John Lindberg Prater, Lester

Other Events:

• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Notes:

A Newspaper article circa 1923 details some of the accomplishments of John
Prater.

"Marine Guarded Three Presidents"
Sergt. Prater, Retiring after 20 years, was all over the world,
Met the Kaiser and Menelik. Settles down for good as Guard of Bank
of Newark.

Sgt. John L. Prater of 720 Franklin Ave. Nutley, N.J. vowed many time that if
he ever doffed the uniform of the US Marine Corps he never wold get into
another. he said he was "all shut" of uniforms. Then, just as if to play a
huge joke on him, fate stuffed his six feet of height and 187 pounds of brawn
in a new bank in Newark.
Whatever may be his experience in life from now on, bank robbers and crusty
patrons to the contrary notwethstanding. Sgt. Prater's life cannot be any more
hazardous or more interesting than it has been the last 20 years.
20 years means 5 hitches in the Marine corps. In that 20 years he has done
things many another man of twice his age -- he is only 42 -- has not even
attempted.
He is the only one among 115,000,000 other Americans who has been personal
guard of three US Presidents, who has completed 5 trips around the world, who
has put foot on nearly every naval ship of the USA, who has done guard duty
over the body of Admiral John Paul Jones, who has visited every port of the
world in which a naval ship could enter and who has stepped from the torrid
zone to the temperate zone and from that to the frigid zone as easily as the
average commuter boards a train for home.
Sgt. Prater has rideen a camel across the Sahara Desert and has sailed up the
Congo River. He has been reviewed by two Kings of England and has saluted the
former German Emperor.

Admiral of Ship is a Girl Now....
Now he has retired from service after 20 years, has built a California style
bungalow on a wooded knoll in Nutley andi sis commander of his own ship.
He is not an Admiral, however. That position is left to Priscilla Louise
Prater, who is 4 1/2 years old, and has her hands full attending to a large
family of dolls. That is the occupation of the "Admiral", while Sgt. and
Mrs. Prater are reading poultry journals.

20 Years is not long when one looks back on it, Sgt. Prater says. He has been
out of service only a few weeks, but he says it seems almost yesterday that he
was a youngster in Davis, Okla., when that was the Indian Territory and old
Fort Arbuckle had recently been replaced by the newer Fort Sill.

Out there in those days there was military atmosphere in abundance. John
Prater's grandfather, Henry C. De Courtney, had been a Major in the Miexican
War and wounds prevented him from enlisting in the Civil War, so he became a
Government contractor. The De Courtneys were some of the first white settlers
in the Indian Territory. Johns paternal grandfather was of a less warlike
career.
He was, until he died, Prof. Prater, teaching romance languages in the
University of Heidelberg, Germany

(NOTE FROM RESEARCHER: This last statement about Prof. Prater is NOT true,
but Henry De Courtney did supply Ft. Arbuckle with food stuffs, such as hogs,
beef, garden veggies and possibly mules or horses. Johns grandfather, Joseph
Prater is listed as a farmer in the 1870 White Co., TN. census at age 68.)

When Theodore Rossevelt recruited his Rough Riders for the Spanish War, John
was 16 years old. He made application for the Rgt. and was rejected as too
young.
He bided his time. 5 years later, on 5 Sept., 1903, he enlisted in Kansas
City as the first Marine coming form the Indian Territory.
He was fortunate in the nature of travel in those first 6 months. Almost
immediately after his enlistment he was ordered to New York and went aboard
the od Brooklyn, which st out for Mediteranean waters. 20 years ago
Christmans, Sgt. Prater, passed by the Holy Land. There was trouble in that
section then, as there has been in other times and seasons. The Turks were
killing the Syrians and the Brooklyn was sent to prevent bloodshed. For many
weeks, Sgt. Prater stood guard over the Presbyterian School for Syrian Girls
in Beirut.

