|
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
This Oral History is copyrighted by the Interviewee
and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program on
behalf of the Board of Trustees of the University of
Florida.
Copyright, 2005, University of Florida.
All rights, reserved.
This oral history may be used for research,
instruction, and private study under the provisions
of Fair Use. Fair Use is a provision of United States
Copyright Law (United States Code, Title 17, section
107) which allows limited use of copyrighted
materials under certain conditions.
Fair use limts the amount of material that may be
used.
For all other permissions and requests, contact the
SAMUEL PROCTOR ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM at
the University of Florida
CRK 52A
Text from a booklet by Reverend Edwards
Interviewer: Paredes (I)
August 17, 1973
Typed by: P. F. Williams
I: This is the text from a booklet written by Reverend
Edwards.
"About three years ago Bishop McDowall asked the
missionary at Atmore to visit the Indians near At-
more and see if there was work there which we could
do. I went out and found them very friendly. There
was no work being done except once in a while a Holy
Roller preacher went among them. But he generally
left them worse than before. I left word I would be
out to preach in the schoolhouse. No one came. This
happened two or three times. When I investigated, I
was told to see chief, Mr. Fred Walker. This gentleman WLAS CUEF,
by the reason he had sometimes past been made deacon in
the Free-will Baptist Church. The real chief, Alec
-Roland- was then very old and feeble with no power.
Chief Walker said anyone could preach to his people
who preached out of the Bible except Catholics. At
CRK 52A 2
our first service we had the small schoolhouse packed,
as you see from the picture. Most of the people were
afraid and little was done. Soon, Dr. and Mrs. R. C.
Macy, both returned missionaries from Mexico, consented
to work among them, living nearby. Then our work really
began, though very slow, Zut with no other religious
body doing anything for them, our way was clear and
opportunity great. Mrs. Macy persuaded a few young
folks to meet at her house once a week where instruction
began for our first class, eight in all. Later, Dr.
Macy, too, began to help, and his first opportunity
came when Jack-Roland, aged about six years, needed
medical help. Jack had fallen from a wagon, landed
on a stump which had punctured his shinbone, with
no medical care but a little salve put on now and
then. Tuberculosis of the bone set:in and had advanced
nearly to the knee-bone. After much talk and persuasion,
consent was given for the doctor to take the boy to the
hospital. But we had to take the mother and sister too,
to stay with him. They were much afraid of us. Chief
Walker said later that no one had done anything good for
his people for sixty-five years. Little Jack is well
CRK 52A 3
and growing fast. I called upon Jack every day while
in the hospital. He was always afraid of the place
and cried much. Before he went to the hospital, I
took his picture. All Indians like to have their
picture taken. I framed one of these little pictures
with one of myself and gave to Jack and told him every
time he looked at the picture he had to be brave and
not cry. That little six-year-old fellow would watch
the doctor wash the bone out with a solution which
burned and never a tear came from him. He had to be
brave. His mother, several sisters, and one or two
brothers are members of the church now. These Indians
are remnants of the tribes that went to the Territories.
There are about six hundred of them. They have no Indian
traits left but meanness, and most of that has the white
man's trademark on it. No language, habits, dress of the
tribe; are left. The govern ment gave them six thousand
tracts of land but the white man wanted them so kept
worrying the Indian department through the Indians until
the land was given outright freed from government control.
There is not one tract of the land left in their name now.
There are four tracts of land about forty acres each given
CRK 52A 4
by the U. S. to the heirs of Lynn McGe, many years
ago, for saving the life of General Andrew Jackson's
life when he was surrounded by the Spanish. This land
is still in their hands, but the whites are trying their
best to get it. These folks are exploited in every way.
They have degenerated below the Negro and have not been
able to help it. The chief of police here in Atmore
told me right a few days ago that thirty-five years
ago these Indians were highly respected and successful
people. They have large families, desperately poor.
