USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 9
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 9
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period, v. 1 > Part 9
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THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
ber and value of these scalps that a Creek advanced in civil as well as military rank. It was necessary, in order to occupy a station of any importance, to have taken at least seven of them. If a young Creek, having been at war, returned with- out a single scalp, he continued to bear the name of his mother, and could not marry ; but if he returned with a scalp, the principal men assembled at the grand cabin, to give him a name, that he might abandon that of his mother. They judged of the value of the scalp by the dangers experienced in the capture of it, and the greater these dangers, the more considerable were the titles and advancement derived from it, by its owner.
In time of battle, the great Chief commonly placed him- self in the centre of the army, and sent reinforcements wherever danger appeared most pressing. When he perceived that his forces were repulsed and feared that they would yield entirely to the efforts of the enemy, he advanced in person, and combated hand to hand. A cry, repeated on all sides; informed the warriors of the danger to which a Chief was ex- posed. Immediately the corps de reserve came together, and advanced to the spot where the Grand Chief was, in order to force the enemy to abandon him. Should he be dead, they would all die rather than abandon his body to the enemy, with- out first seenring his sealp. They attached such value to this relie, and so' much disgrace to the loss of it, that when the danger was very great, and they were not able to prevent his body from falling into the hands of the enemy, the warrior who was nearest to the dead Chief, took his scalp and fled, at
CHAPTER II. Part 2.
1778
1778
6
120
THE MUSCOGEES CR CREEKS.
CHAPTER the same time raising a cry, known only among the savages. II. He then went to the spot which the deceased Chief had in- Part 2. dicated, as the place of rendezvous, should his army be beaten. All the subordinate Chiefs, being made aware of his death, by this ery, made dispositions to retreat; and, this being effected, they proceeded to the election of his successor, before 1778 taking any other measures. The Creeks were very warlike, and were not rebuffed by a defeat. On the morrow, after an unfortunate battle, they advanced with renewed intrepidity, to encounter their enemy anew.
.. When they advanced towards an enemy, they marched one after another, the Chief of the party being at the head. They arranged themselves in such a manner as to place the foot of every one in the track made by the first. The last one concealed oven that track with grass. By this means they kept from the enemy any knowledge of their number. When they made a halt, for the purpose of encamping, they formed in a circle, leaving a passage only large enough to admit a single man. They sat cross-legged, and each one had his gun by his side. The Chief faced the entrance of the circle, and no warrior could go out without his permission. At the time of sleeping he gave a signal, and after that no person could stir. Rising was performed at the same signal. It was ordinarily the Grand Chief who marked out positions, and placed sentinels to watch for the security of the army. He always had a great munber of runners, both before and behind, so that an army was rarely surprised. They, on the contrary, conducted wars against the Europeans entirely by
1778
121
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS. ,
sudden attacks, and they were very dangerous to those who CHAPTER were not aware of them .* II.
Part 2.
When the Creeks returned from war with captives, they march- ed into their town with shouts and the firing of guns. They stripped them naked and put on their feet bear-skin mocca- sins, with the hair exposed. The punishment was always left to the women, who examined their bodies for their war- marks. Sometimes the young warriors, who had none of these honorable inscriptions, were released and used as slaves. But the warrior of middle age, even those of advanced years, suffered death by fire. The victim's arms were pinioned, and one end of a strong grape vine tied around his neck, while the other was fastened to the top of a war-pole, so as to allow him to track around a circle of fifteen yards. To secure his scalp against fire, tough clay was placed upon his head. The im- mense throng of spectators were now filled with delight, and eager to witness the inhuman spectacle. The suffering war- rior was not dismayed, but, with a manly and insulting voice, sang the war-song. The women then made a furious onset with flaming torches, dripping with hot, black pitch, and ap- plied them to his back and all parts of his body. Suffering excruciating pain, he rushed from the pole with the fury of a wild beast, kicking, biting and trampling his cruel assail- ants under foot. But fresh numbers came on, and after a long time, and when he was nearly burned to his vitals, they ceased and poured water upon him to relieve him-only to prolong
* Sejour dans la nation Creek, par Le Clere Milfort, pp. 240, 252.218,219.
