i saw the post of the pre 1840s tattoo from the powder burn on a finger... but i wonder about real tattoos from the 1800s and before. I know that my people the cherokee used tattooing and piercing heavily on the braves and young men from an early age. im a bit of a tattoo nut, only got two but want other but want true tribal tats, not these socalled tribal designs everyone has i was mine to mean something like they originally were meant for. the ones i have are conventional but they have meaning, both are on my upper arm. the one on my left arm is a redbone hound wearin a confederate calvery hat and a confederate flag bandana, i chose it cause of the hounds i raise and train the heritage of my family in the south and the fighting spirit that we share. my right arm is a howling wolf with a indian beaded eagle feather framed on one side, i chose it for the native blood in my viens and the wolves my family used to raise. we had a beautiful full wolf of two different species, half red wolf and half timber wolf. im most intrested in cherokee tattooing, if anyone has any info.
Heather Historian would probably be the one person who could provide you with the information you are looking for. Haven't seen her here for a while, but you could always PM her and ask.