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What became of the Shawnee
Source: Early History of the Creek Indians and Their Neighbors #121
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In 1752 and the year following there was a Shawnee town not far from Coosa River, apparently in the country of the Abihka Indians. In fact, some maps show two settlements of the tribe here, one of which is called "Cayomulgi," which is evidently the " Kiamulgatown " of the census list of 1832.5 No town of the name is now remembered; perhaps it was the Creek name for the Shawnee town, which had by the whites been applied to a later Creek settlement. Hawkins gives "Kiomulgee" as the name of the upper part of Natchez or Tallasee Hatchee Creek, which extends toward Sylacauga.8 This would agree well with the location of a town on the Purcell map (pl. 7) called Mulberry Tree, not other wise identified. It should be noted that the Creek word for mulberry is ki while orrndga signifies all. In the French census of 1760 there appear among the Creeks two Shawnee towns of 50 men each. One was evidently the settlement just mentioned, which is called Chalakagay, perhaps intended for Sylacauga, a name which indicates in Creek a place where buzzards are plentiful—and the other is meant for "Little Shawnee." The latter is placed within 3 leagues of Fort Toulouse.7 In the census of 1761 we find only the latter settlement, " Savanalis opposite toMucklassee or shaircula savanalis." "Shaircula" is probably intended for Hathawekela. It then numbered 30 hunters and had as agents William Trewin and Crook & Co.8 Bartram includes this in his list of Creek towns, but confounds its inhabitants with the Yuchi.9 Swan gives a town bearing the Shawnee name and states that Kan-hat ki was also occupied by Indians of this tribe.10 I have elsewhere shown that, on this latter point, he is in error. In 1797 Hawkins states that the trader here was "John Haigue, commonly called Savannah Jack," evidently a mixed blood.11 In his sketch he has the following to say regarding it: "Sau-wa-no-gee is on a pine flat [Note: The published edition has "forest."], three miles below Le-cau-suh, and back from a swamp bordering on the river; their fields are on both sides of the river, but mostly on the left bank, between the swamp and the river, on a vein of rich canebreakland; they are the Shaw-a-ne, and retain the language and customs of their countrymen to the northwest, and aided them in their late war with the United States. Some Uchees have settled with them; they are industrious, work with their women, and make plenty of corn; they have no cattle, and but few horses and hogs; the town house is an oblong square cabin, roof eight feet pitch, the sides and roof covered with the bark of the pine; on the left of the river."2 The tribe does not appear in the census list of 1832 unless it may be concealed under the appellation "Kiamulgatown" above men tioned.8 At what time the Shawnee separated definitely from the Creeks I do not know, but it was as early as the time of the removal, although their reservations in the west adjoined and the Shawnee and Creeks retained their old-time intimacy. (Swanton)
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