St Augustine, Fla.
Apr. 6^th 1878

My dear Mrs. Burnham

I have already
written you that Ah-ker was
yours and I have $50.⁰⁰ for her
expenses north. It now
becomes necessary for you to
determine at once about the
three as I am ordered to
take the whole of them away.
Those who go to school to be
released, and the others returned
to Fort Sill. The Ind[ian] Com[mission]
expected me to get off on the 9^th
but the Hampton stays a
week longer which give us
till the 16^{th *}. Counting the three
for you, we have 19 provided
for. I feel sure Dr. Deems[?] will

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take one, making 20. Now for
the last. I shall leave him at
Hampton on my own account
rather than he should fail of
his desire. But a friend will come.

I have given you Shave
Head, rather than L. Chief, and
with the Dr. & Mrs. S— we told
them yesterday. I wish you
had been present. Zotom will
be your leader, for the party. It
will probably suit you to change
their names, which will be in
accord with Indian custom. A
name meaning something aspiring
of which the Indian pronunciation
is euphonious will suit best.

Black Horse, Peah-ni and
Ah-ker remembered you but
asked where I came in, as they
had given her to me. I told them
about the Dr & Mrs S. leaving
their little ones with you for a

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whole year and that you had
children of your own grown up.
They accepted it, but wanted
me to ask you not to give her
candy, as it made her sick.
She came near dying the first
summer here. I let her go to the
Sisters School and she was overloaded
with sweet things.

Good Bishop Whipple says
send me five if you have any
left.

I shall hope for a telegram
in answer to this.

I hope you understand me about M.[aking] Medicine [David Pendleton Oakerhater]. If it
should turn out that he can
go to you at Mrs P's [Pendleton's] charge. How
think you. He is pliant to her,
and her wishes his law. So if
she says so, you would at once
control his destiny.

With Christian affection
Your Brother

RH. Pratt

Page 4

You will want to
recreate from your
work hereafter and
look the field over,
into which you hope
to put reapers. So
I think it not at
all improbable that
you may see Fort
Sill and the Comanche
within the two years
which B[lack] H[orse] & P.[eah-ni] say
must give them a
sight of Ah-ker.
But God will
fix it.
RHP