American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

A series of 4 letters from Standley to McCurtain on Standley's "Attorney-at-Law" stationery, comprising:

"Willard's Hotel. Washington DC," 20 May 1897. Accompanied by postally used cover addressed to "Hon Green McCurtain." 5 1/3 pages, 6 x 9 1/2 in., few spots of staining/soiling, and few losses to edges.

This letter concerns the release of Samuel West Peel as an attorney for the Choctaw Nation. Peel had worked extensively with Green McCurtain around issues of allotment and fair payment for Native American Lands. He was appointed as general attorney for the Choctaw Nation in 1893.

Standley also discusses the negotiations that took place to provide the Chickasaw Freedmen an allotment of 40 acres, writing, in part: "I prepared the statement of the Chickasaw freedmen case...Peel and I had a long talk with [Attorney R. V. Belt] on the subject. He will advise those negroes to take allotments of 40 acres each in the Leased Distruct out of the Chickasaw share of the lands and sell their improvements in the Chickasaw Nation and move out. That is about the only solution of the matter."

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"Willard's Hotel. Washington DC," 2 June 1897. 2 pages, 6 x 9 1/2 in., few spots, minor separations at creases.

Here, Standley writes about the Atoka Agreement that was signed by the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations and the Dawes Commission in 1897. In one paragraph Standley refers to J.J. McAlester, “I see some fellow has mounted McAlester and is riding him with both spurs.”  

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"Waukesha Hotel. hot Springs Ark," 17 August 1897. 6 1/3 pages, 6 x 9 1/2 in., some staining and losses to edges/corners.

This letter concerns recent elections in the Choctaw Nation, likely elections for Chief Principal, the position to which McCurtain was elected in 1896 and would be again in 1898. Standley warning McCurtain against people vying for appointments. He writes, "Be suspicious of those fellows. Don't appoint anybody on anybody's request until you are sure of your ground. Know absolutely in the beginning that you are getting a loyal supporter. I would see my man and talk with him and see that he is impressed with the importance of what is involved to the plain Choctaw people...The position you occupy in this contest calls for the highest order of prudence and judgment, and I believe you will endeavor to meet it like a man."

He also refers to some "fellows in Tobucksey County who received pay for their votes...They will be summoned or can be summoned and and forced to appear and forced to testify. If it becomes necessary to invoke the intervention of the Secretary of the Interior let us have the facts and I am ready to act."

He also mentions certain "citizenship cases," being reviewed by Chickasaw citizenship attorneys General Paine and Mr. Johnson or Ardmore.

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"Riggs House, Washington D.C.," 26 March 1900. 2 1/2 pages, 8 1/2 x 10 7/8 in., creased with some separations and minor losses.

Among other pressing political issues Standley writes concerning his desire for Wesley Anderson to be the next Chief of the Choctaw Nation over Gilbert Dukes. He writes, "It is perhaps natural for Wesley with his caution and timidity to shrink from such responsibilities, but his conservatism, firmness, good judgment, and integrity and his age qualify him so much better than any other eligible man in my knowledge, that I am constrained to think it is his bounded duty to give his services to his people under the present trying circumstances." He writes of a plan to "sidetrack" Gilbert Dukes by appointing him as a Leased District Delegate. Gilbert Dukes ended up being elected Chief from 1900 to 1902.

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Greenwood “Green” McCurtain (1848-1910) was Principal Chief (elected) of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Chief McCurtain was elected to four terms of office from 1896 to 1900 and 1902 to 1906. He also served as a delegate to the Sequoyah Constitutional Convention in 1905. Green McCurtain was appointed again as Chief to the Choctaw Nation by the US Government after the assimilation of tribal lands and Oklahoma statehood. The University of Oklahoma Western History Collection curates a substantial collection of his correspondence spanning much of his life and political career. 

James Stirman Standley (1841-1904) was an attorney for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and prominent citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He was born in Mississippi, served in the civil war, and moved to the Choctaw Nation in 1874 with his family. He spent many years representing the Choctaw Nation in local and National politics.