8
122
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
CHAPTER their sport. They renewed their tortures, when, with champ- II. ing teeth and sparkling eye-balls, he once more broke through Part 2. the demon throng to the extent of his rope, and acted every part that the deepest desperation could prompt. Then he died. His head was scalped, his body quartered, and the limbs carried over the town in triumph .*
----
1798
An enumeration of the towns found in the Creek nation by Col. Hawkins, in 1798, will conelude the notice of the manners and customs of these remarkable people, though, hereafter, they will often be mentioned, in reference to their commerce and wars with the Americans.
1
TOWNS AMONG THE UPPER CREEKS.
Tal-e-se, derived from Tal-o-fau, a town, and e-se, taken- situated in the fork of the Eufaube, upon the left bank of the Tallapoosa.
Took-a-batcha, opposite Tallese.
Auttose, on the left side of Tallapoosa, a few miles below the latter.
Ho-ith-le-waule-from ho-ith-le, war, and waule, divide- right bank of the Tallapoosa, five miles below Auttose.
Foosce-hat-che-fooso-wan, a bird, and hat-che, tail -- two miles below the latter, on the right bank.
Coo-loo-me was below and adjoining the latter.
E-cun-hut-ke-e-cuu-nau, earth, and hut-ke, white-below Coo-loo-me, on the same side of the Tallapoosa.
Sou-van-no-gee, left bank of the river.
* Adair, pp. 390-391.
.
123
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
Mook-lau-sau, a mile below the latter, same side. CHAPTER II. Part 2.
Coo-sau-dee, three miles below the confluence of the Coo- sa and Tallapoosa, on the west bank of the Alabama.
E-cun-chate-e-cun-na, earth, chate, red-(now a part of
1798 the city of Montgomery.)
Too-was-sau, three miles below, same side of the Alabama.
Pau-woe-te, two miles below the latter, same side.
Au-tau-gee, right side of the Alabama, near the mouth of the creek of the same name.
Tus-ke-gee-in the fork of the Coosa and Tallapoosa, on the east bank of the former-the old site of Forts Toulouse and Jackson.
Hoochoice and Hookchvie-ooche, towns just above the latter.
O-che-a-po-fau, o-che-ub, hickory tree, and po-fau, in or among-east bank of the Coosa, on the plain just below the city of Wetumpka.
We-wo-cau-we-wau water, wo-cau barking or roaring-on a creek of that name, fifteen miles above the latter.
Puc-cun-tal-lau-has-sce-epur-cun-nau, may-apple, tal-lau- has-se, old town-in the fork of a creek of that namne.
Coo-sau, on the left bank of that river, between the mouths of Eufaule and Nauche, (creeks now called Talladega and Kiamulgee.)
Au-be-cho-che, on Nauche creek, five miles from the Coosa. Nau-che, on same creek, five miles above the latter.
Eu-fau-lau-hat-che, fifteen miles still higher up on the same creek.
Woc-co-coie-woc-co, blow horn, coie, a nest-on Tote-pauf- cau creek.
179
124
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
CHAPTER II. Part 2.
Hill-au-bee, on col-luffa-de creek, which joins Hillaubee creek on the right side, one mile below the town.
Thla-noo-che-au-bau-lau-thlen-ne, mountain, ooche, little, au-bau-lau, over-on a branch of the Hillaubee.
1798
Au-net-te-chap-co -- au-net-te, swamp, chap-co, long-on a branch of the Hillaubee.
E-chuse-is-li-gau, where a young thing was found (a child was found here), left side of Hillaubee creek.
Oak-tau-hau-zau-see-oak-tau-hau, sand, zau-see, great deal-on a creek of that name, a branch of the Hillaubee.
1778
Oc-fus-kee-oc, in, fus-kee, a point-right bank of the Tallapoosa.
New-yau-cau, named after New York when Gen. McGil- livary returned from there in 1790, twenty miles above the latter, on the left side of the Tallapoosa.
Took-au-batche-tal-lau-has-se, four miles above the latter, right side of the river.
