History of the Carlisle Indian School

Fort Marion Prisoners, 1875-1878

INTRODUCTION:

This web page is linked to series of pages borne out of project conceived of and implemented by John Sipes, Jr. for the Ft. Marion Prisoner Descendants Reunion Project. The prisoner names on this list are taken from Richard Henry Pratt’s biography, Battlefield and Classroom. Sources for the links are compiled from Cheyenne and Arapaho Agencies, many of whom are relations of the Ft. Marion Prisoners. More recently linked are the Sand Creek (1864) Survivor Families as well as the Battle of the Washita (1868) Survivors.

Page prepared in anticipation of the 2003/2004 Ft. Marion Descendants’ Reunion organized by John Sipes, Cheyenne Tribal Historian and  Dolores Big Foot, PhD.

 

LETTERS AND INSCRIPTIONS FROM SIPES-BERTHRONG COLLECTION

An inside look at Pratt’s requests from the Fort to the Agencies. This page link also includes correspondence between agents and Bureau preparing for the homecoming of the Ft. Marion prisoners.

 

List of “Cheyenne Indians as Prisoners” at Cheyenne Agency, Ind. Terr. (No Date on Document. Could be March of 1875. Sipes Notation)

(1) Grey Beard, Principal Chief, Ring Leader; (2) Heap of Birds, Principal Chief, Ring Leader; (3) Bear Shield, Principal Chief, Ring Leader; (4) Minimic, Principal Chief, Ring Leader (5) Medicine Water, Short and German Murders. Charges. ( Medicine Water was a Bowstring Warrior Society Head War Chief. Sipes Notation) (6) Long Back, Accomplice in Short and German Murders. Held and Abused Captives. (7) White Man, Accomplice in German Murders. Pointed out by Captives. (8) Rising Bull, Accomplice in German Murders (9) Cohoe, Pointed out by Big Moccasin (10) Bears Heart ( 11)Big Moccasin Captured by Capt. Reyes, Accused by Whirlwind, Cheyenne Chief (12) Star (13) Lean Bear, Said to have been in favor of peace. (14) Howling Wolf, Said to have been in favor of peace. (15) Making Medicine, Ring Leader (16) Antelope (17) Come See Him, Was in Short murder and some things found in his lodge said to be suspicious. Brother to Medicine Water. ( Standing Bird Oral history states from quotes of Measure Woman Standing Bird, Pete Bird Chief, Jr., Woodrow Goose,  Man on Cloud, Verna Yellow Cloud Standing Bird, Iron Shirt, Cleo Wilson Sipes, Sherman Goose, these all immediate family members, that Come See Him was not a brother to Medicine Water. Sipes Family Oral History Files, Sipes Cheyenne Coll.) (18) Little Medicine (19) Shave Head (20) Roman Nose (21) Big Nose (22) Squint Eyes (23) Little Chief (24) Good Heart/Black Horse, Killed upon escape from guards. (Black Horse escaped during the Sand Hill fight and went North and married in Montana and had a family. Sipes notation) (25) Matches (26) Starving Wolf (27) Spotted Elk (28) Buffalo Meat (29) Buzzard (30) Soaring Eagle, Brown murder close to Ft. Wallace, Kansas. Had Browns pistol in his possession. (31) Niconista, Brown murder near Ft. Wallace, Kansas. (32) Left Hand (33) Mochi, Wife of Medicine Water. Said to have put an ax in the head of John German. (Only Indian woman charged with the ” so called” crimes during the Red River War and sent to Ft. Marion in chains and shackles. She was a Cheyenne warrior woman and rode with her husband, Medicine Water, for 12 years. Sipes Cheyenne Coll.)   32 Men and 1 Woman Total 33 Cheyennes.
Arapahoes; Packer and White Bear.

