Examining the First Draft of the Choctaw Freedmen Dawes Roll

Early Roster of Choctaw Freedman Roll

This early roster represents the hand written copy made before the Final Roll was Compiled.

Those who use the Dawes Records often see references on the Enrollment cards that the enrollees' names appeared on earlier rolls. However, one does not always see the names of the Final Dawes enrollees on the first draft copy from which the Final Rolls were made. It is worth exploring such documents to learn more about the family and when they enrolled in in some cases with whom they went to the Dawes Commission.

Before the final roll was compiled, a hand-written copy of the roll was made. These were entries made in ledgers of those Freedmen applicants who had been approved to have their names placed on the final rolls. And interestingly, in some cases the names appeared on the Final Roll in exactly the same sequence as they appeared on the First Draft.

The following example can be noted. Polly Ann Eliza Miller, and Davis Frazier both young people, appeared on Choctaw Freedman Cards 670 and 671 respectively.

National Archives Publication M1186

Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes Reel 51

Choctaw Nation, Choctaw Freedman Card Nos.670 and 671

Both were born well after slavery had ended in the Choctaw Nation, so no slaveholder is listed on their cards. However, the parental data reflects who their parents were, and who the Indian slave owner of their parents were. See reverse side below:

Reverse side of Freedmen Cards, reflecting parents and slaveholders of parents

(National Archives Publication M1186

Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes Reel 51

Choctaw Nation, Choctaw Freedman Card Nos.670 and 671)

Polly's parents were Jackson Crow and Jane Crow. Davis's parents were Silas and Indiana Frazier. 

Jackson Crow, Polly's father, was a slave of Choctaw Nail Perry. Davis Frazier's father was not a slave, but was a Choctaw Indian named Silas Frazier. Davis Frazier's mother was Indiana Frazier and she was a slave of Sophia Perry.* 

The two have cards that are close in number and although at first glance they might appear to be unrelated family history indicated that they were in actuality cousins. Nail Perry was the patriarch of the Perry clan that lived in Sugar Loaf, County of the Choctaw Nation, and he was also a witness in each case involving the slaves held by the Perry family. Nail Perry was the son and Hardy and Sophia Perry. 

Both Polly and Davis, not only had enrollment cards close in number, they were listed on the hand roster together as well.

On the First Draft of the Freedmen Roll, Polly Miller and Davis Frazier were actually listed together

Both had been interviewed on the same day and it is known  by family that they were part of the same family clan (Perry's, Fraziers and Waltons) There is also the likelihood that the two of them went to the Commission at the same time. Both had, in fact had their names put on their enrollment cards on the same date, June 6, 1899.

The value of looking at the earliest document that eventually led to the creation of the Final Rolls can she light on the enrollment process, and even give a glimpse into the movement of the officials of the Dawes Commission. One can also learn when the Dawes Commissioners visited the various communities, throughout the Territory.

My gr. grandparents were on Choctaw Freedmen Card No. 777

(National Archives Publication M1186

Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes 

Choctaw Nation, Choctaw Freedman Card No. 777)

I was pleased to also find them on the original First Draft Copy of the Choctaw Freedman Roll:

The same Walton family appeared also on the first draft of the Freedman Roll

The early draft is also useful, as they occasionally contain notes about the family or in some cases the slave holder and their estate. In the image above there is a reference to J.D. Davis and his heirs. On the official Enrollment Card, the slaveholder is simply listed as Jim Davis. This small difference might provide a small clue to another record set that may hold data with further research.

Although the genealogical data presented on the First Draft Roster of the Freedman Roll, will rarely differ, it is still useful to see the names of the approved applicants on the that first draft roll. It would be this roll upon which subsequent decisions would also be made. 

As genealogists we must look for all possible resources, including early drafts of the Final Rolls.

* Sophia Perry was the mother to Nail Perry who would frequently vouch for the Waltons and the inter-related families.

"I have a dream that one day...the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

Angela Walton-Raji & Colin Kelley

A Choctaw Freedman Descendant  and an enrolled Choctaw who descends 

from the Choctaw slaveholder of her ancestors

(Source: Photo taken by Tonia Holleman in her home in western Arkansas)

I met the descendant of the Choctaw slaveholder of my ancestors in 2010. Two years ago, this month will mark the anniversary of my meeting with a man who found me. I received an email from a gentleman living in Oklahoma who saw my name in an historical journal.  His letter was brief and to the point. He was a descendant of Nail Perry.  

I was stunned. I knew that name--Nail Perry had contact with my ancestors--my ancestors who lived in the Choctaw Nation.  Same and Sallie Walton had lived in Indian Territory as slaves.  Sallie, my gr. grandmother was a person whom I knew in my lifetime, and I had loved her for she was the face of kindness, wisdom and love in my tender young years.  I was 9 years old when she passed and hers is a face that still smiles at me from the old photographs in my home.

 

Sallie Walton, Choctaw Freedman

Source: Personal Family Collection

But Nail Perry---this was different. I knew his name from family records. When I found the family file in the Dawes Records, his name appeared. He testified at the Dawes Commission interview on behalf of Sam and Sallie Walton, and he spoke about Sallie's mother being a slave in his family.

Partial Testimony of Nail Perry in front of Dawes Commission

National Archives Publication Number: M1301 Choctaw Freedman File No. 777

Nail Perry's name appeared in other family documents between the 1880s and 1900s. 

So back in 2009 when I received the email from Mr. Kelley. We exchanged emails and since that time, we have spoken several times.  And in 2010, while I was on a trip to western Arkansas, he drove to pick up another cousin and they both came to meet me.  Mr. Kelley arrived with documents, and we shared records, and talked.  Our meeting was a pleasant one, and we have a relationship that continues to this day. 

Meeting Nail Perry Descendant Colin Kelley

Photo taken by Tonia Holleman

I think about that meeting often, and I am especially appreciative because it was he who found me. There are many stories of African Americans who have met the descendants of slaveholders. This meeting however, was historic---it is probably one of the first meetings of a Native American slaveholder descendant who on his own initiative, reached out to one whose ancestors were enslaved in his family. We did meet, and yes, history was made on that day.

On this day that we honor a man who had a dream that such meetings were possible, I think that not only are such meetings possible, but so are so many more good things possible! I am so glad that Dr. King had a dream and  he expressed his dream to the world.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Two Sheets of Paper

Source: Personal Collection

As  child I would often look at the old plat map above and simply wonder what it was and why it was saved. It existed for decades between the pages of an old family bible, folded and carefully tucked in between the pages.  It was the only document that was in the family that actually had my gr. grandmother Sallie's name on it. Years later I would eventually come to appreciate this simple piece of paper and how it told a story.

My great grandmother Sallie Walton, was born in the Choctaw Nation in 1863 and she died in 1961 at the age of 98. Hers was a long life well lived. She left only a few things behind. There were a handful of photographs, an old family Bible and some hand made quilts. 

But the old family Bible held the most, for it left some clues about her history and her past both on the pages and also between the pages.  

Sallie Walton  1863-1961

The old plat map above was always found neatly folded between the pages in the old bible. And when I was a child I would often pull the Bible off the shelves, unfold it stare at the words "Choctaw Nation" stamped on it, and wonder what her early life was like.  

I would not realize for many years that this small plat map would be the only original piece of paper that we had with her name on it. So what could be learned from what she left behind? Well, there were clues--right there on that sheet. The sheet was a plat map, and it pertained to property. The document illustrated her ties to the land, and to the Choctaw Nation. 

Closer Image of Plat Map

The document also had her name written clearly on it:

The only document that bore Sallie's name was this old plat map

A second piece of paper, was also kept between the pages of the old Bible. This was a small sheet from a tiny table with the letters and numbers almost faded into the yellowed sheet would also hold information for me.

Small slip of paper with hand-written note also found in the family bible.

Source: Personal Collection

Written in pencil, and fading into the yellowed pages were a few words. Sallie's was name followed by a few numbers and a reference to someone's age, presumably hers. The name was barely legible, "Sallie Walton" followed by some numbers--3-9-4-8.  Or was it supposed to be 3-7-4-8?  It was hard to tell. But what did the numbers mean?  This would remain a mystery for three decades.

In 1991, on a trip to the National Archives, I began the search for my gr. grandmother's history.  There, within a set of records known as Dawes Records, I found a document with the family name. 

