The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
Weatherford's Own Story
 Of the Fall Of Fort Min1s

to the Wabash and visited several tribes--the Shawnees or Sowanokas.
 (This trip Tuskenea did make, or have often heard him speak of it, and have seen some women of the Hopun- giesas and Shawness that he carried to the Creek Nation.)
 Weatherford said that not long after the return of Tuskenea to the Creek Nation Tecumseh, the prophet. with Seekaboo and others made their ap- pearance at the Tuckabatchy town. A talk was put out by the Warrior. Moniac and Weatherford attended the talk No white man was allowed to be present.
 Tecumseh stated the object of his mission, that if 1t could be effected the Creeks could recover all the country that had been taken from them and that the British would protect them in their rights.
 Moniac was the first to oppose Tecumseh's talk. He said the talk was bad one and that Tecumseh ought to leave the nation. The Big Warrior seemed inclined to take the talk.
 WATERPROOF OPPOSED THE
 WAR AGAINST THE WHITES.
 The correspondence was carried on through Seekaboo who spoke English. After Moniac had closed Weatherford said to Seekaboo to say to Tecumseh that the whites and the Indians were at peace and had been for several years; that the Creek Indians were doing we'll and that it would be bad policy for the Creeks at least to take sides against either the British or the Americans. in the event of a war, (this was In 1S11.) Besides, he said. when the English held sway over the coun- try, they were equally as oppressive as the Americans had been, if not more so, and in the American Revolution the Americans had been few yet, they had gotten the better of the English, and that they were now very strong and if interest was to be consulted, they had better join the Americans.
 After this talk Tecumseh left for home but prevailed upon Seekaboo and one or two others to remain among the Creeks.
 In 1872 the Indians killed Arthus Lott and Thomas Meredith. which I before mentioned as well as Captain Isaac's going with the Little Warrior to the mouth of the Duck River Moniac and Weatherford took a trip to the Chickasawa. in the Mississippi Ter ritory trading in beef cattle After this matters calmed down until the opening of 1913. On their return they found that several chiefs had assem- bled at a place that was afterwards settled by one Townsend Robinson from Anson County, N. C. They were taking the Ussa or Black Drink and had Weatherford's and Moniacs family at the public square.
 They told Moniac and Weatherford that they should join or be put to death. Moniac boldly refused and mounted his horse. Josiah Francis his brotherin-law seized the bridle of his horse; Moniac snatched war club from his hand, gave him a severe blow and put out with a shower of rifle balls following him.
 Weatherford consented to remain He told them that he disapprobrated their course and that 1t would be their ruin-but that they were his people, he was raised with them and he would share their fate. He was no chief but had much influence with the Indians He was always called by the Indians Billy Larny. or Yellow Billy. His other name was Hoponika Futsahia. or as nigh as I can give the English of it. Truth Maker, and he was all of that
 He then proposed to the Indians to collect up all such that proposed go- ing to war with the whites; take their women and children into the swamps of Florida. leave the old men and lads to hunt for them, and leave the picked warriors to collect together and operate wherever it was thought best.
 He said that he had several reasons for making this proposition to the Ala bama River Indians; one was that he thought by the time they could take their women and children to Florida and return, that the upper towns which were almost to a man hostile except the Netches and Hillabys, and were principally controlled by the Ocfuskee Chief Menauway, or Ogillis Iacha or Fat Englishman (these were the names of the noted man who head ed the Indians at the Horse Shoe) that they would perhaps come to terms and by that means his people would be spared and not so badly broken up and would be the means of saving the lives of many whites on the thinly settled frontiers; and if the worst came to the worst they could carry on the war with less trouble. less danger. less ex- pense. than to be troubled with their women and children
 INDIANS SOUGHT AID
 AT PENSACOLA.
 But in all this he was overruled by the chiefs. Some of their names I Will give you. The oldest and principal chief the one looked upon as the Gen. eral was a Tuskegee called Hopie Tus- tenugga or Far-Off Warrior He was killed at Fort Mims. The others were Peter Mcqueen. Jim Boy or High Head Jim. Illes Harjo or Josiah Francis. the new made Prophet. the Otisee Chief Nehemarthla Micco. Paddy Welch Hoosa Yoholo and Seekaboo the Shaw nee prophet and many others I could name.
 The first thing to be had was ann munition. Peter Mcqueen. with Jim Boy as his War Chief with a party of Indians started for Pensacola (their numbers have been greatly overrated. On their return at Burnt Corn Springs they took Betsy Coulter the wife of Jim Cornells. not Alexander Cornells Che was the government interpreter) and took her to Pensacola; they sold her to a French lady. Madame Bar rone At Pensacola they met up with Zack McGirth and some of them want