The girls are very pretty but can not make any money
except at harvest except to sell their purity. Many
of them are now mixed with white. The highly respected
white men are responsible for it. One dear little girl,
beautiful, a member of the church, about fifteen years
old, was found in trouble. When asked what made her
do it, she replied, 'I Igot a-dollar for it. .Don't
get shocked, my friends. There were never a girl
which God Almighty gave beauty but what wants to have
pretty clothes and she deserves it. This dear child
bought her some pretty clothes. The young man married
CRK 52A 5
her of his own free will. They are both members of
the church, doing well and happy. 'Let him that is
without sin cast the first stone.' We have about
seventy members now and fully instructed -ad the
churchs-s teaching in ways. No more loyal band of
people anywhere to be found. Though very poor, they
gave more in the Lenten offering last year than three
of my biggest white missions. Dr. Macy ,rked about
eighteen months among the Indians. Most of it was
work of love without pay. During that time, he treated
over one hundred and fifty cases of infected hookworm,
repaired the school building with own hands, making or
repairing benches. He joined the county medical board,
then go behind the county doctor for not looking over
the Indian field. Thus he was made assistant county
doctor which gave him opportunity. When God called him
to go up higher, he sang until his lips could move no
more. We laid him ;out for a couple of days so that the
Indians could come in to see his remains. Chief Walker
says, 'Brother Edwards, we had some money for our Lenten
boxes, but my people wanted to go to see the doctor and
had no way. So I took the money to hire a truck to take
CRK 52A 6
them to Atmore, about eleven miles. Was that wrong?'
I told him I though it was well-spent. Mrs. Macy was
cared for at the hotel until after the burial. Many
Indians came to see her. One man said, 'Brother Edwards'--
that's what they call me--'we's ruint, but if anything
happens to you or to Mrs. Macy, we'll fight for you.'
The poor man wanted to say something kind to us and
he did. Chief Walker can not read but very little,
but is very intelligent born of necessity. He holds
his people together, always working for their spiritual
good. Bishop McDowall has licensed him to hold prayer
meetingsand etc.) A^s he can not read, therefore, no
lay reader. Mrs. Macy is getting very feeble but is
still trying to carry on. The Woman's Auxiliary, at
their last general convention, voted her a pension but
she still does what work she can. The first picture at
top left is my first congregation. The tall boy near
window and the bushy girl in front center belong to the
thief. We used this building until we could get money
to build the one at bottom, named St. Anna's in memory
of Mrs. Anna Macy, our worker. When these people are
baptized, they prefer immersion in the river nearby.
CRK 52A 7
and I like to do it. Our first baptism brought some
sightseers. -A bootlegger who had in the past baptisms
did a big business came with his bottles in a bag. They
could be seen but none sold. He remarked that that baptism
was the most dignified he had ever seen. I went down in
the water in my vestments. He has never been back to
my baptism--that is, with his bottles. And nothing was
said to him about it. The Indians are having ice cream
parties to raise money for painting the church. After
Dr. Macy died, Mrs. Macy asked Hattie May Hickson, the
girl center, to live with her. Hattie May teaches twice
in church school each Sunday, has been confirmed, was
baptizedd. The girl on left is Eva, the minister's
daughter, also a helper. One day Mrs. Macy could not
go out with these girls so Mr. Frank Clingo, c-l-i-n-g-o,
went as escort. He fell in love with the work so now
goes out each Sunday, AM and PM, for the church schools.
The Indian girls below are teachers, too. They have a
grammar school education and one can play the organ.
This bunch go to both church schools. They are about
three miles apart using the church car. Before we built
this church building, an old man, 'Holy Roller,' attacked
the chief and told him we did not worship the right kind
CRK 52A 8
of cross, that the Lord died on the old rugged cross.
He had someone singing 'The Old Rugged Cross.' Upper
left, St. John in the Wilderness, named for there is
no house in a mile of it but just toot the auto horn
and here they come. The work here is the largest in
numbers and membership. There are three other groups
where we hope to open work soon. The man on the right
with theminister built both churches, reducing the cost.
The county will not furnish these Indians with school
buildings but will send them a teacher. This group
had a building of their own on another man's land
but it burnt down and they could not rebuild it. So
Mrs. Macy and the missionary planned this work. The
chancel is closed with folding doors during the week
and the nave used as a day school. Lower left, altar
in St. John's, built by the minister in his own work-
shop. Right, a group of the children of the day school
and teacher. Most of these come to church school too.
The chief asked the minister to explain the cross to
his people. Later, when the building was in -the process
of erection, one of the Indians made the little cross
and put it on the building. We own an acre of land with
CRK 52A 9
this building. We hope to own more soon and homestead
some of the young couples. We have our Holy Cpmmunion
at night. Each church, every other&Sunday night, at
these services, the building will not hold the congregation.