Im-mook-fau, a gorget made of a conch, on the creek of that name.
Too-to-cau-gee-too-to, corn-house, cau-gee, standing-twen- ty miles above New-yau-eau, right bank of the Tallapoosa.
Au-che-nau-ul-gau -- auche-nau, cedar, ul-gau, all -- forty miles above New-yau-cau, on a creek. It is the farthest north of all the Creek settlements.
E-pe-sau-gee, on a large creek of that name.
1798
Sooc-he-ah-sooc-cau-kog he-ah, here-right bank of the Tallapoosa, twelve miles above Oe-fus-kee.
Eu-fau-lau, five miles above Oe-fus-kee, right bank of the river.
--
-
125
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
Ki-a-li-jee, on the creek of that name, which joins the Tal- CHAPTER lapoosa on the right side. II.
Au-che-nav-hat-che-au-che, cedar, hat-che, creek. Part 2.
Hat-che-chub-bau-hat-che, creek, chub-bau, middle or half way.
Sou-go-hat-che-sou-go, cymbal, (musical instrument) hat- che, creek-joins the Tallapoosa on the left side.
Thlot-lo-gul-gau-thlot-lo, fish, ul-gau, all-called by trad- ers " Fish Ponds," on a creek, a branch of the Ul-hau-hat-che.
1798
O-pil-thluc-co-O-pil-lo-wau, swamp, thlucco, big-twenty miles from the Coosa, a creek of that name.
Pin-e-hoo-te-pin-e-wau, turkey, choo-te, house-a branch of the E-pee-sau-gee.
Po-chuse-hat-che-po-chu-so-wau, hatchet, hat-che, creek- (in Coosa county.)
Oc-fus-coo-che, little ocfuskee, four miles above New- yau-cau.
TOWNS AMONG THE LOWER CREEKS.
Chat-to-ho-che-chat-to, a stone, ho-che marked or flowered. Such rocks are found in the bed of that river above Ho-ith-le- te-gau. This is the origin and meaning of the name of that beautiful river.
Cow-e-tough, on the right bank of the Chat-to-ho-che, three miles below the falls.
O-cow-ocuh-hat-che, falls creek, on the right side of the river at the termination of the falls.
Hatche-canane, crooked creek.
Wac-coo-che, calf creek.
1798
126
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
CHAPTER 11.
O-sun-nup-pau, moss creek.
Hat-che-thlucco, big creek.
Part 2. 1798
Cow-e-iub Tal-lau-has-se-Cowetuh Tal-lo-fau, a town, hasse, old-three miles below Cowetuh, on the right bank of the Chattahoochie.
We-tum-cau -- we-wau water, tum-cau rumbling,-a main branch of the Uchee creek.
Cus-se-tuh, five miles below Cow-e-tuh, on the left bank of . the Chattahoochie. .
Au-put-tau-e, a village of Cussetuh, on HIat-che-thluc-co, twenty miles from the river.
U-chec, on the right bank of the Chat-to-bo-che, ten miles below Cowetuh Tallauhassee, and just below the mouth of the Uchee creek.
1798
In-tuch-cul-gau-in-tuch-ke, dam across water-ul-gau, all; a Uchee village, on Opil-thlaceo, twenty-eight miles from its junction with Flint river.
Pad-gee-li-gau-pad-jee a pigeon-li-gau sit, pigeon roost- on the right bank of Flint river (a Uchee village).
Toc-co-qul-egau, tadpole, on Kit-cho-foone creek (a Uchee village).
Oose-oo-chee, two miles below Uchee, on the right bank of the Chattahoochie.
Che-au-hau. below and adjoining the latter.
Au-muc-cul-le, pour upon me, on a creek of that name, which joins on the right side of the Flint.
O-tel-who-yau-nau, hurricane town, on the right bank of the Flint.
2798
127
THE MUSCOGEES OR CREEKS.
Hit-che-tee, on the left bank of the Chattahoochie, one mile CHAPTER below Che-au-hau. II.
Part 2.
Che-au-hoo-che, Little Cheauhaw, one mile and a half west from Hit-che-tee.
