The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-18
PA|HF|NDERS al ARE following ROUTE
:. :. ,,,,,!!t iM the ORIGINAL JACKSON ROAD
.oontirued From Page One,

10 avoid possible confusion in GER
tain quarters regarding the Choctaw
agency above mentioned, 1t may not
pe out OF place to say in this connec-
tion that the Choctaw Nation was d.
Vided into three districts, each indie
pendent in governmental affairs. ex-
cept IN matters of national import, in
winch case they acted unitedly. or as
a whole. There was established for
'ne sake of convenience, at least one
agency In each district at which the
INDIANS received their government an.
iuities and transacted other tribal
business.
In view of the very meager official
data obtainable from the Department
az washington. the following extracts
from letters relating to the jackson
hoad' have been taken from the Jack.
son papers in the Library of Congress.
Under date of March IA, 1917. H.
Young announces the completion Of
the first part of his labor; describes
the line he has run; mentions the re.
suits Of his examination of the conn.
Try for road route; tells Of the suffer.
ing caused by calumnies; and saws
that he will report after his return to
Nashville.
~.
on April rs, 1917, he gives con-
densed account Of his operations sent
previously; on chance Of miscarriage
OF letters writes again, giving sub
stance of account mentioned; gives
position of line of road; describes
character of country and enumerates
difficulties. asS
j. Gadsden writes to Jackson, May
g. 1877, that Captain H. Young awaits
orders, and mentions the difficulties
in making good road west of the
Tombigbee.
On June 7. 1917, Captain. Young
writes that he has comtnenced his last
survey of the road, and that ietach-
ment is awaiting tools and supplies:
adds that cutting wilt begin IN about
ten days, and that Instructions have
been made out. He expresses soIici-
tude for the completion of the road
and wishes to stay with the detach-
ment.
The apprehension of the Secretary
OF War that IF there are many bridges
to be erected the appropriation (s10..
OOO will be inadequate to the object"
was well founded, as will be seen from
the following act of Congress:
An act in addition to "An act
making appropriation for repairing
certain roads therein described"
Sec. 2. And be 1t further enact
ed. That the sum of five thou
sand dollars be, and the same is
hereby appropriated, for the pur-
pose of repairing and keeping in
repair that part OF the road lead
ing from Columbia, in the State
of Tennessee, by the Choctaw
Agency, to Madisonviile, in the
State of Louisiana, which lies be-
tween the southern boundary of
the State Of Tennessee and the
Indian boundary line, near ga
dock Brashears. in the State of
Mississippi, which sums shall be
expended under the direction of
the Secretary for the Department
of War.
Approved, March Z, 1918.
On March 8, 1919, Major Perrin Will
is was ordered by General Ripley,
commanding the Eighth Military Dis
rict, to repair to the military and
supervise the work on southern end of
he road till it is finished
On June IA, 1919, Major Willis re-
,orted to General Jackson that he as
iumed this duty on April 9TH; found
hat IL uGu DctH CdIIltu dS ldT dS
the line of demarcation"-1A miles
outh of it. He speaks of the road as
parallel and contiguous to
Pearl River, and says he has worked
IN it sixty days and carried it ten
niles. He adds that ordinarily its
width was thirty-five feet; in swampy
'laces it had causeway, twenty-one
eet wide. He was then working a
orce ofNabout fifty effective men. The
Dad ran from the Pearl River to the
axes.
On July 90, 1919, George Poindexter
yrote to General Jackson to urge that
his road pass through Columbia mis-
issippi) instead and three and one
alf miles below it.
Lieut.. James Scallan, of the First
United States Infantry. to
Ieneral Jackson, under date. "Garri- /,
on, Baton Rouge, October 2, 1920" /