What do you give a grandchild for his first Christmas? After considerable thought, I gave him a silver coin minted in the year of his birth. And, I made a collection of my YouTube music recordings so that, if I should pass before he will remember me, he will at least know what his grandfather's voice sounded like. I never knew my grandfather Kumpe, he died before I was born. I met my grandfather Burchfield on his deathbed. I always envied kids who had grandparents. But, as I held little Ben on Christmas day, I thought of one more thing I could give him, perhaps the best gift I have. I decided to tell him who he is.
Ben:
Many Americans start their life without knowing anything about their ancestors that came before them. I know that your Schatz grandparents will do a good job of telling you about your father's family. This is something about your mother's.
You are descended from Otto Kumpe. He immigrated from Germany during a time when the local kings were selling their young men to the highest bidder as mercenaries in everybody else in Europe's wars. Some of these men where the Hessian mercenaries the British hired to suppress the American Revolution. Otto was not one of them. He immigrated later. If you have daughters someday, they can join the Daughters of American Revolution. Your ancestor on my mother's side, Tennessee Barnes, was the daughter of a Revolutionary war soldier.
If you choose, you can join the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Otto's sons served his newly adopted country. Your great-great-great grandfather Edward Kumpe served honorably with Company A of the 6th Arkansas Infantry during the Civil War. He was captured near the end of the war and paroled. He then immigrated to Indian Territory where he became a full citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He ran the first stage coach station on the Military Road between Ft. Smith, Arkansas and Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma. The station was located at the foot of a mountain that old maps still call "Krumpe" mountain, after him. If you choose to become involved in the SCV, I would caution you to choose your company carefully. Many of these folks are honorable men, serious historians and re-enactors, who are simply trying to preserve their rightful heritage. This is a noble effort. But, some are not honorable men and they should be avoided. These men attempt to justify modern prejudices by misuse of their southern heritage and get away with it because the causes and effects of the Civil War were far more complex than modern historians will record.
If you choose, you can also apply for membership in the Military Order of The Stars and Bars (descendants of Confederate Officers) by virtue of your relationship to your collateral ancestor Capt. G.C. Kumpe who served in Leighton's Rangers (Light Cavalry) of the Alabama Volunteer Militia.
By virtue of Edward Kumpe's Cherokee citizenship, you are a federally recognized member of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation that your ancestors immigrated to was not a "tribe" but rather a carefully planned constitutional republic. Many of the political class of that republic were men of education and wisdom. They were not savages. Many were Christian gentlemen who were substantial citizens in their home southern states before the U.S. government forced them to immigrate. On matters of citizenship, they were not concerned about blood nearly as much as character and ability to serve their country. You owe no apologies for your light skin and tribal membership. Your ancestors were part of that enlightened class who built a sovereign nation in the wilderness under horrible conditions and were in truth far more civilized than the interlopers that later stole what they had built.
Your great-great-grandfather, John Kumpe, was an honorable man who suffered much tragedy in his life. He grew up at the Kumpe stage station on the Oklahoma frontier during the violent and tumultuous times prior to Oklahoma statehood. Older maps record the location of that stage station at the foot of Kumpe Mountain in Sequoyah County near Gans. He was born a frontiersman, a cowboy of sorts in his youth. Someday, I hope to show you a picture of him with his horse. Never let anyone disparage your ancestors for being "cowboys" in the fashion of the Europeans and some pseudo intellectual Americans. Three generations of your ancestors worked cattle. It teaches you patience, self-reliance and courage. It is a hard job that lesser men cannot perform. Later in life, John was the draymaster for the railroad in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. He was well known and well respected in the community. He was born a Cherokee citizen in the independently sovereign Cherokee Republic and died a U.S. citizen in the State of Oklahoma.
Your great-grandfather William Kumpe, was also an honorable man. He was a genuine Okie. His mother, Mae Webb Kumpe, became too ill to care for him when he as an infant and he was raised by his half-Cherokee great aunt Ada and her full blood Cherokee husband, John Miller. When they lost everything in the Great Depression, they packed what they had left into a Model T pickup truck and drove to California. They made a living of sorts raising livestock in the desert until Uncle John became too sick to work. William was thirteen at the time. He drove that Model T pickup from San Diego, California back to Sallisaw, Oklahoma to bring his sick parents home. The roads were dangerous and he often told me about having to back up the highest mountain passes since the Model T's gravity feed fuel system would not work on steep inclines. Later, while working on the Oklahoma crew of the movie "Grapes of Wrath," 20th Century Fox offered him a permanent (and well paid) job if he would stay with crew as they shot all the back to California. In his gentle way, Dad told them no thanks, he had already been to California and did not like it.
William Kumpe served with distinction with the 160th Field Artillery of the 45th Infantry Division (Oklahoma National Guard) during World War Two. General George Patton called it the finest infantry division in the history of the U.S. Army. William was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery. I believe it was awarded for something that happened at Anzio. He would never talk about it. He walked with a limp from a service connected injury and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder but it never stopped him from working hard and doing everything he could to take care of his family.