Hit-che-too-che, Little Hitchetee, on both sides of the Flint.
Tut-tal-lo-see, fowl, on a creek of that name.
Pala-chooc-le, on the right bank of the Chattahoochie.
O-co-nee, six miles below the latter, on the left bank of the
1:98 Chattahoochie.
Sou-woo-ge-lo, six miles below Oconee, on the right bank.
Sou-woog-e-loo-che, four miles below Oconee, on the left bank of the Chattahoochie.
Eu-fau-la, fifteen miles below the latter, on the left bank of the same river.
From this town settlements extended occasionally to the mouth of the Flint .*
* Hawkins' " Sketch of the Creek Country in 1798-99," pp. 26-66. In addition to the published copy of this interesting pamphlet. sent to me by I. K. Tefft, Esq., of Savannah, the Hon. F. W. Pickens, of South- Carolina, loaned me a manuscript copy of the same work, written by Col. Hawkins for his grandfather, Gen. Andrew Pickens, who was an intimate friend of Hawkins, and was associated with him in several important Indian treaties, and whose name will often be mentioned hereafter.
8*
128
THE NATCHEZ.
PART III.
MOBILIANS, CHATOTS, THOMEZ AND TENSAS.
CHAPTER II. Part 3.
Ix 1718. the French West India Company sent, from Ro- chelle, eight hundred colonists to Louisiana. Among them was a Frenchman of intelligence and high standing, named Le Page Du Pratz, who was appointed superintendent of the public plantations. After a residence of sixteen years in this country, he returned to France, and published an interesting work upon Louisiana. Du Pratz was often at Mobile, and about the period of 1721 found living, in that vicinity, a few small tribes of Indians, whom we will now describe.
1721
1721
The Chatots were a very small tribe, who composed a town of about forty huts, adjoining the bay and river of Mobile. They appear to have resided at or near the present city of Mobile. The Chatots were great friends of the French sot- tlers, and most of them embraced the Catholic religion. North from Mobile, and upon the first bluffs on the same side of the river of that name, lived the Thomez, who were not more numerous than the Chatots, and who, also, had been taught to worship the true God. Opposite to them, upon the Tensa river, lived a tribe of Tensas, whose settlement con- sisted of one hundred huts. They were a branch of the
129
THE NATCHEZ.
Natchez, and, like them, kept a perpetual fire burning in their CHAPTER temple. II.
Part 3.
1721
Further north, and near the confluence of the Tombigby and Alabama, and above there, the Mobilians still existed. It was from these people, a remnant of whom survived the inva- sion of De Soto, that the city, river and bay derive their names .* They, also, kept a fire in their temple, which was never suffered for a moment to expire. Indeed, they had some pre-eminence in this particular-for, formerly, the natives ob- tained this holy light from their temples.t These small tribes were all living in peace with each other, upon the discovery of their country by the French, and continued so. Gradually, however, they became merged in the larger nations of the Choctaws and Chickasaws. They were all, sometimes, called the Mobile Indians, by the early French settlers.
The Natchez once inhabited the south-western portion of the Mexican empire, but on account of the wars with which they were continually harrassed by neighboring Indians, they began to wander north-east. Finally they settled upon the banks of the Mississippi, chiefly on the bluff where now stands the beautiful city which bears their name .; They retained, until they were broken up by the French, many of the reli- gious rites and customs of the Mexicans. Their form of govern-
122
* Du Pratz's Louisiana, pp. 308-309.
+ Charlevoix's "Voyage to North America," vol. 2, p. 273.
I Du Pratz's Louisiana.
130
THE NATCHEZ.