Following that experience there came orders to proceed to Abyssinia to make a
treaty with King Menelik, Sgt. Prater was selected to accompany the official
party, which traveled by gunboat through the Suez Canal and Red Sea to Jibuti
on the Gulf of Aden, thence by camel train to Menelik's capital.
"Menelik was a rattling big ebony fellow", said Sgt. Prater, "and his style
was a silf hat and a breech clout. But he was a King all right. Not one in
the thousands of his subjects diputed that fact. It would have been intesely
unforturnate for them if they had. Menelik received us in royal style, took
us hunting big game and was very courteous. I wonder if he would have done so
had our business been less official."
It was the report that Col. Thorpe, then Major, gave to President Roosevelt of
the expedition that kindled the first desire for big game in Africa, Sgt.
Prater said.
That same year, the the return trip, Sgt. Prater saw the then German Emperor.
The Brooklyn visited the Kiel Canal and the Kaiser came abouard. Full honors
were done him, with officers on deck saluting and the guard presenting arms.
Sgt. Parter said the Kaiser himself a tall man, was of excellent military
appearance and closely inspected every 6 footer he found.
But there was another mission to be done, this time the incident which gave
rise to Roosevelt's remark: "Perdicaris Alice or Raisuli dead."
Raisuli, and African bandit, had captured Ian Perdicaris, a former resident of
Trenton, and had held him for ransom. President Roosevelt sent out an
expedition which included Sgt. Prater. the expedition was unsuccessful in
getting the bandit out of the wilds and the ransom was paid instead. But the
Sgt. remembers well the nights in the jungle, with wild amimans howling near
the water holes and the awe the strange noises inspired.

It seemed that Sgt. Prater was preordained to live up to the legend: "Join the
Marines and see the world."
He was constantly traveling. His next look at a King, after seeing Menelik
was in England in 1905, when he saw King Edward driving in Hyde Park. It was
that year the USA decided to bring back the body of John Paul Jones, which had
lain buried in France for 115 years.
The Marine Corps was called on for a guard detail. Sgt. Prater his penchant
for the unusual skill at work, was selected as one of 6 that had the honor and
until the body was placed in the Naval Cem. at Washington. Sgt. Prater stayed
beside the coffin. Afterward he was trasferred to the Marine barracks in
Washington. President Roosevelt needed an orderly. He remembered the
youngster who had tried to enlist in the Rough Riders and had him detailed.
By that time Sgt. Prater already had been one of a party of 125 officers and
men received by the Pope in Rome, had seen King Alfnso in Madrid and had been
present when the Khedive of Egypt reviewed the Royal Irish Fusileers, the
British troops stationed in Egypt. he also had met Richard Harding Davis at
Cape Town in South Africa and Jack London in Sitka, Alaska.
Prater's duty with Roosevelt was continued to the Presidency of Taft.
Three times he visited the Canal Zone with each of those Presidents, the first
time viewing the ruins of the canal left by the French, and later seeing the
new canal in full operation. (continued under his wifes text files below)

John married Priscilla Louise Cattell 08 Apr 1918, New Jersey. Priscilla (daughter of Albert Cattell and Mrs Albert Cattell) was born , of Nj. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Farmer; Ferry operator
• Reference Number: 56L4-ZO
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Notes:

He became very ill while on the trip to Texas from TN., a family took him in
and nursed him back to health.
He stayed with this family and moved into the Ft. Arbuckle, Indian Territory
(Davis, Okla.) with them.
He worked for Henry de Courtney, running a ferry where Mud Creek and the Red
River met.
He lived about 1 1/2 miles west of the site of Ft. Arbuckle, Indian Territory
The old Ft. Arbuckle is located about 5 miles west of present Davis, Okla.
His two children were born there.
He named his daughter's middle name for the Lindberg family that took him in
and nursed him back to health.
His daughter, Rose Lindberg Prater, married the son of Alexander and Sarah
(Smith) Gregory.
Alexander and Sarah Gregory ran a trading post at "Pauls", Indian Territory,
Now Pauls Vally, Okla. They died there in about 1887/1888.

See the Bio. on his son, John Lindberg Prater for more information.

Martin Prater tripped on a footbridge going to the ferry bardge that he
operated. He fell and almost drowned but he died within a few days of
his injuries.

(Also refer "firegrl@sierratel.com" 4/2000) Candace Gregory a descendant
of Martin Pool Prater via Rose Prater.)

Martin married Emory Ann Courtney Ft. Arbuckle, Indian Territory. Emory (daughter of Henry Courtney and Mary Ann Williams) was born , of Ar; was christened , Lived 1 1/2 Mile West of Ft.Arbuckle; died , Ft. Arbuckle, Near Davis Okla.. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Other Events:

• Ancestral File Number: 56L4-00
• Occupation: Farmer; Miller
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Notes:

Josiah Prater:

1850 White Co., TN. census:
Page 54, Dist. #2, dwelling 332.

His son Moses is listed in dewelling #333

1860 White Co., TN. census:
Page 192, Dist. #2 dwelling #1352

His son John is in dwelling #1337.

His son Josiah is in dwelling #239.

He prob. died in TN. but family tradition states that he was killed by Indians
in Indain Territory.
Some of his sons did come to Okla. and TX. and he may have been killed during
a trip with OR to visit his sons.
Josiah is listed at the age of 68 in the 1870 White Co., TN. census.

