Guide to the Richard Henry Pratt Papers
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Yale University Library Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Yale Collection of Western Americana Guide to the Richard Henry Pratt Papers WA MSS S-1174 by Andrew Patterson August 1972 Revised: 2010-02-10 New Haven, Connecticut Copyright © 1996-2007 by the Yale University Library. Richard Henry Pratt papers WA MSS S-1174 - Page 2 Table of Contents Paging Instructions 4 Overview 4 Administrative Information 4 Provenance 4 Information about Access 5 Ownership & Copyright 5 Cite As 5 RICHARD HENRY PRATT (1840-1924) 5 Description of the Papers 5 Collection Contents 7 Series I. General Correspondence and Official Papers, 1867-1924 7 INCOMING LETTERS 7 OUTGOING LETTERS 23 LETTERS OF OTHERS 27 OFFICIAL PAPERS 29 Series II. Family Correspondence, 1862-1956 30 NANA PRATT HAWKINS 30 ANNA LAURA PRATT 31 MASON DELANO PRATT 33 RICHARD HENRY PRATT 33 RICHARD HENRY PRATT, II 35 SARAH PRATT 35 GUY LeROY STEVICK 35 MARION PRATT STEVICK 35 Series III. Addresses, Diaries, Writings, and Notes, 1862-1953 37 ADDRESSES 37 ARTICLES 38 DIARIES 38 MANUSCRIPTS 39 The Indian No Problem (early draft), 39 The Indian No Problem (later draft), 39 Indian Trails, 39 Battlefield and Classroom, 39 NOTES 39 FAMILY WRITINGS 40 MANUSCRIPTS 40 Battlefield and Classroom 40 Series IV. Photographs and Drawings, 1875-1904 41 Richard Henry Pratt papers WA MSS S-1174 - Page 3 PHOTOGRAPHS 41 NEGATIVES 42 DRAWINGS 42 Series V. Clippings and Miscellaneous Publications, 1874-1953 44 NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, ETC. 44 Carlisle School publications: annual reports, 3 items, 1890, 1899 44 The Arrow, 3 items , 1904, 1907 44 The Carlisle Arrow and Red Man, 5 items , 1917 44 The Carlisle Arrow and Red Man, 3 items , 1918 44 Catalogue of the Indian IndustrialSchool, 1 item , 1902 44 The Indian Helper, 3 items , 1897 44 Invitations, menus, programs, miscellaneous, 13 items, n.d. 44 The Morning Star, 1 item , 1883 44 Names of Graduates, 2 items , 1914 44 The Red Man, 1 item , 1896 44 The Red Man and Helper, 5 items , 1904 44 Magazines 44 Newspapers 44 PAMPHLETS AND SCRAPBOOKS 45 Series VI. Special Files, 1878-1963 46 Stand Alone Art Boxes 47 DRAWINGS BY ETAHDLEUH DOANMOE 47 Oversize 49 PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS 49 Restricted Fragile 50 Access Terms 51 Richard Henry Pratt papers WA MSS S-1174 - Page 4 Paging Instructions To request items from this collection for use in the Beinecke Library reading room, please use the request links in the HTML version of this finding aid, available at http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.pratt. To order reproductions from this collection, please send an email with the call number, box number(s), and folder number(s) to [email protected]. Overview REPOSITORY: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library P. O. Box 208240 New Haven, CT 06520-8240 Email: [email protected] Phone: (203) 432-2972 Fax: (203) 432-4047 CALL NUMBER: WA MSS S-1174 CREATOR: Pratt, Richard Henry, 1840-1924. TITLE: Richard Henry Pratt papers DATES: 1862-1956 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Total Boxes: 96 PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Other Storage Formats: Oversize, glass storage PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Linear Feet: 21.43 SUMMARY: The collection includes letter-press books, writings, diaries, notes, photographs, and drawings. The papers largely relate to Pratt's work with and theories on the education of American Indians and his involvement with the Carlisle Indian School. Included is material relating to the controversies surrounding his work and much relating to Indians and Indian life in general. There are a group of Indian photographs and drawings, and papers relating to members of Pratt's family. FINDING AID LINK: To cite or bookmark this finding aid, use the following address: http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.pratt. Administrative Information Provenance The Richard Henry Pratt Papers were the gift of Mrs. Samuel Clark Seelye, Edgar M. Hawkins, Jr., and Richard Pratt Hawkins, 1959. Richard Henry Pratt papers WA MSS S-1174 - Page 5 Information about Access This collection is open for research. Restricted Fragile in box 34 may only be consulted with permission of the appropriate curator. Preservation photocopies or photographic prints for reference use have been substituted in the main files. This collection may be housed off-site at Yale’s Library Shelving Facility (LSF). To determine if all or part of this collection is housed off-site please check the library’s online catalog, Orbis; material for which the location is given as “LSF” must be requested 36 hours in advance. Please consult with Beinecke Access Services for more information. Ownership & Copyright The Richard Henry Pratt Papers are the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator. Cite As Richard Henry Pratt Papers. