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vhawkins1952
Jul 25, 202116 min read

Catawban Surnames that Might have Appeared in Indian Territory in the 1890s

Updated: Oct 19, 2021

Surnames Associated with the Catawba who Came to Indian Territory Before 1900.


HISTORICAL BACKDROP

In the 1740s the government still considered the Catawba a Nation, as opposed to the Settlement Indians. Per Hudson, these settlement Indians were for the most part, composed of Indian Nations that were quickly on the road to extinction, passing first by the way of assimilation. He says; Hudson says: The settlement Indians consisted of Cheraws (Sara), Uchee's (Yuchi), Pedees, Notchees (Natchez), Cape Fear and others.” Governor James Glenn stated in 1746 the Catawba had about 300 warriors. In 1743 Adair estimates the Catawba had about 400 fighting men.( “The Catawba Nation”; Charles M. Hudson; © University of Georgia Press 1970) Adair also says the Catawba Nation consists of over 20 dialects, and he lists a few of them – Katabhaw, Wateree, Eeno, Chewah, Chowan, Cangaree, Nachee (Natchez), Yamassee, Coosah, etc. The "Coosah" are Creek, and the Chowan are Algonquin. Although the word “Yamassee” comes from the Muscogeean languages, it was written that “they spoke the same language as the lower Cherokee” (“A Guide to Cherokee documents in Foreign Archives”; William L. Anderson and James A. Lewis; The Scarecrow Press, 1983; © 1983 by William L. Anderson and James Lewis) The Natchez came from the Mississippi River. When it was written some of these "dialects" couldn't understand each other, that was DEFINITELY true (The Catawba Indians, People of the River”; Douglas Summers Brown; © 1966 and publication by University of South Carolina Press).

King Haigler had met with the Iroquois in New York, humbled himself before them, and secured a peace with them. I’ll find the reference – give me time to look it up. Next he hoped to get others to join with him as “Catawba”. Maybe this is the reason ALL Eastern Siouan peoples who came to Indian Territory 100-150 years later were content to become known as Catawba. The government never understood this. To them, the Catawba lived in York County, SC, PERIOD. Those of us from the Va/NC border (Saponi), from the NC/SC border (Cheraw and Pedee) were considered to be those faking it to get free lands in Oklahoma.

Chief Haigler was known for trying to get Indian people who were NOT Catawba proper to join with him. It is known both the Cheraw and Saponi at one time came to live with the Catawba. He did the same with the Pedee. The following note was saved of his effort to get the Pedee to move in with him.

This is from “History of the Old Cheraws,” by Alexander Gregg

The following was written by King Haigler to South Carolina Governor Glen, and is dated 21 Nov.1752. This note said:

“There are a great many Pedee Indians living in the settlements that we want to come and settle amongst us. We desire for you to send for them, and advise -- page 14 -- this, and give them this string of wampum in token that we want them to settle here, and will always live like brothers with them. The Northern Indians want them to settle with us; for they are now at peace, they may be hunting in the woods or straggling about, killed by some of them, except they join us, and make but one nation, which will be a great addition of strength to us."

his mark, the (x) King"

[21 Nov, 1752]

It would be nice to think King Haigler did something similar to unite the Saponi and Cheraw into his band, but I know of no such efforts. I suspect he did, it just isn’t recorded. Suffice it to say he wanted to unite all Eastern Siouan peoples, AS WELL as individual members of other tribes that were quickly walking down the road to extinction, but often passing through the veil of assimilation, first.

Now fast-forward 150 years. Southeastern tribes were removed to Oklahoma. Eastern Siouan people were scattered from Ohio to Florida, and inland to Arkansas, living amongst Whites as assimilated Indians and mixed-bloods. The 1887 Allotment Act was passed, and it does mention displaced tribes as having some hope to re-band.

WESTERN CATAWBA INDIAN ASSOCIATION

I have found four short newspaper articles concerning the Western Catawba Indian Association, from the late 1880s into the late1890s. I am placing them in chronological order

ONE.

