The Saga of Rebecca Williams Daughter of Bill and Rachel Colbert

Excerpt from Inteviews in Petions to Transfer
National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas - Perry Files  File #1

This is a complicated story, most of which will be found in the documents attached to the Perry Files from the National Archives in Fort Worth, Texas. This file reflects several people who are the children of Bill and Rachel Colbert, most of whom were placed on the Chickasaw Freedmen Roll. Their names are Ellen Perry, Nancy Fulsom, Rebecca Williams, Prior Allen, Dicy Jiggetts, Robert Burney and Bill Colbert.

It is through the testimony of daughter Rebecca Williams that much of this story comes, thus her story is the focus.

If one looks at her Dawes card, one will see a simple card, with two people, Rebecca and her son David.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman File #877

Reverse Side of Card

The interview is a one sentence statement--the typical summary written by the Dawes Commission.

The "official" Dawes Interview of Rebecca Wiliams (later found to have been given by Julius Fulsom)

But in the petition to transfer to the rolls by blood, another story emerges. It is the story of a mixed blood African Chickasaw woman, Rebecca Williams--nee Colbert. Her mother was a Chickasaw woman called Rachel Colbert. Her father was a mixed Black-Chickasaw man who was a slave known as Bill Colbert. Bill Colbert was the son of Chickasaw Burney and an African slave woman.

In 1906 Rebecca submitted a petition to transfer to the roll of Chickasaw by Blood. Her rationale was that she was raised by her mother before the Civil War--her mother being a Chickasaw Indian. She never lived as a slave. Her father did live as a slave, and until the war ended, he resided with his master Frank Colbert. Her parents did not live together--several miles apart.

And then her story emerges on how she came to be placed on the Freedman roll. She appeared at the Dawes Commission to enroll as a Chickasaw by Blood. She was not allowed to go into the proper tent where Chickasaw Indians were permitted to go. And from there, her story emerges.

Petition to Transfer: Perry Files #1

The line of questioning directed to Rebecca refers to her as "Aunt Becky" an expression often directed at African American women. They were going to charge her with fraudulently enrolling as a freedman, because she was seeking to be placed on the roll reflecting her Chickasaw by blood status. She was requesting that her name be removed from the Freedman roll

Perry Files

Rebecca then points out that it was not she, who testified at the Dawes Commission, but a man who testified and who even gave the name of the wrong person as her mother, citing the name of Charity Allen, and not her real mother Rachel Colbert. In addition---he did not even include all of Rebecca's children. She then described in her interview, the scene that unfolded when she tried to enter the tent for Indians.

Perry Files

Rebecca continues to describe the exchange:

The scenario that she described was that of a woman who realized that something was being stolen from her----her own identity. Thus the denial of her being able to register in the category into which she identified brought about strong emotional stress. She wept aloud and her reaction caused a scene at the enrollment.

It must be stated that Rebecca never denied her father. She was simply claiming the identity that she had--that of being a Chickasaw, and the scenario that she described was being forced to forego one for the other. She had the blood of both parents and she, as a mixed blood Chickasaw was not allowed to enter the same arena where other mixed bloods went since those who were mixed white and Chickasaw were entering in a place she was not permitted to enter, simply for having a black father.

On her behalf, a witness was brought in who could verify the situation that Rebecca Williams described. Dan Russell, saw the exchange between Rachel and the commissioners and verified that what she described was true.

These pages are all excerpts from Petition to Transfer File Number 1. It is noted that the often seen summaries were also not only mis-statements, but in many cases, the person whose name appears on the card, was not allowed to speak at all about their history. And cases such as this one focusing on Rebecca Williams, all speak to the mixed blood, African Chickasaw and African Choctaws, who were forced to wear the "Freedman" badge of slavery, as the rolls were being constructed.

Many justify the cases as being that the "tradition" was matrilineal one, however, in this case the mother of these Freedmen---Rachel Colbert was Chickasaw. They were given the status of Freedmen because of a father who had been enslaved. Yet, in this case--the father Bill Colbert himself was the son of Burney a Chickasaw, thus he-a mixed blood Freedmen carried the blood of his Chickasaw father, but was still himself a "Freedman", because of his African mother. And all of his children were place on the rolls as Freedmen, in spite of their Chickasaw mother.

