The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-06-10
S MANY SHAFTS TO INDIANS.
Argument Over Mahaska Has Started
Something. Z
Something.

noles, who founght General Jaskson
in Florida with such stubborn ability.
lies buried WITHIN an inclosure at the
entrance of Fort Moultrie. near Char
lesion. S. G. He was buried where he
died. Jan. 30, 1888. There was always
been a controversy over Osceola's abil-.
lily and character. Some writer's have
represented him to be coward and
a knave; others nave made him the
greatest Of chiefs, the ablest of coun.
sellers and bravest of warriors. He
was born on the Chattahoochee River
In Georgia in l-J4. He was not chief
by BIRTH his father being an English.
man, named William Powell, and his
mother Creek of the Red stick tribe
He was taken by his mother to Flor
ida at the age of four years and by
his force of character early attained
prominence among the Seminoles. He
was slender, we'll formed, muscular.
an excellent tactician and a great adj
| mirer of order and discipline, having
become versed IN military movements
among his white neighbors His man
ner was bold and impressive. well cali
culated to influence the timid and en-
courage the brave The Seminole war
of 1885 was largely instigated by him,
both on account Of personal affrots
and in resistance of American en-
croachments. He directed every i'm.
| portant action.
! At the beginning of the war the
Seninoles numbered 1000 men. bus
In June, 1885. with seventy-nine men,
precipitated the battle of Ouithlacoo-
chez. In this fight Osceola dressed in
| his red belt and feathered heati-dress
| sheltered himself behind big tree,
occasionally stepping out to level his
| rifle, and bringing down a man at
every shot It took several volleys
from the whole platoon to dislodge
him, and the tree was literally shot
to pieces. Osceola after the battle
| had an interview with General Gaines
in relation to terms of peace. The
| general told him to move to the south
of the Ouithlacoochee and hold him;
| self ready to attend a council when
called, and they would not be disturb
ed. He was attacked near Fort Drane
and had 1t not been for a faithful spy
Osceola would have been taken prison
! er. Making a narrow escape, he met
General Call at Nahoo In a sharp fight
in which the American army was
badly handled. Osceola's severe blows
in that contest still made. him master,
| though the report was circulated that
he had been deposed for cowardice.
| When General Jessup, certain that the
war was at an end, called upon Osceo!
la to bring his men In for removal the
latter broke up his plans, for when
the transports arrived not an Indian
could be found. In 1887, the Indians
trusting in truce until fall. Osceols
was seized by strategy of General Jes-
| sup when on his way to arrange a
| treaty, and. after several months con;
finement in st. Augustine, was sent to
Charleston, S. c., and Imprisoned I'M
Fort Moultrie until his death.
| Cornplanter was famous Seneca
| chief, also known as John o Bail, and
Is supposed to have been born between
1882 and 1740 on the Genesee River.
New York. His father was white
trader named John O'Bail, said by
some to have been an Englishman, al
| though Harris (Bunalo Hist. Soc. Pub.
vi. 416 1903) says he was a Dutchman
named Abeel. and Ruttenber (rribes
Hudson R., BIT 1872 also says he was
Dutch trader His mother was a
| full-blood Seneca. All that Is known
of Cornplanter's early days is con.
tanned in a letter to the Governor OF
| Pennsylvania, in which he says he
played with Indian boys who remarked
the difference between the color OF
| his skin and theirs; his mother in.
| formed him that his father resided al
| Albany. He visited his father, who
| Il appears, treated him kindly, but
gave him nothing to carry back; nor
| did he tell me-" he adds, that the
| United States were about to rebe
| against the government of England
He states that he was married before
this visit He was one of the parties
4 to the treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1854
when large cession of land was made
by the Indians; he also took part II
the treaty of Fort Harmar In 1883, in
which an extensive territory was con
i veyed to the United States (althougr
his name is not among the signers)
and he was a signer of the treaties oil
Sept. 10, 1897. and July 80, 1902.
i These acts rendered him so unpopu
lar with the tribe for time his lne
was in danger. In 1870 he. together
/ with Half-town, visited Philadelphia
to lay before General Washington the
grievances complained of by theil
people. In 1916 he resided just with
in the limits of Pennsylvania on his
grant seven miles below the junction
of the Connewango with the Arleghen,
] on the banks of the latter. He ther
lowned 1900 acres, of which $40 form
ed tract granted to him by Pennsyl
vania, March Is, 1876, "for his many
valuable services to the whites u
1 Is said that In his old age ne declared