Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr. Wicks dated 30 September 1878

Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr. Wicks September 30, 1878
	Paris Hill September 30th 1878 my dear Mr Wicks¹ a long time three years stay here old fort² every day many white people come See Indians and Shake hands all so glad Indians every day I am very Happy my good friends white people at St Augustine all Captain good men kind good to me I first sergant Captain Pratt³ ask me I am so glad all Captain talk good talk I good keep my head my heart every day I am very Happy every morning I get up I wash my face and hands I am glad blow bugle I see Indians Soldiers I am so glad by and by come Captain Pratt I tell very nice man Captain Pratt kind good to me I am so glad my dear Captain Pratt my father Just the same I love Captain Pratt very nice day ¹Episcopal clergyman; friend of David Pendleton Oakerhater and Mrs Mary Burnham. ²Fort Marion in St Augustine, Florida, where Indian warriors captured by the U. S. Army were imprisoned. ³Captain R. H. Pratt was the commander of Fort Marion. He went on to found the Indian school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and became a leader in the Indian assimilation movement.
	Page 2 afternoon Came big Steam boat to St Augustine many white people Come See Indian some Soldiers Captain all good Shake hands I was very glad my friends white people all good bye I am go my heart Happy I want to school first I came to Syracuse many friends kind white people good to me I am so glad my dear Mrs Burnham my mother Just the same I love Mrs Burnham May twenty five 1878 I go I come to Paris Hill many people all ministers all men come see me ^{good shake hands} I am glad every day I am very Happy very nice man Mr Wicks every day talk good talk I good keep my head my heart my dear Mr Wicks my father Just the same my dear little Ruth love me I am glad every morning every night I kiss little Ruth I am so glad now I think my friends not good Indians you you not
	Page 3 know Indian Speak Mr Wicks I know my friends not good Indians one day good talk I am very happy very soon bad talk I very sorry you you little know Mr Wicks my friends Indian Thursday June 27 night Shave head Taawayite fight over table break lamp I am sorry Mrs Burnham come See boys Indian no more sorry I See House Mother and daughter I Shake both hands I am very glad now I tell you know Mr Wicks every night I talk good talk stop stop stop Zotom Shave head Taawayite every night every morning I See to much his pipe Shave head Zotom I very sorry my dear Mrs Burnham all ask boys Indian no more his pipe tell me yes sir good no more his pipe oh my friend very soon Lie Lie Lie Zotom Shave head no like Lie
	Page 4 I like to be a good man I like much a Christian Man I afraid Lie dear Jesus a longtime Lie Zotom I think so my friend Indian Some good talk I am so glad some bad talk I sorry my friend Happy Zotom shave head Taawayite Just the same I am very Happy my friend one bad talk Just the same I sorry little very soon gone I happy now ^moreI talk ^goodtalk shave head no heap talk yes good I thank you Shave head now no Stop every night to much his pipe shave head Zotom I sorry dear Mrs Burnham tell boys Indian talk good talk I good keep my head my heart no more kill birds God make all birds God love all birds now stop you know ask me yes sir good Mrs Burnham a long time all I do't know now tell me I know a long time my Indians no like bad man Lie stole Heap talk all bad a way now no like boys Indian I like boys Indian at Hampton all good boys I think so Your friend Making Medicine

Letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr. Wicks
September 30, 1878

Page 1 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr Wicks dated 30 September 1878

Paris Hill
September 30th 1878

my dear Mr Wicks¹

a long time three years
stay here old fort² every day many
white people come See Indians and
Shake hands all so glad Indians
every day I am very Happy my good friends
white people at St Augustine all Captain
good men kind good to me I first sergant
Captain Pratt³ ask me I am so glad all
Captain talk good talk I good keep
my head my heart every day I am
very Happy every morning I get up
I wash my face and hands I am glad
blow bugle I see Indians Soldiers I am
so glad by and by come Captain Pratt
I tell very nice man Captain Pratt
kind good to me I am so glad my dear
Captain Pratt my father Just the same
I love Captain Pratt very nice day

¹Episcopal clergyman; friend of David Pendleton Oakerhater and Mrs Mary Burnham.

²Fort Marion in St Augustine, Florida, where Indian warriors captured by the U. S. Army were imprisoned.

³Captain R. H. Pratt was the commander of Fort Marion. He went on to found the Indian school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and became a leader in the Indian assimilation movement.

Page 2 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr Wicks dated 30 September 1878

Page 2

afternoon Came big Steam boat to
St Augustine many white people
Come See Indian some Soldiers Captain
all good Shake hands I was very glad
my friends white people all good bye
I am go my heart Happy I want
to school first I came to Syracuse
many friends kind white people good
to me I am so glad my dear
Mrs Burnham my mother Just the same
I love Mrs Burnham May twenty
five 1878 I go I come to Paris Hill
many people all ministers all men
come see me ^{good shake hands} I am glad every day
I am very Happy very nice man
Mr Wicks every day talk good talk
I good keep my head my heart
my dear Mr Wicks my father
Just the same my dear little Ruth
love me I am glad every morning
every night I kiss little Ruth I am
so glad now I think my friends
not good Indians you you not

Page 3 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr Wicks dated 30 September 1878

Page 3

know Indian Speak
Mr Wicks I know my friends
not good Indians one day
good talk I am very happy
very soon bad talk I very
sorry you you little know Mr
Wicks my friends Indian Thursday
June 27 night Shave head Taawayite
fight over table break lamp I am
sorry Mrs Burnham come See boys
Indian no more sorry I See House
Mother and daughter I Shake both
hands I am very glad now I tell
you know Mr Wicks every night
I talk good talk stop stop
stop Zotom Shave head Taawayite
every night every morning I See
to much his pipe Shave head Zotom
I very sorry my dear Mrs Burnham
all ask boys Indian no more his
pipe tell me yes sir good no more
his pipe oh my friend very soon Lie
Lie Lie Zotom Shave head no like Lie

Page 4 of letter from David Pendleton Oakerhater to Mr Wicks dated 30 September 1878

Page 4

I like to be a good man I like
much a Christian Man I afraid
Lie dear Jesus a longtime Lie Zotom
I think so my friend Indian Some
good talk I am so glad some bad
talk I sorry my friend Happy Zotom
shave head Taawayite Just the
same I am very Happy my friend
one bad talk Just the same I sorry
little very soon gone I happy now
^moreI talk ^goodtalk shave head no heap talk
yes good I thank you Shave head
now no Stop every night to much
his pipe shave head Zotom I sorry dear
Mrs Burnham tell boys Indian talk
good talk I good keep my head my
heart no more kill birds God make
all birds God love all birds now stop you
know ask me yes sir good Mrs Burnham a
long time all I do't know now tell me
I know
a long time my Indians no like bad
man Lie stole Heap talk all bad a
way now no like boys Indian I like boys
Indian at Hampton all good boys I think so

Your friend

Making Medicine

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