The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-11-20
TALIHINA HOUSTON
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The monument has only recently
been put in place and is the culmna-
ton of seven years Of effort on the
part Of a patriquc citizen. j. S Hold
en-. editor of the Fort Gibson Post
to get permission from the Ware De-
partment to place the remains of the
Cherokee woman under the stars
and stripes as he thought befitted the
wife of The great Sam Houston,
soldier, statesman and wanderer.
When General Houston suddenly
and mysteriously deserted his home
hi bride of a few hours and his office
as governor of Tennessee, he came
TO the Cherokee nation and fell in
love with Talihina, a beautiful Cher
okee girl There is story that he
had seen this girl in Georgia before
she came to the Indian Territory and
that it was memory of her that led
him westward Anyway he found her
and they lived together during his
stay in the Indian Territory There
i'm Fort Gibson, ON the bank OF the
Grand, they were happy and content
But the lust Of battle was in his
blood and the call to liberate Texas
he could not resist. Without warn.
ing he left as suddenly as he had
done i'm his eastern home when ne
came to Indian Territory Talihiua
pined for her lord and i'm few months
after his disappearance she died, in
1888
Her body was buried at Wilson
Rock high blum overlooking the
Arkansas river near Medrow 7. r..
and a small cedar tree was planted
oyer her grave. For nearly go years
the body lay there I'm it's forgotten
grave, the cedar tree keeping lonely
vigil b ynight and the river murmur
ing in discomfort as il rolled by
Then Mr.. iOldeA conceived the
notion that the wife of the great
warrior was entitled TO more noble
resting place and he petitioned the
Department to allow the bones to be
taken up and reinterred in the officers
circle over which floats the nag in
the national cemetery at Fort Gibson.
This was very unusual request and
the first thing the government re-
qi;iTc5 was proof that the grave was
that of Talihina Houston before it
could be given permission. lt look
long time TO collect this proof, for
SO years IN a lonely grave seals the
book of memory In many a mind.
But the proof was finally secured
and later permission was granted by
The government to place the remains
in the Jficers' circle I'm the meaE-
time. Mr. Holden had been raising
money by subscription to bear the
expense OF transferring the body aai
erecting q marble monument
Unattended save by wOrkmen, one
Saturday afternoon. Mr. Holden
Went to Wilson Rock and eXhumel
the remains. He found the bones i'm
a wep preserved state ln the grave
was found a large tortoise shell comb
nearly six inches across. which had
been one Of Talihauits faovrite or
naments in life and had been bur
led with her Il was In perfect
state of preservation The caskee
In which the remains were placed
We're completely EMBODIED i'm an Amer
lean flag and thus onshrouded the
/ body was buried In it's last resting
place, In the presence Of many noted
| CheOkees fOr Talihina came Of a
family that had produced many IA
nous chiefs.
AAt'NN Ah IN HNAAf iliAA I dllNAud anu
General Houston We're never married
according TO the laws Of the United
states. bat simply married by com.
mon consent by agreeing TO live to-
, gether This was the custom In the
carly days among the fullblood Cher
okecs ana such a marriage was con-
sidered quite as legal as any other
! form
There Us also story that during
General Houstnn's wears among the
! Cherokoos he led a dissolute life lie
was greatly loved and feared by
many Cherokcc5 on account Of his
Kind deposition and his terrible am
ger when he was under the influence
of liquor Among SOME OF the fur
blood Cherokees there IS stil leg
end of the White deyil' that lived
among them