The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-07
Woodward Had Just Left Camp and Narrowly Missed Being an
 Eyewitness of the Scene Be- tween the Conquered and Com
 queror. \

of Lieutenant in the army to be at- tached to his regiment.
 was not ambitious forf military honors and concluded to join the In- iians. had been paid for my ser vices in the previous campaign, had pony and that was all I needed.
 I made up a mess with Sam Sells John Winslett, Billy Meckintosh, Joe Marshall. Jim Moniac and others and went where it suited me. This gave me an opportunity of becoming acquainted with all the little hostile bands and their leaders. As l have described to you before. how most of them were situated. after General Jackson reached the fork of the Tal- lapoosa and Coosa Rivers. 1t is not necessary to do so now. Though -Weatherford was still at Moniac's Is- land. when reached General Jackson's camp, Tom Carr. or Tuskegee Emar- Moniac that Billy Weatherford could come in with safety as Colonel flaw kins had taken 1t upon himself to let General Jackson, know who and what weatherfori was.
 one day went out with Sucky Cor nells to Cornells old COW pens to see Jim Boy and Paddy Welch, who had been one of the principal leaders in the fight against General Floyd. Welch was afterwards hanged for killing a man near Claiborne. named Johnson. and another by the name of McCaskill or McCorkell. Jim Boys camp was not far from Pole Cat Springs on the Cnbahatchie. and near where he built a town after that which was called Thlopthlocco.
 WEATHERFORD AND OTHERS
 HAD COME INTO CAMP.
 On our return to camp Weatherfori. Tom Carr. Otis Harjo, Catsa Harjo. or Mad Tiger. a Coowarsartda Chief and host of others had come in. so miss ed hearing the great speech. or seeing Ben Baldwin's white horse or the deer. The horse I never heard of until found him in Colonel Pickett's history
 There was a talk with the General Weatherford, and some chiefs and of course I did not hear, not being per mittei at headquarters as I was looked upon as another Indian. But I think know the purport of that talk, as well as any man living or dead. for knew both the men well; long after that and have heard both of them talk it over and I will give you as near as I can what passed between the two men al their first interview.
 General Jackson said to Weather: ford that he was astonished that a man of his good sense. and almost a white man, had taken sides with an ignorant set of savages. led astray by men who professed to be prophets and gifted with more than supernatural know ledge. And more than all he had le6 the Indians at Fort Mimns and was one of the prime movers in the mas. sacre.
 Weatherford listened attentfvely tt l the General until he was through. Ht then said to the General that much hat | been charged to him that he had beer l innnocent of, and that he believer a: little In Indian or white prophets al | any man living. and that he regretted the unfortunate destruction of For Mimms and its inmates as much as thu l General did. or any one else.
 weatherford. continuing said that 1 l was true that he was at Fort Mimm when the attack was made and 1t wa but e little while after the attack wa
 made before the hostile Indians seeme
 inclined to abandon their undertaking
 that those in the forts. particularly tn
 half breed under Dixon Bailey. poure
 such a deadly fire into their ranks a
 to cause them to back off for a while
 ford advised them to draw off alto
 gether.
 He then left to go some few miles
 where his half brother Davy Tate. ha
 some negroes to take charge of then
 to keep the Indians from scattertn
 them: after he left the Indians sut ceeded in firing the fort. and waite
 until 1t burned so that they could ente
 it with but little danger.
 He also told General Jackson ths had he joined the whites hrs actio would have been attributed cowardice and he would not have bee thanked for 1t. And. moreover. 1t wa his object in joining the Indians. ths
 he thought he would in many instance | be able to prevent them from commi ting depredations upon defenselei persons: and but for the mismanag, } ment of those who had charge of tf . fort he would have succeeded, anu l closing The said: Now, sir, have told you the trutl ! if you think deserve death, do as yo r please. I shall only beg mercy for . starving parcel of women and chilC 3 ren. and those ignorant men who ha, been led into the war by their chiefs This was as much as I ever learne from General Jackson. and I will prt 3 ceei to give Weatherford's own stat, l ment which I have often heard .hi ) make. But before I go will tell WI I think the story of the deer and u ] horse was played off on the credulit l of Colonel Pickett as well as oth,
 things I see in his history that I kno t of my own knowledge and SO ( s others. to be incorrect. After 1t WI I known that General Jackson wou punish any one troubling an Indis s coming to camp unarmed. and partic, t larly Weatherford Indians were put ] searching the country. particr f larly for something to eat. Moni, { was under the impression that he cou