American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971

American Indians and the
American West, 1809-1971

American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971 is part of ProQuest History
Vault’s category of collections on American Politics and Society.
This module consists of a variety of collections from the U.S. National Archives, a series
of collections from the Chicago History Museum, as well as selected first-hand accounts
on Indian Wars and westward migration.
One of the highlights of this module is the focus on American Indians in the first half of
the 20th century, a period that has not been studied in as much detail as the calamitous
19th century.
The two major collections from the 20th Century are the Records of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs and records from the Major Council Meetings of American Indian Tribes. In
addition, there are a number of excellent collections on American Indians in the 19th
century, with a focus on the interaction among white settlers, the U.S. Federal
government and Indian tribes, particularly in the aftermath of the American Civil War.
Other records highlight the tensions caused by westward expansion of the post-Civil War
years. A series of records on Indian Removal to the West rounds out this collection,
consisting of letters and reports by Indian agents, government employees, individual
Indians and other citizens about the removal process.
Please see the examples of records from these collections on the following pages.

American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971
Letter from Captain J. B. Clark
informing General George
Gibson that he will be ready as
soon as he is called to
participate in the removal of the
Choctaw Indians. This letter is
indicative of the collection’s
focus on the military and
administrative details of Indian
removal.
This letter is in the collection
entitled Indian Removal to the
West, 1832-1840: Files of the
Office of the Commissary
General of Subsistence
(Source: National Archives
Building, Washington, D.C.)
The Office of the Commissary
General of Subsistence oversaw
the removal process.

From Indian
Removal to the
West, 1832-
1840: Files of
the Office of the
Commissary
General of
Subsistence
(Source:
National
Archives
Building,
Washington,
D.C.)
Additional
information
about this letter
is on the next
page

“[The U.S. government is] aware that by your advice the Indians have in many
instances withdrawn from their engagements to emigrate the present season—and
by this conduct [of resisting removal] are losing the benefit of removing at the
period best fitted for such operations. If you value the welfare of your people why
shut your eyes to the evils and sufferings such counsel must inevitably entail upon
them—upon you rests the responsibility of the consequences dreadful as they may
be and when the period arrives for carrying out the provisions of the treaty and the
imperative mandate of the law must be executed by the United States, the
Cherokees compelled to leave their present homes unprepared, will perceive too
late that they have been misled by false hopes and may bitterly repent amid tears
and blood having listened to such advice” (101098-015-0473, emphasis added).
John Mason Jr., an Indian agent, wrote these words on November 24, 1837, to a
Cherokee delegation visiting Washington, D.C., to protest the removal of Cherokee
Indians from North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. Mason, as a
government representative, was trying to convince the delegation to return home
and begin encouraging their fellow Cherokee to relocate west of the Mississippi
River as soon as possible so as to take advantage of the best travel season. Most
Cherokee did not willingly move west, and Mason’s words would prove prophetic
as the Cherokee were forcibly removed during 1838–1839 in what became known
as “The Trail of Tears.”
From Indian Removal to the West, 1832-1840: Files of the Office of the
Commissary General of Subsistence (Source: National Archives Building,
Washington, D.C.)

The Office of the Commissary
General of Subsistence explained
subsistence as “all types of
Subsistence for Indians: corn, Beef,
Salt, rations etc.,” transportation as
“Steam boat hire, Wagon hire,
purchases and expenses of
Wagons, horses, oxen, boats,
purchases of forage for teams and
Subsistence for Teamsters;
commutation of Transportation;
ferriages etc.,” and contingencies as
“the pay and Transportation of
agents, Clerks, Teamsters,
Interpreters and expenses; the cost
of Tools and of all other implements;
the expense incurred in the opening
of roads; hospital expenses etc.”
(101098-009-0663)
From Indian Removal to the West,
1832-1840: Files of the Office of
the Commissary General of
Subsistence (Source: National
Archives Building, Washington,
D.C.)

President Andrew Jackson also wrote to the Indians encouraging them to leave their land for
western reservations. Writing to Seminole chiefs, he stated, “If you listen to the voice of friendship
& truth you will go quietly & voluntarily. But should you listen to the bad birds that are always flying
about you & refuse to remove I have thus directed the Commanding officer to remove you by
force” (101098-007-0353).
From Indian Removal to the West, 1832-1840: Files of the Office of the Commissary General
of Subsistence (Source: National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.)
There is a larger image of this letter on the next page.