There were letters in the file that indicated that her name was stricken from the Freedman roll, however and she and her siblings were allowed to be transferred to the roll by blood. However, there does not appear to be a number "by blood" for them, on any database, although they were removed from the Freedman roll.

The complexity of families from both Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations is immense. But the fact remains that these children from the communities knew who they were. And in some cases, their identity was being forever stolen by a racially biased policy that sought to punish African descended citizens for being who they were---the children of their parents, carrying the blood of their African fathers.

There are 70 pages in this file. Surprisingly, the final page reflects that of a multiple generation hand-drawn pedigree chart, for the children of Bill and Rachel Colbert. Because of the series of interviews, and the words of daughter Rebecca, all of the descendants of Bill and Rachel Colbert can speak to their well documented past.  Whether or not they or their descendants today can enroll in the nation as Chickasaws, they can point out that they descend from their Chickasaw mother Rachel, daughter of her Chickasaw parents, and they also descend from father Bill Colbert, who also carries the blood of his Chickasaw father Burney. They are all the children of their Chickasaw fathers.

(This is the last and final posting for a 30-day commitment to post an article every day, during November, for Native American Heritage Month. The goal was to document a family of Freedmen from either Choctaw and/or Chickasaw Nation, who had a family tie, a blood tie to either group. The families came from the category classified as Freedmen. Many had strong family ties to those recognized as citizens by blood. Many who descend from the families presented this month, are not allowed to enroll today---a practice followed by the former slave-holding tribes to this day.

Although the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma did finally re-admit Freedmen descendants in 2017 after a decades-long series of court battles from the 1980s, all of the former slave holding tribes have at some time in the past century disenfranchised their former slaves or the descendants of their former slaves, and prevent their continued presence in the tribes. Yet, many of the same descendants still speak to their historical tie to the tribe, and embrace this history as still being a relevant part of their history and their current identity.

Many who descend from Freedmen, do not have the blood of an Indian parent, but they do have the blood of their parents who were born in, and died in the Indian Nation where they were enslaved. They were born, lived, toiled and died as people of an Indian-influenced and Indian-nurtured culture. They carried the blood of their fathers and mothers of Indian Territory, regardless of the color.

The Freedmen descendants are not invisible, nor are they going away. It is to their history and their heritage that this series of posts for November 2019,  has been dedicated.)

Lydia Newberry, Daughter of Caldonia Newberry, Daughter of Ben Love

The petition of Lydia Newberry  requesting to be transferred to the blood roll, is a significant one. It is Lydia's petition, that reflects the history of another significant family of litigants and advocates for Chickasaw Freedmen. Lydia submitted a petition to transfer to the rolls of Chickasaw Freedmen, in 1906 and it is revealed that through her mother's lineage as well as her father's that she had a very strong blood tie to the Chickasaw Nation.

Lydia's parents were Caldonia Newberry and Wiley Newberry. Her mother Caldonia was the daughter of Ben Love, who signed one of the early treaties, for removal to the west. On her father's side, Lydia, also called Liddy was the daughter of Wiley Newberry, who was the son of Suckatubbee (Sakktabbi), a full and recognized Chickasaw Indian.

The entire petition is included in this case because as well known as Ben Love was among Chickasaws, it is remarked that his name was not on a roll of Chickasaws by blood. This would be the case because prior to the Dawes Roll---there was no roll known as a roll by blood among Chickasaws. Furthermore, Ben---Benjamin Love was from the prominent Love family in the Chickasaw Nation, and he was brother to Robert Love both sons of the well known Thomas Love, from the years before removal.

And another page found in the document outlines part of her genealogical pedigree.

On the documents from the Enrollment cards of the Dawes Commission, Liddy's name appears on the car with her mother Caldonia Newberry. The family was a large one and their names appear on Chickasaw Freedmen 235. The official slave holder of Caldonia, was Chickasaw Elsie Newberry. Lydia's name appears as Liddy Newberry.

