Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-07-10
TIE SONS OF THE FOREST.

On last Sabbath evening, at the First Bap
list Church in this city, (Atlanta,J Elder L
L. Compers Missionary OF the Cherokee Bap
. fist Convention) gave an interesting Statement
of affairs concerning the red race west Oi tl'
Mississippi. For the information Of our read
ers generally, we append few Of his state
ments:
The most important of tic nations are thu
Choc'aw, Greek and Cherokee. The Choctuu
| borders on Texas, ARKANSAS and Arkalsa
river. So soon as the State vi ARKANSAS uc
came member Of the Contcderacy, the Choc
taw people signiied their Intentions to follow
and 1t was not long till q treaty was conclude,
with the Confederate government, and troop
were raised and mustered iuto the service
At this time there are two regiments, Or twt
thousand troops, i'll the service from that Ia
ton. And may as well state here" sal.
the speaker, "whut | cannot state vi any "thcl
district, West or East, that among the ChGc
laws there exists unanimlty Of sentiment. Pc
ter Folsom-than whom no man among III,
ChoctawS is more competent TO give Il corrcc!
opinion-said to me, the last Of April: liner,
is not one man in this nation who Is the least
doubtful
Tho Greek nation lies rather northwest
from the Choctaw, aud took position with the
South about the same time with the Choc.
taws. Unfortunately, however, there were
two parties-the Mcintosh and the llo-pO-
the-ya-ho-la. Because the latter was Jealous
of the former, he induced Il large number Il
rally around hun and when the Confederate
authorities required the Li,banding ul these
irregular forces, they sought the protection Of
the Federals-the result vi which was Il bat
tie, and nearly half OF the Creek people were
driven from the nation. OF course their SUI
fcrinss were incxprcssiblc; men, women and
children moved in mass, and in great cont!l-
sion, and in the midst Of winter, ~ IL country
they knew not of. Where they are now We
know not-many hundreds Of them MIST Of
necessity be in their graves, from their cz-
treme suffering Our forces have held the
country since that time, and but one senti-
ment prevails. At this time there are two
regiments, numbering about twenty-five hun
dred men.
The Cherokee country is west of Arkansas,
and South OF that miserable land Of kansaS.--
| Thus it is the most northern of the principal
nutions. 1t is delightful country, indeed f;
productive soil, salubrious climate, mountain
and prairie scenery, and watercd by the most
beautiful creeks and rivers, settled by race
far in advance Of any other Indian people, hay
ing more intelligence, wealth, enterprise; ard
white blood. They took possession Of their
country about the beginning OF Pres!dcntJack-
sons administration, only part OF them "al-
grating ut first. John Ridge become their
Chief-John Ross being at the same time CHIEF
of the party remaining in the old nation. Final
| ly the latter party were forced to respect the
| treaty with the United States and 90 to their
new home. The Ross party acknowledgements
Ridge party, Ross refused to respect the Ridge
government which had been established
Claimed that his was the pr" per government Tor
| the Nation, and that he WAS Chief. Tbs Of
course caused bitter contention, which resulted
| in the death of two Of the Ridges and Bondi-
not. They being the principal men ol their
party were murdcrcd'by men concealed, and,
rs every on believes, by order of John Ross
| Thus Ross WAS established Chief, there being
bitter hate cherished towards him by the peo-
pie he had 50 greatly wrongcd, and especially
| by younger llall-brothcr--thc present Colonel
Stand Waite.
| Ross, in order to gain popularity, had al
ready resortcd to the cxpcdicnt OF marrying 4
] full blood Chcrokcc-himsclf being not more
than one-sixtecnth Indian. Thus he made The
full-bloods, who were in the majority, feel
that he was an "Edzulaha, '--equal, Or broth
er. lit is due, however,, to the present Mrs.
Ross to state that she Is Il highly accom-
| plished lady from Delaware.
/ Ross now resortcd to another eXpcicnt; 10
combine his influence with Evan Jones, who
commence his labors as Baptist missionary
among that people forty years ago, and, labor
ing almost entirely for the iull-Dloods, he had
| gained an extensive influence by the time we
refer to. These two men were the most mas
/ IL ,,,,k, nah
| other as Jonathan and Dayd-savc in the vr-
| tues of those ancicnts Aud that intimacy
has always been mystery. for Ross was
Methodist and Jones Baptist; Ross was an
extensive stakeholder and Jones an abolition
| missionary. Whom the Triennial Convention
| was formed, the Boston Board proposed to
Jones that as he was upon Southern soil he
| should come under the patro 1age of the South
ern brethren; but he requested that he might
receive his support as formerly, and 1t was
| agreed to-nCbody at the South thinking that.
he would lahar to disseminate his iniidel doc
| trines.
That the speaker might be excused for hay
| ing no confidence in Evan Jones, he gave an
instance of that worthy's duplicity: In the
course of time there were shareholders who
demanded baptism at his hands, and he re-
ceived them But his "instructi0RS" from the
Boston Board were, to receive no Shareholders
| into the churches. In OrdUr to cXtrlcatc HIM
self from his dilemma, just before making cut
his annual reports to the Board he would give
| certificates of dismissal to the shareholders,
and then report no shareholders 50 soon a.
| the report was gone he would take III all the
certificates, and thus restore the persons {"
membership. At the beginning Of the war he
reported thirteen hundred members. These
were oil as he was
l. His influence was never disturbed till about
! five years ago, when brother James a. Slower
entered the station, under the patronage oil
the Marion Board, and began the work Of re-
ceiving and baptising shareholders. About
two hundred members have been gathered into
seven churches, and, with seven native preach
| ers, organized into an association.
Ross added third expedient to retain his
position over the people which he has held for
O Quarter of century. Watic's influence was
gaining and giving the old chief some alarm,
when, four or five years since, John 1.-THE son
| OF Evan Jones conceived the idea OF Yam
kec secret society for political ends, the object
of which was to keep Ross and his party i'll
power. At the succeeding elections the Waite
party, which were the Southern and mixed
bloo1s, were defeated in toto and though
they were the intelligent and wealthy part OF
the population, not one of them las ever held
an Office since the organization OF the PIN
| Society" The rule Of an inferior race could
not be endured by people of proud bearing
| like the Southern CherOkees. Under this state
Of affairs President Davis rendered Il commits
sion TO Stand Waite, and soon he was i'll the
field at the head Of fine regiment. John
Ross still adhered to his neutral policy. till a.
ter the battle at Oak Hills, which convinced
him that right and truth were on the side oi
Southern arms Immediately he called IL con-
vcntion of the entire voting population, and
upon his recommendation every man Of his
party, four thousand warriors. voted for the
secession of the Nation the Waite party re-
fusing to cooperate as they had no confidence
| in Ross and his confederates 4 national re-
j ] -I....l =, -; =!