Chipco's Village


Chipco’s Village

Edited by Spessard Stone from a letter of August 20, 1879 by Lt. R. H. Pratt (1850-1924) to E. A. Hayt, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. Pratt, a career Army officer, was the founder and superintendent of the first non-reservation federal Indian boarding school, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, opened November 1, 1879.



Orders

In compliance with Special Orders No. 122 from headquarters of the Army May 23, and your letter of instructions dated June 9, directing me “to investigate and report upon the condition of the Seminole Indians in Florida,” taking with me, at the desire of Professor Baird, for the purpose of gathering specimens for the national collection, the Cheyenne Indian Tichkematse, employed in the Smithsonian Institution as a taxidermist, I left Washington June 11.

The day we remained in the village it rained in the afternoon. When the rain commenced falling, Chipco excused himself, saying it was a good time to set out sweet potatoes, and he had a little patch he wanted to help his squaw finish. They went off to the fields a mile away in the rain. They returned at dark soaked and begrimed with earth, and the old man complained that work made his back and shoulders ache.

Chipco

Chipco is said to be a hundred years of age; he is certainly very old. He claims to have been one of the leaders in the Dade Massacre, over forty years ago.

Fishing

One of the men, named Tom, went to a lake fishing early in the morning after we arrived. His rig was a long elm pole, with about 3 feet of line attached, and to that two stout hooks knit together and concealed in pieces of deer’s tail and red flannel.

He returned in about an hour and a half with 25 to 30 pounds of black bass, that would have made old Isaac Walton jump with delight. Two cents bought the best one, which four hungry men found an ample breakfast, and all pronounced the quality surprisingly fine.

Farm Animals

We saw a good many hogs, and were told that they had many more off in the mast. These were allowed to sleep about their houses under their beds. When moving their hogs from place to place, for feeding or to market, they follow like dogs.

They had plenty of chickens, and when we asked for them more eggs were produced than we wanted.

They have a few ponies and cattle. Tom bargained with our interpreter for a cow while we were in the village.

Dress

The men wear the usual breech-clout, a calico shirt ornamented with bright strips of ribbon, and a small shawl of bright colors folded the width of the hand and wrapped around the head like a turban. The legs and feet are usually bare, but on special occasions they wear both moccasins and leggins of buckskin, and in addition a light hunting coat of bright colors, ornamented with strips of ribbon or cloth of bright, flashy colors.

The women wear short jackets and shirts made of calico. I saw none with covering on the feet. Cheap beads, large and small, and all colors, are piled up in enormous fagging quantities about their necks. The hair of the old women is done up in a conical-shaped knob on the back of the head, whilst the young women wear theirs long and flowing, with bang in front.

Small children about camp don’t wear anything.

Washington Talk

They had in this village dozens of deer skins and buck skins, and a few other pelts, but Chipco complained that game was getting scarce.

I told Chipco that the Government had heard he was poor, that game was getting scarce and his crops had failed, and that I had been sent to see what help he needed in the way of raising corn, etc., and if he was ready to have his children educated so that they could get along better in company with the whites who were crowding down into his country.

He replied that they did not want to hear any “Washington talk,” that while it was true game was getting scarce, their wants were all supplied and they needed no education or other help.

I suggested that help in the way of plows, hoes, etc., might be acceptable, but he said no, they wanted to be let alone.

Census

They parried direct attempts to find out their numbers, but by various devices, and aided by the acquaintance of the guide and interpreter, we found this village to number twenty-six in all, one-third of whom were absent.

Six of them were warriors, and three others (one man and two women) were Negroes, held as property. As late as last year Chipco offered to sell Negroes at $800 each in Fort Meade.

Whisky

While in the village I overheard Tom ask my interpreter, “Good whisky, Bartow!” The interpreter informed him that the best whisky was to be found in Fort Meade.

These were the only words I heard any of the Indians use while in the camp, though I had been told that both Chipco and Tom could speak some English.

Health

The men, women, and children were well-built, strong, healthy, and jolly. Tom and his son were models of erect and graceful carriage, strength, and endurance.

Weapons

In this village we saw only the old Kentucky rifle with bows and arrows as weapons, but were told that in the other villages they had a few breech-loading arms and revolvers. Men and women and children came together to handle and comment on my self-acting Colt’s revolver.

Archery

I invited Tom to give me a specimen of his skill with the bow and arrow. The bow was nearly 6 feet and the arrow nearly 4 in length and without feathers, but having a pointed cone-shaped cap of iron at the butt end.

He asked what to shoot at, and a large pine tree was indicated, further than I supposed he could send the arrow. He shot and struck the tree. The trajectory was equal to the height of the tree and thee arrow struck almost as high as a man’s head. I stepped the distance and found it quite 190 yards.

Parting Gifts

We remained two nights and a day. I distributed among them a small quantity of sugar, canned stuffs, crackers, tobacco, etc., which I had brought along for that purpose, which they gladly accepted, as a return for their hospitality.




See also:

Chipco and Tallahassee Led Seminole Remnant in Florida

Chipco, Among The Seminoles Peculiar Manners and Customs of the Remnants of the Tribe

Chipco: Tallahassee Chief

Seminoles.


This article was published in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Florida) of July 31, 2003.


August 6, 2003