1880-1889

Samuel C. Armstrong informs Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs E. M. Marble that Richard Henry Pratt is likely not bringing any new students to fill the quota of 68 Indian students at Hampton Institute. Armstrong continues to say that Lieutenant Brown at Yankton Agency knows of many Indian youth that would like to come to Hampton and could…

John D. Miles, Agent for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, tells Richard Henry Pratt that his agency gave students cattle to take care of over vacation. As students did not know about the money and effort involved in caring for the animals, Miles relays a suggestion from John Holmes Seger (from the Arapaho school) that male students sell their…

Richard Henry Pratt asks the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to approve his Changes in School Employees and Report of Irregular Employee forms for September 1880 so that he can complete his third quarter accounts.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that they have not yet completed the order for collars or harnesses.

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…

E. Hind states that he recently visited the Carlisle Indian School and was very impressed by the work being done there. He asks for information on how the school pays its expenses and for specific details on the Civilization Fund.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the…

Richard Henry Pratt informs Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz that the presidents of Amherst, Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Rochester universities are all invited and will visit the Carlisle Indian School near the end of December.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the…

Richard Henry Pratt transmits his Report of Irregular Employees for October 1880.

Note: The report itself was missing from the microfilm reels at the National Archives.

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, "…

Richard Henry Pratt states that last year both the Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner of Indian Affairs agreed that he should rent a farm adjoining the Carlisle Indian School to teach male students how to farm "general crops" and female students how to care for dairy cows. Unfortunately, he was only able to rent two parcels of land…

Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to spend $200 on repairing floors and enlarging the wash and bathroom facilities in the boys' quarters.

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…

Richard Henry Pratt explains to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that the price of lumber has increased by 25% since building the chapel. He also describes his issues in obtaining funding to install steam heating in the boys' quarters, and due to lack of funds, requests to postpone building a new hospital until the heating is finished.

Richard Henry Pratt requests to purchase a four foot extension to the school's cooking range and two copper boilers totaling $126. He explains that the current range is too small to accommodate the recent increase in students.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the…

Richard Henry Pratt requests to spend $90 on butter, eggs, milk, and other food that the school physician believes is necessary for the students in poor health.

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…

Richard Henry Pratt submits a "Special" Estimate of Funds form for $1,700 that includes traveling expenses, supplies, employee pay, and contingencies.

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…

Richard Henry Pratt provides a report on the seven potential plots of land they could rent and use as a school farm. He provides details on pricing, distance from the school, contracts, size of the plot, and taxes, with certain plots having advantages over the others.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels…

Second Auditor O. Ferriss allows Sheldon Jackson's claims for $197.97 and $23.90 for travel expenses incurred while transporting Indian students from New Mexico to the Carlisle Indian School in the Summer of 1880. Jackson encloses the claim to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and asks him to send the money as soon as possible because he needs…

Richard Henry Pratt requests to visit Washington, D.C. to discuss the need for a school farm. He also requests to visit New York to purchase an addition to their cooking range and material to manufacture clothing and to meet with Frank D. Karr to discuss the Carlisle Indian School's manufactured goods.

Note: This item was copied from U.S…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that he's received the two new students from Bishop Huntington. He sent the first one home almost immediately due to poor health, but the second one was fine, and he receives quarterly payments from a patron on the student's behalf. He asks if the quarterly payments should be placed…

Richard Henry Pratt transmits his Report of Irregular Employees for November 1880.

Note: The report itself was missing from the microfilm reels at the National Archives.

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, "…

Richard Henry Pratt requests to spend $645 on flour and $1,686 on beef for the first quarter of 1881.

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."

Richard Henry Pratt informs Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs P. M. Roberts that he received a letter from Mr. Ballou, a teacher at the Shoshone and Bannock Agency, looking to send Northern Arapaho students to the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt states that he told Ballou to send the letter to Roberts, who'd better know how to handle the…

Seven letters, written between December 6 and December 13, 1880, from Richard Henry Pratt to Chief White Thunder about the illness of his son, Ernest. 

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that Chief White Thunder's son, Ernest, is very sick and may die. Pratt believes that it's "entirely his fault" and that he "wants to die."

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which were filmed from the original documents found in…

Richard Henry Pratt informs the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that his students are very hard on their clothes and that many of them have outgrown their clothing from a year ago. He requests to spend $2,000 on materials needed to manufacture new uniforms for his current students as well as new students from the Navajo and Pueblo Nations.

Richard Henry Pratt requests that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs approves spending $300 to convert the stable to a gymnasium for the male students. Pratt explains that they moved the animals to the rented school farm and no longer use the stable.

Note: This item was copied from U.S. National Archives microfilm reels (M234), which…

Richard Henry Pratt requests to purchase 300 washable bedspreads and blankets for the male students in order to increase cleanliness. Pratt notes that he believes it will cost $495 or less.

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…