A hand drawn ferry on the Arkansas River no doubt similar to Leecher's ferry, date unknown. The writing on the carriage says "Muskogee - Fort Gibson"
About John Leecher and Leecher's ferry
A hand drawn ferry on the Arkansas River no doubt similar to Leecher's ferry, date unknown. The writing on the carriage says "Muskogee - Fort Gibson" |
 Leecher |
Ben Marshall, age 71, testified for Joe Tiger:
Q. When did Leecher run that ferry across the
Arkansas? Q. Leecher was running that ferry as far back as I can remember.
Q. Was he running it in 1878? A. Oh yes and years after. Q.
Was he running it in 1886, 1887, and 1888? A. Oh yes. Q. As late
as 1893? A. I said I don't know. I think all of those ferries went out
when the Spaulding Bridge was put in. Q. How many ferries were there? A.
The old ferry was Leecher's ferry, below the Tucker spring. The first up
the river was known as the Simon Brown... then the next was Drew ferry.
Eliza Sterling, age 65, testified for Joe Tiger:
Q: How far was your home from the town of
Muskogee? A. I will say about eight miles. I had to walk it. Q. How
far do you think your home was from Leecher's ferry? A. About two
miles... Q. At the time that you lived in Monday Barnett's home [her
father's] as a child was there a church in that neighborhood? A. Yes,
sir. Q. What was the name of that church? A. Fountain Church. Q.
Did you know of any spring in that neighborhood? A. Dan Tucker's spring. Q.
How far was that from Fountain Church. A. About a mile. Q. What
direction? A. South. Q. What direction from Leecher's ferry [was
the spring]? A. Well north from Leecher's ferry...about a
mile.
Josephine Spaulding, age 65, testified for Joe Tiger:
Q: Do you know whether your grandmother
had been acquainted with Leecher before the Civil War? A. Oh yes, they
came out together from Alabama. Q. Your grandmother Mrs. Davis? A.
And Leecher.
Q. Do you recall the names of any of the men who operated the ferry boat, or worked on the ferry boat? A. Yes. The Leecher boys we always called them, Sarfully, Needles, Haryaryeche, something like that, it was an Indian name. One by the name of Joe, I think his name must have been Chokote. There were six of theese boys. One was Jackson. And Cumseh. Q. Did you ever know a man named Patilda or Petille? A. Yes, he was one of the boys.
Martha Jane Walker, age 89, testified for Martha Jane Walker:
Q. Who was your mother? A.
My mother [Polly] was Uncle Leecher's sister. My father was John Gibson. Q.
Did you know a woman by the name of Thlesothle? A. That was my mother's
sister.
Q. What was Leecher doing? A. He was running a boat. Q. What direction from Muskogee was this ferry boat of John Leecher's. A. I don't remember, but I believe it was kind of north from Muskogee as near as I can remember.
Lucy Curns, age about 72, testified for Curns-Gentry:
Q. Can you tell the court where
Leecher's Ferry was, across what river and what direction from Muskogee. A.
It was north from Muskogee. Q. Tell the court what kind of man he
[Leecher] was, Indian, white, or Negro. A. No, sir, he was Indian,
Euchee. Q. Do you know who she was [Thlesothle]? A. She was sister
of old man John Leecher. Q. After Cumseh drowned [June 30, 1891] do you
know or did you see where Jackson went to? A. No, sir, he come down out
there around Henryetta, but he would come back all the time. He wouldn't stay
over a year.
Q. Is Siah Barnett any relation of yours? A. My grandfather's [Andrew Sullivan's] sister [Hannah] was Siah Barnett and Jim Barnett's mother.
Q. Did you ever go to old man Leecher's house? A. Yes, sir, after I was a grown woman. Q. Did you see Jackson there? A. Yes, sir, all the time and Uncle Cumseh too. Q. You saw Jackson first right after the Civil War? A. Just after Civil War, yes. Come to us at Fort Gibson. We lived at Hyde Park. Q. From that time on until you moved to Eufaula did Jackson stay in that neighborhood? A. No. sir, he was in Kansas awhile. Q. How long was he in Kansas? A. I guess about a year or two. He went up there when my sister went up there. Q. Do you know when he went down towards Siah Barnett's place or Dave Barnett's place? A. He went down there after Cumseh got drowned. He went down and stayed. Q. Had he ever been down there to live before Cumseh got drowned? A. Not as I know.
