National Anthropological Archives

Guide to MS 39-c Kiowa drawings by Koba, Etahdleuh, and others, 1875-1878

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS39C
Creators:
Doanmoe, Etahdleuh, 1856-1888
Kobay, (Comanche chief)
Dates:
1875-1878
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
25 Drawings (visual works)
graphite, colored pencil, crayon, ink, and watercolor; laminated
5 Leaves
graphite and ink on ruled paper; laminated
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of twenty-five (25) drawings depicting warfare, courting, hunting, dances, a horse race, and an intertribal meeting. Also included are five (5) pages with pictographs representing various words and the rosters of the Fort Marion prisoners listing the prisoners' names and tribal affiliations. Several drawings are inscribed with the name of Koba, some with the name Etahdleuh. Most were probably drawn by Koba. All drawings have been laminated.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Koba (Wild Horse) was born in 1848. During the Red River War he was a member of the Kiowa band that surrendered on February 18, 1875. Following his surrender, he was confined at Fort Sill, Indian Territory. He was accused of stealing horses and mules in Texas and participating in the August 22, 1874 skirmish at the Wichita Agency, one of the opening engagements of the Red River War. He was among the Kiowa prisoners who were incarcerated in Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida following the end of the conflict. He arrived at Fort Marion on May 21, 1875. After his release from Ft. Marion, Koba attended the Hampton Institute in Virginia. He arrived at Hampton on April 14, 1878. In June of 1879, he left Hampton to work on a farm in Lee, Massachusetts. He then enrolled in the Carlisle Institute in Pennsylvania, where he studied to be a tinsmith. He arrived at Carlisle on October 7, 1879. On September 10, 1880, Koba left Carlisle on what was intended to be a brief trip to Indian Territory. Although his health was failing, he was deemed fit to travel. He died of tuberculosis on September 24, 1880, only three days after arriving at his destination.
Biographical Note
Etahdleuh (1856-1888) was also known as Etahdleeuh, Etadeleuh, Etahdleuh Doanmoe, Boy, and Boy Hunting. He was imprisoned at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida from 1875-1878. After his release from Fort Marion, he attended the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia, arriving in April, 1878. In 1879, he travelled to the Indian Territory to recruit pupils to attend the Carlisle Institute in Pennsylvania, where he would study and work on and off from 1879 to 1887. He made two extended trips back to the reservation during this period and from February to May 1880, he worked at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He was trained as a Presbyterian missionary and returned to the reservation in January 1888 to serve in this capacity.

Historical Note

Historical Note
Fort Marion, also known as Castillo de San Marco, is a stone fortress in St. Augustine, Florida. Between 1875 and 1878, seventy-two prisoners from the southern plains were incarcerated in the fort. Captain Richard Pratt supervised the prisoners during their incarceration at Fort Marion. The prisoners consisted of 27 Kiowas, 33 Cheyennes, 9 Comanches, 2 Arapahos, and a single Caddo. With the exception of one Cheyenne woman, all the prisoners were men. They had been accused of participating in the recent Red River War, earlier hostilities, or both. With the exception of the wife and daughter of one of the Comanche men, the prisoners families were not allowed to accompany them to Fort Marion.

Administration

Custodial History
The drawings were collected by Burnet S. Reynolds, who lived in St. Augustine, Florida from 1875 to 1878. He received them from Kiowa prisoners at Fort Marion, whom he tutored. The drawings were donated to the Bureau of American Ethnology by Reynolds' widow, Mrs. Mary B. Reynolds, in August 1945. Related correspondence is in Bureau of American Ethnology records; copies of the correspondence (4 pages) are stored with drawings.

Digital Content

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Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
MS 39-c Kiowa drawings by Koba, Etahdleuh, and others, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 39C


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ledger drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pictographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kiowa Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
North America Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fort Marion artists Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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