Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-04-04
rNDrAN AuxYL1ARHEs OF THE CON
ErnwuaTE

ing, also, OF n COuuuCb VI thS AAAeA0h
at Pea Ridge, it is not so unjust
or ungenerous as was to have beer
looked for, since it admits that the ac-
counts Of inhumanities there were
doubtless exaggerated.
soon after the war, some verdant per-
son began dilating to a Federal officer
on the subject Of scalping by Indians III
the Confederate service. The answer
was. "he less We say about that, the
betteT.n
Law aside the g wen for this occasion.
7 have been very patient under this
SANDER, and now I mean to clear of all
scores,
Before tho wal began, and soon after
South Carolina seeded, the ChoetaW and
Chjekassv nations, unsolicited, declared
their Independence Of the United states
and their readiness to unite their fortunes
with those of the Southern States. Inc
Greeks and Seminoles were doubtful the
Cherokees. it was thought, would, by q
large majority, side with the North.
The people Of Western Arkansas were
greatly alarmed in respect to n CheIo-
kaes The Chief, Mr.. Ross, was regarded
a. an abolitionist, and the full-bloods as
ready to join the North. We very wen
knew that if we did not engage ana arm
the Indians on our side, the Onlted
Statas would on theirs; as they had often
done before.
A. the solicitation Of the President OF
the Coufederaey, 1 went among lhess
| civilized tribes as Commissioner, ana
traotad with hem. 1 was directed 10
engage them to furnish troops for the oe-
80 of their Country. 1 did so, stlpu-
~,ot;ng in the Treaties that they should
~ he taken out of their " Country
aooinst their consent. The Cherokees at
eTst refused to treat, and afterwards dio
40 of their own accord, inviting me 70
their Country for that purpose, where l
wss~ received by a regiment OF full blooos'
roised nv the Chief and offered, in al
r.Doa of a treaty, to the Confederate
Statas A Regiment was also raised
| chiefly of half-breeds and many whit
men. nv Colonel STAND WAITE Many
~ the officers Of both were intelligent
and educated men,-such as Lieut--CoL
WV p Ross, now Chief, Captain for
merlv Judge) FIELDS, Colonel JOHN
DREW. Major E. c. BOUDINoT' and
many others.
For these Indians are not savages.
Colonel D. n. MCINTOSH, of the creek
Regiment, was a Mason. Colonel SAAP-
SON FOLSOM, Of a Choctaw Regiment,
was a Templar. The present Chief OF the
Choetaws is a SD his predecessor a
Templar. The RossEsr DREws, VANNs,
CorRERTs, FoLsOMs, and many others
are educated men. Major BoUDINoT Is
q sod. has been an editor and lawyer IN
Arkansas. and was Delegate in the Con-
federate Congress; and General STAND
WAITE. Colonel JOHN DREW and Colo
mel TANDY WALKER we're ehivalrie and
honorable soldiers; and 8 very considers
bic portion OF the men were professors Of
the Christian religion.
The action of Bird Creek was fought
early in the winter Of lS6l-62 between
the friendly Creeks and the ChoetaWs
and a Texas Regiment, commanded by
Col. DOUGLAS II. COOPER, and a force OF
Creeks, Cherokees, Seminoles and others,
under observation-disclosures. The latter
were defeated, snd on the field were
found letters from United States officials
in Kansas to the different tribes, dated
in the summer of 1861, endeaU0ring 70
enlist them ia the service Of the Uaits@
States. One TO the COMANCHEs and
other Reserve Indians, promised to fur
nish them arms, that they might Kill their
old enemies, the TerGas. Yet the people
of the United States were " thrilled with
horror" were they ? because the Con
federate States made the Indians their
allies.
also treated with four bands Of the
Comanehes, and with the Wichitas,
Caddoes, Hueeos and others known as
the Reserve Indians; but Ibid NOT seek
to employ these tUad tribes. On the con-
trary, I expressly stipulated with them
that they should not take up arms, but
come in and settle on reserves, and live
in peace. The Caiawas afterwards came
in and signed the same Treaty, and so
did BUFFALO HUMP, the COmanehe
Chief, who had fought the Texans thirty
years. I never employed any of them.
/ never employed the Ossges. 1 made
the civilized tribes alone u Allies and
these Vere neUer guilty Of any inhuman-
tiles, except the sealping of which L
shall speak. They neither robbed, MUIR
dered, burned or ravished, like
white troops.
was appointed Brigsdier General in
the latter part Of the summer Of 1851. 1
took command Of the Indian country in
February, 1852. Before that, TpN3eSted,
ct Richmond, against an order Of G9Ss
McCULLoCH, directing the Cberokees 10
march into Kanms, and prevented it.
1 was uaterly opposed, ollO0ys, to
taking them out of their own country,
fearing they might commit hsrbarities.
But, compelled to obey the perempj0Ty
order Of Gen, VAN DORM, and against
my own will, l carried parts Of the two
Cherokee regiments, of STAND WAITE
and JOHN DREW, TO his assistance, in
all about nine hundred armed men, and
they fought at Pea Ridge, and, with
slight assistance, charged aud captured
battery of three guns, routing the
cavalry that supported it, of whom they
killed some forty, and kept the guns, and
in the afternoon burned the carriages.
No scalping was seen to be done
there by any one, that l could learn.
A few days afterwards, my medical
director, DR.. MAssIE, who took care of
the Federal wounded n that part Of the
field, reported to me that he found one
man scalped and that he had evidently
been scslped late in the day aud when
be was dead. If any more were scalped
anywhere on the field, L never heard of
it. mol did any one, that / know Of, until
long after, and through the Federal pa
pers.
a writer in Hdrper's Magazine, for
October, 1856, giving an account, in
many points preposterously and deliber-
ately false, OF the actions of Pea Ridge
and Elkhorn, says, twice, that the In
dams were "goaded on" by me, to
atrocities. u IS a Wilfl2, deli6.
and s~coundre1y lie.
As soon as l heard that a scalp had
been taken, l ISSUED the following Cen
srsl Order, and set it by flag Of truce to
General CURTIS, with the letter that pre-
,edes it, below
HEADo'BS, DEPT or INDIAN TERRITORY
CASToNMEST DAVIS, March ., 1852.
The enclosed copy of orders Is forwarded 10
dajor-GenerGl curtis, TO he end that he NAV
hidden by II are not likely 10 be repeated. and
re regarded with horror by the Confederate
AVID having learned from a letter foond ON
he field that those who burned privats dwell
rs AT Beutonville had been ordered to be
led By -court-martial, the undersigned informs
faIOr-General Curtis that "A general court-mar-
nj has been ordered TO try a white man who
one Of the wounded IN the action OF the
N inst. the man so shot being pro traie on
be ground, unable TO offer resistance.
Tie undersigned avatls himself OF this coca
On 10 offer M~ajor-General Curtis assurances
4 ais high consideration and esteem.
IN PIKE