|
|
Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: Jan 24, 1938
Name: John Martin Adair
Post Office: Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Residence Address: Tahlequah, Oklahoma Route R.
Date of Birth: June 3, 1858
Place of Birth: Fort Gibson
Father: John Lafayette Adair
Place of Birth: Georgia Information on father:
Came to Indian Territory after the removal
Mother: Elizabeth Alabama Scrimsher
Place of birth: Gunter landing Alabama Information on mother:
Came to Indian Territory in "Trail of Tears."
Field Worker: Elizabeth Ross Interview: #12806 First Interview
The residence of Dennis W. Bushyhead, for eight years principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, was at Fort Gibson; the house had been built in the early days of the fort and was during a considerable period a Government building. Besides other commanding officers of the military post, Brigadier General William Balknap once occupied the house, which was built of hewn logs and was well finished throughout; a large stone chimney carried away the smoke.
As commandant of the military post General Balknap was there several years before the abandonment of Fort Gibson by the Government in 1857 (not sure if it is 57 or 67). After the removal of the Garrison to another post the houses and grounds reverted to the Cherokee Nation and various Cherokee citizens became owners of houses which had been created by the United States.
Dennis W. Bushyhead, who returned to the Cherokee Nation from California in 1867, acquired the former headquarters building and occupied it as a home until a number of years later, when he removed to Tahlequah for a more permanent residence. The house stood on a high bank of the Grand River; at the time, the grounds were well abaded with trees and there was a smooth and grassy lawn. The old building stood for a number of years after the removal of Principal Chief Bushyhead to Tahlequah and was finally destroyed by fire.
It has been said that the early day Fort Gibson postoffice was probably maintained for awhile in the old commanding officers building for a large hole had been chiseled through a walnut log in a wall of the house and through this opening letters are believed to have been dropped into a receptacle within the room.
East of the old building lay the parade grounds, and in a period preceding the outbreak of the Civil War by a number of years, many of the smaller houses in which the soldiers had their quarters yet stood.
After leaving Fort Gibson for one of the other Indian Territory military posts, General William Balknap died a few years before the beginning of the eighteen-sixties.
Several years after establishing his home in Fort Gibson, Dennis W. Bushyhead was elected Cherokee national treasurer, a position he held eight years, later he was elected Principal Chief.
A Cherokee Indian soldier who died in the vicinity of the old building was reputed to have hidden a sum of money near the house and for a number of years many persons sought to find the money. All failed, but when the Ozark route of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway was being built in 1902, some Creek workmen are related to have found a considerable sum in an excavation and immediately gave up their employment and left the country.
A mound of earth and scattered stones now indicate the site of the old headquarters building.
Mrs. Eloise Bushyhead, age seventy-eight or seventy-none, widow of Chief Bushyhead, also furnished a part of the above information. - Elizabeth Ross, Investigator.
Second Interview:
Story as given by John M. Adair
I was born in Ft. Gibson, June 3, 1858. My father was John Lafayette Adair. He died in 1859. My mother was Elizabeth Alabama SCRIMSHER. My grandmother was Elizabeth GUNTER, a fullblood Cherokee Indian. She lived at Gunter's Landing Tennessee. My grandfather was Martin Scrimpture, a white man. There were two children, John Gunter and my mother Elizabeth. My grandmother and grandfather, with my mother and uncle John, came to Oklahoma in the Trail of Tears.
My father came to Oklahoma from Georgia. He bought a place three and one half miles southeast of Ft. Gibson, (On Menard Bayou) from Mrs. Sarah COODY. She ran a famous eating house and dance hall and sold whiskey. All the old timers went there and had a big time. Wash HENSON told me about the place as it was before my mother bought it. Mrs. Coody sold at the time of the gold rush and went to California with her slaves. It was afterwards reported that she was in California drinking herself to death. There have been many old half dollars found on this place. I have an 1818 copper cent that I found there. One of the ANDERSON boys live on the place now. Mrs. THOMPSON owned a place next to fathers, she sold whiskey and had an eating place. Once she told me that boats brought the whiskey up from New Orleans and unloaded it at the mouth of the Bayou. She sent ox teams to bring the whiskey to her place.