The Cherokee and Creek removal documents
contain many journals and letters that
discuss, at length, the actual removals. Here
is one example:
“We worked hard and suffered much from
day Light until sun down to get six and
sometimes ten miles, it rained snowed or
hailed almost Every day and freezing at the
same time. We were compelled to thaw
the…blankets before we could roll them up to
put them in the wagons in the morning, the
Indian children and sick Indians had to go in
the waggons [sic] on top of their Baggage and
to prevent them from freezing we were
compelled to have fires along the road, and
take them out and warm them, dry their
blankets that were wrapped around them and
replace them again in the waggons [sic]. Strict
attention had to be paid to this or some must
inevitably have perished and there was a
continual crying from morning until night with
the children” (101098-005-0142, letter from
John Page).
From Indian Removal to the West, 1832-
1840: Files of the Office of the
Commissary General of Subsistence
(Source: National Archives Building,
Washington, D.C.)

Another example of the Cherokee and Creek
removal documents that discuss the removal
process
“I laboured early and Late to get them to their
New country. I never did witness or experience
anything to equal the scenes of the trip in My
Life and hope it will never be my Lot to do it
again. Many persons pronounced it Murder in
the highest degree for me to move Indians or to
compell [sic] them to march in such severe
weather when they were dying Every day with
the influenza, but I am well convinced it was
the only thing that kept them alive
notwithstanding their Exposure” (101098-005-
0147-0148, letter from John Page).
From Indian Removal to the West, 1832-
1840: Files of the Office of the Commissary
General of Subsistence (Source: National
Archives Building, Washington, D.C.)

“Apache war over.” With these three words
written from Fort Bowie, Arizona, on
September 6, 1886, General Nelson A. Miles
marked the end of an era. On September 4,
1886, the legendary Apache
warrior, Geronimo, and his followers, the
“Hostile Apaches” in the words of General
Miles, surrendered to the U.S. Army, ending
the last organized resistance to the U.S.
government by Indians not already confined to
a reservation.
This letter is found in the collection entitled
Apache Campaign of 1886, Records of the
U.S. Army Continental Commands,
Department of Arizona (Source: National
The Apache Campaign of 1886 collection
documents in extensive detail the last year of
the U.S. Army’s pursuit of Geronimo. While the
majority of the correspondence is from 1886,
the collection also includes material from 1885
and some scattered correspondence from
before 1885.

Geronimo, a Chiricahua Apache, left the San Carlos
Indian Agency for the final time on May 17, 1885.
He had previously left the reservation numerous
times only to be pursued and returned by the U.S.
Army. His final excursion was expected, but army
units could not reach the reservation in time to stop
him and his band from leaving. In a telegram dated
May 17, 1885, Captain F. E. Pierce reports that
“Geronimo & Mangus contemplate leaving the
reservation tonight. They will have probably twenty
or twenty five men of whom not more than two
thirds are armed. As soon as Gatewood gets some
of his scouts together I will start with them & with
such of my own that I think I can rely on & will arrest
both and such others as may be with them. They
will get off before I may reach their camp so
Gatewood will follow with some scouts & 2 Co’s of
Cavalry from the post under command of Capt.
Smith.”
This telegram is found in the collection entitled
Apache Campaign of 1886, Records of the U.S.
Army Continental Commands, Department of
Arizona (Source: National Archives Building,
Washington, D.C.)

In a telegram dated May
18, 1885, a Lieutenant
Walsh confirms that
“Geronimo, Mangus,
Chihuahua and Natchez
with about fifty bucks left at
dark last night. Capt.
Smith, two troops Cavalry,
Gatewood & Lieut. Davis
with scouts are on trail.”2 It
would take nearly eighteen
months, two commanding
generals, and numerous
casualties before
Geronimo’s final excursion
would be ended.
This telegram is found in
the collection entitled
Apache Campaign of
1886, Records of the U.S.
Army Continental
Commands, Department
of Arizona (Source:
National Archives
Building, Washington,
D.C.)

