Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1916-04-08
MANY HEROES SLEEP IN
OLD CHEROKEE CEMETERY
Officers and Soldiers Who Helped
Make 18th Century History at
Rest In Oklahoma

Make 18th Century History at
Rest In Oklahoma.
Park Hill, Ok.-For many years
there was a United States national
cemetery near the center of the Cher
Olee nation of Indian Territory, and
now that the great tract of country
once occupied by that nation has be-
come a portion of the State Of Okla
homa this old cemetery is the only one
Of its kind In the state.
Fort Gibson was established by the
noted frontier officer, Col. Matthew
Arbuckle. in 1924. During the event;ul
years since its establishment as the
second military post of the United
States west of the Mississippi River
many noted officers of the army have
been stationed at this fort.
In 1892 Second Lieutenant Jefferson
Davis of the Dragons was among the
young officers of the post. The noted
Capt. Thomas Henry, a turbulent and
notorious officer was cashiered at Fort
Gibson in the SOS, and joining Walk
or's expedition to Honduras, was fatal
ly wounded by comrade In personal
difficulty.
Buried in the officers circle at the
foot Of the Flagstaff is Maj ]. II. Ell
lott who was killed at Clusters battle
of the Washita in 1868. Lieut.. Lewis
McLane Hamilton, grandson of Alex
ander Hamilton, was also slam in this
battle. There also is a beautiful mar
BILE monument in memory of Mrs.
Flora Rucker, the young wife Of Lieut.
Daniel N. Rucker of the Second Drag.
oons, who died in 1912. Long years
after General Rucker. as "dean of the
army" died at the age Of SO years.
A brown sandstone slab bears the
name of John p. Decatur, brother of
Commodore Stephen Decatur, who
died at Fort Gibson In 1882. John p.
Decatur is said to have been connected
with the Quartermaster's department
Several years ago Decatur Parsons of
Baltimore, Nd, a relative Of the Deca-
tur family visited Fort Gibson to view
the grave and with the intention of
erecting fine monument, but for
has never been erected.
Near by is the monument of Samuel
H. Benge, who was a Cherokee Indian
and an officer in the volunteer army in
the Civil War. Another grave not fal
from this one Is that of "Talihina,, al
legged to have been the Cherokee wife
Of Gen. Sam Houston, the liberator of
Texas. Early in the 30s of the nine
teenth century Sam Houston spent
several years with the Cherokees and
lived for some time at Fort Gibson.
He left there for Texas and won the
battle of San Jacinto in 1886.
While 1t Is true he was enamored
Of beautiful woman Of mixed white
and Cherokee blood her name vas d.
ana Rogers and she died early in the
4O's and was buried on the banks OF
picturesque Flower Greek, several
miles north of Fort Gibson. She still.
rests in that grave, but thru error q
grave was opened far south of Fort
Gibson some years ago and the relics
therein found were disinterred and
brought to Fort Gibson for burial In
the national cemetery. A marble
slab has been placed at the head of
this grave.
There are more than $500 persons
buried in the cemetery and about three
fourths Of them are men Of Cherokee
blood for when the Civil War came up
three regiments of Cherokees were en-.
listed and took part in the conflict.
Among the noted officers Of Cherv
kee blood were Col. Lewis Downing
afterward principal chief Of the Cher
okee nation; Capt. Thomas Pegg, Cact.
James Vern, Capt. White Catcher and
Samuel H. Benge, noted orator.
The cemetery is a beautiful place,
surrounded by massive stone wall
and shaded by large and splendid
trees. 1t is about one and one half
miles east Of the old fort which was
abandoned some years ago, after hav
ing been in charge of men like Colonel
Arbuckle, Colonel Loomis. Col. Ben
jamin N. Grierson, Col. John J. Cop
pinger and others.