222:
if they had to burn down the house. He answered them with a defiant yell, and they heard him ascending to the attic of the building, which was one story and built of logs, the gable ends only being weather boarded. Getting into the loft he kicked off a board and opened fire on the party, which they returned from every direction, each man having 'taken a tree.' Firing was kept up at intervals for some time without effect but finally one of the marshals exposed his shoulder and quick as a flash a
Winchester ball went crashing through it, inflicting a wound that will make a cripple of the victim for life. This enraged the officers and they set fire to an outhouse hoping to scare out their game without burning the main building. In the meantime Christie's wife and son came out of the house and ran off, the boy being fired upon and wounded as he escaped into the brush. The outhouse burned rapidly and lit up the scene, soon spreading to the dwelling but the desperate Indian still held his fort and answered the demands of the officers with shots and yells of defiance. By the time it was day light and the marshals fearing that Christie's wife had gone for help, and knowing that he had many relatives in the neighborhood, and it being apparent that he would die in the burning house before he would surrender if he had not already been shot, took their wounded comrade and retreated to where they had left their horses tied in the woods making their way to Tahlequah the same day. They afterwards learned that Christie was still in the burning building when they left and was wounded in the head but made his escape.
341:. Some of the possemen were veterans of earlier skirmishes, so they knew what to expect when the fighting began. Christie, Arche Wolfe, and possibly a man named Charley Hare, took up positions in the top of the fort, where they held off the attackers for over twelve hours. One account says that the lawmen fired thirty-eight cannonballs into the fort, and over 2,000 rounds of rifle ammunition was expended. The cannon proved to be useless though, so the deputies planted dynamite at a certain place along the wall and then lit the fuse. The explosion blew a hole large enough for men to pass through, and it also set the building on fire. Arche Wolfe escaped, but was later caught, and Christie was shot down at point blank range by Deputy Wess Bowman, when he charged out of the burning building. Immediately after that, the son of Deputy Maples, Sam, came up and emptied his revolver into Christie's corpse. According to author Dan Anderson, Charley Hare came out with his hands up and surrendered; he was badly burned and could no longer resist or evade capture. Other accounts make no mention of Charley Hare, though
270:, I. T. special to the St. Louis Republican. Christie was a member of the Cherokee council, and about two years ago assassinated Deputy United States Marshal Dan Maples, from ambush, for some reason unknown. He at once took to the brush, where he has since been in hiding. About two weeks ago the above named officers learned that Christie was located about fifteen miles northwest of Tahlequah, and they proceeded to his rendezvous with a posse or two. The outlaw, it was discovered, had with him seven pals and brother desperadoes. These men have built two 'fort' houses, arranged on an elevation commanding favorable view, and from which forts the inmates have a cross-fire on the only approach to their stronghold. The officers were warned, and after a consultation quietly withdrew, it is believed to make a subsequent attack when the odds are in their favor.
316:
fact Reeves lived until 1910). Whether Ned's fort was truly burned down by Reeves and his men will never be known, but what is certain is that the fort was still standing and still in use when later posses attempted to arrest the renegade. On
October 11, 1892, a posse composed of Deputy Marshals Charley Copeland, Milo Creekmore, William Bouden, David Rusk, and D.C. Dye attacked the fort but they were quickly driven back into the bushes with two wounded. The posse then found a wagon, used in the construction of the buildings, and began loading it with brush so they could light it on fire and then send it rolling towards the house. However, the plan did not go as hoped. The wagon rolled off course and into an outbuilding. The deputies then decided on using the three sticks of
207:, Ned slept at his cabin most nights, but he "took to the brush" when the alarm was raised. At the time, the Indian Territory was infested with outlaws. Banditry was common and every newspaper in the area accused Christie of being responsible for the raids, though he never left his hideout. There were occasional shootouts, though casualties remained light on both sides and all of the engagements took place at Christie's home. The first occurred on September 26, 1889. After months of searching, Marshal Thomas and a posse found Christie's cabin occupied by the renegade, as well as his wife and son. During the firefight that ensued, Christie was badly wounded in the face, and his son was shot and killed. One deputy, L.P. Isbel, was also wounded in the shoulder.
