Pioneer Life Of Capt. Welsh's Family

A memoir by *Miss Mary J. Welsh; RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER LIFE IN MISSISSIPPI. (excerpted below):

*Miss Mary J. Welsh was born at St. Stephens, Ala., Nov. 9, 1823.  Her father, Capt. George Welsh...took part in the War of 1812, being mustered out of service at Fort Claiborne, Ala.**, and settling at St. Stephens in the same State.  In 1833 Miss Welsh's family removed to what afterwards became Kemper county, Miss (then called the "Choctaw Nation"). 

We came by boat on the Tombigbee to Gainesville***, Ala., then a small river town with many promising indications of the rapid growth which it afterwards had. ***The 3rd largest town in Alabama in 1840

The trip to our destination, exactly where the ruins of old Wahalak now are, in wagons, on horseback and on foot (eighteen miles by actual measurement, but then twenty or more), was made in a day; but it was no picnic. The road through the woods followed the newly made blazes, forded Bodka creek and crossed a section of Wild Horse prairie, leading in a northwesterly direction. It was "grubby, stumpy, muddy and sloshy."

Bridge Over Bodka Creek At Google Maps

The trip I made on horseback, behind my mother, with no rest except a few minutes for lunch. This was my introduction to pioneer life... .

**Fort Claiborne:

Source (Page 143 - See Description Below)

Figure 5-38. Thomas Freeman’s ca. 1817 plat of Township 7 North, Range 5 East, showing Fort Claiborne, the Town of Claiborne... .