Letters sent by the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1849-1903

Notes

"This microfilm publication reproduces handwritten transcripts of communications sent by the Indian Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1849-1903, and accompanying indexes for the 1849-1897.".

"Letters were sent by the Indian Division to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, the President, Cabinet members, Members of Congress, the Commissioner of the General Land Office, Treasury Department officials, inspectors, other Federal officials, State and local officials, businessmen, attorneys, Indians, religious leaders, and others. The letters relate to legislation, estimates and appropriations, negotiation and enforcement of treaties, investigations, depredation and other claims, education, health and sanitation, land sales and allotments, surveys, deeds, leases, mining, agriculture, irrigation, railroads, enrollments, annuity payments, trust funds, trade with Indians and the issuance of licenses to trade, liquor control, law and order, missionary work, attorneys, administration of the Indian field service, appointments and other personnel matters, contracts, authorizations for expenditures, buildings, supplies, and accounts.".

"For the most part, the letters were transcribed in chronological order. From 1868-1882, letters to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs were copied in volumes separate from those containing letters to others. Sometimes letters were copied out of order, and this accounts for occasional overlapping of dates between volumes. The index volumes have been reproduced on... this microfilm publication.".

"Some letters sent by the Indian Division were not copied in the volumes reproduced in this microfilm publication. These include letters relating to trust funds, 1857-80, letters to inspectors, 1880-82, some form letters and letters after 1892 to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs authorizing expenditures"--American Indians, p. 29.

Subjects

Locality Subjects

Library of Congress Subjects

Film/Digital Notes