New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-26

In our search after the origin of names many in
teresting events are brought to light 1t was no
great while ago that the Chickasaws pursued the
wild game of the solitudes of Northern Mississippi
undisturbed, and among them all tradition gives
us no more worthy examples than those of Tsho
mingo, the hospitable king of the Chickasaw ma
ton and his fair daughter Itawamba.
In the year 1916 lawsuit was pending in one o.
the high courts of Georgia, by which the title to
large estate then under investigation, depended
entirely upon an absent witness, who had, it was
found, removed to Fort Pickering fortified sta
ton on the Mississippi river The testimony OF
this witness was of the utmost Importance to Sc
cure the property of the rightful owner; and
although the journey was a hazardous one OF
many weeks absence, yet the value of the pro.
perty in jeopardy justified it. So he set out on
horseback, after taking leave of his family.
The defendant, man of wealth, and an intrigu
ing and crafty designer, learning the absence Of
his opponent, and aware of the nature of his
errand, determined to prevent his return, and
thereby secure to himself the ownership of the
much coveted possessions. He found a worthy
tool In his overseer, "a minion at his command, J
who undertook by the promise of large reward
to " follow to the death " the unsuspecting victim
The hired assassin overlook the prosecutor at an
inn kept by an Indian, in Cotton Gin, small
village now called Cotton Gin Port, about forty
miles south of Corinth, Miss, on the Mobile and
Ohio railroad
The following morning the two travellers set out
together, and in crossing swollen stream, the
ford of which was difficult, the prosecutors horse
became entanged in some driftwood, and while
he was struggling to extricate himself the murderer
assailed him with large club and left him stiff on
the bank while he cut the horses throat and left
him to be doated down the stream. He then ex.
tracted all papers and letters from the pockets OF
the PROSTATE man, beat most desperately the life.
less frame, and cast it into the stream consoling
himself with the thought that none but Indians
could possibly find the remains, and they would
suppose the horse and rider were drowned in the
effort to cross the dangerous stream. He then
mounted his horse and pursued his journey
The body of the mangled man, after drifting a
short distance, became entangled in some drift
near the bank, and in this situation was soon after
seen by party of Chickasaws on the way to Cot.
ton Gin. They drew the body from the mud, and
discovered faint signs of life. Every restorative
suggested by, savage instinct was applied, and
strange to tell, the man restored to animation
but not to consciousness the blows upon the skull
had injured the brain. 1t now became question
with the Indians how to dispose of the helpless
man. They feared, if he should die while in their
hands, that they would be considered his murderers
by the white men in the territory around them.
Finally, they resolved to take him to their chief
Tishomingo, who lived not far from the present
town of Carrollville.
The old king received him kindly gave him
couch of skins, and committed him to the care of
his daughter, ltawamba, who tenderly nursed him.
She bathed in unctuous herbs the fostering wounds
and bandaged the swollen limbs, and for months
waited kindly and patiently upon the invalid
W .n'oi iolou away, spring cale, anu WIFI IL COIL
seriousness returned to the mind of the poor
sufferer. As dream he remembered this meeting
with the overseer; journey with him for twelve
mlles; the angry stream that crossed his way !;
then the blow-the fall-the darkness-all else
was blank.
HIS anxiety to return to his family increased
with his health. The good old Indian King sent
MN to Cotton Gin, where he found newspaper
containing an advertisement of his estate "for
saie,n signed by his wife (administratrix) With.
out delay he set out for Georgia, and arrived Just
IL IN nme to prevent the marriage of his widow He
tvea many years after his return, but was never
the same business man he was before the accident.
HIS murderer haunted by a guilty conscience,
went to Fort Pickering, and committed suicide by
jumping into the Mississippi. y
IN 1885, when the country that lay in the north
east portion Of the Cickasaw Purchase was marked
In to countes and 1t became the duty of the
counties, a gentleman composing that body con-.
versant with the above facts, proposed ''Tisho
mhgo' and .'1tawamba" for two of them in COM
pliment to the charitable Chief and his faith fnl
daughter. Historical Magazine ~