Letter-1860, May 3

Washington D. C.
May 3d. 1860

Sir

   Wishing to bring before you several matters of importance to the Shawnee Tribe of Indians and deeming a written statement the most concise and definite manner of communicating our wishes, and Mr. Fish and Mr. King having been deputed by the Shawnees to co-operate with Mr. Clark, do with him make the following statement

   1st. The Shawnee desire that the lands set apart for·absent Shawnees, and known as the absentee tract may be sold; the time allowed for the return of the absentees having expired the 2nd day of November last. The manner of sale having been left by the treaty unprovided for (evidently an over­sight) it is the wish of the tribe that the government shall appoint a commissioner who shall appraise the land and sell it at public sale, desiring that the land shall bring $75,000 and that this will be the surest way of realizing that amount. They further wish that the sale be made as soon as possible, that when made the government shall again treat with the Shawnees at large for the purpose of providing for the immediate investment of the proceeds in a body of land for the common benefit, rather than putting the money into the treasury of the United States where it is to remain five years without interest. A further reason why we desire further consultation or treaty with the government is that the reports of your agents show that the majority of the Shawnee are rapidly advancing in all the department of civilization and must soon be cut off from the, guarding control of the government, and that in another year our annuities will c1ose, such being the case it is  necessary that our affairs should be adjusted on a safe and secure basis, and since the making of the last treaty many things have occured worthy of consideration.

   2nd. The Nation are very much dissatisfied with the management of their schools, and desire some other disposition of their school fund than is now made. Six thousand dollars are annually expended by the Shawnees for schools and yet for the last two years they have scarcely been benefited to the amount of one hundred dollars annually, The fault does not lie in the Indians as reported by Mr. Agent Newson in his 1858 report but in the direction in which the money goes, and the manner in which it has been squandered. This whole sum is paid out to one man the Rev Thomas Johnson Missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, by means of contract with the Society and a sub contract between the Society and him for the purpose of keeping up an Indian manual labor school among the Shawnee, but instead of performing his duties in a just humane and honorable manner, the Shawnee children when sent to the Mission school complain of insufficient and unpalatable food, of neglect in sickness, and in many instances the children have [died] before the parents were ever informed of their sickness, and so little regard was paid to their health and cleanliness that when brought home the children were in many instances covered with body lice. For these and many other reasons the Shawnees have withdrawn their children from the Methodist mission school, and in several instances are sending them to the district schools among them and at their own expense, leaving less than twelve children at the Mission school to be educated for which Mr Johnson is pocketing six thousand dollars annually. So deplorable and desperate had become the condition of the school, that in November 1858 the Mission Society appointed a Committee conjointly with one of the Shawnees to examine into the condition of the School and devise some different and more suitable manner of using this school fund. They unanimously reported to change the fund out of its present course and that the mission contract be· rescinded; that a Commissioner be appointed to take charge of the fund and the Indians be permitted to send their children to any school they may choose, their tuition to be paid by the Commissioner out of the fund. A copy of the report and proceedings of the committee were handed to Mr Agent Newson with the request that he forward them to the Department, which we have been informed was never done by him. The fact of his not forwarding these papers, his general unwillingness to comply with our wishes, and the misrepresentation of the facts, contained in his 1858 report, constrains the Shawnees to believe that Mr. Agent Newson is in collusion with Mr. Johnson to retain the $6000 in his hands, and that Mr Newson gets a portion of it. To show you the action of that Committee we herewith submit the report made by them marked A. The present wish of the Shawnees is that the Mission contract be rescinded, the $6,000 annual school fund be placed in the hands of the Council and Chiefs, who shall make contracts with the various school districts in which the children reside or any higher schools, for the education of the children, and pay those districts or high schools, so much per capitum per annum. It is believed that nearly half that sum can be thus saved annually and added to the principal, that the children will be better educated and will be domesticated with their parents. To inform you of the present wish of the Shawnees in this matter we submit the memorial of the Chiefs and Council transmitted by Mr Clark marked B.

   3rd. The Baptist Mission having been closed it is the desire of the Shawnees that the lands set apart for their use be sold in accordance with the treaty stipulations. In view of the any kind acts and valuable services of the Society of Friends Mission it is the sincere wish of the Shawnees that the lands set apart for their use be confirmed unto them upon the terms set forth in the memorial herewith submitted marked C.

   4th. Concerns applications of certain ones to be admitted to share in the privileges of the treaty of 1854.

   5th. 6th. 7th. On the sale of lands and granting patents, complaining about the action of Agent Newson.

   8. There are certain of the Shawnees who have been sending their children to district schools in the territory and some at school in Ohio. Mr. Fish sends to of his to school in Ohio; Mr King, Mr Charles Fish, Mr Lucas and others are sending their children to the district schools; We are directed by the Chiefs and Councillors that the sum of $500 be paid to the Council to defray the expenses thus far incurred in their tuition.

   9th. The Agent still retains in his hands all of the orphan children patents; it is the wish of the Chiefs and Councillors that you will direct the Agent to deliver all of the orphan patents either to the Council or to the Childrens guardians.

   10th. In the tall of 1854 the Rev Thomas Johnson was made guardian of about thirty five Orphan Shawnee children, and entered into bond with the Shawnees for the faithful performance of his duties, and received their annuities for that year. There has not been any final settlement had with him since. We request that his bond be delivered to us so that we may settle up with him.

   11th  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Respy Your obs Ser
Peachal Fish
Chief & delegate

Matthew King  )
) delegates
Edward Clark   )

Hon. A.B. Greenwood
Com. Indian Affairs

[Photostat copy in MSS. Dept, K.S.H.S.]