The Freedmen Files

This was an effort to capture details from the life of Caesar Bruner leader and founder of the Bruner band of Seminole Freedmen. But the more I researched Caesar the man, the more I learned about the very dynamic structure of the communities of Seminole Freedmen. This is a community of many parts, based in Oklahoma, Texas, Mexico, as well as Florida, The Bahamas, and also the Gullah Geechee communities of South Carolina. Caesar Bruner was a dynamic leader surrounded by an even more dynamic community of survivors, leaders, warriors and more.

On this first 5th Monday taping, I had a wonderful conversation with Kenneth, founder of the Descendant Freedmen Alliance of Kansas City. Mr. Ford's ancestry comes out of the Creek Freedman Sells family from Taft Oklahoma. He has become a leader in the Kansas City area, in organizing a group of Oklahoma Freedmen descendants to gather, and study their history coming from the Five Tribes. In this conversation we learn about the how he made a discovery about his own history and later learning how many of ther families in the greater Kansas City area share a similar family story.   (To save time for listerners, fast forward to the 30 second mark on the recording where the conversation begins. This will bypass the silent space on the tape.)

This is the story of a man who enlisted in the Union Army when he was in his late 30s and nearly 40, and ended up participating in several major battles in Missouri, Arkansas, and Indian Territory. After the war he became an advocate for Chickasaw Freedmen and even traveled to Washington DC to present a memorial to Congress from the Freedmen Community. Isaac Alexander who also emerged as patriarch to two large family clans, has a distinguished history and hopefully will have a story that will no longer be ommitted from the anals of Oklahoma nor Chickasaw history.  

This episode explores the records that can tell you more about lives of Oklahoma Freedmen many decades before the Dawes era.  Slave Schedules, Indian Pioneer Papers, WPA Slave Narratives, Family Search tribal records, and Ancestry US Marriages, Citizenship and Census 1841-1927, are some amazing collections that might open doors for you. Take a deeper dive into some of these records and hopefully you will come out with a more indepth understanding about the lives of your ancestors.

From the 1860s onward after slavery was abolished in Indian Territory, the Freedmen, once enslaved in the Five Tribes found themselves in a quest for the education of their children. As early as the 1860s after the treaties were signed, schools began to appear in the Cherokee Nation. Each decade more schools appeared, most as neiorhood schools or day schools but a few boarding schools some supported  by the various Church Missions in Indian Territory. This week's podcast looks at some of those schools and thanks to much of the research of the late James McCullough, a close look at education among Cherokee Freedmen provides an amazing array of information in this area.  This podcast presents some of this information that has been found.

While browsing through Dawes Cards, an interesting community of seventeen Choctaw Freedmen appeared on a series of cards. They were interesting because they did not reside in the Choctaw Nation, and in an unlikely place. Years later they had resettled in Choctaw County Oklahoma, well into the 20th century. Why did they live outside the nation?  Do they still have ties where they were during the years of the Dawes Commission? Are they your ancestors?

This episode reflects the life of a man born in Virginia, taken to Mississippi, and then to Indian Territory. His name first appears in a letter to the Freedmen's Bureau in 1865. His name appears again in a letter sent to Congress on behalf of Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen. Over the years his name would sometimes appear on random documents because he served his community as an interpreter, being fluent in Choctaw. From his letters to his acts of service the words of this man made a difference, and for many thanks to Watson Brown, they had a voice.

Today is the 4th Monday, and this year on the 4th Monday I shall take a dive into the many record collections that reflect the Freed people among the Five Nations of Oklahoma. These are records of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations. Many of these records extend decades back before the Dawes Commission. For those who want to take their documented past back to the years before the Civil War, this episode will mention the various record sets that reflecting an amazing presence in these tribal nations. Hopefully many of you are already using these records, and possibly there are some of you who have never used this plethora of reocrds that bring forth our history and our truth.

At the top of Honor Heights in Muskogee Oklahoma an old school sits between a large water tank and a hospital. It is visited each year by hundreds of people. However, many who visit the site leave with no knowledge that it was once a school. The site is the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, and the school was once known as Evangel Mission School. It is the only structure of a Freedman School that remains standing in the state of Oklahoma. Established in 1883, and placed in the Old Agency Building for the Creek Nation, this structure stands beautifully on the hill with only a school bell to hint to visitors that it may have at one time, been a school. Evangel Mission, is a school that we must not forget.

From the time of arrival to the present day the old Skullyville District, has had an amazing story to tell. The first group of Native people removed to the West were Choctaws from Mississippi alongty with their slaves. The slaves later became freed and remained in the Choctaw Nation, including those in what was now their home - Skullyville. This episode looks at a fascinating history of the Freedmen of Skullyville and discusses a fascinating history of a remarkable people who still maintain their identity, as pioneers on the frontier, as pre-statehood Oklahomans, and as citizens of the Choctaw Nation.

