304 CHEROKEE NATION OF INDIANS. 
murder of Cornsilk, another of Ross’s adherents, by these same ‘Starr 
boys,” and six days later the spirit of retaliation led to the killing of 
Turner, a member of the Treaty party. On the 25th of the same 
month! Ellis, Dick, and Billy Starr were wounded by a band of Ross’s 
Cherokee police, who chased them across the line of Arkansas in the 
attempt to arrest them for trial before the Cherokee tribunals for the 
murder of Too-noo-wee two days before. General Arbuckle took them 
under his protection, and refused to deliver them up for trial to the 
Cherokee authorities until the latter should take proper steps to punish 
the murderers of James Starr. Subsequently Baldridge and Sides, of 
the Ross party, were murdered by Jim and Tom Starr, in revenge for 
which the light horse police company of the Ross government mur- 
dered Billy Ryder, of the Treaty party.’ 
In this manner the excitement was maintained and the outrages mul- 
tiplied until, on the 28th of August, Agent McKissick reported that 
since the Ist of November preceding there had been an aggregate of 
thirty-three murders committed in the Cherokee Nation, nearly all of 
which were of a political character. The feeling of alarm became so 
widespread that General Arbuckle was constrained to increase the mil- 
itary force on the frontier by two companies. 
NEGOTIATION OF TREATY OF 1846. 
While these unhappy events were in progress Major Armstrong, su- 
perintendent of Indian affairs, who was in Washington, submitted to 
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, at the suggestion of the several 
Cherokee delegations, a proposition for the appointment of a commis- 
sioner clothed with full powers to adjust all difficulties between the 
various factions of their people. 
The Commissioner replied that as the matter was before Congress and 
would likely receive the speedy attention of that body, no action would 
be justified by the executive authorities without first being assured 
that the proposition was founded in good faith and would result in some 
certain and satisfactory arrangement. He must also have assurance 
that there existed a firm determination on the part of the Department 
and of Congress to bring these troubles to a close before the adjourn- 
ment of the latter body. The Commissioner, however, drew up a mem- 
orandum agreement for the signature of the several delegations of 
Cherokees representing the different factions of the tribe. It provided 
for the appointment of three commissioners, whose duty it should be to 
examine into all matters in controversy and adjust the same, and that 
all parties should abide absolutely by their decision, agreeing to execute 
and sign such treaty or other instrument of agreement as should be 
considered necessary to insure the execution of the award of the com- 

‘ Letter of Agent McKissick to Commissioner Indian Affairs, May 12, 1846, and Gen- 
eral Arbuckle to Adjutant-General, April 28, 1346. 
? Report of Agent McKissick July 4, 1846. 