From "The Indian Chieftain", a newspaper from Vinita, Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory dated 1888, located in what is today north eastern Oklahoma.

The Indian Chieftain, March 1, 1888, Vinita, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), image 2 of 4. It says;

“The Western Catawba Indian Association, with headquarters in Fort Smith, proposes to petition congress to set aside for the use of all persons of Indian blood, not members of any tribe, a portion of the Indian Territory.”

This is EXACTLY what King Haigler tried to do, to gather stragglers and allied outlying communities together.

TWO

August 16, 1889, The Fort Smith Elevator, Catawba Indian Association

The Catawba Indian Association met at Rocky Ridge on the 10th. The meeting was called to order by the President. After the reading of the minutes and the calling of the roll of the officers, transacting other business that came before the order, a call for new members was made and 90 was added to the new list, after which the meeting adjourned to meet at Ault’s’ Mill, three miles south of Fort Smith, the second day of the fair, the 16th day of October, where the delegates and all persons interested will please attend without further notice, as matters of interest will be considered.

J. Bain, President

G. W. Williamson, Secretary (287)

Notice it mentions 90 new names added to their roster. How many names were already on it? No word about them is mentioned. It does say another meeting will be held in a couple of months.

THREE

I obtained this material by writing to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith library. One of their librarians wrote the following:

Hello Mr. Hawkins,

Attached is a copy of the article you requested. The article mentioned another meeting held on October 16th and I found it in the October 25th edition but the film was so dark I could not get a good print to scan. The text of the article follows. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

“October 25, 1889 p. 3 col. 5, From Fort Smith Historical Society publication.

“Attention Catawba’s!”

The Western Catawba’s Indian Association met at Ault’s Mill October 16, 1889, at which meeting a number of new members were added to the Association, thus making it nearly 4,000 strong. They appointed an executive committee which is empowered to transact all business and place the matter before congress. The Association adjourned to convene again at a called meeting of the president.”

Okay now this number of 4,000 members is starting to look excessive. They were caught up in the excitement. They probably signed up people who were hoping for free land. I get that, now. I now can understand that. But it adds that another meeting is going to be held. Hmmm . . . I wonder if there is more information to be gleaned at the Fort Smith Elevator?

FOUR

The Fort Smith Elevator” (newspaper), date probably early Jan 1895.

All Catawba Indians by blood or otherwise are requested to meet at the County Court House in Fort Smith Arkansas on Thursday, Jan 24th, 1895 at 10 o’clock a. m. for the purpose of perfecting the census roll of the Western Catawba Indian Association and the transaction of other matters that may come before the meeting. All Catawba Indians are expected to be present or by proxy as business of importance will come before the meeting.

James Bain, Preset., Geo. E. Williams, Scary,

Western Catawba Indian Association (289)

I t appears that something happened between 1889 and 1895. They deleted or dumped most of those people from their rolls. We still have Bain and Williamson in charge (where his name was recorded as “Williams” is probably a misprint). We know the final roll contained 257 names. The rest were dumped. This meeting was held in the Sebastian County Court House, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I wonder -- Are there records in that court house of that meeting? Would they still exist? I know – its just a long shot. But this is the location of the meeting they held “for the purpose of perfecting the census roll of the Western Catawba Indian Association”.


SURNAMES

I am more in my comfort zone writing about history than genealogies. But here goes.

Most or many of these surnames probably never migrated here to Oklahoma.

From Miller-Guion Rolls Rejected list

Many on the rejected rolls were NOT rejected because they weren’t Native, but rather because they weren’t Cherokee.

I know of 200 Blevins’ and 200 more Sizemore’s on the rejected rolls. I also know they were of Catawban, not Cherokee descent. I don’t know however, if they came to Oklahoma/Indian Territory, or not.

Dr. R, Carlson, Mr. Forrest Hazel, and Richard Hathcock (deceased) mention some surnames of some Saponi wanting to come to Oklahoma, but were on the rejected rolls, too.

