John T. Williams Et Al., Choctaws.
Commission, No. 230-1006.
June 20, 1906. John T. Williams appeared before the commission at Muskogee and testified that he was 49 years of age; that he was the son of Ambrose Williams (Indian name Mittucachee) and member of the Choctaw Tribe of Indians in Mississippi; that claimant was born in the Choctaw Nation in 1856; that Ambrose Williams was a Union soldier, in the Civil War; that claimant did not know the maiden name of his mother, who was a white woman, but her first name was Sarah; that his father and mother walked and carried him to Mississippi when he was 8 months old; that his father went into the Civil War and was killed; that his mother took him to Illinois during the war; that the whites would not permit him to attend school in Illinois: that when about 10 years old he ran away from his mother and returned to the Choctaw Nation; that he roamed around through the country about Sherman, Tex., and in the Choctaw Nation; that when about 15 years old he walked back to Mississippi and lived there awhile, and in 1888 returned to the Choctaw Nation where he stayed for a short time and then went to a town located on the Arkansas-Oklahoma line; that said town was Ultimathule, located partly in Arkansas and part in the Choctaw Nation; that a part of the time he lived on the Arkansas side of the town and a part of the time on the Choctaw side of the town; that in 1900 he left there and settled down in the town of Swink, Okla., where he has since continuously resided. Claimant stated to the commission that he had written numerous communications to the commission to try and get himself and his children enrolled. An examination of the records of the commission failed to disclose any application made by him prior to his appearance before the commission on this 20th day of June, 1906; applicant then produced letters from the commission dated in 1905 relative to his application for enrollment; he stated that he had been applying for years, each application being by letter: that one of his letters was sent to a man by the name of Campbell in Washington (it appears that this man Campbell was Frank Campbell, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of the Interior, of whom the applicant had heard); claimant further stated that he had relatives on the rolls and that he had six children as follows: Willie Jesse Williams, Janie Virginia Williams, Leona Gertrude Williams, Johnie David Williams, Nannie Chandler Williams, Jimmie Clarence Williams.
October 15. 1906. The commission rendered a decision denying claimant because his name did not appear upon any tribal roll. Original copy sent to claimant hereto attached and marked “Exhibit A.”
Indorsed on the jacket of the case is the notation “records forwarded department October 19, 1906, ” but it appears that no action was ever taken by the department in the case.
The name of the alleged father of claimant appears as one of the signers of the treaty of 1830.
Subsequently claimant wrote three letters to Washington, one addressed to the Attorney General of the United States, one to the Department of the Interior, and one to the Secretary insisting upon his enrollment and stating that he was going to have his rights before he quit, and “I am going to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.” To which communications the department replied. (Original letter hereto attached and marked “Exhibit B.”) Other communications received from the department are hereto attached and marked “ Exhibits C and D.”
It appears from the records that Charles Williams, son of George Williams, applicant’s father’s half brother, is enrolled as a full-blood Choctaw. Applicant’s father was Ambrose Williams, a half-blood Choctaw; his father was a full blood; applicant’s grandfather intermarried with a white woman, who was the mother of Ambrose Williams, and subsequently intermarried with a full-blood Indian woman who was the mother of George Williams, father of Charles Williams, the full blood who is enrolled. His name appears opposite No. 3717, final approved Choctaw roll, and the name of his son, James Williams, appears opposite No. 3718.
This case was investigated by J. AV. Howell, assistant attorney in the office of the Assistant Attorney General of the Department of the Interior, in November 1908. Applicant also appears before Messrs. W. C. Pollock and George C. Reed on October 26, 1910, at the office of the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes at Muskogee where he was examined by them. At this meeting he gave them the name of his aunt, a full-blood Choctaw residing at Knttituklo, Choctaw Nation. His aunt is a full blood and was born and raised in the Choctaw Nation but is not enrolled. Her name is Sopa Williams.
Counsel for claimants respectfully submit that as John T. Williams, the principal claimant herein, is a child of Ambrose Williams, a hall-blood Choctaw, and signer of the treaty of 1830, and a Union soldier who lost his life in the war, leaving claimant an orphan when less than 6 years old: and as claimant was born in the Choctaw Nation, Okla., and never had any permanent home outside of the nation, and on June 28, 1808, was living in the town of Ultimathule. which was part in the Choctaw Nation and part in Arkansas, where claimant continued to reside until 1900 when he moved to Swink, Choctaw Nation, where he has since resided; and as claimant made numerous efforts to make application for himself and children to the commission by writing letters to them, at that time being without funds to employ a lawyer or anyone to represent him, that he and his children are entitled to enrollment as Choctaws by blood.
Those thus entitled are: John T. Williams, Willie Jesse Williams, Janie Virginia Williams, Leona Gertrude Williams, Johnnie David Williams, Nannie Candler Williams, Jimmie Clarence Williams, and his aunt Sopa Williams, a full-blood Choctaw who was born and raised in the Choctaw Nation, Okla., and who has been living there all her life, and who never applied to the commission for enrollment. (Exhibits attached.) Respectfully submitted.
Ballinger & Lee
Exhibit A.
