CHICKASAW LETTERS -- 1849

W. C. Larabee to member of Chickasaw Delegation -- 13 MAR 1849:

My dear Sir,

Your letter of Feb 17th, saying that the Chickasaw Delegation have authorized the payment of the expenses of Hiram R. Pitchlynn, and requesting me to forward an account of his expenses up to 1st June to the Department, is received, and in answer I have to say; that on the 1st day of June next young Pitchlynn will have been a student at this Institution one year and nine months; that on the first year ending the first day of July last, he had no special provisions made for him, but supposed that the Chickasaw Nation would meet his expenses, and if not, he thought he could meet them from his own resources, and on this expectation his personal friends gave him credit on his bills; that in June last he accompanied me on a visit to the east, and had an interview in my presence with the Chickasaw Delegation then in Washington; that then and there it was agreed that he should be supported during the time he was pursuing his studies by the Chickasaw nation; that the allowance for Board, education, books, clothing, and all incidentals should be $300 per anum; and that that sum should be allowed to pay up his expenses for the year then past.

I thought then, and still think this sum not at all too high, as young Pitchlynn is a grown up man, of highly cultivated mind, taste, a finished gentleman, moving in the best society. He is prudent and economical in all his habits, but requires, to support himself in the society in which he moves, as much as any young man, of whatever rank, in this country. He is a fine scholar, of excellent morals and on the whole, one of the noblest specimons of humanity.

According to the estimate then and there made, I being one of his teachers, and greatly admiring his character, agreed to assume the payment of his bills for the year just past; and take him into my own family, and furnish him, as I would one of my own children, his expenses at $300 per annum. He belongs to the royal family of the Chickasaws, and they feel proud of him.

It will appear therefore that the whole expenses from the time he came here up to 1st of April next will be $525. If however objection be made to including the expenses of the first year, and the time only be reconed since the aforementioned interview with the delegation, then from July last to April next it will be $225. If this arrangement of fixing the gross amount be not satisfactory to the Department, and it be necessary to keep a detailed account of all expenses, then I will in future adopt that course. If it be necessary to do it for the past, I will do the best I can towards gathering up the details. But I am satisfied the course adopted agreeing on a definite amount per annum, is more convient for all concerned.

I, Sir, am willing to make arangements satifactory to the department. I have assumed his expenses thus far, out of motives of pure regard and benevolence to the young man, whom I esteem as highly as any young man, with whom I have ever had the pleasure of an acquaintance. My name is probably not known to you, but that you may have no doubts of my fairness and candor in representing the case, I will say that I hold the place of Professor of Mathmatics in this Institution, and I feel at liberty to refer you to either of the Indiana Senators in Congress, to General Car, W.J. Brown, W.W. Wick, R.W. Thompson, and Rev. Henry Shaw, all of whom know me personally.

If any thing more be necessary for me to do, please inform me.

Yours Respectfully
W. C. Larrabee

A.M.M. Upshaw to Wm. Medill, 28 MAR 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

March 28th 1849

Honl

Wm Medill

Com of Ind Affairs

Sir

This will be handed you by my Young friends A. V. Brown, Holmes Colbert and Benjamin McLaughlin they are three of the seven boys that were selected by the Council to go to School at the North. You Sir will find them very interesting young men and anxious to get a good education, two of them were at Col. Johnsons School about two years, and they as you will perceive made good use of their time.

A. V. Brown could not speak our language when he went there; I am satisfied that you will put these young men at good schools, and I am as well satisfied that they will improve and be great advantages to their people. Your kind attention to these young men will be thankfully acknowledged by me.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st
A.M.M. Upshaw CA

Hon

Wm Medill

Coms

W. C. Larrabee to ?, 31 MAR 1849:

My Dear Sir

In accordance with your directions in your letter of March 21st, I have the honor of enclosing the account of Hiram R. Pitchlynn from Sept 1st 1848 to April 1st 1849.

The following explanation may be useful --

1st The Bill for Board is made out somewhat lower that the present price you will see by the catalogue, which I send you, that at the time of its publication Board was furnished in this village as a price not exceeding $1.75 per week. It has since been raised to $2. But I have made out my bill according to the price on the 1st September last.

A fair allowance for Board including wood, room, funiture, lights, washing, and all necessary attention would be about $2.50 per week or $130 per annum. The charge for Tuition and Janitor fee is for the present year $20.25, but next year it will be $27 as Mr. Pitchlynn will enter the regular Freshman Class in which the tuition is $24 per annum.