CHAFTER ment was distinguished from that of other tribes in Alabama II. and Mississippi, by its ultra despotism, and by the grandeur Part 3. 112 and haughtiness of its Chiefs. The Grand Chief of the Natchez bore the name of the Sun. Every morning, as soon as that bright luminary appeared, he stood at the door of his cabin, tarved his face towards the east, and bowed three times, at the same time prostrating himself to the ground. A pipe, which was never used but upon this occasion, was then handed to him, from which he puffed smoke, first to- wards the Sun, and then towards the other three quarters of the world. He pretended that he derived his origin from the Sun, acknowledged no other master, and held absolute power over the lives and goods of his subjects. When he or his nearest female relation died, his body-guard was obliged to follow to the land of spirits. The death of a Chief some- times resulted in that of an hundred persons, who considered it a great honor to be sacrificed upon his death. Indeed, few Natchez of note died without being attended to the other world by some of their relatives, friends or servants. So eager were persons to sacrifice themselves in this way, that some- times it was ten years before their turn came ; and those who obtained the favor, spun the cord with which they were to be strangled .*
1721 1721
The cabins of the Natchez were in the shape of pavilions, low, without windows, and covered with corn-stalks, leaves
* Charlevoix's " Voyage to North America," pp. 260-261.
131
THE NATCHEZ.
and cane matting. That of the Great Chief, which stood upon CHAPTER an artificial mound, and fronted a large square, was hand- II. Part 3. somely rough-cast with clay, both inside and out. The tem- ple was at the side of his cabin, facing the east, and at the extremity of the square. It was in an oblong form, forty feet in length and twenty in breadth. Within it were the bones of the deceased Chiefs, contained in boxes and baskets. Three logs of wood, joined at the ends, and placed in a trian- gle, occupied the middle part of the floor, and burned slowly away, night and day. Keepers attended and constantly re- newed them .* The Great Sun informed Du Pratz, who had, in 1721 1820, taken up his abode among them, that their nation was once very formidable, extending over vast regions and gov- erned by numerous Suns and nobility ; that one of the keep- ers of the temple once left it on some business, and while he was absent, his associate keepers fell asleep; that the fire went out, and that, in the terror and dismay into which they were thrown, they substituted profane fire, with the hope that their shameful neglect would escape unnoticed. But a dreadful calamity was the consequence of this negligence. A horrible malady raged for years, during which many of the Suns, and an infinite number of people, died.t This fire was kept constant- ly burning in honor of the Sun, which they seemed to worship and adore above everything else. In the spring of 1700, Iben-
* Charlevoix's Voyage to North America, p. 256.
+ Du Pratz' Louisiana, p. 333.
132
THE NATCHEZ.
CHAPTER ville, in company with a few of his colonial people, visited the II. Natchez. While there, one of the temples was consumed by Part 3. lightning. The Priests implored the women to cast - their children in the flames to appease the anger of their divinity. Before the French, by prayers and entreaties, could arrest this horrible proceeding, some of the innocent babes were already 1700 roasting in the flames .* At this time, the Natchez, reduced by wars and by the death of the nobility, upon whose decease the existence of many others terminated, did not exceed a population of twelve hundred.
November 28 1729
1733
January
Fort Rosalie, erected by the French in 1716, npon the bluff which sustains the city of Natchez, had a garrison of soldiers and numerous citizens. On the morning of the 28th Novem- ber, 1729, the Great Sun and his warriors suddenly fell upon them, and before noon the whole male population were in the sleep of death. The women, children and slaves were re- served as prisoners of war. The consternation was great throughout the colony when this horrible massacre became known. The French and Choctaws united, and drove the Natchez upon the lower Washita, just below the mouth of Little river. Here the latter erected mounds and embank- ments for defence, which covered an area of four hundred acres. In the meantime, having obtained assistance from France, the colonists marched against this stronghold, and, in January, 1733, made a successful attack. They captured
* Gayarre's History of Louisiana, vol. 1, p. 73.
133
THE NATCHEZ.
the Great Sun, several of the War Chiefs and four hundred CHAPTER and twenty-seven of the tribe, who were sent from New II. Part 3. Orleans to St. Domingo, as slaves. The remainder of the tribe made their escape. Some of them sought asylums among the Chickasaws and Creeks, while others scattered in the far west .*
* The Natchez have been mentioned at length by a number of French authors, who were eye-witnesses of their bloody rites and ceremonies. See Bossu's Travels in Louisiana, vol. 1, pp. 32-67. Dumont's Louis- iana, vol. 1, pp. 118-132. Charlevoix's Voyage to North America, vol. 2, pp. 252-274. Du Pratz' Louisiana, pp. 79-95-291-316. Les Natch- ez, par M. Le Vicompte de Chateaubriand -- of this work 400 pages are taken up with the Natchez. Jesuits in America-a recent publication. Many other works in my possession, upon Louisiana and Florida, allude briefly to that tribe.
