Granberry's application for Choctaw citizenship
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
COMMISSION TO THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES,
Meridian, Mississippi, January 31st, 1902.
In the matter of the application of George C. Granberry for the identification of himself and his four minor children, George F., Edgar P., Henry C., and Waldo E., as Mississippi Choctaws.
APPEARANCES: Mr. S. A. Beadle, attorney for applicants, Mr. A. W. Jones, Agent for applicants.
Said George C. Granberry, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:
Examination by the Commission.
Q What is your name? A George C. Granberry.
Q How old are you? A I will be forty-eight my next birthday, next September.
Q What is your postoffice address? A Raymond, Mississippi.
Q What County? A Hinds County.
Q How long have you lived in Hinds County? A I have lived there about all my life.
Q Were you born there? A Yes sir but I haven't been there all my life.
Q Did you ever live in Indian Territory? A No sir.
Q Have you ever lived outside of the State of Mississippi? A I was in Louisiana once about four months.
Q Is that all you have ever been out of the State of Mississippi? A That's all I have ever lived out of Mississippi.
Q How much Choctaw blood have you? A About a quarter, according to what my mother told me.
Q Were you a slave? A I was not.
Q Is your father living? A No sir.
Q What was his name? A George Granberry.
Q Was he a slave? A Yes sir, he was a slave.
Q Is your mother living? A She is.
Q What is her name? A Sallie Granberry.
Q Where does she live? A She lives at Raymond.
Q How long has she lived in Hinds County, Mississippi? A I don't know that.
Q Was she a slave? A No sir.
Q Does she speak or understand the Choctaw language? A Well, I don't know as I am a judge of that - I heard her count as high as a hundred.
Q You don't speak or understand the language yourself? A No sir.
Q Your father had no Choctaw blood whatever? A I never heard her say he did.
Q Do you know where your mother was born? A I think she was born in Clarke County.
Q This State? A Yes sir.
Q Has she lived in the State of Mississippi all her life? A Yes sir.
Q About how old is she at this time? A She is about eighty or eighty-one, two or three.
Q Through which one of her parents did she get her Choctaw blood? A Through her mother.
Q Do you know her name? A She told me her name was Betsey Cook.
Q How long has she been dead? Betsey Cook? A Somewhere about forty years.
Q About how old was she when she died? A I don't know.
Q According to your statement she must have been a full blood Choctaw Indian, is that right? A Yes sir, that's what my mother states to me.
Q Do you remember her? A No sir, I never saw her.
Q Do you know where she lived during her life time? A I know from what my mother told me - she said she lived in Clarke, Jasper and Newton Counties.
Q Do you know the name of either one of her parents? A Of my grandmother - I don't.
Q You know nothing whatever about your grandmother except what your mother has stated to you? A That's all.
Q Did any of your ancestors ever live in Indian Territory? A Not to my knowledge.
Q Are you married? A I am.
Q How many times have you been married? A Once.
Q Is your wife living? A Yes sir.
Q What is her name? A Lucinda Granberry.
Q Has she any Choctaw blood? A Not as I know of.
Q You make no claim, then, for her? A No sir.
Q How many children have you living who are under 21 years of age and unmarried? A Four.
Q What are their names and ages? A George F.
Q How old? A Eighteen.
Q Next one? A Edgar P.
Q How old? A Fourteen.
Q Next one? A Henry C.
Q How old? A Twelve.
Q Next one? A Waldo E.
Q How old? A Ten.
Q Is that all? A Yes sir.
Q Are these children, all four of them living with you at this time? A The older boy is at A. & M. College - the others are at home.
Q He is just there temporarily? A Yes sir he is there at school.
Q This application then is for yourself and four minor children, is that correct? A Yes sir.
Q Are these children all the children of yourself and Lucinda Granberry? A Yes sir.
Q Is your name or the name of anyone of these children on any of the Choctaw Tribal rolls in Indian Territory? A Not as I know of.
Q Did you ever make application to the Choctaw Tribal authorities in Indian Territory for yourself or anyone of these children to be admitted or enrolled as members of that Tribe? A No sir, I never did.
Q Have you ever before made any application of any description looking to the establishment of the rights of yourself or any of these children as Choctaw Indians? A No sir.
Q This is the first application of any kind you ever made? A Yes sir, the first application I ever made.
Q Did anyone else ever make any application of any kind for you or these children, to your knowledge? A Not to my knowledge.
Q Do you appear before the Commission at this time for the purpose of claiming rights in the Choctaw lands in Indian Territory for yourself and four minor children under article 14 of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek? A I do.
[application continues, but I have excerpted only the first two pages with biographical information]
COMMISSION TO THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES,
Meridian, Mississippi, January 31st, 1902.