The whole allowance therefore on Board, room rent, furniture, wood, washing, lights, Janitor fee and Tuition should be from $150 to $157 per annum.

As to the bill of Messrs Crow, I have to say that at first on looking at the bill thought the charges too high, but on inquiry, I found the articles were of the best quality. It is proper to say that young Pitchlynn is understood to possess a handsome fortune of his own -- that he is of lawful age -- that he has always made his own purchases, and that he always purchases the best article in the market. The Chickasaw delegation made the appropriation as a matter of honor, not of necessity. Whatever the apprpriation fails of meeting his expenses or past expenses he will pay up out of his own fortune.

The voucher for tuition and janitor is in the only form in which I can obtain it. The faculty cannot admit a student to recitation until the certificate of the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, herein enclosed, as evidence that the bills are paid for the term, is produced.

I have now communicated I believe all the facts bearing on the case. The Department may be assured that I act only as Agent for Pitchlynn, having no personal interest in the matter, except that he boards at my family, at the same price others pay me, and if any thing in the bill be not allowed by the department he will pay it himself.

Yours Respectfully

W. C. Larrabee

A.M.M. Upshaw to Wm. Medill, 1 APR 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

April 1st 1849

Sir

You will please find herewith enclosed the accounts of Cols. James McLaughlin, James Gamble, Isaac Alberson, Maj. Pitman Colbert, Davis James, Ship pow wa, Edmund Pickens and John McGilvery, for services rendered their Nation as delegates to Washington City in the Summer of 1848. The accounts have been examined by the Chickasaws and they have requested them to be paid.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw

U.S. Agent for the Chickasaws

Honl

Wm Midell

Comer of Ind Affairs

A.M.M. Upshaw to [Wm. Medill?], 2 April 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

April 2nd 1849

Sir you will please find an account of George Colbert (decd) presented by his heirs for $738.00 [$938.00?] being the amount that was paid T. C. McMackin for board at Pontotoc while attending to business for the Nation.

The payment of which is requested by the Chickasaw Authorities.

Very respectfully

yr mos ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw

U.S. Agent for the Chickasaws

A.M.M. Upshaw to Wm. Medill, 10 APR 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

April 10th 1849

Sir

Here with enclosed you will find a letter endorsing a draft from the Hon Wm. Selden Tresy U.S. of $30, infavour of Malcomb McGee, which I return to you. Mr. McGee died before the draft reached the Country. His heir and only child Mrs. Jane Guy went to Mississippi and brought her father out to this Country in the Spring of 1848, he was near a hundred years old. Mrs. Guy is entitled to the thirty dollars for bring her Father out. Therefore you will please have a draft for the same amount sent to her.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c

A.M.M. Upshaw CA

Hon

Wm Midell

Com of Ind Affairs

A.M.M. Upshaw to Wm. Medill, 1 JUN 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

June 1st 1849

Sir

I received your letter dated March 25th with a (copy) of a letter dated March 6th/49 from the Honl Jacob Thompson M. G., from Miss, to you relative to books & papers belonging to the Chickasaw Agency, that are now in the hands of the Executor of Mr. A. Barton (decd) who was the Executor of Col. Benj Reynolds (decd). Which Mr. Thompson says are of great importance to the Government & the Chickasaws.

I will observe that about the first of April 1839, I called on Col. Reynolds, late agent for the Chickasaws, for all the necessary books and papers of the Chickasaw Agency; On the 3rd of April he (Reynolds) turned over to me one Book containing all the Names of the Chickasaws at that time enrolled that were entitled to reservations under the 5th art. of the treaty of the 24th May 1834, Showing how many Sections each family were entitled to, to whom each Sect had been sold, the Amt that each Sec sold for, and the date of the passage of the deed by the Agent. It also showed the names of the Incompetent Indians under the said 5th art, the number of Sections each family was entitled to, the amount paid for each section, the amount the Incompetent Indian received and the amount that was deposited with the Government for them, and to whom the land was sold. On the 5th day of Apl/39 he (Reynolds) turned over to me a book containing the names of all Chickasaws, at that time enrolled who was entitled to land under the 6th art of said Treaty, each person was entitled to one Section. This book shows who purchased the land, the amt paid for it, and the date of the passage of the deed. It also shows all the Incompetent Indians under the 6th art, who purchased their lands, the amt paid for it, the amt paid the Incompetent Indian at the time, and the amt deposited with the Government for his or her benefit. --- On the 3rd of Apl/39 he (Reynolds) turned over to me a book containing the names of all the Orphans, that had been given into him by the Chiefs, as entitled to land under the treaty and their locations, and the amt their lands had been sold for up to that date, the names of the the purchasers are not put down in this book.