I am a veteran, a lawyer, a writer and a musician. I have told you about my father's people. My mother's people came to Oklahoma late. They were sharecroppers who managed through sheer determination and great sacrifice to buy their own piece of Oklahoma. I grew up on a hardscrabble farm/ranch a couple of miles from the old stage station that my great grandfather Edward Kumpe built. It was a hard life but not necessarily a bad one. I learned to love the land my ancestors worked so hard for and to respect the dignity of my family and friends who never left it. Do not be ashamed of these country people and their beliefs. They are far better people than those who disparage them.
I am a veteran because it was my duty to serve during the Viet Nam War in the same way that all of the Kumpes who came before me served in their generation's war. There was never a question whether I would serve, only when and how. I served in the Navy and later in the Naval Reserve. Like my father, I walk with a limp from a service connected injury.
I am a lawyer because, even though I discovered it late in life, the Kumpes are genetically inclined toward the legal profession. If you ever do a genealogical search, you will find a high percentage of the Kumpes are attorneys and judges. I did a lot of things in life before I discovered that my particular personality and intellectual skills found their best fit in the legal profession. Lately, I have also become licensed as an armed private investigator.
I am a writer because I choose to be. I enjoy it. I inherited that from my mother, Rubye Burchfield Kumpe. I am published but no longer submit for publication since the fees are not worth the trouble.
I am a musician because it came naturally to me. My mother's people were hill folk. Music was as natural to them as breathing. I learned to play guitar by ear when I was five. That summer, my uncle Eugene Burchfield, a poetically tragic yet infinitely lovable man, restrung his priceless Gibson mandolin so that it could be chorded something like a guitar and then taught me to "three chord" simple country songs by ear. I have played, mostly for my own enjoyment, ever since.
There is one more thing you should know. I am a devout, born again Christian. For many years, I was an ordained teaching elder. This too is part of the family heritage. Your Cherokee great aunt many times removed, Ada Miller was a devout Baptist. She raised your great grandfather William Kumpe in the faith and he remained faithful to it. For most of his life, he was a deacon in the Baptist church and often served as the church's music director. When I was young, I departed from the faith but when I matured I returned to it. Though I too did my time in church offices like my father, in later years, my Christian service has consisted mostly of advising the church on matters of law and public policy and defending the faith and the faithful when necessary.
I hope I get to tell you these things when you are old enough to understand them and process them in light of our current culture. But, if I don't, this blog post should be a start in figuring out who you are. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be this: strive to be an honorable man. Money, position and power mean nothing if you have surrendered your honor to achieve them. Do not associate with dishonorable men. Legality has nothing to do with morality and honor. Guard your conscience carefully. Your ancestors have given you a good name. Strive to preserve it in your generation.
God bless you Ben.
Your grandfather,
Bill Kumpe
Here is a postcript from a family member that was posted online about my Great Grandfather Edward Kumpe:
Edward E. Kumpe b. 6-18-1843 Tuscumbia, Ala. d. 2-17-1914 Sallisaw, Okla. buried Duncan cemetery was married 3 times.
Eliza Campbell, 11 July 1867 in the Cherokee Nation - ArGaz, pg 2 col 3, 1867 July 23 issue. March 1876 Eliza Kumpe buried Oakland cemetery, LR, Ar. where many of Edward's Kumpe siblings buried. Wife #2 Liza Childers abt. 1878. Liza b.1859,Indian Territory. Their son Charlie Augustus b. 2-5-1879. Wife #3 Julia Dooley abt. 1888. 1900 Census, they had 4 living children of six. 1930 Census, Julia Kumpe is living with niece, Eliza Nobles.
1930 Census John E. Kumpe(56)b. Ar. Sallisaw with two sons, John H.(19)and Charlie(17). Is John Edward's and Eliza's son? John has a daughter, Eliza, b. 1900.
Is Rafe A. Kumpe Julia's and Edward's son Ralph b. abt.1900? 1930 Census Rafe(30) Anaheim, Calif with May O.
Is Eliza Geo. C. Kumpe's mother? He was born abt. 1871.
Edward was a private in Capital Guards during Civil War. He was Gen. Thomas Hindman's wagoner. Edward was in the battle at Shiloh. He was captured Dec. 31, 1864, Franklin Co., Ala. and paroled Feb. 25, 1865. His name is on the military statue erected in 1911 in front of the Military Museum at MacArthur Park, E. 9th St.,LR, Ar.
1893 Aug. 10, E. E. and Julia Kumpe were Charter Members of Ironton Baptist church, Pul.Co., Ar.
Edward's mother, Lucinda Kumpe died 11-22-1897. Her obit said Edward was living in the Indian Country.
My 12 year old grandfather, John Henry "Jack" Kumpe (my grandfather) and his uncle, Martin Luther Kumpe, were robbed and shot at by a black man at Martin's Ironton store in 1894. Martin died as a result. Gun jammed when fired at Jack. During trial, it came out that black man was revenging his brother who was shot by Edward for stealing corn from his Edward's crib. The black brother recovered.
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This is a picture of what I believe to be Edward Kumpe's shotgun, perhaps the one used in the incident described above. It was handed down to my father by his father.
