Thursday, September 25, 2014

September 26, 1864---It's all Choctaw to us



SEPTEMBER 26, 1864:    

Cyrus Nye Byington, the son of Cyrus Byington the well-known Christian missionary and Choctaw linguist, is serving as a Federal Quartermaster near Washington D.C.. He writes home to his family in the Indian Territory. His letter reads in part:

I attend church regularly at the Charles Street Church,  Dr Sewell pastor.  A very able man and besides a strong union man.  I hope Pres Lincoln will be reelected for I believe his election will do more for us here at home than any thing else we can do.  It will show Jeff Davis and his crew what the north are determined to do.  Gen Grant was here the other day but I did not see him.  We have good news from the valley.

Cyrus Nye is, not long after this letter, reassigned to frontier duty among the Choctaw Indians, who sided with the Confederacy and now need to be “pacified”. Since he is familiar with the Choctaw language, having learned it from his father, his services are a great help to the Union Army commanders in the Indian Territory. 



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