Manuscript Collection: William McIntosh
Collection Overview
Collection summary derived from "Guidebook to Manuscripts", 1969: General William McIntosh (1778?-1825) was a Creek Indian Chief who favored the removal of the Creeks out of the state of Georgia to lands in the West. In this matter there was a strong party in opposition. On April 30, 1825, a force of these Indians burned his home, then killed him and other members of his family. General McIntosh was a cousin of Governor George M. Troup of Georgia. The papers include a letter to Governor Troup written and signed by Gen. William McIntosh; letters and copies of letters from members of the McIntosh family; the Secretary of War, James Barbour; various Indian agents; and others. All have to do with the murder of McIntosh and with the question of the protection and reimbursement of the family by the government. Other family letters are by Chilly McIntosh (1800- 1875), and Cheesie McIntosh (1848-1915). In addition to the manuscript material, there is a "Family Tree" of the descendants of General William McIntosh written by William Thomas Scott. Interesting items: In addition to those mentioned above, there are some Pleasant Porter letters and a photostatic letter from William McIntosh to John Ross, October 21, 1823 (?), offering him money to agree to the treaty of removal.
Access Restrictions
Available by appointment only at the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR) with the exception of materials with donor restrictions. Contact Library staff in advance to inquire if materials exist pertaining to your research interests.
Use Restrictions
Please contact the Rights and Reproduction Department for information on publishing or reproducing materials included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Gilcrease Museum as the owner of the physical materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all necessary permissions from the copyright holder.
Provenance
The Gilcrease Foundation acquired these materials before 1964 and is housed in the Helmerich Center for American Research (HCAR). The library currently receives most materials through community donation, board members, artists and the acquisition of manuscript collections.
Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Thomas Gilcrease Library and Archive have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the collection passed to the City of Tulsa in the 1950s.