Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-08-25
Suspected Ross

Intentions About year after tI..
incident John Ross coutr.vri fo %,
taken prisoner by the Union forces
The arrest was reported 90 the Con.
federate war department hy Major
General Thomas g. Hiudman urn
commanding the Indian Territory
department. Tho officla. report car.
ries this sentence:
John Ross the Cherokee chief
was pretendedly taken prisoner COS
the Union forcesj but us aftcrwlrd
appeared really went over to the
enemy with the archives and monc'
OF the Cherokee nation"
The histories Of Oklahoma and In.
dian Territory do not attempt g..
even approximate the amount Of
money that John Ross carried 10 the
federal commander. but report has
II that tho sum was large enough 20
keep n number OF men. in comfort
the balance " their lives lnasmuch
as the archives OF the Cherokee ma.
ton went along with the cash the
records are lacking
Disappeared From Nation.
John Ross disappeared from the
! Cherokee nation. II was learned
afterward that he went TO PhiIadel-
| phia, where he remained until the
close OF the war when peace was
esta blished he moved 10 Washing
ton and died there August 2. 1855
| lie was born I'm the state Of Georgia.
near the present city Of ChattAnoogn
| His father vas scot and hIs
| mother a mixed blood Cherokee FOR
a time he resisted the right of the
1 81 Of gHaAr.rt.
I for the government of the Indians
| contending that the Cherokee nation
was supreme In the government OF
| It's own people. The supreme court
OF the United States finally passed
on this disputed point. and held that
while tho government had always
treated the Cherokees as a sovereign
state, that 10 enjoy the privileges
thus bestowed upon them they would
be compelled 90 remove 10 their al
lotted doNain west Of the Missls-
sippi After some years OF turmoil
| In Georgia the Chcrokoes opened ne
gotiations for removal, and were
finally brought 10 Indian Territory
The old Ross home In yet standing
At Rossville Ca, a populous suburb
OF Chattanooga
A number Of battles were fought
near Tulsa during the Ctvil war, but
none OF them receives more than
passing notice In war histories The
first series OF battles OF moment In
the Tulsa region occurred on Bird
creek, seven or eight miles north of
the present city Tho final struggle
took place on Christmas day, 1851. |
A chief OF the Creek Indians. who
took sides with the north, was fortls
fled on Bird creek with cOmpara-
lively large force The Confederates
under waite and others undertook 10
dislodge him. The battle here was
the most bloody engagement OF the
Civil war In Indian Territory The
Creeks were fortified Boo a gulch that
gradually asCended 10 the mountains
II was formidable position n de-
fense. but the Coufederatcs aSsailed
Il with a fury rarely witnessed In !
battle The conflict lasted nearly al !
day. but toward nigfufall the Creeks |
abandoned their fortified position |
and fled to the mountains leaving |
200 OF their men dead on the field |
and a large number wounded Next |
day the redoubtable stand Waite |
followed them and slew 8 more be |
fore they reached their hiding places |
Col James Mcintosh and Gen. waite |
commanded the Confederates In this |
battle
Victory Dearly Bought
Tho Confederate victory at BIRD |
creek was dearly bought Something |
less than a hundred men were Killed |
and a larger numhcru wounded The !
victors retired 10 Fort Gibson TO give /
their men a rest and dress their
wounds.
For tlmE after the defeat OF the
Union Indians at Bird creek the Con
iederates were undisputed masters In
indian Territory This condition dii
not suit the north and a campaign
was planned into the territory "to
protect the Indians General waite
resented this movement VchemcntN 4
lfs scheme on the part Of the fed
eral government 20 deprive the In \
llanH OF their rights and their lands
re denounced their pretended love
as the same kind OF affection that O.
wolf had for f~Samb
matters drifted along In this fash
on, with the Confederates IN charge |
~ the territory. until the battle or
ca Ridge. or Elkhorn. In March
.SoL. The Confederate forces were
'rushlngly defeated In this battle and
ne situation was reversed The CON
ederate troops were compelled 90
etreat into Arkansas The LOYALTY |
u the Cherokees and other Indian |
rlbes TO the Coufedsracy was Sc
ereiy shaken. and some OF the reCl- |
neuts deserted 60 the enemy Tho |
'de OF battle was flowing east. and |
became necessary for the Confed. !
rates 70 withdraw many OF the regi-
oents that were west Of tho Mlsia |
ippi and send them to ioln the |
orces OF the south around Corlnth !
iiss'' before the battle OF Shiloh.
stand Waite Finds FSun II
This movement added TO tho de- II
ressiop OF the Indlangf who had
,ined the Confederacy. and brave / |
ID stand Waite found fault with the
.ay things were running. He was
lrcod 10 withdraw his forces ives,
the Arkansas river and his nrpv
ecame dlsorgarized. The fodorals |
1vanccd 10 take posseaslon on Tive
hcrokee country and soon captured
or,s Smith and Gibson. The fed
I