134
THE CHOCTAWS.
PART IV.
THE CHOCTAWS AND CHICKASAWS.
CHAPTER II.
Part 4.
Period unknown
THE Choctaws and Chickasaws descended from a people called the Chickemicaws, who were among the first inhabitants of the Mexican empire. At an ancient period they began to wander towards the east, in company with the Choccomaws. After a time they reached the Mississippi river and crossed it, arriving in this country with an aggregate force of ten thou- sand warriors. The Choccomaws established themselves upon the head-waters of the Yazoo, the Chickasaws upon the northwestern sources of the Tombigby, and the Choetaws upon the territory now embraced in southern Mississippi and south-western Alabama. They thus gradually became three distinct tribes ; but the Chickasaws and Choccomaws werc generally known by the name of the former, while the Choc- taws spoke the same language, with the exception of a differ- ence produced by the intonation of the voice .*
1700
Upon the first settlement of Mobile by the French, they found that the Choctaws and the remnant of the Mobilians employed the same language. Indeed, we have seen that the
* Adair's American Indians, pp. 5, 66, 352.
135
THE CHOCTAWS.
great Mobilian Chief, in )540, had a name which was derived CHAPTER from two well-known Choctaw words-Tusca, warrior, and II. Part 4. 1540 lusa, black. The Indians who fought De Soto at Cabusto, upon the Warrior, and who extended their lines six miles up and down its western banks to oppose his crossing, were the Pafallayas. They are believed to have been no other people than the Choctaw3. There is a word in the language of the latter called fallaya-long." 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 1541 him with great courage. Now, as the Choetaws, according to tradition, came with them to this country, and were a por- tion of the same family, it is reasonable to suppose that the Pafallavas, the brave allies of Tuscaloosa, were the Choctaws- especially when taken in connection with collateral evidence in our possession. The tradition of the migration of the Chickasaws and Choctaws from the Mexican empire has been Period unknown preserved by the former alone; while the latter, with few ex- ceptions, have lost it. On the road leading from St. Stephens, in Alabama, to the city of Jackson, Mississippi, was, some years ago, a large mound, embracing at the base about two acres, and rising forty feet high in a conical form, and enclosed by a ditch encompassing twenty aeres. On the top of it was a deep hole, ten feet in circumference, out of which the ignorant portion of the Choctaws believed that their ancestors once
* Transactions of the American Antiquarian Society, vol. 2. p. 105. (A paper read before the society by Albert Gallatin.)
136
THE CHOCTAWS.
CHAPTER sprung as thick as bees, peopling the whole of that part of the II. country. They had great regard for this artificial elevation, and Part 4. called it Nannawyah, the signification of which is, nanna, hill, and wyah, mother. When hunting near this mound they were accustomed to throw into the hole the leg of a deer, thus feeding their mother. One day in 1810, Mr. Geo. S. Gaines, the United States Choctaw Factor, in going to the Ageney, rode up on this mound, which lay near the road. 1810 Presently a good many warriors passed by, and, after he had satisfied his curiosity, he rode on and overtook them. The Chief, who was no less a personage than the celebrated Push- matahaw, with a smile full of meaning and mischief, said- " Well, Mr. 'Gainis,' I suppose you have been to pay our mother a visit ; and what did she say ?" Your mother, said the Factor, observed that her children were poor, had become too numerous to inhabit the country they were then occupying, and desired very much that they would sell their lands to the United States and move west of the Mississippi, to better and more extensive hunting grounds .* The old Chief laughed immoderately, vociferating " Holauba! holan- ba! feenah. (It's a lie, it's a lie, it's a real lie.) Our good mother never could have made such remarks." On the jour- 1810 ney he conversed much with Mr. Gaines upon the Indian tradi-
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