Witness Testimony

AURELIUS W. DUMAS 

            This applicant, fifty-eight years of age, is the son of Winchester and his wife, Louisa, and a brother of Thaddeus.  He says that his father was the oldest child of Elhanan and Elizabeth, and was born in 1805, he thinks in South Carolina, but is not sure.  His father was married sometime in 1822 or 23, but the witness cannot remember the exact date, as the Bible has been burned.  His grandmother, Elizabeth Dumas, married E. W. Dumas, a Frenchman; she had one fourth Choctaw blood.  He thinks his grandmother resided in Mississippi, in 1830.  He had seen her sister, Keziah, when he lived in the Choctaw Nation, in Mississippi; she visited his family there,.  He does not know, but from the history of the family, thinks his grandmother Elizabeth had a family in Mississippi, in 1830.  He thinks some of her children were born in Mississippi, his uncles, Manly and Ben.  These would be, he thinks, one about seventy-five years of age and one about eighty years of age, if they were living.  Witness has heard that his grandmother went before the United States authorities to comply with the treaty of 1830.

            Question.—Now, do you know if any of your ancestors complied with any of the provision of that Article of the Treaty?

            Answer.—I don’t know:  from the history of the thing unless they have just registered, very little.  Under that treaty I have heard that my grandmother registered under that treaty.  My grandmother, Elizabeth Dumas. (Rec. p. 70.) 

MARY E. CAROTHERS 

            This applicant, sixty-six years of age, is a daughter of John Brashear Dumas, the son of Elhanan and Elizabeth, by Caroline, his wife.   She claims one sixteenth Choctaw blood.  She was born in Fayetteville, Fayette county, Alabama, and is now living at Jackson, Mississippi, with her son-in-law,  Monroe McClurg, the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi.  She says her grandmother was Elizabeth Brashear Dumas, who married E. W. Dumas.  She had one fourth Choctaw blood.  She was living in the Choctaw Nation in Alabama, in 1830, but supposes that they did, for her grandfather owned land in Alabama.  She knew from members of her family, of their living there on land in Alabama, in Pickens county, near Mill Creek.  She does not know whether her ancestors went before Colonel Ward and attempted to comply with article fourteen, nor did she know whether they went before either of the Commissions.  She had heard something with regard to her grandfather’s going before some Commission or Colonel Ward, but did not know what it was.  She had simply heard of his going to Aberdeen, Mississippi, on business relating to the rights of Choctaw Indians.  Farther that theat she did not know.  Her grandmother had a sister named Keziah, who married Flem. Thompson and died in Texas.  She saw Keziah frequently and became well acquainted with her.  Keziah spoke the Choctaw language.  Keziah had dark hair and dark eyes, but not black.  The witness had seen a great many Indians, and would say, judging from her features and witness’s knowledge of Indian blood, that Keziah showed her Indian blood in her appearance. (Rec. p. 89.)

SUSAN M. HENDRICKS 

            This applicant, fifty-six years of age, is the daughter of J. D. Dumas.  She was born in Faye3tte county, Alabama, and moved from there to Mississippi, where she lived until she was nine years old, and then came to Texas.  Her father and mother were married in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1837.  She knew of her grandmother’s living in Alabama, and says she died in Fayette County; she does not know the year of her grandmother’s birth nor that of her death,  but says that if her grandmother were now living, she would be over one hundred years of age.  Jackson D., her father, died in 1884, at the age of sixty-nine years.  She does not know ought with regard to compliance or attempted compliance with the fourteenth article. (Rec. p. 429.) 

JOHN W. DUMAS 

            This applicant, fifty-five years of age, is a son of J. D. Dumas.  He was born in Fayette county, Alabama, but moved first to Mississippi and then to Texas.  He thinks that his grandmother was living in Alabama, in Fayette county, in 1830. and was then the head of a family.  His father moved about a good deal; he liven in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas and Arkansas.  He thinks his grandmother applied to colonel Ward under the fourteenth article and was refused; there is such history in the family.  In 1859 his father, who was then living in Texas, went North to buy sheep.  He stopped in the Nation and got acquainted with an old man by the name of Wallace LeFlore.  He stated to LeFlore that he had a right in the Indian Nation.  Later LeFlore was at his father’s house in Sherman and told his father that the latter did have a right in the Nation. (Rec. p. 450.) 

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