Letter of Prof. Henry,

OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 13, 1873.

To the Chairman of the
Library Committee of Congress:

* * * * * I would respectfully urge the importance of purchasing these valuable records of the previous inhabitants of North America, which, if not secured at this time, will be dissipated and lost to the world. They will grow in importance with advancing years, and when the race of which they are the representations shall have entirely disappeared their value will be inestimable.

No scientific subject of the present day is exciting more interest than that of the past history of the world, as it is now being reconstructed, as it were, from the materials hitherto almost neglected of the remains of ancient times, which are now being collected and presented for scientific study by every enlightened government of Europe. It is proved by cumulative arguments the most irresistible that the ancestors of the most civilized races of the present day were at one time savages, of whom the manners and customs can only be understood by a comparative study of the lives of savages now existing in different parts of the world. Comparative ethnology forms the basis of pre-historic science. Unfortunately the data of this science exhibits many gaps to be filled up, and our Government would be justly censured by the intelligence of the world were it to permit the valuable documents, as they may be called, of a disappearing race to be suffered to be lost by the failure to grant the small appropriation necessary to procure them.

JOSEPH HENRY,
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute.

Catlin's Indian Collection.

AN UNIQUE MUSEUM

Fully representing the Manners, Customs, Sports, Religious Ceremonies, Costumes, and Individuality of the Tribes of

NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS,
CONSISTING OF
Three Hundred and Fifty Portraits

Of Distinguished Men and Women of the different Tribes, such as

SACS, KANSAS, OSAGES, COMANCHES, PAWNEE-PICTS, SIOUX, CHOC-TAWS, MISSOURIES, MANDANS, BLACKFEET, AS-SIN-NE-BOINS, DELAWARES, CHEROKEES, CROWS, &c.

Of which the Portraits of

OSCEOLA, KEOKUK, BLACK HAWK and his Sons, IOWAY, RED JACKET, KING PHILIP, and JOHN ROSS, Are all prominent in American History.

Two Hundred and Fifty other Pictures,
Descriptive of Indian Countries, their Villages, Games, and Customs, containing in all above

3,000 FIGURES,

All of which were painted on the spot forty years ago, when the Indian modes and customs were much more primitive than at the present time. The views of mountains, rivers, prairies, and waterfalls, painted at the same time, give points of American scenery long ago effaced by the advance of civilization. Among these pictures are

FOUR VALUABLE AND HIGHLY-FINISHED PAINTINGS,

Representing the singular Religious Ceremonies of the
MANDAN TRIBE,
*(Now extinct.)*

A very valuable collection of
Lances, Calumets, Pipes, Tomahawks, Scalping Knives,
Bows, Quivers, Shields, Necklaces, War-Clubs,
Whistles, Saddles, Cradles, Masks, &c.

Skulls from different Tribes, particularly several from the Flat-head Tribes, showing the character of this unaccountable custom, and Flat-head cradles illustrating the process.
In addition to the above is the

CARTOON COLLECTION,

Containing 600 paintings of North and South American Indians, recently on exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute.

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INDIAN PORTRAITS.

Certificates.

I hereby certify that the persons whose signatures are affixed to the certificate used below by Mr. Catlin are officers in the service of the United States, as herein set forth; and that their opinions of the accuracy of the likenesses, and correctness of the views, &c., exhibited by him in his "Indian Gallery," are entitled full credit.

J. R. POINSETT,

Secretary of War, Washington.

With regard to the gentlemen whose names are affixed to certificates below, I am fully warranted in saying that no individuals have had better opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of the persons, habits, costumes, and sports of the Indian tribes, or possess stronger claims upon the public confidence in the statements they make respecting the correctness of delineation, &c., of Mr. Catlin's "Indian Gallery;" and I may add my own testimony with regard to many of those Indians whom I have seen, and whose likenesses are in the collection and sketched with fidelity and correctness.

C. A. HARRIS,

Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington.

I have seen Mr. Catlin's collection of portraits of Indians, many of which were familiar to me, and painted in my presence; and as far as they have included Indians of my acquaintance, the *likenesses* are easily recognized, bearing the most striking resemblance to the originals, as well as faithful representations of their costumes.

W. CLARK,

Superintendent of Indian Affairs, St. Louis.

I have examined Mr. Catlin's collection of the Upper Missouri Indians to the Rocky Mountains, all of which I am acquainted with, and indeed most of them were painted when I was present, and I do not hesitate to pronounce them correct likenesses, and readily to be recognized. And I consider the *costumes*, as painted by him, to be the *only correct representations* I have ever seen.

JOHN F. A. SANFORD,

U. S. S. Indian Agent for Mandans, Rickarees, Minitarees, Crows, Kniste- neaux, Assiniboins, Blackfeet, &c.

Having examined Mr. Catlin's collection of Portraits of Indians of the Missouri and Rocky Mountains, I have no hesitation in pronouncing them, so far as I am acquainted with the individuals, to be the best I have ever seen, both as regards the expression of countenance and the exact and complete manner in which the costume has been painted by him.

