Re: I'm a Girty From Tahlequah Okla....
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In reply to:
Re: I'm a Girty From Tahlequah Okla....
Bobbie Neely 1/29/02
Hi Bob,
I hope this post makes it to your e-mail. I found some more information that leads me to think that the Simon Girty in the Thomapson Day Book was indead from the Delaware tribe. The first is from the lewis and Clark journals where they mention they saw Simon Girty and his family in one of the Indian camps in 1804 near Alton Illinois. They say they were Delaware.
The second item is a letter to Lyman Draper from John G. Pratt a Baptist minister in the Delaware Nation. He mentions the Simon Girty that was Delaware and his son George. He says Simon died in 1829 and George in 1833. I'm sure those dates are incorrect since we know that Simon was alive in 1834. I think it is very possible that This Simon Girty may have been father to George (who was killed in 1833), Isaac, Jack and a daughter who married a Charley. The George he mentions is not George Sr.'s son since he died in Cincinnati in 1869. Now the big question is who was Simon Girty's father? Since he was of the Delaware tribe its very likely that he was George Sr.'s son or very possibly Simon Girty's son since Simon was known to have a wife in every tribe so he once boasted.
I think its key that Pratt mentions that old Simon has grandchildren still living but not now in the Delaware Nation, most likely referring to the Girtys now living in the Cherokee Nation.
Here's the records:
Journals of Lewis and Clark.
Phase 1 / Date 4: January 1-March 28, 1804
At Camp Dubois (Near Alton, IL), cont.
(Clark)
Monday the 26th of March 1804, a verry Smokey dayI had Corn parched to make parched meal, workmen all at work prepareing the Boat, I visit the Indian Camps, In one Camp found 3 Squars & 3 young ones, another 1 girl & a boyin a 3rd Simon Girtey& two other familey—Girtey has the Rhumertism verry badthose Indians visit me in their turn, & as usial ask for SomethingI give them flour &c. Several fish Cought to day, the Mississippi R Continu to rise & discharge great quantity of form [foam?] &.
Tuesday 27thrain last night verry hard with thunder, a Cloudy morning.one man Sick to Day all hands parching Corn &cSom Delaways pass down to St. Louis(Simon Girty)river continue to rise,beating at two morters parched Corn."I am unwell"
Delaware, Feb. 17, 1851
Mr. Lyman C. Draper
Dear Sir. – Your note to me of August 31, ’50 was received after some delay.. I put it immediately to use, but the difficulty of obtaining satisfactory information of Indians is very considerable, especially in fixing dates. …
George Girty, Son of old Simon Girty, was killed by the Prarie Indians some 18 years ago. The old man (Simon) died on White River, Arkansas, in 1829. He was a white man living with the Indians from choice. A very cruel depraved man. Took much pleasure in telling how many scalps of white men, he had taken, and till his death was an enemy to them. His age at his death is not known, but he was very silver headed. It must have been his son George who signed the treaty of which you speak. He has grand-children still living, but not just now within the Delaware limits.
If any of the above items are of service, I shall be glad. It is a very difficult task to obtain data from Indians, where memory, and not record, is all that can be consulted. …
I remain truly yrs.
John G. Pratt
Mr. Lyman Draper
(9NN 94, 96-97)
Pioneers and Makers of Arkansas, p.228.
"It is said that Rev. Cephas Washburn was called upon one night while located at Old Dwight to visit the bedside of a dying Indian. After prayer and other religous ceremonies, the dying man revealed his identity and claimed to be none other than the famous renegade, Simon Girty. I doubt the validity of the claim, but if it shall turn out to be a truthful one, Arkansas contains the grave of one of the most notorious white renegades known to Indian history."
Bob, no doubt they are referring to the Simon Girty from the Thompson day book.
Jim Sellars