Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-12
speech of a Choctaw Brave.
To HIS WARRIORS At ,Rr wAsHrrA, JULY Ara,
Io6I. -


From the GAINESVILLE Standard
The Indians were expected in at 10 O'Clock,
and about that time they came in, following
their drum, an old man with a drawn sword
who delivered the speech below. The war
dance was in the square-the warriors bein 2
stripped to their fighting costume. There
were two companies of them. and they adj
vanced into the Fort with heads erect,
and truly martial bearing beneath their
colors Ga Confederate fagl with nine
white stars in circle, surrounding one
in red with a white border, and somewhat
larger than the others. In the rear of the
companies were about twenty Indian women.
The color staff being placed in the ground
the warriors slowly circled around it, and
upon signal from the captains, they all
stood still and silent, while the old man be-
fore mentioned drew his sword, and moving
| slowly around in the circle, thus addressed
them:
sWarriors of the Choctaw and Chicasaw
netionsl look around you aud what do you
see? You see men in every garb, armed and
equipped for war. A strange sight for my
young men. Who are these men? Your
brothers-the men of the South--men who
have come from the land of sunshine across
Red river--whose star is in the center of
your flag and who are in our hearts as their
star is in our colOrs-men, and the sons of
men, who dyed that star III the blood OF their
brave, and with whom you, my warriors, are
here to share the tolls dangers and the glory
of war-meD who will lay down their lives
in just cause, and who, as yet, have never
turned their backs to their enemies. You.
men and warriors, must emulate their gloTi-
Gus deeds. (Deatening shouts from the war
riors-) Let your enemies feel the edges of
your knives. ugh, ughD Let not yonr
war path be through your own green corn
fields, hut let your knives drink the life blood
of your enemies in their towns aud villages,
side by side with your white brothers, who
are fighting for their rights, their own prop
erty, and for the protection of the homes of
their wives and children.
warrior we have the same feelings, we
have the same description of property; and
need l tell you to look around and see the
women and maidens of your race, who are as
sembled 10 see the warriors in their paint?
Their hands have armed you for tie fray
and their hearts will be with you in the field
of death"
The warriors here broke forth into dance.
keeping time to the beating of drum, and
uttering the scalp halloo, fired off their guns
and pistols; the women at the same time mo-
wing closer to the circle. when an elderly
matron. accompanied by the others, in low.
plaintive voice, commenced a song, in which
they were reminded of their mothers and the
homes they had played around when they
were babes. and how their mothers and sis
ters had attended their footsteps when they
were too young to follow their fathers to
hunt the buffalo: and now they had grown 10
be men, their sisters We're comparatively
weak, their mothers had grown old, and the
bright sun had changed their raven locks to
gray; and now, should their mothers and sis
tiers, knowing they needed protection, ask it
OF strangers? or should their own young men,
who have the right, keep the Northern men
from polluting their soil? es -sI.
The excitement here was intense. The
warriors sprang into the air with shouts of
defiance, yelling and whOoping. and the wo-
men ran into the circle through an opening
made for the purpose, and dancing around
the colors continued their song. but in
more animated strain, in which an allusion
was made to the deeds of their forefathers,
etc. The old veteran again came forward
and asked a question, which was not under
stood by me, but which they answered by
ugh, ugh!' aud then addressed them again:
"Where are the men who fought your bat
ties IN former years, who were terror to
their enemies? "a mournful wail) They
have passed from our sight, and gone to the
happy land. but their blood flows through
the veins Of the living. Where are the war
riors of their blood? (Here! herel) This is
the first time some of you have danced in
the warriors line; let not your hearts fail
nor your arms grow weak, as your country
may need every blow" @ H-s ,a.1l-
1t was the first opportunity your cores
pondent has ever had to witness the novel
ceremonies of an Indian war dance, and no
one can properly appreciate the scene unless
he were present, and saw the defiant and de-
termined expression indicated by the ges-
lures and general appearance of the men.