ROBERTS, ULYSSliS i3 v INTERVIEW ,rl3111 , 5 Q 3

504

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. INTERVIEW.' 13111.

L. W. '.Vilson ;

Journalist •February 17, 1938

r '" An Interview y/ithvUlysses B\- Roberts,4 Wagoner, Oklahoma.

I was born September 9, r1868, i\i Mqundvil^e, West

Virginia.

My discharge"from the United States Army show^ that

I enlisted at wheeling, -Vest Virginia, October 7, 1689,

under Captain Barrett a m that I '.ves assigned to Troop"

\"C", Fffth United States Cavalry us a trumpeter.

ledals were awarded,me as a Sharpshooter from General

Nelscfn A. Miles. The length of my enlistment was for a

period of five years. < '

'MILITARY SERVICE IN.THE INDIAN

TERRITORY AND OKLAHOMA TERRITORY

*.t the time of my enlistment the standing army of the

United otates nunbered about twenty-five thousand. As

soon as I had enlisted, the Government immediately sent me

to Jefferson Barracks at Saint Louis, Missouri, for train-

ing. 1 was in training for about six weeks and then0

they shipped me by train to Fort Reno, Oklahoma

Territory, to join the Fifth Cavalry, Troop "C", who

were doijig duty at this fort.

5Q5* * •

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/ V B. : . ' HITiJiVli,'*. . 13111.

' ; • - 2 - •

. . . < - . • • • ; " . • - /

• r.fter a-rrivin^ at Fort" Reno ± found -oLonel James

..£* Wede ue^imental Co.rnnender.1 The Captain of Troop "C"«- - - ' ' ' * .- . '• \ ' t]

wes .1111 ian T. Hell. • I v*?.s f i t ted up pith ha t s , caps,

srMrts-, -nlouses t 'siioes,.";b',.ots ,* sdc^a,' u .oerv/ear, spurs^

fr^/in^. pens, kfiives, forces. spoons- ?-\._ ;sess* nans. In '.•••

fact everythjnc in weariii^ ayparel, cjo;:i:4, outfit;, £.iid';

tne ii<e to be carried in a VnapBack," o£..iles., b r id l e s , ,

ser.ile bl8n'<e^ts were part ~f tbf> eaxiiptient' that ?c flowed'

the norse. , . ,--.; . '

'I-he Ckl&ho.na "country was opened to settle-le-nt on.'< • - '

: • . • - » - ' ' . . . - -

:' . ' ' . ' ' . .

«.ppil/'S2, 1 589, just about seven "lontns befcre'-ny 'i.-:J - ' ' • ' • - ' „ • ' • " " * *

t.rrivai';,.;fct ^brt heno. The 3ut3r. -of the soldiers was .•''•

• ..rincijj-iilly.'-tp remove squatters sii > to -<eev};.j&e .sul't

l;iai&ns- coafiked to. their respective reservations.

* * • ' ; ' * v,*" • *

I woui-4vsay that our greatest "v;or.: e-.ong the; 'ki

Irriia'ss was the complete we ten we .. cep trover 'the Cheyenne

/_•-{••* ^rapaho'li-iiaris to .ceep the'i'oh t:l&' reservation:

Then tLer-e- we tro">i)le alsc on other reservations, the

uloY»a-Cdjhanch£, 'Sac-Fox apfi the lowa-I-Iickapoos.

Our work s"also called' us * into* the ^Cherofcee'

506

ROBERTS, ULYE33ES B. IMERV1EW.' * . 1 3 1 1 1 .

r?

-o-

O u t l e t reiriovin * " B o o n e r s " and p r e v e n t i n g t h e s t e a l i n g

of t i m b e r .

- i f t e r one y e a r ' s s c o u t i n . " t h e r e carfle t h e o p e n i n g of

the lac and f'ox, idVa and Shawnee-l ott.-jtv.uW: i o iMi'<s

which wore ','-. be mened je : '>te;.ber :<:, 1 J l . Hiin o en i n :

c-oised each ( f -ne I n d i a n ; l i v i n : iii l i . i : r j .,pn ' .•<>-

c o i v e ;ui a l l o t u e n t of l a n d afid ih • oHJ.a.c1" '-f t n e I.'snd

vvna o'-ened t o s o t t l e n v ^ n t by u i( ui s i . ii"?j i.< , uo iiJLri. >i'* «

/ r o . i / o r t i<eno sec i t s v,re.'e se^.t, . v c r t a e ' : e , l-jjids Lo

1 "c.nte. JVi'd re.i'. 'V; aiiyone T^a\ ; . . Jhe L t s ' ru : ' ioix j > eipe

t o t ake o' . t e v e r y " o o o n e r " v.^e^iiei1 ,.a "a .uaitei?"^ 'wa. a

•;r h o r s e b a c k . . r.as'". iLh t a e l a s t ; ; a r t y of r.coi:i;s ,to

! o-ive t h e l \ r t . ./e a r r i v e d -it t i ie mouth of IIo;<; Greo.K

l i e - J r e e k « : . ' t ' i e b i n t » . i i t t l e , - i v e r . ' o s t o f t he p e o p l e

c v . ed u l o n . " ' t i i e l i t . c iu tena t ; - ' ^> -i":e ' t i i j i \ :. • . Lo r s -

/

h'• , ,. n ov-,y, ->.:>...<? : . ;ue i'^ ih :.a : ; ibr , , o.:irxc su.d \va",oiri.