My father died before the Civil War and during the war we all went to a place close to Bonham, Texas. We stayed until the war was over. My grandfather and aunt Kate died there and Stan WAITE sent a detachment to Oklahoma with the bodies. George MAYES was in the squad that brought the bodies back. Doctor Busheyhead in Claremore could probably tell the address of Mayes in Oklahoma City.
After the war mother married Dennis W. Busheyhead who came back from California to take charge of the Jessy Busheyhead store when Jesse Busheyhead died.
My step-father was elected Treasurer of the Cherokee Nation for two terms (four years). Was also elected Principal Chief for two terms.
When a boy I did very little hunting but I fished quite a lot.
I went to the public schools in Ft. Gibson. When I was seventeen years old I went to Shurtliff College, in upper Alton, Illinois, for three years. I came home from college and intended to go to Claremore and look after some cattle also to settle there. My mother died and I had to stay home and look after the children, two brothers and two sisters. I sold forty acres of land in Ft. Gibson bottom for $500.00 and sent my brother, Jessie, to New York with Dr. FITE, to study medicine in Bellview Medicine School. He became a doctor and lives in Claremore now. (Dr. Jesse Busheyhead)
During the days when my stepfather ran a store, Mr. NASH also ran a general merchandise store. Frank Nash had the first drug store in Ft. Gibson. Mr. LIPES had a general store and a bakery. Lipes was the first Mayor and a negro by the name of Henry SCALES was the first Marshall in Ft. Gibson, he was afterward hung. I remember once that Jim Brown stole a sack of flour and Mayor Lipe, who also acted as judge, sentenced him to 40 lashes on the back. Henry Scales whipped him. Brown WRIGHT was here and paid off the Indian Claims. Mr. PERCIVAL was one of the old Post Masters that I remember.
Steamboats came up the river. I remember one was named Ft. Gibson. At that time Ft. Gibson business houses were down by the barracks which was partly standing. The main street was about where the railroad is and business houses were on both sides of the street. There were lots of gold dollars used at that time. If an Indian had several gold dollars and wanted to buy seven pieces of merchandise, as seven sacks of sugar at a dollar each, he would buy one sack and pay for it then buy another sack and so on until he had spent his seven dollars.
There was a stage from Fayetteville, Arkansas to El Paso, Texas. There was a stage stand in Ft. Gibson and another on the GULAGHER place, about fifteen miles out of Ft. Gibson. The stages had four horses.
Wheat, Corn, Oats, and a little Millet were the crops that were raised cows.
My wife was Tryphena TERRIL, she died in 1935. I am living on her allotment now. My wife's grandmother was Peggy WOODALL, she was a HENDRICKS before her marriage. The Hendricks family came to Oklahoma in 1832. My wife's grandmother at that time was twelve years old. They were the real old settlers. During the Civil War they had to carry corn on their back to Cookson to have the corn ground, then they had to carry it back. Rufus Hendricks at Tahlequah can give their entire history.
There are some mounds up around Hulbert and they extend from Hulbert to Salina.
We use to have fairs in Ft. Gibson. People exhibited live stock and farm products. Dan Ross had the finest apple orchard in the country, and his apples always got the prize. The fair lasted two or three days and people would come and camp until it was over. There was a three quarter mile race track and we had lots of races. Some of them were mule races. There was another race track at Ft. Gibson, on the Mariah COLSTON place, just south of town. I have heard Wash Henson telling of Mariah Colston having an apron full of gold and sitting on her porch betting on the horse races. This race track was a quarter mile track and was the noted race track of the country. The BREWER Brothers, Bill and Dick, had the fastest quarter horses in the country.
When a young man I was offered a job with a wild west show but could not take it on account of the fact that I was filing on some land. One of the few white people to file on land was John JONES, a great missionary in the early days. Also he had two nephews that filed on land, their name was CUNNINGHAM.
I enlisted in the army in 1898 and went to Cuba. I was there three months and in the army about four and one half months. Richard Harding DAVIS was a newspaper reporter with our company.
Back in the spring of 1867 Cholera broke out in Ft. Gibson. The young people were all moved to Tahlequah and stayed all summer. The government moved the negros out on Four-Mile creek and kept them there all summer furnishing them with provisions. Many people died in this epidemic. The disease would strike an apparently well person and they would be dead in a few hours.
