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AGED INDIAN CHIEF TELLS OF PEACE COUNCIL
Why The Chief Was Brought Here—Sergeant I –See-O Tells About 1867 Peace Council
A previous attempt was made in 1916 to prepare for the golden anniversary of the Treaty but owing to the World War it was thought best to drop the mater. At that time Mr. J. C. Best was the leading spirit in the movement and had gathered a large amount of material relating to the subject. During the past winter another movement was started, largely through the efforts of Mrs. George Hibbard, who secured the help of Mr. Best and representatives of the various organizations of the city. These people formed what is called the Medicine Lodge Indian Peace Council Treaty Memorial Association, and elected Mr. Best as temporary chairman and Mrs. Hibbard as temporary secretary. The other members of the committee are Frank Chapin, Mrs. Hugh Woodward, Miss Rachel Nixon, Samuel Griffin, J. F. Groom and Joe Hinshaw.
In addition to fixing the place where the treaty was signed so a memorial of some kind can be erected there, the committee has also been securing other data regarding the early history of Medicine Lodge so that when the time for the celebration comes next year, the event will assume something of a national importance. For instance, the boundaries of the old Indian stockade have been defined.
It is the hope and plans of the committee to bring a tribe of Indians here for the celebration, a troop of soldiers and to put on a pageant in which all the early events will be faithfully portrayed.
The money for bringing these Indians here was obtained through the generosity of the members of the Lions Club who agreed that an old Fourth of July fund laying dormant in the bank could best be used for this purpose.
Wednesday morning it was announced that Chief Iseeo and Mr. And Mrs. Hunt would be guests of the Lions Club at the regular meeting this Thursday night.
At a meeting with the committee Monday evening at the home of J. C. Best, the old Indian Chief explained through his interpreter, Mr. Hunt, some of the incidents that happened at the time the council was held.
“I went out on a n expedition on Rio Gande River and was returning home and found the camp at Medicine Lodge Camp and all tribes were coming at same place and some announced they were meeting here for same purpose. That was when I first came in. It was in the early fall and I was just about 18 yeas old at that time.
I had been home about two, three, or maybe five days when I heard announcer calling in camp that the men and soldiers were coming. I heard great bunch coming over tomorrow and all the chiefs and everybody get together tonight and talk about something. This announcer said that the big part is on the road here to make this treaty.” ‘We want to appoint two delegates to meet commission coming out half-way tomorrow.’” Of course, the chiefs and headmen meet that night and I was not present as I was a young man and was not a chief yet, but tomorrow morning I saw stagecoach coming full of men to meet the commission. The part headmen, principal chiefs, got together in a group and meet stagecoach and two delegates, chiefs Se-tan-ta and chief Stumbling Bear were there, of course, I did not go along to see what took place then but the story I got from that went.
They went in stagecoach and met party several miles away. It happened to be at noon when they met delegation and took dinner on the place. We learned that they were big men detailed from headquarters in Washington. Everybody said, “Tell big men to get through with their dinner.” After lunch they got back in stagecoach and he party moved to camp. Some time after noon, later in the evening, we can see the coach returning bringing back the delegates that went to meet the party and the rest of them.
I do not remember at what time they came but they came and came and came in, part of the evening and all night. I did not know when they stopped coming in. They were whole lot of soldiers. Next morning I looked over the hills and nothing but camps.
I would not say exactly when the council took place, but I remember young men clearing trees away where the council was to take place. It was in early fall, still warm, and they held it in the shade. Had lots of seats. They put down canvas for floor and then put seats all around as far as canvas was put down. Early evening the announcer-crier came out in camp announcing that after breakfast tomorrow morning everybody go to the great council.
Next morning you can see bunches going to the council grounds. Everybody going to council for curiosity I went along to see what was going to take place.