,*e S ' l d i .'3 had re ; i^ved 'eva . \\ uh ' y / . u;d ncrooS the

i ir.e '-md v;e:'e • ' i t r o l l i n •" '-he l i n e en hc roeb ' io . -it hijih

n n je.'.>te'.ber L-Lnd ",. ' . ' I , .v.Len the s i \ . u l v a j iye'n by

Ga, t iii;,''.:ii'.S: c>f the ' / i f t . i J a v a l r y t , f i . -e txie sho t s t^

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&0BEK18, ULYSSES B. • INTERVIEW. " - 13111.

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make the s t a r t for the Run. ' AII a] one the l ine shots

Y/ere fired by* pat-tieo or continrerits rf soldi firs suid I

had the honor of bein ; one of the soldiers who fired one

of the shots. __.

.ifter the Hun •••is -\-\c; -m.-' uue claims staged, . /

,»T the se t t l e r s had disputes '-vet" their clnii'.c •-\nd i t

• y;as necossury for t.ie s c ld i i ' s ti' rei^'vo the • uit.-. who

were in the wron -,. .

Early the next year, I ;.-'2,v tiia Ghe/.eu]ie--a>acaii" lu:ia

::oce opened* l';ain the soldiers cf the / i f th Cavalry

;>a;'ticipatGd in rewovia • peo.le as v.txs done'before.t

These t r i l er> v.ere to ta.:e allot',.ents of one huiidved

and sixty acres for every hian, \.oman and Ciiild and then

se l l the remainder to the lovern.ient. There v/as land

re'se.-ved .-vU-.ever for SQ.-.LOIS which \.as called "School

lanes"* School lands v.ere al~c res-.rved in the Sac- 'ox

•uid rottav.-itor.ic ii

Cur contin^er.t scoured the £ un v;- />>r "S

Dae "ftester.L part .f ti.e:;e l-incs ' a s jailiy aad very roirths

"attie-, .en. hid rr^i.ed their herds" here fcr a lo:. - tirte,

and riany li ti buil t raiich houses and corrals . I t ^na cur

50SROBOTS', ULYSSES B. IOTEBYIisBT. , ' 13111 .

C . 5 . • • • -

duty as soldiers to see that trie herds were driven out andi

i

to burn these buildings. I remember that under Jergeant

Chenow we burned twenty-one buildings.

^f ter everythin£ to be found was removed, the old

Fifth Cavalry moved tr the boundary l i ne , ;iy troop, "C"«

Troop, under Captain Hall, took our places directly southof iil Reno on the Canadian 'River.

GThe day of the Run was x-.pril 19th, 1892, and it started

1

at high noon. Like the previous Hun, I fired the shot for

the start along the line patrolled by Troop "C" and again

the mad race was on, and a],most—twenty-five thousand people

dashed madly on and on to drive-the stakes end so claim

the land for their new hones.

"Incidentally, it was during this Run that I rode dis- "*»

patch for the Fifth Cavalry. ^here had previously been

r •constructed temporary army headquarters at what is now

Capitol Mill at Jklaho^a City. These headquarters were

i-n a stockade built of split logs. It was from here that

1 carried the nail and orders to Colonel James F. Wade and

othe-rs of the Fifth Cavalry who were then in camp some six

miles in from the line south of kl Reno.

Three days befcr e the Run I was sent to the stockadehell, get the mail

509

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. INTERVIEW.

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13111.

and orders and be sure I mads i t back before Vthe day of

the opening and that while I \nais gone they wowld pull - ' '

camp and move just across thel Ciinadian River, which would\

be near the resent tpvm^of I" I knew well thd|k<

location from having scouted abound there,

I raced for the ma£l 'jnd ardors <-ind returned the

next day. iY en I o&ine to the I-

was a cable

•qh Canadirui ;Uve.ir there\

o^teiated by a\ wpnian; . this was In my

way up. I dr

i she put' me acoss,

up \o the Doat. iterit onto-the boaty and

once across she said, "2o cents^ please" and 1 said,

'\charge it to

Early the

to >go across t

the Federal Governmentv and rode av/ay.

next day\ about one \hour after sunup,

cake to the. fe:'ry and a hundred wagons were there loaded

make the Run

and the only soldier^ h'.y ho:

i, of courses/as in unifipjm

•se was fleet on foot and 'a

real hurdler. The woman oni

man v/hom she had put across

people milling I had l i t t l e

the boat before she had pull

from shore*.

hej boat recognized me as t

;he day before and with the *

lifficulty in getting down to

d i t some ten or twelve feet

510ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. , INTERVIEW'. 13111.

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I put the srurs to -my thorse feeling sure that he

oould jumj on the boab and if he didn ' t I knew he could

swim. The horse landed squarely on the boat, I jumped

•from'the saddle and told the woman,to keep pullin/j.