On the card she identified her father as Chickasaw Ben Love, and her mother an enslaved woman known as Mariah Love. Liddy's father was Wiley Newberry and it is her father who is said on the petition to have been the son of Suckatubbee. Several grandchildren are also listed on the card for Caldonia's family.

The official interview is presented as a summarized statement, and once again, one sees the statements pertaining strictly to the name of the Chickasaw slave holder. Family ties or connections to recognized Chickasaws goes unaddressed in the summary. 

Cleary the information that Caldonia's father was Chickasaw, had to be taken recorded by the stenographer,  because on the card--it identifies in every case that the name father was never "owned" by anyone--because the father was Chickasaw or Choctaw Indian. In this case--the father was Chickasaw Indian and it was noted also on Caldonia's card.

The petition of Lydia Newberry, and that of the family of Caldonia Newberry to transferred to the roll by blood was was not approved, and they remained on the Freedmen roll. However, clearly the information on their lineage that extended back generations, to persons well known before removal was not included, nor made part of the official file. However these families had a strong identity and relationship not only within their family circle, but also to other families within the nation. They could share the names of their ancestors prior to removal and their sense of who they were remained intact.

The descendants of Lydia Newberry, daughter of Caldonia Love, daughter of Ben Love, have a legacy that goes back further to Thomas Love, The descendants of Lydia Newberry and all of Caldonia and Wiley  Newberry's children  extends back to Suckatubbee (Sakkitubbi), and others still in Mississippi. The families also overlap with other families such as that of Bettie Ligon, head Litigant in Equity 7071 case. Bettie was the daughter of Robert Love, a brother to Ben Love--Caldonia Newberry's father.

This African-Chickasaw family is a strong one with proven ties in multiple directions. Theirs is a strong legacy that continues, and the Newberry Ligon, Jackson lines that descend from Caldonia and Wiley have a strong identity deeply rooted in Chickasaw history. Their legacy continues for they were the children of their Chickasaw fathers.

Rebecca Samuels' Legacy

Rebecca Samuels submitted a petition to be transferred from the roll of Chickasaw Freedmen to that of Chickasaws by Blood. She was the daughter Gibson Kemp and her mother was a half Chickasaw half African woman known as Amanda Kemp. She was also requesting transfer for her son Iberson Montgomery and her two other children, Bertha and Clarence.

National Archives Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files: File Number 131 Image Number 8

The names of Rebecca and her children also appear on Chickasaw Freedman card number 284. Also on the card was the name of her sister Mollie Holder. Because she and her sister were born after the Civil War, they were not born enslaved.  

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #284

On the reverse side of the card, the name of her father Gibson Kemp is found, and on the card it was indicated that he was Chickasaw Indian. She and sister Mollie were full siblings, as both of them had the same parents. Their mother had been enslaved and was one of many Chickasaw Freedmen known as Jackson Kemp.

Reverse Side of Card

The interview that accompanies the enrollment card has some useful information. The questions and answers do not appear in this "interview" however, the statement or summary that was placed in her file is revealing. On Rebecca's card, her mother is Manda (Amanda) Kemp. On the card, Manda was said to have been deceased. In the summarized statement by Rebecca, her mother's name is mentioned but also the name of Amanda's father is given--John Kemp. And a very important notation is given in the statement--that notation being to refer to Chickasaw Freedman Card 274.

National Archives Publication Number M1301
Interview from Chickasaw Freedman File 284

The enrollment card #274 was quite revealing, because it reflects the name of John Kemp--grandfather of Rebecca Samuels.  He was 98 at the time of removal, and over 100 when the rolls were closed.  He enrolled with wife Meline, and sons Gabriel and Louis.

Chickasaw Freedman Card 274

And wonderfully--he provides the names of his parents Louis and Jennie. Considering the age of John Kemp--grandfather to Rebecca--the names of his parents take the family history back to the 1700s, which is rare for descendants of enslaved who were taken to Indian Territory. If John was 98 when he applied, taking his birth back to the early 1800s then clearly his parents were born in the late 1700s.

The interview statement of John Kemp from file 274 is one of the rarest to find among Chickasaw Freedmen. He was a man in his late 90s, who was able to provide detailed information on almost every single child he and wife Melanie had. In addition, he provides the names of the spouses of their children as well as their grandchildren. 

