The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-17
SUNDAY, JUNE IT, 1906.
REmoyAL or rHE INDIAN.

Tn the June issue of Sturm's state hood Magazine, Mrs. Charles B. Reed of Muskogee, who has charge of the indian department of the magazine. has a highly interesting account of the ex- patriation of the Indians of the South, especially the Cherokees. After show ing how the lands of these Indians had been absorbed by the whites. she copies from the repoft of Mr. Mooney, an eminent ethnologist. as follows,
 The history of this Cherokee removal of 1898. as gleaned by the author from the lips of actors in the tragedy, may well exceed in weight of grief and pa- thos any other passage in American history Even the mueh.sung exile of the Acadians falls far behind it in its sum of death and misery. Under Eeott's (Gen. Winfield Seottl orders, the troops were disposed at various points throughout the Cherokee coun- try, where stockade forts were erected for gathering in and holding the ID- aiaHs preparatory to removal From search out with rifle and bayonet every small sabin hidden away in the coves CT by the sides of mountain streams, to seize and bring in as prisoners all the occupants, however or wherever they might be found. Families at dinner were startled by the sudden sleam of bayonets in the doorway. and rose up to be driven with blows and 0aths slong the weary miles of trail that led to the stockade. Men were road: women were taken from their wheels and children from their play In many cases, on turning for one last look as they crossed the ridge. they saw their homes in flames. fired hy the 1awless rabble that followed on the heels of the soldiers to loot and pillage. scent. that in some instances they were driving off the cattle and other stock of the Indafns almost before the soldiers Other eiry huns n graves, to rob them of the silver gS ahs ana deaG Gtn1r atterward colonel in the Confederate service. said T fought through. the pieces piece and Slaughtered by thousands. but the Cherokee removal was the eruelest work I ever knew
 Then the authoress adds this further account of the movement:
 When finally about 17.OO0 Cherokees were rounded up" the removal proper tachments. averaging 900 each, with horses and wagons enough for the pur- pose, each detachment being in charge to an army-"regiment after regiment. the wagons In the center, the officers along the line and the horsemen on the
 
 Thousands perished and were hastily buried by the roadside. Scarcely e Cherokee family reached the new coun- try without the loss of me. often sev- making the leaving of the old home even sadder.
 The removal parties started in Oeto. ber, 1888. and reached their destina- ton in March, 1S39-six months of slow, miserable travel in a har1 winter. It has been stated that fully 4,on0 Cherokee died as result of this re- moval
 This Is not pleasant reading for civilized and Christian people, dealing as It does with the cruelty and injus- tice practiced by our government and people on the original inhabitants of the country we now occupy, but con temporary history bears out all the charges made. Nor were the Cherokecs alone in their sufferings. The crowd ing out and removal of the Indians is not a very pleasing chapter in our country's history