THE REST OF THE STORY

Over the last year or so, we've read excerpts of letters written by various members of the Bullis family that are interesting...and informative...up to a point.  We have  a growing feeling that there is a "rest of the story"  that we need to know in order to complete our picture of this family.


If anyone has documents and/or original letters (or notes, stories, poems) written by any of the Bullises, we would greatly appreciate your sharing them with us. There are many, many gaps in the family history that we would like to fill in. And without the complete documents, completion of the task is impossible.


Likewise, if there is any information you are in search of regarding any of the Bullises, just let us know through this blog. We'll certainly be glad to do what we can to help you get the of "rest of the story" that you need, as well.

BULLIS FAMILY SCHOLARSHIPS

Each year at graduation time,  Bullis scholarships awarded at local high schools remind us of the generosity of Nettie Bullis and her family.

A Bullis Room volunteer recently presented two scholarships to Gananda graduating seniors: The Abram R. Bullis Mathematical Scholarship and the Nettie Bullis Business Scholarship. And this coming year 141 graduates of Palmyra-Macedon High School will benefit from The Bullis Family Scholarship. The latter scholarship is renewable each spring and varies in amounts, depending on endowment earnings.

All of the Bullises valued education. Some were formally educated, others self-educated, but their books which make up the Bullis Collection is proof of the fact that they never stopped learning.

We too can continue to learn, and today we have so many more opportunities through the electronic media as well as printed books. Let's take advantage of these resources and, like the Bullises, never stop learning.

JOHN LAPHAM BULLIS AT STILWELL HOUSE

This week, we looked over the catalog of items in the John Lapham Bullis San Antonio exhibition, May 25-30, 2011.  Here's a partial list of those exhibits.


From the Collections of the Fort Sam Houston Museum, items that belonged to General Bullis:
 - Roll top desk, oak, made by Standard Furniture Company, Herkimer, New York, ca 1900
 - Hammond Typewriter, Model 12,  New York ca 1905
 - Chest, Records, Olive Drab, Wood, ca 1890s. "Standard Adjutant General wooden records chest used by Paymaster Bullis in Cuba and the Philippines 1901-1902."


Other items from the collections of the Fort Sam Houston Museum:
 - Oil portrait of General Bullis by S. Salomon, 1913 (shown in last week's posting)
 - Chevrons, Infantry Sergeant, Pattern of 1872


From the White Museum:
 - Gold Presentation Sword and Scabbard, made by Bent & Bush, Boston, 1881 "Presented by the people of Western Texas, for protecting their homes."
 - Silver Presentation Sword and Scabbard, made by Gaylord Manufacturing Company, Chicopee, MA, 1881. "Presented by the people of Kinney County, Texas as a token of their undying gratitude."
 - Saddle, Pattern of 1885 McClellan, Cavalry, ca 1890. "Bullis would have used this saddle while serving as a Captain until his retirement."


Those of you interested in Bullis family history will want to include a stop in San Antonio in future travel plans.  You won't be disappointed.

So who is this man?  A remarkable man, born in Macedon, raised in Farmington, served in the 126th Company H at the beginning of the Civil War, served as Captain over black troops at the end of the war and during Reconstruction, started a business of cutting wood for the steam boats on the Mississippi, went back to the military and led the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts for many years, became an Indian agent, served as Paymaster at Fort Sam Houston, served in both the Philippines and Cuba during the Spanish American War, and retired a Brigadier General.  
I have just returned from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.  The Fort Sam Houston Historical Society hosted this display  of memorabilia from General Bullis' life.  We contributed letters that he sent to his Aunt Emma, photos of his family and home, etc., to the display.  So much history and so little time to learn it!!!

NATURAL DISASTERS OF THE PAST

When we were looking through the shelves this past week, this title caught our attention (because of recent natural disasters around the world):

ITALY'S GREAT HORROR OF EARTHQUAKE AND TIDAL WAVE

compiled by Jay Henry Mowbray

(1909, publisher unnamed)

Forty-eight pages of plates as well as numerous illustrations enhance the description of the events that resulted in "immense loss of life" and left Messina and other beautiful cities in Southern Italy and Sicily in heaps of ruins on December 28, 1908. 

Volunteers found that reading this book was a sobering experience, but one that served to remind us of our need to be prepared for whatever nature brings to us.   We invite you to stop by the Bullis Room and find out more about this "unparalleled catastrophe" of a hundred years ago.

