History

The treaty of San Lorenzo was made, from the Spanish point of view, to protect Louisiana and make a friend of the United States. While the negotiations were in progress. the United States crushed the British-Indian power in the northwest, and made the Jay treaty with England, that seemed to promise a close friendship between the English-speaking peoples. It was feared that this would result in an invasion of Louisiana from Canada, with the permission of the United States, if Spain continued to make pretensions to all the Mississippi valley south of the Ohio. Spain was apprehensive, also, that France, …

Advent of the Flag Read More »

This historic fight between the French under Bienville and the Chickasaw Indians took place on May 26, 1736, about three miles northwest of the present town of Tupelo, in Lee county. The French had penetrated the Chickasaw country by way of the Mobile and Tombigbee rivers, and their force consisted of about 600 whites and 500 Indians (Claiborne, p. 59), while other accounts place their total numbers at from 2,500 to 3,000, inclusive of some 1,200 Choctaw allies. The village of Ackia, where the Chickasaws were first discovered by Bienville, was strongly fortified with palisades and earthworks, and their fort …

Ackia Battle, 1736 Read More »

De Soto and his Spaniards left Chicacilla (q. v.), in Pontotoc county, April 26th, 1541, and took up his march in search of the wealthy province of his dreams. On Thursday they came to a savanna and found their way barred by a force of Indians under the command of Alabamo, or Alimamu, or Limamu, who had constructed a very strong fort of palisades, which was located on the bank of a small river, near a ford. The Spaniards stormed and carried this fort at the cost of seven or eight lives, and twenty-five or six wounded, and the Indians …

1541 Alabamo Battle Read More »