James Logan Colbert (c. 1720 – 7 January 1784) was a Scottish trader and army officer who lived much of his life among the Chickasaw. He served as an officer of the British Army who commanded an independent company in the Western Theater of the American Revolutionary War. In 1783, Colbert led an unsuccessful raid on the Spanish village of Arkansas Post, Louisiana (present-day Arkansas) in an attempt to capture Fort Carlos III.
James Colbert | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Colbert (centre) during the Battle of Arkansas Post | |
| Born | c. 1720 Scotland |
| Died | 7 January 1784 (aged 63) |
| Occupations |
|
| Children | 8, including George and Levi |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Branch | British Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 16th Regiment of Foot |
| Battles | |
Early life and career
editJames Logan Colbert was born about 1720 in Scotland. He immigrated to Georgia in January 1736.[1] He was married to three Chickasaw women and among them had eight children; including George, Levi, and William, who became notable 19th-century tribal leaders. Fluent in Chickasaw, he served as an interpreter at the 1763 Augusta and the 1765 and 1771 Mobile Indian conferences[2] He fought with the British during the American Revolutionary War; most notably at Fort Jefferson, where he was wounded in action,[3] and Arkansas Post.[4] He died on 7 January 1784 in West Florida en route from St. Augustine, East Florida.[5]
Slavery
editJames Colbert brought African slaves to The Chickasaw Nation and encouraged chattel slave practices in the tribe to gain their participation in the slave trade to support the custom and give backing to Confederate ambitions. The tribe bought many Africans and embraced chattel slavery. Many of Colbert's children, who were mixed race, acted as a light skinned upper class, which did most of the slavery reinforcing within the tribe. Even after The Civil War, The Chickasaw Tribe refused to reliquich their slaves, stating they were a sovereign nation that did not have to follow U.S. proclamations, and held onto their slaves. Today, many decedents of the children of Chickasaw slaves, called Freedmen, can trace their family roots back to African slaves brought by Colbert to The Chickasaw.
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Bearss 1974, pp. 18–19.
- ^ Pate 2017, p. 264.
- ^ Bearss 1974, p. 29.
- ^ Bearss 1974, pp. 51–56.
- ^ Bearss 1974, p. 60.
Bibliography
edit- Bearss, Edwin C. (November 1974). Special History Report: The Colbert Raid, Arkansas Post National Memorial, Arkansas (PDF) (Report). Denver, Colorado: National Park Service. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- Pate, James P. (2017). "Colbert, William (Chooshemataha), Colbert, Levi (Itawamba Mingo), Colbert, George (Tootemastubbe)". In Ownby, Ted; Wilson, Charles Reagan (eds.). The Mississippi Encyclopedia. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781628466928. LCCN 2016043630. OCLC 959373243. OL 28626076M.
