Capt Samuel Sixkiller
Birth: 25 Nov 1842 Oklahoma, USA
Death: 24 Dec 1886 (aged 44) Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA
Burial: Old Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery, Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA
Plot: no longer marked
Memorial #: 143734611
Bio: Member of the Cherokee Nation; son of Redbird Sixkiller
Captain of the Indian Police Force for the U.S. Indian Agency and Deputy U.S. Marshall for Judge Isaac Parker
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December 29, 1886—Indian Journal
Thursday’s and Friday’s races here brought a miscellaneous crowd to our town and the numerous Christmas bottles rapidly filled a good number of the crowd full to overflowing. So much drinking was going on that many would not go out to the grounds and everyone was confident that at least one tragedy would be enacted here during the holidays, but no one imagined that Muskogee was to loose a good citizen and the Territory one of the bravest of officers.
The chain of circumstance leading to the killing of Captain Sixkiller is as follows:
About 4 o’clock Friday afternoon Alf Cunningham, while drunk, “threw down” on Tom Kennard, a Creek Lighthorseman, in the door of the Commercial Hotel, but did not shoot, though a minute afterwards he would have done so had not Mrs. Renfro, who standing beside him, succeeded in getting his pistol. As he came down the steps of the hotel Kennard met him and dealt him a blow over the head with his six-shooter. This enraged Alf and he was determined on revenge. About 4:30 he found Dick Vann, his brother in-law, who was ready to help him in any emergency. Both were unarmed and went to Turner & Byrne’s store purchase a pistol, but looking for trouble, C. W. Turner refused to sell him one. On failing there both went to the Mitchell House and finding the city marshal Shelly Keys there, before he suspected their intentions they had him down and disarmed and it is thought would have killed him there had it not been for the crowd, as he is under their displeasure. Finding Al Farmer’s shotgun they took possession of it notwithstanding Farmer’s remonstrance, and they were then armed and prepared for any deed.
Up to this time it is presumed they had not thought of Sixkiller, but as they came up the street half crazed with liquor they were ready for the first person against whom they had a grudge and Tom Kennard in particular. At the steps leading down from Turner & Byrne’s porch they met Capt. Sixkiller, who was entirely unarmed. To make sure of their man in the darkness one called “Sam!” and on hearing his name the Captain stepped towards them and about four feet from the corner of the porch. Dick was heard to say in the half crying voice he uses when mad “You’ll never do that to me again,” or words to that effect, when the shotgun in the hands of Alf was leveled at the Captain, who must have knocked it aside as the charge of fine shot it contained partly passed through his clothing and lodged in the gate of the lumber yard. At the same instant Dick, who was positively identified by an eyewitness, fired in rapid succession four shots into Sixkiller, who staggered and fell on his hands and knees on the steps, when to make sure of his work Vann fired another shot into the body. A few heavy groans and all was over, the deed was done. The two men then ran half leisurely down Main street, turned the corner and passed the billiard hall and on out of town. Saturday night it was reported they attempted to lodge with John Lowrey, who objected, and in flourishing a pistol Dick’s weapon was discharged, the ball going across the base of his thumb.
Saturday morning writs, were sworn out before Commissioner Tufts and placed in the hands of Deputy U. S. Marshals Dalton, Tyson, Campbell and Hayes, and although they made a vigorous search until Sunday morning, and at one time were within a half-mile of Dick and his companion, they did not succeed in finding them. Martin and Luke Sixkiller, brothers of Sam, Policemen Fields Laftore and Maj. Hodges were also here Saturday, but in the absence of orders did not join in the pursuit. On Monday evening Agent Owen returned from the Cherokee Nation, and at present writing is making preparations for an active hunt for them. Parties reported them in the thick bottoms of Gooseneck Bend, about ten miles east of town, the locality in which Vann did the scouting a couple of years ago when wanted for assault on Captain Hammer.
The funeral of Captain Sixkiller took place Sunday morning at 11 o’clock from the M. E. church and was conducted by Cherokee lodge A. F. and A. M., of Tahlequah. The church could not contain the friends who gathered from nearly every part of the eastern portion of the Territory to attend the last rites.