From the above statement you will discover that all the lands that were located for the Indians, the amt they sold for, and to whom they were sold, I have in my office.

The amount of money that was left in the hands of Col. Reynolds by the Competent Indians, I have no means of ascertaining, he gave them a due bill for the amt, payable to them or their heirs only. I have heard that a large Majority of these due bills was put into the hands of Maj. Wm. Armstrong, late Act Supt. West, for collection. They were put in his hands before I was Agent, and what has been done with them I know not, nor have I ever been able to find out from him or any one else.

I have been of the opinion that the old books that Col. Reynolds retained, were of no importance either to the Government or the Chickasaws. But as the Chickasaws now think them of great importance, I would earnestly recommend that they be brought over to this Country; I know of no man who would attend to that business with more promptness & fidelity than the Honl Jacob Thompson M.G., from Miss. Therefore I would recommend that he be appointed to receive them and forward them to the Chickasaw Agency West of Arkansas.

I would have answered your letter sooner (on this Subject) but I was expecting one from Mr. Thompson. When I received his, I was so ill that I could not attend to any business. I enclose a copy of Mr. Thompsons letter to me here with.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw Agent

for the Chickasaws

Honl

Wm Medill

Comr of Ind Affairs

A.M.M. Upshaw to O. Brown, 5 JUL 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

July 5th 1849

Sir

It is a source of regret & sorrow that I have to inform you of the Death of Col. Benjamin Love the U.S. Interpreter for the Chickasaws, he was killed on the 3rd day of this Month, he has left a vacancy in the Nation that cannot be filled, he was the Most Talented Man in the Nation, he understood and knew how business ought to be done. It is not known who killed him, but every exertion is makeing to find out the Murderer.

On the 4th I appointed Col. James McLaughlin United States Interpreter and swore him in as such, which I am in hopes will be approved by you, he was the late Chief of the Nation, and was one of the Delegates to Washington last Summer.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw

U.S. Agent for the Chickasaws

Honl

O. Brown

Comr of Ind Affairs

Sampson McLaughlin, et al, to Wm. Medill, 17 JUL 1849:

Plainfield Ct July 17th 1849

Hon. W. Medill. Dear Sir,

Having heard through our friend the Rev. Dr. Bond, that you Sir would like to hear from us, we are happy to have an opportunity to say to you that since we came to this place, we have made good progress in spelling, reading, and writing and have attended a little to Arithmetic and some other studies. When we came to this part of the country, we could neither read nor write, and only two or three of us could speak any English and that very poorly. We have read and studied the following Books principally viz; Webster's Spelling Book, which we have been through with once, reading and studying it very thoroughly and spelling it very correctly. We are now quite advanced in the review of it. We have read thoroughly Nos. 1 and 2 of Sander's School Readers, and are now reading No. 3 of the same series. We are in School six hours a day, from 9 O'clock A.M. till 12 and from 1 till 4 o'clock P.M. We also study two or three hours a day out of school. We read in the Testament during the week and meet our Teacher in class every Sabbath, to read and study the Scriptures. We attend Church regularly two or three times each Sabbath.

Plainfield is a very pleasant village: one of the pleasantest of New England. The principal street, is a fine wide street with pretty grass walks on each side; and almost the whole width of the street is shaded with two fine rows of stately Elms and other trees. The Academy Building, a handsome and noble looking Edifice, is pleasantly situated on a beautiful little hill; From this hill, we have a fine prospect of the surrounding country, for miles in every direction, and a view of several handsome villages with their Churches.

We like our teachers very much indeed. They take much interest in teaching us, in giving us all the instruction we need, and are very faithful in their labors for us, in their care over us, and advice to us. We feel under much obligation to them. We are much attached to them, as they are to us.

The families in which we board are very kind and attentive to us, and very accomidationg. Our wants are well provided for, in respect to our food, clothing, and other things necessary to our health and comfort. The people are all very kind and pleasant to us, and manifest much interest in our welfare and improvement.

Dr. Bond takes great interest in us, and is very kind to us. He visits us often; examins us in our studies, and gives us good advice. He sends us our clothing, and furnishes us with what other things we need.

