420 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY I bull. 73 
when, by the Hopewell treaty, their northern boundary was placed 
at the Ohio. 1 In 1793-1795 war broke out with the Creeks, who 
invaded the Chickasaw country to the number of 1,000. Here they 
attacked a small stockade. They were met by a mere handful of 
Chickasaw, but an unaccountable panic seized the invaders, who 
fled precipitately. This victory was won by a body of about 200 
Chickasaw. Soon afterwards peace was made. 2 
Although they were at peace with the white settlers, the latter 
after this time began to press steadily in upon the Chickasaw, who, 
by a treaty signed July 23, 1805, made their first cession of territory 
to the United States Government. Further Cessions were made 
September 14, 1816, October 19, 1818, and October 20, 1832. By 
the provisions of the treaty signed on the date last mentioned they 
yielded up their right to all of their lands to the east of the Missis- 
sippi 3 and accepted new homes in the territory now included in the 
State of Oklahoma. The actual migration began in 1822, ten years 
before the treaty was signed, and extended to 1838. Together 
with the Choctaw they occupied what is now the southeastern part 
of this State between the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers on the 
north and the Red River on the south. The two tribes mingled to- 
gether rather indiscrinnnately at first, but were separated in 1855, 
the Chickasaw being assigned the westernmost part of the above 
area. Here a national government was established after the pattern 
of those of the Choctaw and the other "civilized tribes," and this 
lasted until the nation merged into the State of Oklahoma, of which 
the Chickasaw are now citizens. 
THE CHOCTAW 
The present work has been undertaken primarily with the object 
of furnishing an adequate setting for an understanding of the evolu- 
tion of the Creek Confederacy and the various elements entering 
into it. What has been said regarding the South Carolina and 
Florida tribes and the Chickasaw have marginal importance in the 
carrying out of this purpose, though they are of less absolute concern. 
When we come to the Choctaw, however, we are met with a different 
problem. The Choctaw were always one of the largest southern 
tribes, and they were more numerous than the Creeks even in the 
palmiest days of the latter. Although of the same linguistic stock, 
their customs, social organization, and even their physical charac- 
teristics were very different. They never seem to have been on 
a footing of friendship with the Creeks, and in fact fought them on 
equal terms during a long period. So far as our acquaintance with 
them extends they appear to have been a relatively homogeneous 
1 Eighteenth Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., part 2, p. 650. 
» Haywood, Hist. Term., p. 461; also Stiggins's MS. 
3 See Eighteenth Ann. Rept. Bur. Amer. Ethn., part 2. 