She v/as really scared but she and i m. led until've

were across .then i mounted and rode away. I ,»ot through0

without any trouble by sun down the nir.ht before the

openinp, which was to be at noon the next day.

I remember^ also -at this openinp; that while scouting

to remove "Sooners", on one occasion Qcarter Serjeant

Ohenow took a- number of troopers and departed one v.ay from

. our temjorary headquarters and that Serjeant Dunavan and

the troopers inc^adirig mvself went another way. ,We 'took,

the d-irect route south to "the -Ganaaian riiver and picked up

"fifteen "Sooners".• Our instructions at this time were to

hold'them until Sergeant Chenow arrived irt the line. When• t,3--Jv-Wt-- t

3er-eant Chenow showed,up ae had only one mai. We made s '

ours «et. across the river and le t them r;o just ajfew min\ji ea"

,,- '.efore 3er9^e,snt Chenow came up with his lonely~one. He

rje.rir:anded a l l .of us severely and after *so doin-; said.,' /

I v.-on't hold one man"* and told this man that he" . -: ' * . s > • «• % <,-%ht go aerbas the ri'vs? and this fe'llow went in a hurry, -y

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B.

Mb

INTERVIEW.

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13111.

*

After this opening we scouted the Cherokee Strip

^-country. This country had been leased to cattlemen but

the leasa was expiring and the Government instructed

the army to remove or cause the cattlemen to remove

their hords befa* e the opening of these lands in 1- 95.

Prior to the opening howeve^ the Cherokees were

still allowed-to graze the cattle belon-:in;j to than. The •

• cattlemen knew this and in some instances \.e had this

'condition to contend with at different points. These ' •'* \ • * •

cattlemen would have a brand belonging to anindian *

•;-ut on their cattle and would pay the Indian 25 "cents

per cow, . *

While scouting in the Cherokee Strip we would leave"

3'ort HenQ and go n*orth. The-cook outfit-would go direct

to .vin^fisher, strike camp while the rest-rode and scouted

all day\and went into-caiap th.t night. We would scout out• ' * , " • •

of that location naybe a week_> th"on move on to Hennessey,

then to Enid, then to Pond Creek' and then to Caldwe'll,

- Kansas cross over to Arkansas vi ty, Kansas^ and head south .

*to what i s now Pon"ca City'and on over t-o what i s now , .• • " • • ' • • . . - • ; ' ' . ; * * ' • " '• $»'

TonKaf/a,, then dov/ii. to-i>e,rry) dver. to 3tillwatergfeh^n.v"drop >

512

ROBERTS, ULYSSES,J^ ism.

.-9-

dom to, Guthrie 15a ck to wh.t i s now Okiahoma pi/by, andik - '"

- then back to Fort Renov , . ;

On these-scquting t r iga v;e had -mafty experiences.

We found the cowboys' to be real re en, hdiiesj; mm, who-hated

. a thief and'a l i a r . IJhey were a carefree Pot of men', who' '- ' . - * .

-loved to be with their herds en the open ratkje. Theae

cowboys v,-ere l ike brothers and to offend and of them meant-

,' .that you offended a l l of tham. They^were ad clannish as

the men were in the army. *

, Jhey had fain playing pranks on each ot!|rer just as we

soldiers, did to. each other; - • _

- ' ' My -enlistment was for five years^ and bfter threeyears service I was. allowed'"?* furlough "wi*

"4 * * *

pay and the privilege of" retiring from^servlce if I.-so• • ' . ' , ' •<

desired. ^ 1 re t i red &fJj|F I-had served fdr piree years and

i three months

'three' months in the 'cav'alry and a l l tiie ti'iae I was in

either Oklahoma %T Indian jTerjcitory,. • • • • , , • ' • • '

After ret.iring'from the service- of the army I vdshed

to remain in;.the', Wast and'"settled near 'the present town of* ; . . ' , • 4 . '

Sheridan in the Cherokee •'Strip.

513

ROBERTS, l&YSSES B. INTERVIEW.

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M1RR.UGE.

. 13111 i

While, at Sheridan, I was married tCvM sjf Nancy

Elizabeth Johnston the daughter of Reveren'd L'. P. •

Johnston who Taad corae to'.the Indian Country as"'a

Bopti'st Missionary. - ^" •. •. ..*_ \i . . / • ; - : t h e , ' t

. •. I was married according-to >the laws'bf/United, States,

,My marriage license was secure:, rr'ofe Judge Savage" a,t •• *

Kingfisher* 4The. marriage ceremony was '^er^rned by my3wife's father after I had secured the license.

EARLY

As soon &s we t/ere married, we started farming ©a

'Skeleton Creek north of Sheridan.. I purchased such farm '

tools as a walking cultivator, binder, Y;alking plows and:

' r

a one horse planter . Implanted corn, wheat and oats and

intended to also istart ra i s ing hogs. }; , •'

OPMING'OF CHEROKEE STRIP.;,//'.

I really, was of the iopiaidii thai; the Cherokee StripI

would not be ojj^ned for some, time and that was why I

% .

ROBERTS, -ULYSSES B. - INTERVIEW. ' . " 13111 .