A.G.W. Sango is an amazing man who began life in the Muskogee in 1868. He wore many hats during his lifetime, from being an educator, founder of the Sango Baptist College, co-founder of the Creek Citizens Bank, and the Muskogee Businessmen's League and so much more. Sango was an advocate for the rights of Freedmen in the Creek Nation and he saw the value of associating with many in the area who migrated from other states, to Oklahoma. He fought against Jim Crow laws, and the efforts to restrict voting rights for blacks in Oklahoma. He was an amazing leader and one to know from Oklahoma History.

This episode describes the new features of the Freedmen Files. This year there will be a rotatings series each week consisting of biographies, community spotlight, schools/churches and institutions, and an upclose look at the records. This episode focuses on what those features will contain.  

In the 1930s Mary Grayson, a Creek Freedwoman, was interviewed as part of the WPA Slave Narratives project. Her narrative is important because it provides a glimpse into the life of an enslaved family and how they fared life on the brink of freedom. Her story also provides an insight into how those who were left behind fared when some were able to get to escape, and the aftermath that followed.

Two weeks ago a major ruling came from the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Creek Freedmen descendants, declaring that they are Creek citizens. This has energized many in the community of Choctaw Nation descendants, and many have responded by writing letters to Chief Batton, and asking him about the open letter that he wrote several years ago, stating that he was willing to explore the possibility of Choctaw Freedmen citizenship.  I also penned a letter to Chief Batton and am sharing here with you on this podcast.

This is the story of Rebecca Williams from South McAlester in the Choctaw Nation. Her background was of Chickasaw history, culture and life, and her mother was a native woman from the Territory. Her story is significant because she chose to sepak to her truth, especially when she realized that something was being taken away from her. Hers is a story to tell and a story to be remembered.

Jake was enslaved on a plantation in Skullyville in the Choctaw Nation. He was said to have been on the estate of Joseph Hall. In the early days of the  Civil War, a slave uprising was said to have occurred, but Jake was the man who was able to bring the violence to an end, saving the life of one of the Hall family members. Nothing more was ever said about Jake, the enslaved man except that he died during the war. Could more be learned about him?  This is a story of my journey to see what I could learn about him.

James Coody John was a remarkable man who emerged as a leader in both Creek and Seminole communities. His was fluent in both Muscogee language as well as English, went on to obtain an education in the east returning to Oklahoma where he would be a man in demand by many who needed his legal skills as much as his language skills. He was active politically working for tribal Freedmen as well as blacks who emigrated to Oklahoma from other states. In addition, he  emerged as a leader as a Grand Master in the community of Masons in Oklahoma. A building erected by Johnson still stands in Wewoka Oklahoma today and a highway marker bearing his name welcomes all to the city where he lived, and died. James Coody Johnson--a name not to be forgotten in Oklahoma history.

This podcast focuses on Moses Whitmire who was elected as a Trustee for Cherokee Freedmen in response to an act from the tribal council in 1883 that planned to exclude the Freedmen from the Nation in sharing in a  percapita payment that was being allocated to the Cherokee Nation.     Moses Whitmire was elected by the Freedmen to be their trustee and to travel to Washington to negotiage on their behalf. In an effort to secure an attorney he signed an agreement with two attorneys from St. Louis Missouri, and this led to a larger issues where he had unknowingly signed an agreement to pay the attorneys almost 30% of the funds going to the Nation.  His case began a centuries long case regarding Cherokee Freedmen and their treatment as full citizens.      As a trustee lawsuits arose against him and Whitmire filed counter-suits against the Cherokee Nation and the United States.  He set precedent for Freedmen and their many trips to Washington DC that would go on for more than a century. 

This episode describes the work of Annie Keel a Chickasaw Freedwoman who lived in the Choctaw Nation. After slavery ended she was interested in the establishment of a church in her community, and in particular that of the AME Church. She did not have contacts herself, but took the initiative to contact the Chief of the Choctaw Nation for assistance. Her boldness and her tenacity paid off and the AME Church was established in the Choctaw Nation and she and her husband Billy hosted the first AME Church conference in the Territory. Hers is a remarkable story of vision, action and determination.

This episode explores the remarkable legacy of the Sango family from the Muscogee Creek Nation. From the days before the removal of Creek Indians from Georgia and Alabama, to Indian Territory in the west, the Sangos have left their mark on the soil of Oklahoma. Beginning with Scipio Sango to his son Alexander known better as A.G.W. Sango, this is a story of a strong father and son, who left their mark on Oklahoma. Theirs are names that should never be forgotten.

This episode focuses on the story of Zach Foreman, a Cherokee Freedman who managed to create a small town named after himself. From humble beginnings as a slave, to become a wealthy cattleman, and town leader, his story is one to remember. He became a man of prominence and fortune, though today he is largely forgotten and seldom mentioned among Freedmen leaders from Indian Territory.

There are many stories of freedom and how it came to enslaved people. Those of us who have ties to Indian Territory also have stories of freedom. Some seized their own freedom, and some were told of their freedom. Regardless, though slavery was not abolished till 1866 when the treaties were signed, descendants of Oklahoma Freedmen also join the symbolic commemoration of the end of a 400 year saga of slavery. Therefore we lift our voices and sing, with the harmony of liberty! This episode is in honor of the Freedmen of Indian Territory and their freedom from bondage in the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations.