In the matter of the application of George C. Granberry for the identification of himself and his four minor children, George F., Edgar P., Henry C., and Waldo E., as Mississippi Choctaws.
APPEARANCES: Mr. S. A. Beadle, attorney for applicants, Mr. A. W. Jones, Agent for applicants.
Said George C. Granberry, being first duly sworn, testified as follows:
Examination by the Commission.
Q What is your name? A George C. Granberry.
Q How old are you? A I will be forty-eight my next birthday, next September.
Q What is your postoffice address? A Raymond, Mississippi.
Q What County? A Hinds County.
Q How long have you lived in Hinds County? A I have lived there about all my life.
Q Were you born there? A Yes sir but I haven't been there all my life.
Q Did you ever live in Indian Territory? A No sir.
Q Have you ever lived outside of the State of Mississippi? A I was in Louisiana once about four months.
Q Is that all you have ever been out of the State of Mississippi? A That's all I have ever lived out of Mississippi.
Q How much Choctaw blood have you? A About a quarter, according to what my mother told me.
Q Were you a slave? A I was not.
Q Is your father living? A No sir.
Q What was his name? A George Granberry.
Q Was he a slave? A Yes sir, he was a slave.
Q Is your mother living? A She is.
Q What is her name? A Sallie Granberry.
Q Where does she live? A She lives at Raymond.
Q How long has she lived in Hinds County, Mississippi? A I don't know that.
Q Was she a slave? A No sir.
Q Does she speak or understand the Choctaw language? A Well, I don't know as I am a judge of that - I heard her count as high as a hundred.
Q You don't speak or understand the language yourself? A No sir.
Q Your father had no Choctaw blood whatever? A I never heard her say he did.
Q Do you know where your mother was born? A I think she was born in Clarke County.
Q This State? A Yes sir.
Q Has she lived in the State of Mississippi all her life? A Yes sir.
Q About how old is she at this time? A She is about eighty or eighty-one, two or three.
Q Through which one of her parents did she get her Choctaw blood? A Through her mother.
Q Do you know her name? A She told me her name was Betsey Cook.
Q How long has she been dead? Betsey Cook? A Somewhere about forty years.
Q About how old was she when she died? A I don't know.
Q According to your statement she must have been a full blood Choctaw Indian, is that right? A Yes sir, that's what my mother states to me.
Q Do you remember her? A No sir, I never saw her.
Q Do you know where she lived during her life time? A I know from what my mother told me - she said she lived in Clarke, Jasper and Newton Counties.
Q Do you know the name of either one of her parents? A Of my grandmother - I don't.
Q You know nothing whatever about your grandmother except what your mother has stated to you? A That's all.
Q Did any of your ancestors ever live in Indian Territory? A Not to my knowledge.
Q Are you married? A I am.
Q How many times have you been married? A Once.
Q Is your wife living? A Yes sir.
Q What is her name? A Lucinda Granberry.
Q Has she any Choctaw blood? A Not as I know of.
Q You make no claim, then, for her? A No sir.
Q How many children have you living who are under 21 years of age and unmarried? A Four.
Q What are their names and ages? A George F.
Q How old? A Eighteen.
Q Next one? A Edgar P.
Q How old? A Fourteen.
Q Next one? A Henry C.
Q How old? A Twelve.
Q Next one? A Waldo E.
Q How old? A Ten.
Q Is that all? A Yes sir.
Q Are these children, all four of them living with you at this time? A The older boy is at A. & M. College - the others are at home.
Q He is just there temporarily? A Yes sir he is there at school.
Q This application then is for yourself and four minor children, is that correct? A Yes sir.
Q Are these children all the children of yourself and Lucinda Granberry? A Yes sir.
Q Is your name or the name of anyone of these children on any of the Choctaw Tribal rolls in Indian Territory? A Not as I know of.
Q Did you ever make application to the Choctaw Tribal authorities in Indian Territory for yourself or anyone of these children to be admitted or enrolled as members of that Tribe? A No sir, I never did.
Q Have you ever before made any application of any description looking to the establishment of the rights of yourself or any of these children as Choctaw Indians? A No sir.
Q This is the first application of any kind you ever made? A Yes sir, the first application I ever made.
Q Did anyone else ever make any application of any kind for you or these children, to your knowledge? A Not to my knowledge.
Q Do you appear before the Commission at this time for the purpose of claiming rights in the Choctaw lands in Indian Territory for yourself and four minor children under article 14 of the treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek? A I do.
[application continues, but I have excerpted only the first two pages with biographical information]
Citation
“Granberry's application for Choctaw citizenship,” Mississippi State University Libraries, accessed April 20, 2024, https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/items/show/460.
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