Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-02-09

mission into that house not made with
hands eternal in the heavens"
My feelings on this occasion can never be
described such | never had before, and the
impressions then made On my mind never
will be removed.
Although l was the only one present who
understood the Cherokee language, yet all
seemed to read the feelings of that old mans
heart; and when | began to chide myself for
my weakness, / looked around upon my fell
low soldiers, and tears were streaming from
every eye. This day and this scene was the
theme of conversation for weeks after it &C.
Cured.
The old man and his four sons In accor-
dance with his promise, went on to the Fort.
submitting to all the pEiVationS to which they
were incident under the circumstances, with
q cheerfulness seldom equalled. On the next
day the old man came to me and requested
leave of absence until II O'Clock the day fol-
lowing. | told him | would try to obtain it,
and went to the Major to get him off. lie
refused me, but | continued to insist, as the
old man seemed very anxious to see what had
become of his wife and children. The Ma.
jor agreed at last that he might 90, but that
he would hold me responsible for his return
/ therefore became his surety and let him off.
He went home, and at the exact time he re-
turned to the Fort and reported himself
After this, | allowed him to go to his much
beloved home and return at his pleasure, and
l must here say, that he never failed to be
E promptin every promise he made.
The day now being fixed for the departure
of all that we had then taken, to thefar west,
Wah-w-catocah was directed to bring into
camp his wife and smaller children. He
went alone, promising to bring them all in.
And now the test of his honesty here he
: was permitted to go at large, with no bonds
and no responsibility save his own word
! The reader is almost ready to say | would
.. have forfeited my word, rather than subject
? myself and family to such great privations
and trials. This, however, did not seem to
enter the mind of the honest Indian he had
! promised, and this was sufficient for him, and
without stopping to think of the loss or gain,
he kept it righteously.
Reader, think, pause for a moment, con-
= slider the situation of this poor red man of
2 the forest; he was in the midst of plenty /;
= heavens smiles seemed to beam upon him
: and upon all he possessed he knew no re-
! ~straints save those ofthe religion of the Bible;
his wife, his sons and his daughters, that had
= arrived to. mature age, although their skin
: was red, yet they too had espoused the same
cause with the husband and father, and they
I now feel that Christ is their only hope, and
:, heaven their only home. Their earthly home
- has now to be left forever, not of their own
choice, but tornfrom ahome they loved, where
!; God had blessed the father, mother, brothers
ID and sisters, all together. | can now see then
~ in my imagination, piling up their little plui
"a der preparingto bid it a final farewell. And a
20. the fatheris busily engaged in arranging hi
=, packs, the big tear stands full in his eye, an
~ with his tawny hands he wipes them away
~ he looks around on a beautiful growing crop
w IL ,o,,oo,Io,e lo,-r nn1SJonoo hoe rauro c1o
I'd his tolls. His yard is covered with beautiful
"a poultry, his fields with focks and herds, al
- the product of his own honest labor. A
are to be left to the mercy of the white mar
n who had heretofore been his greatest enemy
~ Finally, his preparation is completed takln
70 upon himself the largest burdens and assign
nd ing to his wife and each child their load, tn
big tears begin now to chase each other dow
their cheeks. The old man takes the LEAF
IN his wife next and the children following a
cording to their age. Silently they all move
ON turhs around t65 a cit the ct -l s1ghf; the old ma
hat at an humble but much beI6Seu Home and
Of a whisper, he bids all that he calls home an
row country good-by.' He now winds his way G
he. to the Fort, soon to departfor the west. He1
of he joins his sons that are prisoners, and Il
ont whole family are again united.
~ Their stay here was but for a few day
where they, with hundreds of others, took |
az the line of march for head quarters, which WI
at Calhoun, Tenn. To- this place all the Che
To okees from Georgia, Alabama, North CaroliI
om and Tennessee, that were removed, we
He brought. They were in number about 1900
Here were $4,000 of what were then call,
slvages, arrested by force, all driven fro
hits their homes and congregated at this plac
on without the shedding of blood. This is u
= paralleled in history but such was the fac
wo although blood was afterwards shed in Il
,+b- most inhunlan and brutal manner, of which
an may hereafter give you a full and detailed a
count, as | have all these events on record "
hen But let us now return TO. the subject OF o
story.
Old Standing Wolf. We parted with hi
ms. when he left for head quarters, about the 20
On of June, 1888, little thinking we should ev
and see him again this side of that great day viii
is to unaIterably fix all our d~estinies. But
hat it was, we met him again in August, the sar
the year. The transportation Of the Indians coU
ned not be effected until in October or Novemb,
+ of in consequence of the low water. Havi
ST. some unsettled business to attend to-, we
md to head quarters in August. The settleme
of my business was delayed, and | conclud
ach one Sabbath to go out amongst the Cherokc
who were encamped some three miles frc
hon Town, at a large lime stone spring called t
nv 1OdGIl oiIuh o.JllhS1 hCl hISU dy
oom friend, Wah-w-catocah. He just saw 4
wife and making his way through the crowd,
avs, seized me by the hand before ] saw him.
nav copious- flood Of tears began to flow, and
will asked me to remain where [ was until
,ave brought his wife to see me. Iagreed to do
un- meanwhile falling into deep thought on
for scene before me, as | looked over the vast
hem sembly then camped in the open woods.
was not permitted long to indulge my ref
.nds tons, for it seemed but a moment had pas:
| before he returned with his wife by his 81
!: if She gave me her hand, and with a down-c
and look and f~lltering voice, said she was glad
edge see me. Seating ourselves under the shadt
ever a tree, the tears rolled thick and freely do
the tawny face. of my companions. After so
him, time spentiE weeping, she began to relate
ONE me the sad events that she had had to encot
N TO ter since she left their old home. at
ara moons, said she, have passed since we left
,rill- own wigwam, and two of our dear little o
vice have gone to the spirit land the balance of
is Of family are sick. We never can 90 to the we
and we must all die. Is there no chance for us
our get back to our old homee The hope of o
for more seeing that lovely hunting ground, wo
t Of. cheer our wounded spirits more tkan all
vast hunting grounds of the west. Can
# rs help US 2" We continued the conversation
,sen- some time, while all wept. Reader, you I