Cousin Edward Tucker Takes His Stand

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: September 29, 1937
Name: Leona Smedley
Post Office: Quinton, Oklahoma
Residence Address:
Date of Birth: March 13, 1862
Place of Birth: Near Hartford, Arkansas
Father: Lee Martindale
Place of Birth: Tennessee
Information on father:
Mother: Minerva Tucker
Place of Birth: Missouri
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Gomer Gower
Interview # 7686

Leona Smedley was born near Hartford, Arkansas, on March 13, 1862, and in 1873 moved with her parents into the Indian Territory. They rented land from Morris NAIL, a prominent Choctaw Indian, who had extensive farm holdings near the Arkansas state line not far from their former home in Arkansas.
Her father, Lee MARTINDALE, was a farmer and brick mason. Her mother was Minerva TUCKER before her marriage. The Tucker family, in common with other families who lived near the Indian Territory border, lost all their possessions during the first years of the Civil War. . . .
Mrs. Smedley related an interesting incident which occurred in connection with the efforts of Chief Jackson McCurtain to evict intruders who had failed to pay the annual permit levied by the Choctaw tribe upon all non-citizens residing within its limits. Her maternal grandfather, Tucker, happened to be one of such intruders. He was called upon by Chief McCurtain and his Lighthorse and told to pay or get out. To this demand Tucker replied, "You take your d—m Lighthorse and get away from here. I will not be run over any more by you. You robbed me of all I had during the War, and you are not going to rob me again. I had rather you would kill me, if you must, than to submit to your authority. If you are determined to put me out or kill me, I only ask that you kill me right here in the front year where I can be decently buried."
After some discussion, the Chief rode off with his Lighthorse and since he did not press the matter further at any subsequent time, it is to be inferred that something which Mr. Tucker had said to the Chief, had the effect of swerving him from his original intention. Mr. Tucker was permitted to remain in the nation without the payment of the annual permit.
This incident led to an explanation of the charge made by Mr. Tucker that McCurtain had robbed him of all he had during the War. At the beginning of the War, Mr. Tucker was a prosperous farmer and stockman and resided near Hartford, Arkansas, but a short distance from the Indian Territory line. He, like all others of that vicinity of that period, had fattened sixty head of four year old steers, and prepared to drive them to Fort Smith where he hoped to sell them for the butcher trade. In addition to these beef steers he had some eighty head of stock cattle, four hundred bushels of wheat, and quite an amount of corn. McCurtain, an officer in the Confederate Army, and the commanding officer of a troop of Choctaws, made foraging forays into the border areas of Western Arkansas before Mr. Tucker had disposed of his cattle and other property. In obedience to the usual exigencies of war he confiscated all the livestock, wheat and corn owned by Mr. Tucker and converted it to the use of the Confederacy. This seeming outrage left Mr. Tucker in none too good a mood, and he was firm that he should not again be submitted to another indignity at the hands of the same person, Jackson McCurtain. 

Submitted to OKGenWeb by Lola Crane lcrane@futureone.com December 2000.