Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: November 10, 1937
Name: Jesse J. Robb
Post Office: Poteau, Oklahoma, Route #2
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: 
Father: 
Place of Birth: 
Information on father: 
Mother:
Place of Birth: 
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: Gomer Gower
Interview #12085

From John Slaughter, Choctaw. 
Battle of Honey springs, other Civil War experiences as related to Mr. Robb by John Slaughter, Choctaw, who was a participant (now deceased) Also story of Indian Characteristics.

Jesse J. Robb, the sponsor of this story, came to the Indian Territory from Georgia in 1880 and engaged in teaching a community Indian school at what is now the town of LeFlore in LeFlore County.

After teaching four years he established a merchandise business at that place and later moved to Cavanal, a station on the Frisco Railway about two miles north of what is now Wister, and re-established his merchandise business which he continued until the station was abandoned by the Frisco Railway because the Choctaw, Oklahoma, and Gulf Railway, now the Rock Island, had established a station at Wister, the point at which it crossed the Frisco Railway. 

Mr. Robb was and still is a man who is held in the highest esteem by his Indian, as well as his white friends. While engaged in the merchandise business, it was to him those in need of accommodation went for credit. To him, too, went those who dealt on a cash basis. He not only enjoyed a lucrative business, he also enjoyed the wholesome respect and confidence of all who knew him. For those reasons, too, he enjoyed a wide acquaintanceship in what is now LeFlore County which brought to him many men with their joys and successes to recount and their troubles and sorrows to share. 

From the wealth of stories which he gleaned from many of his friends of that early period, the one Mr. Robb likes best to relate is that of one of his Indian friends, to whom the name John Slaughter was given to replace his unpronounceable Indian name, who was enrolled in the Choctaw forces which served under General Cooper in the Civil War.

The Civil War story as related by John Slaughter to Mr. Robb in broken English was: "One time in big War we, with General Cooper, Jack McCurtain and Adam Morris, ride across big river, we ride for many day. After we come to big prairie, bi-g prairie, no little prairie like Choctaw prairie. After come to big prairie, Jack he ride fast on quick horse and say, 'Everybody stop.' Everyone he pretty quick stop. General Cooper he call 'am Jack and speak English to him."

"After, Jack he speak Choctaw to all Choctaws and say: 'Pretty soon, we find him Yankees, not know how many. Every Choctaw must hear order. When Jack say go, go. When he say go quick, go quick. When he say stop, everyone stop.' After Jack he speak he say, 'Go slow and hear him good, command.' Everyone he go slow, horse he walk. Pretty quick we look way off on big prairie see guns he shine in sun. No can tell how many. General Cooper he speak to Jack. Jack he ride 'om quick tell everyone go quick. Everyone he make it horse run. Pretty quick we see lots Yankee, much Yankee. Jack he got much quick horse. He ride quick and say, 'Stop.' When he catch man in front he say, 'Stop, stop.' Fella in front he no stop. He turn 'em horse round and go off from Jack and Yankee quick. Every Choctaw he no stop, Le turn em horse, too, and run after fella in front and go way, way off. Jack and moh offics he try make Choctaw stop. Choctaw he no stop till way off, pass big prairie."

Adam Morris, as already noted, was one of the subordinate officers of this troop of Choctaws and was a very intimate friend of Mr. Robb's at the time this story was related to him by the Choctaw, Slaughter.

During the years intervening between the war period and the time of the relating of this story, Morris came to be regarded as a man who ran away from no danger. This fact elicited the question by Mr. Robb:

"Did Adam run, too", to which John energetically replied: "Yes, Yes, Adam he run much quick. Everyone he run. Pretty quick, Jack he run. General Cooper he run way from lots Yankes".

As pictured to Mr. Robb by Adam, discipline among the Choctaw Troops was an indifferent part of their military training. The infliction of penalties for the violation of established military rules and regulations was not practiced for had they been, not one would have been left with which to form a corporal's guard.

A Choctaw who desired leave of absence for a long or short period of days would not approach his immediate superior and formally apply for leave, but would, in most instances, approach General Cooper, without giving the customary salute and quite nonchalantly say "General Cooper, I goin' home for killit hog, dig 'tatah, or find'em cow, be back tree-four week" and then would mount his shaggy pony and ride away in the direction of his home. Little did he know and little he cared about differences in military rank.

Another incident which depicts the character of the Indian is related by Mr. Robb. While Mr. Robb was engaged in the merchantile business, as has already been noted, he extended credit when requested to do so by responsible parties. Among these applicants for credit was an Indian who owned some sheep. 

This Indian told Mr. Robb that the bill for the goods which he bought would be paid in full when he sheared the sheep and sold the wool. This assurance of payment was entirely satisfactory to Mr. Robb. However, before shearing time came, all the sheep belonging to this Indian had died from disease or had been devoured by predatory animals. Not a word was said by either Mr. Robb or the Indian concerning the payment of the bill at the time it became due.

Some three years passed and still not a word was said by either of the men regarding this bill. Then, one day the Indian walked into the store and inquired of Mr. Robb as to the amount of the bill. When informed of this he calmly pulled out his wallet and paid the bill in full with the added explanation that he could have paid it long since, but since he had promised to pay it when he sheared his sheep, he had waited until he could fully carry out his agreement; that the sheep he owned and expected to shear and apply the proceeds from the sale of the wool to the payment of the bill had all died so he had had to wait until he could replenish his flock and thus produce the wool as he had agreed.


Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: March 18, 1938
Name: J. J. Robbs
Post Office: Route #2, Poteau, Oklahoma
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: 
Father: 
Place of Birth: 
Information on father: 
Mother: 
Place of Birth: 
Information on mother: 
Field Worker: Gomer Gower
Interview # 13264 
SECOND INTERVIEW

THE MURDER OF CHARLES W. WILSON A CHOCTAW 
Gilmore, Oklahoma 

A very heated campaign was in progress in the summer of 1884, in Sugar Loaf County, Choctaw Nation, in which, among other candidates for various other offices, Bob Benton, a Choctaw was pitted against Charles W. Wilson, another Choctaw, for the office of sheriff of Sugar Loaf County.

On August 5th, of that year, citizens of Sugar Loaf County met at the old County Court House which was located near Summerfield, in what is now LeFlore County, to hear the candidates for office extol their own virtues and particular fitness for the office to which they aspired and, incidentally, to bring up as many charges, true or untrue, as possible against their respective opponents. On that occasion, charges and counter-charges were hurled back and forth between the contending parties much after the fashion of ambitious candidates for office of today. Whisky flowed freely at that gathering and this fact, doubtless, caused ultra enthusiastic adherents of a speaker to throw their hats up into the air and whoop with delight when a particularly bitter denunciation of an opponent was made, adding to the chagrin of those against whom it was hurled.

Wilson and Benton both attended this meeting and each addressed the gathering in his turn. The friends and followers of Wilson were more numerous than were the friends of Benton and their shouts to Wilson to "pour it on him" while he was attacking Benton served to prod him on to the point where his attacks were exasperating and humiliating to Benton and his followers. However, since the avowed followers of Wilson were superior in number, Benton and his followers were forced to accept the abuse and submit as gracefully as possible. 

Came evening. Benton and his overwhelmed band of followers departed for their several homes, while Wilson and his band remained and entered upon an orgy of drinking in celebration of the supposedly good showing made against Benton. This orgy lasted throughout the night.

Both the principal characters lived in the same general direction from the scene of the gathering at the Court House, and not far distant from one another. Benton, in company with a Negro, whose name was Jack Crow, was astir early on the following morning and, designedly or not, met Wilson when he was returning to his home alone after spending the night at the Court House with his bibulous friends. Benton approached Wilson and asked, "What office are you running for now, Charlie?" Wilson, seemingly divining the question was asked in a spirit of derision, replied, "Bob let's forget it, it was all just a drunken spree". Whereupon, Benton jerked out his six-shooter and shot Wilson. Wilson was not so badly injured as to prevent him from leaping from his horse and grasping the six-shooter with which he had been shot. While the two men were struggling for possession of the pistol, it was alleged the Negro, Jack Crow, took, careful aim with Winchester rifle and shot and killed Wilson. Benton and the Negro mounted their horses and rode away, leaving the body of Wilson lying near the road. This occurred within about one mile of the home of Adam Morris where Mr. Robbs was a guest at the time. These two men were out in the yard enjoying the ample shade, which the large oak trees, which surrounded the home, afforded. While they were thus enjoying the cool shade of the trees on that hot and sultry August morning, Morris observed a rider less horse, but bridled and saddled, approaching along the road which led to and past the home, and said: "Here comes Charlie Wilson's horse, I guess Charlie got drunk and fell off him". Shortly afterward, a boy came running up from the same direction as that from which the horse had come and in a breathless and excited way told of having seen Wilson lying in the road, dead. He also told of having seen Benton and the Negro not far distant from Wilson's body. A runner was immediately sent to notify Wilson's wife and others in the community and in due time the body of Wilson was taken to his home, near what is now Gilmore, and buried in the Vaughn Cemetery on August 7th, 1884.

Wilson's friends lost little time in bringing to justice those they thought responsible for his untimely death. The Negro, Jack Crow, was haled before Judge Parker, Judge of the United States Court at Fort Smith, a court which had jurisdiction in all criminal cases arising in the Indian Territory, in which non-citizens were involved.

Crow, the Negro, was a man of unsavory reputation. It is said that his services as a killer were for sale at any time. It is thought that many of the more prominent Indians used him as a means of disposing of a supposed enemy. For that reason, he was regarded with suspicion by all the law-abiding citizens. At his trial for the murder of Wilson, it was disclosed that many of his friends, some of whom, perhaps, had used him in the accomplishment of murderous designs, made an effort to challenge the jurisdiction of the federal court upon the grounds that he had Indian blood coursing through his veins and therefore should be tried before the tribal court. One prominent Choctaw went so far as to testify that he himself was the father of Crow and that his mother was a Negro. Judge Parker, Judge of the Federal Court, very properly held that the mere fact that a man had had carnal knowledge of a woman, black, white or Indian, in no way qualified him to testify as to the paternal parentage of a child subsequently born of that woman. An old adage goes "It is a wise child who knows its own father". It may be said with equal truth "It is a wise father who knows his own child's". The astute Judge Parker gave ready cognizance to these truths and refused to relinquish jurisdiction of the murder case to the Choctaw tribal court on that account.

The Judge proceeded with the trial of the case and Crow was duly convicted of the murder of Wilson and paid the penalty with his own life when he was hung, by decree of the court, shortly thereafter.

The fact that Benton was never brought to trial in the tribal court for his unlawful act in shooting Wilson before Crow fired the lethal shot, is indicative of the looseness of the tribal laws. Now, since the fears and the loyalties of that period have faded, people generally concede that the tribal courts were ruled more by influence than law.

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Lola Crane coolbreze@cybertrails.com  November 2001.