United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs

President Roosevelt informs Leonard H. Mattingly that he has been designated as a committee member to compile a manual regarding U.S. Government transportation in accordance with the Committee on Department Methods. Roosevelt notes that S. T. Brown of the Office of the Auditor of the War Department, W. B. Frye of Indian Affairs, and Major Chauncey Baker of the Army will also be on the panel.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt informs S. T. Browne that he has been designated as a committee member to compile a manual regarding U.S. Government transportation in accordance with the Committee on Department Methods. Roosevelt notes that Leonard H. Mattingly of the Treasury Department, W. B. Frye of Indian Affairs, and Major Chauncey Baker of the Army will also be on the panel.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-12-11

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1911-09-20

Creator(s)

Hanrick, Ripley A. (Ripley Arnold), 1872-1953

Recipient

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Language

English

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Leupp thanks President Roosevelt for sending the letter from Colonel Brown. Leupp had hoped to appoint Brown to a superintendency before discovering that the law prohibited the appointment of retired officers of Brown’s pay grade. Leupp asks Roosevelt to make inquiries into the matter with the Attorney General and thanks Roosevelt for making similar inquiries regarding the extension of trust patents for Native Americans. Leupp encloses a letter from Reverend Abbott discussing materials pertaining to contracts with Indian parochial schools, as well as a letter from Darwin R. James who has found a candidate for the superintendency of the Indian Warehouse of New York. Leupp has visited and “stirred up” the Winnebago and Klamath Reservations and looks forward to entertaining Roosevelt with an account of his adventures.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-06-23

Creator(s)

Leupp, Francis E. (Francis Ellington), 1849-1918

Joseph Bucklin Bishop reports to President Roosevelt that there is very little support for Seth Low for postmaster. Bishop discusses the appointment of Francis E. Leupp as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Bishop is anxious about Roosevelt’s trip to St. Louis.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-21

Creator(s)

Bishop, Joseph Bucklin, 1847-1928

Charles J. Bonaparte sends President Roosevelt his resignation as Indian Commissioner. He allowed his name to be put on Maryland’s ballot as an elector for the upcoming presidential election without considering that he held office, and believes it would be simpler to resign his office than change the ticket, as doing that may be misconstrued. Bonaparte also has resigned from auxiliary positions in other cabinet departments to be safe, although he does not believe these technically count as official positions. He hopes to be able to cast his electoral vote for Roosevelt, but he believes that Roosevelt will be victorious in the election even if he does not carry Maryland.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-01

Creator(s)

Bonaparte, Charles J. (Charles Joseph), 1851-1921

President Roosevelt received the letter of the Boston Indian Citizenship Committee through Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, and responds to their appeal on behalf of a group of Navajo, led by Ba’álílee, who are currently imprisoned for their actions attacking United States soldiers on Navajo land. Roosevelt defends the actions that Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis Henry Leupp took in this case, and gives him the benefit of the doubt in regards to a recent speech that Leupp made. Roosevelt has had charges made against Leupp investigated, and never found merit to any of them.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt assures Sophia Edgell Lee that Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis E. Leupp will handle the matter that she has raised with due diligence and care. Roosevelt explains the actions he has previously taken in investigating similar questions into the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and states that Howard R. Antes has previously tried to accuse Superintendent William T. Shelton of various misconduct. When unprejudiced observers have visited Shelton at the Navajo reservation, however, they have praised his success there.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-12-29

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt praises William Dudley Foulke and Lucius B. Swift, and says that he does not have any objection to an investigation of whether he has influenced local civil service appointments, so long as the investigation is conducted honestly. He suggests that whoever does the investigation cooperate with the Department of Justice, as Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte is familiar with the topic. Roosevelt also suggests several departments where it may be profitable to begin such an investigation.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-25

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks Commissioner of Indian Affairs Leupp to speak with him if there is going to be a vacancy in the Indian Agency at Fort Bertholdt. Roosevelt thinks that John W. Goodall, who he once worked with on the ranch, would be a good agent.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-02-02

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt directs Secretary of the Interior Garfield that he should give Congress all of the information that he can, without interrupting regular functioning of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Roosevelt includes the text of a memorandum from Garfield and says that, from the memorandum, it appears that some of the information Congress asked for would necessitate the appropriation of money, and that regardless it may disrupt normal administrative functioning. Roosevelt tells Garfield to use his own discretion, maintain the normal efficiency of the bureau, and tell congress of the need for funding in order to supply all the details asked for.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-01-30

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt orders the United States Justice Department to make any government documents requested available to Mark Goode of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to aid his investigation of the corrupt practices of Martin J. Bentley.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-16

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt asks Senator Clark if enactment of legislation regarding the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma could be postponed until the new Secretary of the Interior James Rudolph Garfield takes office. The request, Roosevelt says, is in best interest of the Native Americans of Oklahoma and Clark’s own Senate committee.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-02-05

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt was thrilled by Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock’s telegram. While he is disappointed Winston Churchill was not nominated, he counts the narrow loss as a victory of “moral effect.” He has been reviewing the documents regarding the charges against Governor of Oklahoma Territory Frank C. Frantz and comments on the case’s various aspects.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-19

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt sends Commissioner of Indian Affairs Lepup papers relating to the charges against Governor of Oklahoma Frank C. Frantz. He requests Leupp’s help investigating charges concerning Frantz’s conduct as Osage Indian Agent.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-09-18

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt reluctantly sends Senator Spooner a letter from Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis E. Leupp recommending the removal of Spooner’s brother, Roger C. Spooner, as Superintendent of the Indian Warehouse. Leupp gave him many chances to improve, but the situation has progressed to where Roosevelt simply asks Spooner if he will ask his brother to resign or if he should do so.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-20

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt does not feel that he would be able to sign Representative Dixon’s act opening the Blackfoot Reservation in Montana for settlement because it does not adequately protect the water rights of the Blackfoot people. If Dixon withdraws the bill for now, Roosevelt promises to discuss it with him and Senator Thomas Henry Carter as soon as Congress convenes in December, and after he has received a report from Commissioner of Indian Affairs Francis E. Leupp. If the bill is passed in its current form, however, Roosevelt feels that he will have to veto it.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-06-26

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt sends special thanks to Charles S. Carter for exceeding his duties in his work on the Allotting Commission on the Uintah Reservation last summer.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-11-22

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt is concerned over statements in a memorandum by Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock. Hitchcock seems to imply that there are Senate-appointed men in the civil service who are unfit to hold their positions and do not follow the rules of the departments they work in, who cannot be removed by the Executive for proper cause. Roosevelt tells Hitchcock that this is not the case, and that placing these positions under the classified service would not allow for the hiring of better men than the current appointment system allows.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-10-10

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

President Roosevelt accepts Commissioner of Indian Affairs Jones’s resignation with regret. Roosevelt praises Jones for his work in “one of the most thankless and difficult positions in the Government” and for being an excellent example of a public servant.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-12-23

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919