Summary of Interview in Application Jacket for Chickasaw Freedmen 274

Petitioner Rebecca does not appear in his summarized statement, nor does Amanda who was possibly a first wife, long deceased. However, he was clearly prepared for his interview and strove to document his legacy. The children and grandchildren, of John Kemp are all related to Rebecca, her descendants and those of her children and sister Mollie. They all have a strong African legacy as strong as their Chickasaw legacy.

The legacy of this Kemp family goes back to their African forbears Louis and Jennie, whose names must be said.  And likewise to their Chickasaw forbears in the Kemp line. They are also the descendants of their Chickasaw father.

Sam L. Wright, and his Chickasaw Forbears

Sam. L. Cobert of Idabel in the Choctaw Nation, in 1906 submitted a petition to be transferred to the roll of Chickasaw by Blood. He was placed on the roll of Choctaw Freedmen initially, however, he was addressing his blood tie to Chickasaws by blood. His father was identified as Wright Colbert, the son of July Colbert, the son of Green Colbert. His mother, was identified as Abigail Stevens. Sam, was in his 30s and was born toward the end of the Civil War. He was held in bondage by Robert Jones, the wealthiest slave holder in the Choctaw Nation.

In the petition he presented a 4 generation pedigree. He was the son of Wright Colbert. Wright Colbert was the son of July Colbert. July Colbert was the son of Green Colbert, a full blood Choctaw. Also from his mother's side there was another tie to Chickasaws. Abigail was the daughter of a Chickasaw named Sampson Gunn, and an enslaved woman known as Membra (Membry). Membra was held in bondage by Susan Colbert Jones, wife of Robert Jones the slave holder. (She was from the Colbert family of wealthy Chickasaw Colbert family. In fact, Gov. Winchester Colbert was Susan Colbert's brother.)

So in this case though Sam himself was enslaved by Robert Jones, he had a strong blood tie to the Chickasaw Colbert family. Sam's mother Abigail was also the daughter of  Green Colbert .

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files: File Number 72  Image #4

Of course the statement that the name of Sam Wright did not appear on any Chickasaw roll is used to justify their decision. The Chickasaw Nation did not honor to treaty signed by them in 1866 to end slavery and to make the Freedmen citizens of the tribe--so there was no possible way for Sam or his mother to have had their names placed on a roll of any kinds. The fact that the names of his gather and grandfather do not appear is also stated, but there was no roll for them to appear on during their lifetime, so gain, the commissioners had a policy to use the impossibility of of families connected through slavery to enroll.

On the enrollment card, Sam Wright's name appears on Choctaw Freedman Card #1248 because he was enslaved by Choctaw Robert Jones.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #1248

He identifies his father Wright Colbert, and his mother Abigail Steven, as well on the card.  

Reverse Side of Card

The multiple generation data presented in the petition was not present in the official Dawes application Jacket reflecting Sam Wright. The focus was slavery and identification of the Indian slave holder. 

National Archives Publication M1301
Interview in Application Jacket for Chickasaw Freedman Card 1248

It is noted that Susan was not deceased at the time, therefore, she was enrolled on her own card

 Chickasaw Freedman Card Number 1172

And on her card, she clearly identified her mother as Membra (Membry)

Reverse Side of Card

The interview found in Sam's mother Abigail's file is interesting. The typical questions were asked about her status as a slave, and who the slave holder was. The question was whether she was officially held in bondage by Robert Jones, or by his wife Susan. She referred to Robert, Jones, but when asked if he really owned her, her response was that he raised her. She was addressing the fact that they had a relationship. The questioning moved quickly beyond that, and subsequently because of her tie to the Colbers, she was enrolled as a Chickasaw Freedman.

In spite of the biased policy of forcing those who had blood ties  to persons on the blood roll, to be placed on the Freedman roll, many still held to what they felt was their birthright to be on a roll reflecting their familial tie as Chickasaws by blood.

