The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-20
Arp COrreCtS a Historian
{ tTRAIG HTENS OUT COME STATEMENTS
REGARDING INDIAN MISSIONARIES. q
story of DR. Isutler aud ypIsS-sngc of Bar.
tow Jaa'tks TINT Minister Was Not
IS Rtnken to Mnlcdgoviilc with
it8 sST Rope Around Ills Neck.

That is pretty and, pathetic story
that my young friend Fred Govan
wrote about the missionary, DR.. But
Ter and his wife. No doubt but that
it was founded on fact, and he prob
ably got his data from some very old
man who still lives noar Coosavillc,
little village twelve miles below
Rome. was Interested in tho story
because whom L was lad that same
DR.. Butler was imprisoned in the
county jail in Lawronceville, where
my father lived. Another mission,
ary, by the name of Worcester, was
imprisoned with him, and thoir Of
fonse was their refusal to take tho
oath Of allegiance to tho State OF
Georgia or otherwise to leave tle
Cherokee nation. They vere sus-
pected Of using. their influence to
~sentlef the Indians dissatisfied with
the treaty that required thom to go
west. John Howard Payne, tho au-
thor of "Home Sweet Home," was
also suspect, and was arrested and
taken TO Milledgoville to be exam
inod. Those wero hot timos in Gcor-
gia, especially north Georgia, for
! Gwinnott was border county, and
we children could almost SEQ Indians
squattcd among tho chinquapin bush
es or behind the trees on tho road to
the mill. We know thoy were just
over the Chattahoochoo river, and
that some white people over thcrc
bad been murdered by them. In
dians were as much terror to us as
ghosts and runaway negroes. The
new granite jail had just been COM
pleted, and nine Indians wore the
first prisoners. They all escaped
within week. They tool; up q stone
in tho floor and burrowed out like
mOleS or rabbits.
never heard until Govan wrote it
that Butler was dragged to Millodgo-
villo with rope around his neck,
nor am / prepared to believe that
much of tho story. Ho and Wor-
cester were arrested at Now Echota
Gin Gordon County, and brought
mounted to Lawrencevilo and tried
before Judge Clayton, who was Mrs.
Henry Grady's grandfather, alcarncd,
humane and incorruptiblo Judge.
They had the best of local counsel.
Elisha Chester, also a native of Con
necticut, aud thoy had the renowned
William Writ as an adviser, and
They had The president, John Quincy
Adams on their sido John Mar
shall, the chief justice of the supremo
court, issued his mandamus to com
pei Judge Clayton to release tho
prisoners, but he refused, and col
lision seemed inevitable between tho
United States and tho State Of Gcor-
gia. think that Mr.. Govan's in
formant is mistaken, for Butlcr had
lots of friends-powcrful friends
and John Ross, tho chief Of the
Cherokees, was. backing him. Doubt
less he was good man, but no was
stubborn and fanatical, and declared
no owed no allegiance except to tho
American board Of foreign missions,
and to God-that it was his duty to
toach Christianity to tho Indians,
and ho would continne to do 80.
B tn these men wcro convicted
and sentenced to the ponitontiary for
fonr years. When thcy arrived at
Milledgevillo Governor Lumpl<in
kindlHadviscd them to take tho oath
or 9E,reo to loavo tho State, and if
thY would do either ho would at
'sonco pardon them. They refused
and wrote to tho board Of missions
for advice That board commanded
their refusal and again urged Writ
and Sergeant to resort to tho su-
prcmo court. But these eminent law
ycrs advised an acceptance of Gov
ernor Lumpkin's offer. So thoy ac-
cepted and were pardoned- and my
father always said they returned to
Connecticut. He know them and
had many conversations with them
and give them good advice, for ho,
too, was a New England man. And
henco ] am surprised to learn from
Mr.. Govan that Butler returned to
his missionary work and died near
(. 410OsavilIo md VINO bur;ol 1>,r iL,,