Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
indian Ancestry Far From Unique Among y. S. Officials

of Nebraska.
IN the old Congressional Cemetery
here there Is a monument erected
to the Choctaw Indian Chief Pushn1a-
taha, who is buried there. His brother
chiefs gave his memory this memorial
after his death in Washington in 1924.
Pusnmataha Is remembered Tor MS
services to the infant American Repub-
lie, for he was one Of its stanchest
friends. During the war Of 1912 ne
headed the Indians who composed por-
ton of the army of Andrew Jackson,
and his military services were so valu-
able to the Republic that Jackson made
him a brigadier general. History re-
cords that Pushmataha died while a
member of delegation of Indian chiefs
that was visiting in this city.
This Choctaw warrior Of note was an
outstanding orator, and in the War of
1912. when Tecunseh the Shawnee
chief who declared he would line up
with the Indian tribes, endeavored to
rouse the redskins to battle for the
Union Jack, Pushmataha, carrying for
ward the American cause, stumped the
country for the Stars and Stripes and
by his oratory checkmated Tecumseh's
efforts
Tecumseh is accorded a high place in
tlIc SdAlcAy VI ne
was born about 1853 near the junction
Of the Miami and Mad Rivers, in Ohio,
and grew up to be an uncompromising
foe OF the whites. He formulated a
mighty plan to unite all the Indians TO
resist American aggression and visited
the tribes from the Great Lakes to the
| Gulf Of Mexico. Harrison's victory at
Tippecanoe, on October %, 1911, frus-
trated TecumSeh's efforts
7I14~ kcko f-A
slain in the battle of the Thames. and
some historians credit Col Richard NJ
Johnson. who won the battle for the
Americans on october S. 1913. with
| killing him in person. This man. who
fought so bitterly against the United
States, was made brigadier general by
the British, and IL is worthy OF note
| that in the War Of 1912 Tecumseh, the
Indian and British general. was OPP
| posed by Pushmataha, the Indian.
general Of the United States, in the
great conflict for the support Of their
kind.
In yet another great conflict the his
torian finds Indians as generals on the
| opposing sides.
| Eli Samuel Parker became a briga-
der general in the United States Army
and served during the Civil War on thu
stan OF Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. while n
the Confederate Army during that same
conflict the Cherokee Indian Stan
Waite served as a brigadier general.
Parker was born on the Indian reser-
walton at Tonawanda. N. Y, just 100
years ago. He was a full-blooded Sen
eca Indian and chief Of the Six Ma
tons. After receiving a thorough COM
mon school education. he took a coursz
In civil engineering and went to GaIens.
Ill. to live. There he formed an init
mate friendship with Gen Grant.
When the Civil War broke out Parker
Joined the Federal forces and served
with distinction in several battles. II
was appointed assistant adjutant gen
eral, with the rank Of captain. in MAY.
1858, and subsequently acted as secre-
tary TO his old friend. the commander
in-chief, until the termination of til.
campaigns.
Parker was present at Lees surren-
der and prepared the first engrossed
copy Of the terms Of capituIation. This
noted Indian received his commission
as FIRST lieutenant In the United States
Cavalry in 1866 and resigned three
years later. He was hrevetted hrigadier
general of Volunteers April 9. 1865, and
captain, major. lieutenant colonel. coll
mel and brigadier general, United States
Army. successfully. He was appointed
Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1869.
but retired in 1871 to resume his former
profession of civil engineering.
Stan Waite, the Cherokee warrior
who distinguished himself as a Con-
federate general. served with Gen
Samuel Bell Maxey In 1853 jefferson
Davis. President Of the Confederate
ordered Gen. Maxey to take command
Of the Indian Territot7
In brief time he brought order out
NJ chaos nAxcaH irfn Arl-eVrSan
Steele to retreat and Was appointed
major general for this gallant service
Under his orders Waite ard Gen. Gano
effected extensive and valuable cap
lures.
William E Connelley, well known as
secretary of the Kansas State Historical
Society. informed the Bureau of Indian
Affairs Of the interior Department re-
Gently that the United States Govern
ment should erect 3 monument 70
/ The Turk" who VA executed By
/ Coronado In southwestern Kansas il
/ i54l, as being the frs. Indian 20 die
for his race on the pisins, II not in
America"
InF course. the outstanding exampls
of a white man who came 70 be
/ highly regarded by the Indians as one
/ Of their own is that OF Sam Houston.
/ Washington knew him well in the
olden days, for he was elected 70 Con-
| greSs in 1898 and served here until he
was chosen Governor Ct Tennessee in
/ 1927. The Nations Capital knew
! Houston intimately again III 1s4S. when
he came here 70 serve SIS one Of the
/ first two Senators from the newly ad-
/ mitted State Of Texas, He remained
/ in the Senate until March. 1859, He
/ was known In Washington as an elo-
/ quent orator and he eft here 20 BE-
come Governor OF Texas.
| Houston lived with the Indians as one
Of them for many years first when he
| was adopted In the early part az the
nineteenth century as the son OF o.
/ looteka. one of the Cherokee chiefs
1 After his mysterious separation from his
/ wife and family, when he resigned sS
| governor Of Tennessee in iS29--one OF
/ the enigniaS of hiStory--he went 20 Ar
kansas and joined the CherokeeS again,
| living as an Indian.
/ His defeat OF the Mexican. Santa Ana.
at the battle OF San Jacinto, after the
| tragedy Of the Alamo massacre, and his
| election as president Of the independ-
| ent republic OF Texas are too well
/ known to bear retelling, but history
| does not stress so much the fact that he
was one Of the outstanding Southerners
who remained faithful to the United
States during the Civil War He mar
ried Cherokee Indian maiden. Taiihi-
ma, and she is buried In the military
cemtery at Fort Gibson, Okla.
The Bureau OF Indian Affairs cites
these as "a few of the eld-time Indians
of the United States" Chief Joseph
tNeS Percel. Cornplanter (Ssnecal, Red
Cloud (Siouxl. Sequoyah tCherokeel.
Red Jacket (Senecs), King Philip
(Wampanoag), Black Hawk tSauSl. Sit
ting Bull tSiouxl. Spotted Tail (SiouXl.
! Victoria tApachel, Powhatan tPowha-
tam. CanoncicuS (NarraganSet), Black
. HeAYer IIlNlaNarnN CitraN lIffeN Nrar