• • ' " - l l f

started right into farming because I knew the cattle- ' -

men had offered the Cherokees $3.00 per acre for the

land and ^

them $1.50..

The Secretary of Interior, Noble^ had realized that

the cattlemen were encouraging the CherokeesPnot to sell,i " C ' I

and had insisted that these men had no right to use the

lands an'4 had prevailed on the President of °thev United

States to have them driven out. The President had the

cattlemen-put out and further ordered that the Cherokee?

only were to use it and as they had . not used it they

lost their rights. Much argument ensued between the

Government and the Cherokess and finally Congress passed

a bill to take the land and pay the Che'r\>kees 31.40 per

acre, ' \

The Pawnees and'Tonkawas were also in the Strip. .

country and as the Cheyennes, Arapahoes and others, had

done at previous openings they took allotments and the. •r

-remainder of the larid was sold to the Government. • These

Indian.s had done th i s in 1891 and 1892 while Iowas>4ji the

army.

. • " ' . • : ' - * ' " ' • ' " • 5 1 5

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. INTERVIEW'. * * • 13111.

1893, ' , • * * * •In August^the President proclaimed the lands of *

the Outlet, Pawnee and Tonkawa reservations would be open-•at _ .-

ed for settlement/ noon September 16th, 1893. - ,-i / *

This was to be the greatest Run of all Buna. The

Indian Territory was known now far and near as fertile'

land for fanning purposes and. people .bef.an flockinp; from

every, place it seemed. Caiitps were made just inside, the

line' at strategic- "ooints to keep5 people from destroying

the croj s planted by the farmers, alonp; the border just as

I had planted iny crops..

Registration offices were opened and people stood in

long lines to secure their registration certificates;£he

object of these certificates was to reduce the number of

"Sooners*" It was finally decided this v?ay would not

benefit'the settlers and the Government voided all of

these certificates. ' -s

, The water conditions,were bad. I remember many of0

•the,little creeks and branches were dried up from the'hot,

dry weather and some ,-eople conceived the idea of selling° r m

wa-Ser and -water was hauleT and sold many times for 5 cents

.pe'r cupful.t

516ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. • ' INTBRVIM. - 13111.

' -13-C e

At, the time a l l th is register ing w'as going on, I

.intended to inake theRtm, as I had scouted the country

and knew exactly where I wanted to drive my stake.

. The country had a l l been surveyed .into townships,

sections and quarter sections. Sand stones had b-een

' placed and marked desi ;nating various locat ions.

' , The Governor had reserved certain lands known as

"School-Lands'* which were not to be se t t l ed .

•V I bought a very fast bay nare of Arabian breed, fed

her well and was grooming her to make the race* to the • •

point'-1 intended to beat all- of then GO and 7/ue.re ' I

intended to drive my stake. I knew I could go direct ly ,.;;

to th is place not deviating i;»ore than a mile pne way r or?' .-' •"

•^the other and a mile ei ther 7/sy made no differf&ee as tc?

th*e -tuality*.of the. land. V;":~s-1" "V

Just three reeks' before the Opshin;- I was cTiittintj " * "*

hay, t A neighbor, a doctor -n.si>;,ediLove who owned many-

wolf hounds, cane by r.here^i* was at work ..And, insisted that

I sho"uld go hun'ting that inisht.^vith him. __J consented,

went i.n from work, go.t supper and soon the doctor came,-,

with the'do^s and others for,'the >h,unt. -I saddled up my •

ULYSSiSS B.

51713111. .

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Arabian n^are, mounted her and we. j j j j /^ tar tad . I t v?£2 a

clear , Ticonli ;ht ni'hjfc, and Tyone v.ho has ridden the

prairies in the early days 'aov/s hoy often a r ider '..ould

cone aero-sis' soft .r.-ots, "lr:iin 'l.wre '..a.: very fiery iid .Tone

c tlier beys crx:e ri'din • u;: -.t a fast/;::-iCi mo ; .\.-e.. s tart-

ed r;ii: :in , "ot into ..c;.- •-'' the.'o j . f t --..;t;i', fe1". r;;id

c \ ..e e:' I e *, 'uia col lar I l.o loss c>f

for the i>~rit) r-^ce aoout -is ••'&.*, :s I did the

"J'jrin; -1-" :iie :r;-. -JU cellar b;,ne. Dr. i eve S

1-T th;re o»i tiie

the i-ir- c j i ' - j . . . i c h - o ^ - l l

;.; -.it!

s did

t. o

I T'eIt ri07, that* I was djoraed n o t ' t a i ^ e the rice.

.od us tI.-'M-# Sate vas auinst ;..e. Hie day for the

" '-IT.

u- :re.. rAevrer• and nearer and I did no^ .;ivs up that

dot Nin to ;\a^ce that.ixice if .1 co,;ld find a horse.

1 cculd no-t ria# " i th a broken collar bone on

^se'.aripn^ a" -.ad sera1 .ble of 1 thjus'lhds' u-f ri"djgi>S'.,'

oo:^ "crr^Qr^ebacl:, so:\e in car t s ; c u r i e s , ^a *oaa. on foot-.

