A Traveler in Indian Territory: The Journal of Ethan Allen Hitchcock (Volume 75)

American Exploration and Travel Series

by Ethan Allen Hitchcock, Michael D. Green (Foreword), Grant Foreman (Editor)

In 1841 U.S. government authorities sent Major Ethan Allen Hitchcock to Indian Territory to investigate numerous charges of fraud and profiteering by various contractors dealing with the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Indians, who had been removed from the South during the last decade. Hitchcock's report, filed after four months of travel, exposed such a high level of graft and corruption that his investigation was suppressed and never brought to the attention of Congress. Hitchcock kept nine personal diaries of his travels and observations, however, and they reveal much historic and ethnographic information on Indian life in Indian Territory. He observes how the Indians were adjusting alter removal and includes many details on their customs, beliefs, culture, religion, ceremonies, amusements, industry, tribal councils, and government. To aid the modern reader, editor Grant Foreman provides an introduction and annotations, and Michael D. Green, in his foreword, explains the politics behind Hitchcock's mission to Indian Territory and his accomplishments in advancing ethnographic knowledge.

286 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

About the author

Ethan Allen Hitchcock (May 18, 1798 – August 5, 1870) was a career United States Army officer and author who had War Department assignments in Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War, in which he served as a major general.

Reviews

[Theshiney · Rating 4 out of 5]

hitchcock was sent to I.T. to investigate fraud in allotting the indains of the 5-tribes the annuities due on the word of many treaties. what he found instead was avarice. not a lot of indians were getting what they were promised and most of the ones that were, were paying much more than they should. what do you know, the government hired shady contractors to do the work... same as its always been... but little in his journal actually concerns his job. just enough infact, to give it a sort of sub-plot, mystery feel. hitchcok is a straight forward, very detail oriented man and because of this his writing is flush with history and facinating insights. he explores the land and the people more as a traveler, anthropologist, geologist, etc. than a gov. agent. indeed, he meets a wide varity of people, from indians of little known tribes to important historical protagonists and all of it comes off the page at once becasue of the attention and respect he applies. i, for one, found myself knee deep in another time. hitchcock even made me laugh occasionally- through no intension of his own. i found it funny that he never had fun. in fact he would turn his back on it: he turned down drinks, he watched people play cards, never danced, even at one point he left "as the fiddle began to play." but he is the perfect soul to ivestigate the attrocious behaviour of the gov. and its surrogates, and to leave as accurate a reflection as possible of this tremenously rich environment.

btw, his report was ultimately burried by the president so the U.S. could continue some negotiations with the cherokees (read: get what they want) and came to light too little, too late... same as it always been....