Serena Watson & William Lamey, Descendants of Chickasaw Lamey

National Archives, Ft. Worth, Texas Perry Files 
File Number 156 Image #4

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #530

Reverse side of card

National Archives Publication M1301 File Chickasaw Freedman #330

Father William Lamey

Serena's father William Lamey was still living at the time of the Dawes enrollment period and he was enrolled as well. However, he was enrolled on a Freedman card and not on a blood card. However, it was he, who did have an Chickasaw parent--a man called Lamey was his father, and it was indicated on the reverse side of his card that his father was Chickasaw.

Her father William Lamey was interviewed and was referenced in Serana's summarized statement. Although his summarized statement did not mention his Chickasaw father, it did provide very useful genealogical data.

Serena, like all other Freedmen with Indian family, would not win her case, and she and her father William, would remain on the rolls as a Freedman. However, her petition states her history, well.

Her blood tie:  William Lamey, her father was the son of a Chickasaw simply name, "Lamey" as named on his enrollment card. The descendants of William and Serena and her children came claim their heritage through William who carried the blood of his Chickasaw father.

Mary Russell, Daughter of Chickasaw Robert Thompson

Mary Russell, was a woman who realized her situation as a citizen living in the Chickasaw Nation. She knew her family, she knew her community and she knew her history. As a result in the early 1900s she found herself in a battle struggling to be placed in a category that she felt was her birthright.  She based her claim on her mother's history and the relation to the Chickasaw ancestor from whom they came. Her mother was Patsy Harper who was the daughter of Chickasaw Robert Thompson, son of Chickasaw John Thompson.

National Archives, Ft. Worth Texas
Perry Files: File #206

During the years of the Dawes commission, Mary's name was inscribed on Chickasaw Freedman card number 48 with her husband and their five children.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedman Card #48

Her parents were Cap and Patsy Harper. Cap Harper was a Chickasaw Freedman as was her mother Patsy. Through her parents they were tied to Chickasaw slave holder Frank Colbert, which is what put them on the roll as Chickasaw Freedmen.

Reverse Side of Card

At the time, both of Mary's parents were enrolled and their names were placed on Chickasaw Freedman card 287, Cap died before land allotments were made, thus his name was stricken from the card. However, Mary's mother Patsy's name remained on the card as well as a grandchild.

Chickasaw Freedman Card #287

The reverse side of the card reveals the name of  Rob't Thompson, and the fact that he was a Chickasaw Indian was revealed on the card as well.

Reverse Side of Card

The Dawes Interviews

For Mary Russell, the official interview in the file contained an abbreviated statement by Elijah Russell, her husband speaking about his family. The abbreviated summary ends with a statement simply referring to wife Mary and their children. Clearly there was no reference in this summarized statement about Mary's ancestry.

National Archives Publication M1301 
Chickasaw Freedman File #48

The Dawes interview for Patsy, was also a common one found where the tie to a slave holder was captured, but little mention of the tie to the Freedman applicant having an Indian parent. Although the card reflected Rob't Thompson by name, the interview focused on Patsy's tie to Colbert the slave holder and not Thompson the Chickasaw father.

Chickasaw Freedman File #287

Though Mary remained on the roll as a Chickasaw Freedmen, she left the record of her history, daughter of her father Robert, a Chickasaw, and son of John Thompson as Chickasaw by blood. She was the daughter of her Chickasaw father.

Sallie Williams Chickasaw by Blood, Denied

In 1906, attorney, a letter on behalf of Sallie Williams and her family was written to the Department of the Interior, in support of Sallie Williams' request to be removed from the Freedmen roll to that of the roll of Chickasaw By Blood.

Sallie was basing her claim on her relationship to her brother Wyatt Mahardy on the rolls by blood. They are also children on Ann Thomas a Chickasaw woman, and she is stating her claim as a citizen also by blood.

The petition mentioned the people to whom Sallie Williams and her family had ties to, some of whom were on the roll of Chickasaws by Blood. One was Amanda Abram, who was placed on the blood roll during the Dawes enrollment process. She was on the Chickasaw roll of citizens by blood.

National Archives Publication M1186

Chickasaw Roll, Card # 610

(Image of Amanda Abram, courtesy of Black and Red Journal,
shared by Terry Ligon April 25, 2011) 

The children of Sallie Williams actually ended up on a Freedman card. The children Marcus, Cora, Kimble, Maise and Joe, were all on Chickasaw Freedman Card #437.

On the reverse side of the card, Sallie's name does appear as their mother.

Sallie applied however, as a Chickasaw by blood, but she was rejected and placed on a rejected card.

Sallie was interviewed by the Dawes Commission, and it appears that over the years she had been collecting payments as a Chickasaw citizen. She was recognized as Chickasaw, and that was her identity.

