Choctaw Village Locations Part 2
CHOCTAW VILLAGE LOCATIONS BRITISH PERIOD
We are addressing the villages in the Choctaw Homeland in the period of British Dominion or roughly 1763-1783. Before the British took control of French territories east of the Mississippi River, the Choctaw endured the Choctaw Civil War 1747-1750. The Choctaw Civil War pitted the western party villages which were aided by English traders from Georgia and South Carolina against the Eastern party villages which the French supported from Mobile and Fort Tombekbe. The Civil War resulted in hundreds of Choctaw killed (MPAFD V 218) and several western villages were destroyed (MPAFD V 16). A further consequence of the Civil War was deep division within the villages causing many to split. Following the Civil War the number of Choctaw villages quickly grew from 40 to almost 52 by the end of 1758 (MPAFD V 213). In 1772 Gatschet Map indicated 59 villages.
The French thought with their Choctaw Eastern party allies' victory in the Choctaw Civil War, their British (Note: MPAFD and MPAED used "English" in titles and text as opposed to "British"; however, Act of Union 1707 formed Great Britain.) trader issues would be over. But the British were persistent. Other French-British wars in Europe spilled over to Canada and the upper British colonies. These wars were termed King George's War and the French and Indian Wars which contributed to French shortages in Louisiana … the lack of Administrative correspondence, the lack of supplies, lack of troops, and lack of annual presents for the Choctaw. Louisiana, it seemed, was plagued by issues.
When the British took control of the French Louisiana east of the Mississippi River, several Choctaw leaders spoke during the ceremonies in Pensacola. Why wouldn't there be a peace under the British control? The British did exhibit as much hands on control over their Indian peoples as did the French. And old scores between the tribes still simmered. In short, the Choctaw experienced wars with the Alabama, Abihka and Talapoosa tribes of the Creek Confederacy. The largest war lasted, per Bernard Romans, a Dutch/British naturalist and cartographer, from 1765 to 1772. For additional information on Romans, see "British Sources" on this website, Wikipedia or search the WWW.
To aid our British period village locations we will use two British maps: the Romans, Taitt and Gauld Map of West Florida 1773 or RTG Map 1773 and the Purcell Brown Map of the Southern District of North America 1781 or Purcell Brown Map 1781. The maps were presented earlier in this website under "British Sources." In addition, we will use United States 1830s survey plats and notes, where beneficial. Likewise we will present information relative to our plotting of Choctaw Individual Properties (CIP) awarded by the 14th article of Dancing Rabbit Creek (DRC) Treaty and recorded by the Choctaw agent or patent issued by the United States government as a result of the 1842-1845 Choctaw Claims Commission. Both are recorded on BLM GLO website under "Patents." The CIP represent Choctaws who resided in the area ceded by DRC from 1831-1836. In this case our specific interest is the six county Homeland: Neshoba, Kemper, Lauderdale, Newton, Clarke and Jasper where the 18th century villages were situated.
We will begin with our British period village locations with the British Sixtown Villages.
British Sixtown Villages
We left the French Sixtown villages principally situated in Jasper county with Tala to the northwest in extreme southern Newton county, see Figure 3. If we look at RTG Map 1773, note the "Oocoloo Hannalli or Six Villages" labeled in large letters on the west central side of the map (below a map paper separation). The Choctaw Sixtown villages (Romans has eleven villages listed as opposed to six in the French period) are numbered on the map 46-56 and are congregated in large part east of Tallaw (French Tala) as Romans labeled it. The RTG Map 1773 also labels two creeks dividing the villages. Notably is "Tallow Bougue" or modern Tarlow Creek. If we note that the other creek is modern Bogue Falema Creek, then we can say with some conviction that the British period Sixtown villages' were located for the most part in T5N R10E and or T5N 11E Newton County.
