The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1897-11-05
ARP AND THE INDIAN.
rails of a Book That Belongs to
David Black.
b..t Incidents Are RecnlIed-some of
the stories That Are Told of
Ridge and Ross and
Their Troubles.

Now here Is book that is worth hav,
80 book that is 24x1s inches and
reighs rs pounds. 1t is 6l years old.
nd has 100 large-sized plates of the
S,ost notable Indian chiefs, each plate
Covering a page and being accurate and
raphic likenesses and all done in coll
re with the fuss and feathers and
r;hal ornaments and as finely executed
face and features as oil paintings.
did not know that there was such a
hook or that such work could be done
those days. Each plate has bio
graphical memoir accompanying, which
in large type-so large that | can read
offhand without glasses. This work
GEMS to have been compiled from the
|ecords in the Indian gallery of the war
Y department. at Washington by Thomas
N. Mckinney. The book nave is the
property of Mr.. David Black, of At
bnta, and as it came down to him in
he family / did not suppose there was
¬her in the state, but my friend Joe
h. Brown tells me that his brother
Elijah has il. and also another volume,
ehich / wish to see, for this one has
Neither Ross nor Osceola. 1t has Ridge
md Mcintosh aud other Creek and
cherokee chiefs, and Paddy Carr, the
famous interpreter, whose father was
Scotch-Irish and his mother an Indian.
For many years he was in Gen. Jack
on's service and in government service,
Ind got rich and invested his money in
and and negroes, and owned so slaves
Ehen be died. A warm friend of his
lad a beautiful daughter named Aria
ue, and when Paddy's wife gave birth
70 twin girls he named one AIRY and the
ther Adny.
This book has charming biography
y Maj. Ridge, and makes him a very
Strong and noble man. His
LIKENESS shows as much force and de-
ison of character as does that of Web
ter or Calhoun. Indeed, some of the
Speeches made by the Indian chiefs in
heir long protracted discussions with
he government are as pathetic, elo-
uent and unanswerable as if they came
rom Patrick Henry or any other great
(rator. 1t is touching and fearful to
cad the pleading, poetical eloquence of
black Hawk and Keokuk and Tustenug-
tee and Major Ridge and Big Warrior.
lr. Mckinney was the governments
gent in all these treaties, and declares
heir oratory to be a natural gift. and
10 race of people could excel them.
They speak without art or effort. and
post of them had low, soft, sweet and
husical voice that gave fit expression to
heir earnest pleadings.
The account given of Major Ridges
Freatest embarrassment in contending
nth John Ross is very amusing. Ross
vas bitterly hostile to Ridge and his
policy, and in order to alarm the In
ians he got half-breed named Charles
70 pretend to come down from some
ar-on mountain with a message to
hem from the Great Spirit. Charles
|aid: The Great Spirit is angry with
ou. He tells me that you are following
ne customs of the white people; that
lou have already gotten mills and
flothes and feather beds and books and
ats-yes. cats-and, therefore, the buff
aio and other game are fast disappear
Pg' The Great Spirit is angry, and
ays you must cut short your frocks and
III your cats and give up your mills and
mt living in houses, ard then your
ame will come back
This excited the Indians very much.
nd they cried out that the talk was
food. Ridge arose with anger in his
ace and voice and said: "The talk is
OF good. 1t is false. 1t did not come
Pom the Great Spirit" The Indians
ushed upon him with fury and wild
Pght ensued, and some of his friends
ere stabbed, but Ridge was a very
powerful man and defended himself
lth great courage. The tumult was
uieted after time, and Jesse Vaun
no John Harris and some old men
2rought about a reconciliation.
mere was much trouble all along
pose years. l have a long letter from
Pr. X. NJ. Edwards. a venerable lawyer
Cleveland, Tenn. He says: I'm my
[0uth spent many happy days fishing,
uniting and playing with the Indian
Yoys of the Ocoee district in East Ten
essee, and among the many sad scenes
an uneventful life one of the saddest
as TO see my little playfellows start
r their long and weary journey to the
pest They left the most beautiful
fountry | ever beheld. 1t resembled
pore magnificent park than forest,
wing TO their tribal custom of burning
II woods to keep down the under
l'o"th' 1t is singular that so
eat concourse of people-14,00O to
[O'ooo-could be gathered up by force
II were and removed. going through
ennessee, Kentucky. Indiana and Mis-
Uurl' They crossed the Tennessee at
4 vines ferry, just below the mouth of
kle niwassee; then crossed the Cumber-
W range at Pikeville, then to Sparta,
oanon and Nashville; then crossed
N, cumberland river, and next the
kio ana Nincennes; then on to the
ssissippi, which they found frozen
~ ana had to wait month for the
II 10 break, and finally reached ITALIA
Iuah in April. 1920