There were lots of parties and dances when I was young. Most of the dances were given in private homes. Later some were over the Bushyhead store.
I remember one time when I was a young boy and was standing by the old barracks a photographer from Kansas came to town. He was in a small wagon driving a mule team. The wagon had his photography outfit in it. Behind him was the wagon with his household goods. This was driven by a negro. Mose NEVINS and Jim BEVERT were drunk and had their horses in the Cunningham stable. They saw the photographer come to town and hollowed out that the white men were taking over the country, lets kill them, so they shot the photographer and the negro. The negro ran about fifty yards and dropped dead. The photographer was not killed. Nevins and Bevert went home and Nevins gave Bevert a horse, saddle and five hundred dollars and told him to go to Texas. The next day Nevins went to the photographer and offered to pay his medical expense and to do anything he could provided he would try to let him off light. Nevins was afterwards tried in Judge Parker's Court in Ft. Smith and came clear. This was one of the few cases that ever "got by" in Judge Parker's Court. He was considered very strict. Bevert afterwards joined the Texas Rangers, and was killed.
I remember another instant when Wren GRAY, a bad character, was running from the soldiers (in those days before we had any Mayor or other officials, ten soldiers and an officer would go out to make arrest when there were complaints) Gray ran into the Busheyhead store and upon the second floor, he then ran out on the top of the porch and slid down one of the posts and ran. One of the soldiers saw him and knelt down and shot him, killing him instantly. The soldiers picked him up by the hands and feet just as if he had been a hog and took him up to the post.
There was a commissary north of the post (off to itself) that was guarded by one guard all the time. One night Jim West and Alex COCHRAN were drunk and as they passed the commissary, shot the guard. One was afterward killed as they tried to capture him, and the other was given a prison sentence.
Although I was not present I have been told that when Will Rogers spoke in the Ritz Theatre several years back, that he made the statement "the only man in Oklahoma that I envy is Johnny Adair, he was in the battle of San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt." After saying that he ask Adair to stand in the audience. Rogers and Adair were first cousins. I have also been told that John Adair was given a metal for bravery from the U. S. Government.
Office Interview
Mr. Adair is an old veteran Rough Rider, was born at Ft. Gibson in 1858. During the Civil War the Adair family together with Clem and Mary Rogers, parents of Will Rogers, went to Bonham, Texas. While there Mrs. Adair taught school. They returned to Ft. Gibson the latter part of 1866. Cholera broke out in Ft. Gibson in 1867 and the Adair children were sent to Tahlequah where they spent an entire summer with Aunt Katie Daniels, and aunt of Martin Brown. Mrs. Adair at this time was a widow, Mr. Adair having died and was buried at the old home at Ft. Gibson. The children enjoyed their stay at Tahlequah where they played and swam in the branch, stole watermelons and had a good time in general.
Mr. Adair's grandfather's first wife was a PETTIT. His own grandmother was a Gunter. Her home was in Ft. Gibson along side that of Henry MEIGS and George O. SAUNDERS; was later owned by John SCOTT. For a time during the war Mr. Adair's family were forced to live at their grandparents place about a year, while their own home was occupied by Major KIMBALL, commanding officer at the time, occupied by Major Kimball as quarters.
Mr. Adair's mother was born in Alabama at Gunter's landing. John Schrimsher also was born here. Bettie Scrimsher was the mother of Clem Rogers.
Some of the old settlers of this country came up to the mouth of Bayou Menard in 1833--The HENDRICKS, BEATIES, PARIS, AND TERRELLS. They camped for a day or two before picking out places to build their homes. Around Ft. Gibson was good country with fine springs and these families settled in what was known as the Woodal settlement.
Two of the old pioneer homes at Ft. Gibson were the Coody and Thompson places. Both houses were made of logs. The Coody house was a story and a half with double fireplace; one up and one down-stairs. This is now owned by Albert Anderson; the Thompson place by Doctor Waterfield.
