1868 Delegations
President in 1868: Andrew Johnson
Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1868: Nathaniel Green Taylor
Jan. 4, 1868: Alexandria Gazette: [General]
[From the Washington Express]
The Indian Delegations.--It is understood that a "society of Friends," interested in the Indian tribes, intend to erect a loom in one of the rooms of the Indian Bureau, with a view to instructing the several delegations of Indians who are expected to visit the city this winter in the practical working of that invaluable machine. Several Indian squaws, who are already familiar with it, will be present to explain it the chiefs.--Washington Express.
Jan. 14, 1868: Sun [Baltimore]: [Ute; unid.]
Indian Delegation.
A delegation of Ute Indians, accompanied by their agent, D. C. Oakes, Esq., and A. C. Hunt, of Colorado Territory, called on the commissioner of Indian Affairs to-day, merely to pay their respects to him. Other delegations will soon arrive, the object of all being to make treaties with the government.
Jan. 16, 1868: Evening Star: [Cherokee]
A Delegation from the Cherokee Nation of North Carolina, consisting of G. W. Bushyhead, principal chief, Johnson G. S. Key, Dalus Gusky, and Chno-we-whis-ka, arrived in the city yesterday, and are stopping at Joy's Hotel. Their object is to arrange for the payment of their annuities, which were unpaid while they were within the rebel lines.
Jan. 17, 1868: Sun [Baltimore]: [Cherokee]
A delegation of the Cherokee Nation of North Carolina is in the city, to arrange for the payment of their annuities, which were unpaid while they were within the rebel lines.
Feb. 3, 1868: Evening Star: [Ute]
Kit Carson in Washington.--General Kit Carson, whose name is celebrated in Western history, has arrived in this city from Colorado, and this morning paid his respects to Secretary Browning and the commissioner of Indian Affairs. Gen. Carson is accompanied by Ka-mache, a prominent chief of the Utah nation, and their visit here has reference to treaty relations with Government. This afternoon, accompanied by Gov. Hunt, of Colorado, and Judge Watts, of New Mexico, he visited Gen. Grant, and had a long interview with him. The party subsequently visited the War Department, and saw Generals Sherman and Sheridan. This is the first time General Carson has visited Washington since the year 1848.
Feb. 4, 1868: Daily National Intelligencer: [Cherokee; unid., mixed]
Funeral of a Prominent Cherokee.
Capt. James McDaniel, late of the 2d Indian regiment, United States volunteers, died on Saturday, the 1st instant, of pneumonia, after an illness of three days. He was a member of the delegation of Cherokees at present in this city on business for the Cherokee nation. Capt. McDaniel was among the first of his people, in the late war, to declare his preference for the United States, and served with great credit to himself in the army until the close of the war. He was one of the delegation of the "Northern Cherokee" who made the treaty of 1866, annulling all disfranchising and confiscating enactments of the Cherokee nation, which, followed by the wise and conciliatory administration of the present chief, Col. Lewis Downing, has resulted in bringing about a state of peace and harmony among that people not known for 260 years. Rev. Dr. Gray conducted the funeral ceremonies, which took place at 415 E street, between Eighth and Ninth, and were attended by a large number of citizens, with the several Indian delegations now in the city. Among the distinguished persons in attendance, we noticed Hon. N. G. Taylor, commissioner of Indian Affairs; Chas. E. Mix, chief clerk Indian Bureau; Gen. Thos Ewing, Col. Parker, of Gen. Grant's staff, and others. The corpse was taken to the Congressional Cemetery, preceded by a company of soldiers, and followed by a considerable number of carriages. At the grave the Hon. Lewis Downing, principal chief, through an interpreter, Hon. H D. Reese, one of the delegation, returned his thanks to the military, Gen. Grant, and the citizens, for their kindness and sympathy upon the sad occasion, in an eloquent and appropriate manner.
Feb. 6, 1868: Daily National Intelligencer: [Ute]
Indian Delegation at the Executive Mansion.
Yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, a delegation of ten Ute Indians, representing seven different bands, residing in the section of country between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the basin above the Great Salt Lake, visited the Executive Mansion, accompanied by the famous scout and trapper, General Kit Carson; Governor A. C. Hunt, of Colorado, Major, D. C. Oakes, and Lafayette Head, Indian agents; H. P. Bennett, Esq, secretary; Colonel A. G. Boone, a grandson of the famous Kentucky pioneer, Daniel Boone; Captain Shaffenburg and E. H. Kelogg, of Colorado; Hon. J. B. Bennett, of Nebraska, Judge Watts, of New Mexico; and the interpreter, Major U. M. Curtis.
The object of the visit of these Indians to the capital is to negotiate a treaty of confederation, whereby the whole of the Ute tribe will be reunited; and they have been summoned to Washington by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for this purpose.
They were presented to the President by Governor Hunt, and, at the conclusion of this introduction, Mr. Hunt alluded to the friendly relations which have always existed between their tribes and the whites.
President Johnson expressed himself as gratified to hear this good report, and assured them the Government would leave nothing undone to promote their welfare, and encourage a continuance of those friendly relations.
General Kit Carson, who has resided among them for many years, also spoke in their behalf, and had always found them willing to aid the white settlers, and faithful friends to all.
They were escorted through the Mansion by the President and expressed themselves to their interpreter as highly delighted at the friendly reception of the Great Father of the Nation.
