Pushmatahaw [pp. 166-168]

_LITERATURE,i SCIENCE, ANZDI APRT
a white soldier with his sword. When brought up by the officer in
command, and questioned as to his reasons for such conduct, he replied that the soldier had insulted his wife, and he only struck the
offender with the side of his sword to teach him his duty; but that if
the act had been done by an officer, instead of a common soldier, he
should have used the sharp edge of his sword in defence of his wife,
who had come from a great distance to visit him. Indeed, the fearlessness of this man was one of his leading characteristics; and that
trait, allied to his proud and energetic spirit, gave him unbounded influence among his people. Though delighting in revenge, and though
he had stained his hands in the blood of many enemies, he was generous to those who were poorer than himself, and always took pleasure
in extending the hospitality of his cabin to strangers. During all his
matured life he indulged in the luxury of two wives, and he defended
his conduct on that score by saying that there were more women than
men in the world, and no woman should be without a husband. As
there was something intemperate in all the actions of his life, as well
when trying to take a scalp as when feasting a friend upon venison, it
was to be expected that he should drink to excess. He seldom indulged, however, when he had important business on hand; but the
wickedness of being drunk never weighed heavily on his mind. On
one occasion during the war, when he was figuring as "general," a
soldier was arrested and confined to the guard-house for drunkenness; but, when Pushmatahaw had heard the particulars, he ordered
the man to be released, remarking: "Is that all Many good warriors get drunk."
At the conclusion of the war he returned to the Tombigbee, hung
up his sword as the principal ornament of his cabin, was made chief
of the Choctaw Nation, and devoted a number of years to quiet enjoyment.
It was at this period that the following incident occurred. A
large number of Choctaws, including Pushmatahaw, had come together
for the purpose of having a frolic. When the festivities had reached
fever-heat, two half-breeds, named James Pitchlynn and Jerry Folsom,
took it into their heads to insult the chief, whereupon his friends
came to the rescue and gave the offenders a sound thrashing. One
year afterward, as these half-breeds were sitting together in a cabin
and telling some by-standers in very glowing language how they would
revenge themselves upon Pushmatahaw if they ever met him again, it
so happened that the chief made his appearance in front of the
house, mounted upon his horse. He had ridden sixty miles, and was
on his way to Columbus, in Mississippi. On being told who was in
the cabin he dismounted and entered. An embarrassing silence prevailed for some minutes, which was finally broken by these words
from the lips of the chief: "I am glad to see you, my friends. I have
actually shed tears on account of our trouble last year. We were all
drunk and all fools. I offer you the hand of a friend." The hand
was gladly accepted by the frightened half-breeds.
But soon the white man began to press upon the hunting-grounds
of his people, and the disagreeable subject of emigrating to the West
was forced upon his attention. He made several treaties with the
General Government, and with one of them, signed in 1820, is connected the following incident. General Andrew Jackson was the commissioner on the part of the United States, and one of the stipulations
that he introduced displeased Pushmatahaw, and he refused to affix his
name. On seeing this the general put on all his dignity and thus addressed the chief:
"I wish you to understand that I am Andrew Jackson, and, by
the Eternal, you shall sign that treaty as I have prepared it."
The chief was not disconcerted by this haughty address, and
springing suddenly to his feet, and imitating the manner of his opponent, thus replied:
"I know very well who you are, but I wish you to understand that
I am Pushmatahaw, head chief of the Choctaws; and, by the Eternal, I
will not sign that treaty."
The general concluded that he had found his match in the frontier
style of diplomacy, and, having modified his views, the chief was satisfied, and then promptly affixed his signature to one of the parchments which was to banish the Choctaws from the land of their
fathers.
