Heard this evening that a company of Cherokees went yesterday to Chief Ross's to kill him. I did not credit the report, yet if troubled me, and to satisfy my mind on the subject, I went to Tahlequah to see Jesse Wolf, who, I heard was one of the party who went to do the deed. As I had supposed, the report was false. Thomas Taylor and about twelve men being on their way home, called at Mr. Ross's to deliver which they had from Col. S. Watie, relative to some Cherokee prisoners he had taken, as well as some letters found in the possession of the prisoners, directed to Rev. J. B. Jones, Mr. Wolf said. Mr. Ross treated Mr. Taylor with a great deal of coldness and indifference. He came into the room (office) where Mr. Taylor was, sat a few minutes and then went out, and returned no more. Mr. Taylor noticing this, he and his men soon after left. Jesse Wolf having some business with Mr. Ross remained with Jas. McCoy, Return Forman and Geo. Smoker. On leaving, Taylor left the letter with McCoy and Smoker, with instructions to deliver it and wait for the answer. While waiting for an answer, Return Foreman cut up considerably like any other druken man would, calling Mr. Ross an old Pin, an old abolitionist, etc. About that time Mr. Ross inquired who the commanding officer was, and wished him to keep his men in order. He was told Mr. Taylor had command but had gone home. Mr. Ross said no more. Mr. Wolf said that was about all that took place. Yet from this circumstance will be circulated far and near, the report that a company went to kill Mr. Ross. And I should not be surprised if from the same circumstance, an army is stationed about Park Hill. If so, an opposition army may also be expected. And I tremble for the result.
Stephen Foreman
Park Hill, Cherokee Nation
Thomas Taylor is Lt. Col. Thomas Fox Taylor of the 1st Cherokee Mtd Vols (CS), aka 'Watie's Regiment'. Col. S. Watie is, of course, Stand Watie.
Rev. John Buttrick Jones was the son of Rev. Evan Jones, Northern Baptist missionaries and abolitionists with close ties to the Keetoowah Society ('the Pins') and close ties to Chief John Ross. The Joneses left the Cherokee Nation in 1861 due to threats on their lives by the 'Southern Cherokee'. John B. Jones was later the chaplain of the 3rd Indian Home Guards (US), aka 'the Pin Regiment'.
Lt. James C. McCoy (age 33), Cpl. George Smoker (age 25), and Pvt. Return J. Foreman (age 18) were all of 1st Co. F in Watie's 1st Cherokee Mtd Vols. Return Foreman was Rev. Stephen Foreman's nephew.
I would not be surprised that many threats were made on Chief Ross' life from the time of the murders of the leaders of the Treaty Party (except for Stand Watie, of course) in 1839. Ross was accused of being an accomplice or at the very least knowledgeable of who committed the murders, perhaps informed before they occurred. Ross claimed he had no knowledge of the murderers but pardoned them, whoever they were, by executive order. The Southern Cherokee, led by Stand Watie, despised Ross and had hoped to depose him with support from Arkansas and Gen. Ben McCulloch. Ross undermined their plans by dropping his neutrality stance and recommending a treaty with the Confederate States.
Ross' home at Park Hill, called Rose Cottage, was guarded by Pins of Col. John Drew's 1st Cherokee Mtd Rifles (CS) until August 1862 when Ross et al were escorted to Kansas by Union troops under Col. Cloud. All but about 80 men of Drew's Regiment defected to the Union in July and filled the ranks of the 2nd IHG and 3rd IHG. Lt. Col. Thomas Fox Taylor was later taken prisoner and then murdered by Pins of the 3rd IHG.
Ken