Letter-1844, February 28

Transcribed letter from R.W. Cummins, Indian Agent, Fort Leavenworth Agency to T. Hartley Crawford, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington City, D. C. dated Mar 14, 1844 with enclosed transcribed agreement between the Rev J.C. Berryman and the Delaware Chiefs dated Feb 28, 1844

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[Feb 28, 1844]

    We the undersigned Chiefs of the Delaware Nation, being invested with full authority to act in the premises for our nation whom we represent, do agree and bind ourselves as follows Viz.

    That we will encourage and patronize the Indian Manual Labour School now in opperation on the Shawanees land near the Fort Leavenworth Agency site. First by using our influence to send and keep a suitable number of the children of our Tribe in said Institution, and secondly by applying our school funds to its support, and our Great Father the President of the United States is hereby instructed, and respectfully requested, to cause to be paid over to Rev. J.C. Berryman, now Superintendent of said Institution, or to his successor in office the entire proceeds or interest arising in all our school funds annually for the ensuing ten years together with all arrearages due us to this time on said funds.

    And the said J.C. Berryman in behalf of said Institution agrees to receive and educate any number of Delaware children1not exceeding fifty at any one time without the consent of the superintendent of said Institution, it is herein understood that the Delaware children, from time to time sent to the above mentioned Institution, are to be comfortably clad and boarded at its expense.

    And we the undersigned Chiefs wish it to be understood that the instructions herein given to our great Father the President respecting our school funds, are intended to supercede all instructions previously given contrary to the spirit and intention of this agreement, and our agent Major R W Cummins is hereby requested to forward this agreement to the Department at Washington City with such explanations as he may think proper to give.

     I certify, on honor, that the above and forgoing agreement made and enterE into on the 28th of February, 1844, by and between the Rev. J.C. Berryman, Superintendent Indian Manual Labour School now in operation among the Shawanees within the Fort Leavenworth Agency, were by me carefully read and explained to the Delaware Chiefs whose names are thereunto annexed, and that they, the Chiefs, said that they well understood its contents, and that it contained the agreement and understanding which they had made with the rev. J.C. Berryman Supt. Ind. M.L. School, and that the Delaware Chiefs made their marks to their names thereunto annexed in my presence

Rich W Cummins
Indian Agent

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[Transcribed from National Archives Microfilm series M574, roll 63, frames 352-353 by Roger Berg Jr., August, 1992]