Freedmen Project--Miller app # 17703-- Hartwell Houston,
Joynar,Brown,Allison,Thompson,Turtina,Davies, Russian, Joiner
PLEASE NOTE ALL RESPONSES TO QUESTION ARE IN CAPS.
Below are the questions asked on the Miller Applications I have sent you
info on in the Freedmen Project work. I hope to get at least one a week
submitted.
For those of you who cannot afford these NARA applications, I would advise
that after you confirm it is your line, that you send for the packet, for
source proof. Remember geneology is nothing without documentation.
Page 1)
Application #--17703
Action Taken--REJECT
Name of applicant-- HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
No. of children--
Residence--ROLAND, OKLA.
Reason---APPLICANT BORN IN 1834 BUT DOES NOT APPEAR ON EITHER 35 OR 57
ROLL.NOT AN ANCESTOR THROUGH WHOM APPLICANT CLAIMS APPEARS ON ANY ROLL. THE
ANCESTERS IT APPEARS WERE NOT PARTIES TO THE MONIES ON 35-36. APPLICANT WAS A SLAVE.
MISC.LIST,P,2883
Second Note:OKLA.-FIELD
#17703
HARWELL HOUSTON
with #-SALLISAW
Remarks-- 28725-6,31299
FIELDS, OKLA.
UNABLE TO LOCATE ANCESTERS OF APPLICANT ON ROLL WITH ANY DEGREE OF CERTAINTY.
ROLAND
Page 2)
SPECIAL COMMISSIONER of the COURT of CLAIMS,601 Ouray Building, Washington
D.C.
Sir,I hereby make application for such share as may be due me of the fund
appropriated by the ACT of CONGRESS, appoved June 30, 1906, in accordance
with the decrees of the COURT of CLAIMS of May 18,1905, and May28, 1906, in
favor of the Eastern Cherokees. The evidence of identity is herewith
subjoined.Note: Answers to all questions should be short, but complete. If
you can not answer, so state.
Question # 1)State full name:
English name-HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
Indian name-
#2)Residence--ROLAND, INDIAN TERRITORY
#3Town and Post Office--ROLAND, INDIAN TERRITORY
#4)County--DISTRICT NUMBER ELEVEN
#5)State--INDIAN TERRITORY
#6)Date and place of birth?--ASHVILLA,NC-JUNE 23,1834
#7)By what right do you claim to share? If you claim through more then one
relative living in 1851,set forth each seperately:JOHN BROWN OF HAMILTON
COUNTY, TENNESSEE
#8)Are you married?--YES
#9)Name and age of wife or husband----NARCISSUS HOUSTON, AGE 63
#10)Give names of your father and mother, and your mothers maiden name
before
marriage.
Father- english name---
Indian name--ALMON JOYNAR
Mother- english name--ANNA BROWN MARRIED ALMON JOYNAR
Indian name---
Maiden name--ANNA BROWN
#11)Where were they born?
Father- NORTH CAROLINA
Mother--NORTH CAROLINA
#12)Where did they reside in 1851, if living at this time?
Father--TENNESSEE
Mother--TENNESSEE
#13)Date of death of your father and mother:
Father--JULY 11,1880
Mother--NOV.21,1880
Page 3-
#14)Were they ever enrolled for money, annuities, land, or other benifits?
If
so, state when and were.--I DO NOT KNOW, CANT ASCARTAIN
#15)Name all your brothers and sisters, giving ages, and residence if
possible.
Name:ELLAN ALLISON
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DEC.24,1894
Name:PHILLIP JOYNAR
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DON'T KNOW
Name:IASSC THOMPSON
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DON'T KNOW
Name:ELIZABETH TURNTINA
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DON'T KNOW
Name:WINNIE DAVIS
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DON'T KNOW
Name:RUTHIE RUSSIAN
dob:DON'T KNOW
dod;DON'T KNOW
#16)State English name and Indian names of your grandparents on both
father's
and mother's side, if possible.
Fathers side:--BILLY JOYNAR
BATTIA JOYNAR
Mothers side:--JOHN BROWN
WINNIE BROWN
#17)Where were they born?