361:
replied with a shot from a
Winchester , and his companions in the house also fired a volley. Then began a battle which lasted all day without damage on either side. This evening the officers resorted to dynamite and succeeded in blowing down a part of the cabin and setting fire to the remainder. While the blaze was at its height Christy tried to escape, and, failing to halt when ordered, was brought to the ground riddled with bullets. His companion gave himself up. The body of Charles Wolff, who was wounded in the morning, was burned to a crisp in the cabin. The females of the family had been allowed to retreat at the beginning of the fight.
150:, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, on May 4, 1887, with the killing of Deputy Daniel Maples. Maples had been sent in to arrest some whiskey peddlers, since alcohol was forbidden in the Indian Territory, but the deputy was ambushed and killed outside of town. A Cherokee man named John Parris was arrested for the murder, but he told the police that he saw Ned fire the gun that killed the officer. As a council member, Christie was in Tahlequah to attend a usual meeting so he proclaimed his innocence, saying he spent the night drinking and then fell asleep outside in some bushes. When the
166:. Christie was not about to surrender and be sentenced to hang in Judge Parker's court, so he fled to his cabin, which was located in a remote area of wilderness, about 15 miles (24 km) east of Tahlequah. Some accounts claim that Ned wrote Judge Parker a letter, which said that "he was innocent and requesting the right of bail to give him and the authorities time to find the real killer." Parker had no authority of the sort, so Christie "surrounded himself with an army of men and set up a heavily armed barricade around his home." He also placed
308:
179:
195:
360:
Tahlequa, I. T., Nov. 4.—Ned
Christy, a noted outlaw for whom the officers have been searching for some time, was killed to–day. A posse of United States Deputy Marshals headed by Dick Bruce surrounded his cabin this morning. When one of Christy's companions came out he was summoned to surrender, but
386:
company, being that he was a tribal council member, who was opposed to the construction of railroads through
Cherokee land. In 1918, a witness to the murder of Daniel Maples came forward and effectively cleared Christie's name. Richard A. "Dick" Humphrey was a former slave, who was adopted into the
221:
A little over a year ago two deputy marshals with a posse of five men surrounded his house just before daylight one morning and found him at home to their sorrow. They demanded his surrender and informed him that if he proposed to resist he had best send his family out as they intended to have him
302:
On
Tuesday last U.S. Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves, of Fort Smith, with his posse, made an attack on the home of Ned Christie in the Flint district, who is perhaps the most notorious outlaw and desperado in the Indian Territory, and the outlaw's stronghold was burned to the ground. Supposing that the
315:
Reeves was reported to have been killed not long after the encounter. Some newspapers claimed that Ned was responsible while others said that
Christie's involvement was a hoax, being that Reeves was ambushed well over 100 miles (160 km) from the Going Snake District, where Christie lived (In
226:
Another account of the fight says that the posse "surrounded
Christie's shack at dawn and Christie was summoned to surrender," but "the only answer was a blast of rifle fire from Christie and a cohort." The same source says that Marshal Thomas set fire to an outbuilding and when Christie and his
370:
Marshal
Tolbert had Christie's body strapped to the door of the fort and then loaded it into a wagon for the ride to Fayetteville and then to Fort Smith by train. Along the way, curious citizens flocked to the roads and train stations to view Christie's remains. The door to which Christie was
391:, Fred E. Sutton, that he saw a known badman named Bud Trainor steal Christie's coat while he slept drunk in the bushes and then use it to conceal his identity for the murder of Maples. Humphrey was too afraid to come forward sooner because of what Trainor or his friends might have done.
45:
303:
owner had been killed or wounded and was consumed in the building, the news went out that he had met a violent death. But
Christie has turned up alive, and may cause trouble yet, is said to be on the war path fiercer than ever and vows revenge on the marshal and his posse.
