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: June 20, 1881 - June 27, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a letter from Isaiah Lightner, U.S. Indian Agent at the Santee Agency, regarding the enrollment of William Snake, White Rabbit, and White Mouse as members of the Ponca Nation by Standing Bear. As a result of the enrollment they are entitled to a payment being distributed by the Nation.
Pratt forwarded the letter due to the transfer of students from one Nation's rolls to another and the possibilty of the change being done to result in an unequal distribution.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: June 20, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt submits a "Special" Estimate of Funds form for $1,610.80 for travel expenses and pay of irregular employees.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Estimate of Funds
View Document: 
Special Estimate of Funds, Second Quarter 1881
Date: June 25, 1881
Estimate of funds for the third quarter of 1881 amounting to $13,959.81 for areas covering subsistence, pay of employees, clothing, the farm, supplies, contingencies, and special allowance.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Estimate of Funds
View Document: Estimate of Funds, Third Quarter 1881
Date: July 4, 1881 - July 18, 1881
Black Bear writes to Richard Henry Pratt asking for him to write to the Department of Indian Affairs to allow his son Paul Black Bear to visit him during his trip to Washington D.C. Black Bear notes that he has not been allowed permission to visit Carlisle and he was also the first Head Man to allow his son to attend school at Carlisle.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Black Bear Requests Son Visit Him in Washington D.C.
Date: July 23, 1881 - August 5, 1881
Blue Teeth writes to Richard Henry Pratt seeking his help in order to be included in Spotted Tail's delegation. Blue Teeth writes that he would like to go east in order to get a set of false teeth as well as visiting his children at Carlisle.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Blue Teeth Desires to be Included in Sioux Delegation
Date: July 28, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt requests that he be allowed to extend the outings of certain students until the winter in order to allow them to attend the country schools located near their patrons.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Outings
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Proposal for Extended Outings
Date: July 28, 1881
Kihega, a chief of the Iowa Nation, requests funds to allow him, his wife, and an interpreter to visit the Carlisle Indian School to see their children through the U.S. Indian Agent at the Great Nemaha Agency, A. Brosius.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Visitors
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Kihega Requests Funds to Visit Carlisle
Date: August 11, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt recommends the return of Pollock, Max, and Oliver Spotted Tail to Carlisle if an opportunity presents itself rather than having the cost born by their family.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: August 12, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt endorsees a request from the Sisseton Agency U.S. Indian Agent that a number of men be allowed to enroll at Carlisle as they offer to pay their own transportation. Pratt notes that despite the school having more than enough male pupils the spirit evident by the willingness to pay their own way should be fostered. Pratt ends by requesting that if the students be allowed to come that an equal number of girls accompany them as the failure to educate women as well as men would bring about disaster.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Gender Roles
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Sisseton Agency Request to Send Students to Carlisle
Date: August 15, 1881
J. M. Haworth, Inspector, details various events in the Pueblo Agency including opposition to the schooling at the Agency. Haworth reports that much of the opposition is a result of the religious nature of the schooling. He also notes that parents who had sent children to Carlisle have yet to visit them despite promises made at the time they sent them. Haworth supports the Agent's recommendation of allowing a small delegation to visit Carlisle in order to encourage parents to put their children in schools.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Report on Various Dissatisfactions in the Pueblo Agency
Date: August 17, 1881
Benjamin M. Thomas, U.S. Indian Agent for the Pueblo Indian Agency, requests on behalf of the Pueblo Nation to take a delegation of eight individuals to visit their children at Carlisle and also to visit Washington D.C. Thomas also requests authority to bring two students to replace a Pueblo student who died at Carlisle and one who was returned due to poor health in addition to as many other students as can be accommodated at Carlisle.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Visitors
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request of Pueblo Indians to Visit Carlisle and Washington
Date: August 22, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt inquires into the number of visitors to expect from the delegation currently in Washington D.C. He also suggests that the delegation along with their children take a picnic to Luray Caverns in Virginia.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Visitors
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Inquiry into Number of Visitors to Expect at Carlisle
Date: September 1, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt seeks authority to send James, a member of the Sioux Nation, back to his home.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Requests to Return Home
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Requests Authority to Send James Home
Date: September 1, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to pay for the expenses of returning to their homes Gilbert and Norman due to their poor health.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Send Gilbert and Norman Home
Date: September 3, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt, brings to attention the account of Carlisle School physician Dr. W. H. Faulkner who was advanced two hundred dollars to accompany two sick students to their homes. According to Pratt this transaction was approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs but the official transaction has not yet received official departmental action making it impossible to keep financial accounts straight.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Finance, Health and Medicine
View Document: Attention Called to the Account of Dr. Faulkner
Date: September 12, 1881 - September 15, 1881
Benjamin M. Thomas, U.S. Indian Agent at the Pueblo Agency, forwards a petition from Juan Cristobal and Teodosio Duran to visit their children at Carlisle. They note they were the principal supporters of sending students to Carlisle and as a result have been persecuted by others. By visiting and reporting on the condition of their children they hope to end this trouble.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Visitors
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: September 16, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt comments that he has made arrangements to allow six large boys to remain in their summer outing homes. In addition, 17 other boys and 6 girls were found homes for the fall period. Pratt notes that he consulted with the students on their preferences and that the school will provide clothing and books while their board will be paid for by their morning and evening labor.
