Family of Katie and Martin Wilson

The story of the Wilson family comes from both Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations. Katie Wilson made an appeal to have her children removed from the rolls of Choctaw Freedmen to that of Chickasaws by Blood. She was married to an Indian and was seeking to have the children enrolled with their father who was then deceased. Her children possesed the blood of their father, and her goal was to have her family enrolled as one family unit--she seeking status as an inter-married citizen, and her children as Chickasaws by Blood. The first few pages from her petition to transfer tells part of the story.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas

Perry Files Image #2

A bit more unfolds in subsequent pages. She and her Indian husband were married, officially, and as she put it, conformed to the laws of the nation at that time.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas

Perry Files #240 Image #3

Examination of her Dawes card, however, reflects something different, and it might make a researcher think differently. It appears that Katie was the one enrolling her children and grandchildren at the Dawes commission hearing. A tremendous amount of information is collected and recorded, including the name of the Choctaw slaveholder.

National Archives Publication M1186

Choctaw Freedman Card #1057

The reverse side of the card reveals additional family information including the fact that her husband Martin was a Chickasaw.

Reverse side of Card

With all of the data reflected on the enrollment card, it is a bit odd that the official "interview" placed in the file of Katie Wilson only contained on sentence said to have been made by Katie.  The one sentence simply said that she was a slave and belonged to Sam Colbert and that she always lived in the Territory.  The one sentence alone, placed by the stenographer to the Dawes commission might make the tenacious researcher realize that the story was clearly more involved than was presented in the file. 

National Archives Publication M1301

Finally the real "voice" of Katie is heard. She speaks about her life, her marriage, her children and hear grandchildren. It is revealed that she herself did not go to register at the Dawes Commission, but her husband handled their enrollment. He returned from Atoka where he went to enroll, and told her the outcome of the process. He was enrolled as Chickasaw by blood while she and the children were enrolled as Choctaw Freedmen. He told her that nothing could be done about it and to keep quiet about it.

This status as Freedmen for herself and her children did not settle well with her and she sought advice from a family member. Her father encouraged her to have the family transferred to the proper roll. She also pointed out that she herself was half Indian being both Choctaw and Creek.

Perry Files Image #5

Perry Files Image #6

The most enlightening testimony in Katie Wilson's case came from her father, Edmund Perry. He told the story of his daughter's marriage to Martin Wilson who was half Chickasaw and half Choctaw. He spoke of their marriage at his home, and who performed the marriage. He also spoke about his own mixed parentage as well providing even more information about this Freedmen family with strong ties to both tribes.

In spite of it all, the case, was denied, however, the story of Katie Wilson is that of a woman who sought to have the story of her children told correctly. She fought for the rights of her children. Though her battle was lost the records remain and her children and her descendants can all rightfully state through these records that they---the Wilsons and Browns indeed had the blood of their Indian fathers. Their legacy is strong.