Department of the Interior
Commissioner To The Five Civilized Tribes
In the matter of the application for the enrollment of John T. Williams et al. as citizens by blood of the Choc-taw Nation
Decision
It appears from the record herein that application was duly made to the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes for the enrollment of John T. Williams and his six minor children, Willie Jesse, Janie Virginia, Leona Gertrude, Johnnie David, Nannie Candler, and Jimmie Clarence Williams, as citizens by blood of the Choctaw Nation within the time limited by the provisions of the act of Congress approved April 20. 1906 (34 Stats., 137).
The record in this case shows that John T. Williams was born about the year 1856, and is the son of Ambrose Williams, an alleged one-half blood Choctaw Indian, and Sarah Williams, a noncitizen white woman; and that the minor applicants herein are the children of said John T. Williams and E. C. Williams, a noncitizen.
It does not appear from the record herein or from the records in the possession of this office that any of the applicants herein has ever been enrolled by the Choctaw tribal authorities or admitted to Choctaw citizenship by a duly constituted court or committee of the Choctaw Nation, or by the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, or by the United States court in Indian Territory, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved June 10, 1S96 (29 Stats., 321).
I am therefore of the opinion that the application made for the enrollment of John T. Williams, Willie Jesse Williams, Janie Virginia Williams, Leona Gertrude Williams, Johnnie David Williams, Nannie Candler Williams, and Jimmie Clarence Williams as citizens by blood of the Choctaw Nation should be denied, under the provisions of the act of Congress approved June 28, 1898 (30 Stats., 495), and it is so ordered.
Tams Bixby, Commissioner.
Muskogee, Ind. T., October 15, J906.
(Father’s name on treaty of 1830.)
Department Of The Interior.
Commissioners to the Five Civilized Tribes
In the matter of the application for the enrollment of Loutitia Williams as a citizen by blood of the Choctaw Nation.
Decision
It appears from the record herein that on June 20, 1906, application was made to the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes for the enrollment of Loutitia Williams as a citizen by blood of the Choctaw Nation under the provisions of the act of Congress approved April 26, 1906 (34 Stats., 137).
The record in this ease shows that the applicant. Loutitia Williams, was born on April 29, 1905, and is the daughter of John T. Williams, an applicant for enrollment as a citizen by blood of the Choctaw Nation, and whose application for enrollment as such has heretofore been denied by the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, and E. C. Williams, a noncitizen.
I am therefore of the opinion that Loutitia Williams is not entitled to enrollment as n citizen by blood of the Choctaw Nation and that her application for enrollment as such should be denied, under the provisions of section 2 of the act Congress approved April 26. 1906 (34 Stats., 137), and it is so ordered.
Tams Bixby, Commissioner.
Muskogee, Ind. T., October n. 1006.
Exhibit B
Department Of The Interior
Office Of Indian Affairs
Washington. May 4, 1907.
John T. Williams. Esq., Swink, Ind. T.
Sir: The office is in receipt of three letters written by you, one addressed to the Attorney General of the United States, one to the Department of the Interior, and one to this office, relative to your enrollment as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, and saying that you are going to have your rights as a citizen before you quit, and that you are going to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States.
In reply, the office can only repeat what it has told you heretofore, that it has no jurisdiction to consider any citizenship matter since the 4th of March. 1907, and that there is now no authority of law for placing the name of any person on any of the rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes in the Indian Territory.
There was no question in your case as to your Indian blood, and it was no- denied by the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes that you were a person of Indian blood. However, the possession of Indian blood was not enough, under the law, to justify your enrollment as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation. There are many persons of Indian blood who are not entitled to enrollment as citizens of the Five Civilized Tribes In the Indian Territory.
The office has no reason to object to your appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States, if yon so desire.
Very respectfully.
C. F. Larradee, Acting Commissioner.
Exhibit C
Department Of The Interior
Commissioner To The Five Civilized Tribes
Muskogee. Ind. T.
October 24, 1906.
John T. Williams, Swink, Ind. T.
Dear Sir: Receipt is hereby acknowledged of your letter of October 15, 1906 relative to your citizenship In the Choctaw Nation.
In reply to your letter, you are advised that on October 15, 1906, the Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes rendered his decision refusing the application for the enrollment of yourself and your children. Willie J., Jannie Virginia, Leona Gertrude, Johnnie David, Nannie Chandler, and Jimmie Clarence Williams as citizens by blood of the Choctaw Nation, and on October 17, 1906 decision was rendered refusing the application for the enrollment of your child, Loutitia Williams, as a minor citizen of the Choctaw Nation under the act of Congress approved April 26, 1906, and October 19, 1906, the record in this case, together with his decision, was forwarded the Secretary of the Interior. You will be notified of the action taken therein by the department. Respectfully,
Tams Bixby, Commissioner.
Exhibit D
Department Of The Interior
Office Of Indian Affairs
Washington, November 20, 1909.
Mr. John T. Williams. Valliant, Okla.
Sir: Your letter, dated November 11, 1909, regarding a controversy over certain land which you have been occupying, has been received by departmental reference.
As you do not give a description of the land in question, the office is unable to locate it. Your letter has been forwarded to J. George Wright. Esq., Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes, Muskogee, Okla., who will give it such attention as may be required.
Very respectfully,
Wm. K. I.ayne.
Acting Chief Land Division.
(Letter of John T. Williams and carbon copy to Commissioner to the Five Civilized Tribes.)