Seminole Emigration Records

Seminole Emigration Records

Seminole Emigration records & miscellaneous

This is a transcription of a few smaller Seminole Emigration muster rolls and letters from National Archives microfilm series M234, rolls 290, 291, 806 and 807. Series M234 reproduces letters received by the Office of Indian Affairs. Rolls 806 and 807 contains correspondence relating to Seminole Emigration from 1827 to 1859. Rolls 290 and 291 contains correspondence relating to Florida Superintendence Emigration from 1828 to 1853. Many of these are very hard to read and there are no doubt mistakes in the transcriptions. More background information regarding the transcribed records below can usually be found in the letters preceding and following the record, on the microfilm.

The Seminoles were usually collected at Tampa Bay, Florida and from there taken to New Orleans, Louisiana and then to Fort Gibson, Indian Territory where they were officially recorded as having "arrived" west.

1838 Emigrants

A list of 459 Seminoles and 165 Negroes captured at Fort Jupiter, East Florida, by the Troops, from February to March 1838.
A list of 132 Negroes and 5 Seminoles sent from Fort Jupiter, Florida to Tampa Bay, Florida for emigration.
A letter regarding 878 Seminoles and 257 Negroes being emigrated in May-June 1838. 31 of the Negro slaves were detained in New Orleans, see letter.
About 700 Seminoles arrived in Arkansas in June 1838 on board the steamboat "South Alabama". This group arrived in Fort Gibson on board the steamboats "Liverpool" and "Itasca". "Near one third of the party are negroes"
* June 2, 1838.
About 400 Seminoles passed Little Rock, Arkansas in June 1838 on board the steam boat "Livingston".
* June 27, 1838.
A summary muster roll of Seminoles who arrived if June 1838. Lists only the number of emigrants.
A muster roll of 115 Seminoles and 2 Negroes who arrived June 19, 1838.
A muster roll of 292 Seminoles and 29 Negroes who arrived June 28, 1838.
A muster roll of 34 Seminoles about to emigrate in July 1838.
A muster roll of 67 Seminoles who arrived August 5, 1838. This roll is the same as a muster roll of 65 "Creeks" and 35 Negroes who arrived August 5, 1838 on board the steam boat Itasca.
About 60 to 70 Seminoles passed through Arkansas in July 1838 on board the steamboat "Itasca".
* July 25, 1838.

The following 4 groups were emigrated together. This party left Pensacola, Florida on Oct. 29, 1838 and arrived at New Orleans on Nov. 2, 1838. They arrived at Little Rock, Arkansas on board the steam boat "Rodney" in November 1838. They were conveyed to Fort Gibson on board the steam boat "North St. Louis" but the boat ran a ground near Cadron, Arkansas. This group finally arrived on January 10, 1839. * November 28, 1838.

A letter from Daniel Boyd, Nov. 11, 1838.
A muster roll of 32 Indians belonging to Blunts Tribe
A muster roll of 126 Indians belonging to Walker's town.
A muster roll of 81 Indians belonging to Econ chatta Micco's town.
A muster roll of 37 Indians received from Lt. Berrian at Dog Island.
A muster roll of 272 Seminoles who arrived January 10, 1839. Many of the persons appear on the list of claims below.
A list of claims of "Appalachicola" (Seminoles) Indians for the value of their improvements abandoned.

1839 Emigrants

A letter from John G. Reynolds to T. Hartley Crawford, March 10, 1839.
A muster roll of 163 Seminoles and 42 Negroes who arrived April 13, 1839 on board the Steam Boat "Buckeye".
A muster roll of 48 Seminoles who arrived at Fort Gibson, Dec. 23, 1839.

1841 Emigrants

A party of 205 Seminoles and 6 Negroes embarked from Tampa Bay, Florida on March 20, 1841 for New Orleans and arrived March 29, 1841. They then embarked from the New Orleans Barracks for Fort Gibson on April 4, 1841 on board the steamboat "President" under the direction of Maj. Belknap with Lieut. Sprague, and Asst. Surgeon Barnes. They arrived at Fort Gibson on April 19, 1841. See the next four letters and muster roll:
A letter from L. G. Capers to T. Hartley Crawford, March 19, 1841.
A letter from L. G. Capers to T. Hartley Crawford, April 4, 1841.
A letter from J. Clarke to T. Hartley Crawford, April 14, 1841.
A letter from L. G. Capers to T. Hartley Crawford, April 20, 1841.
A muster roll of Seminoles who arrived April 19, 1841.
A letter from L. G. Capers to T. Hartley Crawford, Aug. 27, 1841.
A muster roll of 199 Seminoles who left New Orleans Oct. 20, 1841 on board the steam boat "Little Rock".
A muster roll of 197 of Seminoles who arrived at Fort Gibson, Nov. 12, 1841 on board the steamboat "Little Rock".

1842 Emigrants

A muster roll of 226 Seminoles about to emigrate in February 1842.
A letter from L. G. Capers to T. Hartley Crawford, March 19, 1842.
A muster roll of 91 Seminoles and 3 Negroes about to emigrate April 1842.
A muster roll of 278 Seminoles and 3 Negroes who arrived June 14, 1842.
An account of provisions issued to 591 Emigrant Seminoles, 18 Negroes, and 3 Euchees for June-Oct. 1842.
A muster roll of 5 Seminoles and 13 Negroes about to Emigrate from New Orleans, Louisiana to Fort Gibson, July 1842. Also two letters. 84 others not listed.
A muster roll of 83 Seminoles and 4 Euchees who arrived September 5, 1842. See also letter from E.R.S. Cauby to T. Hartley Crawford, Sept. 16, 1842.

1843 Emigrants

A muster roll of 96 Seminoles and 3 Negroes about to Emigrate from New Orleans, Louisiana to Fort Gibson, January 1843.
A muster roll of 51 Seminoles about to Emigrate to Fort Gibson, January 1843.
A muster roll of 59 Seminoles and 3 Negroes about to Emigrate from New Orleans to Fort Gibson, February 1843.

1850? Emigrants

An account of provisions issued to Emigrant Seminoles for April-June 1850. 12 heads of families are listed. Presumably these are Seminoles who recently emigrated and this is a record of their government subsistence for the first year after Emigration.

Miscellaneous

"Observations on the Seminoles" - 1823 by Horatio S. Dexter.
An 1842 census of Seminoles in the West.
A letter from John C. Casey regarding Seminoles remaining in Florida, February 1851.
Two letters regarding Seminoles in the Creek Nation and the payment of their Seminole annuities, 1855. Also a census of the Seminoles in the Creek Nation.

-courtesy Lance Hall

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02 August 2015