Q. How many brothers did Jackson have... what were their names? A. Petille, Needles. I think they was brothers. They all stayed together at Leecher's.
Mr. Gibson, attorney, testified for :
I don't know about the enrollment. I know a man by
the name of Cumseh lived in Humboldt, Kansas, from 1869 to 1889 for a short
time, then he came down and was drowned in the Arkansas River. In 1891 according
to the evidence while he was working on Leecher's Ferry; he fell off and was
drowned. His body was recovered in the Arkansas River at Webbers Falls, and he
had lived in Humboldt, Kansas, until shortly theretofore. He went to Humboldt,
Kansas, in 1869 when he was discharged.
Aaron Bruner, age 72, testified for Bennie Scott:
Q. How long did you know him [Jackson]? A.
Since about 1880. Q. Where did you know him? A. First knowed him
right across over here on the Arkansas River where I first saw him, and knew him
up in Tuckabatchee settlement west of Wetumka. He is a member of that Indian
clan of people.
John Guy (dep.), age about 71, testified for Bertha Barnett:
Q. Now tell us please about how
old you were, as best you can guess at it, or heard about it, when you came into
the region north of Muskogee, just about the size of a boy you were. A. I
was somewhere about fifteen or sixteen, something like that. Q. Now,
then, what part of Muskogee, or that region around Muskogee, did you come to? A.
I first came up there to, I got to that fellow that run that boat up there,
Leech. Q. Across what river was Leecher's ferry? A. It was on the
Verdigris. Q. Verdigris river was he first Leecher's ferry that you know?
A. Yes, sir. Q. Was there another Leecher's ferry, across the
Arkansas? A. I don't know anything about that.... Q Whereabouts from
Muskogee was that, in what direction was that Leecher's ferry on the Verdigris
that you are talking about now? A. It was kind of north.
Jackson in Kansas
Charles Redmond, age 64, testified for Curn-Gentry:
Q. When was the first time that you
saw this man Jackson? A. When I first seen Jackson I was a kid of five or
six years old. Q. Where was he? A. He was at Cumseh's and Polly
Crossland's [at Humboldt] ... Q. Did you ever see that man Jackson any
more? A. I expect ten times up until I was fourteen or fifteen... He made
several trips to Humboldt to visit Tecumseh.
Jackson at Bryant
Thomas Fixico, age 58, testified for Bennie Scott:
[Regarding where Jackson stayed] "James Barnett,
Josiah Looney's place, and Joshua Asbury's place, and Siah Barnett his
father."
F. H. Behn, age 72, testified for Bennie Scott:
Q. You came west of Henryetta in 1903 or 1904. A.
Yes
Q. Where was Jackson Barnett living then? A. Living one mile north of where the rock store is at now.
Q. In 1904 was not Jackson Barnet living with Bony Randell and Little Fish? A. He was living in little old log house. I have called it log house. When they built the house they had such little wood they put so much mud on it you couldn't tell whether it was box house or log house. Q. How long did he continue to live in that little house across from Sango Johnson? A. He lived in that little old house until Mr. O'Hornett built him that box house.
Lizzie Wynn, age 86, testified for Siah Barnett:
Q. Where was Jackson Barnett when you first saw
him? A. At the home of John Watson. Q. Tell what he was doing, how
he came there. A. Jim Fife and Jim Barnett used to haul merchandise from
Muskogee, so Siah went after Jackson and brought him down there and I became acquainted
with him. Q. Where did he go after them? A. Well around Muskogee.
He used to roam around Muskogee. Q. With reference to the Green
Peach War [c1881-2] when was that, was it before or after? A. Before. Q.
Did Jackson Barnett stay -- who did he stay with after that around there? A.