2004 Sipes Collections. Ft. Marion POWs Files.

 

Note in Red Man and Helper

“A great many of the friends of Carlisle were also friends of Col. Pratt’s efforts for the Indians in old Fort Marion at St. Augustine over quarter of century ago, will be interested to know that of the seventy-two prisoners he took to Florida in April 1875 the following are still living: KIOWAS:-Wo-haw, Bad Eye, Zo-tom, 0n ko-eht, Ohet-toint, Zo-po-he, Beah ko, Aw.lih, To–sape, Tsait-kope-ta, Pedro, and Ko-ho. COMANCHES: – Quo-yo-uh–Ta–way-ite, and Tis-cha-kah-da. CHEYENNES:-Wm. Little Chief, Star, Noco-mista, White Man, Roman Nose, Come-uh-su-rah, Chief Killer, Left Hand, Howling Wolf, Buffalo Meat, Making Medicine, Medicine Water, Co-hoe, and Squint Eyes.”

January , 1904 RED MAN AND HELPER

 

Returned Ft. Marion Prisoners who were farming in 1885.

Buffalo Meat; Little Chief; David Pendleton; Chief Killer; Medicine Water; Henry Roman Nose. Berthrong Collection, Agriculture Files, No. 48.

 

Letter from Richard Henry Pratt

The Ontario, Washington D.C., October 29, 1914.
U.S. Indian Agent, Darlington, Okla.

Dear Sir, For preservation in government historical collections the enclosed photograh enlarged from a small one taken in 1875 in Ft. Marion Fla., of Indian prisoners from the K & C & Ch. & Arap. agencies under my care is sent you requesting indentification by name and number and to know if the individual is still living. My memory is uncertain as to six of them. Will you kindly consult some of the prisoners and give me as early as convenient what you find. The photo need not be returned. I have a copy numbered in the same order.
Respectfully, R. H. Pratt 

2003 Sipes / Berthrong Collection

 

Report of the Commissioner, 1878, Agent, C&A, Darlington, Indian Territory, Aug. 31, 1878, John D. Miles

Total at agency, 3,298 Cheyennes, 1,756 Arapahoes; 5,054; belonging to the agency, 5,066. Letter states in part- For the first time since Miles has been agent for nearly seven years the annuities arrived before the winter hunt. This was due to the formation of the C&A Transpertation Company, which has made four trips to Wichita, Kansas, before Jan. 1, 1878, bringing to the agency annuities before the winter hunt. The total cost of the train and expenses of the five trips made, was $6,150.20. Freight hauled was 318,433 pounds, besides which a portion of the train brought the Florida prisoners from Skeleton Creek to the agency, saving the government about $100.00. Value of freighting last year on contract was $6,687.09; to which add the Florida prisoners hauled, $94.50, and we have a total earned of $6,781.59, being an excess over $631.39. 

Berthrong Collection Florida Prisoners.

 

Cheyenne St. Augustine Prisoners

The two following pages show the number and names of the Cheyenne prisoners now held at St. Augustine, Florida, under military order.
The names of those of the above who have families. The names of the wives of the same, and the number of the women, and male and female children belonging to each family are as follows.
Number of men prisoners 32
Number of women prisoners 1
33 Total
Wives 18, other women 41, male children 20, female children 16, total 95.

List of Cheyenne Prisoners Families 
List has name of men, wife, other women, children either male or female.
(1) Grey Beard, wife Nis-si-e-o, 4 women, 1 male and 1 female children.
(2) Heap of Birds, wife Red Woman, 3 women, 2 male and 1 female children.
(3) Bear Shield, wife No-hin-nu, 3 women and 1 female child.
(4) Minimic, wife Me-no-um-hee, 3 women.
(5) Wolf Long (?), wife Nau-tah, 2 women, 2 male and 1 female children.
(6) Medicine Water, wife Moc-chi (only female prisoner), 2 women, 2 male and 1 female children.
(7) Long Back, wife No-in-nas, 1 woman and 2 male children.
(8) Lean Bear, wife Moh-chi-tah, 3 women, 3 male and 3 female children.
(9) White Man, wife O-ne-ha, 3 women, 1 male and 1 female children.
(10) Starving Wolf, wife O-che-ve-ha, 3 women, 1 male and 2 female children.
(11)Spotted Elk, wife Woh-cut-tah, 2 women, 1 male and 1 female children.
(12) Buffalo Meat, wife Cob-bi-in-se-uh, 3 womenand 1 female child.
(13) Howling Wolf, wife Mack- cah-yah, 3 women and 1 male child.
(14) Big Moccasin, wife Mo-it-tah-ish-sa
(15) Making Medicine, wife Twin, 2 women, 1 male and 1 female children.
(16) Com-see-me, wife Ne-ho-v, 2 women, 1 male and 2 female children
(17) Nicomista, wife Bear Woman, 1 woman and 1 male child.
(18) Soaring Eagle, wife Standing Elk, 1 woman and 1 male child.
Totals: 18 wives, 41 other women, 20 males and 16 female children for total of 95.
Sipes/Berthrong Cheyenne Collections. Ft. Marion Prisoners Section.
National Archives.  Letters Received, Records of the Upper Arkansas Agency, Record Group 75.

