Isparhecher facts for kids

Isparhecher (born 1829 – died December 22, 1902) was an important political leader of the Muscogee Nation (also known as the Creek Nation) after the American Civil War. He was known for leading a group that wanted to keep traditional Muscogee ways of life. This group was against the idea of "assimilation," which meant adopting the culture and ways of European-Americans.

Isparhecher was born in Alabama in 1829. His parents were full-blood Creek. His family belonged to the Lower Creek group, who wanted to hold onto their old traditions. In the early 1830s, his family, like many other Creek people, was forced to move to Indian Territory (which is now part of Oklahoma). They settled on a farm near a town called Cussetah, about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of where Okmulgee, Oklahoma is today.

During the American Civil War, Isparhecher first joined the Confederate army in 1861. But in 1863, he changed his mind and joined the Union army instead. After the war, he became very active in Muscogee politics. He led a group that formed a rival government because they disagreed with the main Creek government and its leaders, like Chief Samuel Checote. Isparhecher continued to be a political leader until he died.

Isparhecher's Early Life

Isparhecher was born in Alabama in 1829. His parents, Yar-de-ka Tus-tan-nug-ga and Ke-char-te, were full-blood Creek. His family was part of the Lower Creek group. This group wanted to keep their traditional ways. They had not mixed as much with European-Americans as the Upper Creek group.

Both groups were forced to give up their land. They had to move to Indian Territory in the early 1830s. Isparhecher's family settled on a farm near Cussetah town. This was about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of modern Okmulgee, Oklahoma. His parents passed away when he was young. Isparhecher grew up to be a farmer and a stockman, raising animals.

Family Life

Before the Civil War, Isparhecher married a woman named Polikissut. They had a son named Washington. Later, he married Lucy Barnett, and they had four children together. He married again later in his life. His last wife was Cindoche Sixkiller. She survived him after he passed away.

Serving in the Civil War

At the start of the American Civil War, the leaders of the Creek Nation decided to side with the Confederacy. The Confederates had promised them an Indian-controlled state if they won the war.

Isparhecher joined the Confederate Army on August 17, 1861. He became a sergeant in a unit called the 1st Regiment of Creek Mounted Volunteers. However, he became unhappy with how white Confederate officers treated Native American soldiers. He noticed that the Union side seemed more welcoming.

So, in 1863, Isparhecher changed his allegiance. He went to Fort Gibson, which was controlled by the Union Army. There, he volunteered to join the 1st Regiment of Indian Home Guards in the Union Army. He fought in battles, including one at Barren Fork. He was promoted to Sergeant in the Union Army. He served honorably until he was discharged on May 31, 1865.

After the War: A Political Leader

After the Civil War ended, Isparhecher returned home to his farm in the Creek Nation. He also became very involved in Creek politics. In 1867, he joined the Creek House of Warriors. He was also part of the Creek National Council that created a new constitution for their government.

From 1872 to 1874, he served as a judge in the Muscogee District. After his time as a judge, he moved to a farm near the town of Beggs, Oklahoma. He also served as a trustee for the Salt Creek School. In 1877, he became the principal judge of the Okmulgee District.

A group of full-blood Creek people, led by Lochar Harjo, lived near Nuyaka. Most of these people had supported the Union during the war. They wanted to continue their traditional way of life. They were against the idea of "assimilation," which meant adopting European-American culture.

This group did not accept the authority of the new Creek government or its 1867 constitution. They refused to send representatives to the national government. They also refused to follow its laws. Instead, they started to form their own government in Nuyaka.

Isparhecher began to support this Nuyaka Creek group. Even while he was a judge, he argued that the new constitution did not fit Creek traditional ways. He said it should not be binding. Because of this, supporters of the elected chief, Samuel Checote, removed Isparhecher from his judge position. But the Nuyaka Creek people saw Isparhecher as their new chief after Lochar Harjo passed away.

Isparhecher traveled around the Creek Nation. He gathered support from other full-blood Creek people for his opposition movement. He also sought help from the Seminole and Cherokee tribes. In 1882, Chief Checote sent his police force, called the Creek Lighthorse, to stop the Nuyaka group. This led to some small fights.

Chief Checote then asked Pleasant Porter to lead the Lighthorse. In February 1883, Porter's forces fought and defeated the Nuyaka group in a skirmish in a peach orchard. This event became known as the "Peach Orchard War." The Nuyaka people, along with their families, fled to Anadarko, Oklahoma. They sought safety with the Kiowa tribe.

The United States government stepped in. They arrested the Nuyaka people and held them at Fort Gibson. A U.S. government group met with both Creek sides in Muskogee, Oklahoma. They worked to solve the disagreement.

Chief Checote resigned, and a new election was called. Isparhecher ran against Joseph Perryman. The election on September 3, 1883, was very close. Isparhecher believed he had won and briefly served as chief in December 1883. However, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior decided that Perryman had won the election.

The next year, the Perryman government appointed Isparhecher as their representative in Washington, D.C. They also paid him back for property losses and other costs from the conflict.

Isparhecher's Legacy

Chief Isparhecher later returned to the Creek Nation. He passed away at his home on December 22, 1902. He was buried in the Isparhecher family cemetery. This cemetery is in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma.

His home and grave are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. The site is privately owned and not open to visitors. It is located about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Beggs, Oklahoma, off State Highway 16.