Choctaw Topics – Page 5 of 26

Mission’s Among the Southern Indians

In the year 1819 the Synod of South Carolina resolved to establish a mission among the Southern Indians east of the Mississippi river. The Cherokees, Muskogee’s, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws then occupied Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Rev. David Humphries offered to take charge of the intended mission. He was directed to visit the Indians, obtain their consent and select a suitable location. Rev. T. C. Stewart, then a young licentiate, offered himself as a companion to Mr. Humphries. They first visited the Muskogee’s (Creeks), who, in a council of the Nation, declined their proposition. They then traveled through Alabama … Read more

The Choctaw Claim

Ever since the dispute between Texas and the United States commenced concerning the title to Greer County, the Choctaw Nation had two of its ablest men in Washington over hauling the old treaties and watching the movements of both disputants. The United States by the Doak’s Stand Treaty in the autumn of 1820 ceded all its territory to the Choctaw’s south of the Canadian River to Red River along the western line of the Indian Territory. The Cherokees had been ceded all north of the Canadian. Texas claimed that the Red River mentioned in the treaty of 1819 between the United … Read more

Early Exploration and Native Americans

De Soto and his band gave to the Choctaws at Moma Binah and the Chickasaws at Chikasahha their first lesson in the white man’s modus operandi to civilize and Christianize North American Indians; so has the same lesson been continued to be given to that unfortunate people by his white successors from that day to this, all over this continent, but which to them, was as the tones of an alarm-bell at midnight. And one hundred and twenty-three years have passed since our forefathers declared all men of every nationality to be free and equal on the soil of the North … Read more

The Discovery Of This Continent, it’s Results To The Natives

In the year 1470, there lived in Lisbon, a town in Portugal, a man by the name of Christopher Columbus, who there married Dona Felipa, the daughter of Bartolome Monis De Palestrello, an Italian (then deceased), who had arisen to great celebrity as a navigator. Dona Felipa was the idol of her doting father, and often accompanied him in his many voyages, in which she soon equally shared with him his love of adventure, and thus became to him a treasure indeed not only as a companion but as a helper; for she drew his maps and geographical charts, and also … Read more

The Meeting in 1811 of Tecumseh and Apushamatahah

Peter Perkins Pitchlynn was the Choctaw Principal Chief from 1864-1866

The meeting in 1811, of Tecumseh, the mighty Shawnee, with Apushamatahah, the intrepid Choctaw. I will here give a true narrative of an incident in the life of the great and noble Choctaw chief, Apushamatahah, as related by Colonel John Pitchlynn, a white man of sterling integrity, and who acted for many years as interpreter to the Choctaws for the United States Government, and who was an eye-witness to the thrilling scene, a similar one, never before nor afterwards befell the lot of a white man to witness, except that of Sam Dale, the great scout of General Andrew Jackson, … Read more

The Tribes West of the Mississippi – Indian Wars

By treaties concluded by the agents of the United State government at different periods, nearly all of the Indian tribes have been induced to remove west of the Mississippi. Those who remain in the haunts of their fathers are chiefly converts to Christianity, and in a half civilized state. Many of the tribes have dwindled into insignificance, yet the few who remain are proud to maintain their distinctive appellation, and support the independence of their old clan. The most powerful and numerous tribes in the northwest are the Sioux, or Dacotahs, the Blackfeet, Crows, and Pawnees. A few of the … Read more

Extreme Perils and Suffering of the Natchez Refugees

History of Alabama and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period

During the siege of Pensacola, a series of events, of an interesting and romantic character, began at Natchez, and afterwards ended, with unparalleled sufferings, in the vast Indian wilderness, which extended from thence to the Ogechee River, in the distant province of Georgia. Some citizens of the Natchez district, the most prominent of whom were Philip Alston, Colonel Hutchens, John Alston, Captain Thaddeus Lyman, Thompson Lyman, Jacob Blomont, and Jacob Winfrey, put themselves at the head of a large party of royalists, for the purpose of seizing Fort Panmure, and expelling there from the Spanish troops, who had held it … Read more

Journey of Bartram Through Alabama

William Bartram, the botanist, passed through the Creek nation, and went from thence to Mobile. He found that that town extended back from the river nearly half a mile. Some of the houses were vacant, and others were in ruins. Yet a few good buildings were inhabited by the French gentlemen, and others by refined emigrants of Ireland, Scotland, England, and the Northern British Colonies. The Indian trade was under management of Messrs. Swanson and McGillivray. They conducted an extensive commerce with the Chickasaws, Choctaws, and Creeks. Their buildings were commodious, and well arranged for that purpose. The principal houses … Read more

Minnesota Indian Massacre – Indian Wars

History of the Minnesota Indian massacre, a scheme designed and enacted by Little Crow, a Sioux chief to rid the whites from the state of Minnesota.