At the two places together, the confirmation numbered
the last time thirty-five. Everyone old or young had
to recite the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and the Ten Com-
mandments. And before instruction was over, all under-
stood them. One old man, about sixty-five, could not
get the words just right, so the minister tried to see
if he understood them. He asked what the Ninth Command-
ment meant. 'Stop your lying' was the answer. We passed
him for that one. Wedding party. Both members of the
church. Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Walker, nephew of Chief
Walker. This young man sent the minister a note asking
that he be married within three days. Mrs. Macy planned
for a big church wedding with procession and all. It
was simple but sweet. Therbaby was brought to baptism,
our first infant baptism. Infant baptism and the explanation
is the next move we are to make among them. On the right
a group of girls in Mrs. Edwards' church school class
dressed for a play to make money for the Lenten boxes.
Lower left. A part of the large church school at St.
CRK 52A 10
John's. The young man on front row with hands in
pockets is white. His mother the second time married
an Indian. He is very bright. There are many of the
Indians married to white, but as a rule not an elevating
white, either. But there are exceptions. Lower right.
A group of mothers with their babies. A sad picture.
These people have been exploited so long that they
have become unmoral, not immoral. There is an old
rule among some tribes that babies born out of wedlock
belong to the tribe. This old idea still has its
effect. Then, when the white man comes along and offers
money, it is hard to combat. But we are making progress.
We do not condemn the girl, but the sin. When they have
been taught what is right, then we have something to
say. One girl blamed her child on a certain white man.
When the news reached him, as the rumor goes, he sent
word back that if he or his son was blamed for the child,
the whole family would be made to leave their job on his
farm. Enough said. We are fighting for these people
and are gradually winning for them. It used to be when
a fight was among them, the Indians paid the fine and
the white got free. That is changing. On the Fourth
of July, they played ball with a white team which had
CRK 52A 11
been drinking. The minister warned them about it. A
fight came at the end and two of the white got a little
hurt. They tried to have the Indians arrested but
could not get a warrant for them. They were told to
stay away from the Indians, and they would not get
hurt. The Indians are very peaceful folks and real
friendly. The hut in the upper left held a man, wife,
and eleven children. This is extreme way some of them
live. Mostly better homes. This has been torn down
for a better one. Right upper. Mother and son are
the children who lived in house. Lower left, left
to right. Fred Relan4 Ed McoQee. These are wardens,
respectfully, of St. Anna's and St. John's. Fred
-,Roand-married a fine white girl. The child is his,
Miss Ola Lee 4 ad, age six. She can recite the
creed, Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. The
minister baptized the old chiefAlec Roland, relative
of Fred's, before he died. He was about a hundred and
ten years old. Later, I buried him. He told his folks
he wanted to be baptized before he died. They called
in a Baptist minister. He refused him. Then a Holy
Roller preacher was called. He refused him. When
CRK 52A 12
asked who he wanted, he told them he wanted the minister
who had the year before buried his sister, age about 90
years. Therefore, I was sent for. There are amusing
things which happen often among them. When Chief Roland's
sister died, they purchased the casket and overbox, loaded
the remains on a wagon, started to the burying ground,
then sent for the minister. It was a very hot day, about
noon. The horses were unhitched, the wagon and body left
in the sunjwhile the Indians and horses rested in the
shade waiting for the preacher to get there. The body
was not embalmed. Then they insisted the remains be
opened at grave for late-comers to see. The minister
was glad they did not keep opened long. Often, the
minister is the funeral preacher and undertaker and so
many things happen that it is nothing to start 9:00 AM
and get the remains in the grave by dark. The cards
on the next page are printed from the Office of Instruction
in the prayer book. All who are old enough for baptism
by immersion or want to be confirmed must be able to say
the creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments
which are on one side, and know from instruction the
data concerning the Church and her ministry, which is
on the other side. (On the other side are printed the
CRK 52A 13
Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Lord's
Prayer, the Church and Her Ministry.) Real friends,
loyal and true, trying their best to please God under
many trying circumstances. Let's give them a real
chance. These Indians have many children, fine ones,
too. But they suffer from many diseases due to under-
feeding and hookworms a-plenty. One little fellow was
told by the teacher to stay home and take hookworm
treatment. Some neighbor advised the mother not to
get medicine but to catch one of the worms, hang it
up to dry, then powder it and give it to the child
to swallow. She says, 'She did and all the worms
left.' When the doctor was told about it, his reply
was, 'I do not blame the worms for leaving.' For a
long time, the local high school would not take the
Indians' children. But this year, the high school at
Atmore has taken two for us and one is in the grammar
school, too. All are receiving fine reports. The
doctors have refused many times to go to these people
without pay. Are they worth saving in body and soul
for God? If you think so, then help us. We need
clothing of all kinds and money for medical service
CRK 52A 14
and drugs. Attached to the page facing this is a
leaflet printed by the Atmore Advanced Printing Com-
pany entitled 'Brief History of the Indians in Escambia
County, Alabama, and the work of the Episcopal Church
Among Them.' Since the Church has undertaken work
among these people, much injustice, forced immorality,
and other evils have been exposed, and because of this
there seems to be a.qi-te movement to scatter the Indians
by making them move from the farms where they have worked
many years. This means that wherever.they go, they will
become, many of them, body chattels for white men. We
want to stop this. Will you help us to do it? There
are about six hundred of these Indians, over one hundred
families living near each other, and we can save them
for God and make good citizens for the land and country.
