Letter-1844, April 10

Transcribed letter from R.W. Cummins, Indian Agent, Fort Leavenworth Agency regarding support of the Indian Manual Labor School by various tribes dated Apr 10, 1844

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[April 10, 1844]

    The 20 article of the Choctaw treaty of 1830 provides that “$ 2,500 annually shall be given for the support of three teachers of school for 20 years.”

    The 3rd section of the Choctaw law of 30 Nov 1842 provides that “the sum of $2500 per annum now expended for three district schools shall be applied to the support of the Naniwaya academy so long as it is [?] by the nation”

    $200 appropriated under the treaty with Chippewas of 1842 for support of schools for the Indians party to treaty”

    The amt. remitted to W [Steward?]

    Kanza – letter c 1442 [1842?] – encloses report of Comr Manual labor school etc etc with copies of two communications from him to Maj. Pilcher about schools “desire of Kanzas to send some of their children”

    Letter from Maj Cummins – May 11 ’41 not marked filed – was referred to commr [Kerntz ?]

    P-1044 encloses letter from R W C[ummins] [?] report of supt commr of manual labor school etc.

    Letter from Pilcher June 28 ’41 marked filed refd to “mix” – neither of the above can be found neither was received [this line was in a different hand than the rest]

1st        I think the $2,500 under the circumstances may be applied according to the law passed by the Choctaw council, the United States concurring in this [?] division of the fund — the sum mentioned must herewith be paid to the Choctaw authorities who must themselves apply it.

2nd      I do not think the distribution of the Chippewa $2000 fund should be disturbed.

3rd       I have endeavored to discover the means of appropriating more or less of the school fund of the Kansas to the education of children at the Methodist Manual Labor School in the Shawnee Country, but was hampered by the want of authority. The treaty promises that the money is to be expended ‘/for the education of the Kansas children within their nation” [? ?] In time this might be departed from by the consent of both parties, but the only [device?] that I can find in my files per to Kansas is “to send some of their children” –

Ap. 10/44
RW C[ummins]

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[Transcribed from National Archives Microfilm series MS74, roll 63, frames 303-304 by Roger Berg Jr, August, 1992]