The first page of Lieutenant Charles B.
Gatewood’s October 15, 1886, announcing
the surrender of Geronimo.
This report is significant because General
Miles downplayed Gatewood’s role in the
capture, in favor of Captain H. E. Lawton.
This might be partially explained by the fact
that Lawton was Gatewood’s superior
officer.
Recent works by historians have recognized
Gatewood’s contribution.
This letter is found in the collection entitled
Apache Campaign of 1886, Records of
the U.S. Army Continental Commands,

Trinidad Bardine was captured by Apache
Indians when she was ten years old. On the
day she was captured, she witnessed the
death of her sister and her sister’s baby. Her
brother-in-law was apparently also captured
and killed sometime later. Trinidad
accompanied her captors on their
escapades through U.S. and Mexican
territory and witnessed further violence and
death. Her story is recounted on 103033-
003-0642. The first page of her story is
shown here. Bardine was finally rescued by
army personnel. She is mentioned one other
time in the collection, in a one-page letter
dated July 21, 1886. The letter requests
“appropriation on behalf of one Trinidad
Bardine, a captive child rescued from
Geronimo’s band of Indians.” (103933-008-
0624)
From Apache Campaign of 1886, Records
of the U.S. Army Continental Commands,

The U.S. Army used many Indian
scouts during the Apache
Campaign. Here is a list of the
scouts submitted by Second
Lieutenant Powhatan H. Clarke of
the 10th Cavalry.
From Apache Campaign of 1886,
Records of the U.S. Army
Continental Commands,
Department of Arizona (Source:
National Archives Building,
Washington, D.C.)

Second Lieutenant G. W. Ruther of the 8th
Infantry submitted this scouting report on
June 6, 1886 (the first page is shown
here).
The report covered a scouting trip made by
men under his command from May 31 to
June 4, 1886. (101098-Reel 5, Frame
0971–0974)
This report is found in the collection
entitled Apache Campaign of 1886,
Records of the U.S. Army Continental
Commands, Department of Arizona
(Source: National Archives Building,
Washington, D.C.)
The reports from scouting trips are one of
the most valuable features of the
collection.

Minutes of the Navajo Tribal Council, Fort
Defiance, Arizona, July 7-8, 1926
As the governing bodies of the Navajo
Nation, the tribal councils considered all
topics of importance to the members of the
tribe, including claims, mineral rights, tribal
funds, water supply and irrigation, the role
of Indian government, hunting and fishing
rights, timber rights, taxes, employment,
home building, culture and religion, and
health and education.
From Major Council Meetings of
American Indian Tribes, Part 1, Section
1, 1914-1956: Navajo, Five Civilized
Tribes, Ute, Pueblo, Cheyenne, and
Arapaho
(Source: National Archives, Washington,
D.C.)

American Indians
and the American
West, 1809-1971
Special Meeting of the Principal
Chiefs of the Cherokee, Creek,
Choctaw, and Seminole Nations;
Governor of the Chickasaw Nation;
Representatives of the
Five Civilized Tribes; and
Representatives of the Indian
Centennial Board of Directors.
Muskogee, Oklahoma. August 4,
1949.
From Major Council Meetings of
American Indian Tribes, Part 1,
Section 1, 1914-1956: Navajo, Five
Civilized Tribes, Ute, Pueblo,
Cheyenne, and Arapaho
(Source: National Archives,
Washington, D.C.)

From Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: Central
Classified Files, 1907–1939, Series A: Indian
Delegations to Washington, Source: National
Archives, College Park, Maryland.
The records in this series highlight efforts by Native
Americans to express their concerns regarding
conditions on reservations and within Indian
agencies, and issues such as land allotment and
tenancy.

From Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: Central Classified
Files, 1907–1939, Series B: Indian Customs and Social
Relations, Source: National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
This collection of Bureau of Indian Affairs records focuses on
the federal government’s efforts to “Americanize” Native
Americans. This document pertains to Coeur d’Alene
dances.

