Louisiana

Slave Narrative of Dave Taylor

Interviewer: Jules A. Frost Person Interviewed: Dave Taylor Location: Tampa, Florida A Marine In Ebony From a Virginia plantation to Florida, through perils of Indian war-fare; shanghaied on a Government vessel and carried ’round the world; shipwrecked and dropped into the lap of romance – these are only a few of the colorful pages from the unwritten diary of old Uncle Dave, ex-slave and soldier of fortune. The reporter found the old man sitting on the porch of his Iber City shack, thoughtfully chewing tobacco and fingering his home-made cane. At first he answered in grumpy monosyllables, but by the … Read more

Biography of Thomas J. Delaney

THOMAS J. DELANEY. To become distinguished at the bar requires not only capacity, but also sound judgment and persevering industry. These qualifications are combined in no gentleman at the Greene County bar to a greater extent than in Thomas J. Delaney. A careful and accurate adviser, and an earnest and conscientious advocate, his success at the bar has been achieved by the improvement of opportunities, by untiring diligence, and by close study and a correct judgment of men and motives. Like so many of the eminent men of the present day his early career was not a very auspicious one … Read more

Slave Narrative of John W. H. Barnett

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Location: Marianna, Arkansas Age: 81 “I was born at Clinton Parish, Louisiana. I’m eighty-one years old. My parents and four children was sold and left six children behind. They kept the oldest children. In that way I was sold but never alone. Our family was divided and that brought grief to my parents. We was sold on a block at New Orleans. J.J. Gambol (Gamble?) in north Louisiana bought us. After freedom I seen all but one of our family. I don’t recollect why that was. “For three weeks steady after the surrender people was passing … Read more

Biography of James B. Coakley

Among the enterprises of Weiser which are alike creditable to the city and to their proprietors is the Vendome Hotel, which was built by its present owners and managers, Messrs. McGregor and Coakley, and by them opened for business in February, 1891. Since that time the hotel has gained a very favorable reputation with the traveling public and enjoys a large patronage. It is a brick structure, two stories high, and contains twenty-eight rooms, well finished, well furnished, well ventilated and nicely kept. Great care is given to the perfection of all arrangements which will contribute to the comfort of … Read more

Mosopelea Indians

Mosopelea Tribe: Significance uncertain, though probably from an Algonquian language. Also called: Chonque, by Tonti in 1690, probably the Quapaw name. Ofo, own name, perhaps an abbreviation of the Mobilian term, Ofogoula, though this last may mean simply “Ofo people.” Ofogoula may also be interpreted Ofi okla, “Dog People.” Ouesperie, Ossipe, Ushpee, names by which they were known to other tribes and evidently shortened forms of Mosopelea. Mosopelea Connections. The Mosopelea spoke a Siouan dialect most closely related to Biloxi and Tutelo and secondarily to Dakota. Mosopelea Location. When the French first heard of them, they were in southwestern Ohio, … Read more

Quapaw Indians

Quapaw Tribe: Meaning “downstream people.” They were known by some form of this word to the Omaha, Ponca, Kansa, Osage, and Creeks. Also called: Quapaw Connections. The Quapaw were one of the five tribes belonging to what J. O. Dorsey (1897) called the Cegiha division of the Siouan linguistic stock. Quapaw Location. At or near the mouth of Arkansas River. (See also Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.) Quapaw Villages Quapaw History Before the French became acquainted with this tribe (in 1673) the Quapaw had lived on Ohio River above its junction with the Wabash, and that portion of the … 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

Slave Narrative of Mandy Billings

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Person Interviewed: Mandy Billings Age: 84 Location: 3101 W. 14th Highland Add., Pine Bluff, Arkansas “Now I was born in 1854. That was in slavery times. That wasn’t yistiday was it? Born in Louisiana, in Sparta—that was the county seat. “Bill Otts was my last owner. You see, how come me sold my mother was my grandfather’s baby chile and his owner promised not to separate him nary time again. It was in the time of the Old War. Charles McLaughlin—that was my old master—he was my father and Bill Otts, he bought my mother, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Plant Senior Meadows

Plant Senior Meadows, (Born Feb. 15, 1841) Shawneetown, is a native of Lewis County, Missouri. At 17 in 1859, he was sold by the administrator of the Cecil Home, and a sugar planter at St. Mary’s Parish, Louisiana, became his master. Here he was employed at various kinds of mechanical work, until he was accorded his freedom, at 26 in 1865. Mrs. Cecil taught him to read, and during this early period, he made the best possible use of his spare moments, by reading all the good books that were available. As soon as he was free, he became a … Read more

Biography of Jay M. Dorman

No man has been a more prominent factor in the growth and improvement of Mount Idaho than this gentleman, who for many years has been identified with its building interests, nor have his efforts contributed alone to his individual prosperity, for he belongs to that class of representative Americans who promote the public good while securing their own success. A native of Delaware County, New York, he was born August 27, 1837, and is descended from an old American family, early settlers of the Empire state. His father, Anthony Dorman, was likewise born in Delaware county and married Miss Charlotte … Read more

Washa Indians

Washa Tribe: Appearing oftenest in literature in the French form Ouacha, meaning unknown. Washa Connections. The nearest relations of the Washa were the Chawasha and both belonged to the Chitimachan branch of the Tunican linguistic family. Washa Location. Their earliest known location was on Bayou La Fourche, perhaps in the neighborhood of the present Labadieville, Assumption Parish. Washa Villages. None are known under any but the tribal name. Washa History. As stated in treating the Chawasha, this tribe and the one just mentioned may have been those which attacked Moscoso’s flotilla at the mouth of the Mississippi. Shortly after Iberville … Read more