Pratt ends by saying that the summer outing program saw 109 students placed in country homes with six returned due to dissastifaction from patrons. He notes that many students say rapid gain in their ability to speak English due to their isolation.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Outings, Health and Medicine
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Extended Outing Finalized and Summer Outing Report
Date: September 30 - October 18, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a letter that was originally sent to Benjamin M. Thomas, U.S. Indian Agent at the Pueblo Agency, from S. A. Bentley a teacher in the Indian Service. Bentley's letter concerns the wishes of Frank Cushing's parents to have his body repatriated to Zuni. Pratt comments that this is not a simple matter and references the case of White Thunder who after seeing his son's resting place at Carlisle was satisfied with having his son's body remain at Carlisle. Pratt concludes by saying the matter can be settled if the Pueblo Chiefs visit the school as was previously discussed by Thomas.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Student Death
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Repatriate of Frank Cushing's Body to Zuni
Date: October 8, 1881
Estimate of funds for the fourth quarter of 1881 amounting to $12,689.55 for areas covering shops, traveling expenses, hospital, contingencies, rations, the pay of employees, clothing, the farm, and special allowance. Richard H. Pratt also requests additional funds amounting to $5,000 for regular employee pay, $550 for Indian apprentices, and $150 for irregular employees.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Estimate of Funds, Employee Pay
Date: October 18, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt details the course of actions he took to treat Steve Willamson, a member of the Arapaho Nation, by sending him and the school physician to the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pratt requests that the costs associated with the travel for this treatment be approved.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Health and Medicine
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: October 25, 1881
E. Whittley returns to the H. Price, the Comptroller of Indian Affairs, an account of William McMichael of the Indian Training School to show the differences in purchases from normal.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Cover Letter for Return of Indian Training School Accounts
Date: October 29, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of his acceptance to attend the American Missionary Association annual meeting. He notes that it will allow him to return an exhibit on display in Boston, Massachusetts at no expense to the Government. In his absence A. J. Standing is in charge of the School.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Leave of Absence
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: October 28, 1881 - November 4, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt asks Samuel J. Kirkwood, Secretary of the Interior, through Hiram Price, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for more oversight from the Department of the Interior or the Commissioner in overseeing the Carlisle Indian School.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Call for more Supervision from the Interior Department
Date: November 21, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt lends support to the request of the Northern Arapaho U.S. Indian Agent that the Chiefs from the Northern Arapaho be allowed to visit Carlisle as was promised when they sent their children. Pratt notes that Northern Arapaho students are excellent students and a visit from the Chiefs should serve to strengthen the argument of sending students to Carlisle.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Date: November 24, 1881
Charles Hatton, U.S. Indian Agent for the Northern Arapaho Agency, seeks authority to bring five Northern Arapaho Chiefs to Carlisle and Washington D.C. to visit their children. The Chiefs were promised when they sent their children that they would be allowed to visit and are seeking to have this promised fulfilled.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Visitors
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Proposal to Bring Northern Arapaho Chiefs to Carlisle