Halito All: Today I am going to continue with the Harper family and start with the Hanks family. As I stated, the Harpers were said to be full blooded Choctaw. We know this from family tradition, interviews in the "Draper Manuscripts" from people who knew them and testimony before the "Dawes Commission" by people who knew them. There now is additional evidence. I checked the Fayette County Tax Lists and all of the property was listed in the males' name until you get to Mary Harper. I think it is quite significant that they continued some of their matrilineal customs after living in a predominantly Euro-American environment a few years. Also Elizabeth and her families moved between Kentucky and the Choctaw Nation in Mississippi and Louisiana a number of times. Further more, both John and Elizabeth had land in the Choctaw Nation in Mississippi and in Louisiana. Some of these land patents state that they are associated with the "Treaty of 1820" which would be the "Treaty of Doaks Stand". Abraham Hanks' wife was Sarah Elizabeth Harper (Shipley) Hanks Shipley was her mother's maiden name. Her parents' were George Harper and Sarah Elizabeth Shipley Harper. A partial list of their children is: Sarah Elizabeth, Scarlett Rachel,Isaac, and Peter. Peter was George's stepson. Now this is where the story starts to get interesting. During "Pontiac's Rebellion" Sarah Elizabeth Shipley Harper was taken by Indians. While in captivity, she became the wife of one of the men and had a son, Peter. Peter, of course, is Abraham Hanks brother-in-law and he went on the trip to Kentucky with him. It is said that all of the Harpers and Abraham Hanks were very close. Peter was killed one day, by what was believed to be, someone who thought he was a hostile Indian. He left his estate to his mother. However, John, Thomas, Charles Harper and George Harper, a nephew of Peter's, moved onto the land with good claims. This meant they had to be related to Peter in some way. Unfortunately, Nicholas had died in the "Battle of the Blue Licks" by this time. Elizabeth and her family were in Choctaw country at this time. I understand that Choctaws are recognized on the memorial for the "Battle of the Blue Licks" so apparently there were other Choctaws in the Boonesborough settlement area. If I remember my Choctaw history correctly, this was a period of time when the hunters had to travel further and further away from the villages, because the area was becoming hunted out. Kentucky at that time was rich with game. So perhaps this attracted a few of them. Now there has been considerable speculation about how they might have been related to Peter: 1) They could have been additional children of George and Sarah Elizabeth. 2) They could have been the children of George by a different wife. 3) They could have been other children of Sarah Elizabeth's from the captivity. 4) This is one it seems they haven't thought of . They could have been children of the man who fathered Peter, but by a different woman. Perhaps they missed their brother and decided to go see him and then decided to stay. Then they adopted their brother's surname, Harper to be consistent with his and because they recognized that they would adapt more easily in a Euro-American environment with a Euro-American name. Of course this is all speculation, but perhaps the applications I ordered from NARA will give me some clues. In 1830 John Harper went down to Mississippi to apply for scrip in accordance with the "Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek". However, Col. William Ward was very drunk and treated him very badly and refused him. John then sold some property he had in Choctaw Territory in Mississippi and Louisiana. I don't know if he sold the land because he felt compelled to because of the "Removal" or if he was afraid white intruders would just take it away and he would just lose it anyway. The land patents stated the land was associated with the "Treaty of 1820" which was the "Treaty of Doaks Stand". I believe the "Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek" stated that they had to give up the land by a certain date. So perhaps he did feel compelled to sell it. I do know that this trip and the business he conducted on this trip must have been very important to him, because he was 70 y.o. at the time. I'm certain the trip had to have been hard on him. After all, having to walk or ride a horse or a wagon of some kind all of the way at his age. Unfortunately, he didn't accomplish anything. as a matter of fact he lost very, very much. He lost his piece of dirt in Indian Territory. The most significant thing that he lost though, was his heritage and the heritage of his descendants. He lost that heritage to a drunken white man. A drunken white man had the power to determine whether or not John Harper was a Choctaw. Well I know who I am and I am teaching my children and grandchildren who they are. They can keep official cards away from me all they want. I know who I am and I can prove it. A drunken white man doesn't change a thing. Col. Ward denied individuals who appeared full blooded because he believed they were more easily taken advantage of. So if your descendant was denied by Col. Ward you can almost be certain that they are full blooded or close to full blooded. Ward was being paid by two attorneys, who were speculators in Indian Land, for scrip. This is how whites ended up on Choctaw land almost immediately. So there were many Choctaws cheated out of their land in Oklahoma and in Mississippi, etc. This is why there were homeless Choctaws wandering around Mississippi. The government investigated and became aware of it but refused to correct it. Again, the old government refrain, 'we want fewer Indians not more Indians.' Brave Elizabeth Harper Knight Sims and her family took the adventurous approach. They simply did not want to leave their homes. They hid in "Honey Island Swamp" for quite a while and when they finally came out they just remained in Louisiana. I like that kind of spunk and I thank Marcie Lee for telling me that story. Well I believe this is quite a bit for one entry so I'll sign off for now. If anyone has information to share with me please don't hesitate. I sure can use it. If you think I can help you just send me an email. Isn't that what this is all about? Well I'll be seeing you. Imafo __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com