Perkins (maybe 10-20 on rejected Miller-Guion)

Baldwin (maybe 30-40 names on rejected Miller-Guion)

Cole (maybe 60-70 names)

Howard (abt 40 names on rejected Miller-Guion)

Shepherd (about 30 on rejected Miller-Guion)

Fletcher (maybe 20-30 on rejected Miller-Guion)

Forrest Hazel listed some “Occoneechhi Band of the Saponi” who tried to sign up on Dawes or Guion-Miller as Cherokee and were rejected

Guy (abt 15 on rejected)

Jeffries (1, maybe 10 if you include other spellings)

Wilson (abt 200)

Gibson (100-120 names on rejected rolls)

Again, I don’t know if any of these families actually were those who were Catawba mentioned by Carlson/Hazel/Hathcock, nor if they actually came to Oklahoma.


Those surnames found in “Indian Pioneer Papers”

If you research here, you don’t have to list someone’s name. You can search for “Catawba” and results come up. If you use the search engine for Oklahoma Historical Society you have to use the person’s name only.

mentions both the Le Branche and Gentry families. Says Le Branche was a Catawba Indian. It says Judge Le Blanche daughter married John Haynes.

George McIntosh, Creek Freedman

Address -- Muscogee, Ok

Date of birth – unknown, 1870

Father – Tobe McIntosh,

Other information about father -- slave, owned by John McIntosh

Birthplace – Alabama

Mother – Tam Johnson McIntosh [Vance’s note: maybe Tammy? Also her maiden name might have been “Johnson”?]

Birthplace – unknown

Other information about mother – she was a Catawba Indian, married to Tobe McIntosh at the Creek Agency after the slaves were freed.

Other – “. . . George’s mother was Tam McIntosh of Alabama. She came here with John McIntosh. . . . George McIntosh born in 1870, and to this union were born three girls and four boys.”.

Interview with Willie Lerbranche

[Vance’s note: Another place this surname was spelled “Le Branche”. Also it says “Index cards -- . . . , tribe – Catawba . . . are there index cards used by interviewers listing those who claimed Catawba ancestry?” Probably not, but it should be investigated.]

Willie states her grandfather was a Louisiana Frenchman b. Mar 1836, and Vicay Gentry, who was the daughter of Elijah Gentrty. It then states Elijah’s parents were a white man who married a Catawba Indian in Alabama.

Genty Cemetery, McIntosh County. It says present owners – Gentry heirs. Present owner at the time was Caroline Everett. Checotah is in McIntosh County. – Can I assume then, that these Everett’s were “Gentry hears”, and therefore Catawban-mixed?

Of W. E. Gentry it says, “He was a Catawba Indian adopted into the Creek Tribe.”

Interesting reading – it speaks of a Mr. Fisher who brought Mr Lerbranche and Mr. Gentry with his from Alabama to the Creek nation in Oklahoma in 1847, as well as a great number of slaves.

More interesting reading – there was a pace known as “Gentry’s Ferry” across the Arkansas River at Haskell. It was owned by Scott Gentry, and, and Steve and Prince Lowery operated it.

Dr. Carlson also mentioned the Gentry surname with respect to the Saponi that later came to be known as "Melungeons". He stated: A “Deed in Trust” for an unknown amount of acres at New River was made by old Saponi Thomas Collins to a white man named “Richard Gentry” circa 1797. Not coincidently, Gentry had been an officer in Captain Herbert’s Company of militia in Lord Dunsmore’s War

We know there are Gentry’s who came to Oklahoma who claimed Catawba heritage that married into the Creek Nation, per “Indian Pioneer Papers".


A Catawba Roll of 257 Individuals taken about 1895.


Several sources mention 257 persons on the final roll of Western Catawba. However the source of all of them, as far as I can tell, in that 1897 Document entitled “The Catawba Tribe of Indians, 54th Congress, 2nd session, Doc. 144; 23Feb1897” and is transcribed here

It states few surnames, but it does give the locations of its members. It says; “The present location and number of those Catawba Indians who went West, expecting to be located on lands west of the Mississippi River by the Department of the Interior are as follows, as furnished by James Bain, president of the Catawba Indian Association at Fort Smith, Arkansas:

Greenwood, Ark.,44; Barber, Ark, 42; Crow, Ark., 13; Oak Bower, Ark., 3; Enterprize, Ark., 6; Fort Smith, Ark., 17; Total Ark., 125.