REMEMBERING...

JOHN LAPHAM BULLIS

"Johnnie" 

 on the 

100th anniversary 

of his death

May 26, 1911

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R. 1007

"RESOLUTION

"WHEREAS, May 26, 2011, marks the centennial of the death of United States Army Brigadier General John Lapham Bullis, commander of the famed Black Seminole Scouts and a hero of the Texas frontier; and

"WHEREAS, Born in Macedon, New York, in 1841, John Bullis enlisted in the 126th New York Volunteer Infantry in 1862 and was wounded and captured twice during the Civil War, in the battles of Harpers Ferry and Gettysburg; following 10 months in the notorious Libby Prison, he was released in an exchange of combatants and was commissioned as a captain in the 118th Infantry, U.S. Colored Troops, a volunteer regiment composed entirely of African American enlisted men and white officers; and

"WHEREAS, General Bullis briefly ran a business on the Mississippi River after the war and was commissioned in the Regular Army as a second lieutenant in 1867; although many other white officers scorned African American regiments, he served with the 41st Infantry and then requested a transfer to the new 24th Infantry, a consolidation of three Colored Infantry regiments; he was stationed at Fort Clark in the borderlands, where property raids and attacks on settlers were a regular occurrence, and assumed command of the remarkable group of scouts, skillful trackers descended from escaped slaves who had intermarried with members of the Seminole tribe and eventually settled in the Santa Rosa Mountains of northern Mexico; and

"WHEREAS, Resolute and resourceful, General Bullis earned the nickname 'the Whirlwind,' leading the Black Seminole Scouts during the Red River War and on numerous missions to track raiders from the Comanche and Apache tribes; in one celebrated battle, he and three scouts took on more than two dozen Lipan Apaches before they ran low on ammunition and were forced to retreat; General Bullis's horse was lost, but his comrades returned for him under fire and he was able to leap up behind his sergeant and escape on his steed; the scouts were awarded Congressional Medals of Honor; and

"WHEREAS, The stoicism, valor, and fairness General Bullis demonstrated won the complete loyalty of his men; he lived off the land and suffered severe privations alongside them, and they gladly followed him even on a pursuit all the way to New Mexico Territory, which kept them in the saddle for 80 days and more than 1,200 miles; over the course of 8 years, he led his scouts in 26 battles, yet not one was killed or seriously injured; he received brevet citations for his gallant service, as well as recognition from the Texas Legislature, and the people of West Texas and residents of Kinney County showed their gratitude by presenting him with engraved swords; and..."

"WHEREAS, Once the area had become comparatively calm, General Bullis was transferred to Indian Territory, and he was later appointed the paymaster of Fort Sam Houston, with the rank of major; he served in Cuba during the Spanish-American War and in the Philippines during the Philippine Insurrection; the day before his retirement in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt promoted him to brigadier general in recognition of his outstanding achievements; and

"WHEREAS, John Bullis settled in San Antonio and established himself as a successful businessman, investing in real estate and the Shafter silver mines, and he helped to promote the settlement of West Texas; in addition, he remained a stalwart advocate for the Black Seminole Scouts, trying in vain to obtain for them the military benefits and land grants that the federal government had promised; he died in San Antonio on May 26, 1911, and is buried in the San Antonio National Cemetery; a military camp just north of San Antonio was named Camp Bullis in his honor in 1917; and

"WHEREAS, An extraordinary figure in the history of the Lone Star State, Brigadier General John Bullis fought bravely to secure the frontier, and he set an inspiring example of integrity and dedication; it is indeed fitting to commemorate the centennial of his passing; now, therefore, be it

"RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 26, 2011, as Brigadier General John L. Bullis Day and encourage all Texans to learn more about his life and service to the Lone Star State; and, be it further

"RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be prepared for the Shafter Silver Mine John L. Bullis Library at the STAR DAY  Foundation, for the Fort Sam Houston Museum, and for the New York Macedon Public Library Bullis Collection as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives."

Signature: Joe Straus, Speaker of the House

"I certify that H.R. NO. 1007 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on April 7, 2011."
Signature: Robert Haney, Chief Clerk of the House

(Seal) Signature line: Ruth Jones McClendon, State Representative, District 120