Sarah Coody's place was southeast of Ft. Gibson, about two and one-half miles from the Arkansas River, and one-half mile from the Thompson place on Bayou Menard. Both Mrs. Coody and Mrs. Thompson bought whiskey in barrels out of Little Rock. This was brought up the Arkansas River to the mouth of Bayou Menard, loaded on wagons and taken to their homes where they sold it. These were pretty rough times. Men came to these houses, turned their horses in the pasture, ate, danced, and drank until they ran out of money, then moved on. Sarah Coody's dinners and suppers were known far and wide. These were not hangouts for gangsters, but just places to drink and carouse. Whiskey was not obtainable in bottles at this time. A group of men would buy a half-gallon cup and go out somewhere and drink it, coming back for another and another until they had spent all their money. Mrs. Coody was an aunt of Henry Meigs. Later she took her wagons and money and went to California with one of the trains going West. Jack and Tim WALKER were two inhabitants of these places. J. A. Walker was the first husband of old Aunt Georgie SCOTT, who was famed as one of the best dancers of this country. Aunt Gerogie's mother was a LACEY. It is said that Aunt Georgie was a very good looking woman in her early days.
Wash Hinson of Braggs, Oklahoma, was also an inhabitant of these places. He was a "race-horse" man. Horse races were run on a one-quarter mile straightway out on the Colson Place one-fourth of a mile from Ft. Gibson. Tom Andrews' mother, Aunt Mariah Colston also sold whiskey. She would attend these races and bet her money on the horse, sometimes having her apron full of money.
(An old road went by the Thompson place leading to Ft. Smith. Crossed the Bayou Menard at a shallow rocky ford.)
Submitted by John Martin Adair in an office interview with Mr. Foreman February 2, 1937
Third Interview:
John M. Adair, Informant Tahlequah, Oklahoma Frank J. Still Research Worker
Born June 3, 1858 at Ft. Gibson. Father's name John Lafayette Adair born in Georgia - mother Elizabeth Schrimsher born at Gunter landing Alabama. Father came to Indian Territory after the Cherokees came over the trail of tears. Mother came over the trail of tears. She was just a small child. Her people came through in ox wagons. My father died before the Civil War. Grandfather Samuel Adair died in Georgia. I have a copy of the will left by him to the estate. My grandmother was Elizabeth Gunter Schrimpher born near Gunter's landing, Alabama. She is buried in the Gullager cemetery. My mother later married Chief D. W. Bushyhead. They married at our old home. I was 12 years old when they got married. He was treasurer eight years and chief eight years while my mother lived with him. He went to California in the gold rush and married my mother when he came back. I went to school in a double log house near our old home. Prof. Bridges taught school and frailed me quite often. Later they used the Presbyterian Church for a school. This building is torn down. No sign of it.
My father bought a home in Ft. Gibson it was a fort. I have a picture of our old home taken from the east side of Grand river. It shows the old French Ferry boat crossing the river. They used my grandmother's home as a guard house during the war. My home was Phillip's headquarters. It was used as a postoffice. The house was one and one-half story. There was a dark spot on the floor. We never could get it up. I was told that a man had been killed there. I served in the Spanish American War as a rough rider under Teddy Roosevelt.
My family all went to Bowman, Texas during the Civil War. While we were away some one stole our nice mantle board and lots of things. My mother buried her dishes when we left to go to Texas. When we came back, Clem Rogers, Will Roger's father, dug the dishes up. Will Rogers was my first cousin. Mother gave Clem Rogers $100.00 in gold to repair our house. Tuxie BROWN and I dropped corn for Clem Rogers one year.
Battle at Manard Bayou: Jack Lipe was riding in a wagon, a battle came up, and he was running the wagon and someone speared the end gate. John G. Lipe was killed in the first battle of Manard Bayou. The Pin Indians cut his fingers off to get his rings. Old Lady Lipe went back to New York. She had a home made dress and had it fixed so she could sew her gold up in it. It was so heavy she did not wear it very much. Rev. Edward Gunter's home was at the site of the colored seminary five miles northwest of Tahlequah. He is buried at the old Agency northwest of Tahlequah. Mother and some other women would go near the old Gunter home and make maple sugar. This place is on double Springs Creek, near Tak-a-to-ka Council grounds.
