Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: September 29, 1937
Name: Leona Smedley
Post Office: Quinton, Oklahoma
Residence Address:
Date of Birth: March 13, 1862
Place of Birth: Near Hartford, Arkansas
Father: Lee Martindale
Place of Birth: Tennessee
Information on father:
Mother: Minerva Tucker
Place of Birth: Missouri
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Gomer Gower
Interview # 7686

Leona Smedley was born near Hartford, Arkansas, on March 13, 1862, and in 1873 moved with her parents into the Indian Territory. They rented land from Morris NAIL, a prominent Choctaw Indian, who had extensive farm holdings near the Arkansas state line not far from their former home in Arkansas.

Her father, Lee MARTINDALE, was a farmer and brick mason. Her mother was Minerva TUCKER before her marriage. The Tucker family, in common with other families who lived near the Indian Territory border, lost all their possessions during the first years of the Civil War.

In 1886 she was united in marriage to A. B. (Babe) THOMPSON, a half breed Choctaw Indian, and moved with him to Sans Bois, in what is now Haskell County. She resided there until the death of her husband in 1898.

In 1900 she was united in marriage to George SMEDLEY, grandson of the famous missionary, John Smedley, who was held in the highest regard by the Choctaw people for his unusual interest in their spiritual welfare. At the time her parents moved into the Indian Territory in 1873, they had very few white neighbors; consequently, her girlhood days were spent mostly with Indian girls of her own age. This fact provided an excellent opportunity for learning a great deal about Indian life and customs. None but Indian children were permitted to attend the tribal schools. This condition resulted in depriving white children of all scholastic advantages except what could be acquired from their parents.

Later, subscription schools for the white children were established but the buildings, one-room, log structures, were most uncomfortable. The seats for the pupils were made of logs which had been split into halves. The inner parts of the halves were made reasonably smooth, and the outer, or bark side of the halves, were fitted with legs, which entered into bored holes near the end of the seat. These holes were bored from a point near the outside or edge of the seat with an inclination toward the center to permit a considerable flare in the position of the legs, and thus prevent any tendency to become unbalanced by excessive weight upon on side or the other. Such things as desks were unknown. However, when it is remembered that slates, and not tablets, were universally used in school work in those days, desks were not a prime necessity when convenience alone was considered. The smaller children were provided with a slate 6 by 8 inches, while the more advanced pupils had slates of larger sizes, up to ten inches wide and twelve inches long. These were neatly framed with wood. With these slates properly placed upon the knees of the pupils, a fairly good writing position was provided. Little, if any thought was given the matter of the harmful effects this continuous stooping posture had upon the physical development of the school children.

A fireplace at one end of the building was the only means of heating the school room, which, at best, was cold and drafty during the winter months, which was the school season. Only such pupils as were seated next to the fire received any comfort from it and these would experience that paradoxical feeling of freezing on one side and roasting on the other. Due to these conditions, the children would be kept at home during periods of extreme cold weather.

During these years, the area lying east of the Poteau river in what was then Scullyville and Sugar Loaf Counties was fortunate in having two noted preachers; the Reverends Willis FOLSOM, a Choctaw, and John Smedley, a white man. Under the direction of one or the other of these good men, religious services were held at some point within the area each Sunday. In the summer months, camp meetings were of frequent occurrence. These were attended by both whites and Indians. Many of the Choctaws could not understand the Choctaw language. This difficulty was overcome through the aid of an interpreter who, in most instances, was Doc HOBBS of Fort Smith, himself a Methodist minister and a man who was held in the highest esteem by both races. He was capable of preaching in either of the two languages and of interpreting both languages.

Mrs. Smedley related an interesting incident which occurred in connection with the efforts of Chief Jackson McCurtain to evict intruders who had failed to pay the annual permit levied by the Choctaw tribe upon all non-citizens residing within its limits. Her maternal grandfather, Tucker, happened to be one of such intruders. He was called upon by Chief McCurtain and his Lighthorse and told to pay or get out. To this demand Tucker replied, "You take your d—m Lighthorse and get away from here. I will not be run over any more by you. You robbed me of all I had during the War, and you are not going to rob me again. I had rather you would kill me, if you must, than to submit to your authority. If you are determined to put me out or kill me, I only ask that you kill me right here in the front year where I can be decently buried."

After some discussion, the Chief rode off with his Lighthorse and since he did not press the matter further at any subsequent time, it is to be inferred that something which Mr. Tucker had said to the Chief, had the effect of swerving him from his original intention. Mr. Tucker was permitted to remain in the nation without the payment of the annual permit.

This incident led to an explanation of the charge made by Mr. Tucker that McCurtain had robbed him of all he had during the War. At the beginning of the War, Mr. Tucker was a prosperous farmer and stockman and resided near Hartford, Arkansas, but a short distance from the Indian Territory line. He, like all others of that vicinity of that period, had fattened sixty head of four year old steers, and prepared to drive them to Fort Smith where he hoped to sell them for the butcher trade. In addition to these beef steers he had some eighty head of stock cattle, four hundred bushels of wheat, and quite an amount of corn. McCurtain, an officer in the Confederate Army, and the commanding officer of a troop of Choctaws, made foraging forays into the border areas of Western Arkansas before Mr. Tucker had disposed of his cattle and other property. In obedience to the usual exigencies of war he confiscated all the livestock, wheat and corn owned by Mr. Tucker and converted it to the use of the Confederacy. This seeming outrage left Mr. Tucker in none too good a mood, and he was firm that he should not again be submitted to another indignity at the hands of the same person, Jackson McCurtain.

Another experience was related to Mrs. Smedley by her mother. During and for some time after the close of the War, the Federal Government issued provisions to families whose adult male members were engaged in the Federal Army. Her mother’s family was one of those. Her mother and grandmother, driving an ox team had gone to Fort Smith to procure their rations. On their return journey they expected to be robbed at each turn of the road. Night was approaching, and to camp along side the road for the night would be but an invitation to army stragglers, of which there were many, to take, not steal, the much needed provisions. An empty house was seen at a distance from the road. The two lone women drove their conveyance to it and unyoked their oxen after the wagon had been placed on the opposite side of the house from the road. They then tied the oxen to the wagon where they could not be seen from the road and spent the night in that unlighted cabin. All through the night the galloping of horses could be heard on the nearby road.

With the dawn of the following day brought relief from the suspense under which they had passed the night and by sunrise Buck and Briney were yoked to the wagon and the journey homeward resumed at a time when marauders could not hide their stealthy movements under the over of night.

In 1886, upon moving with her husband to Sans Bois, where he conducted a store and a toll gate, she again was brought into close contact with Indian life as she was frequently called upon to serve the Indian customers. During the twelve years she was thus engaged, she was treated with the utmost respect by the Indians. Green and Edmond McCurtain lived nearby and were frequent callers at the store and were good friends of her husband, Babe Thompson.

[NOTE: Submitter's Comments - The maternal grandfather referred to in this story is Edward W. Tucker, who was probably born in Tennessee, possibly Lincoln County. Edward died in 1883, three years before Leona’s marriage to Babe Thompson. He is probably buried in Vaughn Cemetery as is his son John B. Tucker and daughter-in-law Margaret Tucker. Leona’s mother, Minerva Tucker, is the daughter of Edward W. and Margaret Glenn Tucker. The grandmother referred to is Edward’s second wife, Nancy SORRELLS.]

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Lola Crane lcrane@futureone.com December 2000.