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Show TALES T OF THE Edithi CHIEFS l Watson PUSHMATAHA In 170-i, on the bauk of an obscure creek In Mississippi, was born a Choc-, Choc-, taw Indian boy who "?5!r$ i was destined to earn :.. '4 a high place in the re- gird of both red men j ' ' j and white. :. j". f Pushmataha, "t h e - $ r-f . Indian general," as .-.... a-'S i he became known, $''.$ while still In his teens, ; A exhibited his chief I """vit Characteristic, ttlat ot L-k." direct action along a dangerous line. In an Pushmataha expedition against the Osage, which lasted last-ed all day, the lad disappeared early in the morning, and did not return until late. Naturally, his comrades Jeered at him, calling him a coward, but he calmly said, "Let those laugh who can show as many scalps as I can," and produced five scalps, which he had collected in his attack on the enemy's rear. This act won him a chieftainship, and from this time he became an Influence In-fluence in his tribe. He was a spectacular spec-tacular warrior. It Is said that once he went to Texas, entered an enemy house alone at night, and killed seven sev-en men and set fire to several houses. Pushmataha seems to have been always al-ways friendly to the whites. When Tecuraseh, in 1S11, visited the Choctaw Choc-taw and tried to incite an uprising, it was largely Pushmataha's opposition which caused the fiery orator to fail. The War of 1S12 brought out this loyalty loy-alty in a striking manner. Pushmataha Pushma-taha is reported to have said to his people, "The Creeks were once our friends. They have joined the English Eng-lish and we must now follow different trails. When our fathers took the hand of Washington, they told him the Choctaw would always be the friends of his nation, and Pushmataha cannot be false to their promises. I am now ready to fight against both the English Eng-lish and the Creeks." Five hundred of his tribesmen, aroused by this patriotic speech, followed fol-lowed him into the service of the Americans, nnd he led them through 24 engagements. In 1S13, with 150 Choctaws, he joined Claiborne's forces and aided in the defeat of the Creeks. This connection with the American army taught Pushmataha a great deal about discipline and training, and that this was not wasted upon him was shown by the efficiency of his men, whom he changed from savage warriors war-riors to rigidly trained soldiers. It was, perhaps, his knowledge of the value of discipline which caused him to become so vitally interested In the education of his people. It is said that he gave $2,000 of his annuity for 15 years toward the support of Choctaw Choc-taw schools. He stood as high In the regard of his own people as in that of the whites. The Choctaw selected him to represent them in negotiations with the government, and he signed several treaties for them. In the last of these negotiations, he was pitted against, General Jackson, and proved himself to be eloquent, wise, and diplomatic, with a decided capacity for business. In. 1824, Pushmataha went to Washington Wash-ington for his tribe, to negotiate another an-other treaty, and while there paid a visit to Lafayette, who was then in this country. It is unfortunate that we have no picture of these two battle-scarred veterans, as they met in the capital of the nation for which both had so nobly fought. However, we may imagine the suave Frenchman, with his poise and breeding, talking amiably with the Indian of unknown ancestry, who was probably blunt and direct, but doubtless equally as poised. History, which delights in contrasts, has perpetuated this one for us, in Pushmataha's speech to the French general : "There has passed nearly 50 snows since you drew the sword as a companion com-panion of Washington. With him you have combated the enemies of America. Amer-ica. Thou hast generously mingled thy blood with that of the enemy, and hast proved thy devotedness to the cause which thou defendest. After thou hadst finished that war, thou hadst returned into thy country, and now thou comest to revisit that land where thou art honored and beloved in the remembrance of a numerous and powerful people. Thou seest everywhere ev-erywhere the children of those for whom thou hast defended liberty, crowd around thee, and press thy hands with filial affection. We have heard related all these things In the depths of the distant forests, and our hearts have been ravished with a desire de-sire to behold thee. We are come, we have pressed thy hand, and we are satisfied. This Is the first time that we have seen thee, and It will probably be the last We have no more to add. The earth will part us forever." This visit was Pushmataha's last official act, for he fell ill and died within 24 hours afterward. "The Indian In-dian General" was buried with military mili-tary honors, and President Jackson himself, with over 2,000 other persons, followed the body to the Congressional cemetery. The monument over his grave says, In part: "Pushmataha was a warrior of great distinction. He was wise In council, eloquent in an extraordinary degree; and on all occasions, and under un-der all circumstances, the white man's friend." (, 1932. Western Newspaper I"plon. |