By Al Bates

Charles DeBrille Poston was not the only early Arizona pioneer to be pushed aside by newcomers and changing circumstances, but he certainly was the best known-shoved aside unceremoniously and unexpectedly by others who had arrived to fill appointed territorial offices.

Poston first set foot in what would become Arizona in 1854, just as the Gadsden Purchase was being ratified, and returned two years later as the head of a silver mining operation headquartered at Tubac. During the Civil War, he returned east where he lobbied for splitting Arizona from New Mexico Territory. Should he be remembered as the "Father of Arizona"? He certainly thought so.

He returned in 1864 as Indian Agent for the new Territory. Later that year he was elected by Arizona residents to the more prominent role as its first delegate to Congress. He seemed assured of a long and significant career in territorial politics, but then his career stalled-permanently.

Just a year after his election as delegate, the voters dumped him from the job that had put him in the first tier of Arizona politicians. His replacement was John N. Goodwin, the appointed governor; his election aided by connivance of another newcomer, Secretary Richard C. McCormick-at least so Poston claimed.

His own hubris probably had more to do with how things turned out than any plots by Goodwin and McCormick. Here is a summary of events as they transpired.

After the 1864 election, Poston immediately left to meet his DC duties, which ran during the second session of the 38th Congress, ending in March 1865. At that point, he chose not to return to his constituency in the west, remaining near the seat of federal power. Indications are that he had hopes to be appointed Arizona governor at the next change of the presidency, and that he could do more to enhance his opportunity for the top territorial office by remaining in Washington where those appointments were made. This was not an unreasonable plan given his perceived popularity with the voters, but he ignored the need for being in sight of his constituents in an election year.

Poston's claim was that he was forced to remain in Washington because of work in behalf of the territory and that he "had been led to believe" by Secretary McCormick that his interests were being protected by Governor Goodwin.

The 1865 election turned out to be a three-way contest. Poston's first opponent was controversial Judge Joseph P. Allyn whom he expected to defeat handily. But then came the unexpected entry of Governor Goodwin. By then it was too late for Poston to return in time to campaign, and the governor prevailed, with Poston running a poor second, never to hold elective office again.

Poston's reaction was to blame his startling loss on "fraud and treachery." He soon issued a letter, printed by the New York Tribune, in which he accused Secretary McCormick of misleading him about the Governor's intentions and accused Goodwin of causing false statements to be made in the Arizona Miner to the effect that Poston was in support of the governor's run for the delegate position.

Secretary McCormick responded with a letter in the Miner stating in part, "I was as much surprised as he [Poston], when I heard that the Governor had taken the field," and blamed the decision on Poston's unexpected absence from the territory, which opened a path for "election of a man personally offensive" to all three of them (an obvious reference to the third candidate, Judge Allyn, who had published charges of "fraud and corruption" including vote buying and ballot mishandling in the 1864 territorial election).

McCormick also admitted that he had early intentions to run for the office himself but business in the east prevented him from returning in time to campaign.

Over time, the accusations faded from public view, but Poston was anxious to regain the office, and in 1866 he ran again, this time running well behind the winner, Coles Bashford. (Goodwin did not choose to run for reelection).

Poston then left Arizona, not to return for decades and then only to hold minor appointive posts before dying in obscurity and poverty in Phoenix in 1902.

"Days Past" is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.sharlothallmuseum.org/library-archives/days-past">www.sharlothallmuseum.org/library-archives/days-past. The public is encouraged to submit ideas for articles to dayspastprescott@gmail.com.