Is there any information on the Pin Indians (Cherokee) activities during the Civil War? The famous Cherokee lawman/outlaw Zeke Proctor had been a Pin during the Civil War.

When did Zeke Procter become an outlaw?

Zeke Proctor was considered an outlaw when he accidently shot Lucy Beck while aiming at James Kesterson his former brother-in-law. In the eyes of the U.S. court at Fort Smith, Proctor was a fugitive until he submitted to federal authorities. The Cherokee authorities felt it was an Indian nation issue. Thus ensued the greatest gunfight in the history of the Indian Territory, on April 15, 1872. Proctor was considered a felon until his standing with the federal government was worked out.

In reference to who Zeke Proctor accidentally shot, her name was Polly Beck Hildebrand, not Lucy. Zeke had actually intended to shoot Jim Kesterson, who was married to Zeke's sister, Susan. Jim had left Zeke's sister and her children. Jim had been working at the Hildebrand mill, and rumor had it that he was moved in with Polly. Upon arrival at the mill, Zeke had fired his gun at Kesterson, but Polly jumped in front of the bullet, thus taking the bullet for Kesterson. The "greatest gunfight in the history of Indian Territory" is called The Goingsnake Massacre. The Goingsnake Massacre was a product of the white courts inability to recognize the right the Cherokee Nation had to try their own citizens in tribal courts. White marshals from Ft. Smith arrived after Zeke's trial was underway. They wanted to try to take Zeke Proctor into custody. Thus the ensuing gunfight. Zeke was not taken into custody by the white marshalls. In October of 1873, the U.S. District Court dismissed the case of U.S. v Zeke Procter. Zeke was a law abiding citizen after his troubles were resolved. He went on to hold the office of Flint District Sheriff and become a member of the Cherokee National Council. Zeke was a member of the Keetowah Society and also a Pin. He is also said to be the only single individual to have a treaty with the United States.

If I remember correctly, the whole reason the deputy marshals went after Proctor was due to the fact that Kesterson was a white man who had married into the Cherokee tribe. During early 1870s and well into the 1880s there was an ongoing question by federal law enforcement as to what and who constituted an Indian. This was a prime example. The deputy marshals went after a white man [Kesterson who was assaulted by Proctor; the woman who apparently was an Indian was killed by Proctor] who was the victim of a crime committed by an Indian [Proctor].
I read a quote by a historian some time back who stated words to the effect that the difference between a "Battle" and "Massacre" is all relative to the storyteller and the time in which the story is being told.

Zeke was also commissioned as a deputy U.S. marshal at least on two occasions in the 1890s.

First, I'm a new member to this site and have done some research on the Pins. The Pins were a secret society so not much information is available. This society to help maintain the Cherokee traditional way of life prominant. They were also responsible for enforcing the bloodlaw that made the signing away of lands without the Nation's backing illegal. It was in this capacity that they executed most of the signers of the treaty of New Echota that led to the forced removal.(Major Ridge who was among the killed, ironically executed the Chief Doublehead for the same offense) Ridge's nephew, Stand Watie narrowly escaped execution and took his supporters on the war path in retaliation. While the open fighting ceased the ill feeling continued on both sides. With the outbreak of the Civil war the mostly mixed blood supporters of Watie known as the Ridge-Waite party with a lifestile very much like southern whites, including slaves, sided with the new Confederacy. After being abandoned by the U.S. government when they pulled their soldiers to the fight in the east, head chief John Ross agreed to sign a treaty with the southern agent and later General Albert Pike. After a large number of Pins deserted Colonel John Drew's 2nd Cherokee Mounted Rifles C.S.A. for the battle of Chusto Talasa (Caving Banks) The full bloods left in droves to join the Union in Kansas. Zeke was among those who joined the conventional forces being a member of the 3rd Kansas Indian Home Guards Company L. Many of the others however, fought a traditional guerrilla war, and show up scarcely in the writtings of the times. There are numerous Confederate sympathisers who mention the Pins in their recounts of the war in the Indian Pioneer Papers. These are much like any of the complaints of guerrillas with them stealing any amount of food and destroying homes. On the issue of the name Pins it comes from one of the means of identification being two common straight pins in the lapel in the form of a cross. The other means of identification being a corn husk braided into the hair.

Keep on the trail of History

With all of the information that is known......does anyone know where Johnson Proctor (Zeke's brother) was buried after the shoot out? Also can someone tell me how to find the EXACT location of the shoot-out? My husband is the gr gr gr grandson of Johnson Proctor and would like to visit the exact site where Johnson was shot.
Thank you
Linda

The Chronicles of Oklahoma, Fall 2004 issue has an excellent article on the incident, called "Stand Fast" The Story of Surry Eaton "White Sut Beck" by Pamela White, pages 300 to 325. Also from the same source, "Tregedy of the Goingsnake District: The Shoot-out at Zeke Proctor's Trial," by Kelly Agnew, Fall of 1986 issue. Cemeteries and Burial Places of Delaware County, Oklahoma (Vol. 4, Grove, OK.: Delaware County Cemetery Readers, 1995) and the Goingsnake Messenger from Stilwell, Oklahoma, which is a historical and genealogical society, may be able of help to you too. Good luck!!

My great-grandfather was Archibald Scraper. He was the forman at the trial of Zeke Proctor. Zeke's brother, Johnson Proctor may be buried in the Johnson cemetary, located on Oklahoma State Highway 33, 5 miles west of Siloam Springs Arkansas. Also if you want to find out about the "Pin" indians search for Second Indian Home Guard. They have plenty of info.

Does anyone know where I might find some pictures of the Zeke Proctor trial or of the jury for said trial? I was told there may be some of the aftermath when my great-grandfather was arrested for being a juror and taken to Fort Smith Arkansas in shackles. Also, does anyone know if I can get copies of arrest warrants, etc..?