MySource:Samples 59/Perry Family, Dawes Packet (Choctaw), Witness: TURNBULL

COPY NO. 15

• Applications for Enrollment of the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914. NARA M1301. The Dawes Commission negotiated with tribal members who received common property in return for abolishing their tribal governments. (Record Group: 75, Roll: 0086, Tribe: Choctaw, Group: Mississippi Choctaw, Card Range: MCR 178- MCR 214, Case Number: MCR 205, Surname: Boyd, Given Name: Victoria, Status: [Blank]).

General deposition of Anthony Turnbull, a half blood Choctaw, a witness offered by the counsel for the claiments, and taken in this manner by consent to save the time of a particular examination in each case, to be used when applicable.

The witness having been sworn by one of the commissioners, deposes as follows:

That he is a Choctaw citizen, residing in Yalobusha County, and was at the treaty a captain of one of the Choctaw companies residing in that neighborhood. In the spring of 1831 he was at the agency where Col. Ward kept his office; he cannot recollect the month; Col. Ward told him that a short time before Garrett E. Nelson, a white man, had been there with a list of Indians living on the Yalobusha for registration for the five years’ stay. He requested permission to look at the book of registry. Col. Ward gave it to him to examine; the book consisted of something like a quire of paper, rather larger than common foolscap, stiched together, with a colored paper cover. Did not examine the book further than the register of the persons on Nelson’s list; upon that list he saw, as far as he can recollect, only the names of Indians or part Indians. The names were written one under another, and not across the page. Does not recollect whether Ward pointed out to him that part of the book which contained the names from Nelson’s list. He knew the names himself. They commenced at the top of a page. Does not know if the page had any heading, showing what company of Indians they were. He there saw the names of –

George Nelson

Isaac Nelson

Eden Nelson

Tuck-a-loon-tubbee, male

Charles Vaughn

Phillip Vaughn

Ea-cho-ho-pia, male

Moon-tubbee, male

Tishapi, male

James Perry

Joseph Perry

Hardy Perry

Susan Perry

Cun-a-mo-nub-be

Illa-no-watchee, male

Ano-watchee, male

Tic-ba-pa-lubbee, male

Im-a-ka, female

Ma-chubbee, male

Ha-la, male

Ish-wa-ca-ba, male

Anola Perry, female

Molly Frazier.

Ia-nean-tubbee, male. His mother’s name not recollected; did recollect it the moment before.

The foregoing are all the names he recollects at present. There were many more on the books.

He is personally acquainted with all he has named. He known them all to be heads of families at the date of the treaty. There was some man with him at Ward’s, but he does not recollect his name.

Does not recollect for what purpose he went to Ward’s. Is not a claimant under the 14th article of the treaty. Is provided for under the 19th Article.

He is well acquainted with Garrett Nelson. He is dead; died on Red River. Was in the country when he died; he has been dead three years. Was one of the emigrant Choctaw heads of families west of the river. He thinks he was removed by the government. He went with the last body of Indians that were carried to Red River. The last time he saw him he was on Red River. Has no knowledge but from Ward that he, Nelson, took a list of Indians to the agency; did not see this list that Nelson took to Ward. He has no knowledge that any person he has named authorized Nelson to present his name to Ward to be registered. Has never been informed by any one of them within six months after the ratification of the treaty that Nelson was authorized by them to do so. His object in asking to look at the book was to know which of his company intended to remain five years. He counted them at the time, but cannot recollect how many there were. He thinks upon the whole list there were from eighty to one hundred names. There were persons on that list who did not belong to his company; some he has named did not belong to his company. None of the Nelsons belonged to his company; all the rest did.

Does not know how many heads of families belonged to his company. Does not know the names of all his company. The greater part of those on the list belonged to his company; perhaps two-thirds. He knows the names of others of his people than those he has mentioned as being on the list, but cannot say which of them were on the list except those ha has already named. He knew all his people personally so as to know they were his people, but many of them he did not know by name.

There were between four and five hundred persons of all ages and sexes (men, women, children) belonging to his company at the time of the treaty. About two-thirds, or perhaps, a little more of his company, emigrated west; something like two thirds of those of his company on the list he saw at Col. Ward’s have emigrated west.

Cross Examined

Did not take any memorandum of names at the time he saw them on Ward’s book. Has taken no other means since to refresh his memory. None of those names have been brought to his recollection by other persons. About one-third of those on the list belonged to Fletcher’s Company; of those he thinks three-fourths have emigrated west.

The people of his company who have emigrated began to move at the second removal by the United States. They continued then to go at different times until the last removal. They continued then to go at different times until the last removal. More than half of them moved themselves at their own expense. Those of Fletcher’s which have been named of his company, as on Ward’s list, have gone west. They are:

George Nelson moved about the time of the last removal by government.

Isaac Nelson moved at the same time.

Eden Nelson. He is not certain if he has emigrated; he went west and returned again. Knows nothing of him since.

Took-a-loon-tubbee moved west 3 or 4 years since.

Charles Vaughn moved west 3 to 4 years since.

Philip Vaughn moved west 3 to 4 years since.

Ea-cho-ho-pia moved about the time of the last removal by government.

James Perry emigrated this fall.

Hardy Perry moved west 3 to 4 years since.

Susan Perry has been residing in the Chickasaw Nation 4 years.

Molly Frazier has been living in the Chickasaw Nation since a year or two after the treaty.

James Perry, since the treaty for three or four years back, has lived principally in the Chickasaw Nation. He has a place in each Nation. He has no interest in any claims under the 14th article of the treaty. Has no promise of any future engagement by or for them.

The wintness being recalled and further examined, states that he now recollects other names on the list which he saw at Ward’s. They are as follows:

Coleman Cole

Charles Cole

James Oxberry

Nelly Dyer

He-sheen-she-ho-ma

Ela-po-ka, a female

Ste-mo-na-ho-ka, a female

Moses Perry

These are all the names he can recollect. He does not know if any of them emigrated. He has seen Nelly Dyer within a year; neither of the last mentioned is the mother of Ii-nean-tubbee. Coleman Cole and James Oxberry he knows are not here. He has no knowledge that any of the last named have ever been across the Mississippi.

ANTHONY TURNBULL

Taken and subscribed this 22nd January 1838, at Benjamin Laflore’s before us.

P. D. Vroom

J. Murray.