Dawes Card, Sam & Sallie Walton

Source: National Archive Publication M1186, Choctaw Freedman Card 777

(Document can also be found on Fold3 as Image:  260|225730220)

This document was an Enrollment Card made in application for a land allotment with the Dawes Commission. Sam and Sallie Walton made their application in 1899.  On that card much information is recorded, but upon examination of the card something was familiar:

The number 3748 was Sallie Walton's Dawes Roll Number

There was the number--3-7-4-8.  It was the number inscribed on the small piece of paper. The family's application was approved and that number was her official Dawes Roll number! That was an aha moment!!  Of course she never wanted to forget the number--it was the number that made her eligible for privileges as a citizen in the Choctaw Nation and most importantly, the number that also made her eligible for a land allotment.  

It all made sense--it was folded neatly in the family Bible, because it was important. The Bible had names and dates of her children, it contained information on her second marriage, it reflected the deaths of loved ones, and it also held her precious Dawes Roll number. 

So I began to study the documents. I always thought of the document reverently, because like a hand from another dimension, that red arrow on that plat map was the compass pointing to a part of the family's past. 

And on the bottom of that page, her name would appear. For many years, this was the only document that we ever  had with her name written upon it.

Bottom portion of plat map

Long after her death, these two pieces of paper held the keys that unlocked parts of  her past. I appreciated the fact that she kept them, even if decades later, she no longer held the land. I would frequently look at these documents and study them, and they would often be on my mind. It was finally these two pieces of paper that nudged me to see if I could document more of the family's history, and if these documents would lead me to something about our history. They did.

Something made my gr. grandmother Sallie hold on to those documents as if she wanted someday someone to know that she had a tie to the land and to the Nation and that this was a part of her life. I am so glad that she did.

By the time she died in 1961, Sallie no longer held the land, and she died in Arkansas. But she left behind the precious items that mattered. 

And as simple as a small piece of paper might be, these two pieces of paper opened doors to the family history.

Freedmen Neighborhood School Rosters, Choctaw Nation

Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit Salt Lake City to attend the 2006 AAHGS Conference. While in Salt Lake I was also able to take advantage of the Family History Center and to use some records that I do not have access to in Maryland.  

These were school records from the Choctaw Nation. My interest specifically was in possibly locating names of children who attended the Freedmen Neighborhood Schools. To my delight there were rosters of students from several schools. My interest was Skullyville County, a community where my gr. grandparents Sam and Sallie Walton lived.

I found five such schools. These schools were created specifically for children of the former slaves in the Choctaw Nation--the Choctaw Freedm

The schools were established after they had been officially adopted by the Choctaw Nation, into the tribe, in 1885. The nations had agreed to the adoption of the Freedmen after the Civil War and was one of the terms of the Treaty of 1866. After a good amount of resistance occurred initially and a lengthy discussion of funds (over $300,000 ) was allocated to the Choctaw and Chickasaws to be used for Freedmen matters.  After adoption took place, the question arose again as it had since emancipation---how can education be provided for these African-Choctaw children?

It was decided that neighborhood schools be established within the nation, to provide education for the children.  I was pleased to find several pages reflecting names of children, of teachers and of the superintendents of several schools among some of the records.

I was particularly happy to see the name of my grandfather---Samuel Walton Jr. on one of the school rosters as well!

The schools were Cedar Grove, Clarksville, Dog Creek, Ft. Coffee, and Opossum Creek Schools. The records are by no means complete as they do not reflect many consecutive years and they were not year-round records.  They are mere rosters--but yet they still tell a story of the children who were earnestly seeking to learn.  

The only community that still exists today is Ft.Coffee, Oklahoma an historically black town that was recently incorporated a few years ago as an official township in LeFlore County. Ft. Coffee lies in extreme eastern Oklahoma, not far from the Arkansas/Oklahoma border.  I am happy to share some of the rosters here.

The population in the Cedar Grove area was a diverse one where some of the children were citizens of the Chickasaw Nation and as well as Choctaw Nation. (A notation of the bottom of the roster indicated that some of the children attending Cedar Grove school with crossmarks near their names, were Chickasaw Freedmen.)

Near the top of the Cedar Grove Roster, the Boyd Children are Chickasaw Freedmen, 

indicated by the crossmarks near their names.

When the schools operated, each month the teacher and superintendent would prepare attendance rosters and submit them to the County offices of the Nation.These monthly school rosters were filed by the teacher and trustee, with the County Judge. The document above was filed with Ed Lanier, county judge of Skullyville County and also signed by him.

