DeSoto Mississippi

Margaret Ferrill Census Card

The application for enrollment of Margaret Ferrill and her sons, Washington, Lemuel, and Charley, was refused by the Dawes Commission. The family, linked to Mississippi Choctaw Indians, was subject to a decision rendered on April 15, 1902, after a hearing in Meridian, Mississippi, on April 12. Despite approval from the Secretary of the Interior on June 5, 1902, their case was ultimately rejected due to the preceding decision in Julia Thompson’s case. Notifications regarding this outcome were sent on April 23, 1902.

Margaret Ferrill Dawes Commission Decision

On April 15, 1902, the Dawes Commission reviewed applications for identification as Mississippi Choctaws, including that of Margaret Ferrill. The Commission found the evidence insufficient for identity verification and ordered the applications to be denied. This decision was affirmed by the Secretary of the Interior on June 5, 1902. Consequently, the requests from Ferrill and others in the consolidated case of Julia Thompson, et al., were officially refused, and the records were forwarded for further review.

Julia Thompson Dawes Census Card

Julia Thompson, a 74-year-old Mississippi Choctaw Indian, had her application for tribal recognition rejected. Her family background was noted, indicating ¼ blood quantum through her deceased parents, Willoughby Trotter and Ann Trotter. The decision, rendered on April 15, 1902, followed extensive reviews and testimonies taken in Meridian, Mississippi, in April 1901. The rejection was communicated to various legal representatives and forwarded to the Secretary of the Interior shortly after the decision announcement.

Indiana Coleman Dawes Packet

On April 15, 1902, the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes ruled against identifying Indiana Coleman and others as Mississippi Choctaws entitled to land rights. The decision was based on insufficient evidence regarding their claims under the treaty from 1830. Subsequently, on June 5, 1902, the Secretary of the Interior upheld this ruling. Correspondence from Iams Bixby confirmed these decisions, which denied recognition of their identities as Choctaw Indians for the purpose of claiming rights to the Choctaw lands.

Julia Turner Dawes Census Card

The application for enrollment of Julia Turner, a 39-year-old Mississippi Choctaw Indian with ¼ blood quantum, was rejected. The decision was based on the evidence reviewed during testimonies taken in Meridian, Mississippi, on April 12, 1901. The Secretary of the Interior approved the action on June 5, 1902, with notices regarding the denial forwarded to both the attorneys for the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations and the applicant’s attorney on June 17, 1902. This decision was linked to case M.C.R. 1862, rendered on April 15, 1902.

Emma Hayes, Dawes Census Card

The application for enrollment of Emma Hayes and her children, residing in DeSoto, Mississippi, was submitted to the Dawes Commission but ultimately refused. Emma, along with her five children, was identified as having Choctaw lineage, yet their claims were rejected based on earlier decisions. Despite the application receiving approval from the Secretary of the Interior in 1902, it did not change the final outcome. The denial was part of a broader case, impacting several applicants.