MUSING 1
Choctaw Bands (circa 1836)
The body of this main website features the locations of Choctaw villages during the eighteenth century. I offer three Musings that attempt to find and hopefully name the Choctaw bands, most of which had left their eighteenth-century villages and ventured into their extended territory. I call them bands while John R. Swanton termed them "local groups," see Swanton 79. To review, John R. Swanton wrote Source Material for the Social and Ceremonial Life of the Choctaw Indians which was published under Smithsonian Institute Bureau of American Ethnology as Bulletin 103, 1931. I have a 1993 reprint published by the Birmingham Public Library Press. For his work Swanton collected available sources and corresponded with Choctaw and Choctaw experts. I will reference Swanton as Swanton YZ (page number.)
What do we know of the bands of Choctaw who lived remotely (for the most part) from their villages? H. B. Cushman in his work History of the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians, 1899, had a good deal to say of their origins. I have the University of Oklahoma edition of Cushman's book edited by Angie Debo with Introduction by Clara Sue Kidwell dated 1999. I will reference this work as Cushman YZ.
The individual Choctaw began leaving their villages to raise livestock. Cushman 331 indicated two men introduced cattle to the Choctaw. Hardy Perry, a Choctaw, bought cattle in Mobile and brought them into the Eastern part of the Choctaw villages. In addition, Major Louis LeFlore and Louis Durant began a cattle operation in the Pearl River Western part villages about 1770, Cushman 344. After successfully raising his herd, Major LeFlore moved the cattle to the Yazoo River basin. Cushman, Cushman 330, indicated that "Ever since about the time of the Revolutionary War the Choctaws began to leave their towns and settle in the woods for the benefit of their stock." Why leave their villages? The livestock needed more and better grazing area than the Choctaw villages could provide. For instance, the river bottoms provided grasses for grazing and hardwood acorns for the swine. The prairies offered excellent grazing grasses. And the livestock business solved another issue... the wild animal population, which had long fed the Choctaw had been reduced. With livestock success more Choctaw left their villages to raise livestock. They gathered into groups or bands. Who were these Choctaw bands and could they be located?
I discovered the BLM GLO website more than a year ago. When I found the 1842 Choctaw Scrip files, a file of Choctaw individual properties, I decided to plot them on the original United States Survey Plats. In a way, I wasn't surprised by the results at least in the homeland counties of Neshoba, Kemper, Newton, Lauderdale, Jasper and Clarke, or those counties which encompassed most of the eighteenth-century Choctaw villages. What I discovered was some of the Choctaw individual properties were situated in and near the 18th century villages but the majority were scattered across their territory.
Next were questions to answer concerning Choctaw individual properties. Did they date to 1842 the year of the Choctaw Civil Commission? The simple answer is the BLM GLO 1842 Scrip files date to about 1836? How so? At the signing of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (DRC) in 1830 a late article (Article XIV) was added so that Choctaw who preferred to stay in the United States could do so...if the head of a household stayed five years after the treaty was ratified; if he stayed on his then residence; if he notified the Choctaw Agent that his intention was to stay within six months of DRC ratification. If the head of household met the conditions above, they would become citizens of the United States or its State; the head of household would receive a patent (deed) from the United States for one section (640 acres) of land where his residence was; and his children older than 10 years at the time of DRC ratification would receive 320 acres or a half section and those children younger than 10 would receive 160 acres. 0bviously, this didn't happen. The Choctaw Agent only recorded 140 or so of Choctaw heads of family who announced their intention to stay. When the surveying was completed, the land was for sale. White settlers and land speculators were rabid for the Choctaw individual properties as these lands had been cleared and houses constructed. That would save a settler a year of hard work clearing the forest and building a cabin. What ensued was a hot mess. The Choctaws complained to no listening ears. The settlers and speculators complained to the now county and state of Mississippi governments. (Note: the DRC is easily located on the internet including the Choctaw Nation website.)
Finally, in 1842 a Choctaw Civil Commission was established to sort the mess out. It took them three years. The outcome was the issuance of patents for those who still wished to stay (although the patents were dated after the commission finished its work) or Scrip. Scrip entitled the bearer to claim land in several states in the United States or to sell it. There were Choctaw land claims rejected by the Commission. I have estimated that the number of Choctaw Individual Properties (CIP) in Mississippi was 2,400. This number does not include family members. I have seen estimates of Choctaw who stayed in Mississippi after the three migrations of 1831, 1832 and 1833 of 5,000 to 6,000. That appears to be on par with the 1842 Choctaw Scrip files.