* * * * * *

Clarksville Neighborhood School was smaller in student enrollment. All of the children in this school were Choctaw Freedmen:

Staff of Clarksville Neighborhood School

Some of the descendants of Battese families are fully enrolled citizens of the Chickasaw Nation.

Roster of Children in Clarksville Neighborhood School

* * * * * 

Staff of Dog Creek Neighborhood School. These names are still known among LeFlore County families. Moses Parker also oversaw the affairs of another Freedman School. (see below)

* * * * *

Ft. Coffee Neighborhood School was in the one community that still exists today. However, like the other schools, the buildings no longer stand.

The two staff members, were Moses Parker and Squire Hall. 

These names are still spoken in Ft. Coffee today where their descendants reside.

Roster of Students from 1896

I was pleasantly surprised on one of the pages for the Ft. Coffee School, to see my grandfather's name among the students.

Page reflecting the name of my grandfather Samuel when he was a small child 

attending the Choctaw Neighborhood School, in Skullyville

* * * * *

Opposum Creek Neighborhood School

Roster of Students from Opposum Creek Neighborhood Scohols

Although all of these schools are gone and the landscape reflects nothing of their having been there. Thankfully a few pages of school records remain to assist us with telling the story.

* * * * *

Salt Creek  - A Freedman School in Indian Territory

Source: Archives &  Manuscripts Division of the Oklahoma Historical Society

Acts in Regards to Negroes, Free and Enslaved in the Cherokee & Choctaw Nations

I believe that the beginning of healing comes from truly looking at the policies of the past. 

I recently came across the words of William Goodell and his writings. I came across some of the policies that would have had direct impact on the lives of my ancestors living in bondage in Indian Territory. It was important to read them and to learn the lessons by knowing these things.

William Goodell was an abolitionist, a missionary and a reformer. Educated at Phillips Academy, he worked ardently through much of his life for the abolition of the institution of slavery.  He studied the laws and slave codes throughout the country, wrote a detailed book in 1853 called, "The American Slave Code" and the  included in his work were slave codes and policies enacted in Indian Territory.

Surprisingly he included some specific tribal policies of the Cherokee and Choctaw nation in his 1853 book, analyzing slave codes throughout the nations, the details obtained from the constitutions of these two tribes provide a sobering insight into the realities of slavery in Indian Territory.

William Goodell, Abolitionist and Author

In his work, he illustrated the policies of the tribes, by using language from the constitution of the two nations, employing the language of acts passed into law.

In the appendix he focuses on the two tribes:

"...all free women except the Africa race"

"...punishment not to exceed fifty stripes...."

Some aspects of intermarriage were considered acceptable and were considered worthy of legalizing as seen below.  Meanwhile there were also major restrictions placed upon those few who were free in the Territory and also of slaves.

Like the policies of the deep south, reading and education of slaves and also of free blacks was strictly forbidden.

"...leave the limits of the nation by the 1st of Jan. 1843."

Within the Choctaw Nation there were similar restrictions. Free blacks were not encouraged to settle in the community.

Abolitionists were clearly not welcomed in Choctaw country, and those showing sympathy towards blacks by breaking bread or kindly human interaction were frowned upon and such activities were clearly stated in tribal policies about such interactions.

There was some acknowledgement that there were persons of color who had blood ties to both Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. However, those free people of color with no blood ties were informed that they had to leave the nation.

I have often wondered about any slaves who may have gained freedom while being in the nations, what their fate may have been like.  Goodall reveals that it became tribal policy that if there were any who were manumitted by their slave holders, they had to leave out of fear of being re-sold into bondage.

What to Make of These Passages

Reading these passages is sobering but enlightening. It is clear that the "peculiar" institution of slavery was legally sanctioned into tribal culture after the nations had survived the harshness of the removal.  Were all of these policies actually carried out?  That is not certain. Perhaps some were in the early years after their passage, however, after the Civil War, there were clearly persons more persons of color in both tribes, who shared the blood of their masters, who had social relationships with tribal members, and who remained in the only land they knew as home.

Today in 21st century American what does one make of these policies? They provide some understanding of tribal policies today. 

These sentiments of 160 years ago, provided the backdrop of "blood politics"  still practiced to this day. These passages show how the dismissal of persons of African descent was viewed as somehow "logical" in the mind of the racial politician.