He stayed with his father about two weeks, then John Watson had him, had Jackson
Barnett. Q. Who was his father. A. Siah Barnett. Q. Where
did Siah Barnett live? A. About half a mile northwest of John Watson's
home. Court. Ask her what makes her say Siah Barnett was the
father. A. Siah himself said he was going after his son and brought
Jackson there.
Q. When did you go up to live at Watson's? A. I don't remember what year it was. I don't keep track of years and dates, but I stayed at Watson's home for about three years. Q. About how long ago was that? A. Was it before or after the Green Peach war? A. Before. After that war John Watson moved to Wetumka.
Q. Did he [Jackson] go back to Muskogee? A. He stayed long time; then he went with those folks going pick up pecans and he didn't come back with them. After that when the Indians get together he come back. Court. Where did he go? A. He went back up there on Arkansas towards Muskogee. Q. Then he stayed several years? A. I don't know about that. I don't know how long it was. He stayed good while and after these Indians which was went back west all come back he come back, but I don't know how long that was.
John Chupco, age 71, testified for TN-KY:
Q. Did you ever see Jackson Barnett at Siah Barnett's house? A. No, I never did see him at Siah Barnett's place, but he was at Tuscoma's place. Q. Who was Tuscoma? A. Joshua Asbury.
Annie Beams, age 61, testified for Siah Barnett:
Q. How long did he live with Bony
Randall? A. He stayed I think about two years. Q. Where did Bony
Randall live? A. Way back up Salt Creek.... Q. What became of him
[Jackson] when Siah died [1897]? A. He stayed right around there all the
time with my daddy and then went off up towards Eliza Fish's, and then he went
up to Bony Randall's.
Jackson Barnett (dep.), age 58, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Did Jackson ever live with
Siah Barnett? A. He never did go over there. Q. Did Jackson ever
live with Josh Asbury? A. Yes, sir, after he quit staying at our house. Q.
How far did Josh Asbury live from your house. A. About three quarters of
a mile. Q. How far did Siah Barnett live from your house? A. About
one mile.
Nancy Barnett (dep.), age about 56, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Jackson Barnett lived
with Joshua Asbury and Miley for several years, didn't he? A. Yes, he
stayed there. Q. He stayed there, and worked around there, and lived in
that house where Miley and Joshua lived, didn't he? A. Yes, he worked
around there. Q. And you saw him every day? A. Yes. He worked for
his father, and then he would go over and stay with us, and work for us. Q.
And finally he built a little house of his own, just out from Bryant, didn't he?
A. Yes this side of Bryant. Q. Just a little log cabin? A.
Yes. Q. And then when the Creeks got their allotments he went up with
Timmie Randell? A. Yes, he went up there and stayed.
Dave Guy (dep.), age 59?, testified for Bertha Barnett:
Q. It was after you got to Henryetta
that O'Hornett was appointed guardian? A. Yes, sir, he was appointed
after I got there. Q. Where was Jackson living? A. He was living
in a little log house there close to Henryetta. Q. In Timmie Randall's
yard? A. I think it was in Timmie's yard, or betwixt Sam Randall's. Q.
Where was this new house of Jackson's from where Timmie lived? A. It was
built a little east of Timmie's house. Q. And where was it with reference
to the Sango Johnson place? A. A little southwest of him.
about Haryaryeche
Ernest Gouge, age 67, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Where is that grave yard where the mother of
Haryaryeche was buried? A. It is west of Eufaula, between Eufaula and
Hanna.
Wilson Brown, age 64/70+, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Did you ever know a man down in that country
west Eufaula by the name of Haryaryeche? A. Yes, I knew him. Q.
Where did he live. A. Kialigee. Q. How well did you know
Haryaryeche? A. I knew him since I was a boy. Q. Do you know where
Haryaryeche (mother) was buried? A. Yes. There is a big cemetery right
close to the land of Choctaw Givens and that is where she is buried. Q.
Did you know her name? A. Haryaryeche said her name was Thlesothle.
Q. Did Haryaryeche have any other names besides that? A. Yes, he
has... Peyeluste, Nokuseager, Jim Lowe.
