The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-05
CONVEYANCE TO
CHEROKEE TRIBE
Name Of General Sam HOuS.
ton Heads List of Sign.
erS 10 Document


AINNtAA " AtA--At --~fN-N-'ffs
BIuskogee Okla. March 5-This af-
ternoon six full blood Indians walked
into the Office Of the Indian agent with
parchment madc in 1895 which was
supposed 20 convey to the Cherokees
title 10 three million acres of land In
what was known az the Cherokee val
ley. between the Neches and Ange-
lima rivers The Indians who brought
the parchment have for many years
lived In the hills along the Illinois
river They want the Indian agent to
investigate their right to the land with
view OF bringing suit in the court
Of claims against the state of Texas
for possession Of the land or else have
the government reimburse them for its
value
The parchment is the original docu-
ment signed by 50 members Of the
chosen delegates OF the consultation Of
all Texas in general convention and
Sam Iioustons name leads all the rest
Henry Smith appears as governor and
&. b. Stewart executive secretary. The
document is intended TO convey to the
Cherokee indians and others who had
settled with them title to the land
mentioned. but the senate in secret
session turned the recommendation
down ana the grant was never execut-
ed, according to the best authority.
The parchment was signed at San
Felipe lie Austin. November l3,1S35.
The best authority obtainable on the
m3tter shows that in 1922 a band OF
Cherokees settled in Cherokee valley.
At that time the state of Texas was
under the sovereignty of Mexico. The
Indians We're highly educated and un-
1 der the leadership of their chiefs,
Bowls and Bigmush. had built villages
and had great tracts of land under
cultivation. The Mexican government
had promised a title to the land If
they would remain as settlers. There
we're at least about S,999 Cherokees in
Texas This was considered strong
fighting force and both the MeXicans
and the Texans sought the aid of the
Indians In their controversy. Finally
the Mexicans made an agreement with
the Cherokees That " they would be
lcomc Mexican allies and assist TO drive
the Americans out of Texas the Chero'
KEGS were TO be given the whole OF
Texas. The Cherokees were a shrewd
people however. and after making this
alliance continued TO maintain friendly
relations with the Texans. The du
piicity OF the Cherokees was discover
ed by the Texans who captured some
Mexican spies who had been sent e
1.-The. Tavar Charoioe
fuAt this time General Sam Houston
was the controlling spirit Ia Texas
Gtfairs He had married a Cherokee
and despite the discovery of the con
spiracy 0 general convention Of Tex
ans and Cherokees was called tor The
purpose OF reaching a friendly agree
ment The result OF this convention
was the agreement that the Cherokeel
should forever hold the Cherokee val
ley as witnessed by the doCumen
which the Indians brought in today
But this convention did not have pie
nary powers and the Texas senate II
secret session d'eaiiirmed Il but trie'
! 20 keep the fact from the Cherokees
This was doubtless due To the fac
I that the feeling in Texas was yer
strong against the Indians because @
{ their former alliance with Mexico an
? were looking for an opportunity to ca
pei them from the state.
Stealing cattle and the murder {
several white families furnished tn
J excuse and the Cherokees We're ordere
20 leave the state az once. They n
8 fused and made a deseprate effort
Z save their homes. but the only conce
! sion the Texans would make was a
agreement TO pay the Indians for the
g Improvements. Finally several reg
menls OF soldiers under the commau
e of General Bnrleson were sent /
ldrlye the Indians ous and the cher
KEGS were utterly routed their village
p burned and the Texans left la undi
puled possession.
These Cherolsoes had originally gor
y 10 Texas from Georgia When this
a We're driven ont of Texas they retur
y ed 10 Indian Territory, or most
"a them ana, aud settled here whore the
have taken aliotments rhe route
the Indians explains the presence
= few small bands OF CheroSees
~ View Mexico al this time, They a.
known as The "iost Cherokees" Il
= cause the government has never be,
able 10 locate them definitely ihoul
there IS trace Of them found IN q
records.
The Old document which the lndial
drought in has been in the possessi'
ol the Indians ever since and mi
have carefully guarded a. bellefil
that the time would come when III
could use Il either 10 recover the lal