1882 INTRUDERS

1882 INTRUDERS
Researched & Contributed by B.O. Roop
January 26, 2007

Hello Ray and Phillis Heavener, in looking through some of the records; a little more will be said about names on one page of the "Intruder List", in Sugar Loaf County in the Choctaw Nation. The Heavener side of your family before the Marriage into the Hickman's; who were the Choctaw Indian side of your family.

The Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City has made 90 rolls of Microfilm from those 483 Large Record Books of Choctaw Records; and they are among their holdings in 'Indian Archives'. These film records are available for research with Volunteers that will assist.

The Union Agency at Muskogee had the responsibility of caring for the Five Civilized Tribes, and they required each tribe to keep records. An Annuity payment roll was done in 1855, and is a record of the Choctaws by family name; and each person is named, and each was paid $8.00. So a man and wife with two children would get $32.00.

This will be a little about some of the early families in the Heavener Area. Choctaw J. F. McCurtain organized a Regiment for the South during the Civil War for the Confederate States; and identified them as the "lst. Regiment Choctaw-Chickasaw Mounted Rifles". The first enrollment was dated June 22, 1861; and had the Names of Choctaws living in the area at that time.

By 1865 and the end of the Civil War, J. F. McCurtain had been promoted to Colonel. Several accounts tell of actions against "Intruders" around Backbone Mountain; that were considered 'Intruders' into the Choctaw Nation. James Robert Barnes was 89 years of age when he was interviewed by the WPA in 1937 and again in 1938; he told of a party of 1200 Mounted Choctaws making a raid down Backbone Mountain near Pocola at daybreak to the home of Uncle John Barnes and Aunt Polly, (Mary Wells Tucker Barnes); and the Flim Johnson homes. Flim Johnson was in bed with pneumonia; but he was dragged out into the front yard and shot.

The North prevailed and the Union was held together. Records show that this Regiment of Choctaw-Chickasaw Mounted Rifles was one of the last units to surrender at the end of the Civil War. Pension Records show that these soldiers served as 'Home Guards'. This was also noted when many Cherokees came to Fayetteville to file for Pension, in some cases for the third time, because they did not feel that their request was being considered at Tahlequah. They too were noted as 'Home Guards'.

The first Choctaw Census was taken in 1868 and Sugar Loaf County had one page. The Hickman name does not appear. An 1870 enumeration of Choctaws at Red Oak, Sec 34, Twp. 6N, R 21E, listed 570 males over 21 years. This was the largest number of Choctaws of any settlement in the Choctaw Nation. The next Choctaw Census was in 1874 and included many families, listing the number in the family, years in the Choctaw Nation, and mailing address. For some, a notation in the right margin of the page shows, "Claims Citizenship".

J. F. McCurtain was elected Chief of the Choctaw Nation about 1880; and ordered all of the 16 Choctaw Counties to report their Intruders. 9 of the 16 Counties sent in their "List of Intruders"; they totaled over 2200 names, (Gaines County, the Wilburton area, did not send in a List).

This 'List of Intruders' was dated December 22, 1882; to the Department of the Interior and ask that Federal Troops be sent to remove these Intruders and also stated; that "many that had been removed 2 years ago, have returned". In some cases white people had married Choctaws and this temporairly broke up a number of homes. Some Choctaws resented white men marrying Choctaw women, this was true of other Tribes as well.

Skullyville County was the area near Spiro and Pocola, and had 216 names, the largest number of Intruders. This included a number of the Glenn-Tucker-Barnes Families; that had intermarried and moved into the area in 1846. Contending that they were justified in being there by virtue of descent from Abigail Rogers Glenn, one half Choctaw and widow of John Glenn. Abigail's mother was a full blood Choctaw woman named "Starnes" that died in Misssissippi in 1765.

Next was Sugar Loaf County, the area from Sugar Loaf Mountain and Cameron south to include the Black Fork District and west to include Red Oak.

There were 5 pages of names, with 106 named as Intruders living in Sugar Loaf County. The last page has some names of special interest.