Among those present from Tahlequah were Wm. Ballarn, Waite Foreman, J. L. Adair Sr., J. L. Adair, Jr., T. R. Sixkiller, J. L. Stapler, H. C. Barnes, D. W. Wilson and others, from Choteau were G. H. Lewis and Butler Bros.; from Eufaula, Chief Perryman and wife, Dr. Leo Bennett and wife, Sam Grayson, Charles Gibson, and Roley McIntosh; from Savanna, Dr. E. Poe Harris; from Ft. Gibson, F. H. Nash, Colonel Rogers, Tom French, Mr. Doty, Wm. P. Ross, George Saunders, Wm. Scot and Mr. Pick.
The procession, which followed the remains to the grave was one of the largest ever gathered together in this section of the country.
Captain Sixkiller was born in Going-Snake District, Cherokee Nation, in the year 1842, making him forty-four years of age at the time of this death. He was raised in the Cherokee Nation, educated at the old Baptist Mission, Mr. Evan Jones being his teacher. At the breaking out of the war his father joined the Northern army leaving Sam to take care of the property. A number of his neighbors proceeding to join the Southern army took him with them, and he enlisted with them under General Waite, serving one year. At the end of that time he went to Fort Gibson and joined a Federal artillery company, of which her father Redbird Sixkiller, was first lieutenant. He was married at Gibson December 23, 1865, to Miss Fannie Foreman, and moved to Tahlequah, where he lived on a farm until he was appointed High Sheriff. After serving in that capacity for three years, while he and his deputies were attempting to arrest Jeter Thompson the latter was killed. For this he was tried and exonerated. In 1879 he moved to this place on being made Captain of the U. S. Indian Police of the five tribes. About three yeas ago while trying to arrest a whiskey peddler near Eufaula the man resisted and was killed by the Captain and his brother Henry in self-defense; and also about a year and half ago he killed Dick Glass while attempting his capture. At the time of his murder he was U. S. Deputy Marshal, and was a valued member of the secret service of the Missouri Pacific. The Captain has done probably more than any one person to free the railroad towns of this Territory of their dangerous and reckless elements, and to him the country owes in a great degree the comparative security to life and property that it now enjoys.
A Note about the Old Cemetery
The original M.E. church no longer exists at the SE corner of Cherokee St. and Okmulgee Ave. The structure was torn down and a new church built at a different location. Most of the old tombstones and markers at the old cemetery have now crumbled away or are now unreadable.
REF: page 120, Sam Sixkiller, Cherokee Frontier Lawman, by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss, an “Outstanding Book for Oklahoma History” for 2012. The authors obtained the burial information in a telephone interview with one of Capt. Sixkiller’s great-great-grandsons July 2010.
Family Members
Parents
Redbird Sixkiller 1807-1898
Permelia Whaley Sixkiller 1821-1863
Spouse
Frances Flora Foreman Sixkiller 1846-1889
Siblings
Mary M. Sixkiller Holt 1845-1926
Rachel Jane Sixkiller Knight 1848-1919
Luke Sixkiller 1851-1925
Martin Sixkiller 1856-1900
Henry P. Sixkiller 1858-1890
Joseph Sixkiller 1867-1941
Children
Cora Sixkiller McSpadden 1874-1913
James Thomas Sixkiller 1874-1963
Emma Tookah Sixkiller Garrett 1876-1927
Samuel Rasmus Sixkiller 1877-1958
Created by: Choctaw Journeys (47251652)
Added: 14 Mar 2015
URL: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143734611/samuel-sixkiller
Citation: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143734611/samuel-sixkiller : accessed 21 December 2021), memorial page for Capt Samuel Sixkiller (25 Nov 1842–24 Dec 1886), Find a Grave Memorial ID 143734611, citing Old Methodist Episcopal Church Cemetery, Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, USA ; Maintained by Choctaw Journeys (contributor 47251652) .
