I am informed by Doctor W. R. Harper of Inola that you are engaged in
writing A History of the Cherokee Tribe. I was employed by Chief
Isparhechar of this Nation (Creek) to translate from the Muskogee Language
to English for the purpose of giving an account of the first treaty of peace
between the Cherokees and Muskogees, which is contained in the tradition of
“The Small Circle of Beads or (Ko-nau-wau) and the Northern Cloud.” Chief
Isparhechar had this translation made, as I understood, to present to Daniel
Red Bird, and David Muskrat, of the “Ketowah” Society for the Cherokee
Indians who had forgotten the tradition but still held the emblems. It is a
graphic picture of the ancient customs and modes, yet it is so enshrined
with the old Indian superstitions as to prevent me from attempting an
outline sketch of same for the Old Chief was strict in having every word to
correspond exactly to the original story as he claimed any omissions or
additions would portent an evil omen. It is full of old history including
Customs and modes of Council, Honor of Official rank, etc. peculiar to the
ancient Cherokee. You can obtain this story, I think, from Honorable Daniel
Red Bird of the Cherokee Council.
The Cherokees were members of the Great International Councils by the
Great Lakes with the Mingoes, Miamies, Wyandottes, Shawnees, Ottowas, etc.
And it was on the occasion of meeting a delegation of Cherokees proceeding
to one of these Grand Councils that Logan, the Mingoe Orator of History, was
killed. He was intoxicated and rushed at the Cherokee Band of Councilors
with uplifted tomahawk. When he refused to be restrained, He was shot by his
own nephew and killed. He was aroused by the memory of a Great War that had
been fought between the Huron Iroquois aided by their Algonquin allies. And
the Cherokees who had the assist once of the Creeks as allies. The Creeks
also aided the Cherokees in their wars with the white settlers of East
Tennessee when they fought Col. Sevier and his mountaineer, wild, white
hunters.
An Indian Union existed once a long time ago. Some kind of Intertribal
Union under the prestige of the Yamasees of South Carolina which included
the Cherokees, Catawbas, and the Creeks, who assisted the Carolina Colonists
to defeat and expel the Tuscororas. And after this occurrence by object
lessons therefrom, the Yamasees organized a war upon the Colonists with a
great war party of Yamasees, Cherokees, Catawbas, and Creeks. Upon their
defeat on account of lacking firearms and ammunition, occurred the greatest
suicide of all the world’s History. Unknown to the white-people, the Yamasee
Nation claiming to foresee the final extinction of the American Indians,
they deliberately committed suicide, at a Great Dance dressed in their best
personal ornaments, and singing their happiest songs. Men, women, and
children danced out into the deep waters with weights attached to their
bodies and were all drowned by their own will. (I will refer you to Chief
Isparhechar, Ya-teh-Kah-Hacho, and other old Creeks for this tradition.).
With the exception of a few families of the Clan of the Beaver, who were not
responsible for the war. These went to the Applachees of Florida, who in
turn were afterwards defeated in a war with the Seminoles with Great
Slaughter. And if any Yamasees (or Yo-mau-sou) escaped this slaughter they
are in the Seminole nation with the small remnant of Appalachees that were
adopted by the Seminoles as prisoners of war. With the death of the Yamasees,
ended this Union of tribes which included the Cherokees at one time.
A Remarkable Cherokee by the name of Jess Chisholm lived on the Canadian
River near an old Cherokee town where Captain Dutch lived before the
Cherokee Nation occupied their present country. Jess Chisholm roamed the
great plains among the Hostile wild tribes then inhabiting that region
during the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s of the present century. He was well
known to the frontier traders from the Rocky Mountains to St. Louis. He
spoke all the Indian languages of this region and was the only man on the
plains that did not fear to meet a Comanchee war party alone for he knew all
their secret signals and they never molested him.
He was instrumental in liberating many Mexican captives held by the
Comanchees. The Chisholm Cattle Trail was named for him, for it followed one
of his old trading trails from the Southwest to Kansas City.
During the War of 1812-14, a band of 800 Creeks and 32 Cherokees
commenced hostilities against the Americans by capturing Fort Mims which
held seven murderers of Wetherford’s wife and four children. Who Major
Beasley commandant refused to surrender to Civil Law. This being right on
the heels of Tecumsehs visit to the Creeks but which Major Hawkins, Creek
Agent, reported as being quieted down. Started a war which failed to draw
out the entire Nation into hostilities.
The Cherokee Nation and the Creek Nation furnished a Battalion of Brave
warriors each, who done effective service for the American troops. Timpochee
Barnett, Cowacochee-Matha, and Chowe-matha, of the Creek portion of the
Battalions were awarded Medals of Honor by Congress on recommendations of
General Andy Jackson for Great Bravery in Battle and read “The Bravest of
the Brave.” Those of the Cherokees were also awarded. I do not remember the
names. The Red Stick Hostilities were finally very near exterminated before
they would surrender. My mother’s uncles (Creeks) were with Jackson for
which Mother, during the 50’s drew two land warrants as bounty pay to her
uncles.
If you desire I can tell you more. For History must corroborate the
facts.
Document found in J. R. Gregory’s, personal file, Creek Archives,
Oklahoma Historical Society Library, Oklahoma City. Transcribed by Barbara
Cox.
James Roane Gregory
