Indian Pioneer Papers - Index

Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma
Date: April 9, 1937
Name: Frank J. Boudinot
Post Office: Washington, D. C.
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: 
Father: William Penn Boudinot
Place of Birth:
Information on father: 
Mother: 
Place of Birth:
Information on mother:
Field Worker: Jas. S. Buchanan
Interview #:

Subject: Watie-Boudinot, with Chronological statement of the life of Frank J. Boudinot made by himself at Washington, D. C. April 1, 1937 

My father, William Penn Boudinot, was with his uncle, General Stand Watie, with the confederate army during the Civil War. 1861-1865. Although peace was reached in the spring of 1865, Watie’s Army being then on Red River, my father was deprived of his Cherokee Citizenship and all of his property by legislative action of the Cherokee Nation controlled by the so-called Loyal Cherokees, and consequently could not return to his home, or which was once his home. The confiscation laws were annulled by the Cherokee treaty in July-August, 1866. On the way back to the Cherokee Nation from the Choctaw Nation, where the family resided during the Civil War, at a wayside camp under the open sky I was born August 20, 1866.

My father and mother were both well educated, and although I did not have the privilege of attending school until sixteen years of age my mother taught another brother, a sister and my self at home. We had at times, all the best magazines and newspapers of the times, and for us children we received the ‘Children’s Friend’, ‘Chatterbox’, ‘St. Nicholas’, ‘Youth’s Companion’, also London newspapers, New York, Cincinnati, and St. Louis, and of course our own National newspaper, ‘The Cherokee Advocate’.

My father and mother were studious readers and we had access at home to the best literature at all times.

When I entered Bacone College, September 4, 1882, I started in the Freshman Class. The school was then located at Tahlequah. I was graduated from that school, June 4, 1886, the year after it had been moved to its present location near Muskogee.

The next year, 

1886-1887, I attempted school at Flint, June to December 1887, filled the position of private secretary to Hon. Dennis Bushyhead, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

1888-1889, Clerk of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation, business manager and assistant editor of the Cherokee Advocate and later editor of a small paper of my own. The Tahlequah Capital. A copy of this paper is in the corner stone of the original building at the present normal school at Tahlequah, the then Cherokee National Female Seminary.

1890-1894 practiced law before the Cherokee courts, Clerk of Senate and council committees and engrossing clerk of the Senate.

1894 entered law school, University of Michigan, graduating in the class of 1896.

1896, one of the attorneys representing the Cherokee Nation before the Dawes Commission-Citizenship matters under the act of Congress of June 10, 1896.

1897 continued to practice of law, Cherokee and U.S. court of Indian Territory.

1897, July 23, married to Miss Annie Stapler Meigs of Ft. Gibson, daughter of Hon. Henry C. Meigs and great-granddaughter of John Ross. Our union has been blessed with two sons;

  1. Frank J. Boudinot Jr. Born January 16, 1899. Served as 2nd Lieutenant in Air Service, World War.
  2. Henry Meigs Boudinot. Born July 27, 1907. Now assistant to the Librarian of Congress at Washington.

1898-1899, general council for the Kee-too-wah Society.

1900, February, organized Eastern or Emigrant Cherokees to prosecute their claim for $5,000,000 against the United States government, and in opposition to the Government of the Cherokee Nation which set up an adverse claim of ownership to the fund if collected. Employed Col. Robert L. Owen to prosecute the claim.

On behalf of the Kee-too-wah Cherokees opposed and protested enrollment of about three thousand inter-married white persons for allotment of Cherokee lands, etc.

1903, May $5,000,000 Eastern Cherokee Claim won!

1905, November 21 Was elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in accordance with the Cherokee laws which were in full force for the purpose at that time. Took oath of office in the Senate Chamber of the Cherokee National Council at Tahlequah in the presence of joint session of the National Council. I have the original record of all the proceedings in my possession.

Because of my active opposition to the Cherokee National authorities and to the Dawes Commission, I was persona non grats, and was never recognized as Principle Chief by the United States Government. I have been, and am now the representative of my people, the Cherokees by blood, before the authorities of the United States government, including the Court of Claims and the Supreme Court of the United States. I have occupied this position for more than forty years, and expect to continue in that capacity until the Cherokees’ affairs and claims against the United States are finally and forever rightly closed, or until my own affairs and activities on this earth end. (Ref. Muskogee newspaper references and accounts including date, November 21, 1905)

1905, September 20, incorporated Keetoowah Society under the laws of the United States and secured an official charter therefore. Also during that year won the inter-married white controversy, saving to the Cherokee owners of lands $6,000,000 in value as found by the court.

1906, Supreme Court of the United State affirmed judgements in Eastern Cherokee case and also inter-married white case.

1907, to October 2, 1916, was engaged on behalf of the Cherokees by blood (Keetoowah Society, Inc.) in efforts to secure from Congress permission to sue in the Court of Claims for all unsettled claims of the Cherokee people, of whatever kind or character.

1916, October 2-3. Empowered by a duly elected convention of the whole Cherokee people, resided over by Hon. W. C. Rogers, the then recognized Principal Chief, to speak for all the Cherokees (and the Nation as such), in efforts to secure a general jurisdictional act. I am still acting at al times under the direction and authority of the Keetoowah Society.

1916, December, Permanently located in Washington, D. C. in representative capacity for the Cherokees, where I have since resided.

1932, Was instrumental in securing a second general Jurisdictional act empowering the Eastern or Emigrant and Western or Old Settler Cherokees to sue in the Court of Claims. I am associated with other attorneys and now actively engaged in prosecuting their claims.

In some historical writings I have read, it is made to appear that General Stand Watie and my grand-father Elias Boudinot were half-brothers. This is an error. There were four brothers, viz, Elias Boudinot, whose name was Gah-la-gee-nah Watie, Elias Boudinot being an adopted name, Thomas Watie, Charles Watie and Stand Watie, all sons of Oo-wa-tie, a full-blood Cherokee, who discarded the "Oo" and added the English "David" when he attended school after he was a grown man, hence the name Watie.

Kaw-la-nah (Raven) Frank J. Boudinot

Transcribed for OKGenWeb by Catherine Widener <catz@kcisp.net>  March 2002.