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Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: May 26, 1937
Name: Mrs. Hettie Moreland (White)
Post Office Address: Durant, Oklahoma
Residence Address: 223 N. 12th St.
Date of Birth: May 21, 1847
Place of birth: Texas
Name of Father:
Place of Birth:
Name of Mother:
Place of Birth:
Field Worker's name: Lula Austin

I was born May 21, 1847, and came to Oklahoma March 17, 1905, from Sulphur springs, Texas.

One afternoon my cousin, Jimmie BOX, came by on his way from Mount Pleasant in a wagon with his wife and four children. The oldest girl was fourteen and the youngest three. They had been to Mount Pleasant, Texas, to buy hides to make shoes for the family.

They stopped and visited, talking to us about moving to Oklahoma. They begged father to move with them. My mother said that she was afraid of the wild Indians. Father laughed and said, "The Indians would not bother you". On the their way home to Gainesville, Texas, my cousins met a band of Comanche Indians. I do not believe they would have harmed Jimmie but he began shooting at them and when he had used all his ammunition they surrounded the wagon and killed him. They put Jimmie's wife and children on ponies with some of the Indians and took them with them. The little three-year old girl fell from the horse into a ravine and they threw rocks at her and left her there; her mother never knew whether she was killed or not. Each night when they would camp, Jimmie's scalp would be put on a stick and the Indians would dance around the stick.

One little girl would slip from her tent to her mother at night and to keep her from doing this they stood her on coals of fire and burnt her feet so she could not walk. The Indians made these captives work and wait on them. One-day the oldest girl refused to obey their commands and instead of punishing her the Chief patted her and said, "Brave woman". And after that she did not have to work. After living with the Indians six months the state of Texas bought Jimmie Box's wife and children from the Indians. They were delivered across the Canadian River one at a time on a horse led by an Indian. A tent was ready with clothes for them, as they wore only breech clouts. The mother died soon after being released and the girls followed her in a few years. I was ten years old when this happened.

Mrs. Moreland has in her possession, The Regimental Flag of the 9th Texas Calvary to which her husband belonged. It was carried in the battle of Pea Ridge.

When General Ross surrendered, the colors were asked for and he turned to the color-bearer and asked, "Where are the colors?". The color-bearer replied, "General, you know we lost our flag".

Ten years later, this color-bearer presented the Regimental Flag of the 9th Texas Calvary to General Ross. The color-bearer had hidden the flag by tying it around his waist. Later, General Ross presented this flag to Mr. Moreland who, in turn gave it to his wife.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Carol <western@phonewave.net> February 2001.