Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

HEVN n army or the frontier The was
kN0A - to hold the line Of the Arkansas river as
Es~se9Sy our southern base and furnish protection
NBSMSDN TO the loyal Cherokees whose country was
S9Ssss being Invaded by ralding parties from Texas
Joined by disloyal element Of their own
people We had found the fort abandoned but the work
Of few weeks setting paIisade OF heavy timber about
" w
The view from the fortiacations was magnificent
'ahd river flowed deep quiet along the western line
9" the reservation close fort and the shallow wa
lers OF the Arkansas about miles the south spar
d through the scant border far to the west
as the eye could reach And all about great
OF grass Immense herds cattle up to their eyes in feed
sign of life 0''e
just below the fortihcatons at the south on a level
paleau was the tented encampmen our 6OOO troops
In the center Of the camp the open parade ground
with It's border Of trees; line of white houses
with green lawns four sides ouartars for ON
and and the stars and strines aoatine from The
stan In the center. Mockng birds were abundant They
caught up ana reechoed the morning buge calls and even
the bayng Of the mules their did not escape their
ambitious evening rehearsals.
Years before n 1Ss the government had an,are into
treaty With the Cherokees then having their
III ue country about Lookout mountain by the OF
which in consideration of their to the new reser-
walton in the far west the government obligated itself to
protect these people in their territory from enemies
both from without and within long as grows
and water runs" with faith of the government
pledged in this treaty sealed with as many seals and rib
bons If with czar or emperor the Indians took
up their abode in their country It was good Ioca-
ton abounding i'm fertile well wutered and timbercd
salt springs In abundance and the pasturage for
cattle grazing.
The Cherokees became prosperous people; they
adopted civilized built school houses scmnarIes
and coleges established churches over the nation;
had the bible printed In their own language: published
their own newspapers and established library for
the use Of all their people in with Young
Ladies seminary at Park Nm They to be
extensive cattle raiscrs ana the herds of
fat cattle at St Louis City the days before
the they bought negro slaves and introduced African
slavery till in few the Cherokees the spe-
cal and peculiar laws for the institution protection
OF slavery that were to be found in the radical
southern state.
From the sales of lands formerly owned by Chero-
KEGS the government had accumulated of about
S5OOO0oO which it holding in benefit
Nhen the civl war broke out the south aware of the
extreme sensitiveness people on the slavery
ton sent some of their emissaries including
Pike, urging their cooperation with the south. on the
ground that 1t was to be against slavery, the
south was only fighting to protect its property
government aware of the situation 600
young Cherokees the families were IN arms in the
confederate service fighting army Ridge and
other points Arkansas under Gen Pike These with
arms in their hands returned to the Cherokee country
with the help of Texas troopers raded the country
sroycd property in direction, and from the
country some 10000 of the loyal Indians unable
to protect themselves from enemies from both without and
within These 10000 refugees their southern
Kansas and demanded OF the that they be
restored to their country and protected.
Mr. Lincoln, busy with civil war was brought face to
face with this new complication. Was the treaty
lived up to on the part of the government" asked
loyal refugees Mr. Lincoln did not hesitate Army of
the Frontier organized Blunt Kansas fighter
placed commands 8OOO troops mostly Kansas and
Colorado faced south escorng these union refugees
fought their to the Arkansas valley: head
at Fort Gibson located refugee camp the
fort in their country, protected and fed
the country could be made free from the risk
they could be safely left in their homes.
TO represent the Indian department in this work of
these their country mission and
| found had something to do important than
listening to the mocking birds one half
years accomplish this work get the well done
of Secretary Usher
The first work reach the crowd that had gone
S5,000OO0 fund, subject to conhscation was a
potent factor in establishing better understandings Five
in most any market II put 5000 soldiers into federal
and them with muslets which they
used to good effect until the end the war.
But the old poison of slavery sl fingered At one of
my first councils with these people | used the word
loyalty" expressing the demand OF government
one of the head men interrupted asked what I
by that WORD explained. using word friend
ly instead; this understood We did not know ."
said he, but it meant placing equality with our
negroes and If IT did did not be considered
loyal"
The fear of social equality hard overcome but
the organizing of them into regiments with their
head holding officers commissions helped aIay the
pangs prejudice. But they good soldiers and
served the end of the
of the unexplainable things happened about this
the armies of raiders swept through country
burning destroying everything scattering
direction, the slaves molesed they with
turned cattle but they hover
the ruins half hiding half scared lot
They were, of low order Of chaels, they