Josiah married Elizabeth Harpool of White Co., Tn. Elizabeth was born 1804, Sparta, White, Tn; died Abt 1880. [Group Sheet]

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• Ancestral File Number: 56L4-15
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

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• Occupation: Mud Crk.& Red Riv; Ferry
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Henry married Mary Ann Williams near Ft. Arbuckle, Okla.. Mary was born , Ark.; died , Near Ft. Arbuckle, Indian Territory. [Group Sheet]

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• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

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• Occupation: Farmer; Minister
• Reference Number: 6.145.01
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Notes:

!Found him in AF ZLP3-KQ

1790 census - Archelus Prater is listed in Pendleton Co., S.C.
1800 census - Archelus Archibald Prater was listed living Buncombe Co., N.C.
1820 census - Archelus A. Prater was listed Warren Co., TN.
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Wife, Molly Prater died ca. 1849 Warren Co., TN.
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Ref: Lentz Heritage by John Paul Lentz, 1966 p. 17-18
"The famiily of Archibald "Arche" Prater with wife Rosana Lentz shows in
Pendleton Co., S.C. .... "Sold 100 acres of land by peter Lentz (Lance), Sr.
in Buncombe Co., on 20 Apr., 1802.
Peter Lentz was the father of Rosana Lentz.
Land sale in Buncombe, Bk. 7 p.120.
On 18 Feb., 1807, Buncombe, Book B, p.30, Archeluaus Prater sells this 100
acres to Jonathan Paris. It is believed that the Praters then moved with
Lance (Lentz) relatives and others to Warren Co., TN."
---------------------------------------------

RE: Old Buncombe History .... an article written by Joyce Justus Parris at
request of Meta Lance Baker, entitled "Peter Lance (Lentz) Family"
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RE: Goodspeeds Histories of Cannon, Coffee, DeKalb, Warren, White Counties of
Tennessee. "Archibald Prater among the first settlers of the 11th Dist. of
Warren Co., TN." "He arrived before 1810."
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1820 Census, Warren Co., TN. p.312
Males: 2 under 10 (could be Thomas M. and Benj. P.)
2 age 10-16 (these could be Joseph and Martin)
1 age 16-26 (could be Josiah)
1 age 45 and over (Archelus)
Females: 1 age 10-16 (could be Suzannah)
1 age 45 and over (Rosanna / Molly M. Prater)
----------------------------------------

1830 Census, Warren Co., TN. p.325
Archelus as Head of Household:
Males: 2 age 10-15 (Thomas & Benjamin)
1 age 15-20
1 age 60-70
Females: 1 age 5-10 (Mary)
2 age 15-2 (Suzannah & Kessiah)
1 age 50-60
----------------------------------------

Cannon County Minutes Book:
6 June, 1836 Woodbury, Cannon Co., TN.

"On motion, Archalous Prater, about 70 years of age, personally appeared in
open court and made oath that he was acquainted with Joel Mears and in his
lifetime and that Margaret, (formerly Margaret Estes) and deponet further
states that on about the 30th Sept., 1827 he being an authrozed minister of
the Gospel, married the said Margaret to the said Joel, dec'd, and states that
sometime in the latter part of the year 1835 the said Joel Mears deceased in
Warren Co., TN."

(other witness, Isham saw Prater....signed, ect.)
Joel Mears died 21 Dec., 1835.
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Arch is listed age 84 in 1850 Census Warren Co., TN.
Looking at census and other records his listed age puts his birth year
at between 1766 and 1769. His parents were married in/or about 1768,
thus it is most likely his birth date is after 1768.
Note: The only record of his parents marriage is a Will record which
may or may not show the correct date of their marriage.

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Archelus Prator, Plat for 483 acres on water of 23 mile & 26 mile creeks,
Pendleton Co., S.C. 96th Dist., surveyed by Samuel H. Dickson. Dated: 1793
Also listed as having deeds to land in Anderson Co., S.C.(1790 - 99)
But he was in Warren Co., Tn in the 1820 census.

Archulas married Polly Lentz of S.C. or Buncombe Co., n.C.. Polly (daughter of Peter Lance, Lentz and Mrs Flora Lentz) was born 1766, of, Laurens Dist, Sc; died Aug 1849, Warren Co., Tn.. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Ancestral File Number: 115Q-5L7
• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Notes:

In Buncombe Co., N.C. there is the following record:

20 Apr., 1802 Arche Prater (Grantee) to Porter Lance (Grantor)

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• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009

Richard married Mrs Mary Courtney near Ft. Arbuckle, Okla.. Mrs was born , near Ft. Arbuckle, Okla.. [Group Sheet]

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• Record Change: 12 Apr 2009