;in'd evevy conceivable way. 3oae ;--eople rode bicycles.

*!

V,;; h o p e r . ' i i a u n •':• -..1 .l^'b^-Mi ii» v i n . , - i.n

J

HOBEHTS, ULYSSES B

the 0 er?in": "I puroaaseci:anuli.er ..*jre, .1 f ine,. 1

.*. 0 6 : t.t-1 X1!1' 1/t'ti.

.C 1 . : - t U

e .; •; Q;»-

0 1 l*C'j.d. t i ';

-.r tLe

• l.ts . .ales by r.ieasureMents v,her. I retiu\.edy oint

tiie .,iare v/as ao.c/;*, tv, c o i j ^ j s e . 1 jun^ped c \ t an- dxv-ve uiy.

ROBERTS, XfLYSS&S ti, INTERVIEW. 1311X-.

atalce and the »i:*n frorr. i.entuo^y raou ahend i'ar enough« * • « . '

/ sttjke and drove* nis. «e were the :'irs^ there.

Soon one cane frou behind ana then pecple car..e ix: <.<:,

s i n e /ihd d r o v e t n o i r .'>o<i."e; f;; . urn^tCnO"? • ;

' -+.; -,Y,o s u r v i v e . '

.;'.•.-.•e-"t. /

»* . k i i ; ; ^ vre v ; e r e t r~ r i . n~ t c . r ,c 'o"e w. ••;ifcV-'. ^ a - - ^ - y r

04. "1';,; --' ' r*§)servoc L

-or.si. lie r^ae «iv/?y.

r.>zi ."u^t r;Jtxes nor*.,, c. Sherioar.. ,

J 520^loBERTS, ULYSSES B. ' INTERVIEW. ' < " 13111.

-17- -

The t ^ i r i e s had.all been, uugrned and the ashes

m??de the soil look v/orthless to those who did not knor..

I.'y friend the driver from Kentucky ;ave up nis claim/ J

and left for parts unkndv.7i.-

The next day I was aoout to ai« of t.ux'st, so \.ere

•'i'-n;,' <>thor eor>le ' roid f,.\e ar.ii.iui:-. t i i . . .iad ."iced - i-e

nil very th i r s ty . . :>ftew Wuere v,e we:*e -ma ..>r-e f ^ the

hftad of wlacf. e . y oroe.- :'cr ;v-.toJv. /iie cree., aas dry

on account the hot, dr. we:tner. i tnen headed west-of

i.y ciair. ana located a \v>ter hole. This Witer-hcic or

s >riii- sfiVed our l ives and Tor a lor. : ti'.ae i t was a

favorite water hole--to a i l the oeo'Vile in th^t s'ec'.ion.

u.fter locatin ; a l l iy cornero i returned LOine to prepare

to i .^r ,ve ..\y clair,;. * f.

LIFE Oi; rSIE CLAD...

Bacr: nov, at home X started, to prepare ' ^ ;iove on tiie

ciaii.;. I cut abait th i r ty ;. oles six inches or so in

diameter and about ten feet lor...;. -I then loaded the

poles on -t;xe wa ;on ail: -itched to the w is ton a ^ l i t t l e

.sorrel norse alorrfjjside a jenny. These poles i ex-

pected to use to improve my claic;. When ab'ut ten miles

521

ULY33E3 iT. il<> % l/.HJ .

frrthi home one oi" teho . / o u t ^n<'<-t " f t,w . . t ro..e

vn and i t became neoeas- i* / ^° USfc! ^ j i e uf the ;-oleu t c /

h f i c n ' i ^ e f i e H i d e ; C I r t i b ". • x , ; ^ . . v . i • . ' , < • •

:.. Uit ; - ; i \ - iUi . .

uvj ciai;,i y ut :,uu .

t he r<>L';

'• i t ' . . ' I ' . . ; hiJ-'. u sou 1.1 ,^ , ' .

I . - ' , a i u i >; . t c I * N " I: .*) * . ' j '

or,

\LJ ••» - n

r e v i w U j i ^ J 'O ' i ic i l ti.L

_ V : t o . M l C Ti i . f

>.it; .' .,- . 1 V o v . t h

V » * - • * • * •*

• 1 . - . «

''" r i i t j t d a . » . i ' e d , "i/».<? _ a c . ^ i t . ^ i o ^ . t r r S

uo.vixi-/"'V -sut ler , ovu-ptfi1 ta ' i t ni *l.t x.'as :'*'ied

r.ead a*;d cciTee. . ^ f l r e v.'a,. rude f r :u twis ted

W BERTHS., •«LYSSJS3.. i i . JNTifiHVlJS/, '

around the spring v£ water that"had foiled to "be b'lrned '* • * '

•'with the rest-of the prairie, .% • --' \ •

1 camped a l l ni<-:lit a t tiv, sp/i'la;;' and •ni/'b-.ed that• . • ' * - ' • i '

ni<-'ht "ivas the uare .';r und. Tho, te"..: v,u.: t/lred -iinl Laid* ** . . - ' * • . • '

a l l n i -% t 2 ' e s i i r i ' , . I.-" U>o, \.ii^ l±v u .-.;•.:'• O.VJ«*. u o . n u i v -

b o ^ r d a c r o s s r.y a i u - a i d e r s p l a c e d ' thc- '1^ .: ." ..' .i.'i*^ t o T n . ; . '

i • l e f t :io:..u". . . •. -. • . * , ' ; . "••

G-Jite«;: 1V« .. n'1 v. i t e r V.'.., ^ .

