Cherokee

Biographical Sketch of William W. Miller

(See Grant and Halfbreed)-Joseph Gambold, son of Avery Vann and Nannie (Ward) Miller, was born my 16, 1828. Married March 1, 1850, Jennie, daughter of James and Matilda (Benge) Buffington, born February 10, 1833. He was a member of Company E, First Cherokee Mounted Rifles, under Captain Joseph F. Thompson. Mr. Miller died February 26, 1897. They were the parents of William Walter Miller, born July 20, 1853. He married March 16, 1884 Mary Francis Bishop, born April 7, 1863 in Decater County, Indiana; and they were the parents of Charles William, Henry Mayes, Joseph Gambold, David Andrew, Matilda Ann, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. DeWitt Wilson

(See Grant, Downing, Adair, Daniel and Wilson) DeWitt Clinton, son of Anderson Springston and Nancy Catherine (Daniel) Wilson was born January 7, 1859. Educated in the Cherokee National schools. Married June 25, 1885 Mary Ellen, daughter of Dr. Walter Thompson and Mary Buffington (Adair) Adair, born November 1, 1864. She graduated from the Cherokee National Female Seminary June 29, 1881 and Kirkwood 1883. They are the parents of: Lelia Stapler, born September 26, 18,99, and Clinton Wilson, born January 5, 1893. Lelia Stapler Wilson, who is an accomplished musician, is the wife of Leon L. Leslie. Nannie Catherine Daniel, born … Read more

Treasurers of the Cherokee Nation

The office of treasurer was provided for by article four, section twenty one of the constitution, as follows: “The treasurer of the Cherokee Nation shall be chosen by a joint vote of both branches of the National Council for the term of four years.” The annual salary was fixed on October 4, 1839 at five hundred dollars. David Vann 1839, 1843, 1847 and 1851; Lewis Ross 1855 and 1859: Springfrog 1867, he died and Clement Neeley Vann was elected in November 1870; Dennis Wolf Bushyhead 1871 and 1875; De Witt Clinton Lipe November 11, 1879; Henry Chambers 1883; Robert Bruce … Read more

Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation

The powers and prerogatives of the judiciary of the Cherokee Nation is given in the thirteen sections of article five of the constitution and “The Judges of the supreme court shall each be allowed three dollars per day, while in service in holding court.” 1839. John Martin, Chief Justice, Reverend Jesse Bushyhead and four other unknown associates. Elected by Constitutional convention. 1844. Rev. Jesse Bushyhead, Chief Justice, vice John Martin, died October 17, 1840, and Judge Bushyhead died July 17, 1844. George Hicks elected Chief Justice October 11, 1844 vice Bushyhead. Associated Justices. Thomas Pegg, Moses Parris and David Carter, … Read more

Sheriffs of the Cherokee Nation

Sheriffs of Canadian District 1841 and 1843. James Mackey; James Ore 1845; Josiah Reese 1847; John Shepherd Vann 1849; James Starr 1851; Nelson Riley 1853; Joseph M. Reese 1855; John Porum Davis 1857; Charles Drew 1859; Unknown 1861; Charles Drew 1867; John Q. Hayes 1869 and 1871; Stand Watie Gray’ 1873; Thomas Jefferson Bean 1875 and 1877, he was suspended and Henry Clay Lowrey was appointed April 16, 18 79; McCoy Smith, 1879, William Mosley West 1881; Stand Watie Gray 1883, he was suspended and William Vann, appointed June 20, 1884; William Vann 1885, 1887, 1889 and 1891; John Calhoun … Read more

Senators of the Cherokee Nation

Senators from the Canadian District 1841. Captain William Dutch- and the other one unknown. 1843. Captain William Dutch and Joseph Tally. Both resigned. 1844. John Shepherd and Nelson Riley, vice Dutch and Talley, resigned. 1845. James Mackey and William Shorey Coody. The latter was elected President of the Senate. 1847. Captain William Dutch and William Shorey Coody. The latter died April 16, 1849. 1849. Josiah Reese and Lightningbug Bowles. 1851. David Boggs and Nelson Riley. 1853. David Boggs and Teesee Guess. 1855. John Drew and Lightningbug Bowles. 1857. John Drew and William Doublehead. 1859. Joseph Abalom Scales and Daniel Coody. … Read more

