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Poems by Murray Poets and Poems About Murray County by Del “Abe” Jones, early 2000s The Treaty of New Echote Back in Eighteen thirty-six Another promise by the white man From his bag of dirty tricks. The Government deemed removal Of all the Cherokee from their land Not what our Founding Fathers meant And not at all, what they had planned. General Winfield Scott soon arrived With the seven thousand troops he led He was known to have preferred force And not some peaceful way, instead. More than twenty-five stockades Were constructed along the way "Holding pens" for those Cherokee So they weren't able to run away. Taken to Rattlesnake Springs From there to "The Trail of Tears" Whose horror stories still survive Even after all of these many years. A "traditional" Cherokee, Tsali Who had three sons and a wife He farmed a small hillside plot His family lived a very simple life. They lived outside the boundaries Of most the "progressive" Cherokee Who accepted the white man's way He much preferred the wild and free. They rarely learned of any news Of goings-on from the outside Existing in their peaceful ways While tempered by Cherokee pride. In May of Eighteen thirty-eight The Federal roundup had begun And soon after it had started Tsali's family was on the run. At first they went peacefully And did what they were told Trying to understand why Thinking of treaties of old. Along with his wife and sons Her brother and his family They began the trek to Bushnell With no idea, what was to be. But then, as the story goes To speed the family along A soldier tried a cruel tactic That was definitely wrong. He prodded Tsali's wife With the bayonet on his gun That proved to be too much As it would be, for anyone. Tsali said in Native tongue He would fall down in a ruse The rest should take the soldier's guns If to escape, is what they'd choose. In the scuffle that ensued A soldiers gun was fired He shot himself in his head Not at all, what they'd conspired. Tsali wanted no bloodshed And as these things usually go The Army told a different version Completely different, don't you know? They claimed someone had a hidden ax And sunk it in the soldiers head To take away the Army's blame And blame the Indians, instead. Sounds like the leader of those troops Was trying to save his own hide Just another lie in history That often stains our Country's pride. They all escaped into the woods And made their way to Clingman's Dome They found a cave under it Where they would make their new home. General Scott gave out the order To Colonel Foster, to hunt down, And shoot all the "murderers" As soon as they all could be found. It seems many took the Army's side Some, maybe to keep the peace intact Chief John Ross even apologized Said, don't blame all for how some act. Foster used some "white man Indians" From the Quallatown Band Who dodged the emigration rules Because they took the white man's stand. One of those men was actually white Adopted by Chief Drowning Bear Will Thomas was his real name And the Army did enlist this pair. Thomas had convinced Tsali's band If they helped out in the chase They could stay in North Carolina And remain in their home place. The Indians chased the Indians And soon, some "murderers"were caught And by a firing squad of Cherokees Three of those men tied to a tree and shot. The women and children were spared Which was not always the case Sometimes, it seemed the white man Would kill all the American Native Race. Thomas had convinced Foster That Tsali had played a minor role So Foster and his troops departed Claiming, he'd achieved his goal. He said removal was completed And those still out on the run Could all return to Quallatown Because his work there was done. After Foster had left Bushnell Some other Quallatown Cherokee Who had Tsali, brought him in And shot him like those other three. Drowning Bear was commended Fugitives who helped hunt the others down Were kinda pardoned and allowed To stay with the rest in Quallatown. The story of Tsali became a legend It is said that he turned himself in So troops would leave the other Cherokee And end a war they could not win. They say he gladly gave his life So that his people might remain In their homes there in the mountains And end their suffering and pain. So now, a Hero of his proud people Who number around ten thousand strong Still living on their Native Land And knowing that's where they belong. NOTE: This poem by poet Del "Abe" Jones is from his book, "Of Native American" copyright 2005, all rights reserved. It is being used here by permission of Del "Abe" Jones. An online copy of this entire book can be read for free by using this link: http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-del-quot-abe-quot-jones-of-native-american.  Murray County Poetry
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