As a result--Sam Wright, like many others  chose to submit petitions to change to the rolls by blood. However, the badge of slavery was placed upon them, regardless of their proof of a tie to enrolled citizen. The difference meant that their land allotment would 4 times smaller than those of their kinsmen on the blood roll, and of course as the 20th and 21st century would arrive, they would be prevented from citizenship--a policy that remains to this day.

However, the descendants of Sam's son Willie Wright, have a legacy deeply rooted in Indian Territory and before removal. Sam is the son of Wright Colbert, the son of July Colbert, the son of Green Colbert. He is the descendant of his Chickasaw fathers.

Willie Mills and Sister Cora Everidge

In 1906 Willie Mills approached the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes to have his name and that of his sister Cora, transferred from the Choctaw Freedman Roll, to the Choctaw Roll by Blood. He had a strong knowledge of his lineage, and presented several generations to explain his history to the commission. Willie was the son of Daniel Mills and an enslaved woman Rosanna, held in bondage by George Hawkins. His father Daniel, was the son of Delia, who was a daughter of Zattic LeFlore who was a recognized Choctaw. His recitation of his family lineage is a four-generation pedigree.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
File Number 68 Image #5

At the time of enrollment, his mother Rosanna was still living, and presented information to the Dawes Commission. She was Previously enslaved by George Hawkins and thus, her name and that of her children, were placed on Choctaw Freedman Card Number 558,

National Archives Publication M1186
Choctaw Freedmen Card #558

Rosanna's father (Willie's grandfather) was Jim Mills who was once enslaved by Basil LeFlore, a very well known Choctaw. Her mother was Anna Hawkins, of Kiamitia, an enslaved woman, helf in bondage also by George Hawkins.

Reverse side of card

In the official interview that accompanies File #558, Rosanna, the mother to Willie and Cora was the person interviewed. In that interview, the surname of the slave holding family was noted as Harkins. That surname is actually quite prominent in the Choctaw Nation, and was most likely the true surname. The focus however, was strictly, on their enslavement, and not on their family ties.

National Archives Publication M1301
Interview in Choctaw Freedman File 558


The Commissioners were not taking the claim of Willie Mills seriously and tried to dismiss it claiming that he had never submitted an application by blood to the Choctaw Nation. In addition the explanation that the man alleged to be his great grandfather, Zadoc Le Flore was on the 1885 roll and was born in 1874 and could not have been his great grandfather.

However---the commissioners chose not to acknowledge Willie's family ties to the Le Flores---the Choctaw Le Flore family. Willie's grandfather Jim Mills was enslaved by Basil LeFlore. And Basil LeFlore was one of the most prominent men in the Choctaw Nation. Basil LeFlore had a son, Zadoc LeFlore who was born in 1848 in the Pushmataha district of the Choctaw Nation. He would have been of age to have fathered a child in the 1870s. In fact--that would have been the very same Zadoc-Zattick whom he mentioned. Even if the commission had found the same Zadoc on the 1885 roll, it was considered immaterial, as were ohter cases of those of African ancestry seeking to be transferred.

Perry Files Image #6

The rationale was always the same---they Willie, his father, or grandfather, were never on a roll previously. Of course such enrollment was not allowed, as those formerly enslaved people were prevented from citizenship in earlier years.

However---the descendants of Willie Mills and Cora Everidge can still speak to their history and their legacy. They are the children of Daniel Mills, the son of Delia, who was the daughter of Zadoc, who was the son of Basil LeFlore. They are the descendants of their Choctaw fathers.

Nelson and Robert Colbert Son and Grandson of Daugherty Colbert

In 1906, Nelson Colbert, of Conway, I. T.,  filed a petition with the Dawes Commission requesting that his name and that of his son Richard, be transferred from the roll of Chickasaw Freedmen to that of Chickasaws by Blood. The claim was based on the relationship of Nelson Colbert to his father Daugherty Colbert a Chickasaw.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files: File Number 150 Image #28

Nelson Colbert was an elderly man by the time of the Dawes Commission. He applied for himself, his wife and two children and two grandchildren, at the time.  One of his children passed away before the finalization of the enrollment process and was thus the name was stricken from the card. Their names all appear on Chickasaw Freedman Card Number 35.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #35

Nelson's father's name was Daugherty Colbert. Daugherty Colbert is indicated on the back of Nelson's card as being both his father as well as a Chickasaw Citizen. This does not mean that he was a Freedman citizen, because the Chickasaw Nation refused to adopt the Freedmen as citizens, though they had promised to in the 1866 treaty. His mother was an enslaved woman, Sally Colbert, who was enslaved by the same man--Daugherty Colbert.

