William David Sutton, my great-great-great grandfather, or “Willdee” as he had often referred to himself, led an extraordinary life marked by many accomplishments, ups and downs, and went from a man of considerable means to a man of none. Mr. Sutton was born half-Cherokee on January 2nd, 1843, to a family of five, and later developed into an aspiring and capable young man. Mr. Sutton also kept a diary of all his recollections throughout his life, which were transcribed digitally, and I am lucky enough to refer to it for the essay.
Mr. Sutton often wrote humorous anecdotes as well as many poems in his diary for instance, he once wrote to a barkeeper complaining about business,” You say your trade’s declining and you are barely making your expenses. Which means fewer mothers and children repining and more men coming to their senses.” William D. Sutton was a very interesting man with a very interesting life.
To begin his story, he recalls of the period after the War of 1812, telling a story of his grandfather
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and soon-to-be president General Jackson. In the story, Jackson’s quartermaster asks Sutton’s grandfather and his fellow steamboat captains to help donate supplies to his cause. One of the captains refuses, so he is soon visited by General Jackson himself. After Jackson’s visit, the man agrees to help, but is immediately compensated. Frustrated, the man travels to Washington, D.C. to demand compensation. Instead, the now-president Jackson gives him a job in the Department of Treasury, which the man held until his death. Eventually, Willdee found himself caught up in the American Civil War. and although he lived in Kentucky, he fought on the Confederate side, most likely because of a conflict with his Native American heritage and the U.S, government’s handling of the Trail of Tears. however, his brother fought on the side of the Union. At the Battle of Fort Donelson, Sutton eventually encountered his brother and was promptly captured. Unfortunately, this was an ugly reality for many families during the Civil War. It wasn’t too rare for brother to fight brother; families often broken apart all as a result of two factions fighting over ideas. Willdee later realizes the futility of fighting for the Confederate cause understands that his main motivation to join the war was for vengeance. Detailed in his journal, Willdee writes many truths about life.
Sutton once said that life is what you make of it, and not to let the little things bring you down. This quote certainly still applies today in how many people are frustrated at how little they have and how much someone else has. Many other examples from his diary could be used as well. Apparently, Sutton found that poems were the best form of changing someone’s ways for the better.
Sutton often used his poems to scold others for their wrongdoing. As was mentioned earlier, he used many poems to explain that when the barkeeper has bad business, that is a good thing for the rest of the town. Contrarily, in his earlier years, he wrote poems detailing how wild a particular party was for example,”I’ve had the itch, small pox and chills and many other human ills. But the jolliest time I ever saw was at the Prescott Mardi Gras.” So, either way, Sutton felt it an effective tool in getting his point
across. William D. Sutton died on February 5th, 1899, as a result of hypothermia at the age of fifty-six. He and his family were travelling along a river from Kentucky during the winter, and they came to a spot where it was frozen up. They remained there all winter. Around the time of Christmas, Sutton began to feel sick. Eventually it was found that he had stomach cancer and he later died. Sutton was a well learned and had many talents. Although he didn’t have much formal education, it is clear that he had a fair amount of intelligence and creativity. Sutton was well remembered for his service in the Civil War as well as his companionship as a loving father and husband.
Matt McKee's "Davy Crockett: The Man and Legend" Is Matt McKee's examination of the claim of Ulster Heritage made on Davy Crockett's behalf. To start the examination off, Mr. McKee provides a relatively accurate overview of Crockett's life, giving his readers a strong sense of who Davy was. The author then examines this image for any racial or cultural traits of an Ulster-Scott; of which virtually none are found.
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In “Ask Me” by William Stafford, Stafford uses tone,idiom, and symbolism to explain why thought his life was like a river. William Stafford uses the river to help him be able to answer any questions people might have for him.
Encountering struggles in life defines one’s character and speaks volumes about their strength, ambition, and flexibility. Through struggles, sacrifice, and tragedy, Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, adapts to survive difficult situations and faces his problems head-on. As he makes life changing decisions, adapts to an unfamiliar culture, and finds himself amongst misery and heartbreak, Junior demonstrates resilience to overcome adversity and struggles.
