The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-18

sdpiVes until the nov, "lheh
1a,e.N ase was reached insured comnstsn. NJ su.
s',D sulaes over the best and o.t',sn' most en-
nevas 'u trails He was, therefore
ah,o 'ost' In the sense of not helms
aOle to find the right wav te ~ Dv,as ,vn,,
u~n ~ crossingplaces.
L .ne preposterous idea that .. ..,..
os os''lers ns could easily follow the blaza. s
,,,,, ., DesOto would be dispelled lied 'taAes nx !
ii'tle study of woodscraft r. W
'lon with a simple matnsma.1eS, III ronaec,
a'ouiatlon-1Sle-154O-27s-and A.,
,as. s.ory of Spanish cannon and borsas sas
,e'' IN and along the river should aIso
Ana.s sa'eo to the realm Of fiction.
t,a aoeaer ,, writer, coming well within
.ne historic period in "choctaw oroaa
.me'plaees on the Tombigbee," saws !,
. aenmiie shoals crossing" that the
nesent name is derived from the
3 iac' mat the shoals are ten miles from
eoiumbus, Mississippi A norsoua,
examination Or casual inquiry would
nave developed the real fact tha,
mere mere are ten miles of shoals. over
"nh'n DOUBTLESS the wild waters rim.
pied in pre-Columbian times. and tha.
lame is descriptive of their length
gpas no reference to their goo
~ hical position or distance from anv
her place.
inls Is the path of history barricad.
ed with inconsequent deductions and
inaccurate statements around which
the investigating traveller must mako
MS Slow and devious way, if he would
reach the goal of authentic knowledge
IN matters historical.
There was, however a real lack
son Military Road despite the fact that
IL was not serviceable in subiugatino
the Creeks in fighting the battle of New
ofieans or in any other active military
operations in the Southwest u
served It's purpose and finally gave
way TO greater improvements, lust as
the stage-coach of Sam Houston and
the knife of Jim Bowie were succeed.
ed by railroads, steamboats,, and the
death-dealing improved pistol.
In the absence of documentary infor.
nation pertaining to the genesis of
this road, viz: the grant of the right.
of-way through the Choctaw Nation
and the report of the typographical
engineer who made the survey, it would
be yell to direct attention first to the
NJ rs employed in its construction.
4 first data obtainable are found |
IN the following communication:
War Department,
September "a, 1916.
Sir,-An appropriation of ten
thousand dollars was made dur.
Ing the last session of Congress
for repairing and keeping in re-
pair a road from Columbia, in
Tennessee, to Madisonvile, in
Louisiana, and another road from
Georgia to Fort Stoddart. Half of
this sum will be expended upon
the first road. have received no
information of the length of this
road, the nature of the country
through which it passes, or its
present state.
If there are many bridges to be
erected the appropriation will be
inadequate to the object. In that
event the employment of a part
OF IRe troops may become neces-
sary.
All the information which you
possess upon the subject will be
acceptable to the department. If
more is necessary to be obtained
to enable you to furnish what is
necessary to the due execution of
the law in question, as little time
should be lost in collecting it as
possible.
The necessary instructions will
be given as soon as the informa-
tion required shall be transmitted.
have the honor, ETC., Il
William II. Crawford.
Major General Andrew Jackson,
Nashville, Tennessee. II
The legislation referred to is en-
,died in an act which made appro-
-iations for repairing certain roads
e-Sin described, to-wit: II
Ho\it enacted by the Senate and
Upb of Representatives of the
Sxed States of America, in Con-
rTess assembled That the sum of
ten thousand dollars be and are
hereby appropriated, and payable
out Of any moneys in the treasury
not otherwise appropriated for the
purpose Of repairing and keeping
( - al l