Documents
The Documents section features digitized copies of documents relating to the history of the school. These documents include correspondence, graduation pamphlets, and other forms of ephemera, and have been digitized by Digital Resource Center staff. Today, these documents are preserved in a number of locations, including the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections as well as private collections.
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Date: November 15 - November 17, 1879
Samuel Wetzel, Superintendent of Building and Repairs, prepares a blueprint and estimate of cost, amounting to $1,165.94, for the chapel and assembly room. Richard H. Pratt forwards both documents to Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt and includes an explanatory cover letter.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
View Document: 
Estimate of Cost and Blueprints for Chapel and Assembly Room
Date: November 16, 1879 - December 24, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt forwards two letters to Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt and gives his side of the story regarding beef prices for the Rosebud Agency. Included is a letter from William Huston to Pratt regarding how much beef Pratt bought from him and asks if the amount was 367 pounds for $36.70. Pratt also includes his reply to Huston.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Supplies and Materials, Food, Finance
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Dispute over Beef Pricing for Rosebud Agency
Date: November 17, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt forwards to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs a letter, penned by James E. Rhodes of Germantown, Pennsylvania. Rhodes asks if the son of one of his Seneca friends, John Kennedy, might be allowed to enroll at Carlisle. Pratt notes that he is willing to accept the boy, if the Commissioner approves.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Recruitment of Students
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Enroll Seneca Student
Date: November 19, 1879
Surgeon J. H. Firantz informs Richard Henry Pratt that only 30 of the 158 students have been vaccinated. Pratt forwards Firantz's comments to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and requests to purchase 140 vaccines.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Purchase 140 Vaccines for Students
Date: November 20, 1879
Richard H. Pratt notifies Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt that he's going to New York on Friday and Saturday to make purchases.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Supplies and Materials, Travel
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Notification that Pratt is Going to New York
Date: November 24, 1879
Lea Lugner asks the Commissioner of Indian Affairs if she can send a small Christmas box to the Carlisle Indian School.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: November 27, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to purchase a horse and asks Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt when he's going to send him the spring wagon that he promised.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Supplies and Materials
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Buy a Horse
Date: November 27, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt that he has found a method of siding frame buildings with lumber designed exclusively for that purpose and asks him if he can use this new lumber to build the chapel and assembly room.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to use new Lumber for Siding Frame Buildings
Date: December 1, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt provides Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt with a variety of updates about the Carlisle Indian School: everyone is in good health, he will send Hayt a uniform sample in a few days, his corps of assistants is almost complete, he's found a clerk, he'd like to keep a former Carlisle Barracks employee on the staff for building renovations, some of the male students are stealing tobacco and smoking heavily, he's buying beef at $5.49, and Chief American Horse and other chiefs have written about visiting in the spring.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Variety of Updates on the Carlisle Indian School
Date: December 3, 1879
Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz approves plans and an estimate for constructing a building that will function as a chapel and assembly room at the Carlisle Indian School. Schurz grants authority to spend $1,165.94 on the project.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Buildings and Grounds
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Permission to Build Chapel and Assembly Room
Date: December 4, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt requests to visit Washington, D.C. to discuss the Carlisle Indian School with the Department of the Interior. A note on the bottom notes that Pratt has telegraphed to cancel the request to visit.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Travel
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Visit Washington, D. C. to Discuss the School
Date: December 4, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a receipt for copy ink and copy books.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Supplies and Materials, Finance
Format: Financial Documents
View Document: Invoice for Shipment of Copy Ink and Copy Paper
Date: December 6, 1879
In both a letter and telegraph, Richard Henry Pratt withdraws his request to visit Washington, D.C.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Travel
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Withdrawal of Request to Visit Washington, D. C.
Date: December 9, 1879
Richard H. Pratt informs Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt that Dr. J. J. Bender would be willing to be the Indian School's doctor for $600 per year. However, Dr. Bender is the leading physician in the town of Carlisle and has many patients. Pratt suggests that it could be better for the Indian School to hire its own physician.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Health and Medicine, Staff Employment
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Employment of a Doctor
Date: December 10, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt writes to Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt regarding a request for $4,000 from November 4th. Pratt states that Hayt only sent him $1,031. Pratt then asks for the rest of the requested funds, particularly the $2,100 needed for rations.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Funding, Finance, Food, Staff Employment, Irregular Employees
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request for the Rest of the $4,000 Needed
Date: December 12, 1879
Richard H. Pratt transmits a "Special" Estimate for Funds form for the fourth quarter of 1879 amounting to $1,250.50 for the fitting of chapel and school room, repairs, and supplies. An explanatory cover letter is included.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Estimate of Funds, Supplies and Materials
View Document: Special Estimate of Funds, Fourth Quarter 1879
Date: December 12, 1879
Richard H. Pratt informs Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt that Dr. J. J. Bender will be hired in a temporary capacity. Dr. Bender will visit the school as often as necessary and will "take charge of all cases of sickness."
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Health and Medicine, Staff Employment
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Temporary Employment of Dr. J. J. Bender
Date: December 12, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to spend $100 to take photographs of the buildings and students, both individually and in groups, to send to Indian agencies and the students' parents.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: December 13, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt asks how much it costs to transport students from Yankton, Dakota to Carlisle and from Wichita to Carlisle for his records.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request for the Cost of Transporting Students to Carlisle
Date: December 13, 1879
Richard H. Pratt transmits an estimate of funds form for the first quarter of 1880 amounting to $6,000 covering subsistence, salaries of employees, supplies, contingencies, and repairs.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Estimate of Funds, Supplies and Materials
View Document: Estimate of Funds, First Quarter 1880
Date: December 13, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt informs Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. J. Brooks that the cost of manufacturing uniform suits ranges from $5.50 to $8.00, with the addition of corporal and sergeant striping increasing the cost to over $8.00.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: School Uniforms, Supplies and Materials
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Cost of Manufacturing Suits
Date: December 13, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt asks Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt requests that funds be transferred to his account in New York to pay for the chapel, which is almost finished.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Funding, Buildings and Grounds, Finance
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Construction of Chapel nearly Finished
Date: December 15, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt informs Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. A. Hayt that the five crusts of vaccine virus previously sent are insufficient with many not taking and requests five additional crusts.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Requests Five Additional Crusts of Vaccine Virus
Date: December 15, 1879
Lieutenant Richard H. Pratt requests a six-month supply of two dozen different blank administrative forms used by the United States Indian Affairs division of the Department of the Interior.
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Supplies and Materials, Request for Blanks
Format: Legal and Government Documents
View Document: Estimate for Stationary, December 1879
Date: December 17, 1879
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a series of financial papers for the quarter ending September 30, 1879
Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in Record Group 75, Entry 79, "Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-80."
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
View Document: Financial Papers, First Quarter 1880