From the time of their removal from the southeastern United States to Indian Territory, members of the Creek Nation had been bitterly divided over many issues. As with other tribes who were moved to Indian Territory, some Creeks had favored emigration while others had opposed it vigorously. Once settled in Indian Territory, the conflict among Creek factions continued into the Civil War with the loyalties of tribal members split between the Union and the Confederacy.

The Creek Nation wrote a new constitution following the Civil War and worked to rebuild after the devastation of that conflict. But factions still existed within the tribe and elections for principal chief were often bitterly fought contests.

Three loosely organized political parties functioned in the 1880s. They were the Muscogee party led by James Perryman, the Loyal party led by Isparhecher and the Pin party led by Sam Checote. Party differences often led to armed resistance from those not in power in the Creek government.

In 1882, Isparhecher was serving as a judge of the Okmulgee District, and Sam Checote was principal chief. The Pin party made up most of the Creek legislature as well. Accused of “sedition” by the legislature, Isparhecher was impeached and removed from office.

Embarrassed and outraged, Isparhecher gathered about 350 Loyal followers and set up a camp near Nuyaka. He established a quasi-government, declared himself chief, and established a lighthorse military division, issuing arms and munitions.

Pleasant Porter, who had been representing the Creek Nation in Washington, was called home to help quell this disturbance. Porter had military experience and had served as commander of the Creek Lighthorsemen at one time.

Porter gathered a force of 700 men and succeeded in driving Isparhecher’s men out of the Creek Nation westward into the Sac and Fox Nation. While little actual fighting took place during this event, it was referred to as the Green Peach War because it took place while the peaches were still green in the orchards of the Creek Nation.

Having no authority to pursue Isparhecher’s men outside the Creek Nation, Porter turned the matter over to the U.S. military. Four units of the Ninth Cavalry, an African-American division, were dispatched from Forts Sill and Reno, and Isparhecher’s men were captured and taken to Fort Gibson.

Gen. Clinton Fisk, who ran for President in 1884, was serving as head of the Board of Indian Commissioners at this time. He came to Muskogee to negotiate a peace treaty between the Isparhecher and Checote parties. Arriving late in the week, he issued a summons to all concerned parties to be present on Monday morning for a conference to iron out differences among the tribe.

On Monday, everyone was present but Sam Checote. To Gen. Fisk’s annoyance, the chief did not arrive until Tuesday morning. He explained that he did not receive the summons to the conference until late Saturday evening. Being a Christian and an ordained Methodist minister, he chose not to break the Sabbath by traveling on Sunday. Therefore he could not get to Muskogee until Tuesday. Gen. Fisk “thanked him and stated he would be careful never again to call a meeting that would require travel on Sunday.”

It took a week for all of the parties to express their grievances and come to an agreement for ending the conflict. A treaty was signed, and a service to commemorate the event was held at the Rock Church in Muskogee. Thus, the Green Peach War quietly came to an end.