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.