As far as the Choctaw band locations, let's assume all of the bands existed prior to DRC. The location of bands would be impacted by the Choctaw migrations as the number of Choctaw in the Homeland and territory were greatly reduced. Some sources report more than 1000 Choctaw left Mississippi prior to DRC for their Arkansas territory obtained in the 1820 Treaty of Doak's Stand. The three great migrations of 1831, 1832 and 1833 further depopulated the villages and bands. Some estimates represent that 15,000 to 16,000 Choctaw left Mississippi prior to 1834. Using the CIP plots we find the eighteenth-century villages largely deserted by 1836. The remote bands had to have been reduced as well. That said, will we find any evidence of the bands? Since I have the advantage of looking ahead, I will answer: Yes and No. For those bands that are "Yes," will we know their names? Answer: Yes and No. For those bands that are not where historic sources represented them, will we know their names in absentia? Yes and No. For those bands which are without historic or geographic provenance, will we know their names? It's a guess. But to follow Choctaw tradition, I suggest using the creek name on which the band is situated.
Herein I present what I plan to be three Musings including the results of my investigations. Each Musing will include 6-7 Mississippi counties and the distribution of Choctaw Individual Properties by Townships. To date I have over 400 townships plotted with the Choctaw Individual Properties (CIP).
Musing 1 will include the six Homeland counties. Musing 2 will add the surrounding counties west and north of the Homeland. Musing 3 will reach further north and west. For each county I will delineate the Townships and provide the number of CIP in each. I will provide figures of the Townships with the greatest number of properties or that conform to source locations. I have marked all of the Choctaw properties with an "X" in each section of each of the Township figures. The size of the "X" is as the patent was recorded. The largest being a full section or 640 acres with the smallest 40 acres. The BLM GLO CIP includes the ownership of "Lots". "Lots" were not part of Article XIV land awards. In fact, the lots were created by the counties and were not part of the original United States survey. I did not include the Lots in the count of "X" of CIP.
In the Musings I use county names to separate Figures and Text, beginning with Neshoba. As for the names of the bands, I will reference Swanton and others. Additionally, I will provide notes from the Surveyors of the selected Townships where warranted.
Be aware that we do not know the names of all of the bands. Those who have researched nineteenth-century area newspapers may have band identities gleaned from articles concerning stickball matches, for instance. Others who have researched the Missions serving the Choctaw may have knowledge of bands' locations and identification.
As I did for thechickasawvillages.com, the Musings will be written in a loose manner.
Before I start, the question that begs to be answered is how many CIP constitute a Band? I initially thought a grouping of 15 CIP or more should define a band, but considering ¾ of the Choctaw population had immigrated prior to 1836, smaller groups must be considered. We may find referenced Bands that did not exist in 1836, i.e. the entire band immigrated prior to 1836 or possibly moved. Let's get started.
Neshoba County
Neshoba County was founded in 1833. The lands were surveyed by the United States following the ratification of DRC. Look at Figure 1. It provides several bits of information. One, the Neshoba County outline is shown as are the Township designations within the county. An example township designation is Township 10 North Range 11 East, or in abbreviated form T10 R11, which represents the Rectangular Survey System used by the United States since 1785. Note too on Figure 1 the bold whole numbers in the Township center (where space allows). These bold numbers represent the number of Choctaw properties or Choctaw Individual Properties (CIP) within the township. As you look at the CIP for each township, Neshoba County had the largest number of CIP of any county in Mississippi. If you look at the borders of the county, the eastern border townships have more CIP than the others with the western border townships next. The western and northern borders townships are near the Pearl River.
Let's look a little deeper; see Figure 1A. Township T11 Range 13 has the most CIP of all of the Neshoba County townships. Particularly note the cluster of CIP in the northeast sections. Look also at Figure 1B which is T12 R13 and north of Figure 1A. Note these townships have a common border, see Figure 1. Henry Halbert located the village of Caffetalaya in T11 R13 Section 21. I stated in the text of French Western Villages that Halbert's location was the later dated United States period village, and I situated the French period village at T12 R13 Sections 27, 28, 29 and 33 or several miles north of Halbert's location. Note both villages were situated about Owl and Coffedelia Creeks. Swanton 82 indicated bands were situated around several of the old villages including Coffedelia (Caffetalaya). The Coffedelia band then would include the union of the northern and western CIP of Figures 1A and 1B.
