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Garrett |
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Garrett |
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DR. GARRETT COX POGUE had two quite distinct careers, the first as a peace officer in the west in the 1880s and 1890s and as a chiropractor in Camden and Philadelphia later in life. Born in Delaware City, Delaware in 1863, his early years were spent in Bridgeton. He went west as a young man and had many adventures bringing law and order to in that part of the country. Garrett Pogue stayed close to his family and returned to visit friends and family in Bridgeton on a number of occasions in the 1880s and 1890s. Garrett Pogue enlisted in the Army in the 1890s, and had been promoted to Sergeant by 1893. While serving with the 6th Cavalry in 1893, he and a detachment of soldiers took part in Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, which was held in Chicago, Illinois adjacent to the grounds of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exhibition, a World's Fair. After being denied space at the Fair, Buffalo Bill acquired an adjacent 15-acre site and set up his show. It opened about two weeks before the Fair and provided an alternative venue of looking back in time, rather than looking forward. It was known as "Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World." It immediately began filling the 18,000-seat arena. |
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The show included Indians, soldiers from various countries, Annie Oakley and, of course, Buffalo Bill, himself. An account of Garrett Pogue's activities while with Buffalo Bill follows:
"Sergeant Garrett C. Pogue, of troop A,
Sixth United States Cavalry, will go back to Fort
Niobrara, Neb., to join his regiment. He has been commanding the
detachment of Uncle
Sam's soldiers that have done such good service at all the
performances, and who, as far as skill in horsemanship and
exactness in evolutions were concerned, outdid all the rest of the
military detachments brought over from Europe even the squad of dashing
German uhlans
Now and then, however, it was impossible for him
to restrain one or the other of them from breaking out. One of his men,
for instance, a typical Tipperary man named
Greeney, with a typical enjoyment of and hankering after a fight, got
into altercations with some of the foreign soldiers on several
occasions. It was on a hot, sultry night, Mr. Greeney having
imbibed a trifle too freely, that he ran afoul of some of the French
chasseurs. In the twinkling of an eye there was a regular engagement on,
the weapons used being sabers. Mr. Greeney stood up like a rock against
the three Frenchmen and used his
saber with a good deal of science. Finally he knocked the saber out of
the hand of his doughtiest adversary, broke it against a tree and then
punished his man with his bare hands. Still on another occasion he Sergeant Pogue was discharged at Fort Myers, Virginia on February 8, 1896 with the rank of sergeant with Company A, 6th Cavalry Regiment and a comment of "excellent" describing his service. With the nation going to war with Spain, Garrett Pogue enlisted in Company K, First Colorado Volunteers, United States Army in Denver, Colorado on May 1, 1898. He served for almost a year in the Philippines, and was discharged upon his return to the United States after one year of service. He was working as a bookkeeper in Crestone, Colorado when the census was taken in 1900. After returning east, he worked in Philadelphia. Garrett Pogue married Gertrude Derrickson around 1901. They lived with Gertrude's parents, Charles and Katherine Derrickson, at 524 Benson Street through at least 1906. The 1909 City Directory and the 1910 Census shows them living with Gertrude's parents, at 116 Dudley Street in East Camden. Garrett Pogue worked as a bookkeeper and clerk in these years. The 1916 Camden City Directory shows Garrett C. Pogue and his wife Gertrude still living at 116 Dudley Street. Two sons had been born, Frederick in 1902 and Garret C. Jr. in 1907. At some point while living in the east, Garret Pogue and was struck blind. He received a disability pension in 1902, with Frank S. Jones serving as his attorney. After five years of blindness, Garrett Pogue's sight was restored by a chiropractor. He and his wife were so impressed that they went to school and became practitioners of that discipline. By the time the 1917 City Directory was compiled both Garrett and Gertrude Pogue were practicing chiropractors. They were had moved to 107 North 7th Street in Camden and were still at that address as late as the spring of 1938. In his last years Dr. Pogue kept an office at 400 Broadway. He passed away on September 18, 1940 and was buried at Eglington Cemetery in Clarksboro, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife and sons Frederick and Garrett Jr. Mrs. Pogue and Garrett Jr. made their home at 724 Linden Street in the early 1940s. The family maintained and interest in the North 7th Street address into the 1940s as well. |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer
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Camden Courier-Post * February 14, 1938 |
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