Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-04-17
AMONG THE INDIANS.
Capt. Clark's Experience With Seminole
Medicine Man.
St. Louis Republican.

Medicine Man.
St. Louis Republican.
Capt. N. A. Clark, who was a United
States agent in the Indian territory near
ly fifty years ago, met with some gentle
men from the Indian nation yesterday,
and together they called up some interest
ing "reminiscences of the past. Capt.
Clark was asub-agent appointed to mus
ter in the emigration of the Cherokees,
Creeks and SeminOles as they arrived in
the territory from their old homes. He
said at one time he started out on horse
back to one of the Seminole towns to pay
off the Indians settled there in accordance
with the treaty stipulation. He came to
the town which he supposed was west of
where Okmulkee, the capital of the Creek
nation, is now located. When he got to
the village he found that the smallpox
prevailed and the mortality was fright
| full. At least fifty persons lay dead from
the pestilence and the bodies were found
! in hollow logs, where the victims had
| crawled. to avoid the scourge. Capt. Clark
came to the conclusion that it was no
place for him, and he turned back toward
| Fort Gibson. He rode about twenty
miles, when he began to feel symptoms
! of a high fever. He came to a deserted
hut constructed of rails and rooted with
bark. He tied his horse to a sapling,
and removing his saddle-bags and saddle,
he placed the latter as pillow under his
head and fell asleep. When he aWOke
he found stout, heavy-built negro of
Indian extraction, and told him of his ill-
ness. The negro went into the woods
| and soon returned with a root, sort of
poke root, which he ordered him to take.
The portion proved to be a purgative.
Then the Indian doctor ordered some
soft corn for his food, which had quiet
ing effect on the stomach. The Indian
remained with him over night. Capt.
Clark had in his 'saddle-bags 5000 in
silver half-dollars, which he designed to
paw off the Indians with. He began to grow
apprehensive during the night, fearing
that the Indian might murder him and
90 off with the money. But the medicine
man continued to attend him from day
to day until he recovered, go that he
thought he was able to pursue his Journey
to Fort Gibson. He requested the medi-
cine man to go into the woods to cut g
switch. and while absent on this business
Capt. Clark placed the bag containing the
money on the horse, and covering it up
with blanket, thought he had artfully
arranged matters 50 that his Indian friend
was not aware of the presence of the
money. He still distrusted him. The
| indian accom- an10Q OdpI. OldIA W L OIl
Gibson when he handed the former $25
, in silver. The Indian was perfectly salts
fed, and Capt. Clark was satisfied. Tht
f Indian turned out to be the famous Semi
f mole ChiefAbraham, whom history repre-
sents as a man of great repute, boil
among the negroes and Indians. Abra
, ham was born among the Seminoles IL
Florida, but his parents had fed Their
from Georgia. He possessed great infu
ence among the Indians, and was one Q
the principal men concerned in maxim
the celebrated treaty of Payne Landing
1 He was one ofthree principal Chiefs, act
}. ing as interpreter, sent to the Wester
e country in 1885,, to report on the condition
Abraham died some three or four year
j ago, aged about LIS years.