Mad Buffalo

Witness in Byrd v. Hickman (1828) and (1831); foreman of jury in Clark v. Martin (1832),

Juror in Bolinger v. Smith (1835).

Clerk of Superior Court; Robinson v. Bryan (1820); Berry v. McLeland (1822), Jeffrey v. Schlesinger & Gillett (1822), Murphy v. Douglass (1822), Schlesinger & Gillett v. Jeffrey (1822),United States v. McCraney (1822), Yarbrough v. Huttzman (1822), Blount v. Hampton (1823),Latting v. Miles (1823), Morrison v. Walker (1823), Russell v. English (1823), Russell v. Hogan (1823), Scull v. Bentley (1823), Billingsley v. Bell (1824), Boran v. Musick (1824); Demoss v. Montgomery (1824), Johnston v. Ball, Williams & Blalock (1824), Kelly v. Brumback (1824), United States v. Osages (1824),Welborn v. Moore (1824),Wilborne v. Bentley (1824), Fenter v. Payton (1825), Moore v. Paxton (1825), Musick v. Rice & Boran (1825), Cummins v. Cotton (1826); Curran v. Searcy (1826), Dent v. Ashley (1826); Drope v. Miller (1826); Harding v. Walker (1826), Lanusse nee Macarty v. Flanakin (1826), Vaugine v. Coussotte (1826), Clark v. Hickman (1827); Crittenden v. Woodruff (1827), Cummins v. Cotton (1827), Daniel v. Mitchell (1827); Hogan v. Woodruff (1827); Lemmons v. Toncray (1827); Miller, Montgomery & Crittenden v. Bentley (1827); Nance v. Hickman (1827); Paxton v. Conway (1827); Peay v. Martin (1827); Roane v. Dodge (1827); Russell v. Purvis (1827), Stagner v. Bradford (1827), Stone v. Williams et. al. (1827); U.S. v. Johnson (1827); United States v. Secrest (1827); October 1828 Grand Jury Venire, Ashley v. James (1828), Blakely v. Biscoe (1828), Byrd v. Hickman (1828), Dodge v. Roane (1827), clerk of the Superior Court in Forbes v. Simmons (1828); Garres v. Bradford (1827); the clerk of the superior court in U.S. v. Oden (1827); U.S. v. Sevier (1827); Jacobs v. Jacobs (1828), clerk of the Superior Court in Kerley v. Jones (1828); clerk of the Pulaski County circuit court in Izard v. Newton (1828); subpoenaed and clerk of the superior court in Lemmons v. Chouteau (1828); Lindell v. Shields (1828), Montgomery & Miller v. Peay, et. al. (1828); Parker v. Lewis (1828), Russell v. McElmurry (1828), Russell v. Tindall (1828), Scott & Rutherford v. Sevier & Johnston (1827);Secrest v. Guest (1828), clerk in Stone v. Neill, Johnston, & Peay (1828); Trimble v. Stroud (1828), United States v. Birmingham (1828), United States v. Laforge & Peeler (1828), United States v. Oden (1828), United States v. Skiggs (1828), United States v. Smith (1828), West v. Cotton & Caperton (1828); clerk of the Superior Court and subpoenaed to appear there in October 1828 Writ of Venire (1828); Woodruff v. Lucas (1828), Finney v. Hoskins (1828), clerk in Montgomery v. Clark (1828); Griffing v. Noaks (1829); Reese v. Johnson (1829), clerk of the Superior Court in Shannon v. Robinson (1829); published letter to voters before 1830 election (Ark. Gaz. Dec. 9, 1829), Bentley v. Woodruff (1830), clerk of the Hempstead Circuit Court in Cocke v. Henson, Johnson and Sevier (1830); Miles v. James (1830), clerk of the Superior Court in McLain v. Johnson (1830); clerk in Postmaster General v. John Clark (1830); clerk of the Pulaski County circuit court in Wilson & Stewart v. Johnson (1830); Earheart v. Murphy & McCall (1831).