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. RICHARD HENRY PRATT (1840-1924) Richard Henry Pratt devoted his life to public service, beginning as a soldier in the Civil War and later fighting Indians on the frontier. It was on the frontier that Pratt came in contact with the American Indian and began developing the theories that were to guide him throughout his life. It was Pratt's belief that the American Indian, although leading a savage and uncivilized life, was fully capable of being educated and absorbed into American society. Pratt gained support for this view when he commanded a group of seventy- two Indian prisoners at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1875. Through education and humane treatment, Pratt believed that even the most "savage" of Indians might become educated and law abiding citizens. Pratt's efforts resulted in the founding of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1879. As head of the school, Pratt stressed both academic and industrial education. He believed that if the Indian was to claim his rightful place as an American citizen, he must renounce his tribal way of life, abandon the reservation, and seek education and employment among the "best classes" of Americans. During his superintendency of the Carlisle School, Pratt became an outspoken opponent of tribal segregation on reservations. He believed that this system as administered and encouraged by the Indian Bureau was hindering the education and civilization of the Indian and creating helpless wards of the state. These views inevitably led to conflicts with the Indian Bureau and the government officials who supported the reservation system. Long standing animosities came to a head in May of 1904 when Pratt strongly denounced the Indian Bureau and the reservation system as a hindrance to the civilization and assimilation of the Indian. This controversy, coupled with earlier disputes with the government over civil service reform, led to Pratt's forced retirement as superintendent of the Carlisle School in 1904. This did not, however, end Pratt's long career as a crusader for Indian causes. A tireless speaker and letter writer, he waged a vigorous campaign for the fair and humane treatment of the American Indian until his death in 1924. Description of the Papers The papers of Richard Henry Pratt provide valuable information on the still controversial question of the proper treatment of the American Indian. The papers span Pratt's long career as an Army officer, educator, and crusader for Indian causes. Richard Henry Pratt papers WA MSS S-1174 - Page 6 The papers are divided into six series. Series I, General Correspondence and Official Papers (p. 7)consists of official Army papers as well as Pratt's incoming and outgoing letters. Pratt made copies of most of his letters. These copies, either carbons, drafts, or volumes of letterpress impressions, are filed chronologically as Outgoing Letters and provide a very complete record of his letter writing. Incoming Letters are arranged alphabetically by author. The main subject of Pratt's correspondence until 1904 was the founding and administration of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. His correspondence reveals Pratt's efforts to gain support for the school from Indians, the government, and private donors as well as the day to day difficulties in the actual management of the school. In addition, there is correspondence with former Indian students like Howard E. Gansworth, Dr. Carlos Montezuma, and Chauncey Yellow Robe on the position and problems of Indians in America. Pratt corresponded with many prominent Americans interested in the plight of the Indian. These correspondents include: Lyman Abbott (10 items), Samuel C. Armstrong (101 items), Spencer F. Baird (21 items), Rudolph Blankenburg (14 items), James W. Champney (18 items), Clara B. Colby (2 items), Henry L. Dawes (31 items), W. Maslin Frysinger (22 items), Henry G. Ganns (39 items), Howard E. Gansworth (22 items), Franklin K. Lane (18 items), John D. Miles (145 items), Carlos Montezuma (122 items), Knute Nelson (34 items), Arthur C. Parker (45 items), Carl Schurz (12 items), and Cato Sells (13 items). Official Papers contains material on Pratt's early Army career and his experiences with Indian prisoners at St. Augustine. This section contains reports, orders, official correspondence and communications. Information about Pratt's early experiments with Indian education and on the establishment of the Carlisle School may also be found here. Series II, Family Correspondence (p. 30), contains Pratt's letters to and from members of his family. Also included in this series is the correspondence of his daughter, Nana Pratt Hawkins; his wife, Anna Laura Pratt; his son, Mason Delano Pratt; his grandson, R. H. Pratt, II; his granddaughter, Sarah Pratt; his son-in-law, Guy LeRoy Stevick; and his daughter, Marion Pratt Stevick. Of special interest is Pratt's correspondence with his wife about his experiences with Indians while serving in the Army and about the founding of the Carlisle School.