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attached to — ississippi territory, I should have nade no
vhols is rather extra-
of
eastern boundary, and tbsre are strong equities in the clain. But ve trill cenproniss and ^take as far as ■t'earl river and loave to you tho country on the Pascagoula and Tonibigbee, and tho custody of one of the great avenues of ire stern co-os res . the Mobile riverT ■	"	~	"	:	^	’
1 I_	1 “r'
Hr. F0indej:terf s vie its did not prevail, There j?as at that tine great jealousy of territorial domination, and a disposition to circumscribe instead of ezctending boundaries. The State £)f Georgia, which had once clairsd nearly the whole country renown as iiicsissippi Territory, and organised it into a county called-Bourbon, vas particularly vehement in her opposition t_o ^r. Fcinde^rter's plan, and even voted against our admission to tiB union.
Jm act of Congress, approved April 14th, 1812, attached all k'est Florida, lying between the eastern branch of -earl river, the 51st degree of latitude, and the i*ississippi''river, ir> Louici-and: and happily for us, iiiis Ssa-coast became part and parcel of the ^ississirvoi Territory; was constituted 14th ^sceiaoor, 1012, into the county cf -r*ar±cook, cnl re assisted by cur delegate ,_to :’inl's the first constitution preliminary to the admission of Mississippi as a State.
V.'ar having been declared by the United States against G^eat Britain, our volunteers had boen principally engaged in.severs eon-£lists with the Creek Indians, led by Gen.0laiborne of batches, slid Ogn. J'*on, of this county. -wo regirjsnts of ^nitod States troops, under Gen* Ripley, that had long been stationed here, (near tie present niansion of our pub 1 ie«*spiritod fellow citizen, Alfred ulroEn. JsIsql*) , and had recruited into its ranks a number cf our residents, had left for Canada, and had participated in the bloodiest battle s.	r
On the 15th December, 1314, a desperate conflict took place off our shore between the Arasric?*n gunboats an cl ths launches of the British fleet, having 1,200 searnen ana uerines and 45 pieces of cannon. The ene~iv c-aetured thc‘ x’Lnnn Animator, and cut off the schoonor Saa-horse, which had been sent here to remove the public stores; but her gallant captain seeing that his vessel could not be saved—rblev; her utjs and the stores with her. A"!	\
cHL ^ J
A reginent of militia', under Colonel-------------ths inter-*
ior, had been stationed here saveral days, to oppose the landing of the ensny. They had two pie cos of cannon in position, '-hen the British Flotilla approached to cut off the Soa->l0rse, the militia became nervous, and began to break ranks* Liost of our ciiizsns were on the blufi, end an invslid lady, from Natchez r exclaimed5 ”:-y God. Colonel, fire one gun for tha honor of the country;R
The gallant colons 1 probably did not hear these words, for he vas rapidly retiring, followed by the bulk of his men, and th2 ir first halt was at the Big-spring beyond -io-bo-ic-chitto.
The lady called for a light. The late John 3„ Toulne, then