Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-04
DEATH JOURNEY
FOR GOVERNOR BURT
First Territorial Ruler Took
Office Two Days Before
He Died.
SOME STATE HISTORY
SOME STATE
HISTORY
By A. R. GRoH.

The first governor OF Nebraska ter
ritory held his Office only two days.
He was Francis Burt of South
Carolina, a man with a distinguished
public career for twenty years before
he was appointed governor of Ne
braska by President Pierce, August
3, 1854.
On September II, he started from
his home, Pendleton, South Carolina,
for Nebraska. He was accompanied
by his young son, Armistead, and by
several neighbors They Travelled by
private conveyance, stage, railway
and steamboat. His son has de-
scribed the hardships Of the journey
as follows in the History OF Ne
braska:" tG
AT St. Joseph the steamboat could
60 no farther on account OF low
water, and the governor hired hack
and travelled in it to Nebraska City
which then contained one house,
where he lodged for the night.
"The next morning he hired a two
horse wagon from the only citizen
and travelled in it to Bellevue.
Thoroughly worn out, he went to
bed and was never again able to be
up. He had been, for years, dys-
peptic and the journey from Nash
vile to Louisville during the excess
lively hot, dry weather, drinking
strong limestone water and travelling
day and night in a rough coach so
exhausted him that he had to stop in
St Louis in care Of physician"
Governor Burt reached Bellevue,
October 7, and continued to get
worse. The oath of Office was adj
ministered to him October l6, by
Chief Justice Fergusonc, but he died
October 18.
Cunning as Substitute.
r. B. Cunning, secretary, acted as
governor until Mark w. lizard Of
Arkansas reached here, February %,
1855. He resigned in 1857 and Cum
ing again acted as governor until
w. A. Richardson arrived, January
u, 1858. He served until December
5, 1858.
]. Sterling Morton was acting gov
crnor then until Samuel w. Black Of
Pennsylvania arrived, May 2, 1889.
He resigned February "a, 1861, and
returned to Pennsylvania where he
raised . regiment, was commissioned
colonel and went to the front. He
was killed in the battle Of Gaines
Mill, June 26, 1862. I
After Governor Black resigned j..
Sterling Morton acted as governor
until May IS, 1861, when President
Lincoln appointed Alvin Saunders OF
Iowa, governor. He was the last ter
ritorial governor Of Nebraska.
Nineteen Governors.
Since then nineteen men have been
governor OF Nebraska. None OF them
died in office. The first one, David
Butler, was iinpeached. Another was
removed by the supreme court and
reinstatcd later. And third resigned
to run for United States senator. The
names of the states governors are
as follows:
David Butler. is67-Ti
w. H. James taeting). 1sfi-75.
Rohert w. Furnas. lsT3-75.
Siiss CARRIER, 1864,
Albinus Nance 1898.
James w. Dawes, iss3-sI.
John NJ. Thayer. tss7-si.
James E. Boyd. 1891 tremoved by deciaion
Of Nebraska supreme court. May 5. 1870;
restored BY decision Of United States SUI
prcme court. February /, 1922.
Johp NJ. Thsyer. tsai-s2. -.
Jamcs y. Boyd. 1929.
LORENZO Crounsa, iep3-s6.
sias a. Holronbe. $3.50.
william A.. Poynter, fsss.is0i,
chafles II. Dietrich. 1901 tresigned to run
for Eenator).
Ezra p. Savage. isoi-03 gi,
John II. Mickey. 19os-o7
George L. Sheldon. teo7-1o,
A.sc. shallenberger, tsos-ii.i 81
chcater A. AldrIch. 1eti-1s.
John H. Morehead. 1sfa-17.