siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

SWANTON] CHOCTAW SOCIAL AND CEEEMONIAL LIFE 165
heroism, is so fresh in every one's memory (being not above six years ago) that
many living evidences can testify it ; I thought the action worthy of this at-
tempt, to save it from oblivion. They have deserted many of their eastern fron-
tier tovpns since their present war with the Creeks, but during my stay in their
nation, I saw four or five instances of their not suffering their enemy to escape
unpunished, when he dared to commit depredations, and they valued themselves
on the vent of the present war, when in 1771, news coming among the Traders,
that the Creeks computed their loss at near three hundred persons, and they
having guessed the number of their's, lost much the same; they said, we have
lost many women and children and even of them some Scalps have been retaken,
but we like men, have killed men only, and got all the marks thereof ; this war
began in August 1765 ; the readers may judge at the greatness of their exploits,
when I assure them, that that number was the total loss during all that
time. . . ."
... I take them to be a brave people, who can upon occasion defend them-
selves very coolly, for during my stay in the nation, a woman of that tribe
made a bargain with me to give her ammunition for some provisions I bought
of her ; and when I expressed my surprise thereat, she informed me that she
kept a gun to defend herself as well as her husband did ; and I have several
times seen armed women in motion with the parties going in pursuit of the
invading enemy, who having completed their intended murder, were flying off.
They never exercised so much cruelty upon their captive enemies as the
other savages ; they almost always brought them home to shew them, and
then dispatched them with a bullet or hatchet; after which, the body being
cut into many parts, and all the hairy pieces of skin converted into scalps, the
remainder is buried and the above trophies carried home, where the women
dance with them till tired ; then they are exposed on the tops of the hot
houses till they are annihilated. The same treatment is exercised on those
who are killed near the nation, but he that falls in battle at a distance is
barely scalped.
Their addictedness to pretended witchcraft leads them into a very superstitious
behaviour when on an expedition which is remarkable, they carry
with them a certain thing which they look on as the genius of the party ; it is
most commonly the stuffed skin of an owl of a large kind ; they are very
careful of him, keep a guard over him, and offer him a part of their meat
should he fall, or any other ways be disordered in position, the expedition is
frustrated ; they always set him with his head toward the place of destination,
and if he should prove to be turned directly contrary, they consider this as
portending some very bad omen, and an absolute order to return; should
therefore any one's heart fail him, he needs only watch his opportunity to do
this to save his character of a brave or true man. There is also a species of
Motacilla (which I often endeavored to catch, in vain) whose chirping near
the camp, will occasion their immediate return. ..."
... a Chactaw war camp is circular, with a fire in the center, and each man
has a crutched branch at his head to hang his powder and shot upon, and to set
his gun against, and the feet of all to the fire. ..."
They are given to pilfering, but not so much as the Chicasaws.
They are the swiftest of foot of any savages in America, and very expert in
tracking a flying enemy, who very seldom escapes.
Their leader can not pretend to command on an expedition, the most he can
do, is to endeavor to persuade, or at the extent, he can only pretend to a
" Romans, Nat. Hist. B. and W. Fla., pp. 72-73. " Ibid., p. 65.
13 Ibid., pp. 75-76.