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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April 9, 1881
A. R. Keller, U.S. Indian Agent at the Montana Crow Agency, writes to see if it would be possible to send a delegation of Crow children to Carlisle in the summer. Keller notes that the Agency has had little success in meeting its educational…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Admission of Crow Children to Carlisle582.92 KB
April 12, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt submits the abstract of bids for material and part of the labor to build a hospital for the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt includes the advertisement that appeared in the Herald and Mirror as well as the Valley…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
View Document: Abstract of Bids on Hospital Building Construction1 MB
April 18, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt provides notice to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that he is going on a trip to Philadelphia in order to raise awareness of the Carlisle Indian School. In doing so, he hopes to raise $2,500 in order to build an addition…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Notice of Fundraising Trip to Philadelphia457.62 KB
April 18-23, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards a letter he received from Dr. H. Caruthers of Tarrytown, New York who is requesting the permission of the Secretary of the Interior to start a small school dedicated to educating Indian pupils. Pratt and Caruthers…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Open Indian School in New York658.42 KB
April 22 - May 4, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards the reports of school physician C. H. Hepburn on the deaths of Dora (Her Pipe), Rose (Red Rose), and Albert. Hepburn provides details on the treatment and condition of each student as well as their illnesses including…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Student Illness, Student Deaths
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Report on the Deaths of Three Students1.4 MB
May 2, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt reports that a scarlet fever outbreak as occurred at the Carlisle Indian School. Pratt notes that there has been an outbreak in the borough of Carlisle for the past three months during which he has instituted a quarantine for…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Medical Care at School, Student Illness
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Discussion of Scarlet Fever Outbreak at School618.76 KB
May 2, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt writes to seek the authority to send William Young, a member of the Nez Perce Nation, home before the expiration of his term due to illness.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Send Home William Young530.22 KB
May 5, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt seeks clarification on the need for Richard Parker to sign for the receipts paid for the rent of the Parker farm for himself as well as an attorney for the other heirs. Pratt believes this is unnecessary but wants to avoid…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Clarification on Signing Receipts for Rental Payment554.49 KB
May 6-9, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards the report of the Carlisle School physician C. H. Hepburn on the deaths of Edward Upright and Giles. Hepburn notes the cause of death resulting from scarlet fever as well as pneumonia while recovering from measles.…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Student Illness, Student Deaths
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Report on the Deaths of Edward Upright and Giles994.38 KB
May 9, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt writes to seek authority to pay to send home three former prisoners who remained east for their education. The sponsor of Paul Zotom and David Oakerhater had them trained in agriculture as well as being ordained as deacons in…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Return Three Former Florida Prisoners Home945.79 KB
May 11, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt sends a list of positions and salaries for the 1882 fiscal year. The list includes clerks, farmers, teachers, matrons, various superintendents, band leader, various industrial teachers, cooks, disciplinarians, a teamster,…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: List of Positions and Salaries for Fiscal Year 1882700.01 KB
May 16, 1881 - May 20, 1881
J. M. Howard writes to Richard Henry Pratt seeking to enroll John Leecy of the White Earth Agency at Carlisle. Howard provides a recommendation for Leecy along with the Agent at White Earth Agency and notes that Leecy would be able to pay his way…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Request for Enrollment
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Enroll John Leecy725.6 KB
May 23, 1881
John Cook, a U.S. Indian Agent writes on behalf of Cook, a member of the Sioux Nation, to visit the Carlisle Indian School at his own expense.
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Cook Requests to Visit Carlisle School376.6 KB
May 23, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt outlines a proposal for sending students from the Carlisle Indian School to local families in the Cumberland Valley and Bucks County. Pratt justifies the program by noting that any cost will be offset by savings in food as…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Initial Proposal for Local Outing Program639.93 KB
May 23 - June 8, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt forwards to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs two letters he received from the Rosebud Agency. One concerns the deaths of Rosebud students while at Carlisle and the desire of the Rosebud Sioux Chiefs to educate their children…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Letters Sent to Pratt from the Rosebud Agency Regarding Return of Children1.71 MB
May 23, 1881
A Council of Sioux Chiefs including Spotted Tail, Two Strike, White Thunder, and Swift Bear from the Rosebud Agency writes to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to protest the deaths of their children at Carlisle and asks for a local school in…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Student Deaths
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Sioux Chiefs Protest Deaths of their Children and Ask for Local School905.98 KB
May 23, 1881
A Council of Sioux Chiefs including Spotted Tail, Two Strike, White Thunder, and Swift Bear from the Rosebud Agency writes to President James A. Garfield to protest the deaths of their children at Carlisle and asks for a local school in order to…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics: Student Deaths
Format: Letters/Correspondence
May 23, 1881
A council of Sioux Chiefs including Spotted Tail, Two Strike, White Thunder, and Swift Bear from the Rosebud Agency writes to the Secretary of the Interior to protest the deaths of their children at Carlisle and asks for a local school in order…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Sioux Chiefs Protest Deaths of their Children to Interior and Ask for Local School891.38 KB
May 30, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt notifies the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that the former Kiowa prisoner Tsaitkopeta who has been living in Tarrytown, New York with Dr. H. Caruthers wishes to return home to the Kiowa and Comanche Agency. Pratt notes that…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request to Return Tsaitkopeta Home427.7 KB
June 1, 1881 - June 20, 1881
Cook, a member of the Sioux Nation, writes to his daughter Grace at the Carlisle Indian School. He writes that others in the Rosebud Agency are attempting to have their children returned from Carlisle but he does not think they will succeed. If…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Cook Writes to his Daughter Grace at Carlisle660.97 KB
June 2, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt provides an update on the enrollment status of William Snake and Fred Smith. Pratt notes that William Snake and White Rabbit are the same individual. He also writes that the money for the two students would be better served if…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Enrollment Status of William Snake and Fred Smith764.76 KB
June 7, 1881
Richard Henry Pratt seeks authority to return eight students home due to measles and scarlet fever outbreaks. To allow them to travel more comfortably, Pratt requests a response via telegraph allowing him to send them on a through car to Kansas…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Request Telegraph Authority to Return Eight Sick Students Home838.68 KB
June 20-27, 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…
Repository: National Archives and Records Administration
Topics:
Format: Letters/Correspondence
View Document: Notification of Change in Nation Enrollment Status of Three Students618.18 KB
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:
View Document: Special Estimate of Funds, Second Quarter 18811.45 MB
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
View Document: Estimate of Funds, Third Quarter 18811.59 MB