Day Trips

Chief Diwali died on July 16, 1839. Hidden away in the annals of Texas history is the story of the Indian leader and the expulsion of his peaceful band of farmers from East Texas. It is the story of a broken treaty.

In the sweltering summer of 1839, President Mirabeau B. Lamar ordered the Texas Army under General Thomas J. Rusk to near present-day Alto to issue the Indians an ultimatum: "Leave or die." Chief Diwali -- he is also known as Chief Bowls -- tried to negotiate a deal that would allow the Indians to complete the coming harvest. The army's refusal fanned the passions of the young warriors on both sides.

During the night the entire Cherokee population north of Nacogdoches disappeared into the surrounding forest. It wasn't until the next afternoon that the Texas Army found the Indians moving northwest and attacked. The first day's battle went badly for the Indians and they lost most of their supplies. On the second day the Indians didn't have a chance. Chief Diwali was one of the last on the battlefield when his horse was shot from under him.

Although hurt, Chief Diwali got up and started walking toward his retreating men when he was shot in the back. Mortally wounded, he rolled to a sitting position facing his enemy. A young captain rode up and shot the chief in the head. At that instant the Cherokee tribe ceased to exist in Texas.

The Cherokees -- they call themselves the Tsalagiyi (pronounced Ja La Gee) -- came to Texas from the eastern United States early enough to deal with the Spanish government. After 1819, they moved to present-day Smith and Cherokee counties. A new Mexican government led the Indians to believe they could stay on the land, but never wrote the promise down.

In 1836, while Colonel William B. Travis was fortifying the Alamo, General Sam Houston was making peace with Chief Diwali. The Indians were offered about 2.5 million acres between the Neches and Angelina rivers (near TX 21 and Interstate 20 in present-day Texas). The territory includes modern Jacksonville, Rusk, Tyler, Henderson, Kilgore, and hundreds of other small communities.

The East Texas tribes stayed neutral in the revolution. Chief Diwali was said to be carrying his copy of the document when he was killed. All 54 delegates representing themselves as the government of Texas signed the treaty. But with the war over, the Texas senate of 1837 failed to honor the treaty. In 1838, Texans elected Lamar, a man with a strong dislike for Indians, as president.

After the battle the Texas Cherokees scattered. Some went to Arkansas and Oklahoma. Diwali's son, John Bowl, tried to lead a group to Mexico, but were attacked by Texas Rangers near San Saba. A last effort to gain legal recognition for the Cherokees died in 1946.

The Cherokee returned to Texas in 1993 when several elders of the tribe led by Chief D.L. Utsidihi Hicks of Troup reactivated the band. Hicks is organizing descendants of the tribe through a Web site (www.geocities.com/texascherokees.html). "We have about 3,000 registered members," Chief Hicks says.

The story goes that after the battle, Diwali's body was desecrated by the Texans and the Indians refused to bury the remains. "Diwali was a great chief, they wouldn't have left him," says the former U.S. Army captain who served in Vietnam. "We'll never know where they buried the remains," Chief Hicks says.

In 1936, the state erected a monument in the field where the chief died. On private property in Van Zandt County, the stone marker is about three miles north of TX 64 where it crosses the Neches River west of Tyler on the catfish farm road.

For a scenic tour of the area, Chief Hicks recommends driving TX 69 from Alto to Tyler. The Cherokee had several villages in the area, but Chief Diwali's principal village was somewhere between Tyler and Henderson off of TX 64.

For a broad look at the Cherokee land, stop at Love's Lookout north of Jacksonville on TX 69. Other than landmark names, the Cherokees left few clues behind. The ancient Caddo Indians left large burial mounds that can be seen along TX 21 southwest of Alto. Chief Hicks hopes to someday build a cultural and education center in the area to tell the story of the Texas Cherokees.

579th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.