The Creek War – Indian Wars

In the spring of the year 1812, the southern Indian tribal were visited by the bold and enterprising Tecumseh. His stirring appeals to their patriotism and valor were heard with attention, and he succeeded in stimulating them to open hostility. It is to be regretted that no specimen of the orations of this great Indian have been preserved. Judging from their effects, they would be ranked among the highest models of true eloquence. Tecumseh particularly appealed to the powerful Creek nation. These Indians had long been on friendly terms with the whites, and a portion of them were, therefore, unwilling … Read more

Probable Mixed-Blood Heads of Household, 1834

Dr. Samuel James Wells’ “Choctaw Mixed Bloods and the Advent of Removal” includes three extensive appendices documenting individuals of mixed ancestry within the Choctaw Nation during the removal era. Appendix C, the focus of this analysis, includes mixed-blood Choctaws Heads of Household in 1834 as taken from the Register of Choctaw Indians: Feb. 24, 1834-May 13, 1834.

Choctaw Mixed-Bloods, 1831-33

Tul-lock-chísh-ko, Choctaw Ball Player. George Catlin, 1834

Dr. Samuel James Wells’ “Choctaw Mixed Bloods and the Advent of Removal” includes three extensive appendices documenting individuals of mixed ancestry within the Choctaw Nation during the removal era. Appendix B, the focus of this analysis, includes mixed-blood Choctaws from a variety of source documents for the years of 1831-1833.

Guide to Using the Final Rolls

This is a guide to searching our Final Rolls, also known as the Dawes Rolls. The Final Rolls database can be searched to discover an enrollee’s name, age, sex, blood degree, type, census card number and roll number. These suggestions are offered with the hope of making your search more fruitful.

Treaty of December 17, 1801

Concluded December 17th, 1801, Between The Choctaw Nation And The United States. Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States of America, by James Wilkerson, of the State of Maryland,, brigadier general in the army of the United States, Benjamin Hawkins, of North Carolina, and Andrew Pickens, of South Carolina, commissioners plenipotentiary of the United States, on the one part, and the Mingoes, principal men and; warriors of the Choctaw Nation, representing the said Nation in council assembled, on the other part, have entered into the following articles and conditions, viz.: Article 1st. Whereas, the United States in Congress, assembled, did, … Read more

Agreement of October 17, 1802

Concluded October 17, 1802, Between The Choctaw Nation And The United States. A provisional convention, entered into and made by Brigadier General James Wilkerson, of the State of Maryland, commissioner for holding conferences with the Indians south of the Ohio river, in behalf of the United States, on the one part, and the whole Choctaw Nation, by their chiefs, -head men, and principal warriors, on the other part. Preamble: For the mutual accommodation of the parties, and to perpetuate that concord and friendship, which so happily subsists between them, they do hereby freely, voluntarily, and without constraint, covenant and agree: … Read more

Agreement of August 31, 1803

Concluded August 31st, 1803, Between The Choctaw Nation And The United States. To whom these presents shall come: Know ye, that the undersigned commissioners plenipotentiary of the United States of America, of the one part, and the whole Choctaw Nation of the other part, being duff authorized by the President of the United States, and by the chiefs and head men of said Nation, do hereby establish, in conformity to the convention of Fort Confederation, for the line of demarcation recognized in said convention, the following metes and bounds, viz: Beginning at the channel of the Hatched at the point … Read more

Rev. Frank Wright, a Choctaw Indian

Third session, Thursday morning, October 17 Rev. Frank Wright, a Choctaw Indian, was introduced as the next speaker. Rev. Frank Wright. With the Choctaws the land question is, When shall we get hold of our land? All we want is the land. We were the first of the five tribes to agree to take it in severalty, and we are the last to get our allotments. I do not know why. So far as making farmers of the Indians, in dealing with a man you have got to take him as you find him. You cannot make blacksmiths of all … Read more

The Choctaw Nation

It is scarcely necessary to remind the reader that the Chickasaws were living in the upper part of Mississippi when De Soto invaded it, and that they fought him with great courage. Now, as to the Choctaws, according to tradition, came with them into this country, and were a portion of the same family; it is reasonable to suppose that the Pafallayas, the brave allies of Tuscaloosa, were the Choctaws— especially when taken in connection with the collateral evidence in our possession. Period unknown: The tradition of the migration of the Chickasaws and Choctaws from the Mexican empire has been preserved … Read more

Condition of the Mississippi Indians in 1890

The civilized (self-supporting) Indians of Mississippi, counted in the general census, number 2,030 (1,044 males and 992 females), and are distributed as follows: Attala County, 24; Greene County, 37; Hancock County, 39; Hinds County, 14; Jasper County, 179; Kemper County, 34; Lauderdale County, 14; Leake County, 435; Neshoba, County, 623; Newton County, 349; Perry County, 38; Scott County, 123; Sharkey County 12; Winston County, 41; other counties (9 or less in each), 74. To the east of the gate capital in Mississippi in the uplands are a number of counties not traversed by any railroad, and therefore locally known as … Read more

A Choctaw Leads the Guerrillas

In April 1945, after mare than three years as a guerrilla leader in the Philippines, Lt. Col. Edward Ernest McClish came home to Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where his family, who had refused to believe him dead, waited for him. Ira Wolfert has told some of his story in American Guerrilla in the Philippines, and other details have been added in a report given to the Public Relations Bureau of the War Department by Col. McClish. It is an extraordinary tale of accomplishment against great odds. Lt. Col. McClish, a Choctaw, who graduated from Haskell Institute in 1929 and from Bacone College … Read more