Manuscript Collection: Zachary Taylor Papers
Collection Overview
Collection summary derived from "Guidebook to Manuscripts", 1969: Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), a military man, fought against the Indians in the South and West, became a Mexican War hero and, ultimately, the President of the United States. He died in the White House before his term of office could be completed. These papers are all letters dealing chiefly with Indian affairs. In a letter written from Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, July 19, 1836, and addressed to Captain William M. Boyce, U.S. Army, he remarks about the deplorable condition of the Indians, calling them "... miserable naked and half-starved Indians who have been driven to desperation by the most villainous acts of the greatest set of harpies that ever existed, and who have been countenanced by the govt in cheating, swindling & I may [say] robbing said Indians of the small pittance allowed them by treaty stipulations ... " He goes on to say that he is of the opinion that removing them from their homes to the West is tantamount to, if not worse than, annihilation. In another letter, from Fort Smith, October 15, 1842, he re1ates the massacre of William Vore and others by the Starr brothers. There are typescripts of three other letters, but the where abouts of the originals is not known.
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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.