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Koasati Indian History
Koasati, An
Upper Creek tribe speaking a dialect almost identical with Alibamu and
evidently nothing more than a large division of that people. The name
appears to contain the word for 'cane' or 'reed,' and Gatschet has
suggested that it may signify 'white cane.' During the middle and latter
part of the 18th century the Koasati lived, apparently in one principal
village, on the right bank of Alabama river, 3 miles below the confluence
of the Coosa and Tallapoosa, where the modern town of Coosada, Ala.,
perpetuates their name; but soon after west Florida was ceded to Great
Britain, in 1763, "two villages of Koasati" moved over to the Tombigbee
and settled below the mouth of Sukenatcha creek. Romans and other writers
always mention two settlements here, Sukta-loosa and Occhoy or Hychoy, the
latter being evidently either Koasati or Alibamu. The Witumka Alibamu
moved with them and established themselves lower down. Later the Koasati
descended the river to a point a few miles above the junction of the
Tombigbee and the Alabama, but, together with their Alibamu associates,
they soon returned to their ancient seats on the upper Alabama. A "Coosawda" village existed on Tennessee river, near the site of Langston,
Jackson county, Ala., in the early part of the 19th century, but it is
uncertain whether its occupants were true Koasati. In 1799 Hawkins stated
that part of the Koasati had recently crossed the Mississippi, and Sibley
in 1805 informs us that these first settled on Bayou Chicot but 4 years
later moved over to the east bank of Sabine river, 80 miles south of
Natchitoches, La. Thence they spread over much of east Texas as far as
Trinity river, while a portion, or perhaps some of those who had remained
in Alabama, obtained permission from the Caddo to settle on Red river. Schermerhorn (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll., 2d s., 11, 26, 1814) states that in
1812 the Koasati on Sabine river numbered 600, and in 1820 Morse gave 350
on Red river, 50 on the Neches, 40 miles above its mouth, and 240 on the
Trinity, 40 to 50 miles above its mouth. Bollaert (1850) estimated the
number of warriors belonging to the Koasati on the lower Trinity as 500,
in 2 villages, Colete and Batista. In 1870 50 were in Polk county, Tex.,
and 100 near Opelousas, La. They were honest, industrious, and peaceful,
and still dressed in the Indian manner. Powell (7th Rep. B. A. E., 1891)
says that in 1886 there were 4 families of Koasati, of about 25
individuals, near the town of Shepherd, San Jacinto County, Tex. As part
of the true Alibamu were in this same region it is not improbable that
some of them have been included in the above enumerations. Those of the
Koasati who stayed in their original seats and subsequently moved to
Indian Territory also remained near the Alibamu for the greater part,
although they are found in several places in the Creek Nation, Okla. Two
towns in the Creek Nation are named after them.
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
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