Lt Col Robt C Parks was clearly angry that Adair was appointed colonel of the 2nd Cherokee. Upon Adair's appointment Parks wrote, "William Penn a good clever lawyer and an excellent judge of good whiskey to whom the loss of our old trains were attributed" (apparently referring to Locust Grove).

In the Slave Naratives is an interview of Chaney McNair who was a slave owned by Adair in which she says"

When the war came on there's lots of fightin'. They broke up pretty much, this country. The North they got in power, you know how it is in a war. I'se nine or ten years old then. The Northern soldiers came and took Marster Williams prisoner and all us slaves up to Fort Scott, Kansas. I remember it. They come to the house one day and say, "You all get ready to go north." It was June in 1862. They take us in wagons and on horseback. They went to different plantations and take as many slaves as they could get. They did a lot of robbin' too; took an awful lot of stock. I can't remember going hungry on the trip, but we had an awful time gettin' water. Sometimes we drink muddy water out of the creeks. Don't know how long it took us, see I'se just a little girl, but I do remember how tired I got and sleepin' under a wagon at night. I didn't know what it's all about.

Marster William was kept prisoner up there a while and then paroled. He came on back to the territory and was a colonel in Stand Watie's regiment. I've heard tell that he made a wonderful speech. Marster William, he was smart man.