Adair, John M. Office Interview. (Mr. Foreman)
Musgrove had a tobacco factory in the vicinity of old Baptist Mission, about two miles northwest of where Westville is now; was southwest of Mission. The old Bushyhead farm now owned by Patterson is in the same vicinity.
Dennis Bushyhead-source of information, lives in President Hackler's home at Tahlequah.
Bill Foreman, Westville, good person to ask questions of.
Dr. R. L. Sellers, Westville, over 70 years old, raised at Maysville. Knows great deal of history.
Mr. Adair knows where the Chambers cemetery is near Chambers home, which was sold to Matt Sanders. Chambers family lived there before Civil War; came in with Old Settlers. This farm is about five miles east of Mr. Adair's home. Coming out from Mr. Adair's place into the highway and go down the highway about 1 2miles towards Tahlequah, then turn off to the right down by the Thomas Hendricks place, one of the oldest places in this country. Old double log house is still standing. The cemetery has graves of some of the Chambers family.
Captain Hammer had a store at Ft. Gibson. The front of the store set on the reservation and the back part or shed set on the Cherokee Nation. White men and soldiers drank in the front and the negroes and Indians in the back.
Adair, John Martin Interview: #13117
Jas. S. Buchanan Investigator February 28, 1938
Interview with John Martin Adair Tahlequah, Oklahoma
I was born June 3rd, 1858, in the town of Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, at the old John Lafayette Adair place, later known as the Dennis Busheyhead place, which was originally an old log barrack building which stood near the back of the Grand River.
My father was John Lafayette Adair, Cherokee, born in Georgia, who came to the Cherokee Nation during the early '50's. He was of the Protestant faith and was a mason.
My mother was Elizabeth Alabama Schrimscher of Cherokee descent, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth Schrimscher, born in the old Cherokee Nation, who came west with her parents in the movement of the Cherokee over the "Trail of Tears."
My grandfather Schrimscher settled immediately after coming to the Indian Territory in 1838 on a claim which he improved and made his home until the Civil War broke out. Then due to the conditions in the Cherokee Nation caused by the war he moved his family to the Choctaw Nation where he and his daughter Sarah Cathrine both died in 1865 and were buried near the vicinity of Briartown on the eve of their return to the Cherokee Nation.
Their son, John G. Schrimscher, married a Juliet CANDY. Their oldest daughter, Elizabeth Alabama, married my father in 1856 and after the death of my father in 1859, she was married to Dennis Bushyhead who was later Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Their second daughter, Mary Schrimscher, was married to C. V. ROGERS, one of their children being Will Rogers the humorist. Their other daughter, Martha, married Fredrick W. GULAGER. After the War the daughter, Martha, and her husband, Fredrick W. Gulager, acquired ownership of the old Martin Schrimscher home and since that time it has been known as the Gulager place. This old place is situated about eight miles southwest of Tahlequah on the old stage line trail between Tahlequah and Fort Gibson and during the days of the stage line there was a stage stand at the place and it was also used as a team changing station for the stage in bad weather. There is a wonderful water spring about fifty yards south of the old house site. That was a noted watering place during the days of the stage line. The old spring yet has the old moss covered stone wall around it that was placed there by Fredrick Gulager when he improved the place after the Civil War. The original house that was built by Martin Schrimscher was a massive two story double log house with a colonial type porch on the front with massive cedar posts extending high enough to support the porch of the second story. This building was destroyed by fire in 1920.
My grandfather, Martin Schrimscher, led the life of the average pioneer. The only public work I ever knew of his performing was the driving of the mail-hack between Tahlequah and Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the early days. I was the only child born to my mother and John Lafayette Adair, but to the union of my mother and Dennis Bushy head, whom she married after the Civil War, there were four children born, as follows: Jesse C. Bushyhead, who is now a practicing physician at Claremore; Lizzie, married to Tom Trippard of Tahlequah; Sarah, deceased, who was unmarried, and Dennis W. Bushyhead, Jr. now living at Tahlequah. After the marriage of Dennis Bushyhead to my mother he served eight years as Treasurer of the Cherokee Nation, then for two years as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
I was reared at the place of my birth in Fort Gibson and attended the Cherokee National School at that place where I received my common school education and later attended the Shurtleff College, a Baptist institution at Alton, Illinois. After returning from school I devoted my time for several years to looking after the cattle business for my mother and step-father as they had extensive herds on the open range of the Cherokee Nation until the death of my mother in 1882.
