THE PAINTING ABOVE IS TITLED ‘A PROMISE MADE. A PROMISE KEPT’ . IT IS ONE OF ARTISTS LEE CABLES BEAUTIFUL GOODNIGHT COLLECTION.
MASONIC BROTHERHOOD AND OLIVER LOVING’S BURIAL
Oliver Loving was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky, on December 4, 1812. He married in 1833, and for the next ten years he farmed in Kentucky. They had nine children, four born in Texas. In 1843 Loving and his brother and brother-in-law moved their families to Texas. Loving had land in Dallas, Collin and Parker counties. He eventually settled in Collin County before 1850 and farmed and hauled freight. By 1855, he had moved and was a storekeeper in what was to become Palo Pinto County where he owned 1000 acres of land.
In 1857 Loving’s 19-year-old son drove cattle to Chicago, Illinois. Turning a substantial profit, he repeated the trip the next year. In 1860, Loving and his partner started 2500 head to Denver to feed the Gold Miners. Wintering in Pueblo Colorado, Loving sold the herd in the spring and attempted to head back to Texas. Since the Civil War had broken out, Union authorities prevented him from returning South, until Kit Carson, the famous scout and Lucien Maxwell, land grant owner and Carsons father-in-law, interceded. During the Civil War Loving sold cattle to the Confederacy, driving them to troops along the Mississippi. A losing business arrangement, as when the war ceased, the Confederacy owed him a reported two hundred fifty thousand dollars. A one-dollar Confederate note was worth only ten cents.
In 1866, having heard about a need for beeves to supply the Indian Reservations near Fort Sumner, New Mexico, Loving gathered a herd and combined it with that of Charles Goodnight. They sold the steers for $12,000.00 in gold. Loving took the rest of the unsold cows and heifers north to Denver while Goodnight took the gold and returned to Weatherford for more cattle. They later reunited at in southern New Mexico where they established a ranch about forty miles south of Fort Sumner at Bosque Grande. There, they wintered in 1966-1867 supplying cattle to the Fort.
In the spring of 1867, the two partners returned to Texas and gathered cattle for a new drive. This drive was fraught with trouble from the beginning. Slowed by heavy rains, muddy trails and Indian threats, Loving took a seasoned scout and plainsman, one armed Bill Wilson on ahead to negotiate the contract. Goodnight cautioned Loving to travel only at night to avoid Indian attacks. Loving at fifty-five years old, was Goodnight’s senior by twenty-four years. Being concerned about the slow pace and wanting to assure buyers the cattle were on the way, Loving grew impatient and pushed ahead during daylight hours.
This unwise action resulted an Indian skirmish in which Loving was mortally wounded, being shot through the wrist and the bullet lodging in his side. Concerned he was going to die, Loving sent Wilson back to find Goodnight. They divided-up ammo and arms with Loving keeping pistols and Wilson taking their Henry rifle. Loving eluded the Indians for seven days before being found by Mexican traders who cared for him and took him on to Fort Sumner by wagon. Wilson, meanwhile, eluded the Indians by removing most of his clothes and hiding in the creek. Worried about getting his ammunition wet, he secreted the Henry rifle nearby, and eventually finding Goodnight’s group five days later, barefoot and emaciated.
Goodnight and company immediately went ahead to Loving’s aid. They found Wilson’s clothes, the Henry rifle, and pony tracks where the Indians had search for Loving along the river, but no Oliver Loving. Discouraged, Goodnight went on to Fort Sumner and was surprised to find his partner there still alive!
His joy was short lived. Loving’s wounded side was healing, but gangrene had started in the arm. The post surgeon was said to have not had experience in amputations, and delayed surgery. Later removing the infected arm, the infection continued and Loving died three weeks later.
PROMISE MADE.
At their reunion at the Fort, Loving expressed to Goodnight that his true regret was that he would die and not be buried in his beloved Texas. Before Loving died, Goodnight assured his Masonic Brother with a solemn promise to return his body to Texas for proper interment.
Loving died on September 25th, 1867 and was temporarily buried at Fort Sumner. Goodnight drove the remaining cattle herd on to Colorado and sold them. In another act of outstanding Masonic Honor, upon returning to Weatherford Texas, Goodnight presented Loving’s widow her share of the cattle sale proceeds: Forty Thousand Dollars in gold.
PROMISE KEPT.
Goodnight returned from Colorado and Loving was exhumed. It’s been stated the Goodnight cowhands beat “oil tins” flat and welded them together, constructing a vault to hold Loving’s coffin for the journey back to Texas. Stories differ on who accompanied the wagon train and coffin back to Texas, but it is believed it was Goodnight and Loving’s son Joseph. At the time it was reported the most somber wagon entourage ever seen.
Loving was re buried on March the 4th, 1868 in Greenwood Cemetery, Weatherford, Texas. He was interred with Masonic Graveside honors, undoubtedly surrounded by his Masonic Brothers from all over Texas, and most especially those of Phoenix No. 275.
NOT JUST A MAN. A MASON
Charles Goodnight met Oliver Loving sometime about 1866 when Goodnight’s partners pulled out of a cattle drive. We know both men were Masons and members of the same Masonic Lodge: Phoenix Lodge No. 275 in Weatherford, Texas.
In one of the most moving examples of the remarkable Brotherhood among Masons, Charles Goodnight honored his old friend and Masonic Brother by his actions. Goodnight’s conduct and comportment brought honor and dignity to himself and the Fraternity.
His integrity, his strength and his reputation would not allow him to do otherwise.
“Loving was a man that was just as chaste in his language and manners in the wilderness as he was in the parlor. He had no bad habits, did not use tobacco in any form and as far as I know, never touched a drink. I don’t think he knew what fear was.”
Goodnight in a letter to his biographer Evets Haley