Niagara County NyArchives History .....1900 Claims Application For Indian Benefits Share 1901
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joel Clark, Sr. jdcslc1960@comcast.net September 8, 2010, 3:24 pm

1900 Claims Application for Indian Benefits Share Completed by Rachel Mt. 
Pleasant from National Archives in Washington, DC, Record #1383, Completed in 
1901.
This application filled out by Rachel Mt. Pleasant  states her Mt. Pleasant  
and Gansworth Lineage. (*Note: Gansworth is a corruption of the name 
Ganservoort, as stated in the application).   The application is 27 questions 
used to establish Indian Heritage and a remarks section at the end  for the 
applicant to explain any items not covered by the questions.  The following is 
a line by line question and answer by Rachel Mt. Pleasant: The application is 
as follows: 

Note: Rachel's Answers are in "quotation marks".


(To) “The Commissioner of Indian Affairs:”
I hereby make application for such share, as may be due me, of the fund 
appropriated by the act of Congress approved February 9, 1900, to pay the 
judgment  of the Court of Claims in favor of the New York  Indians, rendered 
November 23, 1898, for lands set apart for them in Kansas under the terms of 
Article 2, of the Treaty of Buffalo Creek, N.Y., January 15, 1838. The 
evidence of identity is herewith subjoined:

1. State Full Name:  "Rachel Mt. Pleasant"  “enrolled”.
2. Residence: "Tuscarora Reservation"
3. Town or Post Office:   "Lewiston, P.O. Suspension Bridge Sta. A"
4. County: "Niagara"
5. State: "State of New York"
6. Date of Birth and Place: "Born on July 8 - 1853 Tuscarora Reservation"
7. To what tribe or band do you belong?  "Tuscarora"
8. By what right do you claim membership?  "I am Tuscarora by birth. My 
parents, grandparents were Tuscarora also and always have been enrolled on 
census list as same, and have been granted all privileges of Tuscaroras by the 
Chieves (Chiefs) in Counsil (Counsel) also Indian Agent NY State Agency."
9. Are you married? "No... have been married but widow now."
10. Name of wife or husband and age if living: "William Mt. Pleasant died June 
15 - 1885."
11. If an Indian, to which tribe or band of New York Indians does he or she 
belong?  "Tuscarora"
12. Name of all you living children and their ages, with dates of birth:  "No 
living children."
13. Do you and your family draw annuities from the United Sates? "In cotton 
goods."
14. At what Agency? "New York State Agency."
15. Give names of your father and mother, also wife’s or husbands parents 
parent’s as the case may be:  (Rachel‘s Father & Mother): "John Gansevoort, 
Sr. / Lucinda Gansevoort"
(Rachel’s Husband, William’s Parents): "William Mt. Pleasant / Margaret Mt. 
Pleasant"
16. Where were they born? "Tuscarora Reservation, excepting Margaret. Born in 
Canada."
17. Did they reside in the United States? "Yes"
18. To which tribe or band of New York Indians did they belong? "Tuscarora of 
New York State Indians."
19. Name all their children: (Rachel’s side/Gansevoort); "Joseph Gansevoort, 
Eliza, May Ann, Mary Jane, Helen Maria, John, Rachel."  (Husband’s side/Mt. 
Pleasant): "Catherine Mt. Pleasant, Silas, Caroline, William, Sarah, Mary, 
Sarah (two Sarah‘s listed) , John, Frank, Hamilton, Josephine, Grant." 
20. Date of death of father and mother:  "Father: Sept. 12, 1893 - Mother: Aug 
22, 1872"
21. Were they enrolled at any agency; if so, state name of such with 
approximate years: "Yes. New York State Agency. Unknown".
22. State whether you have resided elsewhere than in the United States; if so, 
where? "Always in the State of New York on Tuscarora Reservation."
23. State names of  grandparents, their tribe or band, on both father’s and 
mother’s side if possible: (Paternal Grandparents): "Lieutenant (Peter) 
Gansevoort / Elizabeth Williams" (2nd wife; 1st wife was Mary Peters)   
(Maternal Grandparents): "John Mt. Pleasant / Sally Mt. Pleasant. All 
Tuscarora Tribe, excepting Gansevoort, unknown."
24. Where did they reside?  "Tuscarora Reservation"
25. Give names of all their children and residence, if possible:  (Lieutenant 
& Elizabeth (Williams) Gansevoort Children. John is Mary Peter Gansevoort‘s ‘s 
Child. Mark & Matthew may be Elizabeth’s. This is not verified.):  "John 
Gansevoort (Rachel‘s Father) , Mark Jack, Matthew Jack." (John & Sally (Mt. 
Pleasant) Mt. Pleasant Children): "Eliza Mt. Pleasant, William, John, Lucinda 
(Rachel’s Mother), Lucretia, Alexandra, Clinton, Sally….All have resided on 
Tuscarora Reservation during life."
26. Have you ever applied for enrollment for annuities, land or other 
benefits; and if so and been denied, state the date:" I have always been 
granted. Was never denied."
27. Did your grandparents, parents, or yourself ever possess land in Kansas 
given by the United States?  "I do not know?"

To expedite identification, claimants should give full names, if possible, of 
their paternal and maternal ancestors back to 1838:
(Paternal): "Lieutenant Gansevoort (Peter Gansevoort according to John 
Gansevoort’s Death record)  / Elizabeth Williams (Mary Peters is listed as 
John Gansevoort‘s mother according to his Death Record) . Ages and deaths 
unknown.  (Maternal): John Mt. Pleasant , Died Oct 9, 1854, Aged 75 years. 
Sally Mt. Pleasant, Died Nov 29, 1862, Aged 75 Years."

Remarks. (Under this head the applicant may give additional information that 
he believes will assist in proving his identity.)
“It must be understood my deceased father, John Gansevoort, was enrolled in 
the census list as well as in annuity goods list known as John Gansworth, Sr. 
and it was through a mistake in spelling by the school teacher at that time. 
His proper and right name was Gansevoort. “  (Signature): "Rachel Mt. 
Pleasant". 
*Note: The application was completed in 1901, but no exact date was given. 




Additional Comments:
Affidavit is a copy from the US National Archives sent to the Indian 
Reservation in Niagara County, New York. This particular affidavit is a copy 
obtained from the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Lewiston, Niagara County, 
New York in 2002 by the Submitter while researching his wife's Native American 
Heritage. The affidavit is from Rachel (Gansworth) Mt. Pleasant (1853-1941), 
who is the Great-Great Grandmother of Submitter's wife.  

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ny/niagara/history/other/1900clai117gms.txt
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