Major William Bradford, Fort Smith National Cemetery.

MAJOR WILLIAM BRADFORD

"Major Bradford is the founder of Fort Smith. He was a native of Virginia whose date of birth is not known. He may have have been a veteran of the American Revolution. A History of Muhlenberg Co., Kentucky, by Otto A. Rothert, recounts that during one battle Major Bradford picked up a bombshell that had been thrown into the fort and threw it at the enemy before it exploded, thus saving the day for the Americans. This may have happened during the American Revolution, General Wayne's Campaign in Ohio in 1791 or the War of 1812. Major Bradford was a state legislator in Kentucky in the early 1800's. He was commissioned as a Captain in the 17th United States Infantry in 1812.

During a battle at Fort Meigs, Michigan Territory, he was severely wounded in the left thigh. General Gaines reported that before Major Bradford's wounds had sufficiently healed he was back at the head of his troops hobbling on a crutch and directing musket fire on the warriors of Tecumseh. He was promoted to Major in 1814. On December 25, 1817, he landed at the confluence of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers in command of a company of riflemen. He established a log fort at a site picked out by Major Stephen Long for the purpose of keeping peace between the native Osage and the Cherokee Indians who were moving here from the east. This primitive frontier outpost became the present city of Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Major Bradford resigned from the army in 1824 and was named sutler for Fort Towson, Indian Territory. He served also as Brigadier General for the Arkansas Militia and was an unsuccessful candidate for Territorial Delegate to Congresss from Arkansas when he lost to Henry W. Conway. He was granted a pension of $15.00 a month as a result of his wound in the battle of Fort Meigs. He died at Fort Smith on October 20, 1826 of yellow fever."

The above biography of Major William Bradford was taken from "A Walking Tour of the Fort Smith National Cemetery".