ALABAMA. 



315 



More recently these people 

 agreed to remove to the country 

 west of the Mississippi, which has 

 been set apart for the permanent 

 residence of the aboriginal tribes ; 

 but when the period agreed upon 

 for their departure arrived they re- 

 fused to start, and took up arms. 

 They were joined by some fugi- 

 tive Cherokees, and a destructive 

 and bloody war followed, which 

 continued to rage during the years 

 1835, 1836, 1837, andl838 ; it 

 was finally terminated in the spring 

 of 1839, by the government per- 

 mitting those that yet remained to 

 occupy the southern part of the 

 peninsula, a large number of the 

 natives having been removed dur- 

 ing the war. The Indians were 

 often defeated, but they fled for re- 

 fuge to their impenetrable swamps, 

 while great numbers of the inhabi 

 tants of the 'I'erritory were mur- 

 dered, and many of our troops fell 

 victims to the climate or the 

 sword. In this struggle, Osceola, 

 of whom a cut is given opposite, 

 distinguished himself by his cour- 

 age and activity ; but having been 

 made prisoner by the Americans 

 he died at Charleston in 1838. 

 The treaty of 1839 does not 

 seem to have secured peace to 

 this region, being little regarded 

 by the Red men, who, trusting to 

 their secret fastnesses, have lately 

 committed new acty of violence 



Oaccola. 



CHAPTER XXIV. ALABAMA. 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



1. Boundaries and Exlent. This State is bounded on the nortli by Tennessee; east by 

 Georgia; south by Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico ; and west by the Stale of Mississip- 

 pi. It lies between oO^ 12' and 35^ north lat. ; and 85° and 88° 30' west long. It is 325 

 miles in length, and 160 in breadth, and contains about 52,000 square miles. 



2. JMountains. The northern part of this State contains the western extremity of the Ap- 

 palachian mountains. They are a litde more than a range of broken, precipitous hills, which 

 rise on the western limit of the State, and pursuing an easterly course, divide into branches, 

 and pass into Tennessee and Georgia, in a northeasterly direction. 



3. Rivers. The Gulf of Mexico is the basin into which all the waters of this State, ex- 

 cept a small portion in the north, are drained. The principal river is the Jlfobile, whose 

 branches converge from the northern, northeastern, and northwestern parts of the State. The 

 Coosa and Talapoosa, coming from Georgia, unite and take the name of the Jllabama^ which 

 receives the Crt/.-a^r/'.'; :;ri the' northern hills. Tln-^ n:iif;'il wnfpvs ^-T rh'^ T^^yr.hrrl'.-bf'fi nnd Tns- 



