14,771, of whom 10,014 were of Indian blood and the remainder were
negroes, their former slaves. It appears that the Indian population
included about 700 from other tribes, chiefly Cherokee. There are also
about 300 Alabama, "Cushatta" (Koasati), and Muscogee in Texas. See
also Hawkins, Sketch of the Creek Country; Gatschet, Creek Migration
Legend; Adair, History of the American Indians; Bartram, Travels;
The Five Civilized Tribes, Bulletin of the Eleventh Census; Wyman,
in Alabama Historical Society Collections.
Chickasaw--This tribe, of Muskhogean stock, formerly occupied
northern Mississippi and adjacent portions of Alabama and Tennessee,
and at an early period had incorporated also several smaller tribes
on Yazoo river in central Mississippi, chief among which were the
cognate Chokchuma. The name occurs first in the De Soto narrative. The
Chickasaw language was simply a dialect of Choctaw, although the two
tribes were hereditary enemies and differed widely in character, the
former being active and warlike, while the latter were notoriously
sluggish. Throughout the colonial period the Chickasaw were the
constant enemies of the French and friends of the English, but they
remained neutral in the Revolution. By the treaty of Pontotoc in
1832 they sold their lands east of the Mississippi and agreed to
remove to Indian Territory, where they are now organized as the
Chickasaw Nation. According to Morgan they have 12 clans grouped
into two phratries. In 1890, the citizen population of the Nation
(under Chickasaw laws) consisted of 3,941 full-blood and mixed-blood
Chickasaw, 681 adopted whites, 131 adopted negroes, and 946 adopted
Indians from other tribes, chiefly Choctaws. Under the present law,
by which citizenship claims are decided by a Government commission,
"Chickasaw by blood" are reported in 1898 to number 4,230, while
"white and negro" citizens are reported at 4,818. See also Gatschet,
Creek Migration Legend; The Five Civilized Tribes, Bulletin of
Eleventh Census.
The Choctaw confederacy--This was a loose alliance of tribes,
chiefly of Muskhogean stock, occupying southern Alabama and
Mississippi, with the adjacent Gulf coast of western Florida and
eastern Louisiana. The Choctaw proper, of Muskhogean stock, occupying
south central Mississippi, was the dominant tribe. Smaller tribes
more or less closely affiliated were the Mobilian, Tohome, Mugulasha,
Pascagoula, Biloxi, Acolapissa, Bayagoula, Houma, with others of less
note. It had been assumed that all of these were of Muskhogean stock
until Gatschet in 1886 established the fact that the Biloxi were of
Siouan affinity, and it is quite probable that the Pascagoula also
were of the same connection. All the smaller tribes excepting the
Biloxi were practically extinct, or had entirely lost their identity,
before the year 1800.
The Choctaw were one of the largest of the eastern tribes, being
exceeded in numbers, if at all, only by the Cherokee; but this apparent
superiority was neutralized by their unwarlike character and lack
of cohesion. According to Morgan, whose statement has, however, been
challenged, they had eight clans grouped into two phratries. There was
also a geographic division into "Long towns," "Potato-eating towns,"
and "Six towns," the last named differing considerably in dialect and
custom from the others. By treaties in 1820 and 1830 the Choctaw sold
all their lands east of the Mississippi and agreed to remove to Indian
Territory, where they now constitute the Choctaw Nation. A considerable
number of vagrant Choctaw who had drifted into Louisiana and Arkansas
at an early period have since joined their kindred in Indian Territory,
but from 1,000 to 2,000 are still scattered along the swampy Gulf coast
of Mississippi. In 1890 those of pure or mixed Choctaw blood in the
Choctaw Nation were officially reported to number 10,211. In 1899,
under different conditions of citizenship, the "Choctaw by blood"
were put at 14,256, while the adopted whites and negroes numbered
5,150. See also Gatschet, Creek Migration Legend; The Five Civilized
Tribes, Bulletin of Eleventh Census.
The Osage--The popular name is a corruption of Ouasage, the French
spelling of Wasash, the name used by themselves. The Osage were the
principal southern Siouan tribe, claiming at one time nearly the whole
territory from the Missouri to the Arkansas and from the Mississippi
far out into the plains. Their geographic position brought them equally
into contact with the agricultural and sedentary tribes of the eastern
country and the roving hunters of the prairie, and in tribal habit
and custom they formed a connecting link between the two. Whether or
not they deserved the reputation, they were considered by all their
neighbors as particularly predatory and faithless in character, and
had consequently few friends, but were generally at war with all
tribes alike. They made their first treaty with the Government in