Fathers side:-- DON'T KNOW
Mother's side;-- DON'T KNOW
#18)Where did they reside in 1851, if living at that time?--GRANDPARENTS ON
MOTHER'S SIDE RESIDED AT LOOKOUT VALLEY,HAMILTON COUNTY, TENN.
#19)Give names of all their children, and residence, if possible:
English Name:-- ANNA BROWN, MY MOTHER & JAMIMA BROWN
Indian Name:--
Residence:--DIED NOV. 21,1880
English Name:-- JAMIMA BROWN
Indian Name:--
Residence:--DIED IN TENNESSEE, ABOUT 1846
English Name:-- ALFRED BROWN
Indian Name:--
Residence:--DIED IN TENNESSEE ABOUT 1842--TO1846
English Name:--ABRAHAM, JOYNAR
Indian Name:--
Residence:--DONT KNOW ANYTING ABOUT HIS DEATH
English Name:--ALMOND JOYNAR
Indian Name:--
Residence:--DIED IN BEDFORD COUNTY, TENNESSEE
#20)Have you ever been enrolled for money, annuities, land, or other
benifits? If so, state when and were,and with what tribe of Indians.---NO
Page 4-
#21)To expedite identification, claiment should give the full English and
Indian names, if possible, of their paternal and maternal ancesters back to
1835.-----DON'T KNOW
Remarks- Section)
Under this head the applicant may give any additional facts which will
assist
in providing his
claim.---I SAW JOHN BROWN TWICE. BOTH TIMES HE OWNED ME AS BEING HIS
GRANDCHILD.MY FATHER OFTEN WENT TO SEE HIM. THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM .HE WAS ON HIS
WAY BACK FROM GETTING A PAYMENT IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY AT FT.GIBSON AND HE
GAVE MY MOTHER MONEY.
------------------------------------
Legal- Section )
Note:Answers should be brief but explicit;the words "yes",
"no","unknown"
etc, may be used in cases where applicable. Read the questions carefully.
I solemnly swear that the forgoing statements made by me are true to the
best
of my knowledge and belief.
Signature---HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 28TH day,of FEBRUARY, 1917.
Notary Public- signature-- W.H. DUUBLAJIES
My commission expires: JULY 6, 1908
Affidavit)
(The following affidavit must be sworn to by two or more witnesses, who are
well acquainted with the applicant.)
Personally appeared before me W.H.JACOBS and J.M.WOOD, who being duly
sworn, on oath depose and say they are well acquainted with HARTWELL H.
HOUSTON who
makes the foregoing application and statements, and have known HIM for 15
years
and 24 years, respectively, and know HIM to be the identical person WHO
represents HIMSELF to be, and that the statements made by HIM are true, to
the best of their knowledge and belief, and they have no interest whatever
in
HIS claim.
Witnesses to mark-BLANK
Signatures of witnesses--W.H.JACOBS
J.M.WOOD
Subscribed and sworn to me, before me this 28TH day of FEBUARY,1917.
Notary signature---W.H. DUUBLAJIES
Notary commission expires---JULY 6TH,1908
NOTE: Affidavits should be made, whenever practicable, before a notary
public,or clerk of the court, if sworn to before an Indian agent or
disbursing agent of the Indian service, it need not be before a notary,
etc.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
BRIGHTSTAR'S PERSONAL NOTE:Pages after
that include letters written to the BIA about their claim. Some have
additional papers, others do not.
ADDITIONAL PAPERS WITH THIS APPLICATION ARE;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add;Letter--#1
No.17703
Hartwell Houston, being duly sworn,deposes and says;
MY NAME IS HARTWELL H. HOUSTON: MY POST-OFFICE IS ROLAND,OKLA.,BOX 32;
I WAS BORN IN ASHEVILLE, N.C. IN 1834; I CLAIM RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHEROKEE
INDIANS THROUGH MY MOTHER, WHOSE MAIDEN NAME WAS ANNA BROWN; HER NAME AFTER
MARRIAGE ANNA JOINER; MY MOTHER WAS UNDER THE GUARDIANSHIP OF BETSY MOSS AND
WHEN SHE DIED BETSY MOSS DIED AND WE WENT TO THE GUARDIANSHIP OF HER CHILDREN,
AND I WENT TO M.F.NEIL;
I WENT TO THE WAR FROM N.F.NEIL; WHEN I CAN FIRSTBMEMEMBER WAS LIVING IN
BEDFORD CO.,TENN. I WAS THEN ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD. I WAS HELD TO SERVICE UNTIL
THE WAR BROKE OUT; MY MOTHER WAS A HALF-BLOOD INDIAN; SHE NEVER CAME TO THIS
COUNTRY; I AM NOT ON THE FINAL ROLLS OF THE DAWES COMMISSION; JOHN BROWN WAS
THE NAME OFMTHE INDIAN WHO WAS MY GRAND-FATHER AND MY GRAND-MOTHER WAS A NEGRO
WOMAN.