Feb. 19, 1868: Sun [Baltimore]: [Potawatomi]
[Under heading, Letter from Washington. Feb. 18]
A delegation of five Potawatamie Indians has arrived here on business, and this morning they had
a short interview with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
[March 2, 1868: Treaty signed in Washington, D.C. with the Ute]
March 12, 1868: Daily National Intelligencer: [Sauk & Fox]
Indian Delegation.
At eleven o'clock yesterday morning a delegation of Fox and Sacs Indians, headed by their Chief, Keokuk, had an interview with the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Hon. N. G. Taylor. The Chief expressed the desire on the part of his people to cultivate friendly relations with the Government, and in reply to the remarks, Commissioner Taylor assured them they would find the Government every ready to encourage them in their good intentions and works.
March 17, 1868: Evening Star: [Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Potawatomi, Sauk & Fox;
Ute]
Indian Affairs.--Hampton B. Denman, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern Superintendency, had arrived in this city from Omaha, and reports everything quiet among the Indians of his Superintendency.
General Kit Carson accompanied by Gov. Hunt of Colorado, and the delegation of Ute Indians lately here left for their homes last week, having accomplished the object of their visit.
Delegations of the Sacs and Foxes, Potawatomies, Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and Chickasaws are still here on business with the Government.
April 4, 1868: Evening Star: [Isleta]
Visit of Indians to the President.--This morning Hon. C. P. Clever, Delegate from new Mexico, visited the President and presented two Puebla [sic] Indians, who are now stopping in this city, having business with the Government. The names of the Indians are Ambrosio Abeyta, and Alejandro Padilla. Abeyta is 78 years of age, and very wealthy. During the rebellion he loaned the Government officials in New Mexico $100,000 in gold and silver to ay our troops stationed there. Padilla is the Governor of Isleta, where the tribe resides. This tribe is civilized, and very friendly to the Government. They have a government of their own, and many of them are Christians. They had quite a lengthy interview with the President, who presented each of them with a copy of his photograph, and escorted them through the parlors and East room of the Executive Mansion.
April 5, 1868: New York Herald: [Isleta]
[Under heading, "Washington April 4"]
New Mexican Indians Presented to the President.
Mr. Clever, delegate to Congress from new Mexico, called on the President this morning, accompanied by two of the Pueblo, new Mexico tribe of Indians, who are now here. They paid their respects to the President, and were presented by him with his photograph and a gold medal. The names of these Indians are Ambrosia Abeyta and Alejandro Padilla. The former is very old and quite wealthy. The latter is governor of Isleta, new Mexico.
April 15, 1868: Evening Star: [Isleta]
Dedication of the Lincoln Monument. [Extract from long article]
Among those present were President Johnson, .....Ambrosio Abeita, Alejandro Padilla, Governor of the Pueblos of Isleta (one of the nineteen villages of the tribe in New Mexico)...
[April 27, 1868: Treaty signed in Washington, D.C. with the Cherokee]
May 6, 1868: Alexandria Gazette: [Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek]
Delegations from the Choctaw, Chicasaw [sic] and Creek Indians were presented to General Grant yesterday by Judge Paschall, of Texas. They propose to maintain peace on the frontier and Gen. Grant has asked them to present their views in writing.
May 6, 1868: Sun [Baltimore]: [Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek]
Indian Delegations to Gen. Grant.
Judge Paschall, of Texas, to-day presented to Gen. Grant delegations of Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek Indians. Among them were Pychlin, Folsom, McIntosh, Smith, Downing, Adair, Boadinot [sic], Reese, Scrasser and other influential aborigines. They expressed to General Grant their readiness, in behalf of the Southern tribes, to act as conservators of the peace and to preserve order on the frontier, at a saving of twenty millions of dollars a year to the government.--They were listened to with great attention by the general, and requested to state their plans in writing.
May 14, 1868: New York Herald: [Isleta]
New Mexican Indians in Court.--Yesterday morning Captain Jourdan, of the Sixth precinct, and officer Riker, of his force, brought before Justice Dowling a gentleman named John Ward, claiming to be an agent of the United States government, who had had some misunderstanding with two Indians named Antieni Albata [sic] and Alexander Padilla, the latter of whom is Governor of a tribe of Indians in new Mexico. The parties all came from new Mexico to Washington on some business connected with the government, Ward acting as interpreter. While the Mexican representatives of their tribe to our government were in Washington they received about $1,500, with which, accompanied by their interpreter, they came to this city and took lodgings at the hotel of Mr. Leech, corner of Bayard street and the Bowery. The Indians being unable to speak our language placed their money in the hands of their agent, who, for greater security, deposited it in the safe of Mr. Leech. The Indians seeing Mr. Ward about to leave the hotel in a carriage without them became impressed with the belief that he was going to decamp with their funds; hence a controversy arose between them which had a tendency to lead to a breach of the peace. On reaching the court Mr. Ward made a satisfactory explanation to the magistrate and also expressed a willingness to restore the money to the owners at once. Captain Jourdan was accordingly deputed to see that the dusky New Mexicans received their money, and at a later hour in the day the cash was paid over to the owners, who took the night train for Washington en route to their distant home.
[Aug. 13, 1868: Treaty signed in Washington, D.C. with the Nez Perce]