After the death of my mother, never having an own brother, I took a great interest in my oldest step-brother. Jesse Bushyhead, as he was a very studious boy and had a treat ambition to be a doctor. I assisted him through school and medical college. He attended the Bellevue Medical College in New York City at the same time that Dr. F. B. Fite attended that college. Our cousin, Will Rogers, later sent Dennis through a two year post graduate course in medical college. After he completed his education he located at Claremore, where he has continued his practice very successfully until the present time.
In 1898 I enlisted in the service of the country in the Spanish-American War and served in that campaign in Cuba under Col. Theodore Roosevelt in what was know as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. I was in the service one year. Returning home after the Spanish-American War I went to work for F. H. NASH I returned to the old homestead where I have lived for the past thirty-six years. In 1903 I married Tryphenia TERRELL, Cherokee, the daughter of Aaron and Annie Terrell. No children were born to us. After my marriage I engaged in farming and raising stock here on the old homestead. My wife died in March 1935.
I have spent almost eighty years in the Indian Territory and Oklahoma. I saw this country in its undeveloped state, a real man's paradise. I have seen a great change, many things come and go, mostly go, for I have seen what is called the progress of modern civilization ruin a really good country. The opportunities of the frontier days are long past and we find ourselves settled down in the midst of a hum-drum life of an over-populated country with all the natural resources that we enjoyed in the early days gone forever. There is yet too much in life for me to conform to such a do-nothing situation. Therefore, I am leasing out my old homestead and preparing to start for the gold fields of Arizona on a prospecting trip about the middle of March. I am not dreaming of making any great gold strike, but I will at least feel the thrill of adventure again.
The sutler store at Fort Gibson was first established by a retired army captain named John HAMMER about 1870. He operated the store until about 1873, when he transferred his business to a man named SKINNER and Captain Hammer went to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he purchased an interest in a coal mine and a steamboat. The coal mine and steamboat project was a failure when the steamboat sank near Fort Smith. Captain Hammer returned to Fort Gibson and went back into the sutler store in partnership with Tom FRENCH in the same old sutler store building and made a success of the business again.
They continued the business until about 1880 when they sold the business to Captain Jackson, and ex-confederate officer from Texas who had married a Cherokee woman. Captain Hammer was then appointed United States Marshal. Captain Jackson operated the sutler store for about two years, then sold out the business to the Lafayette brothers, Ben and Mose, who operated the sutler store until it was discontinued about 1890 and the Lafayette brothers went to Eufaula and went into business.
The house in which I was born was originally an old barrack building. It was a large double log structure, two large rooms with a hall through the center, a long room on the east and that extended past the north wall to the edge of the porch on the side next to the river that served as a dining room and a room east of that room which was used as a kitchen, a porch along the entire south side and a porch on the north next to the river that extended from the west end to the dining room wall. There were three fireplaces in the house, one at the west end, one in the first large room east of the hall next to the dining room and one in the room that was used for a kitchen on the east end.
This building, like many other old log barrack buildings, was sold to private individuals when the new stone barrack buildings were built in the new barracks on top of the hill in the late '40's. This old building that my father bought has been used as an office building and as the first post office of Fort Gibson. I remember there was a slot cut in a walnut log in the west room on the north side next to the river that served as a letter drop and I was told when I was a boy that that room was the first post office at Fort Gibson.
My mother retained this property after the death of my father, and after her marriage to Dennis Bushyhead, several years later, the place was then known thereafter as the Bushyhead place. This was a beautiful old place, with stately porches on both sides, in the early days as it fronted the river and also fronted the barrack road that passed on the opposite side of the house from the river.
Submitters Comments: There were several interviews done by different Investigators, they start on page 135 in volume 2 and finish on page 159. As you can see the name Schrimscher, Scrimsher, Schrimsher, Schrimpture. I think that Schrimpture is just spelled incorrectly. In John Martin Adair's Application to the Office of Indian Affairs, this name is spelled Schrimsher.
Transcribed and submitted by Lynda Canezaro <LBC@aol.com> 06-2000