Robert Deer, age 67, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. State whether or not you ever knew a
Creek Indian by the name of Haryaryeche?. A. I knew him. Q. How
long did you know him before his death? A. Before that little war. Q.
You mean the Isparhecher War? A. Yes. Where was Haryaryeche living at
that time? A. In Kialigee Town. Q. How far is it between the
Kialigee settlement and the Tuckabatchee settlement? A. About two miles
apart.... Q. Robert, did Haryaryeche have any other name except
Haryaryeche that you knew? A. He did. Q. What were his other
names. A. Pialuske ... Nokoseka ... Jim Lowe. Q. When did he get
this name Jim Lowe? A. I don't know. The white people called him... A.
Well I am not sure, but when they named Pyeluste that was at the stomp dance.
When he was initiated he was given the name Peyeluste. Q. That means black
grass? A. Yes.
Nocus Elly, age 60+, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Did Haryaryeche have any other names,
and if so what were they? A. He had Nokoseka, Pyaluska. Q. Did he
have any English name. A. He said he was down in Choctaw Nation. Since
the Choctaws couldn't pronounce Haryaryeche they gave him the name Jim Lowe.
Thomas Red, age 77, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Were you acquainted with a Creek Indian
down in that country by the name of Haryaryeche? A. Yes. A. I knew
Haryaryeche quite well until he died. Q. Do you know how long ago Haryaryeche
died? A. Just before allotment time. Q. Did you know Pyeluska? A.
Yes, that is Haryaryeche.
Q. Tom, do you know whether Haryaryeche had any other names? A. Yes, sir. Q. What were his other names? A. Haryaryeche was first; Nocuseka, second; Jim Lowe, and Peyeluste.
Taylor Bear, age 86, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
A. His Christian name Adam Lowe. His name
was Jim Lowe, Peyeluste and Peyeluste Harjo.
Cussehta Yahola, age 75+, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Did he have any other name beside
Haryarchee? A. Yes, they called him Jim Lowe. Q. What kind of
looking man was Haryarechee? A. He was a crippled fellow. Q. How
was he crippled?. A. He walked, but he had a crippled foot.
Jackson Barnett (dep.), age 58, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Was Haryaryechee a lame
man, or have one leg shorter than the other? A. He had a short leg. Q.
Do you know whether Haryarechee was any kin to Jackson Barnett? A. His
brother, meaning an older brother. Q Do you know whether Jackson Barnett
and Haryarechee had any other brothers? A. I have heard there was another
brother ... Tecumseh. Q. Do you know what became of Tecumseh? A.
Got drowned. ... He was working on a ferry boat on the Arkansas river and got
drowned.
Lumpsey West (dep.), age 58, testified for Stepney-Gouge:
Q. Did you know an Indian by the
name of Haryarechee? A. I knew him. Q. Did Haryarechee ever come to Jim
Barnett's while you were there? A. Yes, sir.... Q. What kind of a looking man
was this Haryarechee? A. He was an Indian and had a crippled foot. Q. Did you
find out how he got that crippled foot? A. He go sick, and that was the cause of
it, what they said. Q. And don't you know that he got that crippled leg by being
shot by the Unites States Marshall? A. I never heard that.
Susie Martin (v.6, p. 415): " Jackson Barnett, the noted 'rich Indian' was a friend of my father's. He was working at that time at Leaches Ferry on the Arkansas River just above the mouth of the Grand River. He always wore a shawl around his head. Little did father think that Jackson would become known as the 'richest Indian' and attain such notoriety. "
Burl Taylor (v. 10, p.325): " I know Barnett ever since I was a small boy. He used to live with the Leechers, that run the Lecher's ferry located on the bank of the Arkansas River. Every one called him Crazy Jack. He had a brother there that worked on the Leecher's ferry; don't remember is first name. One time when the river was high, Jackson's brother was taking the ferry across the river. He stuck his ferry pole into some sand and it stuck, the current pulled the ferry against the pole with such force that it knocked him into the river. His body was later found in a drift near Webbers Falls. "