The Choctaw Freedmen | Page 3

Whilst other denominations have rendered conspicuous and highly

commendable service in the effort to educate and evangelize the
Indians and Freedmen, in this volume mention is made only of the
work of the Presbyterian church. This is due to the fact the Presbyterian
church, having begun missionary work among the Choctaws at a very
early date, it was left to pursue it without a rival, in the particular
section of country and early period of time included in the scope of this
volume.
Such as it is, this volume is commended to him, whose blessing alone
can make it useful, and make it to fulfil its mission of comfort and
encouragement, to the children and youth of the Freedmen who are
sincerely endeavoring to solve the problem of their present and future
destiny.
Fonda, Iowa, March 15, 1914.
R. E. F.

PART I
GENERAL FACTS
RELATING TO THE INDIANS OF INDIAN TERRITORY, THE
CHOCTAW FREEDMEN AND PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF
MISSIONS FOR FREEDMEN.
"In history we meet the great personalities, who have crystallized in
their own lives, the hopes and fears of nations and races. We meet the
living God, as an actor, and discover in passing events, a consistent
purpose, guiding the changing world to an unchanging end."--W. A.
Brown.
"Four things a man must learn to do, If he would make his record true;
To think without confusion, clearly; To act from honest motives purely;
To love his fellowmen sincerely; To trust in God and heaven securely."
--Vandyke.

"The study of history, as a means of cultivating the mind and for its
immediate practical benefit, ever since the days of Moses, who wrote
the pioneer history of Israel, and Herodotus, the father of profane
history, has formed a necessary part of a liberal and thorough
education."--History of Pocahontas County, Iowa.

I
INDIAN TERRITORY
EARLY HISTORY OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES--OPENING
OF INDIAN TERRITORY--OKLAHOMA--CLEAR CREEK, OAK
HILL, VALLIANT.
"Let us develop the resources of our land, call forth its powers, build up
its institutions, promote all its great interests and see whether we, also,
in our day and generation may not perform something worthy to be
remembered."--Daniel Webster.
Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was a part of the public domain, that
was reserved for several tribes of Indians whose native hunting grounds
were principally in the Southern states. While they remained in their
native valleys they proved a menace to the safety of the frontier settlers,
and in times of war were sure to take sides against them. Thomas
Jefferson in his day advised that they be located together on some
general reservation. This was gradually effected during the earlier years
of the last century.
The official act of congress constituting it an Indian Reservation did
not occur until 1834, but a considerable number of the Choctaws,
Chickasaws and of some other tribes were induced to migrate westward
and locate there previous to that date. Other leading tribes that were
transferred to special reservations in Indian Territory were the
Cherokees, Creeks and Seminoles.
THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES

The Choctaw Indians recently occupied lands in the states bordering on
the Gulf of Mexico. In 1820 a considerable part of them, ceding their
lands in Georgia, were located on a reservation in the Red River valley
west of Arkansas. In 1830 they ceded the remainder of their lands in
Alabama and Mississippi and all, together with their slaves, were then
transferred to their new reservation in the southeastern part of Indian
Territory.
The Chickasaws, who originally occupied the country on the east side
of the Mississippi river, as early as 1800 began to migrate up the valley
of the Arkansas. In 1805, 1816 and in 1818 they ceded more of their
lands and more of them migrated westward, many of them going to the
country allotted to the Choctaws. In 1834, when the last of their lands
in the Gulf states were ceded, they were located on a reservation south
of the Canadian river, west of the Choctaws. These two tribes lived
under one tribal government until 1855, when they were granted a
political separation.
The Cherokees, previous to 1830, occupied the upper valley of the
Tennessee river, extending through the northern parts of Georgia and
Alabama. In 1790 a part of the tribe migrated to Louisiana and they
rendered important services in the army of Gen. Jackson at New
Orleans in the war of 1812.
In 1817 they ceded a part of their native lands for others and the next
year 3,000 of them were located in the northwestern part of Arkansas in
the valleys of the Arkansas and White rivers. In 1835 the remainder of
them were located just west of the first migration in the northeast part
of Indian Territory.
The Creek Indians originally lived in the valleys of the Flint,