Judges of the Cherokee Nation

Judges of Canadian District 1841. John Brewer; 1843. Robert G. Anderson; 1847. Nelson Riley; George Washington Campbell; 1849. William Reese. 1851. Lewis Riley; 1853. William Reese; 1855. Star Deer in the water; 1857. Dempsey Fields; 1859. William Doublehead; 1861. James Ore; 1867 and 1869. Joseph Martin Hildebrand; 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879 and 1881. Abraham Woodall; 1883 and 1885. Stephen Hildebrand; 1887 and 1889. Henry Clay Lowrey 1891 and l893. Herman Johnson Vann; 1895. Walter Scott Agnew 1897. Herman Johnson Vann Judges of Cooweescoowee District 1855. Not known; 1857. John Lucien Brown; 1857. Charles Coody Rogers; 1861. Jackson Tyner; 1867 … Read more

Councilors from the Cherokee Nation

Councilors from Canadian District 1841. Joseph Talley, Wind and Wrinklesides. 1843. Lightningbug Bowles, Dahlahseenee and Oosoody. Bowles would not qualify and Lewis Riley was elected. Dahlahseenee died October 26, 1844 and Oosoody died November 29, 1844. 1845. Lewis Riley, John Shepherd and Jefferson Nivens. 1847. Lightningbug Bowles, Jacob Thorne and William Doublehead. 1840. Leggings, David Boggs and William Arnold. 1851. Charles Chambers, John Porum Davis and third party unknown. 1853. Leggings, Lightningbug Bowles and Duqulilu Wagon Bowles. 1855. Dempsey Fields, Lightningbug Bowles and Duqulilu Wagon Bowles. 1857. Lightningbug Bowles, William Rees and William Arnold. 1859. Lightningbug Bowles, Cabin Smith and … Read more

Clerks of the Cherokee Nation

Clerks of the Council 1841. Rev. Jesse Bushyhead. 1843. Jonathan Mulkey. 1845. Rev. David McNair Foreman. 1847. Hercules T. Martin. 1849. Hercules T. Martin. 1851. Thomas B. Wolf. 1853. Thomas B. Wolf. 1855. Hercules T. Martin. 1857. Hercules T. Martin. 1859. Thomas B. Wolf. 1861. Thomas B. Wolf. 1867. Thomas B. Wolf. 1869. Clement Neeley Vann. 1871. Ellis Sanders. 1873. George Osceola Sanders. 1875. Allen Ross. 1877. John Francis Lyon. Resigned. Daniel Ross Hicks, vice John F. Lyon, resigned. 1879. Daniel Ross Hicks. 1881. Joel Bryan Mayes. Resigned. Joel B. Mayes, resigned. 1883. Seaborn Cordery. 1885. Clark Charlesworth Lipe. 1887. … Read more

Solicitors of the Cherokee Nation

The following were the solicitors of the Canadian District Lewis Riley 1841 and 1842; David Boggs 1843 and 1844; Robert G. Anderson 1845 and 1846; David Boggs 1847 and 1848; George Washing-ton Campbell 1849; Unknown 1851; Star Deerinthewater 1853; John Porum Davis 1855; Charles R. Gourd 1857; Gah-luh-do-la-duh 1859; Levi Toney 1867; Charles Edwin Watie 1869; Snake Girty 1871; Unknown 1873, William Penn Payne 1875, suspended for incest, John Taylor Drew appointed; Johnson Blythe 1877; he died July 3, 1878 and James Halfbreed appointed, he died January 13, 1879 and Snake Girty was elected February 3, 1879; Robert McDaniel 1879; … Read more

Circuit Judges of the Cherokee Nation

Circuit Judges, Middle Circuit Timothy Meigs Walker 1867; Jacob Bushyhead 1871, Kinick Sixkiller appointed in 1872 to try Ezekial Proctor; Timothy Meigs Walker 1875; Stephen Teehee 1879; Cicero Leonidas Lynch 1883 and 1887; William Nicholls Littlejohn l891, he resigned August 26, 1895 and Benjamin Goss was appointed August 2 7, 1895; Martin Van Benge 1895, he resigned and Charles Harris Sisson was appointed May 1, 1897. Circuit Judges, Northwestern Circuit Unknown 1831; Thomas Jefferson Pack 1843, he resigned and Riley Keys elected, vice Pack; Unknown 1845; Thomas B. Wolf 1847; Riley Keys 1849; Thomas Jefferson Pack 1851; Unknown 1853; Samuel … Read more

Biography of William C. Wright

William C. Wright was born March 9, 1860, at Gainesville, Arkansas, second son of Morris M. Wright, a white man and ex-sheriff of Green County, Arkansas, an active politician in his day, and Miss Howard, daughter of George Howard, of North Carolina, a prominent man in his country. William, after attending Gainesville High School until nineteen years of age, began serving his time to the silversmith and watch making trade in the same town. Remaining there four years, he came to Vinita, Indian Territory, in 1883, and there started in the jewelry business. In 1888, in connection with this, he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Leroy Wolfe

