Emma C. Cannon

EMMA C. CANNON 

This applicant is fifty years of age.  She is a daughter of E. J. C. Thompson, who was a son of Keziah.  She spells the Brashear name R-ra-shier. Keziah married Fleming J. Thompson.  Witness’s own mother was the daughter of a man by the name of Peter Tittle, who likewise had Choctaw blood in him.  In 1830 , Keziah Thompson was a married woman and living in Alabama. (At one place witness seemed to show that Keziah was living in Mississippi at this time, but upon reading her whole testimony it will be found that it was Alabama and not Mississippi.)

Witness’s grandmother, Keziah, went from Alabama to Mississippi at some time between 1830 and 1845.  Witness thinks Keziah had something like one half Indian blood.  Witness’s maternal grandfather, Peter Tittle, had one eighth.  (It is not important to notice this at this place, as no claim is made under it, but it may be given heed merely as showing the relations of applicant’s family with the Choctaw Indians.  (Rec.,p. 777.) 

GEORGE THOMPSON 

This applicant, forty-eight years of age, is a son of E. J. C. Thompson.  He says his father was born in Alabama in 1820, but does not know at what particular place he was born.  He presumes his grandmother, Keziah Brashear, was the head of the family of children in Alabama or Mississippi in 1830, because his father was born in 1820.  (Rec., p. 798.) 

IDA SANDFORD 

This applicant, forty-one years of age, is the daughter of E. J. C. Thompson.  She says her grandmother, Keziah, was living in Mississippi or Alabama in 1830.  (Rec., p. 812.)

LULA THOMPSON NOE 

This applicant, twenty-none years of age, is a daughter of E. J. C. Thompson.  She thinks her grandmother was living in Mississippi or Alabama in 1830, as her father was born in 1820.  Witness knows she was living in one place or the other.  Witness’ mother was born in Alabama, but went from there to Mississippi when she was a child, and her father and mother were married in Mississippi December 4, 1845.  (Rec., p. 820.) 

ELIZABETH WOOD 

This applicant is sixty-four years of age, and is the daughter of Jane F. Shipp and the granddaughter of Elizabeth Brashear.  She says her mother had talked a good deal about her family, but that witness’ health had been bad and that she had forgotten a good deal of it.  She says her grandmother, Elizabeth Brashear, was born in South Carolina and died in Alabama.  She was the head of a family there in 1830, in Fayette County or near there.  She lived there a few years and died there.  Witness cannot remember whether her mother said anything to her about Elizabeth Brashear claiming as a Choctaw Indian under Treaty of 1830.  Witness thinks Elizabeth was about sixty five years of age when she died.  (Rec., p. 852.)

(NOTE;--This witness is most probably mistaken, from all the testimony, as to what was the age of Elizabeth at the time of here death, if she died in 1835.) 

SARAH JANE THOMPSON 

Mistress Thompson is not a claimant, but is the mother of a claimant.  She is fifty-three years of age.  She was the wife of W. J. S. Thompson, who was the son of Keziah.  She had lived forty-four years in Texas, and was born in Alabama in 1838.  She later lived in Mississippi, and them in Texas.  She was acquainted with Keziah and her husband, Fleming j. Thompson.  She became acquainted with them in Mississippi in Chickasaw County.  She knew the children of Keziah.  She knew relations of Keziah Thompson other than descendants as follows:  Mary Brashear, Rachael Brashear and Isabel Brashear, ordinarily called “Is.”  She also knew Jim Brashear and Col. Lawrene Brashear, who were brothers of Keziah.  Jim was a deaf and dumb man.  She did not know Elizabeth Brashear, who married E. W. Dumas.  She knew Keziah and Fleming J. Thompson in Mississippi, first in the year 1848.  They moved from Alabama to Mississippi and from Mississippi to Texas.  Fleming J. Thompson died in Texas and was buried in Elm Grove Cemetery.  If the inscription on his tombstone is as read by Louis Dumas it is wrong, in that Fleming Thompson did not move from Alabama to Texas, but moved from Alabama to Mississippi and thence to Texas.  Keziah Thompson was spare-made, dark, and had high cheek bones.  She spoke the Choctaw language some, but was not much of a talker.  Witness had heard Keziah and Fleming talk of living in Kentucky.  She thought they came to Alabama about 1819.  Witness thought Elizabeth Brashear died in Texas somewhere.  Witness did not know whether Keziah was recognized by her neighbors as part Indian, or considered as being possessed of Indian blood in the neighborhood in which she resided.  Jim Brashear, the deaf and dumb man, died in

Mississippi.  Ben Brashear she did not know.  Witness knew nothing as to the attempted compliance with the Treaty.  (Rec., p. 820.)

NOTE;--Witness’ memory is at fault as to the place where Elizabeth died.

LOUIS DUMAS           

This applicant is forty-five years of age, and is the son of Mary A. E. Dumas and J. P. Dumas.  As he “figures it out,” he has one-sixteenth or one-eighth Choctaw blood, his father and mother both having that blood.  Keziah Thompson and Fleming J. Thompson were husband and wife in 1830, but this witness did not know wheteher they were living in Alabama at that time.  He knew his grandmother Thompson in Texas.  She died when he was about ten or eleven years old.  Witness was a little fellow and was often with her.  He was taught as a matter of family history that he had Choctaw blood in his veins.  He went to ElmGrove Cemetery, in Collin County, Texas and copied the inscription on the tombstone of his grandfather, Fleming J. Thompson.  It was this: “Fleming J. Thompson, born January the 3^rd, 1797, died August the 30^th, 1872.  This world is a little matter.  Was born in Mecklenburg District, Virginia, came to Kentucky and married; thence to Alabama; thence to Texas , which shows a pioneer life.  He also copied the inscription on Keziah’s tombstone, which was as follows; “Born October the 28^th, 1797, died February the 8^th, 1870.  I have fought a good fight;  I have finished my course;  I have kept the faith.”  (Rec., p. 632.)

This applicant again appeared before the Commission to testify with regard to the way in which he happened to find the testimony of Tobias Edwards.  He said that in October, 1901, he was on a hunt on Boggy Bayou, in the Indian Territory, and

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