The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-18
PAIFlNDfRS ARE FOLLOWING ROUTE
OF THE ORIGINAL JACKSON ROAD
CONTINUED from Page 1'hree.)

tion Is into section II; thence into |
30 yards from its southeastern corner
thence into section A, about the Ger
ter OF line dividing them; then it er
ters section 33, about 800 yards iron
its southwest corner, passing out int
section "a, 400 yards south of tn
northeast corner of section SO, theme,
into section 27, 400 yards from it
southwest corner; enters section 26
600 yards below the northwest corner
enters section 26, 600 yards below tn,
northwest corner; enters section 2:
about the center of its south line ant
about the center of the line dividing
sections 23 and "a, thence into section
13 about 600 yards from its southwest
corner and. continuing northeast
crosses the Alabama line in the south
east quarter of the section about 300
yards west and 600 yards north of its
southeast corner.
OF this territory lying east of the
Tombigbee River, small part of
which is included in the boundaries
of Mississippi, some observations may,
with propriety, be here made, although
not bearing directly on the subject un-
der consideration.
On "chart of the sources of the
Mobile and OF the River Yazoo" Q796),
all the lands between the Tuscaloosa,
or Black Warrior, and the Tombigbee
Rivers is marked Country quite unin.
habited."
While this may be a strictly accurate
statement, the date considered, the in
ference should not follow that it was
never inhabited, but rather that it was
partially, if not completely, depopu-
lated in 1896. At what time and why
this occurred, the answers can be only
conjectural. Certainly it was inhab
tied in 1910 when DeSoto passed di-
rectly through it's western extremity
and Bernard Romans in 1771 saw, or
thought he saw, Creek war party
cross the Tombigbee near Columbus
from the east ION mischief bent"
Whether then the country was in
habited or uninhabited, neutral or con.
tested, the fact remains that through
out its area the archaeological evidences
prove conclusively that it was at some
period thickly populated. Particularly
does this apply to the highlands bor-
dering the river which runs through
its center.
Reverting to the Choctaw cession of
1915, & may be interesting to note
that on September 20, 1916, the Chick
asaws relinquished by treaty to the
United States all claim to territory
south of the Tennessee River and
down the Tombigbee to the Choctaw
boundary, except a few special reser-
vations for the Colberts, one tract for
use of Appassantubbee and heirs and |
one to John Melish.
On October "a, 1916, the Choc-
taws ceded to the United States
all their claim to lands lying east
of the following boundary, and
running from thence down the
Tombigbee until it intersects the
northern boundary of a cession
made the United States by the
Choctaws, at Mount Dexter, No
vember 16, 1906"
Oktibbeha Creek, as is well known,
was the western boundary between
the Choctaws and Chickasaws, but on
the east of the Tombigbee River the
line was an imaginary one. and i'm
material so far as the United States
was concerned, its occupancy of both
sides being practically at the same
time. But the Indians doubtless un-
derstood it thoroughly With no COM
pass as guide, the designations were
water-courses, well known
trails and even ridges with their va
riations as division lines. Though not
altogether accurate, they were in the
main satisfactory. So, any Chickasaw
Or Choctaw claiming land in the vi
cinity of Columbus, east of the river,
after 1916, other than by purchase
from the United States, would have {
rightfully been considered an intruder, {
here being no reservations under |
which either of them could have es- 9
ablished ownership except those {
famed. 6
There is singular omission in our I
State histories Of this Choctaw ces- 9
ion above quoted, which, together !
With the erroneous statements regard i
ng the boundaries Of the >Chickasaw e
ession, have eansed endless discus il
ions among the informed and misin- 0
ormed on the subject Future histo- t
fans and cession map-makers should