THE BETTIE HARLAN MYSTERY

This unsolved identity mystery has bothered me for at least two decades. It started when I read my grandfather, William “Black Bill” Anderson’s application for Eastern Cherokee membership,  the Miller Roll #34466, dated August 16, 1907.  The application was for share of money appropriated for the Eastern Cherokee Indians, by the Act of Congress, approved June 30, 1906.  There were several affidavits with his application verifying his Cherokee Blood claim.  Granddad’s affidavit reads as follows;

            “Comes now Willam H. Anderson of Strong City Oklahoma, of lawful age and being by me duly sworn.  According to law upon his oath says, That his grandfather, Henry (M) Anderson, a quarter breed Cherokee Indian who was born in 1809 in the state of Mississippi as appears from the passed taken from the family bible and who moved from Mississippi to Montgomery county, Arkansas with his said father when a small boy.  That affiants father, Albert J. Anderson, son of said Henry Anderson, was born Feb.15th, 1836 in Montgomery County, Arkansas and later moved to Shackelford County, Texas where affiant was born in 1867.  That I am therefore of Cherokee Indian blood and descended and entitled to all rights and privileges of said Cherokee Indian Tribe and Nation

Signed by William H. Anderson

Another letter I found read as follows;  Henry M. Anderson was the son of James Anderson and grandson of his mothers side of James and Bettie Mitchell all who lived in the old Cherokee Nation.  East Bettie Harlin maiden name was East Bettie Harlin.  She was an recognized Cherokee and my grandfather (HMA) was a second cousin of old Tom Starr.  My grandfathers folks came from Tennessee to Mississippi then to Arkansas but the dates I can not tell you.

Back to the Bettie Harlan mystery.  Everything was leading me towards East Bettie Harlan, being our link to Cherokee heritage.  So I searched Ancestry.com for the Harlan family and BINGO, I found Bettie Harlan, born 1766, daughter of Ellis Harlan and Catherine Kingfisher (full blood Cherokee) who married Peter Hilderbrand.  So I thought my search was over……….WRONG.  Our Bettie Harlan was born in 1740 and married James Mitchell.  To add to frustration, there was a written affidavit from Peter Hilderbrand stating that “his wife Bettie Harlan had a sister back in the old Eastern Cherokee Nation named Bettie Harlan”.   Two sister both named Bettie Harlan????????

I conferred with my friend, who is Cherokee, he said that the Cherokees considered any relative as a sister or brother, not aunts, uncles, nieces or nephews.  Back to Ancestry.com, I found that Ezekial Harlan Jr. and Hannah Oborn had a daughter named Bettie Harlan and a son named Ellis Harlan.  Ellis and Catherine named their daughter Bettie Harlan.  There were two Bettie Harlans, but one was an aunt and one was a niece.

If this is confusing, remember kinfolk it took me 20+ years to get this far!  I am including a chart that might help. The challenge now is to find if Ezekial Harlan Jr., or one of our direct line, ever signed the Cherokee rolls.  If so we are on the road to Cherokee membership card!..

Jim Lee Anderson