Photo copy recieved from Fred Moore postmarked June 9, 1999;
Under the provisions of that 14th article of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, the government of the United States directed an agent here in Mississippi to register the names of such Indians as might desire to remain here and become citizens of the States and take land.
The records of the government show that this agent failed to register and report to the government the names of many Indians who did, in fact, let him know that they wanted to stay here and become citizens of the States and take land, and on this account, the government, at it's public land sales here in Mississippi, in many instances sold land upon which Choctaws lived and had improvements, and which they supposed they would recieve under the 14th article of the treaty.
This caused a great deal of complaint among the Indians, and the matter was finally brought to the attention of Congress, and Congress passed certian Acts between the years 1837 and 1842, providing for the appointment of commissioners to come down here to Mississippi and hear cases of Choctaws who claimed that they had complied in all respects with the provisions of the 14th article of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, but that their land had been sold by the government. These commissioners were duly appointed by the President of the United States and they came down here to Mississippi between the years 1837 and 1842, and heard a great many of the Choctaw cases.
Hearing of John Barrett on April 11, 1902
(This applicant has the appearence of being a white man and shows no indication of being possessed of Indian blood; he has dark hair, dark complexion and dark eyes.)
John N. Barrett, having been first duly sworn as a witness in behalf of the above named applicant, upon his oath testified as follows: Examination by the Commission.
Q. What is your name?
A. John N. Barrett
Q. How old are you?
A. Seventy
Q. What's your post office address?
A.Couparle, Madison County.
Q. How long have you lived in Madison County,Mississippi?
A.Moved there in '55.
Q. Where did you live before that?
A.I lived in Neshoba County
Q. How long did you live there?
A. Fifteen years
Q. Where did you live before that?
A. In Noxubbee County, five years.
Q. Where did you live before you moved to Noxubbee County?
A. I was born in Alabama
Q. What county?
A. Tuscaloosa County.
Q. Lived there until you moved to Nuxubbee County?
A. Yes, sir
Q. Have you any choctow blood?
A. No, Sir
Q.Are you aquainted with the applicant, Charles M. Moore?
A. Yes, Sir.
Q. How long have you known him?
A.I have known him all his life.
Q.Are you relation to him, Mr. Barrett?
A. I am his half uncle.
Q. Half brother of his father?
A. Half brother of his father.
Q. Where was he born -Charles M. Moore?
A. Born in Neshoba County, Mississippi
Q.What was the name of his father?
A. William M. Moore
Q. What was the name of his mother?
A. Elizabeth. Q. Have any other name?
A. I don't know wheather she did or not.
Q. Did you ever hear her called Mary Elizabeth?
A. It might have been, but I don't know. I don't know wheather it was or not, but I know it was Elizabeth.
Q. Which one of Charles M. Moore's parents had Choctaw blood, his mother or father?
A. His father, William M. Moore.
Q. Do you know how much Choctaw blood William M. Moore had?
A. His grandfather was - now, I don't know this for certian - I only know from the mother's telling me; I can't just state that -
Q. Go ahead and state what your mother told you?
A. She told me she run away from her Pa with a Injun Chiefs son, and was gone a year before he heard of her, and when he heard of her, he went to see her and tried to get her to come back and she wouldn't go, and he bought her a piece of land and put her on it, her father, and she lived there until he died, and she married again, and married my Pa.
Q. Well, then, her first husband was the father of William M. Moore, who was the father of this applicant?
A. Yes, Sir
Q. What was the name of William M. Moore's father?
A.I couldn't tell you; I don't know.
Q. You don't know William M. Moore's father's name?
A. It was Moore, I judge.
Q. What was his given name?
A. I don't know.
Q. Did you ever see him?
A. No,Sir
Q. Well, now, do you know the name of William M. Moore's father, this applicant's great grand father on his father's side?
A. No, Sir
Q. Do you know how much Choctaw blood William M. Moore had - this man's father?
A. Half, it was always thought. You are talking about this mans father?
Q. Charles M. Moore's father?
A. I always thought it was half.
Q. You understand that his father----?
A. Was an Injun, my mother was the same as his, and that would make him half Indian; that's always the way I thought it.
Q. You can't think of the father of his father?
A. No, Sir
Q. Where was William M. Moore born?
A. That's going beyond; he was older than I am; I think it was Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Q. Do you know of the name of any one of the brothers of William M. Moore's father?
A. No, Sir.
Q. Or any of his sisters?
A. No, Sir, that's a long time ago.
Q. Do you know where William M. Moore was living in the year 1830?
A. I don't know; I could guess at that and tell.
Q. Where do you thionk he was living?
A. I think he was living - it must have been in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama; that is guess work, but it must have been.
Q. His father was living in 1830, was he?
A. No, Sir, his father was dead when William M. Moore was a child.
Q. Do you know whether any of the ancestors of this applicant, William M. Moore, ever complied or attempted to comply with the provisions of the 14th article of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, or ever received any benefits under that article?
A. No,Sir
Q. Did you ever hear of any of them ever haven gotten any land from Government, or any money?
A. No,Sir.
Q. Do you know whether any ancestors of Charles M. Moore ever appeared before any of these commissioners and attempted to establish their rights under the 14th article of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek?