Checotah, I. T., 17; Texanna, I. T., 15; Jackson, I. T., 15; Star, I. T., 34; Panther, I. T., 22; Oak Lodge, I. T., 10; Redland, I. T., 4; Rainville, I. T., 2; Indianola, I. T., 3; Center, I. T., 4; Ward, I. T., Sacred Heart, I. T., 4; Steigler, I. T., 2; total 132.

Grand total, 257.

About Those 42 Families

Both Brown and Milling refer to “42 heads of households” while Muriel Hazel Wright refers to “42 persons” – That 1897 document says -- In a letter dated November 13th, 1848, John C. Mullay, a clerk in this office, forwarded a letter, dated Oct. 6, 1848, from one George T. Mason, enclosing a request by the Chief of the Catawbas,, a memorial of said tribe of Indians at Quallatown, Haywood County, N. C., dated Oct. 4, 1848, on file in this office (misc. M., 280), addressed to the President, signed by William Morrison, chief, and following heads of each Catawba family, viz., Phillip Kegg, Lewis Stevens, John Heart, John Scott, Franklin Kenty, Antony George, David Harris, Thomas Stevens, John Harris, Jesse Harris, Nancey George, Sally Harris, Polly Redhead, Patsey George, Harriet Stevens, Betsy Heart, Cynthia Kegg, Patsy George, Jr., Mary Ayres, Margaret Ayres, Betsey Ayres, Susan Kegg, Eliza Kanty, Frankie Brown, Jinny Joe, Jenny Ayres, Rachel Brown, Easther Scott, Katy Joe, Sally Redhead, William George, Peggy Kanty, Rosa Ayres, Becky George, Polly Harris, Elizabeth Brown, Polly Harris [same name is listed twice], Mary Joe, Allen Harris, Mary Harris and James Kegg, comprising 42 persons, all of whom signed by mark, in the presence of Abram Sellers, George T. Mason., and John T. Gibson, requesting the appointment of a reliable and trustworthy business man to superintend their removal west.

I can’t help but see so many families moved around 1848. I also can’t help but recall my ancestor, David Brown, was last listed on Alabama tax lists in 1847, and that in 1848 he is listed on the Arkansas tax rolls. His wife’s brother (his brother-in-law) married in 1847 and moved to Arkansas with him in 1848, before moving on to Missouri before the 1850 census. Just interesting, that’s all. A lot of people seemed to be on the move in 1848.

Notice it appears to be saying the 42 signers were heads of households.

Muriel Hazel Wright

There is one other source I wish to acknowledge. Muriel Hazel Wright wrote extensively about Native American’s in Oklahoma, including one of my favorite books, “A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma”. She includes two pages about the Western Catawba who came to Oklahoma. I have that transcribed here -- https://vhawkins1952.wixsite.com/catawbaresearch/post/what-muriel-hazel-wright-said-about-the-catawba

She mentions several Catawba who were adopted into the Choctaw Nation. She states the following, “On November 9, 1853, the Choctaw General Council enacted legislation investing William Morrison, Thomas Morrison, Sarah Jane Morrison, and eleven other Catawba bearing the family names of Redhead, Heart, Ayers, and Keggo, all with the rights and privileges of Choctaw citizens.”

One more surname

I have another surname – Morgan. There is a record of a man who “looked like a Spaniard” and spent some time living among the Spanish in California. He moved to the Cherokee Nation, and asked permission to live there among the Cherokee. He said he was a Catawba. The report said he had a Negro wife and family. Now to me that seems like a classic Melungeon, tri-racial family. He was of dark complexion (why else would they say he looked like a Spaniard?), yet didn’t have a Spanish surname – his surname was Morgan, an English/Welsh surname. Sosince he claimed a Catawban heritage, his surname is added as well.