Ohiyesa’s father, Jacob “Many Lightnings” Eastman was instrumental in his assimilation into the white man’s culture, beginning with his education. Unlike many other Native American children in boarding schools, Charles learned to read and write in his native language. This progressive program of learning was often criticized because of the fear felt among American settlers after the Great Sioux Uprising. The settlers, as well as the government agencies, sought only acculturation of the Indians into the w...
To understand Jackson’s book and why it was written, however, one must first fully comprehend the context of the time period it was published in and understand what was being done to and about Native Americans in the 19th century. From the Native American point of view, the frontier, which settlers viewed as an economic opportunity, was nothin...
Jim had a rough childhood. His mother and father had 11 children, six of which died at an early age. He had a very close relationship with his brother; they did everything together. They hunted, fished, played sports, and rode horses, and when pneumonia took the life of young Charles; Jim was heartbroken. Due to his death, Jim fell into a depression. He lost interest in athletics and his schooling, and constantly ran away from school. In 1898, his father, who was of European descent, sent him to Haskell Indian Junior College; a government managed boarding school located about 300 miles away from home in Lawrence, Kansas. This school took in young Native Americans and tried to “civilize” them. Jim was not permitted to speak his native Sac and Fox language and was forced to let go of his Indian traditions. Jim still held dear to his heritage despite these circumstances. It was here where he first wa...
“Quantie’s weak body shuddered from a blast of cold wind. Still, the proud wife of the Cherokee chief John Ross wrapped a woolen blanket around her shoulders and grabbed the reins.” Leading the final group of Cherokee Indians from their home lands, Chief John Ross thought of an old story that was told by the chiefs before him, of a place where the earth and sky met in the west, this was the place where death awaits. He could not help but fear that this place of death was where his beloved people were being taken after years of persecution and injustice at the hands of white Americans, the proud Indian people were being forced to vacate their lands, leaving behind their homes, businesses and almost everything they owned while traveling to an unknown place and an uncertain future. The Cherokee Indians suffered terrible indignities, sickness and death while being removed to the Indian territories west of the Mississippi, even though they maintained their culture and traditions, rebuilt their numbers and improved their living conditions by developing their own government, economy and social structure, they were never able to return to their previous greatness or escape the injustices of the American people.
Ward Churchill is Creek-Cherokee, a member of Keetoowah Band Cherokee, and was born on October 2, 1947. In addition to being a professor of ethnic studies of American Indian studies at the University of Colorado, Churchill serves as a co-director of the Colorado chapter of AIM and vice chairman of the American Indian Anti-Defamation Council. Not only was Churchill a past national spokesperson for the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, he is also a prolific writer on issues affecting indigenous people and has written numerous articles and books including Indians Are Us?, Since Predator Came, Marxism and Native Americans and From A Native Son.
Ellis, Jerry. Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey along the Cherokee Trail of Tears. New
Native American literature from the Southeastern United States is deeply rooted in the oral traditions of the various tribes that have historically called that region home. While the tribes most integrally associated with the Southeastern U.S. in the American popular mind--the FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole)--were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) from their ancestral territories in the American South, descendents of those tribes have created compelling literary works that have kept alive their tribal identities and histories by incorporating traditional themes and narrative elements. While reflecting profound awareness of the value of the Native American past, these literary works have also revealed knowing perspectives on the meaning of the modern world in the lives of contemporary Native Americans.
Dorothy Johnson in “A Man Called Horse” writes about a young man who was born and raised in Boston. He lives in a gracious home under his grandmothers and grandfather’s loving care. For some reason, he is discontent. He leaves home to try to find out the reason for his discontent. Upon leaving he undergoes a change in status and opinion of himself and others. He begins a wealthy young man arrogant and spoiled, becomes a captive of Crow Indians- docile and humble, and emerges a man equal to all.