Walker family

My grandmother told 4 generations a story about an Indian ancestor and how he met his fate. I have been searching for him for years in my quest for my ancestry. Briefly I will tell the story and the facts that we know.

There was a many greats grandfather of ours. He was a Blackfoot Indian who was married to a white woman. His name was Beady(?spelling,?nickname,?translation,? white name) Walker. A white man stole his only horse. He hunted and found the thief and killed him,as was the custom to do with horse thieves in that time. But the whites got a group together and went to find Beady,as Indians were not to be with white women and they sure were not supposed to kill whites for any reason. They followed his pregnant wife as she was sneaking food to him where he hid in the hollow of an old tree. They captured him and took him to town where they promptly hanged him. Grandma never changed her story one bit,except in her older years she once said that he was Cherokee. None of our family has ever came from the northern part of the states where the Blackfoot were. Family was from Ky.,Ten.,Va.,N.C. After doing research I found out about the Blackfoot Cherokee and the Melungeon types from these areas. So I really do think that this is the answer. I proved all of my grannie’s other family stories,except this one. I also think that if I were a mother whose husband met his demise such as Beady did,I would hide my children’s ethenticity for their safety,perhaps even go into hiding with them.

I have only found the Walker line down to my 3rd g grandfather,Jonathan Walker b. ca. 1799 Ky. or N.C. Censuses say Ky.,but the old historians said N.C. He claimed to be Scotch. He d.1854 Dubois Co.,In. m. Mary Polly Brenton in 1854 in Perry Co.,In. d/o Maj. James Brenton and sister to Peter Brenton the founder of Petersburg in Pike CO.,In.Jonathan was the first settler in Cass Township,Dubois Co,In. He had been in Knox,Spencer,Pike and other southern Indiana counties,most were the same county,just made one off of another during the years.Jonathan was an Indian fighter was in the battle of Tippicanoe and the war of 1812. But some Indians did help us. Jonathan was a bare fisted fighter and never lost. He was a big and powerfull man. He was well over 6 ft tall and over 200 lbs. He could not hold his liquor and loved to fight. He was chosen for log rollings. He once made a bet that he could crawl on his hands and knees through snow and slush over a mile,swim across the Patoka River through the ice,swim back across and crawl back the way he came. He won the bet. He once picked up a huge hog,through it over his shoulder and when it bit him,through it down so hard it killed it. Joanthan was well liked and had much land. He was the first man arrested for murder in Dubois Co,but was found innocent as the man who actualy had done it skipped and was never found. Jonathan’s sons were in the Civil War. One was killed. According to their papers they were all very tall,dark complexioned,and dark brown eyes,as Jonathan was said to be. Jonathan was buried in Mt Vernon cemetery in Dubois,near his home,but his father in law and many of the Brentons were buried in Siple Indian Mound Cemetery,also in Dubois CO. Many have been trying for years to find Jonathan’s pedigree. Others have heard that he was Indian,but no one can find his parents. There is much written on him in Dubois Co.,but nothing prior to comming to Indiana,although some say he was an Indian fighter in Ky too. We do know that he had bros with him in Indiana,Isaac who m. a Risley,and James. There was also Benjamin and a John (but this may be Jonathan,himself)who might be bros who were in Indiana with him. There is also a Thomas,who was older. He was thought to have been with George Rogers Clark,and possably lived in Clark Co or some other southern Indiana CO. He stayed with Jonathan when he came to sigh petitions,etc,but was not permanetly with him. Some times Jonathan went by Jons or Jots or John. I do have his children’s lines.

THis is all that I have on him,except for more of his famous stories. As for Beady Walker,we have no dates,places or wife’s names. Jonathan could be a son or grandson or further back to Beady. My grandmother practiced folk or mountain medicine. She was called on when they could not get a doctor. She taught me much of it. She was a midwife. She used all kinds of folk remedies. I knew her sisters and they all talked very quaint,like mountain people did. They were born in Pike Co. She had lots of superstisions,old sayings,planted by the moon,etc. I also knew her aunt,Jonathan’s grandaughter,and have a picture of my g grandmother,her sister. If they did not look Indian,neither did Tonto. My gg aunt looked and acted so like one. I still have pictures of her.

Anyway, can anyone please help me? I know that I am searching for an Indian in a haystack,but I know that he is there! I had hoped that I would be able to solve this mystery and prove grannie’s story before my mother and her sister died,but I did not make it. They both died within 12 days of each other one year ago,the last of my grandmother’s children. As I said,I have proven all of grannies other family stories,so I do think that it was true. It may have been a bit changed down threw the generations,but not by her. She did say that Beady was an Indian chief,but I did not put much credence in that part as I figured that it was embelished down through time. IF one has an Indian in there heritage,they want him to be a chief! But too many factors do add up in the puzzle to the fact that the Walkers were Indian,and I really do think that it all points to your Blackfoot Cherokee or another like the Melungeon. I am also trying to learn about my husband’sw family,but that will be a separate posting. This story is my passion. I just have to find Jonathan’s pedigree! Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?

Thanks so much,Judy