As Pushmatahaw was by nature determined and dictatorial, he very
frequently put himself into positions of great hazard by his official as
well as private conduct, an instance of which occurred at the village
of Columbus, in 1823. A Choctaw named Attobh, while crossing a
ferry, had accidentally killed the ferry-man with his pistol, and, as the
deceased was a white man and popular, the excitement became great,
and the Indian was arrested for the alleged murder. The moment the
Choctaw chief heard of the affair, he went to Columbus and insisted
that the prisoner, whether guilty or not, must be given up to the custody of the Choctaw nation, to be tried by the Indian laws. The civil
authorities objected; but the chief was furious, and in a speech of
great power he said that no Choctaw had ever spent a night in the
white man's prison, or had ever been hanged, and that Attoba wtc,st
be released. The prisoner was released, and, after undergoing a perfectly fair trial-according to the Choctaw code, it was proven that he
had been drinking at the time of the calamity; that he had long been
on the most friendly terms with the ferry-man, and that the killing
was purely accidental; whereupon he was acquitted, and all parties,
white as well as red, acquiesced in the result.
Notwithstanding the fact that Pushmatahaw had taken the lives
of many fellow-beings, and had a ferocious disposition, he was greatly
beloved by his own people, as well as by the whites. By the citizens
of Mobile, especially, he was treated with real affection, and they were
in the habit of speaking of him as the savior of their city from the
depredations of the Creeks. He was fond of children, and, when in
the mood, would join them in their little games, and loved to talk with
them about his adventures and the wonders he had seen. Indeed, he
was greatly gifted, not only as a story-teller, but as a wit, when the
spirit moved him in that direction. He had five children of his own,
and, although he could not himself speak a word of English, he took
pains to have them as well educated as his circumstances would allow.
As already intimated, he had a kind of passion for all sorts of games,
and especially for the ball-play; but he was honest in his dealings,
and scrupulously observant of his word. In 1823, he was present at
a council held near the residence of his friend John Pitbchlynn, the interpreter. By way of celebrating the Fourth of July, the latter personage had given a feast to the resident Indian agent, at which a naumber of leading Choctaws were present, including Pushmatahaw. When
the guests were about to depart, it was observed that he had no horse;
and, as he was getting to be too old to prosecute his journey home on
foot, the agent suggested to the interpreter the propriety of presenting
him with a horse. This was agreed to on condition that the chief
would promise not to exchange the horse for whiskey; and the old
warrior, mounted on a fine young animal, went on his way rejoicing.
It was not long before he visited the agency on foot, and it was found
that he had lost his horse by betting at a ball-play.
"Did you not promise," said the agent, "that you would not sell
the horse for whiskey?"
"I did so," replied the chief; "but I did not promise that I would
not risk the animal at a game of ball."
In 1824, Pushmatahaw went to Washington with a delegation of
his principal men, for the purpose, to use his own style of speaking,
of brightening the chain of peace between the Americans and the
Choctaws. President Monroe and Secretary-of-War Calhoun both
treated him with the respect due his position, and with special consideration, on account of his high bearing, ability, and important services during the war. The primary object, on the part of the Government, in this negotiation, was, to induce the Choctaws to sell a new
portion of their valuable lands in Mississippi; but the members of
the delegation were united in following the advice of the head chief,
not to part with any more of their possessions; and in the American
State-papers will be found several communications from Pushmatahaw, signed by himself and colleagues, setting forth their reasons for
rejecting all overtures.
Soon after his arrival in Washington, Pushmatahaw took a severe
cold, and was too much indisposed to do and say all that he desired;
but a second little speech, which he made to the secretary of war, has
been preserved. It was to this effect:
"FATHER: I have been here some time. I have not talked, because I have been sick. You shall hear me now. You have no doubt
heard of me-I am Pushmatahaw.
"When in my own country, I often looked toward this councilhouse, and wanted to come here. I am in trouble, and will tell you
why. I feel like a small child, not half as high as his father, who
comes up to look in his father's face, hanging in the bend of his arm,
to tell him his troubles. So, father, I hang in the bend of your arm,
look in your face, and now hear me speak. In my own country, I
heard there were men appointed to talk to us. I would not speak
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