Another band noted by Swanton 81 was the Bok Chito band. This band was just east of the Coffedelia Band and located about Bogue Chitto Creek. It included the eastern most sections of Neshoba County T12 R13 on Figure 1B and the northeastern Sections of Figure 1A or T11 R13. This band also extends into the contiguous townships in Kemper County, namely the northwestern CIP of Figure 2A or T11 R14 and Sections 19 and 28 of Figure 2B the T12 R14. This band includes lands of the current Bogue Chitto Choctaw Indian Reservation. I admit distinguishing between the Bok Chito and Coffedelia bands is difficult. My best attempt to separate them is to say the Owl Creek drainage encompassed Coffedelia band and Bogue Chitto Creek drainage included Bok Chito band.
The village of Cushtusha was not mentioned by Swanton as having a band, but if we look at Figure 1C and note our French period location of Cuctasha (Cushtusha) is T10 R13 Sections 10,15 and 16 one should note the CIP north, west and southwest of those sections. I am certain the contiguous CIP of French period village of Cushtusha represents a Cushtusha band.
Swanton 82 noted that a Yashu band was near its older town. The French period village West Yaso was located by United States surveyor Seth McCleary about April 1834 and recorded in township T10 R13 notes at Sections 13 and 24. While we don't see CIP at that location on Figure 1C, we do see CIP immediately to the east in Kemper County Township T10 R14. The Yashu band was located immediately east of West Yaso.
Swanton 82 also referenced a Moklasha band playing stickball see Swanton 152-3. This band is named for the French period village West Imongalasha which I located at T9N R13E Sections 4, 9 and 16 where United States surveyor Seth McCleary recorded its position in his notes in 1834. On Figure 1D we see CIP fairly surrounding those sections. Halbert indicated that this band was struck with disease in 1824. Swanton's Moklasha band surrounds French period village of West Imongalasha.
Swanton 81, 152-3 indicated there was a Biasha band. He allowed that band was a "few miles west of Philadelphia." About eight miles west of Philadelphia is Beasha Creek which flows through Township T11N R10E in Sections 19, 29 and 33. The Biasha band was named Beesher by Clara Sue Kidwell on page 179 of her "Choctaws and Missionaries...". The band was likely named for the Beasha Creek which in 1834 was spelled Beasher Creek on the original survey plat. Figure 1E indicates a density of CIP in the southwestern corner of the township surrounding the creek. I believe this CIP grouping represent Swanton's Biasha band. The Biasha band includes a small part of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Pearl River Reservation. The band does not trend west into Leake County.
Swanton 152-3 noted a "Seven towns" band near Hays Ms. Hays is a crossroads now in Scott County. Seven towns band was located in Scott County and Neshoba County. The CIP in Neshoba County Township T9 R10 represent part of Seven towns band; see Figure 1F. We will add the Scott County portion in Musing 2.
Kemper County
Kemper County was founded 1833. As stated for Neshoba County the United States surveyors were in the field after DRC and public lands were sold following their work. Let's look at Figure 2 the Kemper County Township and number of Choctaw Individual Properties CIP. Note that Kemper County is second to Neshoba County in the number of CIP in Mississippi counties. Recall that Kemper County had a number of Eastern Party and a few Western Party French Villages.
Like Neshoba County, Kemper County has most of its CIP oriented on one side of the county. Kemper's CIP are dominate on the western side next to Neshoba where the dominate CIP were located on the eastern or Kemper side. For Kemper, see Figure 2, the eastern townships (last two columns of full sized and the partial township columns next to Alabama) have scant CIP compared to the western two columns of townships. Certainly this is not a normal distribution of CIP. The reason? The Choctaw chose where they wanted to live, and that was near their old French period villages. Let's call it honoring their elders.
Figure 2A represents the distribution of CIP in Township T11 R14 which has the highest number of CIP of any township in Kemper County. In this township were located the French period western villages of West Abeca in Section 18, Jakene atchoukima in Sections 19, 20 and 29, and Couechitto on a long ridge including Sections 9, 15, 23 and 24 and adjoining Sections 7,18,19 and 30 in T11 R15. Note the CIP surrounding these villages. Swanton 82 noted there were bands at Abeka and Koe chito (Couechitto).
Township T12 R14 represents the second greatest number of CIP in Kemper County; see Figure 2B. The congregation of those CIP is along the western border with Neshoba which we noted as part of the Bok Chito band per Swanton 81, 152-3. There are smatterings of CIP to the east which could suggest the location of a British period Choctaw village?
Figure 2C indicates a scattering of CIP in Township T11 R16 which do not readily reveal the Eastern French period villages of Olitassa at Sections 27 and 34 or Bouctoucoulou at Sections 6 and 7. To my eye, there is a grouping of CIP at Sections 13 and 14 where Sucarnoochee Creek and Straight Creek confluence. There may be a British period village at/near that location?
