Letter-1839, June 3

Fort Leavenworth Agency
June 3 1839

   Sir: David Kinnear, school teacher to the Kickapoos Indians, under treaty stipulation &c. wishing to pay a visit to his friends in the State of Ohio, and offering to furnish a Miss Lee as substitute to teach the school in his place until he returned. I consented to the arrangement on the following conditions, vis. for Miss Lee to teach the school for him until he returned, if not approved of by the commissioners, his pay to stop from the time he left until he returned. He started the last of May & expects to be gone about three months. Mr. Kinnear is a member of the Methodist Church, In consequence of his qualifications being well adapted to teach and manage Indian children, the agent of the Manual Labor School wishes to procure his services as teacher as soon as the school goes into operation, and as he has been closely engaged in the Indian Country for a long time, and intended to visit his friends next year, it was thought most advisable for him to go at this time. I am informed that Miss Lee has taught school in the State of N. York near twenty years. She was brought out here by the Society for a teacher of female children in the Manual Labor School. I have no doubt but she is well qualified to discharge the duties.

   Be pleased to request a reply from the Comms., as I wish to pay Mr. Kinnear, in accordance with his decision.

I am very Respectfully
Your Ob. svt.
Richd W. Cummins
Indian Agent

Major J. Pilcher
S. I. affs.
St. Louis

[U.S. Superintendency or Indian Affairs, v. 8, pp. 5, 6.]