But there is more proof that the British period Sixtown villages were in these townships. The United States surveyor for T5N R11E interior sections was Joseph Walker who completed his survey in the fourth quarter 1832, see BLM GLO website for original survey documents. There is one truth about the United States surveyors-they were inconsistent concerning note taking. T5N R11E plat shows a long north-south path that runs in the eastern two columns of sections. Notably the Jackson Winchester Road traverses the southwestern sections and is clearly labeled. And back to our comment about inconsistent survey notes, there are more than 45 Indian path segments that were not drawn on the survey plat. I plotted them separately and on Figure 4 I have a pink box that encompasses most, not all, of the path segments. These path segments represent the densest area of paths in the Survey notes of the Choctaw Homeland. Were Choctaws living in T5N R11E thru 1832? Yes and no. I believe the villages were largely abandoned by 1810 before the District chiefs gained control. However, there were Choctaws living in T5 R11 during the survey or 1832. There were survey notes documenting a few Choctaw fields. Also there were four Choctaw Indian Properties or CIP in Sections 9, 10 (two), and 29. As a reminder CIP represents Choctaws who stayed on their land 1831-1836 and awarded a patent by records kept by Choctaw Agent or Choctaw Claims Commission 1842-45. Henry Halbert (see Prominent Sources this website) indicated that most of the Sixtown villages moved to Choctaw territory (now Oklahoma) in the second and third emigrations or 1832 and 1833.
As far as locating the British Sixtown villages, we must choose between the two British Maps: the RTG Map 1773 or the Purcell Brown Map 1781 (Marianne a link here please). Consider that Bernard Romans Journal does not mention visiting the Sixtown villages. My eye tells me that The Purcell Brown Map 1781 has more accurately drawn creeks and paths than the RTG Map 1773. The Jackson Winchester Road is shown on Survey Plats T5 R10 and T5 R11 Newton County and T4 R11 Jasper County. On the Purcell Brown Map 1781 that road is shown as a path that courses through or very near most of the British Sixtown villages. In addition, modern Souinlovie and Tarlow Creeks are drawn with some accuracy. Purcell obviously was on the ground in the British Sixtown villages. From Romans Journal in his book, A Concise Natural History of East and West Florida, we know he did not record visiting the Sixtown villages. As a result, we choose the Purcell Brown Map 1781 as our British Sixtown village location guide.
Note the ridges or surface features upon which the Sixtown villages rested were lengthy and irregularly shaped. These ridges are evident on Newton Ms. 7.5 minute USGS quad map. To avoid multiple section descriptions of the villages' extents we noted high points of the ridges as village locations. These villages are noted on Figure 4 as an "X." I believe the villages' boundaries will not be recognizable on a ground survey as they were tightly packed. We list the villages below as numbered and spelled by Purcell Brown Map 1781 with some notes and location information:
41. Cautroy or Okanatatloyha- Not an early French village. The Choctaw language did not have and "r". Okanatatloyha formed during or just following the Choctaw Civil War. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 18 and 19 Newton County.
42. Tallaw- French name Tala on Figure 3. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Section 30 Newton County.
43. Talap Hooka- French name Tala poukta per Roullet MPAFD I 150. I failed to locate this village on Figure 3. I will add it in the future. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 31 and 32 Newton County.
44. Senekahaw- French name Cheniacha on Figure 3. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 28 and 33 Newton County.
45. Otak shanabo- Not an early French village. Probably formed during or just after Choctaw Civil War. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 20, 21, 28, and 29 Newton County.
46. Uskalackne or Yellow Canes- French name Ouskelagana on Figure 3. The largest of the Sixtown villages during the French period. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Section 21 Newton County.
47. Nashubawyha- French name Nacchoubanouanya on Figure 3. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 21 and 22 Newton County.
48. Chiskeleek batcha- Not an early French village. Probably formed during or just following the Choctaw Civil War. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 22 and 23.
49. Bogue toolooxee- French Bouctoulouxy on Figure 3. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Section 27 Newton County.
50. Bishcoon- Not an early French village. Probably formed during or just following the Choctaw Civil War. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T5N R11E Sections 33 and 34 Newton County.
51. Hectee shanaw- Not an early French village. Probably formed during or just following the Choctaw Civil War. British Sixtown Period location is high ground T4N R11E Sections 1 and 2 Jasper County.
Conclusions
With the exception of the French Period villages Tala and Talapoukta the other French Period Sixtown Villages moved northwest several miles from Jasper County, see Figures 3 and 4. Several newly formed villages joined them in the late 1740s or 1750s. Why would these French period Sixtown villages move? Two answers: The wood resources of the French period Sixtown villages would have been exhausted. And the Newton County site offered a density of contiguous ridges, enhancing security and offering maintenance of their administration.
On the Purcell Brown Map 1781 in the upper left there is an estimate that the Sixtown Villages had 1012 men bearing arms. I guess each man had a family of three or each household had four people. So 4x1012/20 square miles yields about 200 people per square mile or 3 acres per person. It would have seemed crowded particularly when you factor their horses and gardens. But the Sixtown Choctaw villages survived the Choctaw Civil War and the Creek wars. Their decision to move was merited.