George Colbert
George Colbert, also known as Tootemastubbe (c. 1764–1839), was a Native American leader of the Chickasaw people in the early 19th century. He commanded 350 Chickasaw auxiliary troops, whom he had recruited, as a militia captain under Andrew Jackson during the Creek War of 1813-1814. Later he joined the US Army under Jackson for the remainder of the War of 1812.
At the time of Indian Removal, when he had succeeded his late brother Levi Colbert as chief, he was a planter who owned significant land and more than 150 slaves in Mississippi, and a ferry in northwestern Alabama.
Early life and education
The second of six mixed-race sons of James Logan Colbert, a North Carolinian settler of Scots descent and his second wife Minta Hoye, a Chickasaw, George Colbert was born in present-day Alabama about 1764.[1] As a youth he began to rise in prominence in the Chickasaw nation, as he gained status from his mother's clan as well as his actions. The Chickasaw had a matrilineal kinship system, in which children were considered born into their mother's clan; positions of hereditary leadership were passed through the mother's line.
Military service
Colbert was said to serve with American troops under Arthur St. Clair in 1791 and Anthony Wayne in 1794 during the Northwest Indian Wars. During the Creek Wars, he recruited 350 Chickasaw warriors and assisted Andrew Jackson against the Red Sticks, and later during more of the War of 1812.[1]
Career
By the early 1800s, George Colbert established Colbert's ferry near Cherokee, Alabama. It was a significant crossing of the Tennessee River along the Natchez Trace, an important trade route. George Colbert was able to accumulate land and became an influential planter; he also raised livestock and was a trader as well as being the eldest son eligible for the position of Chief. The tribe owned an estimated 150 enslaved Africans as labor on their land as was custom with many intercultural tribes in the region. Many slaves escaped during the eventual Trail of Tears.
He and his brothers, Levi and James, were among the primary negotiators of treaties between his people and the United States government in the early 19th century.[1] The Chickasaw ended up ceding much of their land to the United States after Levi Colbert had died en route to Washington D.C during negotiations. Being between both "white" and "native" cultures, he and his brother were heavily relied upon to act on the tribe's behalf, so once Levi died, negotiations ceased and in 1834, the Chickasaw joined many other tribes in removal.
Before removal, Colbert served as chief of the Chickasaw temporarily. (The reason his younger brother served is due to George never truly wanting the position). The year 1834 was the beginning of the tedious and heart breaking path to the newly established Indian Territory. Oklahoma is the "americanization" of the term "Oka Homa" (the Chickasaw word for "fire water" which many were driven to after losing their loved ones to death, forced leaving behind their ancestors and ancestral lands, plus surviving the arduous trip itself). Tisho Mingo became chief of the Chickasaw once they started on the trail and remained in charge once they arrived.[1]
Marriage and family
George Colbert married three times, including two sisters from the Wind Clan Cherokee, and fathered a total of six sons and two daughters. Saleechi Doublehead, the youngest daughter of Chief Doublehead was the younger sister who he solely married due to the older sister being barren. According to census records from both the Indian Register and the regular US census, George Colbert never moved to "Oka Homa". Since he and his brother were essential to the negotiations and had a close relationship with Andrew Jackson, he was allowed to stay behind.
Legacy
- Colbert County, Alabama was named after him and his brother Levi.[2]
- George's Cave, near Colbert's Spring (named after Levi), was named after George Colbert.[3]
(The county of Itawamba County, Mississippi was named after his brother, Levi Colbert. Tishomingo County, Mississippi was named for the new and last chief who took over once the tribe embarked on the Trail of Tears. (Mingo is the Chickasaw word for "Chief"). NW Alabama and NE Mississippi is the region where the Chickasaw resided before 1834 and where these counties can be found.)
- Colbert, Oklahoma was named generally after the family in recognition of their contributions and blood lines to the Chickasaw. It's a small town and not a part of the tribal seats such as Ada, Oklahoma. This is due to the Colbert's remaining behind in the Chickasaw's original territories. The Chickasaw were one of the Five Civilized Tribes.
References
- ^ a b c d Pate, James P., "George Colbert," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture (accessed November 3, 2009).
- ^ Owen, Thomas McAdory; Owen, Marie (1921). History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 302.
- ^ Owen, Thomas McAdory; Owen, Marie (1921). History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. p. 235.
Additional reading
- Arrell M. Gibson, The Chickasaws (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1971).
- Don Martini, Who Was Who Among the Southern Indians: A Genealogical Notebook (Falkner, Miss.: N.p., 1997).
External links
- "Colbert, George", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture