Ahlejahgili ‘Archibald’ Scraper

Archibald is a Cherokee man

Biography

Archie Scraper was born about 1820 in the Cherokee Nation (East), the son of Scraper and his first wife Tiana Smith, both Cherokee. [1] The 1835 Cherokee census lists Scraper, his wife, and six others (all full-bloods) living at Mill Creek in what is now Alabama. [2] The family was Removed to Indian Territory in the Richard Taylor detachment. An 1842 claim by Scraper confirms that he lived in the area of Scraper Mountain Alabama on the Chatooga River near Ft Armstrong in 1813-14. His claim also mentions that he lived at Rabbit Trap, Goingsnake District, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, in 1842 and that he had come west in the Taylor detachment.

Archie married at least four times, to Malinda McIntosh, [3] Elizabeth, Sarah Crist and Mary Little. The 1851 Drennan roll list "Ar-chil-le," wife "Nellie," and children Nancy and Wuttie. [4] The 1880 Cherokee census lists Arch, Belle, and children Louisa, Calvin, Albert, and William. [5] Daughter Nancy listed additional siblings Elizabeth, Annie, and Archilla on her Eastern Cherokee application. [6] When he filed his Dawes application Archie stated that he was married to Mary Little, [7] with whom he had two children, Joe [8] and Manford/Noah. [9] Archie died May 13, 1904. [10]

Archibald spent most of his life in service to the Cherokee People. He went to Washington as a delegate representing the Cherokee Nation in1865, 1867, 1868, & 1869. Arch was a Senator of the Cherokee Nation (Goingsnake District ) in 1869-70. He was elected President of the Senate those same years. For the years 1867 & 1873 Archibald was a Council Member of the Cherokee Legislature representing Goingsnake District. Senators & Councilors were generally paid $3 a day for their services. In 1867 & 1868 he was Speaker pro tem of the National Council Cherokee Nation and he was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation in 1877.

Archibald and his brother George enlisted with the Confederacy Oct 1861 in Co. G, 1st Regt, Cherokee Mounted Rifles, for 12 months. Lieutenant Archibald Scraper was captured on 7-15-1862 along with Chief John Ross, his brothers Lewis & William Ross, & others. They (and 200 other Cherokee) switched to the Union side; where he was Captain of Co. D, 2nd Indian Home Guard, Kansas Infantry. At one time Arch had 1000 men under his command. He was involved in the battle at Cabin Creek (near Vinita) fall of 1864 & the Battle of Bentonville, AR. He mustered out at Ft Gibson on 5-31-1865

During the Civil War, a battle was fought about 3 miles southeast of present day Welling, Okla. A group of Home Guards routed a small detachment of Confederate Scouts who were stealing everything that they could carry away. According to Captain Arch Scraper, a few men were killed in the skirmish. The confederates were driven out of Cherokee Country. (Indian Pioneer History, Vol. 103, Louis Taylor interview)

After the Civil War, the Cherokees called a meeting at Old Tom Fourkiller's place on Evansville Creek. The purpose of this meeting was to get re-acquainted & make friends among themselves, that is, the Cherokee people of Goingsnake District. There were thousands in attendance, Arch Scraper, a captain in the Union Army, was the speaker for the Federal Cherokees. William Penn Adair, spoke for the South.

From a handwritten history of George W. Whitmire by Georgia Colvin, 8-10-1960: " It was not until after the Civil War on 12-10-1869, that the Whitmire School was established on the Whitmire Plantation (it was the little log school house where the Proctor fight occurred in 1872.) The first men to serve on the new school board were George Whitmire, Arch Scraper, and Gideon Morgan with Mrs. Nan Duncan nee Starr as teacher."

The Goingsnake Massacre occurred on April 15th 1872. Arch Scraper sensing trouble, used his authority as Director of Public Schools to order the trial of Zeke Proctor moved from the Goingsnake Courthouse to the Whitmire School house. Archie thought that the Schoolhouse, which was about 16 or 18 feet square and had only two windows on each side, would be safer than the more open courthouse.

During the Ezekiel Proctor incident referred to in the preceding note, Arch was foreman of the jury. A posse of marshals and Beck family members rode up during the trial and began shooting. Men were killed & wounded on both sides. Arch Scraper & Ellis Foreman (a juror who sustained a shoulder wound in the fight) were arrested and taken to Ft. Smith for trial. Archie was ironed and otherwise abused. They gave bail & the trial was put off. After investigation, the case was dismissed. This massacre still rates as the highest death toll for U.S. Marshalls during one incident in United States history.

