The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-12-05
Unique Indian History.

j.
Interesting Events Connected with
the Remnants Of Indian Tribes
in Some Of the Thirteen Original
States.
To the Editor of The Sunday
News: We are 80 accustomed to
regarding the Indians as an entirely
vanishing race that it will doubtless
surprise many of my readers to learn
that a volume of realinterest, if not
considerable historical value, could
be compiled about events ofs Indian
history which have occurred during
the last quarter of century in con-
nection with the remnants cf Indian
tribes in some Of the thirteen orr
ginal States Twill tellofs q few OF
these events here and will not 60
back quite fifteen years. Those who
are fond of what is unique may not
find this article uninterestiag.
0n May Is, 1880, ascene occurred
in thesSfate House Eat Providelce,
R. T., which might well have been
sketched by some eminent artist.
Il was meeting between a commits
sion on the part Of Rhode Island and
the council Of the Narragansett Tribe
of Indians, which council consisted
Of FIVE men, one Of whom, Gideon L.
Ammons, was an old man of between
65 and 20 years. Governor Little
field and other State officials were
present. The Indian council quit
claimed t.unto the State of Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations
the rights of the tribe aud all the
common tribal lands, except the
Indian meeting house and lot. The
State afterRards paid the sum Of $5,-
600 to she Narragansetts When the,
tribaIrelationa were broken up the
Indians became citizens of Rhode Is
land
On q bright and tranquil autumnal
day, October 9, 1884, Red jacket
and his compatriots were reinterred
in the beautiful Forest Lawn Gene.
terry, of Buffalo This re-interment
was done BY indians under the aus
pices of the patriotic Buffalo His
forical Society and was witnessed by
an immense crowd. One of the
features of the occasion was chant
in the 0nondaga tongue sung in
long, low mournfnl tones by Chief
John Buck, a Canadian Onondaga.
Other Indians joined in the chorus.
the last Ines of which, being trans
lated into English. meant ..Thus we
are become miserable y Ten times
il that chorus occurred the pathetic
word .shaih," which signifies "woe." "
The chant was repeated again later
on. Another feature of the re-inter-
ment was speech in the Seneca Ian
guage, made by Chief John Jacket,
after the remains had been lowered.
Chief Jacket is grandson of the
great orator and is himself promi-
nent Seneca of New York State. On
this mournfnl occasion he was attired
in native costume. / have not given
a full account of the re-interment,
Only touched on some of its features.
A number of Indians were present,
several of whom were from Canada:
among the New York Indians pre-
sent besides jacket, were Gen. Ely
S. Parker, the distinguished chief
sachem of the Iroquois in that State
and military e1-secretary to .. S.
Grant, also Chief John Mountpleas-
ant, of the Tuscaroras.
In January, 1887. Tom Morrison,
chief of the Catawbas, was in Colum-
bia looking iuto some ord land claims
of his tribe. The Catawba reserva-
ton is situated in York County and
comprises 732 acres more or less.
In the summer of 1889 a case oc-
cured in a South Carolina, Court
which could not fail to ca. the mind
D0Ck lC TIC OtO SOlOuldt tlnSS3 WV
days when the Catawbas were a
great nation and the Georges of
"merrie England" welded the scep-
tire and ruled over this land. The
case occurred at Yorkyille. AND was
the trial of white man from North
Carolina for assaulting Catawba
Indian with intent to kill. He was
acquitted.
In the year 1892 Gen. T. J. Nor.
gan then commissioner of Indian
affairs. visited most of the Iroquois
reservations in New York State 1t
appears that with the exception Of
one reservation no commissioner of
Indian affairs had ever visited these
reservations before. The red people
appreciated the honor shown them by
Gen. Morgan, who, upon each
roeorr.+;or tbat he visited had An