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What became of the Coosa-Tulsa

Source: Early History of the Creek Indians and Their Neighbors #121

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Hawkins gives the following description of it as it existed in 1799:
"Tal-e-see, from Tal-o-fau, a town, and e-see, taken. [Note: There is a Creek tradition to the effect that this town was once "captured" by the Tukabahchee, but I am inclined to think that it was invented to account for the name. It is more likely that Gatschet is right in deriving the name from til" a, town, and, ahasi, old, although it is now so much abbreviated that its original meaning is totally obscured.] Situated in the fork of Eu-fau-be on the left bank of Tal-la-poo-sa, opposite Took-au-bat-che. Eu-fau-be has its source in the ridge dividing the waters of Chat-to-ho-che from Tal-la-poo-sa, and runs nearly west to the junction with the river; here it is sixty feet wide. The land on it is poor for some miles up, then rich flats, bordered with pine land with reedy branches; a fine range for cattle and horses.

"The Indians have mostly left the town, and settled up the creek, or on its waters, for twenty miles. [Note: The Lib. Cong. MS. has " 25 miles."] The settlements are some of them well chosen, and fenced with worm fences. The land bordering on the streams of the right side of the creek, is better than that of the left ; and here the settlements are mostly made. Twelve miles up the creek from its mouth it forks; the large fork of the left side has some rich flat swamp, large white oak, poplar, ash, and white pine. The trading path from Cus-se-tuh to the Upper Creeks crosses this fork twice. Here it is called big swamp (opil-thluc-co). The waving land to its source is stiff. The growth is post oak, pine, and hard-shelled hickory. [Note: The Lib. Cong. MS. adds the name of the magnolia.]

"The Indians who have settled out on the margins and branches of the creek have several of them, cattle, hogs, and horses, and begin to be attentive to them. The head warrior of the town, Peter McQueen, a half-breed, is a snug trader, has a valuable property in negroes and stock, and begins to know their value. These Indians were very friendly to the United States during the Revolutionary War, and their old chief, Ho-bo-ith-le Mic-co, of the halfway house (improperly called the Tal-e-see king), could not be prevailed on by any offers from the agents of Great Britain to take part with them.

"On the return of peace, and the establishment of friendly arrangements between the Indians and citizens of the United States, this chief felt himself neglected by Mr. Seagrove, which resenting, he robbed and insulted that gentleman, compelled him to leave his house near Took-au-bat-che, and fly into a swamp. He has since then, as from a spirit of contradiction, formed a party in opposition to the will of the nation, which has given much trouble and difficulty to the chiefs of the land. His principal assistants were the leaders of the banditti who insulted the commissioners of Spain and the United States, on the 17th September, 1799, at the confluence of Flint and Chat-to-ho-che. The exemplary punishment inflicted on them by the warriors of the nation, has effectually checked their mischief-making and silenced them. And this chief has had a solemn warning from the national council, to respect the laws of the nation, or he should meet the punishment ordained by the law. He is one of the great medal chiefs.

"This spirit of party or opposition prevails not only here, but more or less in every town in the nation. The plainest proposition for ameliorating their condition, is immediately opposed; and this opposition continues as long as there is hope to obtain presents, the infallible mode heretofore in use, to gain a point."8

Tulsa had several branch towns. Mention has already been made of one of these.1 On the French list of 1760 and several early maps is a place called Nafape, or Nafabe, which was evidently a Tulsa outvillage on a creek of the same name flowing into Ufaupee Creek.2 Near, and possibly identical with this, was Chatukchufaula, although on some maps it appears on Tallapoosa River itself. It is evidently the "Challacpauley" of Swan,2 and I give it as a branch of Tulsa on the authority of Woodward.4 It was destroyed in the war of 1813-14 by Indians friendly to the United States Government and the people probably migrated to Florida.5

The "Halfway House," of which the "Ho-bo-ith-le Mic-co" of Hawkins was chief, is frequently mentioned by travelers. Taitt gives its Creek name as "Chavucleyhatchie." He says:
"I took the bearings and distance of the path to this place which is twenty-five miles ENE. from the Tuokabatchie, situated on a creek called Chavucleyhatchie being the north branch of Nufabee Creek, which emptys itself into the Tallapuse River at the great Tallassies. In this village which belongs to the Tallasies are about 20 gunmen and one trader."8

In Bartram's list (1777) it appears as " Ghuaclahatche."7 Although given as a town distinct from the Halfway house the "Chawelatchie" of the Purcell map (pl. 7) is evidently intended for this, especially since Hawkins calls it "Chowolle Hatche."8 The name is perpetuated in the "Chewockeleehatchee Creek" of modern maps.

Another branch was Saoga-hatchee, "Rattle Creek," which appears as early as 1760.2 Hawkins has the following to say regarding it:

"Sou-go-hat-che; from sou-go, a cymbal, and hat-che, a creek. This joins on the left side of Tallapoosa, ten miles below Eu-fau-lau. It is a large creek, and the land on the forks and to their sources is stiff in places, and stony. The timber is red oak and small hickory; the flats on the streams are rich, covered with reed; among the branches the land is waving and fit for cultivation.

"They have thirty gunmen in this village, who have lately joined Tal-e-see. One of the chiefs, O-fau-mul-gau, has some cattle, others have a few, as they have only paid attention to their stock within two years, and their means for acquiring them were slender.

"Above this creek, on the waters of Eu-fau-lau-hat-che, there are some settlements well chosen. The upland is stiff and stony or gravelly; the timber is post and red oak, pine and hickory; the trees are small; the soil apparently rich enough, and well suited for wheat, and the streams have some rich flats. 9

"Another branch, Lutcapoga, "terrapin resort," "place where terrapins are gathered," appears only in Hawkins's Letters [Note: As "I.uchaossoguh."] and in the census of 1832.1 There is to-day a place called Loachapoka in Lee County, Alabama, about halfway between Montgomery and West Point. The name was also given to a western tributary of the Chattahoochee.1

"After the Creek removal this town settled in the northern most part of the nation, where the flourishing modern city of Tulsa has grown up, named for its mother town. The main town of Tulsa also split into two parts in Oklahoma, called after their respective locations Tulsa Canadian and Tulsa Little River. The last is the only one which in 1912 maintained a square ground.

The Okfuskee [Akfaski] towns constituted the largest group descended from Coosa. Like the Tulsa, these people referred to themselves in busk speeches as Kos-istagi, "Coosa people." The name, which signifies "point between rivers," nowhere appears in the De Soto narratives, but is in evidence very early in the maps and documents of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. 
(Swanton)