According to family history, Archibald was called upon at times to be an Indian Marshall. (The Indian Marshalls were appointed by the Chief and were based in Tahlequah, rather than Fort Smith like the Marshalls appointed by Judge Parker) Supposedly, the town, Corbin, Okla. was renamed Scraper, Okla. in honor of Archibald Scraper, after he had cleaned up the town, and gotten rid of all of the outlaws. After three Marshalls or Sheriffs were sent in and did not come out, Scraper was called upon to see what could be done. He decided to handle the problem in a different manner than the previous three. Marshall Scraper would camp outside the town until a small party of them would come out to get supplies. He would capture them and take them to jail, and then return to wait for more of them to come out. Arch realized that if he went into the town, the outlaws would gang up on him, and being greatly outnumbered, he wouldn't make it out alive. (from oral history passed down to Manford Jr. Scraper from a Mr. West who had grown up in the vicinity of the old Scraper settlement))

It seems that when a new road went in, it bypassed the old town of Scraper, Indian Territory, which was on the Illinois river about 2 miles southeast of where the current Scraper General Store on Highway 10 is located. The settlement gradually faded away with time. When a Post Office was later established in the area, it was named Scraper Post Office in honor of Captain Archibald Scraper. It was located near the old General Store and Gristmill which were approximately 100 yards south of the current General Store (1999). Although the Post Office, the gristmill, and the Scraper School (Walnut School), are no longer there, the area is still known as Scraper Community today.

Max Scraper tells me that the Old Timers told him that Archibald was a Scout on the 'Trail of Tears'. He would range out ahead and search for possible dangers in the trail ahead.

Taken from: "Our Scraper Family" Compiled by Joe Scraper Jr.

He passed away in 1904. [11]

Sources

1. ↑ Starr, Emmet. History of the Cherokee Indians. Oklahoma Yesterday Publications edition, Tulsa, OK. 1979. p 451-452. Digitized edition at Starr
2. ↑ 1835 Cherokee Census, transcription published by the Oklahoma Chapter, Trail of Tears Association, Park Hill, OK. 2002. Original records: National Archives and Records Administration, Microfilm publication T496, Census Roll, 1835, of Cherokee Indians East of the Mississippi with Index.
3. ↑ Starr, History, p. 452
4. ↑ Drennen Roll of “Emigrant Cherokee,” 1851. Series 7RA-01. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75. The National Archives at Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas. Going Snake #673
5. ↑ The National Archives at Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Record Group Number: 75; Record Group Title: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793-1999; NARA Series Number: 7RA-07; NARA Series Title: Cherokee Census, 1880. Going Snake District, p. 472
6. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration, Eastern Cherokee Applications of the Court of Claims. Application #4079, Nancy Gritts
7. ↑ Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898–1914. Microfilm M1301, 468 rolls. NAI: 617283. Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75. The National Archives at Washington, D.C. Cherokee by Blood Card/Application #277, Arch Scraper.
8. ↑ United States Census,1900; Census Place: Township 17, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory; Page: 6; Enumeration District: 0034; FHL microfilm: 1241845
9. ↑ HIs last two children were listed in the Little-Scraper Bible and taken from Delayed Birth Certificates.
10. ↑ death affidavit attached to Dawes application, completed by daughter Nancy.
11. ↑ Source will be added by Jenny Sellers by 28 Jun 2021.

Source: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Scraper-34
__________
Archibald Scraper, (Dee-su-gaw-skee2, /Oo-ka-wor-dar/1 ) b. ABT 1820 in Cherokee Nation East, d. 13 May 1904 in Cherokee Nation West, military Lieutenant Archibald Scraper was captured on 7-15-1862 along with Chief John Ross, his brothers Lewi, military Arch and his brother George enlisted Oct 1861 in Co. G, 1st Regt, Cherokee Mounted Rifles, for 12 mo, buried in Scraper Cemetery, Scraper Hollow, GoingSnake District, I.T.

         Joseph Little, the father of Archie's last wife, Mary Ross Little, wanted Archie and Mary's first son, Frank (Joseph Franklin), to be named Benjamin Archibald Scraper after his father.  This may imply that Archie's full name was Benjamin Archibald Scraper.

Cherokee name is Archikilli (or Ah-le-jah-gi-li) Dee-Su-Goo-Skee (often seen spelled in various ways). Arch was known to have had 5 different wives.
During the Civil War, a battle was fought about 3 miles southeast of present day Welling, Okla. A group of Home Guards routed a small detachment of Confederate Scouts who were stealing everything that they could carry away. According to Captain Arch Scraper, a few men were killed in the skirmish. The confederates were driven out of Cherokee Country. (Indian Pioneer History, Vol 103, Louis Taylor interview)
Archibald spent most of his life in service to the Cherokee People.

