Creek Bowl
Date: Unknown
This complete Creek bowl was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1915. The Creek Indians, also called the Creek Confederacy or the Muscogee, lived in southeastern America in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. The majority of the Creek people were later forcibly removed to Oklahoma. The bowl's rough surface has not been glazed or painted, but does show firing clouds, darkened areas on the surface of a vessel caused by uneven firing.

Creek Bowl
Date: Unknown
This complete Creek bowl was donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1915. The Creek Indians, also called the Creek Confederacy or the Muscogee, lived in southeastern America in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and Florida. The majority of the Creek people were later forcibly removed to Oklahoma. The bowl's rough surface has not been glazed or painted, but does show firing clouds, darkened areas on the surface of a vessel caused by uneven firing.

Die Indianer der Vereinigten Staaten
Creator: Hunnius, Ado, 1842-1923
Date: 1870-1900
This item contains an article on the Indians of the United States written by Carl Julius Adolph Hunnius. Known as Ado to his friends and colleagues, Hunnius was a Civil War veteran, Indian Wars veteran, artist, writer, and long time resident of Kansas. The article, printed entirely in German, contains information compiled by Hunnius on the Native American tribes in the United States. Details include the branch of the tribe (Stamm), place of residence (Wohnsitz), county, and the total number of men, women and children (Manner, Weiber, und Kinder) for each tribe. The information provided in the article was taken from the offical reports of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The article also mentions that there were a total of 100,000 civilized Indians, 135,000 half-civilized Indians, and 81,000 "Wild" Indians.

George W. Collamore to Honorable William P. Dole
Creator: Collamore, Geo. W
Date: April 21, 1862
A letter written to William P. Dole, Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington, D. C., from George W. Collamore in Kansas. Collamore describes the horrible living conditions that the Creek and Cherokee have been living in since the war started, having their homes destroyed, their livestock chased off, and having little food, water, or shelter. Collamore pleads assistance be given. Opothleyahola and his daughter are also mentioned in the letter.

Historic Fort Row, Wilson County, Kansas
Date: 1861-1862
This lithograph by Joe Allen of Neodesha, Kansas depicts historic Fort Row. The Fort was located on the bank of the Verdigris River near Coyville in Wilson County, Kansas. Fort Row became infamous because a band of Indians led by Opothleyahola from the Creek, Seminole, Delaware, and Cherokee Tribes, sought refuge there in the winter of 1862. They had fled Indian Territory because they did not support the Confederacy. Many of them perished there during the harsh winter while they waited for assistance from the U.S. Government.

John C. McCoy to Franklin G. Adams
Creator: McCoy, John Calvin, 1811-1889
Date: February 09, 1885
In this item, from John C. McCoy to Franklin G. Adams of the Kansas State Historical Society, McCoy discusses his early experiences in Kansas. McCoy, who came to Kansas City in 1830 to perform missionary work with his father Isaac McCoy and mother Christiana McCoy, was an active figure throughout Kansas from 1830 until his death in 1889. In this letter to Adams, McCoy relates the details of people he came into contact with, including a number of Native Americans.

Names and numbers of Indian tribes which must have possessions in the Indian Territory
Creator: McCoy, Isaac, 1784-1846
Date: November 1, 1832
Isaac McCoy, a Baptist missionary and surveyor, compiled this list of Indian tribes and their estimated populations. McCoy advocated Indian removal to western lands because he believed that the white man's influence on natives was corrupting. On this chart he listed about 45 tribes from all over the eastern United States. Only some of these tribes were relocated to Indian Territory (present-day Kansas). "Do" is an abbreviation for "ditto."

Route of Colonel Henry Dodge to the Rocky Mountains
Date: 1835
This map shows the route of dragoon regiments under the command of Colonel Henry Dodge to the Rocky Mountains. The map includes boundary lines of Indian lands across Kansas.

Territory of Kansas and Indian Territory
Creator: Johnston, Alexander Keith, 1804-1871
Date: 1857
This map, drawn by Henry Rogers and Alexander Keith Johnston in 1857, details Kansas Territory and Indian Territory. Kansas Territory included portions of what would become eastern Colorado. Indian Territory later became Oklahoma. The map traces the route of the Santa Fe Trail, proposed routes for the Pacific Railway, and identifies military forts. The maps also provides information on geographical features.

Triangular bayonet and scabbard
Date: between 1855 and 1865
Alfred Larzelere used this steel bayonet for a U.S. rifle-musket model 1855-1870 during the Civil War. The bayonet has a 25/32" bore socket and L pattern mortise. Larzelere's military service commenced with the 10th Kansas Infantry where he served as Regimental Quartermaster. In 1862 he transferred to the 3rd Indian Home Guards, where he was 1st Lieutenant and Regimental Quartermaster. Three American Indian regiments were actively engaged in federal service during the war, fighting mostly in Indian Territory and Arkansas; they were almost entirely recruited in Kansas from the refugee Seminole and Creek tribes. White men served as the officers for these regiments.

United States Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, Missouri. Volume 1, Field notes
Creator: United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Central Superintendency
Date: 1830-1838
This volume includes field notes and surveys of Indian lands and some treaties made between the U. S. and various Indian tribes (1830-1838). Included are several maps of Indian reservations in Kansas. William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) served as Indian Superintendent for the central superintendency until his death in 1838. Partial funding for the digitization of these records was provided by the National Park Service.

United States Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency, St. Louis, Missouri. Volume 6, Correspondence
Creator: United States. Office of Indian Affairs. Central Superintendency
Date: 1830-1832
Correspondence received by the Office of Indian Affairs, Central Superintendency in St. Louis, Missouri. William Clark (of the Lewis and Clark Expedition) was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs until his death in 1838. His correspondence with Indian agents covered many topics, including small pox and other diseases, struggles between tribes, the activities of tradesmen, and the disbursement of annuities. Also included are statements showing the number of American citizens robbed or killed by Indians while engaging in the fur trade to Mexico and the Rocky Mountain region. A searchable, full-text (PDF) transcription is available under "External Links" below.