"ot t h e v.a "v.ri ;m:. r^t«>j*:i^d :;*>...(

t;Ue

The next?* d a / - a f t e r a r l i v i n g -.it\ o. i :•« I J C .d, t h e ;>o.- , - -

' / t h - i V ^ ' i - *-f*-,>?:, Ccr t .e Lv <•. en. wheel- ,

v, i t h al lotxior vaievJ , u t tv.<S-Miil'-oU \ ;>x '_•::• t u wi;*x>n ,

•^rea^eci a l . ' t:.e -i^ m i - r-et.-T- t;-r •

-tit s u h m t h e f c i i o ; . "in da^ ' i t _ t h e •..•j-.-.-.n' l c - v i aea

?*, , ' •

v i t h food* b e & d i i : - „ ' f e e d 3u»d c ; o , i h ; ' , a t ' e : . - i L 3 vve„ _„ L.».^^.^_. ' .' • ' - >

to the" ciai;.i» i..y ivi ioir^anied /le or. th ia t r i j ) .

.Ve reached the clal^. and stnucK oaiiip. i,a the'act-

joinia / , claim, r.as the'riai v;hoir/had':>>e,t the day of- the '

V

-,,! ROBERTS, ULTSStfS' B. /• INTERVIEW. ' •;

-20- •

13111,

race vrtjen locating; corners . He.had a. la r^e muj.e te;art); \ : i •'• 7 •

and I' went over to see him. 1 found him .playing soQ 'to

build a sod house, our nei;;aboi^s name was.3rd th and? ha~ - - — ~-> _ . sod

pame over to my place and plowed up enough/to, build a"

sod house and-then he y?ent home. -._ . ' « . . .

My wi.fe and 1 took a spadje, cut up the .-sod .ax.d . .' * -i *

started building a -sod aouse auout ten by -twelve feet.,

>'s arid c place of eritrai.ee's.oill openings for v.ir

or a door. The pole. •! 'had \jrere used to su . ort .theroQf

^?)iich was of aod. This was ^ar f i rs t , hoiae on..the claiiu.

I.ty wife and x lived' in th is nouse tAree y.e'-rs. -We

had tQ haul our wood' for. foftf niles as the"~^6oas' vfere

due east of I/over on the CimaJ"ron .liver. I t took two

Ion |ays and ni-hts to *et a1 load of v;ood. 1 'aear- by ' ^

'lor.- days al/a nights that I V'(_yld :et ui -t'onq o'clock §.^

in'the"i:.ornin • a::d stS^t for the v.otd3. '..fter arriving at

the '. oeds, i had to pay Z-- cents a loaa Toi the .oies '.md

cat the?. ;":yself. i hauled pol§s a.id c t; the;.-, into. y...aod

u^ter a i r ivin- nor.e; -..could usually haul euou ;h . oles '*

.in one loat to r.iuke a r i c : aud a naltv of itave'w^od. We-

v;ere sparin : *..ith v.ood a!.d :»<i:;y u cooked in the

ROBERTS, ULYSSES/B.

' - 2 1 - , . r f1 if tie old wood, four-eyed' cool, stove v<ith

Our fare-usually consisted of Bread, beau,

sae:* and coffee. 'We sometimes used parched

J.

por;

ora

Ootly

ter at

ons were

really >ad. I ,viea»\ a • ut over ~.y claif. boring .1v,o inch

uns-tead of

Trad in ; pWt3 mile.", away. He traded

\ •

at D.-'ver and sonetiraeo at Knid. A'e hauled our n

f i rs t f 1*011. the siirin • I had found. .Walter e

131Jd

I

h'nlo; daw. twenty-five and thirty4

in : e" rCi of 'v

. v;-to:\ ^.\:: \ •. 1-ist ': -V ,na wtp*1 .n the n~r*,hvest cornci-

\ -cf ,.y 'ol-i

v,as i'oWd 1 b u i i t a ] > c l t e ^ scd

;v ie-".ii- «x -./i*. tvi\: ;.. lu:.bo\r-ne r th'e u l l . ..>.'parpart

i. ,b-i v." i t i i

c, the

rt -r. vi.id. v/us

x.o.1 i\;.r..x-u - -e . The c t h e - f ora v.ere

. >,T"O V / h i t O \ . U S h c d ' '.. i t h " ' P . i

Uy claii.i v.ias pta-^ed in the northwest c^nu

•' \section lu, Patterson Tv/p jj 3arfield County.

ROBEHTS, ULYSSES B, j ' INTERVIEW. *" 13111.

I leased' n.y, land] to a':.ian for the firsb three, !

