Jackson, Calhoun, and Gulf County
Jackson County
PLACES TO VISIT:
There was an early Floridian village here before the first Spanish arrived. In 1693 the Spanish recorded a place of "beautiful and unusual rock." Andrew Jackson's army crossed the Chipola River at a natural land bridge during his campaign in 1818. The land bridge, now at Florida Caverns State Park, was long used as a crossing point. The Seminoles are believed to have hidden in the caverns at the time.
Indian village on the Apalachicola River
by French artist Comte de Castelnau
Calhoun County
Three miles southeast of Blountstown on the Apalachicola River is the Cayson Mound and Village. (Not open to the public.) This is a good example of the Fort Walton period Mound Culture, when the Florida Natives were at the height of their culture. (Dated 900-1500 AD)
John Blount, or Laufauka, was sympathetic to the Americans, and supported them at the destruction of Negro Fort and the First Seminole War. He was one of the few chiefs that the United States could always rely on for support, and the U.S. paid him more money then most other Creeks and Seminoles that were sent west. At the negotiations for the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, the United States paid Blount's travel expenses and transported him to the talks. The treaty also had provisions for his group to stay on a small area of the Apalachicola River, although the defined reservation was very small.
The other Upper Creeks and Seminoles probably considered Blount a traitor because of his support of the United States. In the late 1820's Blount started to come under attack from Upper Creeks who raided Blount's village. Blount's family was threatened, and Blount himself was accosted.
The U.S. government decided that it had to remove John Blount's band and move them away for their own safety. Blount was promised land in Texas near where his uncle had settled. The government was generous on the expenses to move Blount, but many opposing Creeks and slave traders took much of the money. On his trip to the west, slave traders imprisoned Blount in New Orleans to get his money.
Another problem that delayed Blount's departure from Florida was that the government had lost his son. He wanted his son returned from the Choctaw Indian Academy in Kentucky, but the school could not tell which student was Blount's son, and at first declared that he had died. Eventually Blount's son was located and returned to his family in time to be sent west.
Nea Mathla
McKenney-Hall Portrait
Another Chief who also had a reservation along the Apalachicola River was Nea Mathla. In 1821 he helped the Americans find a suitable location for the new capital of Tallahassee. He told the visiting party not to tell the other local Indians that he had helped them, because it would ruin his reputation as a great warrior. Nea Mathla eventually became dissatisfied with the United State's Indian removal policy, so around 1826 he moved back to Alabama and left his reservation. Even at the age of 84 during the 1836 Creek War in Alabama, He had a reputation as the fiercest war leader in the Creek War.
PLACES TO VISIT:
The old Calhoun County courthouse in downtown Blountstown has two historical markers to the side that are worth mention. One is the only historical marker in Florida that is in the Muskogee language!
First marker: (English only.) BLUNT RESERVATION AND FIELDS
This is the western boundary of a reservation set aside by the treaty
of Fort Moultrie and given to John Blunt (Blount) one of the six principal
chiefs of the Florida Indians. The Apalachicola River was the eastern boundary.
The treaty was ratified [by the Senate on] January 2, 1824. Signers of
the treaty were William P. Duval, James Gadsden, Bernard Sequi, Nea Mathla,
John Blunt, Tuski Hajo, Mulatto King, Emathlochee, and Econchatimico. Blountstown
was named after him.
Second marker: COCHRANETOWN - CORAKKO TVLOFA
Apalachicola Creek Indians permanently settled Calhoun County in 1815; wars forced them out of Alabama. A new Tribal Town was built by Chief Tuskie Hajo Cochrane between Old River and Noble Lake. Cochrane is an anglicized version of his Creek name Corakko pronounced "Cho'thlakko" which means Horse. The 1823 Treaty of Moultrie Creek recognized Cochranetown with its 100 families as part of the Blunt-Tuskie Hajo Reservation now called Blountstown.
Meske 1815 mahen. Estecate Ocesvlke Vpvlvcekola fulles. Tepokv empefatkvtet eyicet tacko Kulhun vpoketv hayakvtes. Mimvm, Tvske Hacoketatet talofv empvtakvn hayvtes. Tuske Haco Corakko "Cochrane" Wacenv ehocefkvt toyvtes. 1823 opunvka-cokv (Motle Temfvtcetv) oc-ofvn. Corakko Talofv "Cochranetown". Plvnt-Tuske Haco ekvntacko hahoyvtes. Mucv nettv. Plvnt-en-Talofv tos.
The 1832 Treaty of Payne's Landing compelled local Creeks to emigrate to Texas with Chief John Blunt. Tuskie Hajo Cochrane's daughter, Polly Parrot, refused to go. Her clan fled northward to a Calhoun County wilderness called Boska Bokga, "The last fasting place." The Bokga's people became known as the Boggs family. Many Calhoun County citizens descend from Polly's clan.
1832 opunvkv-cokv (Lucuwv Temfvtcetv) oc-ofvn. Teksvske min vpeyvnonstkes kihocen. Vyepofvn Tvske Haco echuste vyetvn eyacekos*. Polly em-estvlken vtelohyet kvn posketa pokkon sohletkvtes. Mucv, Kvlhun Tacko ofvn. Polly enrohonvpvlke fulle emunks.