Thomas Leroy Wolfe was born in Tahlequah, April 12, 1871, the son of John W. Wolfe and Belle Gibson, daughter of Leroy Gibson, a white man. His grandfather, Thomas Wolfe, was one of the old settlers, and in conjunction with Blue Jacket, built the first house in Tahlequah. His father, John W. Wolfe, was district judge for some time, and at present resides within one-half mile of the capital. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of three sons. He was sent to the Tahlequah public school in 1879, and there continued till 1883, when he began work in … Read more

Biography of Richard M. Wolfe

Richard M. Wolfe was born November 16, 1849, the son of J. H. Wolfe and Elizabeth Saunders, daughter of D. Saunders, a prominent Cherokee. When Richard was but five months old, his father left for California to search for gold in order, as he said himself, to properly educate his son, but unfortunately he never returned. At the age of seven Richard went to school for three months, and then again in two years later, passed five months at a public school. From the outbreak of the war till its ending he remained at home to take care of his … Read more

Biography of Rev. J. Edward Wolfe

J. Edward Wolfe was born September 12, 1849, at Hampton, Adams County, Pennsylvania, oldest son of Jacob Wolfe, a popular merchant of the same place, and Mary Connor, of Scotch and Irish descent. Edward attended public school until the outbreak of the war, when he became an apprentice to the printer’s trade in the Gazette office, Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania. Here he remained several years, attaching himself for a while to the Carlisle Volunteer, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Later he held a position in the government printing office, at Washington, D. C., after which he was led into evangelistic work through … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John M. Tucker

The subject of this sketch was born January 1, 1857, in Johnson County, Kansas, the son of Charles Tucker, who came to this country November, 1871, with the Shawnees, who obtained a right in the Cherokee Nation through a treaty entered into at Washington in 1869, which provided for such right and title in consideration of the money accruing from the sale of Shawnee lands in Kansas, and other considerations, to be paid over to the Cherokees. John attended school at Contention Schoolhouse, Delaware district, and in 1878 went to the national Male Seminary for one year, after which he … Read more

Biography of Thomas Fox Thompson

Thomas F. Thompson was born May, 1848, at Tahlequah, Cherokee Nation, the second son of Johnson Thompson, merchant of that place. Thomas attended district school until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he went south with the refugees. After the war he went with his parents to Grand River, Delaware district, where he attended one session at Pea Ridge School, Arkansas; leaving there he went to Vinita, where he was employed in his father’s store for about three years, after which he improved a farm on Big Cabin Creek, and there resided three years. Moving back to Vinita in … Read more

Biography of Joseph M. Thompson, M.D.

This popular young physician was born February 8, 1865, near Red River, Chickasaw Nation, during the war, and whilst his family were amongst the Cherokee refugees. He is the son of Johnson Thompson and Eliza C. Taylor, both Cherokees. In 1866 his parents went to Grand River, east of Vinita, Delaware district, where at eight years, Joseph was sent to a neighborhood school. At the age of fifteen years he went to the male seminary, and there remained three years, graduating a short time afterward at the Indian University, then located at Tahlequah. From this he began reading medicine under … Read more

Biography of Johnson Thompson

Johnson Thompson was born February 10, 1822, in Cass County, Georgia, the third son of James Allen Thompson, a white man, and Martha Lynch, a Cherokee, daughter of Geter Lynch, a United States citizen, who was a brother-in-law to Judge J. Martin, of considerable prominence in the Cherokee Nation. Johnson attended missionary and private schools until he was fifteen, when his father immigrated to the present Cherokee Nation with the Boudinots, Adairs, Mayes and Ridge families, after the treaty of 1835. Here he went to school in Viniard Township, Arkansas, and later to Bentonville in the same State, until he … Read more

Biography of Judge Walter A. Starr

Walter A. Starr was born in Washington County, Arkansas, March 26, 1845, son of Joseph M. Starr, a prominent Cherokee citizen, who served several terms as judge of Going Snake district, and was afterward a senator. Walter’s mother was a Miss Delilah Adair, and her marriage to Joseph Starr took place in the old nation. The subject of this sketch attended the territory schools until the age of sixteen years, and, when the war broke out, entered the Confederate service, serving first under his brother, Captain George H. Starr, until the latter’s death, when he was in Captain E. M. … Read more