Alabama

Company B, 2nd Alabama Light Artillery Battalion

The 2nd Alabama Light Artillery Battalion, Companies “A”-“F”, was formed at Mobile in January 1862, with five companies later reduced to three. It was attached to the Department of the Gulf, and after January, 1864, the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. The unit was stationed at or near Mobile throughout the war and participated in the conflicts at Forts Gaines and Morgan, Spanish Fort, and Fort Blakely. With 64 officers and men, it surrendered on 4 May 1865. This command was organized at Mobile on 16 October 1861, with men and officers were from that city mustered in … Read more

Company C, 2nd Alabama Light Artillery Battalion

The 2nd Alabama Light Artillery Battalion, Companies “A”-“F”, was formed at Mobile in January 1862, with five companies later reduced to three. It was attached to the Department of the Gulf, and after January, 1864, the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. The unit was stationed at or near Mobile throughout the war and participated in the conflicts at Forts Gaines and Morgan, Spanish Fort, and Fort Blakely. With 64 officers and men, it surrendered on 4 May 1865. The company was organized and mustered into Confederate service on 1 November 1861. Attached to the command of Brig. Gen’l … Read more

Biography of T. J. Jones

On the roll of Idaho’s distinguished lawyers is the name of T. J. Jones, of Boise. Faithfulness to duty and strict adherence to a fixed purpose in life will do more to advance a man’s interests than wealth or adventitious circumstances. The successful men of the day arc they who have planned their own advancement and have accomplished it in spite of many obstacles and with a certainty that could have been attained only through their own efforts. This class of men has a worthy representative in T. J. Jones, who began life amid unfavoring circumstances in the coal mines … Read more

Alabama Biographies

Hon Robert H. Walker

Approximately 8 million Americans have been the subjects of biographical sketches in collective biography volumes. While many of these sketches are in local histories, more than 3 million appear in books with a nationwide scope, such as Who’s Who in America and Men and Women of Science. In fact, approximately 2,000 such volumes exist and have been indexed by Mirana C. Herbert and Barbara McNeil in the Biography and Genealogy Master Index (Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980?). Source: Szucs and Luebking, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, p.11Purchase: The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy AccessGenealogy provides a large … Read more

Slave Narrative of Annie Beck

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Annie Beck Age: 50 Location: West Memphis, Arkansas “I was born in Mississippi. Mama was born in Alabama and sold to Holcomb, Mississippi. Her owner was Master Beard. She was a field woman. They took her in a stage-coach. Their owner wanted to keep it a secret about freedom. But he had a brother that fussed with him all the time and he told the slaves they was all free. Mama said they was pretty good always to her for it to be slavery, but papa said his owners wasn’t so good to him. … Read more

Slave Narrative of Bob Benford

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Bob Benford Age: 79 Location: 209 N. Maple Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas “Slavery-time folks? Here’s one of em. Near as I can get at it, I’se seventy-nine. I was born in Alabama. My white folks said I come from Perry County, Alabama, but I come here to this Arkansas country when I was small. “My old master was Jim Ad Benford. He was good to us. I’m goin’ to tell you we was better off then than now. Yes ma’am, they treated us right. We didn’t have to worry bout payin’ the doctor and … Read more

Napochi Indians

Napochi Tribe: If connected with Choctaw Napissa, as seems not unlikely, the name means “those who see,” or “those who look out,” probably equivalent to “frontiersmen.” Napochi Connection. They belonged to the southern division of the Muskhogean proper, and were seemingly nearest to the Choctaw. Napochi Location. Along Black Warrior River. Napochi History. The tribe appears first in the account of an attempt to colonize the Gulf States in 1559 under Don Tristan de Luna, part of his forces being sent inland from Pensacola Bay came to Coosa in 1560 and assisted its people against the Napochi, whom they claimed … Read more

Osochi Indians

Osochi Tribe: Meaning unknown. Osochi Connections. Within recent times the closest connections of this tribe have been with the Chiaha, though their language is said to have been Muskhogean, but there is some reason to think that they may have been originally a part of the Timucua. (See below.) Osochi Location. Their best known historic seat was in the great bend of Chattahoochee River, Russell County, Alabama, near the Chiaha. (See also Georgia and Florida.) Osochi Villages. The town of Hotalgi-huyana was populated in part from this tribe and in part from the Chiaha. The census of 1832 gives two … Read more

Sawokli Indians

Sawokli Tribe: Possibly meaning “raccoon people,” in the Hitchiti language, and, while this is not absolutely certain, the okli undoubtedly means “people.” Sawokli Connections. The Sawokli belonged to the Muskhogean linguistic stock and to the subdivision called Atcik-hata. (See Apalachicola.) Sawokli Location. The best known historic location was on Chattahoochee River in the northeastern part of the present Barbour County, Ala. (See Florida and Georgia.) Sawokli Villages Hatchee tcaba, probably on or near Hatchechubbee Creek, in Russell County, Ala. Okawaigi, on Cowikee Creek, in Barbour County, Ala. Okiti-yagani, in Clay County, Ga., not far from Fort Gaines. Sawokli, several different … Read more

Tohome Indians

Tohome Tribe: Said by Iberville to mean “little chief,” but this is evidently an error. Tohome Connections. They belonged to the southern branch of the Muskhogean linguistic group, their closest relatives being the Mobile. Tohome Location. About MacIntosh’s Bluff on the west bank of Tombigbee River, some miles above its junction with the Alabama. Tohome Subdivisions. Anciently there were two main branches of this tribe, sometimes called the Big Tohome and Little Tohome, but the Little Tohome are known more often as Naniaba, “people dwelling on a hill,” or “people of the Forks;” the latter would be because they were … Read more

