Dunham & Pittman descendants among those applying on Baker Roll.

While working on the Pittman/Adcock portion of my 2GrGP to 2C project I have found applications for the Eastern Cherokee(Baker Roll era)  ...not the the Pittman line but through the Dunham line..both were rejected but contained a great deal of detail about their migration.  I thought it might be interesting for others to see what a basic rejection letter looked like and the reasons for not recommending the applicant be accepted as a member to the Eastern Cherokee. Items 1-6 were checked on the two applications for the John Sebron Dunham and Margaret "Peggy" Pittman Dunham descendants.



Dear Sir or Madam:

The enrolling committee has examined your application for enrollment with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina, and from the information contained therein it does not feel justified in recommending you for acceptance as an enrolled member of the Band.  Your application is therefore rejected for the reasons checked below:

1.  The applicant's ancestors have not been enrolled as members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

2.  The applicant or parents not in the state of North Carolina at the time of the Award October 23, 1874.

3.  The applicant, or parents not enrolled in 1868 or since that date.

4.  Proper degree of affiliation and association with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

5.  Not recognized by the tribe as a member thereof.

6.  No contribution made to the purchase of the Qualla Boundary or other tribal lands.

7.  The applicant, or parents enrolled as Western Cherokees.

8.  Any right the applicant, or an ancestor, may have acquired by reason of residence in the state of North Carolina in October 1874 or by reason of enrollment with the Eastern Band prior to that date has been lost through non-affiliation.

9.  The parents of the applicant, one of them being white, married since June 7, 1897, and the applicant born apart from the Indian  community.

Thirty days is allowed in which to appeal to the Secretary of the Interior from this decision.  Any appeal taken must be prepared in proper form and filed in this office so that all the paper in the case may be forwarded at the same time.  The committee has no forms for use in making appeal and no information as to the method of preparing the same.


Very respectfully,

-------?  the enrolling commission

Top five discoveries in my ancestry

Admittedly none of the top discoveries were made specifically by me. I will admit to prodding other researchers of my lines and asking way too many questions. Whatever works...lol.

1. Acuff- Proof of Wm. Leon Acuff's father was found(by Billie McNamara)in Bledsoe Co. TN court records when under oath Wm. L. Acuff was asked how he knew Jonathan Acuff whose case was being heard. His answer was "He is my Father". Case notes and statements further verify that this Wm. L Acuff was indeed the one who lived in Van Buren Co. TN(where my GG grandfather is found on census records)

2. Millie Hitchcock's maiden name--I believe it was Agnes Jones & another researcher who found the marriage record from March 11, 1806 for George Hitchcock and Millie Riddle in Roane Co. TN records.

3. Comfort Pittman's maiden name-- This is the first of 3 breakthrus that came about from one record. That record was the Application to the Eastern Cherokee of Comfort's Grandson, John R. Dunham--discovered by Royce Dunham & Jan Hicks. John was denied but the application stated Comfort was a Hatfield before she married Daniel Pittman.

4. Finding older Children of Daniel & Comfort Hatfield Pittman--These were listed on Annie Pitman Dunham's son's Eastern Cherokee application. These were children who were out of the household before 1850 census.

5. Comfort Hatfield's parents--The Eastern Cherokee application doesn't plainly list her parents names but it does say her mother was Annie Ross and that her dad was a Hatfield. There is record of an Annie Ross who was the first wife of James Hatfield which we feel is correct considering several key factors. There is also a sworn statement that Annie Pittman Dunham(Dau of Daniel & Comfort Pittman) was at Tahlequah in Aug of 1866 though I don't even pretend to know how to go about finding those records I'm going to try. I need to review the copy of the Eastern Cherokee Application. Thankfully the Wallace College Library where I attend classes has those on Microfilm.