Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-04-16
GREENWOOD LEFLORE.
Career of One of Mississippi's Most
Famous Characters.
sketch Of the Noted Indian Chief In
Whose Honor the County of Lefiore and
the City Of Greenwood Are Named.

| of Greenwood Lefore. one OF Missls-
sippis noted Indian chiefs, would be In
teresting at this time.
| In the month of September, 1890 the
celebrated Dancing Rabbit Creek
| treaty" was made between the Choetaw
Nation and the United States. OF that
treaty the following is taken from Hutch
inson's Mississippi code, 11!S to 1S4si
/. Perpetual peace a,d friendship Is
pledged and agreed upon by and between
| the United States and the Mingoes chiefs
and warriors Of the Choctaw nation OF req
people; and that this may be considered
the treaty existing between the parties,
all other treaties heretofore existing, ana
| inconvenient with the provisions OF this,
are hereby declared null and void.
| 2. The United states, Under a grant
| specially to be made by the President OF
| the United States, shall cause to be con.
veyed to the Choctaw Nations tract OF
| country west of the Mississippi river. In
| fee simple to them and their descendants,
| to insure to them while they shall ex-
| list as a nation and live on II: Beginning
near Fort Smith, where the Arkansas
| boundary crosses the Arkansas river; run
| ming thence to the source Of the Canadian
| Fork, II In the limits; thence due south
| to Red River, and down Red Riyer TO
| the west boundary OF the Territory OF
| Arkansas; thence north along that line
| to the beginning. The boundary to the
| same to be agreeable to the treaty made
| and concluded in Washington City In the
year 1895. The grant is to be executed as
| soon as the present treaty shall De satls-
| fed" Section Is of the treaty says: TO
4 each Of the chiefs of the Choctaw Nation,
| to-wit: Greenwood Lefiore. Meta ckachie
| and Mushulatubbe, there is garnted res
| ervation of four sections of land. For
| further information of this treaty see
| Hutchinsons code of Mississippi)
Greenwood Lefore was born near
French Camp, Miss, in the year 1900. He
was of Indian and French pareptage, his
| father being a Frenchman and his moth
er a half-breed of the Choctaw Nation.
In the sweet, pure atmosphere of the
pines. whose towering nights cast their
| shadows across the hills that ribbed this
section of country, young Leflore had
his early happy hunting grounds. Fleet
| of foot as the deer that roamed the for
est, and straight in form as the arrow of
| his own make, with his mothers features
| and expressions more strongly accent
uated than those of his sire, this cOmely
| Indian boy. destined to play an active
and conspicuous part in the States his
tory, grew and strengthened into man
| hood, At tho early age of Is years
| Greenwood Leflore sought in marriage
| the handsome daughter of Maj. Donley,
| of Nashville, Tenn. His suit pr0spered,
| and the happy couple were united In
| wedlock. Returning with his bride to
| Mississippi-the stage upon which the
most interesting part of his life was act
ed-here he became the chief of the Choc-
taw Nation In this position he was en-
| abled to serve the United States govern
ment to the extent of bringing about the
| Dancing Rabbit Creek treaty in 1880.
| for which he was handsomely awarded
| by a gift of 1900 acres of the most fer
tile lands of Mississippi in Carroll eoun-
ty and portion of Leflorc county, va
zoo Delta, the latter county being formed
in 1871 and named Leflore in honor OF
the chief. Selecting the most beautiful
spot in all his broad acres for home
site, such as only nature in her most
artistic moods can touch into living
picture, for when the roof tree was plant
| ed, this undulating section of country
| was replete with scenic grandeur, pa
latial home was erected in 1850. Rose
| wood furniture from Paris. France. up
holstered in handsome damask, finished
in exquisite workmanship of brass. The
shades that hung from the windows
claimed the brush and skill of an artist
of true worth. Upon them were painted
the Tuilleries, with its gardens and pal
ace of beautiful Paris, showing the in
paternal ancestor. This furniture, cost
ing $4,000, was placed in his parlor. All
| the furniture in his home was imported
| from Paris, as also was handsome car
| riage and horses, which is now at the
old home of his second wife, who sur
| wives him, living there. Greenwood Le-
fore christened his beautiful home Nal
maison, and here, in ideal luxury, he lived
| with his wife and three children. He
| owned GOO slaves, who loved him, as he
| was kind and just master. If one
CHANGED to become dissatisfied and ran
| away, he never made an effort to cap
| ture him.
In 1851 Leflore was elected to the State
Senate, serving his people well. He was
| elected on the Whig ticket. During the
| administration of President Andrew
| Jackson there was an Indian agent
named Martin, who by his unworthy and
dishonest acts rendered himself so OBJ
noxious to Lefiore that he wrote several
times to the President asking for his re.
| movaI Failing to have the agent re
moved in this way, Greenwood Lefiore
| mounted his horse and rode to Washing
| ton to see the President. After talking
some time to President Jackson, impor-
| tuning him to remove Agent Martin
| jackson finally. getting angry, rose to
his full hight and said:
/ 81 Andrew Jackson, President of the
United States, say Marrn is gentleman
and shall remain"
The intrepid and indomitable chief o.
the Choctaws also rose and said:
II, Greenwood Leflore. chief and kin,
of the Choctaws, say that Martin is ,
d-n rascal and shall be removed"
Turning upon his heel, he left the Pres
ident and started home. Upon his ar
rival he found that Martin had been re
moved, and by President Jackson's or
ders.
In 1S41 the name of the little villag
of Williams Landing. on the Yazoo rivei
was changed to Greenwood in honor Q
the chief. 1t was the custom of Leflor
| to buy his supplies in the Northwest an
have them brought down the MississipI
river and then through the Yazoo pasi
down the Yazoo river to Greenwood. Th
ter. imposed . tar Of 81 on all waite
craft that landed at the town whar
One of Greenwood Ledore's hatboats ha'
ing been charged the wharfage fee of
incensed him to that point that be sal
he would build him a town of his owl
He built road from the foot of the hi
to the mouth of the Yalobusha, where
empties into the Tallahatchie, formin
the Yazoo river. This road was min
miles long and was thrown up with dil
and laid with puncheons in many place
He built his town, calling it Point Lefior
At one time there were twelve busines
houses there and great deal of shi