Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-09-26

TAHLEQUAH, okla, Sept GA
very interesting reminder OF the stir
ing times Of more than fifty years
ago is contained in the following proc
lamation issued on the 5th day Of
August 1862, by Col. William +
Cloud, commanding the first brigade
of the Indian expedition:
park Hill, J. n, Aug .. 1S62-To
the Members of the Cherokee Nation:
The personal saftcy of your principal
chief, and the safety Of the archives
Of your nation require that l move
him and them within our lines where
they will be safe from the strife Of
war
The United states government is
able to protect its friends and pun
iSh its enemies. All ChCrokees, as
well as members Of other nations and
tribes. are invited and expected to
assist i'm maintaining their original
uHiiUuaitCs as guaranteed them by
treaties with the United States gov
eminent All maraudng and guerilla
parties are hereby ordered to immc-
diatcly desist from their deprcda-
lions.
'Al personal and real property left
behind by the chief of the nation or
Other parties must remain unmOleSt-
est punishment An those who are
how on have been in arms against the
government Of the United States will
be freely forgiven if they at once
cease their dislOyal practices and pur-
poses and Immediately use their mt
most cudcavOrs TO assist i'm restoring
peace and harmony
wv. f. CLOUD,
Colonel Second Kansas Volunteers Z.
5. A., Commanding First Brigade
Indidu Expedition"
Less than one year previous to the
date Of this proclamation a large
number of the citizens Of the Chero-
kce nation had met Conferate Com
missioner Albert Pike at Park Hin.
AT that meeting in a field not far
distant from the residence of the
principal chief Of the Cherokee ma
ton the Cherokees in attendance gave
in their allegiance to the COnfedcracy
and the flag Of that section was
raised Although wards Of the gov
ernment the CherOkees In the begin
ming Of the war found themselves in
a very critical position. The small
forces Of the government had all been
Withdrawn from the military posts
southern battlefields and the lands Of
the Cherokee nation were being over
run with guerillas and freebooters
who drove away hundreds Of head OF
live stock and pillaged the homes or
great numbers of Well-tO-dO citizens
Importuned by the Confederate
authorities to given I'm their allegiance
the Cherokees through their leaders
had long declined to do so, desiring,
BelCium-like, to remain neutral But
finally the Confederate authorities
promised to give protection to person
and property, and II is further stated
inumated that their forces would
soon come in force "as friends or as
enemies" Then 1t was that the gem
eral meeting was called, and the de-
cisIon was made to enroll under the
banner of the south, even though
many Of those so enrolling were de-
CidCdly union in sentiment A large
force was enlisted and armed and
equipped for military service, all un-
der the command Of General Pike,
though stand Waite, aftcrward com-
missioued as a brigadior general, was
colonel of one Of the regiments But
the terms Of the treaty Of Park Hill
were soon invalidated, as the Indian
troops were marched out Of Indian
territory into Arkansas, where they
took part In the battle Of Pea Ridge.
Defeated in that battle the Confed-
crates retreated and General Pike
took no further part i'm the military
affairs of the Confederacy. Large
numbers of the Cherokces now Joined
the forces Of the union. but for several
years we're employed along the bor-
ders. Again the Cherokee nation
was without protection. and many OF
The Cherokecs who had retained their
adherence TO the Confederacy made
raids into their own country and pill
laged their own people. 1t was at
this gloomy period that the Indian
expedition made its way through the
indian Territory TO Tahloquah, the
capital Of the Cherokee nation. and
TO Park Hill, the home OF the prin-