Signed; HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 17th day of Sept.,1908 at Sallisaw,
Okla.
Signed-- Guion Miller
Special Commissioner of Court of Claims
2883
----------------------------------------------------------------
Add:Letter #2
MARCH 16TH, 1908
Page #1
ANSWER- I HAVE MADE THE SAME PROOF TO THE COMMISSION AS I HAVE MADE TO YOU
BUT THEY FAILED I HAD EX CHIEF JOHN ROSS WHO KNEW ME ALL MY LIFE AND WHO MADE
IN HIS AFFIDAVIT THAT BROWN OWNED X WINNIE CHILDREN AS HIS BY BLOOD I CLAIM MY
CHEROKEE BY MOTHER MY FATHER BLOOD WAS CROSSED BY CREEK AND CHEROKEE I WAS
SO INFORMED THE GUARDIAN OF MOTHER MRS BETSY MOSE HER OLDEST SON WAS A SOLDIER
IN WAR OF 1812
& HAVING AN OFFICER BY THE WELL KNOWN SAMUEL HOUSTON HE WANTED MY NAME CALL
THAT AND I GIVE THAT NAME WITH MY OTHER NAMES BY SOME MISTAKE BY THE ---i---
THAT ENROLL ME IN THE
Page 2-
ARMY WHEN I NOTICE HIM CALLING ME CORPL HOUSTON HE TOLD ME THE PAPERS HAD
BEEN SENT TO WASHINGTON D.C.
MY MOTHER SAID MR HENDERSON ENROLLED THEM BY NUMBER AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE
HALF BREEDS I AFFILIATED WITH MY FATHER AS SON
I FOUND A COUSIN OF THE CREEK NATION BY THE NAME OF BILLY JOYNER WHICH HE IS
NOW DEAD HE TOLD ME ... PARENT,S CAME FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND HIS
GRANDPARENTS NAMES THAT I KNOW THAT FATHER GIVE ME & HE CLAIMS ALMON AS HIS UNCE I
KNOW NOT ANYTHING ABOUT BROWN,S PARENT,S.BUT THE JOHN BROWN GRAND FATHER WAS
ENROLLED ON
Page 3
THE 25TH DAY OF SEPT.1835 IN LOOKOUT VALLEY, HAMILTON COUNTY TENN..
I THINK HE DIED THERE, OR AT LEAST I HEARD THAT IN 1858.
I SAW GRANDFATHER TWICE ABOUT MY 4 YEARS OLD. WHEN I WAS 17 OR 18 YEARS OF
AGE HE HAD WITH HIM 2 SISTERS. SALLIE BROWN, I DONT REMEMBER THE OTHER NAME, I
THINK NANCY WAS THE NAME SHE WAS CALLED IS MY REMEMBERANCE AS I WAS HELD
UNDER GUARDIAN. I WAS NOT TREATED AS A SLAVE.
I WAS TREATED WELL & NO OVERSEER, NO ONE EXCEPT SOLDIER SON WHO TAKEN MOTHER
PLACE.
MOTHER AND FATHER HAD NO GUARDIAN.
MOTHER GUARDIAN WAS A WHITE LADY & SHE TAUGHT HER T..... AND WRITE & SHE
TAUGHT ME WHAT SHE COULD UP TO MY 12 YEARS.
Page 4
YOU ASK ME TO STATE WHY I HAD NEVER BEEN ON ANY CHEROKEE ROLL BEFORE THE WAR.