Surnames

So, in conclusion, the surnames we have found are;

Sizemore, Blevins, Guy, Jefferies, Wayland, Gibson, Brown, Morgan, Lerbranche (on one occasion it was spelled “Le Branche”), Gentry, Perkins, Baldwin, Cole, Howard, Shepherd, Fletcher, Scott, Lowery, Wilson, McIntosh, Johnson Morrison, Redhead, Heart, Ayers, Kegg/Keggo, Haynes, Everett

Locations

Here is a record of the locations the Catawba lived, in Arkansas and Indian Territory (Oklahoma); Arkansas:

Arkansas:

Greenwood, Ark.,44; Barber, Ark, 42; Crow, Ark., 13; Oak Bower, Ark., 3; Enterprize, Ark., 6; Fort Smith, Ark., 17; Total Ark., 125.

Indian Territory:

Checotah, I. T., 17; Texanna, I. T., 15; Jackson, I. T., 15; Star, I. T., 34; Panther, I. T., 22; Oak Lodge, I. T., 10; Redland, I. T., 4; Rainville, I. T., 2; Indianola, I. T., 3; Center, I. T., 4; Ward, I. T., Sacred Heart, I. T., 4; Steigler, I. T., 2; total 132.

Grand total, 257.

Vance’s note: Today Checotah and Texanna are both in McIntosh County. But in 1897 when this information was recorded, Checotah was in the Creek Nation and Texanna was in the Cherokee Nation.

Addendums 1 and 2

Since I finished this, I have found more old files

1. Searching for James Bain and George E. Williamson

I have few leads on these "Western Catawba Association" based out of Fort Smith. i have just 2 names that appear on many of their doucments -- James Bain/Bane and George E. Williamson, and they appeared in the late 1880s and 1890s.

There is a James Bane in the following family --

1860 census, Bolivar County, Mississippi [note:Bolivar County borders the Mississippi River, across the river from both Desha County, Arkansas, and the mouth of the Arkansas River.]

?S. or E.? Bane 30, m, Mississippi

Elizabeth Bane, 20, f, Arkansas,

James W. Bane, 5, m, Arkansas

George Wallace Bane, 3 , m, Arkansas

Victoria Ann Bane, f, Illinois

David Greer, m, Tennessee,

Mary Greer, f, Mississippi

Randolph Bunch, 6, m, Arkansas

James Campbell, 13, m, Mississippi

Notice a child named Randolph Bunch with this family. James W. Bane is 5 years old in 1860, making him about 35 years of age in 1895 when this Western Catawba Association was making news on the Oklahoma/Arkansas line. But are these two the same person? Also --

1920 Sebastian Co,. Ark

James Bain, head, m, w, 71, Ms, Ms, Ms

Orral Bain, wife, f, w, 28, Ark, Ms, Ark

There is a James Bain in Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1920 -- Fort Smith is the seat of Sebastian County. He says he was born in Mississippi in 1920 and when he was 5 years old he was living in Mississippi. The 1860 census puts his place of birth as Arkansas. The date of birth in 1860 appears to be 1855, and the 1920 census puts his date of birth as closer to 1849. These two james Bane/Bain's "could be" the same person. The James Bain in 1920 in Sebastian County, Arkansas is most likely the one mentioned as President of this Catawba organization.

How does "Randolph Bunch" fit in with this family? Who are the Greers living with them in 1860? Who is James Campbell? Who were the parents of these children (apparently orphaned)? Looking online, I fould little else about this person (THIS James Bain -- there are others with this name), but I have just begun to search for them. They are NOT well documented.

James Minor Bain

Oh, www.ancestry.com has several Arkansas families with a "James Minor Bain" who would have been too young to have been president of the Western Catawba Indian Association. The middle name "Minor" caught my attention.

Now for George E. Williamson.

He is also mostly an undocumented man.

Williamson, George E. 1865 - 1936

Williamson, Nancy K. 1872 - 1946

This is the cemetery where George E. Williamson and wife were buried. He appears to have been fom Greenwood, Arkansas and that is one of the towns in Western Arkansas where members of this Western Catawba Association was from.