Muklasa Indians

Muklasa Tribe: Meaning in Alabama and Choctaw, “friends,” or “people of one nation.” Connections. Since the Muklasa did not speak Muskhogean and their name is from the Koasati, Alabama, or Choctaw language, and since they were near neighbors of the two former, it is evident that they were connected with one or the other of them. Location. On the south bank of Tallapoosa River in Montgomery County. (See Florida and Oklahoma) History. When we first hear of the Muklasa in 1675 they were in the position above given and remained there until the end of the Creek-American War, when they … Read more

Mobile Indians

Mobile Tribe: Meaning unknown, but Halbert (1901) suggests that it may be from Choctaw moeli, “to paddle,” since Mobile is pronounced moila by the Indians. It is the Mabila, Mauilla, Mavila, or Mauvila of the De Soto chroniclers. Mobile Connections. The language of the tribe was closely connected with that of the Choctaw and gave its name to a trade jargon based upon Choctaw or Chickasaw. Mobile Location. When the French settled the seacoast of Alabama the Mobile were living on the west side of Mobile River a few miles below the junction of the Alabama and Tombigbee. Mobile History. … Read more

Koasati Indians

Koasati Tribe: Meaning unknown; often given as Coosawda and Coushatta, and sometimes abbreviated to Shati. Koasati Connections. They belonged to the southern section of the Muskhogean linguistic group, and were particularly close to the Alabama. Koasati Location. The historic location of the Koasati was just below the junction of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers to form the Alabama and on the east side of the latter, where Coosada Creek and Station still bear the name. (See also Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.) Koasati Villages. Two Koasati towns are mentioned as having existed in very early times, one of which … Read more

Tuskegee Indians

Tuskegee Tribe: Meaning unknown, but apparently containing the Alabama term taska, “warrior.” Tuskegee Connections. The original Tuskegee language is unknown but it was probably affiliated with the Alabama, and hence with the southern branch of Muskhogean. Tuskegee Location. The later and best known location of this tribe was on the point of land between Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers, but in 1685 part of them were on the Chattahoochee River near modern Columbus and the rest were on the upper Tennessee near Long Island. (See also Oklahoma and Tennessee) Tuskegee Villages. None are known under any except the tribal name of … Read more

Creek Confederacy

Creek Confederacy. This name is given to a loose organization which constituted the principal political element in the territory of the present States of Georgia and Alabama from very early times, probably as far back as the period of De Soto. It was built around a dominant tribe, or rather a group of dominant tribes, called Muskogee. The name Creek early became attached to these people because when they were first known to the Carolina colonists and for a considerable period afterward the body of them which the latter knew best was living upon a river, the present Ocmulgee, called … Read more

Yamasee Indians

Yamasee Tribe. Meaning unknown, though it has been interpreted by Muskogee yamasi, “gentle.” The form given in some early writings, Yamiscaron, may have been derived from a Siouan dialect or from Timucua, as there is no r in any of the Muskhogean tongues. Yamasee Connections. The Yamasee town and chief names indicate plainly that they spoke a Muskhogean dialect and tradition affirms that it was connected most closely with Hitchiti, a contention which may be considered probable. Yamasee Location. The earliest references that we have place the Yamasee on Ocmulgee River not far above its junction with the Oconee. They … Read more

Okmulgee Indians

Okmulgee Tribe. Signifying in the Hitchiti language, “where water boils up” and referring probably to the big springs in Butts County, Ga., called Indian Springs. Also called: Waiki łako, “Big Spring,” Muskogee name. Okmulgee Connections. The Okmulgee belonged to the Muskhogean linguistic stock and the Atsik-hata group. (See Apalachicola) Okmulgee Location.— In the great bend of the Chattahoochee River, Russell County, Ala.; earlier, about the present Macon, Ga. (See also Alabama and Oklahoma.) Okmulgee History. The Okmulgee probably separated from the Hitchiti or one of their cognate towns when these towns were on Okmulgee River and settled at the point … Read more

Apalachicola Indians

Apalachicola Tribe. From Hitchiti “Apalachicoli” or Muskogee “Apalachicolo,” signifying apparently “People of the other side,” with reference probably to the Apalachicola River or some nearby stream. Also called: Talwa lako or Italwa lako, “big town,” name given by the Muskogee Indians. Palachicola or Parachukla, contractions of Apalachicola. Apalachicola Connections. This was one of those tribes of the Muskhogean linguistic stock which spoke the Atsik-hata or Hitchiti language, and which included in addition the Hitchiti, Okmulgee, Oconee, Sawokli, Tamali, Mikasuki, Chiaha, and possibly the Osochi. Apalachicola Location. The earliest known home of the Apalachicola was near the river which bears their … Read more

Tawasa Indians

Tawasa Tribe. Meaning unknown. Tawasa Connections. They spoke a dialect belonging to the Timucuan division of the Muskhogean linguistic family, intermediate between Timucua proper and Choctaw, Hitchiti, Alabama, and Apalachee. Tawasa Location. In 1706-7 in west Florida about the latitude of the junction of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers; at an earlier time and again later they were on the Alabama near the present Montgomery. (See also Louisiana.) I have stated elsewhere (Swanton, 1946, p. 187) that the name of this mission was wanting in the list drawn up in 1656. I should have given the date as 1680. Tawasa … Read more