187:
274:
There were several shootouts in the time between the construction of Christie's fort and the end of the conflict in 1892, three of which stand out among the others. The first was fought on November 25, 1890, shortly after authorities in
49:
Members of the posse that killed Ned Christie posing with his corpse in November 1892. 1) Paden Tolbert 2) Capt G.S White; 3) Coon Ratteree 4) Enoch Mills 5) Ned Christie {deceased}; 6) Thomas Johnson 7) Charles Copeland 8) Heck
202:
For nearly two years Christie lived undisturbed with his friends and family in the wilderness. Marshal Thomas and other lawmen repeatedly led posses into the area, but usually they found Ned's house empty. According to author
394:
Today, Christie is honored by a plaque at the Cherokee Court House in Tahlequah, which says that he was "assassinated by U.S. Marshals in 1892." Several descendants of Ned, or his family, still live in the Cherokee Nation.
146:. Though newspapers and contemporary accounts claim that Christie was a typical bandit, or outlaw, there is no evidence to suggest that he ever committed a crime until after the Maples incident. The "war" began at
328:
The final battle to capture or kill Ned Christie began on November 2, 1892, and ended early the following morning. This time, the posse consisted of between sixteen and twenty-five men, heavily armed with
1076:
30:
266:
Ned Christie, the most distinguished outlaw within the Territory, unless it is Bill Pigeon, is receiving close attention of Deputy Marshals A.B. Ward and C.L. Howdon, says a
320:
they had brought with them. One by one, the sticks were thrown, but each one "bounced harmlessly onto the ground." Disgusted, the posse had no choice but to retreat.
349:
newspaper, reported on November 4, 1892, that a man named Charles Wolff was killed during the fight and that his body was found badly burned inside Ned's fort.
138:
Before he became a renegade, Ned Christie was elected to the Cherokee tribal council in 1885. Like his father, who was also a member of the council, Ned was a
251:
s Fort Mountain. A field of fire was cleared around the two-story fortification. The massive walls were two logs thick and lined with oak two-by-fours.
1081:
387:
Cherokee tribe and was working as a blacksmith in Tahlequah the night Maples was killed. Humphrey told the former deputy marshal and reporter for the
865:
476:
337:. Several men have been credited with leading the posse, including Deputy Marshals Gideon S. "Cap" White, Gus York, Dick Bruce, Heck Bruner and
1141:
834:
371:
attached allowed the deputies to prop him up against buildings so photographs could be taken. After Fort Smith, Christie's body was sent to
1126:
585:
113:
Daniel Maples was shot to death in May 1887, Christie was accused of being responsible for the murder, so he fled to a remote area of the
1121:
1116:
247:
After his home and shop were destroyed by a posse in 1889, he rebuilt about a mile away on a forbidding cliff that became known as Ned
239:
Ned eventually went on to build a new home, which was more of a fort than his original cabin. According to Bill O'Neil, author of the
1052:
1033:
1014:
995:
976:
953:
930:
753:
114:
110:
118:
1136:
1131:
1111:
1106:
1101:
1096:
1091:
1086:
375:
to be identified by his family and to be buried, but the remains were later moved to the Watt Christie Cemetery in
1071:
121:
that came after him, mostly with the help of friends and family. However, in November 1892 a well-armed force of
891:
512:
122:
231:
tore off a piece of Christie's nose and hit one of his eyes while the other man was hit twice and killed.
25:
372:
869:
484:
892:"Edward "Ned" Christie families of Cherokee Co., Oklahoma : Descendants of Edward "Ned" Christie"
159:
791:
826:
404:
376:
147:
536:
267:
658:
589:
158:, learned of the incident, he issued a warrant for Christie's arrest and sent out a posse from
1048:
1029:
1010:
991:
972:
949:
926:
633:
212:
204:
686:
255:
It wasn't long before the fortifications were discovered. A November 3, 1890, edition of the
792:"The Death of Ned Christie - Fort Smith National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)"
284:
276:
71:
537:"The Case of Ned Christie - Fort Smith National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)"
44:
409:
257:
155:
102:
67:
561:
757:
382:
There is some reason to believe that Christie may have been the victim of framing by a
1065:
942:
346:
338:
151:
98:
21:
291:
accepted the challenge and led a failed expedition to capture the elusive renegade.
