[M640, roll 12, frame 1004]
Fort Smith, Arks.
August 15, 1850
I Molly or Mah-kah-tish-chee daughter of Tos-kee-nee-hah a Miccasuke Chief and grand daughter of
Kin-hy-chee former principal Miccasuke Chief, do declare, that I have a sole right to all the slave property left by my grand-father Kinhychee and that at my death said property goes to my sister
Mah-pah-yist-chie.
That at the death of my father Tos-kee-nee-hah the guardian for my slave property was
Mic-co-po-to-kee a Seminole and that I am this time the owner
in my own right of seventy nine slaves, grown people, besides many infant children number not exactly known, which I inherit from my father.
That no claim was ever set up to any of this property until after the death of my father, when a half breed Creek by name of
Archie Grey on learning the death of my father commenced selling said slaves to a white man by the name of
John Love from Georgia. My guardian Mic-co-po-to-kee had not them
come to the Western Country.
This claim of Love's was set aside as perfectly fraudulent and unjust after many efforts on his part to secure my property. This is the only claim I have ever known set up to any of my property until this time, when a
Seminole Chief lately arrived from Florida by name of Ka-pie-chee and urged by
Halleck Tu-te-nug-gee now sets up a claim to my property.
On the death of my husband a paper setting forth my right to my slave property was taken possession of by the Governor
Micconopy. This paper at the death of Micconopy got into the possession of Mr.
Marcellus Duval Seminole Sub-Agent who got it to Halleck Tus-tenuggee and was
transferred by him to Kah-pie-chee who says he intends to lay claim to all my Negro property. These facts I wish
to lay before the United States Government, as I cannot expect justice from the
present Chiefs of the Nation, who in conjunction with the Seminole Sub-agent
have taken forcible posession of a large portion of my slave property the facts
of which I further declare as follows.
That it was agreed by the Seminole
Chiefs in conjunction with Mr. Marcellus Duval Seminole Sub-Agent that
thirty-four of my Negros should be given up to satisfy a claim against the
Nation made by the heirs and executors of Mr. W. J. Duval deceased brother of
Mr. Marcellus Duval Seminole Sub-Agent. Thirty-one of those Negros, women
and children were taken forcible possession of and carried away, and three men
made their escape, which the chiefs are pledged to turn over and are now in search
of them.
That I was never consulted about, nor was informed of the
agreement made by the Governor Micconopy with the late Mr. Wm. J. Duval and I
never did consult to part with any of my slave property. That I always had
possession of them and none of them were at Fort Gibson or turned over with the
Negroes under the protection of the Government of the United States.
That
the Governor Micconopy possessed in his own right but one slave, but was the
guardian for a large number who lived about him, and he was never authorized by
me to take any action in relation to my slave property, nor did he consult me on
this subject.
That the Seminole Chiefs who have acted in concert with the
Seminole Sub-Agent and the Agents for the heirs and executors of the late Wm. J.
Duval to dispossess me forcibly of my lawful slave property have no claim or
title to said property, and I have never understood that all the said Chiefs
together possessed more than three or four slaves in their own right.
All
of which declarations I am prepared to prove and I desire to submit them to the
United States Government in the hope that I may be secured in my property and from
further molestation by unjust and illegal claims.
And I further hope and
expect that my slave property recently taken forcibly from my possession may be
returned to me or that I may be remunerated therefor.