John Baldridge had an incredible life as a Cherokee slave, and emerged as a freedom fighter, then had two other lives in which his name was made as a religious leader, and also as an herbalist. This is the story of a man well known in the Cherokee Nation, who should be remembered by all who are fascinated by men of courage, intelligence, and strength!

This episode explores a family from the southern part of the Choctaw Nation whose roots extend beyond the Nation, beyond Indian Territory, and even beyond the United States. The head of the family, Zach Dunford was the son of Dock and Charity Dunford, both of whom were elders at the time of the Dawes Commission, and they had records that led to more information about the family's past.

This episode presents the life of Rev. Wiley Homer, from the Choctaw Nation. Born enslaved in the southern part of the Choctaw Nation, the young man Wiley was driven by a burning desire to learn how to read, and write. He began by learning how to recognize cattle brands, and by practicing writing what he saw with stick in hand, in the sand. Later when given a primer and a catechism, his fervent desire to read was strengthened. With time his skills became widely known and Homer emerged as a church elder, educator and leader within the small Choctaw community where he lived. His is a story of the resilience of one man and his name should be among the many whose influence left a lasting legacy in southern Oklahoma.

This episode describes a settlement of black people that appeared on Indian Territory maps from the 1870s till the early 20th century and that soon disappeared. Who were they? Were they tribal Freedmen? Were they migrants seeking refuge after the Civil War? Where did they go, and why did they disappear? Images of the maps reflecting this settlment are found on the August 2010 post of the African-NativeAmerican Genealogy Blog. 

This is the story of a man who was born enslaved in the Choctaw Nation. Seizing his own freedom he began the first of three amazing careers, leaving an amazing record of bravery, dedication to justice, family and freedom on the western frontier. The three lives of Bynum Colbert are shared in this podcast.

This episode details the life and actions of Bettie Ligon, a Choctaw Freedwoman and a Chickasaw woman by blood. Her mother was once enslaved, thus the "Freedman" status, and her father was Robert H. Love, who signed the Treaty of 1866.  Hers is a story where she sought justice advocating for the equal treatment of children born with the blood of their fathers, but who were denied the rights of citizens by blood.  Her saga began a movement, and is still part of a movement that prevails to this day.

This is the story of Hagar Myers, who lived her entire life in the Muscogee Creek Nation. She is an unsung heroine when she exhibited remarkable bravery during a time of conflict when the peach orchards still bore green fruit. Her bravery was shown when she uttered five critical words that then led to her actionthat would bring peace to the nation during a time of conflict. She is remembered during this Women's History Month.

This episode tells the story recalled by Phoebe Banks about the journey that her family made to Kansas during the Civil War with hundreds of people in the Creek Nation. She was only a small girl, and she recalled the harrowing journey she and other enslaved people from the Creek Nation made during that trip. This triip made under the leadership of Chief Opotholeyahola is sometimes referre to as "The Trail of Blood

In this episode the story of Lucinda Davis, a Creek Freedwoman is told. She shared her memories of her early years when just a young girl, going into rich detail about her life, the culture and the history through which she lived.

This episode illustrates the saga of a man from the Cherokee Nation, who struggled for years to find freedom and who struggled to claim his identity, rights, and, as a Cherokee citizen, and to share the outcome of his and his family's struggle.

This episode shares the story of the Dunford Family that is documented in the Choctaw Nation and takes the family back in time, crossing boundaries, in the Nation and beyond. 

This story looks at a Chickasaw family in blood, language and culture, but whose status as Chickasaws by blood was denied. This story looks at the records that reflect their history.

There was a time when the voice of a slave had little or no meaning, but years later, the voice of an ex-slave became a deciding voice taken as the truth that brings a case to an end. Such is the story of Dolly Stidham, a Creek Freedwoman.

Episode 2 features details about an amazing man from the Muscogee Creek Nation. Sugar T. George was born a slave in Georgia and was brought west with Creek Indians. He spent his entire life there, obtaining his freedom, becoming a literate man who rose to prominence in the Nation. From the Civil War, to the Dawes era, this once enslaved man served in both ruling houses of the Creek Nation, became a minister, and so much more. After his death he was described as "wealthiest Negro in Indian Territory." An amazing man who has been written out of Oklahoma history but whose name should be known by all.

This introductory episode provides information about the Oklahoma Freedmen. They were people once enslaved by Five Native American tribal nations, and taken west during the years of the Indian Removal - The Trail of Tears. They endured enslavement, but also exhibited acts of resistance during their first the decades there. After the Civil War, many remained in Indian Territory which was now their only home forging new lives on the western Frontier, as bilingual people now practicing tribal culture, speaking tribal languages, and becoming a distinct unique people on the frontier landscape. This first episode introduces the listener to the podcast that will describe who they are, and promises to bring episodes that will describe the lives of the thousands of people classified as "Freedmen" living on the soil that became Oklahoma. Welcome to the Freedmen Files!