• He went to Washington as a delegate representing the Cherokee Nation in1865, 1867, 1868, & 1869.
• Arch was a Senator of the Cherokee Nation (GoingSnake District ) in 1869-70.
• He was elected President of the Senate those same years.
• For the years 1867 & 1873 Archibald was a Council Member of the Cherokee Legislature representing Goingsnake District. Senators & Councilors were generally paid $3 a day for their services.
• In 1867 & 1868 he was Speaker pro tem of the National Council Cherokee Nation and,
• he was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation in 1877.

         After the Civil War, the Cherokees called a meeting at Old Tom Fourkiller's place on Evansville Creek.  The purpose of this meeting was to get re-acquainted & make friends among themselves, that is, the Cherokee people of Goingsnake District.  There were thousands in attendance, Arch Scraper, a captain in the Union Army, was the speaker for the Federal Cherokees.  William Penn Adair, spoke for the South.

From a handwritten history of George W. Whitmire by Georgia Colvin, 8-10-1960: " It was not until after the Civil War on 12-10-1869, that the Whitmire School was established on the Whitmire Plantation (it was the little log school house where the Proctor fight occurred in 1872.) The first men to serve on the new school board were George Whitmire, Arch Scraper, and Gideon Morgan with Mrs. Nan Duncan nee Starr as teacher."
The Goingsnake Massacre occurred on April 15th 1872. Arch Scraper sensing trouble, used his authority as Director of Public Schools to order the trial of Zeke Proctor moved from the Goingsnake Courthouse to the Whitmire School house. Archie thought that the Schoolhouse, which was about 16 or 18 feet square and had only two windows on each side, would be safer than the more open courthouse.
During the Ezekiel Proctor incident referred to in the preceding note, Arch was foreman of the jury. A posse of marshalls and Beck family members rode up during the trial and began shooting. Men were killed & wounded on both sides. Arch Scraper & Ellis Foreman (a juror who sustained a shoulder wound in the fight) were arrested and taken to Ft. Smith for trial. Archie was ironed and otherwise abused. They gave bail & the trial was put off. After investigation, the case was dismissed. This massacre still rates as the highest death toll for U.S. Marshalls during one incident in United States history.
According to family history, Archibald was called upon at times to be an Indian Marshall. (The Indian Marshalls were appointed by the Chief and were based in Tahlequah, rather than Fort Smith like the Marshalls appointed by Judge Parker) Supposedly, the town, Corbin, Okla. was renamed Scraper, Okla. in honor of Archibald Scraper, after he had cleaned up the town, and gotten rid of all of the outlaws. After three Marshalls or Sheriffs were sent in and did not come out, Scraper was called upon to see what could be done. He decided to handle the problem in a different manner than the previous three. Marshall Scraper would camp outside the town until a small party of them would come out to get supplies. He would capture them and take them to jail, and then return to wait for more of them to come out. Arch realized that if he went into the town, the outlaws would gang up on him, and being greatly outnumbered, he wouldn't make it out alive. (from oral history passed down to Manford Jr. Scraper from a Mr. West who had grown up in the vicinity of the old Scraper settlement))
It seems that when a new road went in, it bypassed the old town of Scraper, Indian Territory, which was on the Illinois river about 2 miles southeast of where the current Scraper General Store on Highway 10 is located. The settlement gradually faded away with time. When a Post Office was later established in the area, it was named Scraper Post Office in honor of Captain Archibald Scraper. It was located near the old General Store and Gristmill which were approximately 100 yards south of the current General Store (1999). Although the Post Office, the gristmill, and the Scraper School (Walnut School), are no longer there, the area is still known as Scraper Community today.
Max Scraper tells me that the Old Timers told him that Archibald was a Scout on the 'Trail of Tears'. He would range out ahead and search for possible dangers in the trail ahead.

    He married (1) AFT 1838, Malinda McIntosh, b. in Cherokee Nation East, (daughter of Martin McIntosh and Nancy Tail) d. ABT 1866 in Cherokee Nation West, buried in Scraper Cemetery, Scraper Hollow, GoingSnake District, I.T.

    Malinda's half-sister Louisa married Archibald's brother George.

    Malinda's Indian name was Alie or Nelly.

    Malinda had a half brother named Calvin McIntosh, and uncles named James and William McIntosh.

    '''He married (2) AFT 1865 in Washington City, Elizabeth Bell''', b. ABT 1850, d. in Goingsnake District, I. T., buried in Scraper Cemetery, Scraper Hollow, GoingSnake District, I.T.  

    '''He married (3) ABT 1879''' in Goingsnake District by Rev. A.L. Lacey, /__________ /.  

    '''He married (4) ABT 1888, Sarah Crist''', b. ABT 1873.  Sarah was of the Chewey family.  Sarah may have married a Mr Smith after she and Archie dissolved their marriage.

