The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-09-16
ADAY WITH THE CHOCrAw INDIANS.
From the Daily Times. |


The annual ball play of several tribes
OF the Choctaw nation, come off Friday
the Is, ten miles from Newton station,
or three miles from Hickory station, ON
the Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad.
A crier is sent through the country, or
notice given to the principle cities or
towns, weeks prior to the event, as the
fete is attended by whites and blacks
from great distance, and many times
i'm great numbers. The Indian calen-
dar is somewhat different from ours; he
says so many sleeps from this time. In
consequence mistake was made, all
preparing and many starting on Thurs
day, ourselves among the number;
learning our mistake only four miles
from home, we returned back; many
men keep on their way, tethered their
horses to tree, making pillow of
their arm, bringing wildly to mind the
late struggle, the camp fires, kettle
boiling, numbers and connection, all
served to heighten the resemblance to
the battle field and bivouac. All the
meetings are handed down from bar
barous savage times. They show no
inclination to be aware of the presence
the habit OF meeting at other times of
the year. Ola stranger no notice is
taken, even if one asks a question; CIV
ing themselves entirely to each other
and the bushes for which they met,
and grand drunk, ended Thursdays
amusements. The day of the "big
play" was ushered in by a dance i'm
which all Joined, men, women and chill
dren of all ages. No drunkenness is
now allowed; all must be sober, and at
their post, until the great contest has
been decided. The chief accompanies
each tribe, going everywhere, with bent
head and thoughtful brow, as though
momentous matters were at issue, and
in reality there is, for it is not unusual
that every thing tribe has is bet on
this one day, except their lands, Il be-
lieve law among themselves prohibits
this, the beaten party going from the
ground with horses, blankets, clothes,
all gone, literally stripped of goods and
chattles The hour was ii o'clock q. IN.
Our party, ten in number, counting
small heads, for all are boys to-day, ar
rived at o'clock a. M, thinking our
selves prompt, but found crowd in
advance. Every shade, and cool re-
treat, commanding the play ground
was already appropriated by the num-
bers who had been since day-break,
coming from the North, East, South
and West. The ground is an open field
of perhaps hundred acres, surrounded
by scant woods, with very good car
riage roads leading to it from several
directions. The ground is marked out
by here and there rough post. At
each end, directly opposite, are three
slabs, rough hewn, set upright, say 20
feet high, a space left between each
slab or plank, that the ball, if thrown
straight, may pass through without
touching; midway between these, is a
centre post where all the business of
both parties is done, no one being al
lowed to 60 beyond the rOst, ON pain of
a severe encounter, except chosen
committee, who run to and fro, with
bent backs and contracted brows, hur-
rying and scurrying and jostling any
who may come near, making
"much ado about nothing" very much
as / have seen it at public gatherings
of people, claimed to he more civilized.
Twelve o'clock and still waiting for the
ball to roll. And while we wait / will
jot items as / CLEAN them. The Indians,
as race, are wonderfully superstitious,
having unbounded faith in witches.
Their ground, ball sticks, and stakes
must be constantly protected from
them. This is done by having witch
Doctors, who propitiate the spirits in
every conceivable way. At each of
these upright slabs or planks there are
red, white and yellow handkerchiefs
tied to long bamboo or cane, with
colored strsamers ofdrag braid. At one
end at the foot of the plank are five
balls from which the ball to be played
is to be selected by acommittee. They
are small, some two inches in dame
ter, buckskin split in strands and
woven or plated to the required size,
then painted red, yellow, white, or all
colors ON one ball. Both parties have
band of two drums and cane fife
few feet in front of their plank, playing
the whole day through. There is no
tune or music i'm tits done expressly
"to keep the witches away" That is
also the occupation of numbers besides
the doctors. The flags are often taken
from their stand, sometimes one, some
times all, waven over the ground, now
slowly, now rapidly, and again whirled
round and round as fast as one can do
it, drums beating quick and fast as two
or three Indians rush out, throw their
arms from side to side above their
heads, run, shout, fall down, roll over,
kick up, lay for long time PROSTATE,
some times faces upturned to the glar-
ing sun, at others hugging the dust, I'M
til we are tired watching, if they are
not, of performing. AT other times a
solitary red man will come from the
crowd, advance, retreat, advance, face
upturned, shake his head till should
think every lock of that coarse, black,
creased hair, would fall out, holds high
little ribbon, shake it, wavesit, whirls
round and round, runs Justify few
feet, stops short, one foot poised, shouts,
whoops, then falls like lead upon the
ground, many times laying there for an
hour. At another time rolls over until
he nearly froths at the mouth, and this
is going on constantly even after the
ground is selected and staked, until the
play is announced.
Outsiders are closely watched lest
they touch or in any way NEEDLE with
the implements. If by chance they do
they are considered witched, and pro-
coed by this same pantomimic process
to unwitch them.
Four tribes are engaged In this play.
The Turkey Binks unite with the Six
Towns, Red Creek with the Muchal-
asha. Men and boys have painted
faces, red, yellow or white. Those with
their face half one color and half anoth-
er look comical enough. All is put i'm
daubs like gay worsted tufted work on
black ground. Coats of many colored
calicos trimmed with any and every
thing near ut hand, pants follow suit,
hats of every conceivable fashion eince
Noah's time, trimmed with feathers
wrenched from the poor rooster and
peacock, bands Of silver and streamers
of drag braid, and no end to the beads,
any number that could be got hold of,
3he neck and shoulders literally cover
ed even two and three rows deep.
Large silver ear rings are worn by
all, made mostly by the tribes, as are
all their silver ornaments; bracelets,
plain bands of silver, two and three |
inches wide, are worn few inches |
apart the length of the arm. No dress |
was complete without the wampum |
belt surmounting all, sometimes cross |
ed over the shoulder like suspenders. |
Drag braid for the hair, without refer
ence TO color, quality or quantity, and
bits of silver plate sewn all over blanket |
shawls worn their whole size. Certain
ly not for warmth as the thermometer /
must have stood well up in the nine
ties, though refreshing breezes came
often, making the otherwise intolerable |