The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-04-07
AN INDIAN LEGEND.
An Indian Chiefs Curse.
4 U0nta Journal.

|
Chattahoochee, in the lower part Of
the State, were the abiding places Of
many indians. Here they lived and
thriyed until the pale face came with
his frewater and his frearm. Now
the pale face holds the land and the
land holds all that is left of the In.
dians who did not leave Immediately
for those who remained are there yet.
The one grand theme of American his.
tory is that the pale face and the red
man cannot abide in the same place,
unless separated by certain quantity
of carth-with the redskin on the un.
der side. Shot and 'half shot" the
poor Indians were all taken off-some
by bullets, and the others by "balls'
and now only few worn mounds
mark the spots where once proud chiefs
held sway.
The names of counties and Of towns
once the villages of the redskins, are
all reminiscent of the early inhabita-
tion. Both in the adjacent sections
of Georgia and Alabama it is noticea-
BILE. There is Muscogee and Chatta-
hoocbe and Oswichee and Chunnenug-
gee. The whole country is alive with
legends and tales of the departed sava-
| gcs.
All that portion Of Alabama situa-
ted just opposite Muscogce county
was once owned by great and very
wealthy chief. Over his thousands of
fertile acres roamed herds Of fat cattle
and fine horses. Tradition is not to
be relied upon as to the chiefs name.
Some say che was called in the Indian
language Wamachoochee; but is often
er said that it was Amaquoiwaista-
cbatta." Whatever it may have been
whether longer or shorter-it does
not matter. The story is the same.
His name was not talisman enough to
save him from his fate. 1t was too
long, just as his acres were too broad.
The first act Of despoilation on the
part of the greedy invaders is respon-
sible for this historical doubt. They
stript him of his proud title and
branded him plain Sykes. To this
was coupled another insult-Tom.
The stately diphthongs were replaced
by harsh consonants and Amaquoi-
waistachatta became Tom Sykes. Ugh!
The stranger in those parts now is
struck by the appearance of the coun-
try. Huge gullies and ravines every
where meet the eye. bitches, once
dug to drain the soil, have since be-
come great crevasses and huge land
slides show where the earth has begun
to slough away. Through these vast
channels the soil drifts into the Chat
tahoochee and great bars are left pro-
jecting out into the center of the
stream. The rest is washed down
stream to add to the difficulties Of nav
igation and create impediments only
to be removed by government appro-
priations and the ceaseless toll OF the
dredging boats.
Tradition says this is the curse of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!
The legend is weird and when it was
related to me I could not but feel a
creepy sensation and afeeling of some
awe as I gazed upon the ruin wrought
by the treacherous soil. A blight
seems surely to have fallen upon the
land!
The story was told ME some years ago,
but it made profound impression. 1t
continues thus:
1t sounds like proclamation to call
the unfortunate chief by the uncere-
monious name bestowed upon him by
his white neighbors. tits equally i'm
possible to use his own title ev-
cry time I speak of him, so Tom Sykes
he must be, even though it ruin the
story ond strik, a discord in the ro-
mani, ] feel a great sympathy for
the poor Indian, but 1 am not lacking
in appreciation for the motives which
led to the contraction Of his name.
Tom Sykes was one against many.
He was likewise no trade. He is fur
ther said to have be been over fond at
times of frewater. All of this shows
that Tom Sykes was destined to mis-
fortune and ruin. In the present day
he would be called an ''easy mark. 7"
They didn't call it that way in those
times, but the process was just the
same.
Little by little did the broad acres
Of the great chief dwindle, and great
er and greater became the acquisitions
of his neighbors. His herds and
hocks were thinned and the herds and
hocks of the others increased and
multiplied. Everybody pushed Tom
Sykes along and the goose was work
ed overtime to provide golden eggs for
the greedy pale faces. They bought a
little and took much, and in a few
years the great Amaquoiwaistachatta
became poor Tom Sykes, whom every
body looked down upon and plunder-
ed. When he could no longer be
plundered he was kicked.
The Indians proud spirit was at last
broken, and his great, high brow be-
came wrinkled, his straight figure bent
and his eagle eye dimmed. Finally
he became discord in the community,
bone-though dry one-of conten-
ton, and the people decided that ne
must go.
Tom Sykes, broken in spirit and
will, had no heart to protest. tie
bowed in resignation to the dictates
of his now powerful nighbors and pre-
pared to do their bidding. The pre-
paration was short. He had little to
carry away with him except heart
full of fierce hate and a soul full OF
bitter curses for the advance agents OF
civilization. who had first robbed him
of his worldly goods and had now come
to drive him away from the home OF
his Understanding else. The faith
full squaw rested beneath mound near
by. The faithful steed had already
gone to the happy hunting grounds to
await his coming. The bow was stiff
from long disusc, and the quiver was
empty and shattered. Only the aged
and broken warrior remained, and he,
too, must now depart.
Amaquoiwaistachatta drew himself
up to his full height and surveyed the
group of insatiate white men. lie was
no longer Tom Sykes. He became
once more the proud chief. His eyes
flashed with their old ferccncss and
, ELL ,,,,1 ci ropo &c hn no.