History of Mississippi - TREATY OF MOUNT DEXTER, 1805

TREATY OF MOUNT DEXTER, 1805

After the relinquishment of dominion over the Choctaw country by the Spanish in 1798, the great Indian trading house of Panton, Leslie & Co., which had practically controlled the Indian relations for the Spanish, solicited the United States to permit the various nations to cede them lands in payment of debts. Their claim against the Choctaws was $46,000.00. The Government would not listen to a proposition of cession to the trading house, but welcomed the opportunity to receive form the Indians a cession of land in consideration of cash paid, by the government nominally to the Indians, but in fact, to the traders. It relieved the government of incurring the resentment of the red men by pressing them for lands for the white settlers. President Jefferson, in a message to congress, described the preliminaries of this first cession by the Choctaws to the United States as follows:

"The Choctaws . . . proposed at length to the united States, to cede lands to the amount of their debts and designated them in two different parts oft their country. These designations not at all suiting us, their proposals were declined for that reason, and with an intimation that if their own convenience should ever dispose them to cede their lands on the Mississippi, we should be willing to purchase. Still urged by their creditors, as well as by their own desire to be liberated form debt, they at length proposed to make a cession, which should be to our convenience. James Robertson of Tennessee, and Silas Dinsmore, were thereupon appointed commissioners . . . with instructions to purchase only on the Mississippi, on meeting their chiefs, however, it was found that such was the attachment of the nation to their lands on the Mississippi, that their chiefs could not undertake to cede them; but they offered all their lands south of a line to be run from their and our boundary, at the Omochitto eastwardly, to their boundary with the Creeks, on the ridge between the Tombigby and Alabama, which would unite our possessions there, from Natchez to Tombigby. A treaty to this effect was accordingly signed at Pooshpukanuk, November 16, 1805. But this being against express instructions, and not according with the object then in view, I was disinclined to its ratification, and therefore did not at the last cessions of congress lay it before the Senate for their advice, but have suffered it to lie unacted on."

This message was dated January 15, 1808. The European situation and the failure of negotiations to persuade Spain that the cession of Louisiana included Biloxi and Mobile, caused the President to change his mind. The opening of this border land to settlement would aid in the acquisition of the coast, still in eh hands of Spain, and separate the Indians from Spanish influence. Hence he submitted the treaty, which proposed to add about five million acres to the available domain.

In June 1805, Robertson and Dinsmore negotiated with a great number of Choctaws at Fort St. Stephens, on the Tombigby and arranged for the treaty in November. This treaty, "Done on Mount Dexter in Pushapukanuk in the Choctaw country," (near Macon, Mississippi). ceded to the United States the region south of the following described line:

"Beginning at a branch of the Hoomacheeto, where the same is intersected by the present Choctaw boundary [of Natchez district], and also by the path leading from Natchez to the county of Washington, usually called McClary's path (probably named from Lt. McClary, commander of Ellicott's escort]; thence easterly along McClary's path to the east or left bank of Pearl River; thence, on such a direct line as would touch the lower end of a bluff on the left bank of Chickasawhay river, the first above the Hiyoowannee towns, called Broken Bluff, to a point within four miles of the Broken Bluff; thence in a direct line, nearly parallel with the river to a point where an east line of four miles in length will intersect the river, below the lowest settlement at present occupied and improved in the Hiyoowannee town; thence, still east, four miles; thence in a direct line nearly parallel with the river, to a point on a line to be run from the lower end of Broken Bluff to Faluktabunnee, on the Tombigby River, four miles from the Broken Bluff; thence along the said line, to Faluktabunnee; thence east to the boundary between the Creeks and Choctaws, on the ridge dividing the waters running into the Ababa from those running into Tombigby; thence southwardly along the said ridge and boundary, to the southern point of the Choctaw claim."

The reservations were: a tract of two miles square, including the town of Fuketcheepoonta; a tract of 5,120 acres opposite Hatchatigbee Bluff for the daughters of Samuel Mitchell, United States Indian agent, "by Molly, a Choctaw woman," and about 1,500 acres on the Tombigbee sold by Opia Mingo and others to John McGrew, "many years ago." The consideration was $50,000; $48,000 to pay the Panto company and claims of settlers for depredations, and $2,500 to John Pitchlyn, as compensation for losses, "and as a grateful testimonial of the nation's esteem." In addition, the nation was guaranteed an annuity of $3,000. "The three great medal mingoes, Pukshunnubee, Mingo Hoomastubbee, and Pooshmataha," were given each $500.00 and guaranty of an annuity of $150.00

After the ratification of the treaty the line of boundary was run by Col. Dinsmore. It is perpetuated in the north boundary lines of Wayne, Jones, Covington, and Lawrence counties, and the northeast line of Franklin. The area of the cession was 4,374,244 acres in Mississippi and 1,612,800 in Alabama.