Charles F. Barrett (January 1, 1861 – 1946) was an American journalist, soldier, and politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who served as the 4th and 6th Adjutant General of Oklahoma between 1919-1923 and 1925–1939. He led National Guard response to the Tulsa race massacre.
Early life and career
Charles F. Barrett was born on January 1, 1861, in Galion, Ohio to John E. Barrett and Charlotte Reynolds. He lived in Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Montana before setting in Oklahoma City on July 4, 1893.[1] He was the managing editor of the Press-Gazette and founded the Earlsboro Border Signal.[2]
Military career
Barrett served in the Oklahoma Territory militia as a captain enlisting in 1896 before the Spanish-American War, but did not see combat due to an injury. He continued to serve in the Oklahoma National Guard (or its predecessors) until 1939.[1][3] In 1914, he became a judge advocate and in 1919 he was appointed as the Adjutant General of Oklahoma to reorganize the guard for World War I.[2][1] He served in that position until 1939, excluding a two-year period in 1923–1925. He is known as the "Father of the Forty-Fifth Infantry Division.[1]
In 1921, Barrett was responsible for deploying troops in response to the Tulsa Race Massacre.[1] When he arrived in Tulsa, he was required to report to local authorities, but could not find them delaying his response by three hours.[4]
Death and legacy
Barrett was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1931. He died in 1946.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Tripp, Alan R. "Barrett, Charles Franklin (1861–1946)". okhistory.org. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Charles F. Barrett, Class of 1931". oklahomahof.com. Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Daughtery, Fred A.; Woods, Pendleton (1979–1980). "Oklahoma's Military Tradition". Chronicles of Oklahoma. 57: 433. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ Hopkins, Randy (August 22, 2023). "The Plot to Kill "Diamond Dick Rowland" and the Tulsa Race Massacre - Part Three". Center for Public Secrets. Retrieved 27 September 2023.