Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis
Pub. Co. 1893.  p. 277.

COLONEL R. W. MITCHELL

     Adjutant-General of the State of Oregon, was born in Schenectady, New York,
in August, 1845.  His father, James Mitchell, as a native of the north of
Ireland, his mother Margaret (Creighton) Mitchell, was born in Calcutta, East
India, a daughter of Lieutenant Colonel William Creighton of the Eight Hussars.
Coming to United States and locating at Schenectady, Mr. Mitchell was first
engaged as contractor in the building of the Albany & Schenectady railroad,
subsequently engaging in mercantile pursuits, which he followed until 1859, when
he moved to Albany, New York, where he passed the closing years of his life.
     Our subject was educated at the common schools of Schenectady and Albany
with a finishing course under private tuition.  In 1862 young Mitchell entered
the office of Walter Dickson to take up the study of architectural drawing,
which he pursued until August 26, 1863, when he enlisted in the army.  He joined
the Eighteenth New York Cavalry and with them was sent to the Department of the
Gulf.  In the line of duty he was promoted to the rank of Acting Sergeant.
     In September, 1864, he was detailed for special duty and sent to the
Department of North Carolina, and in April, 1865, to Hart's Island, New York,
with frequent trips to the front, participating in the engagement at Faison's
Station, North Carolina, and in several skirmishes on the Neuse river.  He was
captured on the night of February 14, 1865, by a detachment of Hood's men, but
escaped on the third night, returning to the Union army and was mustered out May
24, following.  Returning to Albany, New York, he performed the duties of
bookkeeper for four years and was then appointed stenographer to the Chief Clerk
of the Treasury Department at Washington, D. C.
     Among other commissions of trust, and responsibility, he made one trip to
London, England, to deliver into the hands of Bowles Brothers, bankers,
$5,000,000 in United States Government bonds.  In January, 1870, he was
appointed stenographer to the Court of Commissioners of the Alabama Claim,
remaining with the court until its dissolution by law in 1875.  Mr. Mitchell was
then appointed private secretary to Hon. Carl Schurz, Secretary of the Interior,
and was frequently sent to New York with amounts ranging from $1,000,000 to
$2,000,000 in Government bonds.
     In 1878 Mr. Mitchell was appointed Special Agent of the Interior Department
to inspect the different land offices on the Pacific coast, accompanying the
commissioner of the general land office.  While on this duty, Mr. Mitchell
becoming interested in mining in Arizona, resigned his position and followed
mining speculations about two years, which resulted rather disastrously.  In the
fall of 1879 he was appointed Reporter of the Supreme Court of Arizona, by
Governor John C. Fremont, and held the position long enough to learn that the
Legislature had failed to make an appropriation for his salary.  He was then
re-appointed to duty under the Interior Department by Secretary Schurz, and
investigated a great many alleged frauds successfully, among them being the
great surveying frauds in California and illegal transactions in the Indian
service in California and Arizona.
     In 1880 our subject came to the Northwest on the same duty, and after a
year's service in the land department was appointed by Henry Villard as Land
Commissioner of the Oregon Improvement Company, which controlled a vast domain
in eastern Washington.  In 1882 he was appointed Chief Clerk of the Northern
Pacific Land Department, and in 1887 by Lazard Freres was appointed Land Agent
of the Willamette valley and Cascade mountain military wagon road, which
position he occupies at this time, having the management of upward of 1,000,000
acres of land in Oregon.
     In the two positions last named, Mr. Mitchell has managed the examinations
and appraisal of upward of 5,000,000 acres of land and can tell to the fraction
of a mill what it has cost to examine every acre.  In 1888 he was appointed
Assistant Adjutant-General of the State of Oregon by Governor Sylvester
Pennoyer, and in October, 1891, he was made Adjutant-General.  In January, 1891,
he was elected manager of the Portland Industrial Exposition, and was
unanimously re-elected in January, 1892.
     Our subject was married in Greenville, Mississippi, in 1878, to Miss Anna
G. Elliott, a native of the same State.  He has four children:  Orrel J., Robert
C., Walter and Elliott Maxwell.
     Colonel Mitchell is a member of George Wright Post, G.A.R. and of the
B.P.O.E.  He passed twelve years in the literary world and gained great
prominence as a humorous and descriptive writer, five of these years being a
special contributor to the Daily Oregonian over the name of Rabelais.  With his
multiplicity of duties Colonel Mitchell no longer courts the muses, but as a
shrewd conservative business man is favorably known throughout the Northwest.
 
 
Transcriber's additional notes:
 
1900 - June 1; Multnomah Co, OR; Portland Pct 11, page 242, 706 Everett st.
Robt. W. Mitchell, head, 56, Aug 1844, NY, NY, India, mar 18yrs, land agent
Anna G, wife, 37, Sept 1862, IN, OH, OH, mar 18 yrs, 1 child-1 living
Elliott M, son, 10, March 1890, OR, NY, IN, att school
 
1920 - Jan 15; Multnomah Co, OR; Portland Pct 20, page 16, 689 Everett
Anna Elliott Mitchell, boarder, 58, Wd, IN, IN, IN, insurance solicitor

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in October 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.