The Cherokees owned a large acreage in Georgia. After JEFFERSON was
elected President by the United States, he had agents to come to the different
Tribes to induce them to come west. Their inducement was much more land than
they had there. They had lived there in Georgia for years and years. They had
good land, that was left, for already the white people had encroached and
taken much of their land. Naturally, most of them did not want to leave and go
out into the wilderness and start life anew. To do so, was like spending a
nickel these days for a grab bag, or like the saying, "Buying a cat in a
sack". They did not willingly want to do this. Time passed. The War of
1812 came, and removal was delayed. A new President, MADISON, was elected and
he traded land in Arkansas, north of Fort Smith, for their land and agreed to
move them and give them supplies, guns, clothing, ammunition, and utensils. A
few of them agreed and came. The most of them still refused. This greatly
separated the Cherokees. Those that came to Arkansas had trouble there. The
Government then moved them to what we call the Strip Country.
Those left in Georgia began building larger homes, put in larger crops,
planted orchards, and advanced by leaps and bounds. It was during this period
the Cherokees adopted the SEQUOYAH alphabet in Georgia. SEQUOYAH also came
West to the ones in the Strip country and taught it there.
The white people used all means to get the Indians out of Georgia. Claimed
they were barbarians, and they, the Cherokees, made new laws, just like the
ones we had here in the Nation. John ROSS was elected Chief of all the Tribes
of Cherokees. ROSS did all he could to get to stay there, but the Georgia
white man passed laws and more laws, and law or no law, they destroyed the
Indian’s fences, and crops, and killed their cattle, burned their homes and
made life a torment to them.
The Cherokees began to think of joining the West Cherokees. They simply
could endure no longer. Like everything, it took a leader, and Major RIDGE,
his son, John RIDGE, and two nephews Elias BOUDINOT and Stan WATIE became
leaders. Of course, John ROSS was the Chief and they all got to squabbling.
ROSS did not want to move his people, but by some hook or crook, BOUDINOT and
RIDGE signed a treaty to move, and claimed it was the will of the majority,
but it was not, and the Government waited a little while and sent Gen. SCOTT
and two or three thousand soldiers. The soldiers gathered them up, all up, and
put them in camps. They hunted them and ran them down until they got all of
them. Even before they were loaded in wagons, many of them got sick and died.
They were all grief stricken they lost all on earth they had. White men even
robbed their dead’s graves to get their jewelry and other little trinkets.
They saw to stay was impossible and Cherokees told Gen. SCOTT they would go
without further trouble and the long journey started. They did not all come at
once. First one batch and then another. The sick, old, and babies rode on the
grub and household wagons. The rest rode a horse, if they had one. Most of
them walked. Many of them died along the way. They buried them where they
died, in unmarked graves. It was a bitter dose and lingered in the mind of
Mrs. WATTS’ Grandparents and parents until death took them. The road they
traveled, history calls the "Trail of Tears". This trail was more
than tears. It was death, sorrow, hunger, exposure, and humiliation to a
civilized people as were the Cherokees. Today, our greatest Politicians,
Lawyers, Doctors, and many of worthy mention are Cherokees. Holding high
places, in spite of all the humiliation brought on their forefathers.
Yes, they reached their Western Friends and started all over again.
Lands promised, money promised, never materialized only with a paltry
sum, too small to recall, for what they parted with and the treatment
received.
Cherokees before the Civil War
Elias BOUDINOT and John RIDGE came also to Indian Territory and they joined up
with the old Settlers. John ROSS was still Chief of the Eastern Cherokees. So,
again there were two factions. The ROSS faction out-numbered the other, and
they voted and adopted laws, that they last had in Georgia. BOUDINOT and
RIDGE, all believed, made lots of money in signing the treaty for the forced
removal, and they were accordingly hated, and both were killed on the same
day. No one knew who killed them. If they did get the money, they did not get
to enjoy it.
Years passed, and the bad feeling between the two factions seemed to get
worse over the question of Slavery. ROSS opposed it. Stan WATIE, relative of
BOUDINOT, was for it.
Missionaries come along on the "Trail of Tears" and opposed it.
Some of the Indian Agents were for it.
The Indians did not want to fight. They had enough trouble, but they had to
take one side or another and that caused much trouble at times.
Not many full-bloods owned slaves and they had a secret society called
"Kee-Too-Wah". They wore two common pins crossed on their coats for
their emblem. Most all full-bloods belonged and wanted nothing to do with the
white man’s ways, but wanted to stay with tribal laws and customs. Most of
them were the ROSS faction and opposed Slavery.
Those who endorsed slavery had a society and it was made up of half-breeds
and they owned most the slaves.
About this time the war broke out. A man named Albert PIKE came from
Arkansas and wanted the Cherokees to join the Southern Army. Lots of them
joined, but Chief ROSS never would do it, and tried to keep all of them from
it. But the half-breeds and some of the full-bloods did it anyway, and
finally, PIKE got the Cherokees to sign as a whole, promising them many
things, but all of them didn’t join the South though a hasty treaty was
made.
