Dawes Packet

Benjamin Davis Letters in Support of Claim

In correspondence dated September 3, 1901, the Commission acknowledges the receipt of affidavits and letters supporting Benjamin F. Davis’s application for identification as a Mississippi Choctaw, including his marriage to Mary Ann Varner. Earlier communications also reference a marriage certificate between Davis and Miss M. E. Gibbs, which is included in the case records. Additionally, on October 15, 1901, Henry H. Davis’s inquiry about identification records for Paul Davis is addressed, allowing for further evidence submission to support their claims.

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.