The Sukinatchi or "Factory Indians" band mentioned by Swanton 82 resided in Township T10 R17 Section 13 (Figure 2D) and Township T10 R18 Sections 19, 20 and 30 (Figure 2E). The "Old Factory Road" was marked and recorded by the original surveyor on the T10 R18 plat. There are CIP around the Factory Road in both Townships. In fact, history preserved the name Sucarnochee on a 1911 map of Kemper County.
In Township T9 R14 on Figure 2F there is a density of CIP centered about Sections 16 and 21 and/or environs. This group of CIP probably represents Henry Halbert's Kushak or Kusha bolukta, which he called a village and wrote about in Danville's Map of East Mississippi in Publications of Mississippi Historical Society Volume III, 1901. Jackson's Military Road traversed Sections 32, 33, 21 and 22. By 1836 this collection of CIP would have been a band, not a village.
Cushman 492 wrote that a town named Tamolah rested in Kemper County. Indeed there is a community Tamolah in southwestern Township T9 R18. The later named Tamola moved to be near the railroad. We have two CIP in Township T9 R18 and three CIP in Township T8 R18 Lauderdale County. Ironically, Tamolah meant "Lost" per Cushman. That's where I am regarding its location. Could the majority of Tamolah peoples moved before 1836?
Likewise, Cushman 491 provided the name Talletuluck (Ta le tul i) as a town in Kemper County. I could do nothing geographically with the name. Perhaps the name has been corrupted, and it is present day Tallachula Creek? If so, then Township T10 R14 may be where this band was located. There were 13 CIP in the Township most on the west side towards the northwest corner.
Newton County
Founded 1836 Newton County was home to several villages during the eighteenth-century, including Oni, Tchanke, Tala and Tala poucta, see Figures 3 and 4. That said, compared to Neshoba and Kemper Counties there are far fewer CIP in Newton County, see Figure 3. Only Townships T8 R13 and T7 R13 merit a dozen or more CIP.
Let's begin with Figure 3A or Township T8 R13. There is a density of CIP near the center of the township. Recall we had the French period village Bistasha located in Sections 9, 10 and 16. It would seem that these CIPs represent a band. This band was named after the earlier village of Bistasha. There are no other bands represented in the Township.
In Township T7 R13 (see Figure 3B) all of the CIP are located on the eastern side of the township around our location of French period village Abissa in Sections 13, 24 and 25. I feel comfortable calling Abissa a band.
In Township T8 R11 we had two small neighboring villages during the French period, Oni and Tchanke. Neither village has CIP in close proximity. Oni may have moved during the United States period before DRC. Tchanke did move. It moved southeast to another site in Newton County located at Township T6 R13 Sections 5, 7 and 8 where it was known as Chunki Chitto. Charles and Pierre Juzan owned and operated a trading post at that location. On Figure 3C the CIP in T6 R13 are several miles south of the trading post. These CIP are on the Chunky River. We see in Newton County T5 R13 more, neighboring CIP. The CIP in T5 R13 and T6 R13 and more in Lauderdale County represent the Chunki Chitto band location. (There is good article about the Juzan family at the Newton County, Mississippi Historical and Genealogical Society by Greg Boggan.)
What about Conehatta? Per Swanton there was a band playing stickball named Konhutta; see Swanton 152. The census designation of Conehatta is located in Newton County in Township T7 R10 Section. It became a part of the Reservation of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. As we look back at Figure 3, we find only two CIP in T7 R10, and they are distant from each other so there was no obvious Choctaw band there in 1836. We may find the Konhutta band in neighboring Scott County in Township T7 R9.
There is an image of a Choctaw band. It is Figure 1 shown on the home page. It was drawn on the township's survey plat at location Township T5 R10 Section 23 Newton County. I believe it is the remnants of the village Coatroy which was mapped by the British. Yes, the Choctaw have no "r" in their vocabulary. Okanatatloyha was provided on the Purcell Brown Map 1781 as an alternative to Coatroy.
Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County was founded 1833. Figure 4 indicates where the CIP were located by township. Compared to Kemper County to the north, Lauderdale County CIP numbers are reduced and their distribution is more towards the east and southwest.
On Figure 4A we have CIP locations for Township T7 R18 located in eastern Lauderdale County. The CIP are clustered in the northwest part of the Township. Toomsuba Creek runs just south of the grouping. We believe the CIP represent the band of Toomsuba identified by Cushman 492.