Life and Customs of the Cherokees before the Civil War
The removal into a new country necessitated the construction of homes and the
growing of crops. Crude log cabins were built with large stick or stone
fireplaces, with no windows and with dirt floors, which were improved upon in
time. Timbered spots were cleared and the ground tilled with a big-eyed hoe,
and they became more progressive and abreast of the times from oxen, mules,
and plows.
Their clothing could be at first only hides and furs; then came the
Spinning wheel and looms, and Mrs. WATTS stated that many days she would card,
spin, and weave cloth, even after the War.
Cloth and thread were dyed different colors with walnut hulls, indigo,
sumac, cooperas and salt solutions.
Salt was made on what was known as Hog Shooters Place, now known as Brewers
Bend. The water from Salt Springs was boiled down in large kettles to salt,
for the neighborhood.
Sugar was taken from Maple trees. Split the tree for a few inches and
insert a split cane and let the sap flow out, down the cane and drip into a
mulberry or sassafras trough. Then boil sap to sugar.
Corn raised in a clear spot was crushed with a mortar and pestle. From corn
so crushed, they made bread. Their sifter was a riddle made from split cane
strippings.
Lye was made with water and ashes. This lye liquid was used with corn to
make hominy or skinned corn.
Soap was made with this lye liquid by adding old grease scraps from wild
hogs and game.
The early weapon was the bow and arrow. The bow was usually made out of
Bois-de-arc or black locust, the arrows out of Swamp Dogwood, and the
bowstring out of squirrel skin. Later muzzle loading guns and cap and ball
pistols. But many would rather have the bow and arrow.
Seasoning was made from Hickory-nut kernels. Used it in bread and served as
cream for coffee. Cherokee name was "Canuchi".
All cooking was done in fireplaces, with pots, griddles, dutch-ovens and
pans. With the corn, pumpkins, all kinds of wild berries, fruits, honey and
game, together with gardens and wild fowls, the Indians, before the war, were
living good. They had secured horses, cattle and hogs and accumulated
regardless of all the squabbles among themselves, white man, and the Wild
Indians, as well as the Negro slaves.
Civil War
After much controversy the war got under way. My father joined the Northern
Army and was stationed at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, under General and
Captain Robert BLUNT. He held the rank of Sergeant. I cannot locate his
discharge papers and I have forgotten the name of the Company, as well as the
numbers.
Albert PIKE came back and built Ft. Davis across the Arkansas River about
four miles West of Fort Gibson, for the South. COOPER, Stan WATIE, and General
STEELE were in charge.
General PIKE also had a fight in Arkansas and they called it Pea Ridge. His
Indian troops fought Indian style with bow and arrow, and the North whipped
them there.
The North burned Fort Davis and ran them out of there.
They had little skirmishes here and there and did all kinds of meanness. I
remember mother and we children went over close to Fort Gibson during the War,
and one day four Southern soldiers came and took the food we had.
Took out the feather bed and cut it open, let the feathers fly in the wind
and used the tick for a saddle blanket. As they went through the yard they
took all our green onions. They simply stripped us of everything. Mother took
her best dress and sat on it to hide it. They made her get up and they tore
the dress into strings.
The reason we moved to Fort Gibson was because father was at the Fort and
we could draw on our rations like the soldiers.
The big battle was on Elk Creek, they called it the Battle of Honey
Springs. That was near the present town of Rentiesville, Oklahoma.
They whipped the South at Honey Springs in July 1863. It was a hard battle.
Many men were lost on both sides. They brought lots of prisoner’s back to
Fort Gibson with them. Some of the prisoners were Negroes, some Whites, and
some Indians. Prisoners consisted of men, women, and children of all three of
these races.
Most of the Southern men’s wives and families took refuge in Texas, and
the Red River District, while the men fought. Our family never did leave the
Territory and hardly got out of our District. Just from where I live here,
over to Fort Gibson, (a distance of 18 miles.)
There were no more battles in the Territory during the War. There were lots
of raiding parties. They would go over the country, burning all houses,
cabins, barns, and cribs, carrying all the beds and chairs away, and killing
or driving away the cattle.
The Cherokee Nation was almost wiped out. First, the North would raise
havoc and then the South. The War was over in 1865, but it was 1866 before the
Indians were let out of the Army.
Reconstruction Days in the Cherokee Nation
After the war the Cherokees were told that treaties previously made by the
United States were void. All other tribes, Creeks, Seminoles, Chickasaws, and
Choctaws, were told the same. Representatives were sent to Fort Smith to make
new treaties. The result of that meeting with the Government was that the
Cherokees were to give up the Strip Country and other little parts in the
north to wild Indians in Kansas and the Government would pay them for it. That’s
why I got a little payment. They called it "Strip Payment". Slaves
were to be freed and granted tribal rights. This caused a confusion... They
agreed to give land for railroads. While this treaty was being made, the
people began building homes again, for the Cherokee Country was in complete
desolation, caused by armed bands on both sides during the war. Homes and
barns burned and the old fireplaces stood as monuments to mark the once happy
homes of the Cherokees.
