Rogers Ramblings

Hi rambling friends and neighbors of the Marshfield Mail. I’m very glad to be back to share week 7 about the history of the Trail of Tears. We have a lot of ground to cover this week so let’s begin with a review of the last six weeks. At one time our country had Native Americans everywhere. As the white men approached they pushed them off of their land. President Andrew Jackson had as his priority to remove our Native Americans from the United States to take them to the Oklahoma Territory by any means possible. He assigned General Winfield Scott with thousands of federal troops. In addition the locals were asked to join in to help locate and capture Indians that did not go willingly. The most prominent of the Native Americans were the Cherokees since they were considered wealthy and many were educated. In addition they owned over 1500 black slaves and even gold was discovered on their land in northern Georgia. Our priority through the rambling weekly articles has been on the Cherokees. O K folks: are we all ready to ride? Our magical history horses are all saddled and ready to get started. My personal horse ‘Flashback’ is already saddled along with the others. Mount up, close your eyes, count to three. Whoa! We made it. We are now in Northern Georgia overlooking the Valley Flat Plantation. Idimer Hader and the federal troops are getting started to ride out to search and find by any means where the Cherokees are located and bring them back in chains and put them in stockades until the time to begin moving them. Let’s listen in and watch for ourselves what is going on. Idimer Hader, (speaking and pointing at one of his slaves) “hey Mulebone, go get Ezekiel and bring him here. He’s in the cotton barn.” Mulebone, “Yes sir Master Hader.” Mulebone goes over to the cotton barn and sends Ezekiel to Idimer Hader. (O K readers I need to give you a little background about Ezekiel. Originally he was with his family and a slave for the Cherokee Indians and his master was Chief Rain Frog. One day Idimer Hader was going after a runaway slave in Cherokee country when he found Ezekiel picking peaches. Being that Ezekiel was a strong healthy black man he knew he would make a fine slave for the Valley Flat Plantation. He captured him and brought him back. Ever since he has made it known that he wants to return. Once he escaped and Idimer captured him back and gave him a severe whippin’) Idimer Hader, “Ezekiel, how would you like to join up with your family again? Ezekiel, “Master Hader, yes sir I would! Do you really mean it?” Idimer Hader, “Sure do we’re going to Cherokee land now. You find your family members and you will get to be with them. Go saddle Windstorm and ride with us.” Ezekiel, “Yes sir Master Hader.” (In the meantime Captain Folers of the federal troops begins questioning Idimer Hader while Ezekiel is gone saddling up his horse.) Captain Folers, “Idimer, what’s the meaning of taking a slave with us? We don’t need him. I thought you knew where all of the Cherokees lived.) Idimer Hader, Don’t you understand? Ezekiel has lived with the Cherokees for over 30 years; he knows all of their hiding places and everything about them. I am using him to find his family alright but also to find your Cherokees for you. We will both be happy. You get your Injuns and I get their slaves for the Valley Flatt Plantation.) O K rambling friends let’s take a little break and fast forward two weeks. We are now looking down at Chief Rain Frog’s cabin and village where his people used to live. It is very obvious they have left the area and are in hiding. Captain Folers “Idimer—- where are the Indians?” Idimer Hader, “Don’t worry Captain we will find our Indians. Just be patient with me and don’t say anything. Let’s pay a little visit with Ezekiel; he's at the end of the column. (meanwhile Idimer and the Captain ride back to where Ezekiel is) Idimer, “Ezekiel, we made it. It’s just like you told us. I don’t see your family or your old Master Chief Rain Frog. Tell you what I will do. I'll give you two weeks of food and we will turn around and go back to the Valley Flat

Plantation. Ezekiel “Thank you master Idimer Hader.” Idimer Hader shouts to the soldiers. “You all heard me, we're leaving Ezekiel here at the Indian Village and we’re heading back.” (Ezekiel is by now happily already riding away to the abandoned Indian village) Captain Folers, “Listen Idimer Hader I can have you in front of a firing squad if I do not hear a good explanation of what you have just done.” Idimer Hader, “Yes sir Captain no problem. You and the rest of the company of soldiers ride back to the river by Eagle Heights and camp there for the next couple of days. In the meanwhile I want your two best soldiers, sergeant Shoomaster and private Kellum to stay with me. We are going to secretly follow Ezekiel and once we have located the Indians we will ride back to you and tell you where they are.” Captain Folers, “very well Idimer you just better hope your plan works!” Captain Folers, “Why didn’t you give him a severe whippin’ to get him to tell us. Idimer Hader, “simple captain, when you whip them severely they are no good for work for a few weeks while they heal up plus he would never tell us about their hiding areas. . He would rather die than betray his family and Chief Rain Frog. This way we follow him for a day or day and we got’em! Captain Folers, “very well Idimer I will take my soldiers back to Eagle Heights and we’ll be waitin’ for you.” Oh my my wonderful rambling readers we are just getting started again and must already quit! Next week we will see what happens when Ezekiel is followed and the brutality that follows. O K now let’s spur our horses back to present day and come back next week for continuation of this sad chapter of our nation.