Chickasaw Chief & Headmen to Capt.
Wm. Armstrong, 1 FEB 1838:
Choctaw Agency
1st Feby 1838
The undersigned Chiefs and head men of the Chickasaw Nation in
behalf of their people do hereby request you to employ for us
two Blacksmiths and purchase tools, iron and steel, sufficient
for the shops. We are now about settling down at our new homes
and making preparations for putting in our crops, this we cannot
do without we have Blacksmiths to do our work when we shall be
settled down. We shall want for them Mechanical aid, at present
however we only want Blacksmiths. You know our wants so well that
we it unecessary to say any thing more than to request you to
have employed for us two Blacksmiths, with Iron and Steel. As
our people will settle mainly on Boggy and Blue, we want on shop
located somewhere there, convient to the great body of our people,
the other shop we want placed near the Canadian for the party
that will settle there.
Your Friend & Brother,
Isaac Albertson his X mark
James Colbert
James Wolf
Il lup pam bee his X mark
Ish te io ka tub bee his X mark
Im ma ho ba tub bee his X mark
To Im muk losh ho pia his X mark
Ion ish kish ka his X mark
A ba me hub bee his X mark
To pul ka his X mark
Capt Wm Armstrong
Act Supt West Terry
(T. L.?) Pennybecker to ?, 22 MAR 1838:
Washington City, March the 22d 1838
Dear Sir,
The petition of John L. Allen, a citizen of Lowndes County
& State of Mississippi is before the Committee on Indian Affairs
& I am instructed by that Committee to obtain some information
from you pertinent in relation thereto.
The petition states that in January 1831 John Walker &
Marshall Goodman merchants & partners, brought within
the Chickasaw Nation certain goods, wares & merchandise &
were then & there traficking & trading with the natives
of said nation without any license to do so, in violation of the
treaty of the 20th of Septr 1816 between the United States &
said tribe of Indians; that the petitioner was the sub-agent of
the said tribe of Indians & as such was then & there in
discharging the duties of the principal agent; that information
was made to him by Tishomingo, one of the chiefs of said
nation, of the said alleged traficking & trading, & that
the chiefs & natives of said nation had seized & took
into their possession the said goods & merchandize as forfited
to the U. S. & Chickasaw nation; that the petitioner ordered
the same to be disposed of as the treaty required; that he duly
reported the same to the Department of War; that the Hon. John
H. Eaton Secretary of War approved of his course; that the
petitioner & Tishomingo were sued in an action of tresspass
by said Walker & Goodman & recovery was
had against them for a certain sum with costs; that in consequence
of the approval of Mr Eaton of the course of the petitioner,
the petitioner had drawn a draft upon Mr Cass, Secretary
of War for the amount of said judgment; that the draft was not
accepted or paid, but was protested for non payment &c, concluding
with a prayer for indemnity for his official act. Now the Committee
wish to know if it any where appears that the course of the petitioner
in regard to said goods was reported to the Department; that the
Secretary of War approved of the course of the petitioner; that
the draft was drawn, & that it was not accepted or paid &c.
Yours
(J. L.?) Pennybecker
Capt Wm. Armstrong to C.A. Harris, 29
JUN 1838:
Choctaw Agency West
June 29 1838
C. A. Harris Esq.
Commr Ind Affairs
Sir
The first party of Chickasaws that come on here, arrived the last
of July 1837 and a portion of the same party that divided at Little
Rock and went on to Red River, reached the Choctaw Nation near
Col Folsoms the last of August. These people have made very little
indeed some of them nothing to live on, and the same may be said
of the whole nation. Some have planted corn, while others the
poorer class have done nothing. I have not since my return seen
but one or two of the principal men of the nation, from what I
can learn I have no doubt the whole nation will petition for further
subsistance, with the great scarcity of provisions in the Choctaw
Nation, and the poor prospect of crops, owing as they say to the
small pox. I do not see how a larger portion of the emigrants
are to get on without some assistance. Should the Department determine
to extend relief, a shorter period than a year might do. A large
portion of the Chickasaws are disposed to be idle, and if gratified
in their wishes would expend every dollar they had. I have thought
it proper to make the above statement that the Department may
extend further relief, should they deem it proper. A number of
the Chickasaws have called on me, to know when they will be paid
the money due them for their lands. I have informed them that
the money was invested and they would be paid the interest, this
will be an exciting question and from the symtoms already exhibited
one that cannot be carried out. I have no idea but the Chiefs
will insist upon the whole amount being paid. I shall postpone
it as long as possible, but finally they will listen to nothing
but the moneys being paid. With the large amount of money that
will be paid the Chickasaws arrising from the interest on their
national fund debt, It certainly would be sound policy to keep
invested as much as possible, it is a waste of money to pay such
large sums to indians. And I still think as I informed you in
Washington that if one hundred thousand dollars was promised to
be paid the Chickasaws with the interest each year that the remainder
of the money due the incompetant indians could be retained on
interest. In this I may be mistaken, for I should not only have
the indians to contend with and convince them that it would be
for their benefit to receive the interest only, but I should have
the trading community to contend with that always have power in
the indian country and especially when combined as will be the
case in this instance.
Respectfully
Yr. Mo. Obt. Servt.
Wm. Armstrong
Act Supt W. T.
David Hubbard to C. Harris, 2 AUG 1838:
319 Chesnut at Phila.
Phila, 2d August 1838
Honl. C. Harris
Comr. Indain Affairs
Dear Sir
I have a small request to make of you which (if you can comply
with) will greatly oblige me. (It is this.) In the treaty with
the chickasaws, one mile square was reserved from sale for a land
office upon which no white man could settle unless some way connected
with the Indian Department. This granted also to Majr J. L.
Allen the former agent the right to keep a Tavern thereon.
Allen put up a range of buildings for a Tavern & permitted
me to build near him to Board at his Tavern he being unable to
procure buildings for his Boarders. He moved and Transfered his
Tavern house to a man named James, who has abandoned the
place and settles in Pontotoc half a mile distant, every other
person who built around the Tavern has left it. & none reside
on the section except the Land officers. I expect to take
my family out there shortly. & want to reside in my house
and occupy the ground. I had under Allen & afterwards
under James his assignee with my stables & yard not
all exceeding one acre out of 640.
I will tresspass on no one whatever & do no injury to the
property of the Indians for when the land office is closed according
to the Treaty my residence will fall to them with whatever improvements
I may put up for family comfort. I wish leave to go upon my lot
& improvement without hindrance from the Register & Receiver
should they make any objection which I have no Idea they will
do except from apprehension that they might be censured by your
Department for permitting me to remain. The Indian Chiefs are
more than content for me to do so. I have rendered the Nation
many gratuetory & important professional services gratuetously
& they spoke of making me a present of a lot whenever the
section was approved of.
If you could authorise me to Remain, or if inconsistent with the
duties of a private citizen procure me an appointment to examine
the Land Office Registers Receivers & Surveyors of the Indian
District, this would connect me with the Department so as to enable
me to stay on the section as well as the two or three other families
connected with the office. I dont want any compensation for trouble
in Examination of Offices.
You now have my views and wishes & could you further them
I shall feel much obliged. I have a large family of children &
dont want to be forced into the midst of a country village on
a small 1/2 acre lot.
Yours truly
David Hubbard
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