Figure 4B indicates a scattering of CIP in Township T7 R17 just west of T7 R18 above. Toomsuba Creek and its tributaries flow through the southeast and central part of the township. I believe this is a part of the Toomsuba band.
Figure 4C represents the CIP distribution of Township T5 R14 in extreme southwestern Lauderdale County. Most of the CIP are west of old Chunkey Creek and a couple of miles southeast of the Town of Chunky. These CIP represent the band Chunki Chitto which also includes those CIP in T6 R13 and T5 R13 Newton County. From a paper "The History of Chunky, Mississippi" by Terry Lange, Chunki Chitto was south of the modern Chunky town. It appears it was southwest and east of modern Chunky. Neither the survey notes nor plat offered any suggestions.
Cushman 481 indicated a band named Allamucha was located in Lauderdale County near the Alabama line. Township T6 R18 in eastern Lauderdale County has nine CIP (see Figure 4D) distributed about Alamuchee and Little Alamuchee Creeks. A geographic place name of Alamucha is centered in Sections 15 and 22. I believe the CIP in Figure 4D represents Cushman's Allamucha band.
Cushman provided another Lauderdale County band called Okatibbee. See Cushman 490. Okatibbee Creek runs roughly north to south the entire length of the County in the second column of townships counting from the west. Along Okatibbee Creek only Township T6 R15 offers any number of CIP; see Figure 4E. They are grouped in Sections 21 and 28 which would be east of Okatibbee Creek. These few CIP represent my best guess for the location of the Okatibbee band which may have just survived the immigrations.
Jasper County
Jasper County was founded 1833 just as the United States surveyors were finishing the Interior Sections' surveys. Their survey notes and plats indicated a scattering of Choctaw paths, fields and houses occupying the county. That scattering was probably attributable to the many streams, their desire to settle near elders (French period Sixtown villages), and two principal roads (Jackson-Winchester Road and Jackson's Military Road). Garlandville, which was/is located in Township T4 R11 Section 1, was near the roads' intersection and thus became a focus of area after DRC.
Figure 5 provides a snapshot of the CIP about 1836 for each township in Jasper County. The dominant band was the Sixtown band which was recorded by Cushman 88 to have 2164 men, women and children in 1822. These peoples largely moved from their British period villages see Figure 4. On Figure 5 how many CIP are there for the entire of Jasper County in 1836? Less than 50? Yes, some could have moved to further Choctaw territories pre DRC. Still, you can see the impacts of the DRC. Where was Sixtowns? I would say the Sixtown band was located in the northern two thirds of Jasper County. To confirm that Jasper County became the home of the Sixtown band, Swanton 81 offered the "Sixtowns (band) was in and about Jasper County." Figures 5A and 5B indicate the highest number of CIP in Jasper County and represent a portion of the Sixtown band.
In 1825 Missionary was founded by Elijah Bardwell, see Cushman 116. The mission is shown as a group of buildings on the survey plat of Township T3 R12 Section 15, see BLM GLO website and search "Original Survey." The mission included a school and blacksmith shop. I have read the mission was informally called Sixtown Mission.
Alfred John (AJ) Brown in his History of Newton County, Mississippi, Clarion-Ledger Company, Jackson, Miss., 1894 and reprinted 1964, page 14 and 15 stated, "Jasper County had the Sixtowns and Beaver Creeks. . ." speaking of bands that played stickball. Where was the Beaver Creek band? They are represented on Figure 5C at Township T1 R13 near Heidelberg on Beaver Creek. As is the case with all of these CIP, we will never know if the CIP neighbors, perhaps a majority of their neighbors, moved to Choctaw territory prior to 1836.
Clarke County
Clarke County was founded in 1833. During the French and British periods, the village of Chickasawhay was one of the largest and politically important villages of the Choctaw. It was located in Township T3 R15 Section 15; see Figure 6.
Note on Figure 6 the number of CIP per township. The most CIP in any township was eight.
Figure 6A shows the CIP in Township T2 R14. These are clustered around Pachuta creek. I believe these CIP represent the far eastern edge of the Sixtown band which we left in Jasper County to the immediate west.
The Mission Emmaus was located in T1 R18 Section 18, but we have no CIP in the area.
Conclusions
The CIP document the locations of the eighteenth-century villages and the nineteenth century bands of the historic Choctaw peoples.
The CIP not only represent the past but also the future. These Bands are the forebears of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
This concludes our Choctaw band search in the Homeland counties. We will continue the search for Choctaw bands in other Mississippi counties in Musings 2 and 3.