 

Biographies

CHEYENNE: Heap of Birds. Mo–yau-hay-ist. Bear Shield. Nock–yo-uh. Eagle’s Head. Minimic. Medicine Water. Mi-huh-heu–mup. Long Back. Cha-se-yun-nuh. White Man. Ow-us-sait. Rising Bull. -to-as-tuh-hos. oken Leg. Co-hoe. Bear’s Heart. Nock-ko-ist. Star. Ho–toich. Howling Wolf. Ho-na-nist-to. Making Medicine. -kuh-ha-tuh Antelope. Wuh-ah. Wolf’s Marrow. Come-uh-su-rah. Little Medicine. Ma-ha-ih-ha-chit. Shave Head. -uk-ste-uh. Roman Nose. Wo-uh-hun-nih. Big Nose. Pa–yis. Squint Eyes. Quch-ke–mus. Little Chief. Ko-we–narre. Matches. Chis–se-duh. Buffalo Meat. –wo-toh. Buzzard. Mo-he-wih-kio. Soaring Eagle. -uh-oh. Bear Killer. No-co-mis-ta Left Hand. No-mohst. Chief Killer. Noh-hu-nah-wih. Buffalo Calf. Mo-chi. Gray Beard. Big Moccasin. Lean Bear Shaving Wolf. Spotted Elk.

ARAPAHO: Packer. Nun-ne-ti-yuh. White Bear. Huh-noh-uh-co-ah. CADDO: Choctaw. Huh-nah-nee.

KIOWA: Woman’s Heart White Horse. Isa-tah. Beef. Wo-haw. Bad Eye. Ta-na-ti. Double Vision. So-gau-se. Bear-in-the-Clouds. Sa–mi–da. Lone Wolf. -si-sim-ers. Ankle. On-ko-eht. High Forehead. Ohet-toint Boy. -tah-dle-uh. Toothless. Zo-pe-he. White Goose. Tash-dle-tah Teeth. Zone-ke-uh. Old Man. Beah-ko. Good Talk. To-un-ke-uh Wild Horse. Ko-ba Flat Nose. Mau-ko-peh Wise. Au-lih. Kicking. Ko-ho. Bull (or Buffalo) with Holes in His Ears. To–sape. Bear Mountain. Tsait-kope-ta Pedro Biter. Zo-tom. Saightening an Arrow. Ih-pa-yah Sun. Co–bote-ta. Coming to the Grove. Ah-ke-ah. Man-Who-Walks-above-the-Ground. Mah-mante COMANCHE: Buck (or Red) Antelope. Eck–nah-ats. Dry Wood. Wy–ko. Black Horse. Po-ka-do-ah. Mad–with-. Telling Something. Ta–way-te. Tail Feathers (or Little Feather.) Pe-eh-chip. Always-Sitting-Down-in–Bad-Place. Tis-cha-kah-da. Pile of Rocks. Quoi-yo-uh. Little Prairie Hill. Pa-voor-ite. Mother. Pe-ah-in. Ah-kes.

 

History by Barbara Landis

©2017 Cumberland County Historical Society | Adapted from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School Research Pages of Barbara Landis