415:
228:
106:
97:
is a phrase that has been used when referring to the overall confrontation between
81:
288:
186:
163:
139:
965:
334:
1026:
Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves
170:
so that he could be warned of approaching lawmen long before they arrived.
866:"All Things Cherokee: Culture Articles - Ned Christie - Cherokee Outlaw?"
383:
317:
143:
167:
307:
178:
194:
330:
306:
586:""the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Ned Christie Story"
280:
1007:
One hundred Oklahoma outlaws, gangsters, and lawmen, 1839-1939
227:
companion ran for safety both were wounded by gunfire. A
298:
wrote a brief account of the attack and its aftermath:
77:
63:
55:
1077:19th-century military history of the United States
964:
941:
827:"The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture"
786:
784:
681:
679:
283:1,000 reward for Christie, dead or alive. The
8:
628:
626:
624:
622:
620:
618:
616:
37:
739:
737:
709:
707:
507:
505:
503:
501:
471:
469:
467:
36:
1005:Anderson, Dan; Laurence J. Yadon (2007).
193:
185:
177:
125:breached his stronghold and killed him.
427:
217:said the following about the skirmish:
963:McMurtry, Larry; Diana Ossana (2002).
117:. For five years Christie eluded the
7:
294:On November 27, 1890, the newspaper
988:Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters
241:Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters
210:A November 8, 1890, edition of the
182:Deputy Marshal Henry "Heck" Thomas
14:
837:from the original on July 4, 2022
1082:Wars involving the United States
1028:. University of Nebraska Press.
990:. University of Oklahoma Press.
43:
16:Conflicts with lawmen, 1887–1892
687:"Ned Christie: Cherokee Outlaw"
162:, under the command of Marshal
1:
1142:19th-century Cherokee history
443:Conley, "Ned Christie's War".
198:Deputy Marshal Paden Tolbert
59:4 May 1887 – 2 November 1892
1127:American Old West gunfights
944:The Branch and the Scaffold
940:Estleman, Loren D. (2009).
481:Digital.library.okstate.edu
477:"OHS Publications Division"
333:, dynamite and a 3-pounder
1158:
1122:1890s in the United States
1117:1880s in the United States
921:Conley, Robert J. (2002).
42:
1047:. The Ridge Press, Inc.
899:Files.usgwararchives.net
562:"Outlaws - Ned Christie"
1024:Burton, Art T. (2008).
296:Vinita Indian Chieftain
1043:Elman, Robert (1975).
1009:. Pelican Publishing.
971:. Simon and Schuster.
815:Anderson, pp. 188–189.
659:"More on Ned Christie"
513:"Allen, U.S. Marshal?"
363:
312:
305:
272:
253:
224:
199:
191:
183:
134:Death of Daniel Maples
31:considered for merging
986:O'Neil, Bill (1991).
638:Rootsweb.ancestry.com
358:
310:
300:
264:
245:
219:
197:
189:
181:
722:Burton, pp. 164–166.
262:said the following:
234:
160:Fort Smith, Arkansas
405:Goingsnake Massacre
377:Wauhillau, Oklahoma
164:Henry "Heck" Thomas
39:
1137:Murder in Oklahoma
1045:Badmen of the West
923:Ned Christie's War
356:reads as follows:
313:
200:
192:
184:
38:Ned Christie's War
1132:American frontier
1112:Conflicts in 1892
1107:Conflicts in 1891
1102:Conflicts in 1890
1097:Conflicts in 1889
1092:Conflicts in 1888
1087:Conflicts in 1887
855:Anderson, p. 190.
731:Anderson, p. 188.
461:McMurtry, p. 396.
352:The article from
205:Loren D. Estleman
88:
87:
1149:
1072:Indian Territory
1058:
1039:
1020:
1001:
982:
970:
959:
947:
936:
909:
908:
906:
905:
896:
888:
882:
881:
879:
877:
872:on July 22, 2012
868:. Archived from
862:
856:
853:
847:
846:
844:
842:
822:
816:
813:
807:
806:
804:
803:
788:
779:
776:
770:
769:
767:
765:
756:. Archived from
750:
744:
741:
732:
729:
723:
720:
714:
711:
702:
701:
699:
698:
683:
674:
673:
671:
670:
655:
649:
648:
646:
645:
630:
611:
610:Estleman, p. 78.
