Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-08-10

SEMINOLE AoaASce
A Nrphcw sfshe Great CATER ~tlsrcsla Dies
IN New York Lodging House.
Now York Times, August ),
OSceola Cooper, a man who claimed 10 be
= nephew Of Osceola, the renowned chief Of
|ellc Scminole Indiana died suddcnly yes,
|terday. Q acute disease sof the kidneys, acs
celebrated by other ailments II No. IS Bond
street y lodging house. Cooper, who was
thirty eight years Of age Ut the time Of his
death, was the only son Of Solomon Cooper,
an Indian doctor, who, il is claimed, was the
brother of the Seminole chief. Those who
are!familiar with the history ofthe Seminole
wars can recall the important incidents in
the life of Cooper's celebrated p~rcgenitor.
y ceola was born in Georgia in 1864. His
father, was an English trader named Powell,
who married the daughter of q Seminole
chief. Soon after the death Of his father.
Olsceola, then a stripping, removed to Flor
ida with his Indian mother, and there be-
came Unidentified with the fortunes Of her
fathers tribe, among whom, after a brief
period, the Young man was recognized as q
leader. He married, according 70 til, rites
Of the tribe, the daughter of,one ofthe chiefs.
In 1885, while ON a visit to Fort King, o.
ceola's fe was seized as a fugitive slave,
and as such was carried off. This outrage,
added to other injuries, fancied or real, an
gered the young chief to such AN extent tina,
he uttered undisguised threats against his
persecution. On-the strength ofthose indis-
Greet %utterances; Osceola was seized by order
of General Thompson and put in irons, but
was released after briefterm of humiliating
imprisonment. Swearing to be revenged,
he gathered about him 4 little baud of fol.
lowers with whom he laid in wait for
Thompson. On December 25:h, 1885, meet
ing the latter and other whites outside. Of
the walls Of the fort, the young chief and
his band massacred the entire party. This
tragedy was the aignal for the second Semin-
ole war, which practically terminated on
October q. 1887, with the capture Of Os-
ceola under a flag truce at st. Augustine.
He was incarcerated at Fort Moultrie, near
Charlestown, S. C. where he died on JAN
uary 80, 1888. There is no record in his
tory that Osceola had a brother, and yet the
friends of Osceola Cooper aver that he (the
chief had one, several years his Junior, who
was adopted by Solomon Cooper, of New
York, at the close of the Seminole war.
The circumstance of the young brothers
adoption by MI. Cooper are described thus:
A small band of Seminoles, a remnant Of
Osceola's scattered tribe, encoun cred, afew
days succeeding the capture Of their chief, a
hostile party of Indians, from whom they
rescued Mr.. Cooper. At first the Seminoles
were inclined to treat Mr. Cooper as a pris.
oner, and would perhaps eventually have
subjected him to torture, if Osceola's
brother, who was the pet Of the band, had
not interceded in his behalf. The half-breed
Indian boy became greatly attached to Coop
er. by whom he was subsequently adopted
and brought to this city. Here he assumed
the name of his patron, whose property,
which was of transferable value, he inner.
tied. After the death Of his adopted father,
Solomon Cooper-for by that name only he
was known-went to Barcelona, Spain,
where he married a woman Of good family,
Osceola Cooper, the mar who now lies dead
at No. 35 Bond-str, ct, is alleged to be the
first fruit Of that union. Shortly after the
birth of his second child, a girl, Solomon
Cooper returned with his family to this
county, and settled on a farm situated near
the homestead ofthe Greeley family of Chap
paqua. He became famous as an Indian
doctor, "aEd through his professional exer-
tons gained considerable wealth. At the out
break of the rebellion, DR.. Cooper, who was
then sojourning in the south, Joined the
rebel army, and, it is said, was killed in
battle. A few years prece ding the termin-
alton Of the war his son, Osceola Cooper,
ran away from college and Joined the Union
forces, acting as courier under General
Sherman until the surrender of Lee. Re-
turning homewatd he learned that his
mother had moved from the Chappaqua
farm to a house in forty ninth street, between
first and second avenues. Thinking that
his sudden and unexpected reappearanc.
would prove too great a ehock to her, he
requested the servant who answered his
summons at the door to inform Mrs. Cooper
that a returned Union soldier desired to see
her. The lady replied throughthe medium
of the domestic that she had every incentive
to loath Union soldiers, and that, conse-
quently, she would not permit his entrance
in the house. Osceola entered, however,
and an e~fecting scene ensued between
mother and SON.. 1t was then that the news
Of his fathers death was made known to
him. He also learned that his sister had
married . Colonel Marshall, of the conEeder-
ate army. Marshall died at Pavonia, NJ.
about FIVE years sgo. His wife died two
years latter, leaving two children, Jennie
and Willis Osceola Marshall, to the guard
ianship Of their uncle, Osceola Cooper5who
placed them in the house Of Mrs. Pc 81, in
Pavonia. About six months ago Alfr,ta
Powell, an Indian woman, who claimed Os-
ceola Cooperas her brother, but who was only
recognized by him a. an adopted sister, sur
reptitiously removed little Willie Osceola
Marshall from Mrs. Posts house, and disap.
pcared with the boy: Being apprised Of the
abduction Of bis nephew, osceola Cooper left
his home in Bergen Point. and came to this
city in the hope Of finding the boy, but had
not succeeded up to the time Of his sudden
death. Two years ago he visited the tribe
of his father in Oregon.
Coroner Flanagan, who was requisite ! yes
terday to inquire into the cause If his death,
ascerta:ned that he was Z man of very in.