Melville Wilkinson

Melville Cary Wilkinson (November 14, 1835 – October 5, 1898) was an American soldier and educator. He was the founder and superintendent of the Forest Grove Indian School (later changed to Chemawa Indian School), at Salem, Oregon. He also worked at Howard University, where he taught military subjects to Black students.

Wilkinson was a veteran of the U.S. Civil War and the Indian Wars. He was killed by Ojibwe Indians at the Battle of Sugar Point in 1898 during a state of unrest.

Early life Melville Cary Wilkinson was born in Scottsburg, New York, on November 14, 1835. His father was a Methodist Reverend who raised him to be devoutly religious. He worked during his early years in the mercantile and railroad businesses. At the onset of the American Civil War, Wilkinson enlisted in the Union Army, and was promoted to Lieutenant and Captain in the 107th New York Volunteer Infantry. It was during this time when Wilkinson made his first significant contribution to Indian education. While Howard University’s main focus at the time was to educate freed slaves, Wilkinson argued that there should also be an opportunity for Indians to attend the college. In 1872, Wilkinson spent a year with General Howard in the Southwest, helping to resolve problems with the Apache tribe. Because of his philosophical views about the boarding school education, Wilkinson went to great lengths to prevent students from contacting their parents. While he made the effort to correspond with the children’s parents and tribal chiefs to assure them that they were safe, he would not allow the children to contact their families themselves. Additionally, he would often remove Indian children from reservations, taking them to Forest Grove against the will of their parents, and often the children themselves. Upon the death of students at the school, Wilkinson alone where and how the children would be buried, with complete disregard to the wishes of the students’ families. Wilkinson was shot in the leg early on in the battle, and was taken behind cover to treat his wound. However, Wilkinson soon got up again and returned to the battle to rally his soldiers. Wilkinson was then killed after being shot in the stomach by the Ojibwe.