WAS WITH THE INDIANS NOT VERY OFTEN AND THEN THEY WOULD COME TO SEE ME IS
THEY HAD TO KEEP CLOST.
THE FIRST DAWES COMMISSION THAT CAME DOWN HERE & GIVE THEM SOME THING NEAR
THE SAME EVIDENCE I AM GIVING YOU, ADING EX CHIEF JOHN ROSS, THE WHITE INTER
MARRIAGE, IF WE T... HAVE THE NEGRO BLOOD IN US,WOULD AND WILL DO ALL THAT
THEY CAN AGAINST ME AND ALL OF THIS LINAGE.
THERE IS A WHITE CITIZEN OF THE INDIAN LIVING IN THIS TOWN, TOLD ME IF I
TOLDS THE COMMISSION I WAS A DEMOCRAT THEY WOULD HAVE PUT YOU ON THE ROLLS.I
TOLD HIM I WOULD BE LEFT OFF.
RESPECTIVFULLY YOURS,
H.H. HOUSTON
-------------------------------------------------------------
Add. Letter # 3
17703
F.S.T.
ROLAND OKLA.
MARCH 18TH,1908
MY DEAR ELBA C. KELLER,
I THINK I HAVE SAID ALL THAT I CAN THINK AT PRESENT,IT HAS BEEN ALONG TIME
SINCE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. I GIVE THIS EVIDENCE TO THE COMMISSION AS NEAR AS I
COULD WITHOUT ANY RECORD BUT THE HEART AND HEAD AND THEN THEY WOULD NOT LET
MY NAME ON THE ROLLS AS MEMBER OF THIS NATION. BUT W. R. W. C. KEYS WAS
ENROLLED ON THE SAME EVIDENCE OF HIS GRANDFATHER. HE'S SO WHITE I DON'T SEE HOW
THE
COMMISSIONERS CAN SEE ANY INDIAN ON HIM & CAN'T SEE IT ON ME,BUT THE INDIANS
OFTEN STRANGERS MEET ME AND ASK ME, IS YOU CHEROKEE OR CHOCTAW.
HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
ROLAND, OKLA.
------------------------------------------------------------
ROLAND OKLA.
JUNE 19TH 1909
Page No.1
HON COMMISSIONER MILLER, YOUR LETTER RECIEVED AND CAREFULLY READ.
I CANNOT SEE THAT I CAN MAKE THE CASE ANY BETTER BY MAKING A NEW APPLICATION.
THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS SENT ME A CARD NO. 17703, ACCEPTING THE
APPLICATION. THEN I RECIEVED A LETTER TO HAVE MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN PUT
ON THE ROLL.
I SENT THIS TO LET THEM.
THEN THEY COME TO MY HOME, WE WENT TO FORT SMITH ARK, MADE THEIR
APPLICATIONS. MY SON P.H. HOUSTON WAS LIVING AT FOSTERVILLE, BEDFORD CO. TENN. AT THE.
I HAD HIS APPLICATION MADE & SENT TO HIM WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO PUT HIS
CHILDREN & SEND IT IN BY AUG 31TH 1907.
HARTWELL H. HOUSTON
ROLAND OKLA.
Page No. 2
IF I UNDERSTAND THIS LETTER IF NOT EXCUSE ME PLEASE & LET ME HEAR FROM YOU
AGAIN.
PRINCE A. HOUSTON
MARY F. HOUSTON
LOUISA E. HOUSTON
THIS IS THE NAMES ALL MY LEGITIMATE CHILDREN LIVING .
I THINK THAT LAWSUIT, SO I SEE THAT I COULD EXCEPT OF THE OMITTED OR
IMPROPERLY ....... ON THE ROLLS.
I DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH LOUISA, LET A LAWYER HAVE HER CARD, AND
SHE SAID THE LAWYER TOLD HER HE HAD LOST IT.
SO I KNEW IF ANY ONE GOT ON THE ROLLS IMPROPERLY BY.
I AM NOT IT FAULT & HOPE YOU WON'T PUT ON ME,I DID ALL RIGHT TO HAVE THE
PAPERS SEN IN AUG 31, 1907.
THEY WOULD THOSE THAT DONE GONE & SHOULD BE DEBARED
Bright Star
Freedmen Project
2005