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April 1802 the Federal Government entered into a compact with Georgia known as the "Articles of Agreement and Cession" by
which, Georgia ceded to the United States. This included the whole of her territory lying between what is now her western
boundary and the Mississippi River. This pact called for the payment of one million and a quarter dollars, and the stipulation
to extinguish for Georgia the aboriginal title to all the lands still occupied by the Native Americans within her thus reduced
limits. This land, bought by the Federal Government from Georgia, became the Mississippi Territory. It was inhabited by warring
Native Americans, the worst of whom were the Creeks. But by negotiations with the Native Americans, the settlement of the
Mississippi territory was allowed.
Early in the Nineteenth Century, especially during the first decade 1801 to 1810, there was a popular tide of immigration
to the Territory between the Mississippi River and the Pearl River. They came mainly from the Carolinas and Georgia. There
had been a few venturesome immigrants to this region before this time, but very few who came as real settlers. Most of the
Anglo peoples who had come were in the villages and small towns on the coast and on the Mississippi River. These were mainly
stations for trading with the Native Americans whom occupied this whole countryside.
In the beginning of the century, all the territory above the present Mississippi State line was a part of the Mississippi
territory and belonged to the U.S. as a part of the land bought from Georgia. All below the State line was a part of West
Florida and was still held by Spain with the Military Governor at Baton Rouge. But with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory
by the U.S. from France in 1803, it was apparently taken as a matter of course that what is now known as East Louisiana was,
or would be included in that purchase. Immigrants settled at their pleasure below the line, though the question as to the
possession of this East Louisiana section was not settled until 1819. In the meantime, these patriotic settlers rebelled against
the Spanish Governor at Baton Rouge and established their independence. In 1810 they proclaimed themselves "The State of West
Florida." This action of the settlers was ignored by the U.S. Government, and the "Baton Rouge District" from the Mississippi
River to the Pearl River was incorporated within the State of Louisiana.
This territory of what is now East Louisiana and South Mississippi became the "Hunting Grounds" for the Native American who
lived there, but also to the hoards of immigrants from the Carolinas and Georgia. The records of all this development has
been published and may be found in most libraries. The heavy stream of settlers came around 1809 and 1810 and Willis
and James Simmons were among this group.
Some settlers had come as early as 1780 fleeing from the oppression of the British Army and the persecution of their Tory
neighbors during the Revolutionary War. Others followed later but the real tide set in about the beginning of the nineteenth
century.
Willis Simmons came to the Mississippi Territory over the wilderness trace known as the Federal Road, along
with streams of people from Georgia and the Carolinas, who also settled on the lands referred to as the District West of the
Pearl River.
This historic highway "The (Old) Federal Road" which played such a formative part in the developing the early Southwest, ran
350 miles from what is now Macon GA across the creek or Muskogee Indian Country to a ferry on the lower Alabama River in present-day
Baldwin County, AL. When the Creeks were approached by the Government in 1804 on the matter of opening a way through their
Nation, they were reluctant to grant the right-of-way. The Acquisition of the Louisiana Territory created such a need for
the old regions to the East that Thomas Jefferson, President of the U.S. at that time, took a personal interest in getting
the road through. He directed Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, the Government Agent among the Muskogee, to press the Native Americans
for their consent to a passageway. In 1805, this effort bore fruit in the Treaty of Washington, by which the Creeks granted
the United States the privilege of a horse path across their lands. This Federal Road was built in 1806. The Native Americans
also agreed to the establishment of "houses of entertainment" along the way to accommodate travelers and to provide ferries
at points on major streams where the trace was to cross. A discussion of the above plans and agreements between the U.S. Government,
the Native Americans, and the general management of the "ferries" and "houses of entertainment" may be found in Territorial
Papers of United States, Vol. 6, Mississippi published in 1953. There is also an interesting article in the Summer Issue,
Georgia review, 1952, The Univ. of Georgia Press.
One may trace the route on present day maps as follows: Macon, GA to Mauk to Cussetta to Fort Mitchell to Creek Stand to Shorter
to Polecat Springs to Mt Meigs to Snowdown to Calhoun to Burnt Corn Springs. Burnt Corn Springs was a noted forking point
for all the early trails and roads. There were two branches of the route from Burnt Corn Springs to the MS Territory and West-one
to Monroeville to Fort Claiborne on the Alabama River to Fort Stephens just across the Tombugbee River then on to Natchez--the
other to Vocation to Tensaw to Fort Mims and across the river by means of Hollinger's Ferry then on to Natchez. Our people
(Simmons) took the Fort Claiborne to Fort Stephens route. There were two routes from Fort Stephens to Natchez--one given in
James Street's "O Promise land" which passed Winchester, MS to Monticello then to Natchez-the other given in the "Diary of
James Campbell" covering his journey from Lumbertown, N.C. to Natchez in 1810. His route veered to Southwest from Fort Stephens
and passed through McLain, MS to Liberty and on to Natchez. See marker just at the edge of McLain, MS with this inscription:
"Old Federal Road. Built through here 1806, extending the mail route to New Orleans. Nearby Postoffice Leaf River created
1814....."
The U.S. Government had set up strict regulations as to how land in the MS Territory was to be obtained. The order of procedure
was as follows: The U.S. engineers would survey portions of the land at a time. When the survey was completed on a portion,
the President would issue a Proclamation designating a date for "Public Sale" of this portion.
The register of Lands in the District would publicize the date of the sales. He was not allowed to make any "Private" sales
in this portion until three weeks after the public sale. Of course the Territorial papers show many charges made to the Federal
Government that certain individuals violated this order, but in general, this routine was followed. After the land was sold,
a record of the sales was sent to the U.S. Land Office
The first Proclamation for a "Public sale" of lands in the "District West of the Pearl River" was issued on Oct 22, 1808 and
the sale was held on the "second Tuesday in January, 1809." A maximum of 640 acres was allowed one individual. Land however,
could be bought and sold after titles were cleared. The land in most instances sold for $2.00 per acre.
Although we have no detail as to how Willis and his family traveled, we know that "the stream of travelers to the MS Territory
passed in a procession of individuals, families, groups of slaves, with accompanying droves of livestock or packs of hounds"
and that some went on horseback, others by wagons, while some traveled in Carry-alls, Sulkies, Jersey wagons, dearborns,
and carts.
Researched and written by my great-aunt Edna Simmons Campbell & Hansford L. Simmons (1950's).
Music: Native American
Composed by: Pierre Langer, SESAC, Scott P. Schreer
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