Today, blood policies that allow persons with less than a droplet of blood (e.g. 1/1000th and less) to be considered "connected" and "legitimate", illustrate that the concept and practice of discrimination towards those once enslaved, is still somehow "normal". These raced-based policies are still considered logical in their way of thinking. And as this has been shown, for this practice has a precedent, going back 160 years.

To the raced based politician and lobbyist, it is no matter to them that in spite of the fact that those who were once enslaved were immersed into the tribe by language, by their life's toil----their mere presence---the logic of their expulsion and their mistreatment has a precedent and still feeds into the logic of the racial political mind. 

To the racial politician they feel that this is somehow ok.  Furthermore, the concept that those once enslaved are somehow illegitimate and dispensable is embraced as has been witnessed in recent years. This is a way of thinking that goes back over 160 years.  It ties to a southern slave holding mentality that prevails.

But there may be some enlightened who dare to ask the pertinent questions, but it should be remembered that the beginning of healing comes from truly looking at the policies of the past. 

I hope that someday, my brothers and sisters from Indian Country will someday take a look at the past, understand the impact of the past and understand that we all need to grow and move forward. We share the same landscape for our history and we are all strengthened when we walk together. So as we read these texts, we grow and our journey takes a better direction.

Look at the policies of the past.. 

Read them. 

Acknowledge that they occurred.

And grow from them. 

We all benefit from that growth, not a portion, not a selected portion -- all of the family grows.

Remember, it was not until 100 years after the Civil War that the US finally began to make the sons and daughters of it  own slaves, full citizens--and that was a mere 40 years ago. And here we are145 years after the Treaty of 1866 was signed---the fate of the descendants of former slaves of Indians is still be addressed by the slave holding tribes. 

When do the slave owner's children decide that some sentiments can and should be changed? 

Perhaps true healing can now come when the descendants of slave holders, and policy makers address their own history-- for that is when true healing begins. 

The children and grandchildren of the enslaved hold no bitterness in their hearts, and in fact often find themselves surprised to learn that these sentiments from the tribes still prevail.

Hands have been extended, yet are there hands reaching back from the tribes? 

Only by acknowledging the past and working towards a new future can a "nation" truly progress. 

Forgotten Days of Early Oklahoma - The Negro State Fair

From the years before statehood till the mid 1900s there were a number of events that were frequently attended by the Oklahoma African American community.  For many decades, families from the Freedmen communities of Indian Territory and later Oklahoma, celebrated Freedom and emancipation in early August. Another event was the Negro State Fair. In the early 1900s after statehood, Jim Crow was made legal when Senate Bill #1 was passed. But the African American community still lived and worked within those limitations to work and find time also to celebrate life.  One such even was the Negro State Fair. By 1915 such events occurred frequently.  But prior to that, many blacks from the new state of Oklahoma looked to Texas for inspiration for such fairs. A decade earlier a Negro state fair was a much anticipated event in Bonham Texas as well, and many families from Oklahoma are said to have frequented those four day events as well.

The events consisted of festivals, parades, music and rodeo expositions for the amusement of the spectators and visitors.

In 1920, the Tulsa Star, a black newspaper from Tulsa Oklahoma widely advertised the Oklahoma based Negro State fair. The sponsor of the event was J. Coody Johnson, the well known attorney and advocate for Seminole Freedmen. 

J. Coody Johnson

Courtesy: Oklahoma Historical Society

A resident of Wewoka, the event was held on Johnson's property along the state highway outside of the city limits. As this was a four day event, the state superintendent of education allowed the "colored" schools to be closed so that school children could also participate in this event.

Tulsa Star October 9, 1920

Events for this fair consisted of exhibitions, rodeo events and a unique treat----airplane rides for those who wished to experience flight!

Portion of article about Negro State Fair

Source: Tulsa Star October 9, 1920 Page 2

It should be noted that the 1920 event was not the first such fair. Several years prior to Coody Johnson's sponsored fair there were similar events held in Muskogee in 1915 and 1917.

As indicated on the flyer for the Muskogee event, a parade through Muskogee was planned. In a rare piece of film footage depicting Oklahoma black life in the 20th century, one can get a glimpse of the Muskogee parade.

Film Footage Showing Glimpse of Muskogee Parade

Source: GlobalImageWorks Video

Although times have changed over the past century, that such events no longer have to be racially segregated, one should still take note of the efforts when people who were legally sanctioned from many public events, struggled to entertain each other within those boundaries established by law. They were and still are those who resisted, remained and thrived.