John Franklin Boydstun (abt. 1881 - abt. 1942)

Born about 3 Apr 1881 in Caddo, Oklahoma Territory, United States

Husband of Vula (Gold) Boydstun — married 21 Jan 1927 in Pittsburg, Oklahoma, USA

Died about 15 Nov 1942 at about age 61 in Roswell, Chaves, New Mexico, United States

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Biography

Private, Troop M (Rough Riders), 1st US Volunteer Cavalry, Spanish American War. ^[1]Buried at South Park Cemetery, Roswell, Chaves County, New Mexico.^[2]

On 14 May 1898, Muscogee, Indian Territory; John F. Boydstun enlisted as a Private with Troop M of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry (The Rough Riders). Troop M was one of the four troops ordered to remain in Tampa during the Invasion of Cuba. From 5 to 13 June, he was absent sick in the Tampa Heights Hospital. He was re-admitted on 6 Aug and released 9 Sept for illness contracted in the line of duty. On 15 Sep 1898, John and his unit were mustered out of service at Camp Wikoff, Montauk Point, Long Island, New York. His place of residence was recorded as Caddo, Indian Territory. His headstone was ordered on 7 Dec 1942 (Muster Papers).^[3]

The 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, better known as the "Rough Riders" is one of the most well-documented and famous volunteer fighting forces in American history. This page will provide the basic information on the organization, but will not attempt an in-depth account, as that has been published many times elsewhere. Unit History: The "Rough Riders" was formed from men from the western frontier of the United States - men who were used to life in the saddle and to the use of firearms - and from some eastern high-class young men who were athletic and also skilled in horsemanship and the use of guns...but for entirely different reasons. In addition there were men from almost everywhere else! The unit included miners, cowboys preachers, tradesmen, writers, professors, athletes, and clergymen. Remarkably, there were men from each of the forty-five states then in existence, the four territories and from fourteen countries! There were even sixty Native Americans on the roster. The unique combination reflected the interesting contrasts in one of the men who was one of the driving forces behind the unit – Theodore Roosevelt, the man who was initially the regiment’s lieutenant colonel and later its colonel. When word went out that Roosevelt and Colonel Leonard Wood, were raising a regiment, volunteers from all over appeared. Twenty-three hundred men volunteered in the first twenty-four hours, of which only a small percentage could be accepted. Even the future creator of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs tried to enlist.

The unit was mustered into service between May 1 and May 21, 1898 in various locations in Texas, New Mexico and what was then termed “Indian Territory” (Arizona and Oklahoma). At the time of muster in, the unit consisted of 47 officers and 994 enlisted men. The uniqueness of the regiment, the bombastic energy of Roosevelt (until recently the assistant secretary of the navy) and Roosevelt’s gift for public relations and self-promotion brought the unit much publicity even before its worth was proven in battle. ^[4]

1930 census shows john Boydstun living in Roswell with his wife Verla and new born Benjamin Boydstun. John is noted as being born in Oklahoma. ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Rough Rider Roster
2. ↑ Confederate Veterans Buried in Eastern New Mexico.
3. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26606012
4. ↑ Spanish American War Centennial Web Site. http://www.spanamwar.com/rrhist.html
5. ↑ New Mexico Deaths, 1889-1945

• Confederate Veterans Buried in Eastern New Mexico. COMPILED BY DAVID MINTON, PATTIE WIER ,JANELLE FOSTER . Wilson-Cobb History and Genealogy Research Library http://wilsoncobb.org/ConfedVetsBurENM.pdf
• 1930 United States census. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=6224&h=107983356&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true#?_phcmd=u('https://www.ancestry.com/search/?name%3DJohn%2BF_Boydstun%26event%3D1898_texas-usa_46%26birth%3D1878%26death%3D1935_roswell-chaves-new%2Bmexico-usa_73274%26gender%3Dm%26location%3D2%26priority%3Dusa%26successSource%3DSearch%26queryId%3DzkBONnPsKU%2BeZH3sHm2xDw%3D%3D','successSource')
• U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2400&h=69324&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=SOP27&_phstart=successSource
• Rough Rider Roster. http://www.spanamwar.com/rrroster.htm#B
• "New Mexico Deaths, 1889-1945," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLY1-VVB : 10 March 2018), John F. Boydston in entry for George William Boydston, 08 Mar 1928; citing Roswell, Chaves, New Mexico, reference , Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Santa Fe; FHL microfilm 1,913,280. Son listed as George William Boydstun and wife as Vula Gold.
• "United States Index to Service Records, War with Spain, 1898", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HXX-3TM : 13 March 2018), John F Boydston, 1898.
• "United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NH3N-Q2H : 24 March 2016), John F. Boydstun, 1909.
• Oklahoma, County Marriage Records, 1890-1995. https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=61379&h=64023236&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=iLw6218&_phstart=successSource
• "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVB-Z8XD : 13 December 2015), John F Boydstun, 1942; Burial, Roswell, Chaves, New Mexico, United States of America, South Park Cemetery; citing record ID 26606012, Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26606012
• "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZD2-N5M : 13 March 2018), John Franklin Boydstun, 1917-1918; citing Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,851,607.