The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-12
D0n Tho [L6G@papy W@n00dlo

death. BY order of General Scott ne and
his two sons were shot, their friends being
compelled to do the shooting, as 1t was
thought this would have salutary ERECT
on the others. And so the work OF re-
moval went on! Junaluska said OF Gen
eral Jackson: IF l had known he would
allow us to be treated SO, ! would have
killed him at the Horseshoe
II quote from the Nineteenth Annual
Report OF the Bureau of American Eth
nology concerning this tragedy III the
lives of the Cherokees: THE history OF
this Cherokee removal of 1888, as CLEANED
by the author from the lips OF the actors
in the tragedy. may well exceed IN weight
of grief and patnos any other passage IN
American history. Even the much-sung
exile of the Acadians falls far behind 1T IN
its sum of death and misery. Under
SCOTS orders the troops were disposed at
various points throughout the country,
where stockade forts were erected for
gathering in and holding the Indians pre-
paratory to removal From these, squads
of troops were sent to search out with
away in the caves or by the side of noun
tain streams, to seize and bring IN as prs
oners all the occupants. however, or
wherever they might be found. Families
ut dinner were startled by the sudden
CLEAN OF bayonets in the doorway. and
rose up. to be driven with blows and oaths
along the weary miles that led to the
stockade. In many cases, on turning Tor
one last look as they crossed the ridge,
they saw their homes IN flames, fired by
the lawless rabble that followed on the
heels of the soldiers to loot and plllage.
So keen were these outlaws on the scent
that In some instances they were driving
off the cattle and other stock before the
soldiers had fairly started their owners in
the other direction Indian graves were
robbed of silver medals and other valu-
ables placed with the dead. Some future
Harriet Beecher Stowe may here find the
truth to embody in a story of the OPP
pressed!
1.-The Eastern Band of Cherokees, of
whom / am supposed to write, We're, ORR
ginally, the fugitives who refused to go,
and could not be caught!
colonel William H. Thomas, upon
whose shoulders the mantle of Yonaguska
fell, needs no mention at the hands of the
writer. AS history is so closely inter
woven with that of his native State, it has
been often written. The Indians lost
nothing and gained largely under his
leadership. Although Democrat and true
Southerner, he. at first, refused to take
the Indians into the war, until forced to
do so by public opinion, then for local
defense. As the emergency OF the times
| arose, company was increased to bat
talon, battalion to a regiment, the re-
giment to the Legion" and finally to
| two regiments, two battalions and bat
| terry of artillery. None CT this however,
has place here except the four Indian
companies.
"In thus going into the Southern army
| the Indians were actuated solrely by their
respect and veneration for their chief, Col
| Thomas. East Tennessee, where most OF
their military duties were performed, was
| just across the great Smokes from their
homes AS one of the regimental officers
of the Legion" the writer can truthful
ly declare that in all of the conduct of the
Indians towards the Federals they were
always humane and generous, with no ex-
cesses beyond those of ordinary soldiers
| In only one instance did the savage come
! to the surface. At Baptist Gap, in the
| Cumberland mountains, September, 1862.
in fight with the Federals, one of our
| lieutenants-a splendid Indian warrior,
and grandson of Junaluska-was killed
in gallant charge. His followers were
so much incensed that they dashed for
! i
and before they could be restrained they
had scalped several of the wounded
enemy. This officer, Lieutenant John
Astoogastoga, was handsome. manly
Christian fellow, and would have been a
man of mark in any community. Many
of the Indians later on during the war had
many good opportunities to desert, had
they wished to do so. / must say that /
cannot believe the statement sometimes
made by Federals that the Indians desert
ed whenever they found an opportunity to
do so.
AS many intelligent and patriotic
whites differed in opinion about the war,
it would not have been so surprising had
the Indians done so. few months after
1.-THE collapse of the Confederacy, had oc-
casion to travel through the Indian set
Element, and / was astonished to learn
how angry they were with the whites for
surrendering so tamely, as they thought.
1t was more than year after the close
of the war before they would permit those
who had fought on the Union side to re.
turn to their homes. and then only at
the command of Colonel Thomas"
In the Atlantic Monthly for July there
is an extremely interesting and important
review of the First Year of Cuban Self
Government. The author of thin paper
Captain Matthew E. Hanna, was on the
staff of General Wood during the Ameri
can occupation of Havana; for two years
he was Commissioner of Public Schools
and he is at the present time military at
tache of the American Legation in Hava-
ma. He is therefore peculiarly fitted to
write with authority and understanding
of the advances which have been made
during one year of complete Cuban con
troll The showing that he makes of the