Richard's Story- 1798-1802- The Trip from Georgia to the Tombigbee Settlement

After the revolution, many Tories who had their lands confiscated moved south and west, to British East and West Florida, sparking interest in that area. Then the same men that had lead patriot soldiers in the Revolution led the movement to acquire lands to the west. They had little sympathy for the resident Creeks who had fought with the British to attack Georgia patriot settlements during the revolution. Elijah Clarke even tried to begin an independent republic to the west on Creek lands, a move which the U.S. Government quickly stopped, sending his old friend John Twiggs to put an end to it. Twiggs, Jesse Womack's old commander, was deeply involved in western land schemes. He and William Few were members of the Georgia Union Company, which tried to buy 35 million acres in land that was to become the Mississippi Territory. This was part of the Yazoo land fraud of 1802- which again, the Georgia government stopped- buying the land from the investors, and burning the papers at the courthouse in Louisville. Some who had "bought" the land moved anyway. Others picked up the fever to move westward, and began to make plans to head to these enticing and inexpensive lands in the west- lands that were said to be rich with black, fertile soil and a climate that was perfect for growing cotton.

The  U.S. had formed the Mississippi Territory in April 1798, opening the possibility of growth in that area. In May 1799, the Treaty of San Lorenzo allowed the U.S. to take possession of Fort. St. Stephen, creating an American presence on the Tombigbee. In July, Fort Stoddart was established at the fork of the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, six miles above the boundary line that marked West Florida's boundary. The area was just waiting for American settlement.

Young Richard Womack must have been listening excitedly as his father Jesse, and his father's  friend Francis Coleman discussed the possibilities of moving to the western lands. Other male neighbors were also full of discussions of the promises of life in lands to the west. Other Womack relatives also were making plans to move- Richard's uncles-David Womack and Jonathan Kemp had plans to move to West Florida, even beyond the Tombigbee settlement, halfway to Natchez.

Then the actual land purchases began. We have a record of Francis Coleman's purchase:

"Joel Walker for $3,000 cash, sold to Francis Coleman, a plantation of 500 acres of land in West Florida to a point immediately above the Black Rock of the River Tombeckby about 112 miles above the town of Mobile bounded by the river on North, east, south, and southwest, granted to Charles Walker by the Province of West Florida January 27, 1777."  (American State Papers- Public Lands- Vol. 1 p 683)

This is followed by a letter requesting passage through the Creek Nation:

Letter to Executive Dept of Ga., August 14, 1799

Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, superintendant of Indian affairs

Sir,

At the request of Mr. Francis Coleman the bearer hereof I address to you to present to inform you of his wish to remove his property to the Don or Tombigby River, through the Creek Nation. I have informed him that this liberty can only be granted by you, who know the feelings and sentiment of the Indians on such occasion. I will therefore only further add that Mr. Coleman seems to be a peculiar case- he sometimes since sold out his land here, and purchased land in exchange on that river. He is a citizen of repute, and I believe, if indulged, would give no trouble to the United States or offense to the Indians. (signed James Jackson)

P 396 minutes of the executive dept. of the state of ga. for 2/6/1799-11/7/1799

Then on November 19, 1799, 29 year old William and 23 year old John Coleman were granted passports to travel through the Creek Nation to the Tombigbee and return. These two brave young men would pave the way for the migration of the Coleman and Womack families. They were heading into a wilderness, on Indian paths marked only with hatchet marks on the trees. They would have to hunt for their food along the way, find water, cross rivers, meet up with Indians on the trail. It was a dangerous journey that would take at least two months. But while Margaret Coleman likely fretted, the Coleman boys were surely excited about this expedition. Richard and the younger boys must have envied them, as they watched them pack and gathered to say their farewells. But the remaining family members probably already knew that they would soon be making the journey too. William and John were paving the way for a migration of families. The Coleman's had bought a plantation on the Tombigbee.

Richard's grandmother, Ann "Nancy" Childers Womack, could probably never have survived the trip. She may have been planning on staying with Uncle Abraham's family. But it is thought that she passed away about 1800, before Richard's family moved.

In 1801, Jonathan Kemp got a land grant in Spanish West Florida. It was to West Florida, in an area that became St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, that Jonathan's family moved to. It was also to St. Helena that David Womack and his family moved. One wonders why David chose a different area than Jesse, but by 1810 his family was established at St. Helena. Jesse's family chose a closer settlement at the Tombigbee, with the Colemans.

In the spring of 1802, it was Richard's turn. His father and older brother John were granted passports through the Creek Nation to settle in the Western Country. In the spring of 1803, Francis Coleman Jr. (husband of Mary Womack) and Benjamin Coleman (husband of Elizabeth Womack) were granted passports.


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Land Deed Book A,'Washington County, Alabama, Pages 3-8. 1799.

Joel Walker for $3,000 cash sold to Francis Coleman a plantation of 500 acres 

of Land in West Florida on a point immediately above the Black Rock

 on the River Tombeckby about 112 miles above the Town of Mobile, 

bounded by the river on the north, east, south, and southwest, 

granted to Charles Walker by the Province of West Florida January 27, 1777.