~f' yearns.- The proviadonis of the lease were that he was1 bo!

break-the land, pi nit} i t . to si.all ."'.rain and v.ao to have\ • j

a l l he wade* I ,* i *

I made .:y livixi ; b/ di ;iu-; i.ells,, ca\res, cellarsi - . •

a.4d by ikreahi-n ;. iln iatberson Tovmship I d *'„ forty: \> \ •> ' •

wolls. .The wells v/erie all five feot in diunster. ';.lyI

compensation for in?- a veil was 50 cents for each

foot in dirt and ",1.06-for eich foot of rock. I had torfurnish ever*/ thing aid feed £:yselT',

' . ••• ' 1 -•• -

A trfan o.f ;..e*iQ3 -.vinted -i ce l la r -u 1 . - under ' d s uouse

witii a n i n e ' f o o t entiiy ;:;ci the :\ o: v,a.-i n ine or ninefo-.'t -TA seven feet ds The dir t was to be v/hoeled out

iivt ut around the bai'h. I du.;'t~..is ecll'ir for ,10.JO.

I worked one tine'1!fo:;din • the thrssi.er -- id caring

t *

• da- :-ii\'l ' '• l i nne r . |

' I *I hired cut i t one} ti;.:e to brea.-; prairie fror. sun-

u to ui-cU/.vn for JL,Qw por day. I fed r.iysslf. ana was

to ta;e naif the' *'&y J,d[»c;.icl:ei:'s t?-vrt:i 2o ce^.ts apiece.

" These v.ere not *Je, nession- d^ys either \ t laboj1 v;as\

! cv\ar> f o.d and w te- ii rd to \et a;id one v.as up againstreal proposition.

- . . 5 2 6

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B . ' INTERVIEW. ' • ,1311b.

\ ' -23-

- ^ The laut two years on the 'clait were succesjful.

This wa3 durin-; 1"9C and 1 .97. Yte, the v/ife and I and

n.>\v the two .babios \.orhed in the f ie lds , breacin •, .

,.har ruvany; • lantin.,;, th.'eshii. ; 'Uiid d> in -, evcrythin * there

vms'W be dci.e on a far., rmd '..e r i i sed \.heut a.id oats .

"The reason I included tKe two babies, a::d bless tlieii'

Vit t le hearts , botli are dead now, in b'ocauje the wife

used ti.,- do :..ost a l l the harrc\,in;-. •.n the section harrow

sl-r ;];<.ced a box on each ,44© -x " er itnd in these boies

s. c i-h.ced t. e babies evury day, -i:;.] the throu rf the.u ' . ,

v.vr.ed tt -oth^r d'a, "•ft-n- duy. ,,'e had ;; N one to leave

the- \ v i e o •..: th and they -could not be loft -'-.lone.

tie v.'-ide • ca oi\ s nJL I die. ci m • r .din. • i i v e -

ntoo/ : In l''00 v.Te raised twenty-tw-; hundred - rshels' of -

•..'hf t '.n.'. ?'n I0^1? vrp -r i sco t^.";it,-si y l.mdreQ bushels of

v;..e.;t and received -.»•:• and u.v co-.ts v. bushel f r, i t .

* • • >

. iJven v.lth the u'candant cv-l i n 1896, i n .the w i n t e r* • • •

I*Txh\:ed i\. Jr. McPeet- on Skeleton Cr^r' for 50 cents a

day .u.i ;..y dinner. • I had to walk' four mile's each day to

and from work. l:y \,ork for Dr. .cPeet w ,.i car is.; for -

the horses and cattle aad doin ; oda jobs around the farm. '

ROBKR"TS, ULYSSES-B. • INTERVIEW., . , . S» 1 3 1 1 1 .

' . - 2 4 -V t »

At tWa point we sold out stock;, lock and barrel and

.we had a nice l i t t l e bank r o l l . u "

We then moved to Garber and engaged in the mercantile

business, seJLling meats and groceries of a l l kinds. After

_J>wo years in th is business tie sold out and came to V/agoner

and have lived here ever s ince. • I am today the distrib'u-

tor fof Sinclair gasoline and'oi ls in Wagoner County. •

I was well acquainted with Chris Me4eea, a United -

< States Marshal who previously was Co:amissary Sergeant in

the array. Many a time I worked with him being assigned

for duty by our commanding officers to. him.

^ One case in which we worked together was when we caught

our own Quartermaster Foster short of an ara$8y&t between

^00.00 and $700.00 in his sitock of clothing. Matson found

\ a man named Forrester cutting hay near Yukon, who had los t

his harness. He also located span named Fisher who had

quantit ies of' so ld iers ' clothes and many sets of Harness,

This man Fisher had a number of men working for him andi

Matson felt that he could not capture the lQot single

handed and came to the fort for help.

Now we had the Quartermaster short, Forrester 5with

the lost harness and Fisher with the goods.

