Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date:  [none given]
Name: Ellis West
Post Office:  Muskogee, Oklahoma
Residence Address:   
Date of Birth:  December 6, 1869
Place of Birth:  Porum, Indian Territory
Father:   John C. West 
Place of Birth:  Westville, Indian Territory
Information on father: August 10, 1843
Mother:  
Place of birth:   
Information on mother:
Field Worker: O. C. Davidson
Interview #5177

I was born at Porum, Indian Territory, December 6, 1869.  My grandfather, John W. West, who was half Irish and half Cherokee Indian was born in Tennessee, March 29, 1811, and died April 4, 1867.

My grandmother, Ruth Fields West, a fullblood Cherokee Indian, was born in Tennessee, December 11, 1815, and died September 22, 1869. They came to the Indian Territory the year of 1838 in the removal of Indians to this country and settled on a farm where Westville is now.

On August 10, 1843, my father, John C. West was born.

Later on, Grandfather moved up on Grand River to the old Ross Salt Works at the mouth of Saline Creek where the town of Salina now stands and purchased the salt works and operated them for many years. During the Civil War, these salt works were confiscated by the government.

My father ran away from home when he was only sixteen years of age and joined the Southern Army. He fought in the Civil War with General Stand Watie. He was in the battle at Elk Creek and also in the battle at Fort Gibson in 1862. Fortunately, he escaped without injury in either battle; although, his brother, George West, was killed in the battle at Fort Gibson. Before the war was over, many Cherokees left this country and went to Rusk County, Texas. My father went with them; and, they came back to the Territory in 1866. They came back mostly in ox wagons, and some on horseback. On that return trip, my father and my mother, Marguerite E. Hickey, were married on Red River.

My grandmother on mother’s side, Rachel Fields Hickey, came from Georgia to the Indian Territory in 1833 on horseback; but, she only stayed a short time and went back to Georgia and stayed until the removal in 1838.

My father was an Indian Policeman. He got his first commission in 1884 and served for twenty-seven years. The last four years he was Captain of the Indian Police. He also served as City Marshall of Muskogee from 1889 to 1892. During this time he also carried a commission as Deputy United States Marshal under Colonel Jacob Yowes of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He also served under Thomas B. Needles, the first United States Marshal of the Indian Territory after the Federal Court was established in Muskogee. Judge Shackelford was the first Federal Judge in the Indian Territory. Colonel Waldron was the first District Attorney and Major Nelson was the first United States Commissioner.

In the year 1885, John Middleton killed the sheriff of Lamar County, Texas and came to Briartown. My father and Polk Burris, a Deputy Sheriff from Lamar County, Texas, and Jack Duncan, a detective from Texas, trailed him to Belle Starr’s place, six miles southwest of Porum on the Canadian River, but failed to capture him. So the Texas officers turned the papers over to my father and returned to Texas.

In the Spring of 1886, Belle and Sam Starr, Frank Cook and John Middleton robbed the Treasurer of the Seminoles, and went back to Younger’s Bend. John Middleton stole a horse from Reverend McCarty at Hoyt, Indian Territory; and, he (Middleton), Belle Starr and Frank Cook started to Dardenelle, Arkansas. John Middleton was drowned in the Poteau River just above Fort Smith, Arkansas. My father and a man they called Captain Gunn, a tax collector from Paris, Texas, and a Deputy Sheriff named Millsap, also from Paris, Texas, went up the Poteau River a short way above Fort Smith where they had buried Middleton, dug up the body and identified it. They then followed Belle Starr and Frank Cook to Dardenelle, Arkansas; captured Cook and brought him back to Fort Smith where he was tried and sent to the penitentiary for five years.

Because my father was an officer, the Starr Gang wanted to get revenge on him in some way. On the seventeenth day of December, 1886, Sam Starr undertook to kill my father’s youngest brother, Frank West, and did; but, my Uncle Frank also killed Starr.

My father served as sheriff of the Canadian District during the years of 1894-1895.

I was the first Constable elected at Porum after statehood, which office I held for eight years. I also served as Deputy Sheriff and City Marshal at Porum. I was an officer there during the Starr and Davis Feud, when several men were killed. Those killings could have all been avoided; but, the officers in Porum didn’t want to capture Bob Davis—they wanted to kill him. Davis came to me and told me that if I would get the papers for his arrest that I would not even have to come after him; he would come in and give himself up to me. But, I told him that they would not let me have the papers for they knew that I wouldn’t kill him; and they wanted him killed.

During the Civil War, the northern soldiers buried a lot of ammunition on the battle ground at Elk Creek and years later a man named Newberry cleared up the ground. In plowing, he uncovered twenty-four solid cannon balls and twelve twelve-pound bombshells. He gave me one of the bomb- shells. I started to take it home and carried it several miles on my horse; but, finally I gave out carrying it and my father, who was along in a hack, would not let me put it in the hack for fear it would explode, so I had to throw it away.

I have two revolvers that were used in the Civil War. They are of 44 caliber, six shot single action with eight inch barrels of heavy gun metal with copper trigger guards and walnut stocks. They look very much like the Madison Colt Revolver of today, but they are of the old cap and ball type. The ramrod is hung underneath the barrel and works with hinge and lever and tamps the cylinders and requires a separate cap on each chamber. I once killed a wolf with one of these revolvers at a distance of a hundred and sixty yards.

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Marylee Jones Boyd, August 2001.