He is very kind and attentive to us, and does much for us, and we feel much obligation and attachment to him; We have been much pleased and interested in having friends from our nation visit us at different times. It has given us much happiness and gratification to see them, and to talk with them and it has encouraged us much. We feel happy and contented with our situation, and under great obligation to our friends, for the opportunity we have to improve our minds and get a good education, which we think is worth much more than silver or gold. And we thank you, Sir, very kindly for all the interest you have taken in our education and welfare; and we should be very happy indeed to have you come this summer and visit us, and hope you may find in convient to do so. We hope that after two or three years, we may be permitted to go home well, and be qualified to be useful to our nation and friends.

Hon W. Medill,

Dear Sir,

The within letter of the Chickasaw Boys under my care as Pupils, gives a very correct account of their situation here with us, and of their progress and state of advancement in their studies, Their correct conduct and studies habits, both in school and out, and their general improvement is such as to be very gratifying and encouraging to all their friends.

Please excuse these few lines and believe me, Sir,

Your Most Obt Servt
Nathaniel Hudson

A.M.M. Upshaw to Orlando Brown, 20 JUL 1849:


Chickasaw Agency

July 20 th 1849

Sir

You will find herewith enclosed the Testemony of the heirship of Mrs. Jane Guy, of Malcom McGee (decd), a draft for thirty dollars sent to Mr. McGee for his emigrating, but he was dead when I received the draft. I returned it to the Honl Comr of Ind Affairs, with the request that he would send a draft in favor of Mrs. Jane Guy his daughter, the Comr wanted proof of her heirship. You will see that she is entitled to Subsesting her Father for ninteen months after his arrival in the Nation.

Ninteen Months is the time that all the Chickasaws have received rations after emigrating to the Country.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw

U.S.Agent for Chickasaws

Honl

O. Brown

Comr of Ind Affairs

A.M.M. Upshaw to O. Brown, 25 JUL 1849:

Chickasaw Agency

July 25th 1849

Sir

I herewith return the accounts of James McLaughlin, James Gamble, Pitman Colbert, Edmund Pickens, Sha paw way, Isaac Alberson, Davis James & John McGilvery, for payment, you will observe that they have been witnessed by Mr. Cyrus Harris, and James T. Gaines and I also saw them signed, all done in Council.

I will respectfully refer you to the letter of Honl William Midill dated 19th May 1849 to me in reference to the above claims.

It is the wish of the claiments that a separate draft to each be sent, you can enclose them all to my care. Their reason for wishing separate drafts, it that they cash them in this Country, a large one cannot be, only at particular times.

I am also requested to solicit your earliest attention to this business.

Very respectfully

yr mo ob st &c
A.M.M. Upshaw

U.S. Agent for the

Chickasaws

Honl

O. Brown

Comr of Ind Affairs

Edmund Pickens & Robert W. Nail to Thomas Ewing, 18 AUG 1849:

Fort Washita C.N.

August 18, 1849

Hon. Thos. Ewing Secretary of Interior

Dear Sir We would most respectfully inform you that we have got into difficulties from which it seems almost impossible to extricate ourselves; and in the absence of any one to direct us in matters of importance, we have thought that it would be wise, and we hope not improper to avail ourselves of your superior wisdom and experience in matters which involve the welfare of our people. Our ingnorance of the principles of law, and the high position you occupy as a statesman, we hope will be a sufficent excuse for our asking your advice in this hour of trial.

You perhaps have heard of the assassination of Benjamin Love, a very prominent man of this tribe by a Shawnee, whom we now have in custody at Fort Washita. He acknowledges his guilt, and also implicates two Chickasaws by whom he says he was hired to commit the murder. While we are satisfied of the guilt of the prisoner, the many conflicting statements made by him concerning his accomplices, if he had any, constrains us to doubt whether or no he is endevoring to secure the punishment of innocent men. Thus the matter stands, after a thorough investigation. Now we desire to deal out justice to all parties. We believe the Shawnee is guilty -- no one pretends to deny that and justice demands that he should be punished; but the Creek nation interfers, and says if we punish him, we must also punish those whom he has implicated, or war will be the consequence; but if we punish those who he implicates, difficulties will certainly arise among the Chickasaws and scenes will be enacted which it is painful to contemplate -- a system of assination, discord and bloodshed will be carried on for the next five years to come, and what we wish you to decide is, whether we should permit crime to go unpunished, or punish men who can establish their innocence beyond a doubt and thereby inflict a wound in our own nation which it will require years to heel, in order to keep at peace with a neighboring nation. This is a subject on which we desire to be enlightened by your superior wisdom. We appeal to you because we know no other source. We have an Agent here it is true, but we might as well have none at all for he is no use to us so far from it, he is a burden upon the shoulders of our people. We have appealed to him in this as well as other instances, but he will give us no advice, and the disregard he evinces on all occasions for the welfare of our people contrains to the belief that he is not our true firend.