608:
602:
601:
599:
597:
592:on March 2, 2012
588:. Archived from
582:
576:
575:
573:
572:
558:
552:
551:
549:
548:
533:
527:
526:
524:
523:
509:
496:
495:
493:
492:
483:. Archived from
473:
462:
459:
453:
452:Estleman, p. 79.
450:
444:
441:
435:
432:
354:The Morning Call
343:The Morning Call
285:African-American
277:Washington, D.C.
250:
94:
72:Indian Territory
47:
40:
34:
1157:
1156:
1152:
1151:
1150:
1148:
1147:
1146:
1062:
1061:
1055:
1042:
1036:
1023:
1017:
1004:
998:
985:
979:
962:
956:
939:
933:
920:
917:
912:
903:
901:
894:
890:
889:
885:
875:
873:
864:
863:
859:
854:
850:
840:
838:
825:Art T. Burton.
824:
823:
819:
814:
810:
801:
799:
790:
789:
782:
777:
773:
763:
761:
760:on May 20, 2011
752:
751:
747:
742:
735:
730:
726:
721:
717:
712:
705:
696:
694:
685:
684:
677:
668:
666:
657:
656:
652:
643:
641:
632:
631:
614:
609:
605:
595:
593:
584:
583:
579:
570:
568:
560:
559:
555:
546:
544:
535:
534:
530:
521:
519:
511:
510:
499:
490:
488:
475:
474:
465:
460:
456:
451:
447:
442:
438:
433:
429:
425:
410:Three Guardsmen
401:
368:
326:
324:Final encounter
248:
237:
176:
174:First encounter
156:Isaac C. Parker
136:
131:
115:Cherokee Nation
101:lawmen and the
92:
68:Cherokee Nation
51:
35:
19:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1155:
1153:
1145:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1129:
1124:
1119:
1114:
1109:
1104:
1099:
1094:
1089:
1084:
1079:
1074:
1064:
1063:
1060:
1059:
1053:
1040:
1034:
1021:
1015:
1002:
996:
983:
977:
960:
954:
937:
931:
916:
913:
911:
910:
883:
857:
848:
817:
808:
780:
778:Elman, p. 151.
771:
745:
743:O'Neil, p. 60.
733:
724:
715:
713:O'Neil, p. 59.
703:
691:HistoryNet.com
675:
650:
634:"Ned Christie"
612:
603:
577:
553:
528:
497:
463:
454:
445:
436:
434:Burton, p. 64.
426:
424:
421:
420:
419:
412:
407:
400:
397:
367:
364:
325:
322:
236:
233:
175:
172:
135:
132:
130:
127:
111:Deputy Marshal
86:
85:
79:
75:
74:
65:
61:
60:
57:
53:
52:
48:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1154:
1143:
1140:
1138:
1135:
1133:
1130:
1128:
1125:
1123:
1120:
1118:
1115:
1113:
1110:
1108:
1105:
1103:
1100:
1098:
1095:
1093:
1090:
1088:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1078:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1056:
1054:0-600-31353-0
1050:
1046:
1041:
1037:
1035:9780803217478
1031:
1027:
1022:
1018:
1016:9781589803848
1012:
1008:
1003:
999:
997:9780806123356
993:
989:
984:
980:
978:9780743230179
974:
969:
968:
961:
957:
955:9780765315991
951:
948:. Macmillan.
946:
945:
938:
934:
932:9781429933063
928:
925:. Macmillan.
