray. They then went to Jackson, Tenn., under Grant and after campaigning in the West for some time, Lieutenant Brumback’s health failed, and in 1863 he resigned his commission. He also had a brother Benjamin who served in the Union army throughout the Civil war.

After resigning from the army Mr. Brumback returned to Schuyler county, Illinois, and was engaged in the general mercantile business at Huntsville, Ill., until 1870. In April of that year, he came to Butler county, Kansas, driving across the plains from Illinois, the trip requiring four weeks. After reaching here, he camped with his family on the banks of the Whitewater and filed on the northeast quarter of section 26, Milton township. He soon began to make improvements on his place and engaged in farming and stock raising and for forty-six years his home had been on this place in Milton township. His was a successful career. He never shirked a responsibility, or duty, whether it was that of father, husband, citizen or soldier. He was of the type of men of whom not only his family, but his neighbors and fellow citizens were justly proud. Mr. Brumback passed away February 8, 1916.

Pages 623-624, from History of Butler County, Kansas by Vol. P. Mooney. Standard Publishing Company, Lawrence, Kan.: 1916. ill.; 894 pgs.

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