The man before alluded to as the murderer of Mr. Love, is one who should not be permitted to run at large, as he confesses assassination to be his trade -- the means by which he supports himself, and if he goes unpunished, others of our people may share the same fate of Mr. Love.

John Drennen to Orlando Brown, 5 SEP 1849:

Choctaw Agency

Sept. 5th, 1849

Sir,

I have the honor to enclose, for your advice and instruction, a communication received from the Chief of the Chickasaw District of the Choctaw Nation. A part of the statement is no doubt rather highly colored so far as it respects the Creek Nation. That some individual Creeks might have made the remarks attributed to the Creek Nation is not at all improbable but that the Creeks, in any thing like a national capacity should interfere is highly improbable.

It however seems to me that there should be some international arrangement in regard to such cases as the present. The punishment of the individual of one Tribe for an offence committed against another, by the party so injured, is likely to cause dissatisfaction and might lead to serious difficulty.

In order to obviate this; some tribunal should be established in the Indian Country to try such cases or the parties should be caused to appear before the Court of the United States in that District to which the particular portion of the Indian Country was attached, in which the offence was committed. I mean in criminal cases. This system would prevent any unfriendly feelings from arising between different Tribes in such cases.

Whilst I consider it right and proper that the Shawnee, who murdered Mr. Love, should be punished according to the laws of the Country in which the offence was committed, yet in order to have a proper precident established in such cases for future action, I thought it adviseable to refer the matter through you to the Department of the Interior, for instruction.

Your early attention to this matter is most respectfully requested, in order that it may be satifactorily adjusted.

Very Respectfully

Your Obt. Servt.
John Drennen

Acting Supt. W.T.

Orlando Brown Esqr

Commr. Ind. Affrs

Washington City

Edmund Pickens & Robert W. Nail to John Drennen, 18 AUG 1849:

[Copy of the letter enclosed in the above.]

(Copy)

Fort Washita C.N.

August 18th 1849

Dear Sir,

The trial of the Murderer of Benjamin Love has surrounded us with difficulties of a very serious character; difficulties from which it is impossable to extricate ourselves witout some assistance, and we have thought proper in the absence of any one to advise us in matters of importance, to lay the case before you, and ask you how we should proceed. In the midst of the confusion which surrounds us, we appealed to our Agent for advice but in this, as in all other cases when the interests of our people are involved we were turned away without any relief, and for a moment forgetting that you were the proper person to appeal to in our affliction we addressed a letter to the Hol. Mr. Ewing of Washington City but notwithstanding that, on reflection, we have thought that we had better address you also on this important subject as you will be able to afford us more speedy relief.

The murderer of Mr. Love is a Shawnee whom we now have in custody at Fort Washita. He acknowledges his guilt, of which there remains no doubt whatever, and also says that he was hired by two Chickasaws to commit the murder. While we are satisfied of the guilt of the prisoner, we are constrained, after a thorough investigation of the matter to look upon those he implicates as innocent men. They are not only able to prove their innocence by other evidence, but his own conflicting statements concerning them go a great way towards establishing it. Now as we said before there is no doubt of the guilt of the prisoner and we believe that justice and the safety of society demands that he should be punished, but the Creek Nation have interfered in his behalf and say if we punish him (the Shawnee) we must also punish those Chickasaws, whom he implicates or war will be the consequence.

Here is the difficulty. These men can not only prove their innocence, which must forever prevent us from punishing them, but such a step would be productive of results truely alarming to us and disturbing to the whole nation. A system of assassination and blood shed would distract our people for five years to come, were we to punish those men without satisfactory evidence of their guilt.

The Shawnee bodly avows assassination to be his trade and we fear if he is permitted to run at large many others of our people will share the same fate of Mr. Love.

This is a brief statement of all the facts of the case and any information or advice from you would not only greatly relieve us but would be grateflly received. We would not tax you with this matter but we have no other altrernative. Our civil authorities called upon our Agent, it is true, for advice, but he informed them that he had nothing to do with it and knew nothing about it.

An immediate answer from you will be thankfully received.

We are respectfully

friends & obt. Servnts.
Edmund Pickins his X mark  

Chief Chickasaw District

Robert W. Nail

District Attorney

Col. John Drennen

Acting Supt. W.T.

Choctaw Agency

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