The 1930s marked a period of transition
for Indian schools. Many boarding
schools were closing down. Some were
converting into day schools while others
were transferring students to existing
Indian day and public schools. The
changes did not always run smoothly.
Proposals to integrate Indian students
into public schools were accepted more
readily in the 1930s than in previous
decades, but some communities still put
up a formidable resistance. In 1933
employees of the Sante Fe Railroad near
the Colorado River agency signed a
petition to keep Indian children out of
white schools. John Collier responded to
the action diplomatically but firmly in the
letter on the left.
From Records of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Central Classified Files, 1907-
1939, Series D: Education, Part 1:
General Organization, Regulations,
and Types of Schools
Source: National Archives, College Park,
Maryland

Letter from Keva Morgan, a resident on the
Pine Ridge Reservation to Commissioner of
Indian Affairs, John Collier, regarding
conditions at Pine Ridge. This letter is just one
example of letters from American Indians
themselves in this collection. The collection
includes letters from Indian teachers and from
parents advocating on behalf of their children.
From Records of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Central Classified Files, 1907-1939,
Series D: Education, Part 2:
Correspondence and Reports on
Reservation Day and Boarding Schools
Section B: Pine Ridge through Zuni
Source: National Archives, College Park,
Maryland

Invoice of
merchandise for
the trade of the
Lower Mississippi
and its
dependencies
delivered in
charge of Russell
Farnham for joint
account of him
and American Fur
Company per
agreement.
Source: Chicago
History Museum
Collections on
Native Americans
and the American
West – American
Fur Company
Records

Source: Chicago History
Museum Collections on Native
Americans and the American
West – Story of the
Winnebagoes
The Story of the Winnebagoes
consists of Norton William
Jipson’s apparently
unpublished manuscript history
of the Winnebago Indians. In
the preface to the work, Jipson
wrote that his goal was to
“write an authentic history of
the Winnebago Indians.”

In addition to the manuscript and
archival sources in American
Indians and the American West,
this module always contains
selected official histories, army
reports, and personal
reminiscences regarding
interactions between whites and
American Indians and military life
on the western frontier. The
document shown at right is one
example of these documents.
This is a page from a report by
Captain John G. Bourke entitled,
“Mackenzie’s Last Fight with the
Cheyennes: A Winter Campaign
in Wyoming and Montana.”

contains a number of collections that were never sold in
microfilm format.
These collections are:
• The U.S. Army in the Era of Indian Removal, Case Files of
Military Courts and Commissions
• The U.S. Army in the Era of Indian Removal, Papers of
Quartermaster General Thomas S. Jesup, 1818-1852
• American Indians and the U.S. Army: Department of
Columbia, 1876-April 1878
• American Indians and the U.S. Army: Department of the
Northwest, 1862-1865
• Records of the U.S. Army Continental Commands:
Department of the West, 1853-1861
• Records of the U.S. Army Continental Commands:
Division of West Mississippi, 1864-1865
• American Indians and the U.S. Army: Records of the
Yellowstone Expedition, and U.S. Army District of
Yellowstone and Yellowstone Command, 1872-1881
• American Indians and the U.S. Army: Department of New
Mexico, 1853-1866
• American Indians and the U.S. Army: Department of
Oregon, 1858-1860
• Chicago History Museum Collections on Native
Americans and the American West
The document on the left is American Indians and the U.S.
Army: Records of the Yellowstone Expedition, and U.S.
Army District of Yellowstone and Yellowstone
Command, 1872-1881
Source: National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.

American Politics and Society from Kennedy to Watergate
• Complementary content to the
American Indians and the American
West module in History Vault can be
found in American Politics and Society
from Kennedy to Watergate. This
module contains two interesting
collections on American Indians in the
1960s and 1970s.
• These collections are:
Records of the National Council on
Indian Opportunity
and
FBI Files on the American Indian
Movement.
• A blog post on this content is available
here:
http://www.proquest.com/blog/2014/Th
e-Civil-Rights-Movement-and-the-
Plight-of-the-American-Indian.html

For more information on this module, see the brochure on the modules in the History Vault
category of American Politics and Society:
http://media2.proquest.com/documents/HistoryVaultAmericanPoliticsSociety.pdf
In addition, the collection title list for History Vault, including the titles in American Indians
and the American West, 1809-1871 is available at this link:
http://media2.proquest.com/documents/HistoryVaultTitleList2015.pdf
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American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971

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Editor's Notes