Reverse side of card

Nelson's son Richard lived in Wapanucka, I. T, and submitted his own application for himself and his family. Their names all appear on Chickasaw Freedman Card, number 177.

Chickasaw Freedman Card #177

He clearly identifies his father Nelson on the card.

Reverse side of card

Although the entire interview is not there, a good portion of it is in the file, from which good genealogical data is found. However the name of his parents were not included in the "official" interview, even though the questions had to be asked in order to put that information on the enrollment card. The value genealogically is there, since he mentioned the names of adult married children as well as grandchildren.  The strong sense of family possessed by Nelson Colbert is evident, and the data in the summarized interview is useful for future generations to reconstruct that family's history and data. 

,

National Archives Publication M1301
Interview from Chickasaw Freedman File 35

In cases such as these, the voice often missing the most is that of the enslaved woman. In this case it was Sallie---who was enslaved by Daugherty Colbert, who was also the father of her children. Such voices though silenced through slavery, and through time, and also by a policy of exclusion, their voices do carry on through the descendants. In many cases, the woman was the culture bearer of the family, and the strong sense of family and cohesiveness of the family was nurtured most often by the mother. And it is seen through Sallie's son who lived into the 20th century. He knew his father, and his mother, and he clearly had a strong sense of family through his painstakingly naming his descendants in the Dawes interview. who in his own final years, called their names.

It is encouraging that the children of Richard Colbert, the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Nelson Colbert, have a legacy, going through him, and to his parents Sallie, and Daugherty Colbert. They were the descendants of their Choctaw fathers and their legacy is strong.

Ida Myers, Daughter of Chickasaw Thomas Mikey

Ida Myers was a half Chickasaw woman from Lehigh, Ind. Territory, who sought to have her enrollment corrected by the Dawes Commissioners. Her father was Thomas Mikey, a full blood Chickasaw and her mother was Mason Mikey, who was once enslaved by Chickasaw Katokee. She was placed on the Freedmen roll, which she felt was in error. Thus her petition to be transferred to the Chickasaw roll of citizens by blood came forth in 1906. Her claim was through the history of her father.

On her enrollment card, her name and that of her children, were placed on Freedman card number 153. Her husband was a non-citizen---and thus was not enrolled on the card.

On the reverse side of the card, the name of her father Thos. Mikey is shown. He was not a slave and the fact that her father was Chickasaw Indian is reflected on the card. The name of her mother Mason's slave holder, Katokee, is revealed.

Clearly, the questions presented to Ida to extract the information placed on the card were not included in the file, for her. There is a reference, however to the file that accompanies card #152. 

On that card, a man called Josiah Mikey, sought enrollment for himself and two children. The children were later removed to Creek Cards.

Both parents on the reverse side were listed as they were on Ida's card, and it is evident that Ida and Josiah are full siblings with the same mother and father. The father Thos. Mikey was deceased at the time, and he was indicated on the card to be Chickasaw Indian. Their mother Mason, was enslaved by the same Katokee.

A series of interviews in brother Josiah's file did more about his and Ida's family.

There are many pages in this file, partially because Josiah's wife was Creek and multiple witnesses were brought in to testify on behalf of both. In addition there was the fact that on the Mikey side, from which Ida and brother Josiah were claiming ancestry, their mother was enslaved, and they were free born. Clearly there were inter-tribal as well as inter-racial mixtures in the family, but in the end, the case of Ida to have herself and her children transferred to the roll by blood was not successful.

However, the family's history is still a rich one, and one that the descendants can still claim. This family of African and Chickasaw heritage has a strong one, and children of Fred and Ida Myers have a legacy that goes back through Ida's line to the Chickasaw Nation, for she was the daughter of her Chickasaw father.