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Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date:
Name: James E. Briggs
Post Office: Red Oak, Oklahoma
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth: Union County, Mississippi
Father: J. L. Briggs
Place of Birth:
Information on father:
Mother: Fam
Place of birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker:
Questionnaire  - Pages 288 – 289

MR. BRIGGS STORY:

We came to Oklahoma from Mississippi in October, 1885, in an ox wagon. We crossed the Mississippi River at Helena, Arkansas.  We were on the road one month and six days.

My father war [was] a black smith, a church worker and us [use] to play the violin for old [all] the dances.

My father was in Sivil [Civil] War, fought with the South.  He was woundid  [wounded] in the Chickmque (sic) battel [battle] Sept. 19, 1863.  a cripple the rest of his life.  there was a ferrie [ferry] on pato [Poteau] river at Pato [Poteau] town in Leflora [LeFlore] Co.  a man by the name of Buck DAVIS owned the ferrie [ferry].  thare (sic) was an old road thrug [through] thare (sic) called the old millitary [military] road.  the indian crys over the ded [dead] was shure (sic) something to se [see] and to be at thar [their] cries.  tha [they] would set a time far [for] the cry and meet at the semetry [cemetery] rap [wrap] up thar [their] heads and cry and go just like a bunch of cattle bellering (sic)  lik (sic) cattle out whar (sic) a cow ha (sic) been killed.   then the next was thar [their] ball gam (sic).  the men on each side  would just have on brich (sic) clout [cloth] mad (sic) out of  cow hide with a dried cow tail sewed on thar (sic) brich clouts [sic] and when tha would stoop over the tails would stick strat [straight] up and the indian woman would be in the fame with hickry (sic) swishes [switches] whiping (sic) thar men on thar bare back burning them up.

"Thos [those] crys and ball games had Barnins (sic) big show skined (sic) to [two]  to one."

Submitted to OKGenWeby by Peggy Joice Horton wphor@sbcglobal.net   March 1999.