To do this we want to homestead many of them on land to
be owned by the church. One large landowner who at last
has become interested in what we are trying to do, will
give us some land worth about thirty dollars per acre
for from five to eight dollars per acre to give us a
chance to try it out. There is enough timber on this
land to make many good log cabins, and there will be
no expense for the building work. We want you to help
CRK 52A 15
us. The Bishop of Alabama has given the missionary
permission to place this program before the Women's
Auxiliary of the province and ask them to help us
raise about twenty-five thousand dollars to buy some
of this land and equip it to about fifteen dollars,
the rest to go into a fund for medical service and
drugs. We will invest the money inAland and homes
as fast as it comes in. It will take about twenty
acres to a family. There is a tract of eighty acres
available now for only three hundred and fifty dollars.
This would take care of three families and have a
common pasture. There is another plot of twenty acres.
St..Anna's Church is on the plot. We own about ten
acres and would like very much to get the rest so we
can put an Indian on it or make a home 6 T-o for
a worker. This can be purchased for about one hundred
dollars. This is badly needed now. The first twenty-
five dollars which comes in will go to get hold of this
piece of land. The money can be sent right to the missionary
in charge or through Bishop McDowall marked for this
work. Now, dear reader, I know that you agree with me
that this Indian work is the greatest piece of missionary
work in the province of Suwannee. Will you not then
CRK 52A 16
help us to make the work secure, either by securing
the hundred dollars needed'for the land near St. Anna's
or the three hundred and fifty dollars for the eighty
acres near St. John's Church. (The next sentence has
been crossed through in ink.) The missionary will
gladly give or mail you one of these albums if you
will ask him for it. He will be found somewhere near
at the synod meetings." This is signed by a name I
can't make out. R. L-i-o-n-h-e-m-i-n, it looks like.
Typed signature, Reverend Edgar Van W. Edwards, Atmore,
Alabama. (This is the end of the text.) The preceding
document read into the tape is the text of a photo
album which is typed and also has included a printed
one-sheet brief history of the Creek Indians in general
glued on one of the pages. Pictures generally show
scenes of individuals who were active in the Episcopal
Church during the 1930s, including scenes of Sunday
school classes, but also some pictures of houses and
other things. This text and album which the text goes
with the album and the reader will notice that sometimes
in the text there are references to pictures. Unfortunately,
CRK 52A 17
I have not yet been able to obtain copies of those
pictures. But this album with the text was passed
through the hands of a number.of Episcopal Church
workers and now is in the hands of Mrs. Roberta
Sells. The last person to give it to her; I believe,
was the daughter of Mr. Clingo referred to in the text.
She regards this as a confidential document because
She says that if people knew she had it, they would
want to be looking at it and it would be torn up
and the pictures accompanying the album--not all
pictures are infact in the album--would be dog-eared
andpmessed up. However, she feels a proprietary
interest in this since it was given to her-and she
let me examine these documents with a pledge of
strictest confidentiality. I think part of the reason
is that other people in the community strongly suspect,
some in fact I-think know that she has these pictures
and documents and would like to have them back, par-
ticularly those who are still in the Episcopal Church.
She herself, having ro en off from the Episcopal Church
about three or four years ago and really established her
own church.
|
RSS
HIDE
