Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-06-01
ADDITION MADE
To GALLERY Of
State MUSEUM
Portrait of First Superintend-
ent Of Indian Affairs Is Pre-
scented to Institution by.
Colonel TWitchelL

taPa-tAL DISPATCH 10 MORNING JoNNNNAl
Santa Re, May Sl--A life-sized por-
trait Of James :, Calhoun. the first
superintendent OF Indian affairs at
Santa Fe, and later governor OF New
Mexico, was today presented TO the
New Mexico museum by Col. Ralph y,
Twitchell who had procured the orig
inal from Georgia, and WIN be hung
in the secretary's office Of the Old
Palace.
Calhoun occupies unique place In
New Mexico history. Little Is known
Of his early life. According TO Miss
Annie Heloise Abel, who has htely
edited the official correspondence OF
Governor Calhoun, there are only
two lineal descendants nov living,
great granddaughter Mary Calhoun
Simmens and Mrs. Joseph Arnold, OF
Atlanta, Ga. The last-named states
that Governor Calhoun was born In
Abbeyville, South Carolina, about
1902. On one Of the Calhoun family
records he is shown as brother OF
John c. Calhoun, on another as half
brother. and on another as his cousin.
He was married in 1872 to Caroline
Ann simmons of South Carolina who
died in 1928. and two years later he
married Mrs. Annie " Williamson, OF
Greene county. Georgia. lie had two
children by his first wife, Caroline
Louisa, and Martha Ann. Caroline
married william e. Love in 1913, and
Martha married John b. Davis and
died without any heirs. Caroline had
two children, Anna and James; James
died at the age of rs. unmarried, and
Anna married j. c. Simmons in 1871
Calhoun was engaged in the ship
ping business at Columbus, Ga, ana
was the owner of several large YES
sells He was a staunch Whig ana
professed great admiration for Cen
eral Zachary Taylor, the hero Of the
Mexican war During that conflict
Calhoun was captain Of company OF
Georgia volunteers. of which Henry
r. Jackson was colonel In 1S47, Cal
houn was lieutenant colonel of this
regiment, which was disbanded IN
1S4S. He was appointed Indian agent
at Santa Fe by President Taylor As
Miss Abel states:
Not Interested in Indians.
1.-THE reasons for Calhouns APP
pointment were undoubtedly mainly
political and his official correspond
ence offers a certain surprise ana,
withal. a certain disappointment be-
cause that thing was so. The new
agent, and the first ever sent from
Washington to Santa Fe, forsooth had
practically nothing to say about the
remarkable Indian civilization of the
southwest. He seems not to have
been even remotely interested, scien-
tifically dis letters are all strongly
lacking in references TO scenery to
archaeological remains, to interesting
Indian customs, or TO evidences OF
previous Spanish occupation. They
are likewise lacking in more than a
vague and occasional reference to
the presidential administrative plans
for New Mexico; Calhoun was most
certainly sent to Santa Fe for a pur-
pose, but what the real purpose was
does not appear. Somewhere, no
doubt. and very probably in the conf
dental files Of interior, war or state
department there are papers that hold
the secret Enough Is told In the let
ters now printed to convince even the
most casual reader that more might
have been told and very probably
was: for James Calhoun was ready
writer and a highly intelligent man
He was in the confidence of men ike
Ewing, Crawford, Iverson and Daw-
SON
cone noticeable thing about the
Calhoun letters is the complaint OF
Inadequate support from Washington.
The Indian office was evidently quite
unprepared to enter upon the task
that legitmately fell to the lot of tax
ing charge Of the Indians of the
and congress had other
things seemingly more vital to attend
to- Calhoun's career. both as Indian
agent and superintendent of Indian af-
fairs, was one long fight with corrupt,
local political influences but he sure
ly did his best to make bricks without
straw His closing days were sad
He left Santa Fe sick man and he
died on the plains. There Is some
thing very pathetic in the thought
that he carried his coffin with him.
Evidently, he half suspected he would
never see Georgia again. In William
Walkers journal under date OF July
2, 1859, this entry is given: The
corpse Of Governor Calhoun who died
on the road from Santa Fe to Kansas,
was brought in for burial He is to
be buried with Masonic honors. What
train brought the remains is as yet
The family believe him TO
have been buried at Independence,