The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-05
A STRANGE CAREER.
A Cherokee Who Fought Under Robert
F. Lee-Exciting Experience.

olympus Monroe Wilson is the
heterogeneous name Of an Indian
who has been in Nashville for several
weeks, says the American. He has
been connected with some OF the
most stirring events in the west dur.
ing the early days when settlers car
ried their lives in their hands. lie
was horn fifty.eight years ago, near
Tahlequah, the capital Of tue Chero'
kee nation, the son of full blooded
Cherokee woman and half-breed.
He has since his twelfth year, when
he enlisted in the Texas rangers,
been scout. soldier, trapper miner,
and now in his old age, has turned
his face from the lone star State to
the far-away home of his youth in
Indian territory.
He has been three times married,
has buried each wife and five chill
dren, and now seems to want to live
only till he can once more see his
only son in the forest where he was
born. He is afflicted with heart dis
ease and realizes that he may die
any moment, but his fortltude
never deserts him, and although
suffering from a terrible wound re.
ceived in battle forty.fve years ago,
and from otherin injuries which kept him
in a hospital four years stripped
in recent years Of the small prop
erty he had acquired, he bears
bis nisfortunes with the characterls-
tic Indian stoicism. He is not slo-
veuly or dissipated, as the popular
mind pictures the Indian redeemed to
partial civilization, but fine look
ing, sober and remarkably intelli,
gent man. When ysung mAn he
went to California as gold miner.
One day q heavily-laden wagon
ran over his body, and be was con.
fined for years to hospital. His
life was despaired of, but the con-
slant attention Of an English physi-
clan who became interested in him
finally restored him to partial health.
During bis sickness his kind nurse
taught him to read and write,
and for years he has read 8
great deal, as his conversation shows
When q mere lad he fought the Com.
anche Indians who depredated on
the Texas border and served under
Ben Mccullough, who afterward be.
came a federal general. The Chero'
KEGS were the first Indians with
whom the colonlsts became &C
quain:ed, and since the founding Of
Jamestown. Va, have been the. most
tractable of the Indians, so tina:
it was scarcely to be wondered
at that this young son of the
tribe, who had white blood in
his veins, should have been found in
alliance against the Comanche ma
rauders. The first battle with them
in which he took part was in 1914,
on the spot where San Antonio now
stands, and fifteen red skins bit the
dust. At one time he fought under
Robert E. Lee, who was then colonel
of the Second United States dragons.
Lee was in pursuit of band Of Com
anches who had committed serious
depredations, and caught them on q
tributary to the Colorado river. The
engagement was sharp and brief, Lee
forcing the Indians to the hills and
killing over thirty. His force was
sixty men, while the Indians out
numbered him ten to one. Wilson
said to an American reporter that he
remembered Lee distinctly, that he
was even then. young man, remark
ably self.possessed in battle and
quick to execute plans, fearless and
untiring, qualities which were four
decades signally displayed on many
9 battlefield.
Wilson is ripe in Indian lore, and
has evidently been calm student Of
their history in recent years. lie
remarked in illustration of the rapid
disappearance of the Indian. WAR,
pestilence. and whisky are pursuing
their deadly work with astonishing
effect. In 1843 there were 10000
Comanches. the last census shows
only $500. In fifty years | do not
believe that there will be an organ
lied Indian tribe in the country. The
Apaches are about the only wild In
dians. You can find the redskins in
all of the territories. but the tendency
is to collect in Indian territory, or as
we call it, the Four tribes. In 1892,
that region, then part of the terri
tory Of Arkansas, was made the
property of the Choctaw, Cherokee,
Chickasaw and Creek Indians. and
80 it has remained"
In defense Of Mr.. Cleveland, who
has been charged with inconsistency
in removing stockholders from the
Arapahoe and Cheyenne reservations.
and allowing the Kansas Stock COM
pany TO continue to use that Of the
latter tribe had many years ago, in
consideration of 100000, given the
Kansas company this right, while the
traders we're on the Arapahoe and
Cheyenne lands through illegal con-
tracts made by government agents,
and which Mr.. Cleveland has justly
set aside.