June 7, 1879 Van Buren Press Van Buren, Crawford County, Arkansas SLEEPING BRAVES A Kindly Act by Living Indians Toward Their Dead While our own race were paying the tender tributes justly due to the memory of our illustrious and gallant dead, the Indian delegation now in this city, W P Adair, and D H Ross, of the Cherokees; George W Stidham, of the Creeks, and P P Pitchlynn, of the Choctaws, visited the congressional burring grounds and decorated the graves of some of their departed friends. There are interred in those grounds, the remains of the following named illustrious Indians, Push-ma-ta-ha, chief of the Choctaws; Capt. John Rogers; chief of the "Old Settler" Cherokees; John Looney, Cherokee chief and delegate; Wm. S Coody, Buford West, Ezekiel Starr, Capt. Thomas Pegg, Capt. James McDaniel and Judge Richard Fields, Cherokee delegates, and Daniel B. Asberry, Creek delegate. Push-ma-ta-ha was a celebrated war chief of the Choctaws. He was also a brigadier general of volunteers, under General Jackson, in the Creek War, and was a great favorite of Jackson. On his death bed in this city, Jackson visited him, and the old chief said: "My friend, we have been good friends. You have been kind to my people; we must soon part; I am going home to my fathers in the spirit land. My death will be heard by my people like the fall of a great tree in the forest. When I am gone let the big guns be fired over me." His wish was complied with, and in addition to the salute fired over his grave, the tombstone was inscribed: "When I am gone let the big guns be fired over me". Capt. John Rogers was a chief of the "Old Settler", a western Cherokee, and was one of the first Cherokees who removed west of the Mississippi, and was a friend of President Jackson, and served under him during the Creek War. He died in 1846, while the Cherokee treaty was pending. John Looney, chief of the "Western Cherokees", was also one of the first of the Cherokees that removed West, and was celebrated as a great warrior, in protecting the Western border from the assaults of the wild Indians of the plains and mountains. W S Coody, who died in 1848, was in public life of the Cherokee, from his early growth. His father was a white man, and his mother a sister of the celebrated Cherokee chief, John Ross, who died in 1856. He was also a brother in law to General D H Rucker, who married his sister in the Indian Country. He was one of the most eloquent men of his day, and was gifted with rare conversation powers. He drafted the Cherokee constitution, the acts of union of 1839, and most of the civil and criminal code of the Nation in existence up to the time of his death. Bluford West was a delegate of the "Old Settler" Cherokees, and Ezekiel Starr, of the "Treaty Party" Cherokees. They were both intelligent gentlemen, and their fathers were white men. Capts. Thomas Peggs and James M. Daniel were full blooded Cherokees, and died in this city, the former in 1866, and the latter in the year following. Both were captains in the United States army, during the late rebellion, and served with marked distinction. Judge Richard Fields was a delegate, and died here in 1874. He served under General Jackson in the Creek War, and also rendered the United States efficient service in the Seminole War. During the late war, he was in the Confederate army. General Lacket, of the United States army, was his son in law, having married his daughter Amanda in the Indian Country. Daniel B Asberry was a Creek delegate and died in this city in 1855. He was a full blooded Indian of excellent education and was a fine orator. He was educated in Kentucky, and was second chief of the Creek Nation when he died. [Washington Post]. Fran Alverson Warren