A. No, Sir I don't know
Q Do you remember when these commissioners were down here?
A. I recollect when I was nine years old about them; I recollect when they left Neshoba County.
Q. You don't know whether any of his people whent before these Commissioners?
A. No sir, I don't know. If they did, I don't know it.
Q. Well, your mother was living there in Neshoba then was she?
A. Yes Sir, she died in '53, and Charles M. Moore was living then.
Q. If his mother tried to establish rights for him under that 14th article, you don't know it?
A. No Sir, if she did I do not know it.
Q. Did you ever hear of the ancestors of this applicant ever having gotten any of this scrip from the Government of the United States under this act of Congress.
A. Never did.
Q. You ever heard of any of them ever having received any benefits whatever as Choctaw Indians?
A. No, sir.
Q. Is there anything else you want us to ask this witness?
By Applicant:Charles M. Moore "You moight ask him if he knows me to be the son of William M. Moore and Elizabeth Moore.
A. By Witness: He is.
Q. How many other children did your - they have?
A. I wasn't very well acquainted with the whole family of children.
Q. Name those whose names you remember? William M. Moore and Mary Elizabeths children.
A.Ab J.
Q. Next one?
A. Mary F. Kelly
Q. Next one?
A. John Moore and William Moore; that's all I remember of them.
Q. Are you intrested in any way in the result of this application?
A. No, sir
Q. What's your occupation?
A. I am a farmer
(This witness is a white man and of average intelligence.)
R.S. Streit, having been first duly sworn, upon his oath states that as stenographer to the commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, he reported in full all proceedings had in the above entitled cause at Meridian, Mississippi, on the 17th day of April 1902, and that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct translation of this stenographer notes of the said proceedings in said cause upon said date.
Subscribed and sworn to before me at Muskogee, Indian Territory, this 8th day of May 1902 Charles Sawyer, Notary Public
Subj: Fwd: (no subject)
Date: 11/16/00 2:07:40 AM EST
From: BBobBow
To: CHenry8604
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Forwarded Message:
Subj: Fwd: (no subject)
Date: 11/14/00 10:56:43 PM EST
From: BBobBow
To: lmoore4@midsouth.rr.com
CC: BBobBow
see if this comes through, Lawrence. I'm sorry.
bb
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Forwarded Message:
Subj: (no subject)
Date: 11/14/00 8:47:03 PM EST
From: BBobBow
To: lmoore4@midsouth.rr.com
Lawrence, I tried to send you some notes I have but couldn't attach them. I'm so
computer-illiterate! So I'll type some of it. Wanted to send you the whole testimony
that I hired this genealogist from Oklahoma City to find for me. I can mail it if your
interested. By the way, I talked once to a preacher (retired) who had written some
on the Moores but he didn't think yourall had any Choctaw blood--said maybe
some Cherokee, but I don't believe the family would lie about it.
Department of the Interior
Office of Indian Affairs
Washington
30,382-1903 June 13, 1903
The Honorable
The Secretary of the Interior.
Sir:
I have the honor to submit, herewith for departmental action, record of the
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, in the matter of the application of the
following persons for identification as Mississippi Choctaws, werein a decision
adverse to their claims was rendered by the commission on April 21, 1903:
Charles M. Moore for himself and his three minor children, Thomas M., George B.
and Carl M. Moore; by William M. Moore for himself and his minor child Theresa
Moore; by Benjamin O. Moore for himself; by Mary F. Moore for herself; by
Charles H. Moore for himself; by Mary F. Kelly for herself and her three minor
children, Hattie V., Grover C. and Pat Kelly by Charles W. Kelly for himself and
his four minor children, Annie M., John F., William and Clara E. Kelly; by Benjamin
S. Kelly for himself and his minor child, Mary L. Kelly; by Mary E. Logan for herself
and her four minor children, Ethel, Butler, Emory, and Ruby Lee Logan; by Bettie
A. Kinnison, for herself and her minor child, Myrtle I. Kinnison; by John D. Kelly,
for himself; by Lester H. Moore, for himself and his minor child under article 14 of
the Treaty of 1830, by reason of being descendants of Nitacature, through his son,
McCager Moore, grandfather of Charles M. Moore, it being alleged that said
ancestors were Choctaw Indians and resided in Mississippi or Alabama in 1830.
The evidence furnished by the record fails to show that said ancestors complied
or attempted to comply with the provisions of article 14 of the treaty of 1830, or with
the subsequent acts of Congress relating thereto. The records of the Indian Office
fail to show that any one by the name of Nitacature or McCager Moore complied or
attempted to comply with said article or acts.
It appears from the record in the case of William E. Moore et al., versus the
Choctaw Nation, that certain persons were adjudged citizens by blood of the
Choctaw Nation, but it does not appear that their rights as Mississippi Choctaws
were therein adjudicated.
Reporting June 13, 1903, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs recommends that
your decision be approved. A copy of his letter is inclosed.
The Department has carefully received the whole record and finds no reason to
disturb your decision. It is therefore affirmed.
Respectfully,
(signed) E. A. HITCHCOCK
Secretary