The National tribune., 1904-08-11

route showed plainly already the devaS-
tating effects of the war; streets deserted
business houses all closed up. without an
exception; many of the dwellings aban-
-doned. with windows and doors broken
out; not white man. or even IA good
sized boy, to be seen: if any are remain
ing among the few families of women and
children. they prudently go into hiding
on the approach of armed men; now and
then few negroes are found remaining
to look after their masters families, while
the men are off in the rebel army.
Some of these devoted old servants seem
to think it their duty to stay and look
after their masters interests. now that he
Is gone. and refuse to avail themselves
of the opportunity to assert their freedom
but the great majority of them are prompt
10 light out to Kansas and freedom soon
as they find the way open. Many of the
rebels, however, have taken their slaves,
and as much of their stock and other prop
erty as they can move. further south to
keep them out of the reach of the -
Yankees"
The farms also show the ravages i
war: fences thrown down or destroyed
mostly burned for firewood by passin.
bodies of troops of one army or the other .
fields and orchards grown up in weeds
. livestock nearly all gone. especially mule
raised during the past season. and les
will be produced the next. The country be
ing Overrun first by rebels and then Fed
erals, what one doesn't take or destroy the
other does: between the two armies this
border country seems destined TO become
a desert waste
After | left the Indian Brigade at Flat
Rock Creek last Fall. taking George An
derson's train back to Fort Scott, Gen.
Weir. being unable to drive the rebels out
of Fort Gibson had moved eastward into
Missouri and Arkansas, to find forage and
subsistence for his command, and join
ing Gen. Bunts army had seen and par
tcipated in some lively fighting at Cane
Hill. Prairie Grove, Shirleys Ford, and a
few lesser fights and after driving the
rebel army of Gen. Hindman south to Fort
Smith. the Indian Brigade. with some
white troops, had been left ut Elm Springs.
Ark. to Winter
Early in the Spring C63)-just a few
weeks before our present trip-this COM
mand tIndian Brigade) had moved to-
ward Fort Gibson again, from Maysvilie.
Ark. which place the rebels. under Cooper
and Stan Waite. evacuated as our men
advanced. falling back across the Arkan-
Sas River. where they established camp
called Fort Davis.
1t was in the fight near the site of old
Fort Wayne, near Maysville, Ark, Oct.
30, 60 that-Capt. Henry 11Opkins's com
pany of the I'd Kans. Cav. had made a
gallant charge on rebel battery, and cap
tured the guns, but the enemy had got
away with the caissons. The outfit we
were now taking to Fort Gibson was in
tended to complete the battery for Hop
kins.
In the vicinity of the Fort Wayne fight,
as we passed along the road, we saw plenty
of signs of the battle of six months
preyious such as dead horses and mules
sbrokendown wagons. pieces of tents and
..flnc Rnfft hrnk Cssl SkQts
and old bayonets. belts and cartridge boxes
etc And such rubbish was strung along
the road for several miles beyond the bat
tie ground. showing that the enemy had
> left there in a hurry and somewhat de-
moralized.
AN INDIAN CAPITAL.
Tahequah, the capital of the Cherokee
Nation. IL miles east of Fort Gibson, WAS
small village, containing, for an Indian
town. some very respectable brick houses
and although now deserted, except for q
few families of women and children, II
looked as though in its prosperous times OF
peace it might have contained a popula
ton of 200 people. Two miles west of the
town. on the road to Fort Gibson, We
passed large brick building which, be-
fore the war, was their Male Seminary
Three miles south of the Male Seminary
is another little hamlet called Park Hill
near which is the Female Seminary, a
IL
people finish up the education of their
young men and young ladies by sending
them to some of our Eastern institutions
of learning
The Cherokees are well advanced in civil
lizatiOn, and many of them are we'll edu
cated-even refined. They have writ
ten and printed language; printing Office
in Tahlequah, and before the war pub
lished paper in Cherokee and English
Some of the mixed bloods show so little Of
the Indian: that was surprised to fine
blue-eyed. haxed-haired, light-complexionet
people here, called Cherokee Indians.
They do not seem TO flock together an(
dwell In towns as much as one woult
naturally expect from their aboriginal hab
OF living in villages but are scattered GU
through the Nation, engaged in farmin,
and stock raising-p principally the latter
Many of the mixed-bloods were wealthy
before the war began, owning large mum
bers of slaves, horses, cattle and othe
stock. and living In comfortable and com
lnodioUs houses, nicely furnished, and Will
many modern convenenceS.
In some of their houses I saw pianos
fine mirrors, fine furniture, paintings, flu,
carpets, and many other nice things tina
one would not expect TO find among In
dians: and in their barns | saw some lin
carriages and harness, but the most o
their good horses and mules had disap
peared. The country was Yet full of othe
stock, however, on our advent, such a
cattle. hogs. sheep and poultry.
/ was surprised at the scarcity of town
in so extensive a settled country: for be
sides Tahequah and Park Hill, Fort Glib
son is the only other town | remember 4
have found in the Cherokee Nation-an
j have since been over most of it, For
Gibson seems to be the trade center. Out
side of these places there were few coun
try stores scattered through the settle
mentS.
AT Fort Gibson we found the India
Brigade was getting itself pretty comforta
bly, established on the site of the camp re
Gently vacated by the rebels. The prnc
pal buildings are taken for Commissar
and Quartermasters stores, hospitals, off
GERS quarters, and other public purposes
The place is built in the style of a mil
tary post, which it was until abandone
by Uncle Sam a few years before the wal
1T is located on the south or left bank @
Grand River. two miles from its moutl
at the Arkansas. On the opposite bank G
the Arkansas River the rebel pickets ar
stationed.
Next day after our arrival we tnrne
over our battery outfit to Capt. Hopkins
company, the train unoaded it's cargo an
with its escort started back 10y the sam
route to Fort Scott: Jeff Anthony an
crew of battery drivers going with it. e,
Tocc