The Van Buren press., 1904-05-07
Sequoyah's skeleton.
From the Kansas cicy Journal.

discovery OF an Indian skeleton
near his mining claim last Decem.
ber. The discovery was made
public at that time. Mr.. Fancher
said:
"Late one evening, as | was
coming in from my work a rabbit
ran in front of me and disappeared
in the crevice of some rocks that
had been piled on the side of a
small hill. | followed the rabbit
and in removing the rocks to get
at it found the skeleton and the
other things | now prize so much.
These things | have yet in my
possession, and no little money
will buy them. Among them is a
silver medal, four inches in diane.
ter, perfectly round, composed of
two pieces of solid silver clamped
together on the circumference, on
one side of which IS inscribed in
radish form a tomahawk and pipe
with their handles crossed, be-
meath them two clasped hands
representing the army and navy
or the United States, on one of
which was an American eagle and
on the other three buttons to
which the strips of color were
attached; beneath them are the
words, "Peace and Friendship; on
the other side of the medal were
the words, arranged around the
border like the inscriptions on a
dollar, 'Th. Jefferson, president of
the United States A. ID. 1901 and
in the center of the medal was
was engraved the picture ofJeffer-
son.
"Among the other things found
were tiintlock rifle, seven tlints,
three bars of lead (hand made,
bullet molds and bullet ladies', a
frying pan, a pipe, a buckle, an AK
or tomahawk, an ld.tashioned
English hoe, and some nuggets of
copper
"From all the investigations |
have made | am inclined to the
opinion that the dead man was
none other than Sequoyah, the
chief of the Cherokees, to whom
was given this silver medal by the
government for the purpose of
forming an alphabet for the Chero.
kee language. 1t is q known fact
only two of these medals were in
eyistance, and one Of them was in
the possession of Sequoyah.
"Since making this find a book
has been sent me from England,
giving biography of Sequoyah.
In this book it is stated that he
came into the Wichita mountains
IN 1887, and there died, and no.
thing more was known of him.
This biography states that he was
crippled in the left leg. The skele
ton | found shows that the left
leg had been affected, and was
probably shorter than the other.
There were three other men who
started out with him from ST.
Louis that year, and they lost
their horses in the Wichita mount.
aims. What became Of the other
men is unknown. According to
this book, Sequoyah's name in
English was George Guess or
Geist.
"Mrs. Keys, who lives at Nlnita,
|. f., is sister of Sequoyah, and
her statements to me bear out the
biography as contained in the
book. She says that he was born
in Georgia, and was hfty.6ve years
of age at the time Of his death.
He was only quarter.bree Chero.
kee, but was chief Of the tribe.
His home was at Tahlequah, |. T..
In looking over the medal which
| showed her, she discovered
Sequoyah's picture dimly engraved
just beneath the cross formed by
the tomahawk and the pipe. She
is positive that the remains are
his, and has made me large offers
for the things | have in my pos
session, bat it will take $500 to
get them.V