There is a second George E Williamson from Fort Smith, Arkansas

Birth: Dec. 10, 1918

Death: Apr. 12, 1998

marriage information

George E Williamson

Age: 27

Birth Year: abt 1919

Residence: Fort Smith, Arkansas

Spouse's Name: Opal Minard

Spouse's Age: 28

Spouse's Residence: Arkoma, Oklahoma

Marriage Date: 19 May 1946

Marriage License Date: 16 May 1946

Marriage County: Sebastian

Event Type: Marriage

George E. Williamson

Last Residence: 72902 Fort Smith, Sebastian, Arkansas, United States of America

Born: 10 Dec 1918

Died: 12 Apr 1998

Spouse:

Opal May Williamson (____ - 2010)

Burial:

Woodlawn Memorial Park

Fort Smith

Sebastian County

Arkansas, USA

This is all I have found so far -- nothing else -- just this. Perhaps this is the son or grandson of the first George E Williamson, the one involved with the Western Catawba Association. It seems the only way to discover more about this organisation is to find descendants of Bain/Bane and Williamson.

So these people did exist and they did apparently talk to Congress -- but just exactly who were they?

2. I was just going throw old files I have made notes of, stashed away on my computer, and forgotten about years ago. I stumbled across this. Whereas Ms Wright just wrote about 19 persons the Choctaw adopted, lists a few names and other surnames, Grant Foreman lists14 names but says 19 were adopted-- here they are -- “4.” Grant Foreman, Five Civilized Tribes, p. 122. [A called session was held September 4, 1850 where it was resolved that the Chickasaw Tribe decline to receive the Catawba Indians living in North and South Carolina, whom the government was trying to locate in their country.] “5.” Ibid., p. 76. [from ”Five Civilized Tribes”, Foreman: Among the recent arrivals in the Choctaw Nation was a party of Catawba Indians who left South Carolina in December, 1851, and after six had died on the way, the surviving nineteen reached the Choctaw agency in February following. They were peaceable and inoffensive people and begged to be admitted into the Choctaw Nation (31). They had recently made similar application to the Chickasaw Nation and had been refused. On November 9th, 1853, the Choctaw Council passed the necessary legislation admitting to the tribe as members the following Catawba Indians: William Morrison, Thomas Morrison, Sarah Jane Morrison, Molly Redhead, Betsey Heart, Rebecca Heart, Phillip Keggo, and Cynthia Keggo, Rosey Ayers, Betsey Ayers, Juliana Ayers,, Mary Ayers, Sopronia Ayers, and Sally Ayers. (32)]. Don't know why he lists just 14 names yet says 19 were adopted -- maybe the rest were little children -- I just don't know why . . .If I run across more names I'll let you know. I have 10 or 15 or so old word files I just named research1,2 ,3 . . . or references 1,2,3 . . . I'll go over them today. If I end up wiith several more names, I might just resubmit a new list.

I have also found another list of the names of the head of households of those 42 familie, with different spellings! Why are there so many variations!?

Another source – The Catawba Indians, Douglas Sommers Brown, p 322 –

“A letter dated January, 1847, shows the willingness of the North Carolina Band to move . . .” (8)

8. Scaife, p. 13, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Archives, Letters received, misc., President of the United States to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Feb. 1, 1847 refers to petition of the Catawba Indians of North Carolina desiring assistance to remove to the West. . . . The document was signed by William Morrison, chief, Philip Caig, Franklin Kanty, William George, John Scott, John Heart, and Sally Harris. Other heads of families signing were; Peggy Kanty, Rosa Airs, Ginny Joe, William Brown, Sally Warahow, Betsy Will, Rachel Brown, Molly Red Head, Susan Caig, Lewis Stevens, Alan Harris, David Harris, Samuel Scott, Thomas Stevens, Virginia Patterson, Nancy White, Nancy George, Mary Airs, Franky Brown, Sally Airs, Sally Red Head, Antony George. None who signed could write his own name.




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