528

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. INTERVIEW. .13111 * . -

\;

Marshal Matson, a detachment of cavalry men and

I lef t Fort fieno at two o'clock one mor^tng^*headed for

Fisher 's p l ace . . We surrounded, Eis place, captured

Fisher and took .all- the blankets, clothing, saddles and

bridles bearing the label "U. S." stamped on them, or",' • ' < , ' , . ' * '

the brass lettersnU\ S." on the saddles and bridles.V ~

Fisher was tried and free d on my testimony. . At\ • *the trial I testified tha/b Fisher ha4 established the

\ •practice of buying a so ld ie r ' s equipment when a man was

•discharged from the army and I named a number of men

whom IPknew who had sold the i r equipment to h i n ^

Ttie Quartermaster made good his shortage.* Again a

.case ran i t s course and no ene-paid a penalty. Forrester

did not get back the harness which he had l o s t . • -

• Re|l scouting in the early days was 'nothing more

ihan detective work.. %

Cody, "Buffalo Bi l l " , was a great scout. I knew

him well and worked with Mm among the Cheyennes. and the

529

.ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. '•" DTTERVIKYV ' '13111.

. *• ' • - 2 6 - •' ' •

"Arapahoc ;. .Bill could tall: in .both, the Cheyenne and

x Arapaho languages and so won the confidence of the

\\

chiefs of these t r i be s . He would l ive v;ith then and by

so dcin^ would learn what their every move would be and

then "Buffalo Bil l" would report to the" United States

Army at the fort-. •

There v/as a squaw man named Ben Clari: who was also

scout who talk-ed nany of the lan^ua^es of the vrHd

Indians. He had lived amons the Blackfoot Indiais before

cpmmg to Gk.lahona Terri tory.^

Our f i r s t sergeant, named Cheriov^ in "the Fifth Cavalry

.t/Fort Reno vjas with Reno at the time of the Ouster

Massacre.-

\ My wife was bor:: October 16, 18p8, in Jackson County

Kentucky and was twenty-two years oldNihjjjn^O, came to

• the Indian Territory. She^with her mother and bro'ther

, c fce by t ra in to Hennessey and joined her father there .

He had preceded his family coming as a missionary .preach-

i ing' the Baptist f a i th . He received for his services a

, very small salary which v/as :,aid him »by the Baptist

'Missionary Board. , . ,

ROBERTS-, ULYSSES B»

. Interview with Mrs

•

'• • ' .

. Roberts:

INTERVIEW. ; ' •

' - 27 -

. 530'13111.

Mr.- Roberts -old I received our marriage license

from Judge Savage. Judge Savage lived at-Kingfisher.

He was^the father .of nine girls-and one boy. The

reason he was called Judge Savage*was because he was

really a County Judge and in those days the County Judge

issued marriage licenses.

One day a cowboy v/ho lived north of Sheridan caine

• riding into Kingfisher on his cov? pony, tied his cow

pony to the\hitching rack,and started out to find some-

one to issua a marriage license. He had been courting a

*~irl but did \not at any time during his courtship meet-

the girl's fa1?her, for the ~irl's father had-forbidden

her having company. The r;irl was of lawful a,~e ."and could

marry if she so chose without consulting anyone and this^»* "**. "*• *

^ i r l had promised to inarry t h i s cotoboy on h i s next r i d e

t o tovfn. '

The cowboy was d i rec ted t o the County Jud^e who

- inquired .his name, aad the cowboy r e p l i e d , MJira a.. Johnson ,

twenty-three years of age'.' The Judge then asked, "'Who i s

the lucky g i r l^J im?" Jim. r e p l i e d , '"The sweetest, g i r l in

.. the world; her name i s Amelia Savage and sh^ i s twenty-

'- one .yea^s -old"-. — -- — . -- : . . .' ' .- / - --.—.- —,

531

ROBERTS, .ULYSSES B. INTERVIEW. 13111.

Judge Savage began cursing, ordered Jim to leave

and tore up the papers. , He absolutely refused M m

the license. . _-

Jim and Amelia were married soon after and v/ere

living happily together the last I ,krie\v of 'them.''. \

On February 11, 1905 a neighbor living'to the south

of us was caught in a storm and lost. Searching

parties were formed to find him and Kir. Roberts joined •

the sear ah although he hated to leave" me. I told him

to go because I had with me-a mid-wife German woman.

Besides oaring for me the German .woraan had to feed the

stock.. Dean, my boy,was born February 15, 1905. The

neighbor y/a? found on February 13, frozen almost to death.

He had taken refuge in a strav. stack. 1.*J?, Roberts returned

home. It was eighteen decrees below zero that day and my

husband came in that ni :ht with his ears frozen. " Kr

found Dean barn and me in bed. I was unable to talk

because the evening before when Dean was only two days

old the German girl had been out feeding the. stock when/

the door blew open and the snow blew in on the baby and me»

I could not call the girl for she could not hear on account

ROBERTS, ULYSSES B. . INTERVIEW. ' 13111.• • ,

. <}

of the fierce hov;linr; of- the wind that v;as blowing at '-'*

a tremendous rate so I climbed out of bed, waded through

the'snow and closed -the door, thereby catching a terribly-

severe cold. "Mr. Roberts again braved the, storm, went

to a neighbor's house secured whiskey and ginger and all

that night he and the German girl1 worked v/ith me.

The next morning I was better, but !vlr. Roberts rode

for the doctor, who came tfut only continued the sane

treatment and I have had no ill-effects from this

experience.