Cattle and hogs had been eaten or driven off, and went wild in the
wilderness and cane brakes. Orchards had died out and the clearings where
crops once grew, were growing up in weeds and sprouts. Even the population was
much decreased on account of the war, disease, hunger and cold.
The Indians never knew anything but suffering, and with the tenacity of a
bull dog, they never gave up. Once their cabins built again, they started
building rail fences, barns and cribs. Farming was started again with about as
much difficulty as when they arrived here on the "Trail of Tears".
Their life and customs were the same as explained before the War.
Indian Medicines
Indians doctored themselves with roots, and herbs. Some of these are used even
yet, such as: bone-set, button-snake-root, butter-fly-root, sassafras, mullen
and hoarhound (sic). Before they raised tobacco, they dried mullen leaves and
smoked them in their pipes.
Schools--Churches--and Missions
The Female Seminary was first located at Park Hill and later moved to
Tahlequah. It is now called the Northeastern Teachers College.
The Male Seminary was about 2 miles south of Tahlequah, Indian Territory.
It burned in 1910 and was not replaced.
The Cherokee Asylum was at the present location of the Sequoyah Training
School.
The Bacone Mission was the present Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
The first school I attended was in Goose-Neck Bend. It was a log house,
with a large fire-place, part of it was puncheon floor and part dirt, and
split log seats. My teacher’s name was Martha SCHRIMPSHER, a relative of Clu
GULAGHER who lives in Muskogee.
My second and last school was in lower Goose-Neck Bend. It was a log house
and was located about 1/4 mile south and 1/4 mile east of the present Mt.
Carmel School. It was near Mrs. HEAD’s home and allotment. Teacher’s name
was Ellen COBREY. She married a man named BREWER, a relative of O. H. P.
BREWER, present District Judge in Muskogee.
Ferries and Fords
The Nevins Ferry was controlled, owned and operated by Mose and Julia NEVINS.
It crossed the Arkansas River at the mouth of Grand River.
The Government Ferry crossed the Grand River, northwest of the Fort at Fort
Gibson, Indian Territory.
The Smith Ferry was owned by Junior SMITH and crossed the Arkansas River,
down stream about 10 miles from the Nevins Ferry.
Rabbit Ford was across the Arkansas River about due east of the present
village of Riverside which is east of Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Roads and Trails
My first husband, Mr. WHITEWATER’s allotment was on the Texas Road about
where the eastern edge of Midland Addition of the City of Muskogee, Oklahoma
is today. We lived there and sold lots of eggs to emigrants going along the
road.
Indian Chief’s
I knew personally or knew of all the Chiefs from John ROSS to Tom BUFFINGTON.
I remember well when ROSS died because my school teacher turned out school
that day as tribute to his death. I personally knew Col. HARRIS, Sam MAYES,
Joel MAYS, Joel MAYES, D. W. BUSHYHEAD and Louis DOWNING.
OUTLAWS
I knew the DALTON boys, Cherokee Bill, Bill NAILS, Mose MILLER, Bell STARR and
Henry STARR.
Tribal Courts
Court for the Canadian District was held at Webbers Falls, Indian Territory,
and of course the sentence was at the whipping post. I believe Joe VANN was
the Judge, when a Negro, George HENRY, was whipped for stealing a cow. He got
50 lashes. There were no jails in those days.
Allotments
After the Dawes Commission I was enrolled and my number is 60. I was allotted
40 acres right here where I am living. That was in 1898.
I received Strip Payment amounting to better than $200.00. Old Settlers
Payment better than $300.00 and occasional payment we called "Bread
Payments $12.00 up to $18.00.
My strip payment was received at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory and Old
Settlers at Webbers Falls, Indian Territory.
When payments were being made great crowds gathered, and all were made to
stand in line and wait their turn. Some of them really had a good time while
their money lasted. Others put their money to a good purpose. Roads were bad
at times and it took quite a few days to travel by wagon to get to the place
of payments. It gave us all a chance to meet and camp with old friends.
Comments
Mrs. WATTS talks and writes the Cherokee language fluently and her English has
no accent as has most full-bloods. She is an admirable, elderly lady and is
loved by all her friends and neighbors.
She has a modern farm cottage, built on to her one-room log cabin, with the
proverbial large fire-place and it is in this room she loves to sit and spend
her spare minutes, for she is very active among her flowers, chickens, and
turkeys.
She loves her Bible, written in Cherokee, and sits by her fire-side reading
the same passages that she has read for the last half century or more. This
Bible was published by the American Bible Society in 1860 and is a keep-sake
dear to her heart.
Her mind is very active, her memory excellent and it is a pleasure for one
to talk to her, not only of the past but of the present day topics for she had
kept abreast of the times.
We should pay tribute to such a grand old lady.