In 1986, Florida Tribe of Eastern Creek Indians whose members include the Boggs clan was recognized by the State. Today, they still maintain their ancient traditions. Their unbroken line of titled chiefs is Tuskie Hajo Cochrane-1832; Polly Parrot, regent matriarch 1833-1898; Tuskie Hajo John James William Joseph Boggs-1900; Tuskie Hajo James Daniel Boggs-1920; Alice McClellan Boggs, regent matriarch 1933-1961; Tuskie Mahaya Hajo Dr. Andrew Boggs Ramsey-1962. The Tuskie Hajo (zealous Warriors) all descend from Polly. Cochranetown is 3 miles south of here, east of SR 69.
Ohrolope 1986. Kvnfvske. Vhakv-hayvlke em-nakaftetv oc-ofvn Ocesvlket Florida Tribe kerkuechv emhoyet omvtes. Hiyomat, Kvlhum Tacko estecate Muskokvlket fulle emunks. Emmekkvlket Tvske Haco Corakko 1832, Polly 1833-1898, Tvske Haco Can Cems Welev Cose Pokkvs 1900, Tvske Haco Cems Tvnel Pokkvs 1920, Vles Mvklelan Pokkvs 1933-1961, Tvske Mvhayv Haco Vntolv Pokkvs Lvmes 1962, hocefkvlket omvts. Pommekkvlke Pollyketate Rohonvpvlketomes. Mvto!
Sponsored by the Calhoun County Historical Society and the Boggs-Ramsey family in cooperation with the Florida Department of State, 1989.
*Note: For those of you who know Creek/Mvskokee, and read the marker itself, you may have noticed one mistake. The word "eyacekot" should have read "eyacekos." It is corrected here in the text with permission. When the marker was cast, the proof had not been received by the foundry yet or else they copied from the unproofed text by mistake. Unfortunately the historical marker can't be changed because of the undue expense entailed. think of it as built-in character!
Gulf County
PLACES TO VISIT:
The town of St. Joseph almost became the state capital, but was wiped out by yellow fever in 1841 and then finished off by a hurricane. The town even had the first railroad in the state. The Constitution Convention Museum at Port St. Joe is an interesting place to visit showing what Florida life was like in the 1830's, during the time of the Second Seminole War. It shows that many of the people in the state were trying to turn Florida from U.S. territory into a state, even during a major war.
HISTORIC QUOTE:
"The speakers of the nation are all dead; but I recollect some of their words when they had the meeting at Camp Moultrie. I was not there, but heard that we would be at peace, and that we would have our annuity paid to us for 20 years. White people have told me that the treaty of Camp Moultrie, which was made by great men, and not to be broken, had secured them for twenty years; that seven years of the treaty are still unexpired. I am no half-breed, and do not lean on one side. If they tell me to go after the seven years, I say nothing. That as to the proposition made them by the agent about removing, I do not say I will not go; but I think that, until the seven years are out, I give no answer. My family I love dearly and sacredly. I do not think it right to take them right off. The President has often said to me that he loves his children--that they loved him. When a man is at home, and got his stock about him, he looks upon it as the subsistence of himself and family. Then when they go off, they reflect and think more seriously, than when quiet at home. I do not complain of the agent's talk. My young men and family are all around me. Should I go west, I should lose many on the path. As to the country west, I looked at it; a weak man cannot get there; the fatigue would be so great; it requires a strong man. I hardly got there. When I went there, the agent, Phagan, was a passionate man--he quarreled with us after we got there. Had Major Phagan done his duty, it would all have been settled, and there would have been no difficulty. If I know my own heart, I think I am true. If I differ from the agent, he is a free man, and has his right to his talk. I hope his talk will bring all things right; that hereafter we may all live well together. I am pleased with the sight of the agent, and hope we may know each other better."
The "speakers of the nation" referred to are those that had since passed away, like Chief John Hicks (Tuko-see-mathla). At this conference, all the chiefs were complaining to Indian Agent Thompson that the Treaty of Moultrie Creek had not expired yet, and that they should not have to talk about emigration until the 20 years annuity promised in the former treaty were expired. They also complained about their treatment during their visit to Fort Gibson in Arkansas Territory, and that the Indian Agent (Major Phagan & Colonel Arbuckle) had tricked them into signing a treaty that they did not agree with.
A year later, Chief Charlie Emathla sold his cattle to the Indian Agency at Fort King, in preparation to move his people west. Osceola had threatened death to anyone that would sell their cattle, and carried out the sentence on Charlie Emathla on his return to the village.
From "U.S. Congress (24th Congress, 2d Session), January 23, 1837; Report from the Secretary of War, In Compliance with Resolution of the Senate of the 14th and 18th Instant, Transmitting Copies of Correspondence Relative to the Campaign in Florida."
(c) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 Chris Kimball
Note: None of this material can be reproduced without written permission
from the author.