    '''He married (5) 29 Mar 1898 in Baron, Indian Terr. -- Christie, Okla., Mary Ross Little''', b. 11 Jan 1883 in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, (daughter of Joseph M. Little and Nancy Ann Delilah Jackson) d. 25 Aug 1965 in Mulvane, KS, buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Beloit, KS.

After Mary's first husband Arch Scraper passed away, she married William Vanbeber and left Scraper Hollow. The family lived in Chouteau, Okla, Strang, Okla. and Pryor, Okla. before moving to Galena, KS, Ft. Scott, KS, and then, in 1915, they moved to Asherville, KS. The family moved from place to place as Billy's job with the railroad required. The railroad dismissed him when he was close to retirement. Shortly before this, he had broken his hip when he slipped while loading watermelons onto his truck. He had a truck farm (near Asherville, KS) where he raised watermelons, cantaloupes, and sweet potatoes.
Joe Little and family lived up the hill above the big spring (Scraper Spring) from Archibald. Arch would have seen the children from time to time as they grew up, especially when they were sent to bring water from the spring, gather firewood, or other chores. Aunt Kae (Mary Kae Scraper Zerofski) adds to her brother Manford's story

---

Aunt Julia told me that when she and Mary were young ladies they would sometimes come upon Arch Scraper going the opposite direction on the walking path or wagon road in Scraper Hollow. Julia said that her & Mary would giggle as young ladies do because Arch was such a charming and handsome man. Later when Arch & Mary were married, it was an arranged marriage.
Mary was a crack shot with a gun. Aunt Marie once watched as her mother shot a turkey in the head..... while it was running. Mary carried a small pistol for protection, a' hidy-out gun.' This was the same gun she used when she shot the turkey. Mary's son, Manford, decided to check the accuracy of his mother's gun. He drove a large nail part way into a post. Then he backed off a few paces and took aim and fired. His shot had driven the nail all the way into the post. "Yes sir, it shoots true alright", he said.
Max Scraper remembers that when Grandma Mary got very upset with the boys (when they were playing a little too rough with the young ones, or getting a bit rowdy), she would scold them in Indian rather than English.
Children by Malinda McIntosh:

         57.    i.    Elizabeth 'Betsy'4 Scraper b. ABT 1847.

         58.    ii.   Nancy Scraper b. ABT 1848.

         59.    iii.  Archilla Scraper b. 1856.

         60.    iv.  Annie Scraper b. 2 Oct 1858.

         61.    v.   Louisa Scraper b. ABT 1860.

         62.    vi.  Calvin Scraper b. 1861.

                 vii. Sallie Scraper, b. ABT 1862 in Goingsnake District, I. T., d. ABT 1879. Cherokee name was Ka-ho-ga.

         63.    viii. Albert Scraper b. 22 Mar 1866.

                     '''Children by Mary Ross Little''':

         64.    ix.  Frank (Joseph Franklin) Scraper b. 18 May 1899.

         65.    x.   Manford Noah Scraper b. 20 Jul 1903.

MEMORIAL REGISTER (Source unknown)
033 - Archibald Scraper. Archibald Scraper was the son of Scraper and Tiania Smith, the daughter of Cabin Smith. According to his headstone he died May 13, 1904 at the age of 88. Research however, seems to indicate that a more likely date for his birth would be about 1820. It is believed that Tania and her four children, George Washington, Archibald, Charlie, William (Otter), and Sally came together in the Richard Taylor Detachment. The detachment left the Cherokee Nation East on September 20, 1838 and arrived at Woodall's near present Baptist Mission north of Westville on March 24, 1839. The records of the Taylor Detachment show that "Scraper" was paid for providing two teams for the Removal.

Archibald had four known wives. Sarah Crist; Malinda McIntosh, the daughter of Martin McIntosh and Nancy; Elizabeth Bell, and Mary Ross Little, the daughter of Joseph Little and Nancy Jackson. It is believed that there was a fifth wife, name unknown. By these five wives he had at least ten children: Annie Scraper Foreman, Elizabeth (Betsy) Scraper Walkingstick England, Nancy Scraper Gritts. Archilla Scraper, Louisa Scraper Wolfe, Calvin Scraper, Sallie Scraper Weight, Albert Scraper, Frank Scraper and Manford Noah Scraper.
During the Civil War, Archibald served as the Captain of Co. D, Second Indian Home Guard. He was a Councilor from the Goingsnake District in 1867 and again in

1873. He was elected Senator from the district in 1869-1870 and served as the President of the Senate those years. He was a delegate to Washington in 1865, 1867, 1868 and 1869. In 1867 and 1868 he was Speaker pro tem of the National Council and was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation in 1877.