85. Robert Shipman, 3 in family, 2 years in Choc Nation
87. S. F. Patterson, 8 in family, 1 year in Choc. Nation
88. A. J. Pyter, 7 in family, 2 years in Choc. Nation
89. W. Dobbs 9 in family, 7 in Choc. Nation
90. George Combs 3 in family, 4 years in Choc. Nation
91. J. P. Cinoblin(?) 6 in family, 2 years in Choc. Nation
92. E. J. Flomvis (?) 5 in family, 4 years in Choc. Nation
93. A. Chaboli 6 in family, 4 years in Choc. Nation
94. Griffith 4 in family, 1 year in Choc. Nation
95. J. Bates 6 in family, 1 year in Choc. Nation
96. H. B. Morris 7 in family, 5 years in Choc. Nation
97. Floyd Havner 7 in family, 2 years in Choc. Nation
98. Elisha Tesles 4 in family, 5 years in Choc. Nation
99. Eli Riddle 6 in family, 3 years in Choc. Nation
100. E. N. Baker 7 in family, 7 years in Choc. Nation
101. James Taylor 4 in family, 8 years in Choc. Nation
102. N. Griffith 4 in family, 10 years in Choc. Nation
103. Joe Havner 1 in family, 11 years in Choc. Nation
104. Sam Wilson 1 in family, 3 years in Choc. Nation
105. Ben Flox 3 in family, 3 years in Choc. Nation
106. J. P. Thompson 7 in family, 3 years in Choc. Nation
107. Blank
108. Blank
Of special interest here are #86, #97, #103, #104
#86--W. H. Ruph, 3 in Family. 2 yrs I.T.. Monroe. P.O.
#97--Floyd Havner, 7 in Family, 2 yrs I.T. Hartford, P.O.
#103-Joe Havner, 1 in Family, 11 yrs I.T. Hartford, P.O.
#104-Sam Wilson, 1 in Family, 3 yrs I.T. Hartford, P.O.

It is my opinion that #86 was my Grandfather William Henry Roop. A search has gone on for over 30 years trying to identify this W. H. Ruph without success. One record shows W. H Roop in Indian Territory in 1877. He was leading several families in wagons across the Indian Territory to the area of Talihina and Albion in the Choctaw Nation. The Arkansas River was on flood stage so they had to wait near Brent, Cherokee Nation south of Sallisaw. He fell in love with Margaret Rebecca Gragg, one of the girls in the party and they, along with her sister Adelby Gragg, decided to go back to Neosho, Newton County, Mo., where they were married April 3, 1879. They buried Nancy, their six months old baby girl, in the Walnut Grove Cemetery at Blansett, Scott Co., Arkansas in 1881. W. H. Roop was a "Tie Hacker", living out of their Covered Wagon, making Railroad Ties, and selling them to the railroad for .23 cents each; from Scott Co., Ark to Talihina, in the Choctaw Nation.

The Heavener Family had lived near St. Joseph, Mo and settled in the Hartford, Arkansas area where they lived during the Civil War years. William T. Heavener was a Union Soldier and brother to Floyd and Joe Heavener; he was murdered by a group of so called "Independents".

Floyd Havner #87, had 7 in his family and had been in Indian Territory since 1880.

Joe Havner #103 was shown as not married and as being in Indian Territory since 1871.

Sam Wilson #104 is noted as being in Indian Territory 3 years or since 1878-79, and not married.

As it happened they Married two of the Hickman sisters and as "Inter-married Whites"; they are among the 1676 White men and women that married Choctaws, and were entitled to all the benefits that the Choctaws would get.

A Choctaw Census was done in 1885, both Joseph Havner and Sam Wilson appear on this 1885 Choctaw Census married with their families. This 1885 Choctaw Census shows #328, Joe Havner age 34, and #329, wife Tobiathy Havner, age 29 with 4 children; #330, Vicey H. age 12, #331, Jimis age 8, #332, David age 6, and #333, Mary 1/3 year (or 4 months) in their family. Joe Havner was a 'Farmer' and had 45 acres under cultivation, he owned 2 horses, 7 cattle, 25 hogs, 4 bales of cotton and 3100 bushels of corn, a notation at the right margin of the page says "Illegal Citizen by Marriage".

#337 Sam Wilson age 23 and #338, Julia Wilson age 20 , had two children; #339, Lee age 3, and #340, Josephene age 1, in their family. He is shown as a 'Farmer' with 16 acres under cultivation; they had 2 horses, 4 cattle, 2 hogs and a notation in the right margin, that he was a "Citizen by Marriage".

#353, Robt. Hickman, 64 years of age was followed by #354, Robt. Hickman Jr. There were 13 "Hickman" names listed on these 2 pages and Robert Hickman at 64 years is the oldest.

So both were married at the time the Intruder List was compiled in 1882, which shows them to be 'single'. This is not unusual and has appeared numerous times through the years in searches being done. There were some Choctaws, as well as other tribes; that resented the white man marrying Indian women.

Let me suggest that you get the "Application Jacket" or called a "Packet" by some; that contains information about the White persons that married the Indian for additional information. Sometimes it will contain a record of the marriage, when married, and by whom. There could be a list of persons signing to vouch for the Character of the person. One must have the Census Card number; Dawes Roll number; Name and Tribe, to 'Access' these records.

A more complete Census was done in 1896 by these 5 tribes. Then in 1899 the Dawes Commission was trying to decide who was Indian and who was not; and ordered another Census for these 5 Civilized Tribes. They wanted to complete this Dawes Roll by 1906. Oklahoma became the 46th State the following year November 16, 1907 and Oklahoma will Celebrate 100 years of Statehood this next November 16, 2007.

B. O. Roop, January 26, 2007