Moved from Tennessee to the Louisiana Territory in 1810. He operated a tavern at Arkansas Post from 1819 to 1821 (click here for more information). In 1820 he wrote a letter accusing an anonymous writer of slandering a jury (Ark. Gaz. 8/8/20). He sold out at the Post in 1821 and moved to the mouth of the White River, purchasing a well-established river landing from Francois d'Armand, a French trader who had owned the site since 1766. “D'Armand's residence, standing some two hundred and fifty yards from the river on high brick pillars, to be above high water, Montgomery converted into a hotel. Gov. John Pope and his nephew and private secretary, William F. Pope, landed at Montgomery's Point when they came to Arkansas.” (Herndon, p. 790). The importance of Montgomery's Point in the early steamboat era cannot be overemphasized. One writer called it the great trading point for all of North Arkansas (click here for more information). Andrew Jackson stopped there and named Montgomery Brigadier General (Arnold, p. 226). At one time he was a partner with Robert Crittenden. He was subpoenaed to testify as a witness for James Scull in Scull v. Bentley (1823), executed a promissory note promising to pay James Demoss; sued by Daniel Danby, assignee of Demoss in debt in Danby v. Montgomery (1824), sued by James Demoss in trespass on the case in trover, but Judge Eskridge ruled that Demoss had failed to make a case and awarded Montgomery his court costs; the case was later dismissed after it was appealed by Demoss in Demoss v. Montgomery (1824), foreman and member of jury which found for John Moore in Welborn v. Moore (1824), sued Bentley in Miller, Montgomery & Crittenden v. Bentley (1827); wrote a letter to Henry W. Conway telling him of remarks that Robert Crittenden had made regarding his disagreements with him and indicating that he wanted to fight a duel; Henry W. Conway was taken to Montgomery's home when he was wounded in the duel with Crittenden, see Crittenden v. Woodruff (1827); subpoenaed to testify before the October 1828 Grand Jury Venire, subpoenaed to testify and Parker v. Lewis (1828), with David Miller, he successfully sued Nicholas Peay, Allen B. Lackland, Thomas W. Johnston, Joseph Henderson and Robert Crittenden on a promissory note, see Montgomery & Miller v. Peay, et. al. (1828); sued Benjamin Clark on a writ of scire facias in Montgomery v. Clark (1830).

In October of 1827, the legislature was in special session and Montgomery was there representing the lower house for Montgomery and Chicot Counties. He and Thomas Wyatt Johnston had an argument that likely developed from the Crittenden/Conway controversy. Johnston was a Kentuckian who was a close friend of Crittenden and had been mentioned as benefitting from Crittenden's misuse of Indians funds on one occasion. They decided that rather than fight a duel under the strictures of the code duello, they would rather just fight it out in the open with pistols. They started with the guns, but the shots missed and they resorted to using canes and daggers. Johnston was apparently on the losing end of this fight, but bystanders intervened to stop the fight and saved his life. At some point, it is unclear whether it was in this fight or another, he lost and eye and his face and body were permanently disfigured. See Crittenden v. Woodruff (1827). (For more information see Ross, Margaret. Arkansas Gazette: The Early Years 1819:1866.)

Oden's second in the Oden-Allen duel; tried for his role in the duel and was found not guilty (Ark. Gaz. July 15, 1820, also 6 AHQ 189); licensed as a retailer in Arkansas County (Ark. Gaz. July 8, 1820). After William O. Allen was killed in the duel with Robert C. Oden in March of 1820, a special election was held to fill the delegate's office in Congress. Elijah Morton, from Kentucky, owned property with Crittenden and had acted as Oden's second in the duel. Morton announced his candidacy, but withdrew from the race in May, stating that his run had threatened to introduce a "party spirit" into the race. Oden, Morton, and George W. Scott, the second for Allen in the duel, were all indicted for participation in the duel but were acquitted. Morton was acquitted on a technicality: the scene of the duel was stated as Arkansas Post when actually it had been an island a short distance north of the Post. (For more information see Ross, Margaret. Arkansas Gazette: The Early Years 1819:1866.)

Benjamin Murphy was one of the first settlers of Cadron, originally living just above the Cadron Bluff. By 1819 he operated a small store just below the Cadron Bluff (10 AHQ 117). He was the holder of Little Rock pre-emption certificate which he sold to William Russell and quite a few others (Herndon, p. 820). He represented Pulaski and Crawford Counties in the Legislative Council from 1821 until 1822. His land at Crystal Hill was to be sold at a sheriff's sale in Little Rock (Ark. Gaz. June 11, 1822). September 1814 Grand Jury Venire, sued by Samuel Moseley for debt in Moseley v. Murphy (1814) , summoned to grand jury duty but did not serve, instead gave evidence to the grand jury, April 1815 Grand Jury Venire, March 1815 Grand Jury Venire, Juror in U.S. v. Glass & Glass (1815); sued David McElmurry for replevin, alleging that he had taken his horse in Murphy v. McElmurry (1822), sued Thomas H. Tindall for replevin alleging that he had wrongfully detained his horse in Murphy v. Tindall (1822), sued by Lawson McKee for debt in McKee v. Murphy (1836), sued George Douglass for trespass on the case, alleging that Douglass had failed to pay a note and that John Douglass retained some of Murphy's property, in Murphy v. Douglass (1822); original owner of a promissory note from Johnathan Hampton which he allegedly transferred to Reuben Blount who then sued Hampton on it, see Blount v. Hampton (1823); called as a witness in Russell v. Hogan (1823), Reuben Blount was served with a subpoena at his house in Russell v. Tindall (1828); bought a keel boat from David Earheart and was later sued on the debt in Earheart v. Murphy & McCall (1830); sued Benjamin Howard for trespass on the case in Murphy v. Howard (1832).