HISTORY OF SELMA
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
ALABAMA--DALLAS COUNTY--SELMA.

From "Selma; Her Institutions, and Her Men" by John Hardy, pub. 1879:

In 1519 Hernando Cortez, with a large Spanish force, landed at Very Cruz, and fought his way to the City of Mexico; in the meantime, Montezuma, the great King of Mexico, had assembled all his allies to meet the invaders, Among his Allies were the Muscogees, a large, proud and powerful people, forming a separate Republic, and located on the north-western portion of the territory of Mexico. After numerous conflicts, Montezuma was killed and his government overthrown, and thousands of his subjects put to the sword. The Muscogees having lost thousands of their own warriors, determined to leave a county overrun by a people more savage and barbarous than themselves; the whole tribe took up the line of march to the eastward, seeking some other land. On the tributaries of the Red River, they met with a tribe equally proud, haughty and warlike, with themselves, called the Alabamos. Between these tribes constant warfare continued for years, resulting, finally in the vanquishing of the Alabamos, who left the county of Red River, taking their course to the east, finally coming to the Yazoo country. They settled in the vicinity of Honey Island, and in the present county of Tallahatchie, Mississippi. Here this warlike tribe were constantly engaged in conflicts with Chickasaws, until the 25th day of July, 1541, on which day Desoto, the Spanish invader, of this part of the country, attacked a large force of them, and after a most sanguinary battle, lasting near the whole day, put them to flight with terrible slaughter.

Thus reducing by constant wars with the Muscogees and Chickasaws, and the Spaniards under Desoto, the ruminant of the Alabamos again took up their line of march to the east; and after many hardships and years of destitution, this remnant of once powerful, proud and haughty tribe, reached a beautiful river and in a most delightful and plentiful country, which was the Alabama River, and at a point on that river, so we have it from Indian tradition, near the modern Coosada, in Autauga county. So delighted were these famished savages with the broad and magnificent river, and surrounded by so delightful and so plentiful a country, that their great chief, in an ecstasy of joy, struck his weapon into the ground, exclaiming in his dialect, “her we rest.” Thus giving a name to a great river--finally to a great State--and the motto adopted by that State, being the declaration of the Chief, after years of wandering, of a once proud and warlike tribe of savages.

<- PREVIOUS PAGE    |   INDEX    |    NEXT PAGE ->



site by Com'See