Charles Cohee a man well known in the Chickasaw community, testified on her behalf ascertaining that she was Chickasaw, and perceived to be so over the years, and she had even received per capita payments made to Chickasaw Indians.

Unfortunately for Sallie herself, she was not to remain on the roll as a Chickasaw by blood, although he full sister was able to do so, as was her half sister Amanda, and others in her family. This happened to others by blood as well, and in this particular case, the identity of Sallie and her children was changed to that as Freedmen. Her father was a black man, and it was determined that she would not be allowed to receive land allotment as a Chickasaw by blood, and that of her children was affected with them to receive the lesser allotment that was given to those designated as Freedmen. Although she fought against this, claiming the identity that was hers, the final decision denied her from her Chickasaw claim. She was the daughter of her Chickasaw forefathers, nevertheless.

Charles Alexander, Son of Joe Alexander Pisachabbee

Charles Alexander was a resident of Goochland, in Kiamitia County when he enrolled with the Dawes Commission. in 1906, he filed a petition to be transferred to the roll by blood of the Choctaw Nation. His father was Joseph Alexander, also known as Joe Pisachabbee, a known Choctaw. His mother was a freedwoman named Fidelia (Phidelia).

National Archives, Ft. Worth TX
Perry Files  File No. 24  Image #1

There was clear evidence that there was a Choctaw man called Joseph Pisachabbee, as his name appeared upon an 1893 payment roster. The reviewers declared the presence of Posachabbee as immaterial. They rationale given was that Charles was born before the 1885 Choctaw census roll and his name was not included among them, nor was the name of his daughter Georgeann. The fact that Freedmen were place upon a different roll is not taken into consideration and despite Charles Alexander's tie to his father, it was ignored.

Image #2

During the enrollment process in 1898 the names of Charles and his two daughter were placed upon the enrollment cards. His wife by that time was deceased, so her name was not listed. Two daughters were listed on the card with him, George Ann who was part of the petition to be placed on the roll, and another daughter, Josephine.

National Archives Publication M1186

Choctaw Freedman Card #496

It should be noted that the mother of the two daughters was a woman called Malissa Alexander, and she was Choctaw and not enslaved. However, because she was deceased, she was not on the roll by blood. However, clearly their grandfather Joseph Alexander Posachabbee, and their mother Malissa Alexander were both Choctaws by blood, and they were strongly Choctaw, but because of the "Freedmen" status given to their father they remained on the Freedmen roll.

Reverse Side of Card

The official interview clearly indicates the focus on Joseph having been enslaved. His relationship to his father was immaterial and the mother of the children being Choctaw was never brought up in the discussion or interview. 

In spite of their status as Freedmen, clearly the tie that Charles Alexander had to Joseph Pisachabbee, was clear--he was the son of his Choctaw father.

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.

Pink and Lucy Thompson Family

From Doaksville in the Chickasaw Nation, the family of Pink and Lucy Thompson appeared in front of the Dawes Commission. The year was 1899 and Pink spoke on behalf of the family. They were Pink and Lucy, their daughter Emma, four sons, Eddie, Walter, Jimmie and Freedman, and a grandchild Lyinz Hampton. They were placed on the Freedmen Rolls nad were thus eligible for land allotments.

However, by 1902  Pink Thompson made submit a request to have his children removed from the Freedman rolls and moved to that of Choctaws by blood. It was pointed out that his wife Lucy, was the daughter of Billy Fall who was a full blood, Choctaw. It was pointed out that he always acknowledged that Lucy was  his daughter, that he had with his enslaved woman Mary Sifac. With this acknowledgement of Lucy's tie to her father, her children should have been eligible for the same treatment as others who were the children of their native fathers.

National Archives, Ft. Woth, Texas
Perry Files, File #22  Image #1

Same source, image #2

The Thompsons were originally placed on a Chickasaw Freedman card, #D29, The same data was later recorded when they were moved form the Doubtful list to an standard card of Choctaw Freedmen #1224.

National Archives Publication M1186
Chickasaw Freedmen #1136 (Cancelled Card)

Reverse side of card

The basic questions posed by the Dawes Commission focused almost exclusively of the enslavement of the family by Chickasaws, and not about any blood tie or relationship of Lucy, to her parents. There was also questioning about the Chickasaw slave owning family, but not of Lucy's relationship to her Choctaw father.

National Archives Publication M1301

Same source as above

In spite of their ties to a Choctaw by blood, Pink and Lucy Thompson and their children all remained on the Freedmen roll. She was the daughter of her Indian father.

National Archives Publication M1186
Official Choctaw Freedman Enrollment Card #1224