Tangipahoa Indians

Tangipahoa Tribe: Meaning probably “corncob gatherers,” or “corncob people.” Tangipahoa Connections. The name of this tribe and its affiliations with the Acolapissa indicate that it belonged to the southern division of the Muskhogean stock. Tangipahoa Location. Probably on the present Tangipahoa River, Tangipahoa Parish. Tangipahoa History. The original home of the Tangipahoa seems must have been as given above, and their relations with the Acolapissa must been very close, for Iberville was informed by some Indians that they constituted a seventh Acolapissa town. In 1682 La Salle’s party discovered a town on the eastern side of the Mississippi, 2 leagues  below … Read more

Taensa Indians

Taensa Tribe: Meaning unknown, but the name is evidently derived from that of one of the tribe’s constituent towns. Taensa Connections. They were one of the three known tribes of the Natchez division of the Muskhogean stock. Taensa Location. At the western end of Lake St. Joseph, in Tensas Parish. (See also Alabama.) Taensa Villages The only list of Taensa villages preserved was obtained by Iberville through the medium of the Mobilian trade language and it is uncertain how much of each name is a Mobilian translation. In four of them we recognize the Mobilian word for people, okla. These … Read more

Quinipissa Indians

Quinipissa Tribe: Signifying “those who see,” perhaps meaning “scouts,” or “outpost.” Quinipissa Connections.  The Quinipissa belonged to the southern division of the Muskhogean stock and probably were very closely related to the Choctaw. Quinipissa Location. On the west bank of the Mississippi River and some distance above New Orleans. Quinipissa History. There may have been a connection between this tribe, the Acolapissa, and the Napissa or Napochi. (See Mississippi) They were met first by La Salle and his companions when the latter were on their way to the Gulf of Mexico in 1682. They treated the explorers in a hostile … Read more

Opelousa Indians

Opelousa Tribe: Probably from Mobilian and Choctaw Aba lusa, “black above,” and meaning “black headed” or “black haired.” Opelousa Connections. No words of the Opelousa language have survived, but the greater number of the earlier references to them speak as if they were allied with the Atakapa, and it is probable that they belonged to the Atakapan group of tribes. Opelousa Location. In the neighborhood of the present Opelousas. Opelousa History. The Opelousa seem to have been mentioned first by Bienville in an unpublished report on the Indians of the Mississippi and Gulf regions. They were few in numbers and … Read more

Okelousa Indians

Okelousa Tribe: Meaning “black water.” Okelousa Connections. The associations of this tribe were mainly with Muskhogean peoples and this fact, coupled with the Muskhogean name, indicates their linguistic affiliations with a fair degree of certainty. Okelousa Location. The Okelousa moved about considerably. The best determined location is the one mentioned by Le Page du Pratz (1758), on the west side of the Mississippi back of and above Pointe Coupee. (See Mississippi.) Okelousa History. After De Soto reached the principal Chickasaw town, the head chief came to him, January 3, 1541, “and promptly gave the Christians guides and interpreters to go … Read more

Chitimacha Indians

Chitimacha Tribe: Perhaps derived from the name of Grand River in the native tongue, which was Sheti, though Gatschet (1883) interprets it through the Choctaw language as meaning “those who have pots.” Chitimacha Connections. The Chitimacha have given their name to a group of languages under the Tunican linguistic stock, including also the Chawasha and Washa. Chitimacha Location. On Grand River, Grand Lake, and the lower course of Bayou La Teche. Chitimacha Villages The earliest French writers couple with this tribe the name of a tribe or supposed tribe called Yakna-Chitto, “Big Earth,” but it is not known whether they … Read more

Chawasha Indians

Chawasha Tribe: Meaning unknown, though possibly “raccoon place (people).” Chawasha Connections. A reference to this tribe and the Washa by Bienville places them in the Chitimacha division of the Tunican linguistic stock. I had erroneously concluded at an earlier period, on slender circumstantial evidence, that they were Muskhogeans. Chawasha Location. On Bayou La Fourche and eastward to the Gulf of Mexico and across the Mississippi. Chawasha History. After the relics of De Soto’s army had escaped to the mouth of the Mississippi River and while their brigantines were riding at anchor there, they were attacked by Indians, some of whom … Read more

Bayogoula Indians

Bayogoula Tribe: Meaning “bayou people,” either from their location or from the fact that their tribal emblem was the alligator. Bayogoula Connections. Their language was of the southern Muskhogean division, not far removed from Houma and Choctaw. Bayogoula Location. Near the present Bayou Goula, in Iberville Parish. Bayogoula History. Unless this tribe was the Pishenoa encountered by Tonti in 1686 and not mentioned subsequently, it was first visited by Iberville in 1699. It then occupied one town with the Mugulasha. In the winter of 1699-1700 the Bayogoula suffered severely from a surprise attack of the Houma. In the spring of … Read more

Avoyel Indians

Avoyel Tribe: The name signifies probably “people of the rocks,” referring to flint and very likely applied because they were middlemen in supplying the Gulf coast tribes with flint. Also called: Little Taensa, so-called from their relationship to the Taensa. Tassenocogoula, name in the Mobilian trade language, meaning “flint people.” Avoyel Connections. The testimony of early writers and circumstantial evidence render it almost certain that the Avoyel spoke a dialect of the Natchez group of the Muskhogean linguistic family. Avoyel Location. In the neighborhood of the present Marksville, La. Avoyel History. The Avoyel are mentioned first by Iberville in the … Read more