924:
919:
918:
914:
900:
893:
887:
884:
871:
867:
861:
858:
852:
849:
836:
832:
831:okhistory.org
828:
821:
818:
812:
809:
797:
793:
787:
785:
781:
775:
772:
759:
755:
754:"Robert King"
749:
746:
740:
738:
734:
728:
725:
719:
716:
710:
708:
704:
692:
688:
682:
680:
676:
664:
660:
654:
651:
639:
635:
629:
627:
625:
623:
621:
619:
617:
613:
607:
604:
591:
587:
581:
578:
567:
566:Jcs-group.com
563:
557:
554:
542:
538:
532:
529:
518:
514:
508:
506:
504:
502:
498:
487:on 2012-11-19
486:
482:
478:
472:
470:
468:
464:
458:
455:
449:
446:
440:
437:
431:
428:
422:
418:
417:
413:
411:
408:
406:
403:
402:
398:
396:
392:
390:
385:
380:
378:
374:
365:
362:
357:
355:
350:
348:
347:San Francisco
344:
340:
339:Paden Tolbert
336:
332:
323:
321:
319:
309:
304:
299:
297:
292:
290:
286:
282:
278:
271:
269:
263:
261:
259:
252:
244:
242:
232:
230:
223:
218:
216:
215:Daily Gazette
214:
208:
206:
196:
188:
180:
173:
171:
169:
165:
161:
157:
153:
152:Hanging Judge
149:
145:
141:
133:
128:
126:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
83:
80:
76:
73:
69:
66:
62:
58:
54:
46:
41:
32:
28:
27:
26:Infobox event
23:
1044:
1025:
1006:
987:
967:Zeke and Ned
966:
943:
922:
915:Bibliography
902:. Retrieved
898:
886:
876:February 19,
874:. Retrieved
870:the original
860:
851:
839:. Retrieved
830:
820:
811:
800:. Retrieved
798:. 2016-03-16
796:Home.nps.gov
795:
774:
764:February 19,
762:. Retrieved
758:the original
748:
727:
718:
695:. Retrieved
693:. 2006-12-06
690:
667:. Retrieved
665:. 2011-01-31
662:
653:
642:. Retrieved
640:. 2013-03-05
637:
606:
596:February 19,
594:. Retrieved
590:the original
580:
569:. Retrieved
565:
556:
545:. Retrieved
543:. 2016-03-16
540:
531:
520:. Retrieved
516:
489:. Retrieved
485:the original
480:
457:
448:
439:
430:
416:Zeke and Ned
414:
393:
388:
381:
369:
359:
353:
351:
342:
327:
314:
301:
295:
293:
273:
265:
256:
254:
246:
240:
238:
229:shotgun slug
225:
220:
211:
209:
201:
190:Ned Christie
137:
107:Ned Christie
91:Ned Christie
90:
89:
82:Ned Christie
24:
841:February 3,
663:Officer.com
373:Fort Gibson
311:Bass Reeves
289:Bass Reeves
20:‹ The
1066:Categories
904:2016-06-23
802:2016-06-23
697:2016-06-23
669:2016-06-23
644:2016-06-23
571:2016-06-23
547:2016-06-23
522:2016-06-23
517:Larkcom.us
491:2016-06-23
423:References
235:Ned's Fort
213:Fort Worth
140:blacksmith
389:Oklahoman
366:Aftermath
335:field gun
279:issued a
260:Daily Bee
148:Tahlequah
105:renegade
29:is being
835:Archived
399:See also
384:railroad
318:dynamite
268:Muskogee
168:sentries
144:gunsmith
109:. After
103:Cherokee
99:American
64:Location
33:. ›
22:template
541:Nps.gov
287:lawman
78:Outcome
1051:
1032:
1013:
994:
975:
952:
929:
331:rifles
123:lawmen
119:posses
84:killed
50:Bruner
895:(TXT)
258:Omaha
249:'
95:s War
93:'
1049:ISBN
1030:ISBN
1011:ISBN
992:ISBN
973:ISBN
950:ISBN
927:ISBN
878:2012
843:2024
766:2012
598:2012
345:, a
142:and
56:Date
129:War
1068::
897:.
833:.
829:.
794:.
783:^
736:^
706:^
689:.
678:^
661:.
636:.
615:^
564:.
539:.
515:.
500:^
479:.
466:^
379:.
281:$
243::
154:,
70:,
1057:.
1038:.
1019:.
1000:.
981:.
958:.
935:.
907:.
880:.
845:.
805:.
768:.
700:.
672:.
647:.
600:.
574:.
550:.
525:.
494:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
