Telegram-herald., 1889-12-27

Peter r Fitehlyua. tas Greatest L~4dsE
Hls He Essr h@d


11s u tee oe.saT4gel cla--s - tLs Eltz. I
Fr-w b..n Intimately a. Ton. a1oss father
.rr-as1.a1 me c. hin many s@ars zgo. tAs
t.ea . warn tr1ead far more than = aae4le.
Ills r1uch comprising sous 90 acres IS
Iera-sa ~ tie B.le river ID Jae nt1ss " .
zra..fuly gnl-lallEy przlr-e, continually
tea-s.as1 D. oopsss az groves ~ timber,
srsls3 .hs lr1aks of wllc1. literally luvols-
uz tasua. ale vines producing ths greatest
tr.fus. 10 of dsilcioas grapes, snd hanging in
slch sl4less clusters a. justly ~ sn0ts tais
slugularly charming pastoral country o. TIE
s.,ls of yinsy srd for many miles together
Peter ?. Pltohlynn, whose Indian name
vzs -Ha-tchoo- tllc knee ttae sn=pping tur-
t.sl. The gTearast chisf OF governor the Cnoe-
tass ever had va rsllarksuls man lie
ysas oorn Ia "Hush-ook va, no" part of
Noxubee county, Ms In lSoo, AID died n
Washington D. G.. January, ISL
lis father Was a white man, bearing Gen
Washington ; commission as al interpreter,
and his mother tall bloodsd Choctaw.
He was brought up Ike the average Indian
boy OF his trloe Ia those days, but, manifest
ins a desire % be educated he was sent 30
miles 70 school Ia Tennesses. Al tie end II
the Grst quarter he returned home % tnd bis
people engaged Ia negotiating a treaty with
the general government As he considered
the terms Of the instrument a fraud upon his
tribs, DO refused 70 shake hands ~lth Gen.
jackson, who hsd the matter IN charge on
behalf Of the United States
He afterwards attended tbs Columbia
Tenn academy, and was ultimately grad
uated al the University of Nashville.
Although he never changed his opinion
CARING the treaty be became a strong friend
OF General Jackson.
After graduation he returned 70 Mississippi,
became a farmer. and married, being the
first Choctaw 10 depart from the practice of
polygamy.
Ia l-.o he was appointed leader OF an In
dian delegation sent out by the United States
hto the Usage country ou peace making
md exploring expedition, preparatory - the
removal of the Choctaws, Chickasaws and
Greeks beyond the Mississippi Six months
were occupied in the journey, and the nego-
tiation~ were in every way successful, Pitch
lynn daplsiug no little diplomatic skin and
courage, although only twenty-five He
eu.gra,ei from tho old home 10 the new
reservation with his tribe, and built a cabin
on tie Arkansas river.
He was a great aImirer Of Henry Clay,
whom be met for the first time in 1910 Il
was on "a steamboat on the Ohio. He noticed
two men in the cabin earnestly engaged in
conversation. % which he was An attentive
listener During the course Of their remarks
be turnel u his travelling companion and, in
a whisper said: If that old farmer with an
uglv face had only been educated for the law,
be wouil have made one of the greatest men
in the country" He soon learned that the
cold farmer with the ugly face" was Henry
Clay.
1t was this celebrated Choctaw chief,
whom he met on his "Trip by steamer on the
Ohio. ca route from Cincinnati TO Louisville,
that Charles Dickens described in his Amer
lean Eotes,"
Governor Pitchlynn was the first Of his ma
tion TO discard, metephorically, the "breech
clout and the first 10 recommend the aban-
donment OF pOlygamy. He never accepted
il, but discounteuanced the practice Of it at
the beginning Of his eyentful and noble
career.
At the breaking out Of the civil war in lS6l
ne was in Washington attending to public
br-naes Tor his tribe, and assured Mr. Lin
coin that he hoped to keep his people neutral,
l.t Le could not prevent three Of his children
arl many others from joining the Confed-
eracv.
IIe himself remained a firm Union man all
through the war, not withstanding the fact
that the Confederates rSSled his magnificent
ranch oul captured all Of his immense herds
# cattle, wtilc tho emancipation proclama-
tion Creei 100 Cf has savesl
lie was q wonderful orator, as q perusal Of
his many speeches will confirm. a genuine
Christian AMI perfect gentleman. He was
buried with Masonic houors in the Congress
sonal cemetery at Washington. D. c., and
Albert Pike, the poet, delivered a eulogy
over him. and his memory is deeply vene-
rated Wherever the Cboctaw language is
spoken and by every one VINO ever had the
pleasure of the Acquaintance Of such noble
man.
ITO was thoroughly versed IN al the lore.
suuersti ions and curious traditions Of the
tribe. and % hear him talk on these strange
subjects was literary and Archaeological
treat.
Tie many years ago gave me much infor-
nation regarding ms primitive people, their
supposed origin, and the tradition Of their
mi--lrlol o. Che region % tne Mississippi
j. appears chat tlc Chootavs. Chickasaws.
Crock aai Saminoles were n some remote
per.l. antiquity All one nation, and tbat
Through some iute1ec.ne struggle they dis
solved their tribal relations; the word Chata
lChocteuI s suppose. to mean a separation,
Though its original definition is lost. Chica-
saw ea7s rebellion, and tho proper name II
lo Cr.e-s IS they are co,iei I'D their own Ian
cua-r. IS "Nlus-k0-gee when first known
t,-.e whites they lived in the country be-
tween Tho br lkwaters OF the Alob7ma and
sarsauah rivers and rs this was full of
small streams anJ creeks they were called