Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs Mary Burnham dated 6 June 1880

Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs. Mary Burnham June 6, 1880
	Paris Hill June 6^th 1880 Dear House Mother¹ I was very Much pleased to get your Postal Card you send to Me for june at Carlisle Barracks² a great Many day ago and I thank you very Much I did not write to You I am Sorry and I am Mistake to You this time I am going write to You just now My thought and tell about You and I hope You will pleased forgive me Dear House Mother You know what Sorry for that Nomee She have been get quite hard Sick last Month Wednesday May 12 Thursday ¹David Pendleton Oakerhater's term of address for Mrs Mary Burnham. ²Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
	Page 2 Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday all day and all night I am take of care her and Some I have get very fatigue about Midnight and get nod most all the day I have been Sitting and thinking about Nomee Most I am fright Nomee Mother papa brother and Sister all died and all the Same kind Sick Rheumatism now just the Same She have get Sick Perhaps again Sick who is My Mother who is My Sister who is My brother who is My wife brother who is my wife Sister who is my Wife cousin who is all my friend who is help Me I take care her My wife Some time again Sick
	Page 3 Dear House Mother I know You very kind to Me never mind this time I wants very Much My home at Indian Territory³ I did not want to long Stay here this Summer Suppose next September I am already You know I am pretty old I am not quite talke English I think all florida boys⁴ two Young Men you make Ministers good Etah dle uh Roman Nose that two quite talk English I think that very nice woman Mrs Staples very take of care Nomee and make me happy in My heart only one very pretty old and Some time She have get tired some her face with tears before I am not think about My home at Indian Territory I know that ³Indian Territory became the State of Oklahoma in 1907. ⁴"Florida boys" refers to David Pendleton Oakerhater's fellow Indian prisoners in St. Augustine.
	Page 4 My Indian poor Mother very pretty old She have been get widow I never mind I think So I want very Much My Study and try to learn to read the book and I want that the white man the way that is the reason I want know how about the law and God is Son never mind I am not quite understand a great Many hard words I am not good Study because So Much I have been thinking about My Mother and that Sick Nomee Just Now better and Some She have get cough I must Say Good bye from Your D. O. P.

Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs. Mary Burnham
June 6, 1880

Page 1 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs Mary Burnham dated 6 June 1880

Paris Hill
June 6^th 1880

Dear House Mother¹

I was very
Much pleased to get your
Postal Card you send to Me
for june at Carlisle Barracks²
a great Many day ago and
I thank you very Much
I did not write to You
I am Sorry and I am Mistake
to You this time I am going
write to You just now My
thought and tell about You
and I hope You will pleased
forgive me Dear House Mother
You know what Sorry for
that Nomee She have been get
quite hard Sick last Month
Wednesday May 12 Thursday

¹David Pendleton Oakerhater's term of address for Mrs Mary Burnham.

²Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Page 2 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs Mary Burnham dated 6 June 1880

Page 2

Friday Saturday Sunday Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Friday Saturday all day and
all night I am take of care
her and Some I have get
very fatigue about Midnight
and get nod most all the
day I have been Sitting and
thinking about Nomee
Most I am fright Nomee
Mother papa brother and Sister
all died and all the Same
kind Sick Rheumatism
now just the Same She have
get Sick Perhaps again
Sick who is My Mother who
is My Sister who is My brother
who is My wife brother who is
my wife Sister who is my
Wife cousin who is all my
friend who is help Me
I take care her My wife
Some time again Sick

Page 3 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs Mary Burnham dated 6 June 1880

Page 3

Dear House Mother I know
You very kind to Me never
mind this time I wants very
Much My home at Indian Territory³
I did not want to long
Stay here this Summer Suppose
next September I am already
You know I am pretty
old I am not quite talke
English I think all
florida boys⁴ two Young Men
you make Ministers good Etah dle uh Roman Nose that
two quite talk English
I think that very nice woman
Mrs Staples very take of care
Nomee and make me happy
in My heart only one very pretty
old and Some time
She have get tired some her
face with tears before I am
not think about My home
at Indian Territory I know that

³Indian Territory became the State of Oklahoma in 1907.

⁴"Florida boys" refers to David Pendleton Oakerhater's fellow Indian prisoners in St. Augustine.

Page 4 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mrs Mary Burnham dated 6 June 1880

Page 4

My Indian poor Mother very
pretty old She have been
get widow I never mind
I think So I want very Much
My Study and try to learn
to read the book and I want
that the white man the way
that is the reason I want know
how about the law and God
is Son never mind I am not
quite understand a great Many
hard words I am not good
Study because So Much I have
been thinking about My Mother
and that Sick Nomee Just Now
better and Some She have get
cough I must Say Good bye from

Your

D. O. P.

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