There were many tribes of Indians. I guess they cooked dinner for each tribe. I could see soldiers preparing lunch for the council. I could see by the side of each fireplace big piles of wood, big stacks of crackers and tine cups and lots of things. When all the Indians got there each tribe grouped off in a separate group until their commission came up. They brought the commission that was delegated to make the council treaty; they brought him over in big blue wagon to council grounds. When the pat arrived everybody was quite anxious to know what was going to happen. I do not know who the chairman was but one man got up and announced that he was telling what the Kiowa said. Out interpreter came from the Comanche language. They called him “Mack.” (McCusker).
We did not have anyone to interpret the English language. The president of the council announced that he did not want anybody to go back to camp—that they had plenty of lunch for everybody there and wanted them all to have lunch. “There are quite a few of you and you will not just stay here and eat together.” The return promptly afternoon, so we will president of the commission said that he would take his lunch in camp but will return right away. “When I return I will tell you what my mission is for afternoon; what I came for. I have a little message I want to give before noon and I will tell the balance after noon. With this part of men soldiers and everybody, the commission was appointed at Washington to come before you to make a treaty here with you Kiowas in this reservation. You all have wars with all the tribes around you. We have been trying to get a peace treaty with you people for a long time and you never paid any attention to us because you never saw us. Now, we came here from Washington so we could talk face to face. For one reason we have failed to stop you from enemies because we understand you were short of some things. That is the reason you all are having wars with other tribes and people and I want to straighten this trouble up at this mission. If you will submit to my peace treaty and sign peace with me, in a year or two after I return to Washington and hear that you have been peaceful for thee yeas, I will issue you horses and things and there will be no reason for trouble. I will issue horses and you will be on good terms with me and you can raise your own stock. This noon I will go take my lunch and you will take lunch here and leave us at noon.”
The wagons came up and they crowded back in wagons and had not seats and had to stand up, and went back to camp. Of course, at lunch time, you know how people get. We wanted to get ourselves filed up.
Afternoon they came back and got in groups according to tribes again. Commissioner did not eat much lunch—he was afraid they would get away, so he hurried back.
It seems to be that the Kiowa was spokesman for the other tribes. Treaties were made by the Kowas—they did all the talking.
Big groups of Cheyenne and Apache were always together with the Kiowas; they submitted to what the Kiowas wanted; they were one. They took two chairs and set them in the middle of the council next to the commission. One gentleman got up—Army officer, had eagles on—and sat in one of these seats, an old gray-head man. Another old man got up and occupied the other chair in civilian clothes. It was for the tribes to vote which one of these gentlemen they wanted to live with.
{“If you pick the man on this side, you live on the Arkansas River and the other one, your reservation will be in the mountains at Fort Sill. Whatever you pick the most people on one side will win.”
I cannot give you all the small details of the council. Interpreters and each tribe talked which one they should vote for and each tribe was discussing among themselves. One Indian jumped up, Indiana Chief Black Eagle commenced talking to his men Kiowas near the Washita River is taking place today. Black Eagle says. “Now we are to make our selection of the two men. One of them, the selection of the man, our reservation will be in Kansas. You know our reservations are very cold and we have no fuel and it is cold up there and if we pick out the other man it is not cold in the south and our reservation will be in the South.”
Different ones got up and spoke for the south reservation, so they picked out the south reservation man. So they picked out the man in the military uniform with the eagles on. He was one of the first agents. (Colonel Leavenworth.) Kiowas were the first to make the suggestion of the Colonel Leavenworth, and each tribe was asked whom they wanted and each tribe voted and picked out the same man. They all picked out the same man the Kiowas picked out.
Now, you all agree and pick out same man and all together now I want to tell you now you picked out the man you wanted to be under. This man you have picked out now will fix your boundary line as not very far from those mountains on the South and East side and I want to pick out the North Fork of Red river for the boundary on the West, the Cimarron for the North boundary. You will understand now that your boundary on the South line joins Texas.”
After the council the crier announcer went out all through the camps announcing that the borderline and this southern line on Red river they were talking about extended to Texas. Everybody understood it that way; no one ever understood that that line would be different.