The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-11-21
The CHoCTAw INDIANS.

Fifth day of the week, and first of 18th
month, 1912, After having flushed GU.
visit TO the Cherokees, Creeks and Semi,
noles, we hired a private conveyance to
Fort Smith, on he border OF the Choctaw
nation. We then took horses and rode
fifteen miles 10 the Choctaw agency, the
greater part of the way through a dense
cane swamnand put up at tavern kept by
an Indian woman. In the evening we
had some conversation with a young Indi,
an who had been educated at the Choctaw
Academy in Kentucky. He was at this
time engaged as clerk in a store, and
appeared intelligent and bright. The &C.
count he gave of the Academy was not
very flttering. We learned while in the
nation, that al the council lately held on
Red River, the Choctaws resolved not to
have any thing more 10 do with that school.
Their annual council was in session near
Red River, where the greater part of the
Choctaws reside. Many OF The indians
near Red River are said 10 live well; they
keep slaves and raise cotton for their own
consumption and for market. They also
raise corn, wheat, potatoes and other veg
etables,and keep large stocks ofneat cattle,
horses and swine; and few of them have
sheep, and make some cotton and wooen
goods for their slaves &c. They have
in general comfortable log houses, and live
like the new settlers in the west.
They have six or eight schools in the
nation, in which the primary branches of
an English education are taught; but a
small portion ofthe children however are
receiving any education n, schools either
in or out Of the nation. We were inform
ed that the council now in session have
resolved to establish two manual labor
schools on an extensive plan. One of
them is 10 be located on the Red River,
and the other al Fort Coffee, on the Ar
kansas River. Oae important feature in
the plan about TO be adopted by them is,
that the female children of the nation are
10 be educated at place several miles dis.
tant from where the males are educated.-
They have Appropriated $4,000 towards
the support OF these schools. 1t was re-
ported that the Method6ts were expecting
to have the control of the one at Fort Cof- |
fee. We visited one of their primary
schools taught by man from South Car
DINA, which consisted of about twenty
scholars. We were pleased with the ap.
pearance of it and thought the teacher was
doing well for the scholars. He informed
US that he had been engaged in this school
since 1888, and had a salary of eight hun.
pred and fifty dollars per annum, paid by |
the general government according 10
treaty stipulation.
The country owned by the Choctaws |
extends from The Arkansas 10 Red River,
and is generally fertile and we'll adapted
TO The growth of cotton, corn, wheat and
potatoes. Some of these Indians have
embraced Christianity, but the greater
part still adhere 10 their old traditions
Some have become temperate, but dssi'
patton, idleness, and their kindred vices,
are very prevalent amongst most of them.
The government and civil policy of this
nation, are similar to those ofthe Chcro>
KEGS, heretofore described. We saw
few OF the Chickasaws, but ascertaining
that there was no material difference be-
tween these Indians and the Choctaws, we
did not consider it important for us 10
make a special visit to them, They are
settled on the Choctaws' land, and speak
the same language, and iniermarry with
Ihem.
GENERAL REMARKS.
Alter having spent several months in
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