Product Description

Many of the early 18th and 19th century Scots settlers of the Southeastern United States intermarried and formed partnerships with the Native Americans of that region. These mixed-blood alliances produced talented Indian leaders, an exceptional group of unsung heroes who performed vital services for their people. They negotiated and translated during peace treaties, maintained traditional values, and formed valuable alliances, some of which have persisted to the present day. Chilly McIntosh, son of legendary Chief William McIntosh, Jr., was one of these leaders. With roots in both ancient Scotland and the Creek Wind Clan, he was the perfect amalgam of both cultures. As elected Chief of his tribal township, he made efforts to straddle the divide between both the traditional and progressive factions, while at the same time performing duties as Clerk of the Creek Tribal Council. Finally accepting the inevitable fact that his people were being displaced from their long-established lands, he made every effort to see that they were treated fairly and respectively during their journey west. This account of the life of McIntosh, written by his great-great granddaughter, expertly weaves his personal story into the general saga of the Creek people. From his youth in the Indian towns of the southeast to his ultimate relocation to the Oklahoma lands that were to be is final home, we explore the many facets of his long and varied life. We learn of the controversial death of his father, Chilly's participation in the recording of the Laws of the Creek Tribe, his visit with General Lafayette, the role he assumed while leading his people west, his life as a Civil War Colonel, and his final service as a Baptist minister. Illustrated with line drawings and numerous family photographs, this chronicle of Chilly McIntosh is the ultimate story of triumph in the face of adversity, one to be cherished and savored by those who admire the strength of the human spirit.