J. L. BEAN,

S. Agent for Indian Affairs.

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I have been for many years past in familiar acquaintance with the Indian tribes of the Upper Missouri and the Rocky Mountains, and also with the landscape and other scenes represented in Mr. Catlin's collection, and it gives me great pleasure to assure the world that, on looking them over, I found the likenesses of my old friends easily to be recognized, and his sketches of manners and customs to be portrayed with singular truth and correctness.

J. PILCHER,

Agent for Upper Missouri Indians.

It gives me great pleasure in being enabled to add my name to the list of those who have spontaneously expressed their approbation of Mr. Catlin's collection of Indian Paintings. His collection of materials places it in his power to throw much light on the Indian character; and his portraits, so far as I have seen them, are drawn with great fidelity as to character and likeness.

H. SCHOOLORAFT,

Indian Agent for Wisconsin Territory.

Having lived and dealt with the Blackfeet Indians for five years past, I was enabled to recognize every one of the portraits of those people, and of the Crows also, which Mr. Catlin has in his collection, from the faithful likenesses they bore to the originals.

J. E. BRAZEAU.

ST. LOUIS, 1835.

Having spent sixteen years in the continual acquaintance with the Indians of the several tribes of the Missouri, represented in Mr. Catlin's Gallery of Indian Paintings, I was enabled to judge of the correctness of the likeness, and *instantly recognized every one of them* when I looked them over from the striking resemblance they bore to the originals; so also of the landscapes on the Missouri.

HONORE PICOTTE.

The portraits in the possession of Mr. Catlin, of Pawnees, Picts, Kiwas, Comanches, Weecos, and Osages, were painted by him *from life*, when on a tour to their country with the United States dragoons. The *likenesses* are good, very easily to be recognized, and the *costumes* faithfully represented.

Henry Dodge, Colonel of Dragoons; R. H. Mason, Major of Dragoons; D. Hunter, Captain of Dragoons; D. Perkins, Captain of Dragoons; M. Duncan, Captain of Dragoons; T. B. Wheelock, Lieutenant of Dragoons.

We have seen Mr. Catlin's portraits of Indians east of the Rocky Mountains, many of which are familiar to us. The likenesses are easily

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recognized, bearing a strong resemblance to the originals, as well as
faithful representations of their costumes.

J. DOUGHERTY,

Indian Agent.

J. GANTT.

NOVEMBER 27, 1837.

We hereby certify that the portraits of the Grand Pawnees, Republi-
can Pawnees, Pawnee Loups, Tappage Pawnees, Otoes, Omahas, and
Missouries, which are in Mr. Catlin's Indian Gallery, were painted from
life by Mr. Catlin, and that the individuals sat to him in the costumes
precisely in which they are painted.

J. DOUGHERTY,

I. A. for Pawnees, Omahas, and Otoes.

J. GANTT.

NEW YORK, 1837.

I have seen Mr. Catlin's collection of Indian portraits, many of which
were familiar to me, and painted in my presence at their own villages.
I have spent the greater part of my life amongst the tribes and individ-
uals he has represented, and I do not hesitate to pronounce them cor-
rect likenesses, and easily recognized; also his sketches of their manners
and customs, I think, are excellent; and the landscape views on the Mis-
souri and Mississippi are correct representations.

K. MCKENZIE,

*Of the Am. Fur. Co., mouth of Yellowstone.*

We hereby certify that the portraits of the Seminoles and Euchees,
named in this catalogue, were painted by George Catlin, from the life,
at Fort Moultrie; that the Indians sat or stood in the costumes pre-
cisely in which they are painted, and that the likenesses are remarkably
good.

P. MORRISON,

Capt. 4th Inft.

J. S. HATHAWAY,

2d Lieut. 1st Art.

H. WHARTON,

2d Lieut. 6th Inft.

F. WEEDON,

Assistant Surgeon.

FORT MOULTRIE, Jan. 28, 1838.

PS.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,

WASHINGTON, D. C., May 1 1975

DEAR SIR:

In behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, we have this day forwarded by the Adams
Express Company the specimens mentioned in the accompanying receipt—a present from
the Institution, upon the following conditions:

1. That an acknowledgment be made to the Secretary of the Institution immediately on receipt of the specimens, by signing and returning the accompanying blank.

2. That full credit be given the Institution for the donation, on the labels of the specimens, in published reports, and under all other circumstances.

3. That free access to and use of these specimens be allowed, under the proper restrictions, to all persons engaged in original investigations requiring such material.

4. That suitable returns be made from the duplicates in the collections under your charge, whenever the Institution may desire and call for them.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.

U. S. National Museum,

Washington City, May 5, 1875.

SIR:

We take the liberty of sending to you by Adams Express the specimens mentioned below, with the request that you will examine them and make a report upon their character as soon as convenient, naming and labeling such as require it.

When the investigation is completed, please return the collection to the U. S. National Museum.

4 boxes containing ties of vertebrate fossils, ret. by Prof Agassiz
1 box " " " Prof Sedg.

The remaining boxes of the lot recd from Prof. Sedg. have been found.