User:Donald Albury/Ocone (Hitchiti)

Oconee, Ocone, or Oconi was a tribal town of Hitchiti-speakers during the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries in the Southeastern United States. First mentioned by the Spanish as part of the Apalachicola Province on the Chattahoochee River, Ocone moved with other towns of the province to central Georgia between 1690 and 1692. While most of the Apalachicola towns settled on and around Ochese Creek (now known as the Ocmulgee River, the town of Ocone settled on ... Creek (now known as the Oconee River). In 1715, early in the Yemasee War, Ocone and the other towns of the former Apalachicola Province moved back to the Chattahoochee River. In the 1730s, part of the people of Oconee, under the leadership of Ahaya, moved to Florida, settling next to the Alachua Prairie. They were joined by people from other Hitchiti-speaking towns, and were soon being called "Seminoles". The remaining Oconee people stayed on the Chattahoochee River until they were forced to move to Indian Territory in the 1830s.

On the Chattahoochee
Ocone was one of a number of towns on the Chattahoochee River in Alabama and Georgia ln the first half of the 17th century. The towns were situated along 160 km of the river from the south of the falls at present-day Columbus to Barbour County, Alabama. A variant of the Lamar regional culture, with influences from the Fort Walton culture to the south, developed in the towns along the Chattahoochee between 1300 and 1400. Ocone was in the southern part of Apalcahicola Province, between Sabacola and the town of Apalachicola. The towns of the southern part of Apalachicola Province, including Ocone, spoke the Hitchiti language. The people of Ocone and other Hichiti towns on Chatthoochee are believed to have descended from earlier inhabitants of the area. From the 1630s until 1691, Ocone may have been located at the archaeological site 1RU34 in Russell County, Alabama. Ocone was located between between Sabacola and the town of Apalachicola in the late 17th century. In 1677 Oconee was one of the towns that the Chisca intended to wage war on. Although not regarded as a leading town in the province, the leading men of Apalachicola Province met at Oconee in June 1690.

Move to central Georgia
Spanish Florida and the English of the Province of Carolina competed for influence in Apalachicola Province in the 1680s. In an effort to exclude English traders from Apalachicola Province, the Spanish built a stockade garrisoned with Spanish soldiers and Apalachee militia in the northern part of the province in 1689. The next year the towns of Apalachicola Province began moving from the Chattahoochee River to the interior of Georgia, closer to their trading partners in Carolina. Spanish records state that Apalachicola Province was completely abandoned by the spring of 1692.

Most of the towns from the Chattahoochee River that moved to central Georgia settled on what the English called Ochese Creek (Uchise to the Spanish) or its tributaries. Ocheese Creek is now known as the Ocmulgee River, a tributary of the Altamaha River. The town of Ocone was established on another tributary of the Altamaha, now called the Oconee River. The upper Oconee River basin may have had little or no inhabitants at the time. Archaeologists believe that the population of the river's watershed had fallen by 1650 to 10-20% of its 16th century high. Ocone during this period may have been at the archaeological site 9BL16, at the fall line of the Oconee River.

After raids by Ochise Creeks on Apalachee mission in Fall 1694, Apalachees attacked 4 towns in Geprgia, including Oconee, caught one town by surprise, others were abandoned and burnt when Apalachees reached them.

Return to Chattahoochee
In 1715, the towns that had moved to central Georgia from Apalachicola Province and several Native American peoples living in what is now Georgia and South Carolina went to war against the English in South Carolina, in what is known as the Yamasee War. Afterward, the survivors returned to the Apalachicola River, forming near the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. Some later moved north to live along the Chattahoochee River in present-day Russell County, Alabama.

Oconee a "point town", one of the Creek towns that usually sided with the British after 1720. When the British were seeking an alternative to Malatchi Brim, successor of Emperor Brim, as a representative of the Creeks, they offered to appoint Wehoffkey of Oconee "to command the whole nation", but Wehoffkey turned them down.

Oconee said to be in Russell County, Alabama, on the west side of Chattahoochee from 1515 into the 1750s, possibly at archaeological sites 1RU20 and 1RU21. Late in the 18th century Ocone was on the east bank of the Chattahoochee River (in Georgia) opposite the mouth of Hatchechubbe Creek (which was called "Oconee Creek" at the time) near Cottonton, Alabama. At that time Oconee was approximately six miles south of the town of Apalachicola and six miles north of Sabacola, Several archaeological sites have been tentatively identified with Oconee, including 9SS3 and 9SW52.

Archaeological sites along Chattahoochee associated with Ocone included 9SW3, 9SW4, and 9SW57. Sites 9SW5, 9SW6, and 9SW7, which may be associated with Oconee or with Apalachicola.

Oconee on east (Georgia) side of river in late 18th century.

After the Ochese Creek towns returned to the Chattahoochee, Pedro de Oliver y Fullana, governor of Spanish Florida sent Pena to the Chattahoochee to invite the towns to move into the former Apalachee and Timucua provinces. Several of the towns, including Oconee, agreed to move south in 1717. Most of the Native American in Florida after 1716 were probably from the lower towns. Seminoles primarily spoke Hitchiti until after 1815. Perhaps largest settlement of lower towns in Florda in Alachua County at Lake Cuscowilla, lead by Cowkeeper.

Oconee between Sabacola and Ayfitchiti, with Apalachicola next befoun, in 1738.

Spanish called Hitchiti speakers "Ichisi" in 16th century and "Uchisi" in 17th century. Spanish records mentioned "Uchizes from the village of Ocone" that were killed in 1738 in central Florida during warfare between alliances Florida tribes.

Diego Pena reported Euchitto, Apalachicola, and Ocone spoke Uchisi, but Uchi spoke another tongue.

Oconees and others who settled in Alachua identified as "cimarrones" ("Seminoles") rather than as Oconees or Creeks. (cimarron -> cimallon -> Simallone -> Seminole), British started calling all Native Americans in Florida "Seminoles".

Lower Creeks, particularly Oconees settled in Alachua. Cowkeeper pro-British, Secoffee, Brim's sone, leader in Apalachee, anti-British.

"Seminole" first applied by British in 1771 to natives who settled in Alachua, later to natives settled in Apalachee.

Before 1763 Spanish called all Oconees, in Alachua and on the Chattahoochee, "Seminoles". British claimed only Alachua people were Seminoles, the people on the Chattahoochee were Creeks.

Grant to Jonathan Bryan of land in Alachua and Apalachee revealed split in Oconees. Cowkeeper protested Oconees on Chattahoochee giving away land in Alachua. Dissension in Oconees one of reasons Ahaya's band moved to Florida.

At beginning of American Revolution, Paynes Prairie largest Seminole town.

Oconee between Savacola and Apalachee in mid-18th century - of 14 Uchise villages, only Ocone and 2 others anti-Spanish.

1790 treay with Creek ceded Oconee lands except those claimed by Georgia below Altamaha. Creeks had already ceded Oconee lands to Georgia.

According to Bartram, Ahaya's band left Oconee River for Upper Creek lands. Unhappy there, they moved Southeast aiming for Atlantic Ocean, but stopped at Alachua Prairie, settled town of Alachua or Larchaway. Later abandoned that town because of decaying fish and moved to Cuscowilla.

Ahaya's band settled near Alachua Prairie, early on only Hitchiti or Muscogee band in Florida to make definite break with "Creek" confederacy. Cuscowilla one of largest "Creek" towns in Florida in 1760s, population of several hundred, fields, herds of cattle and horses, many Yemassee slaves. Still made pottery, hunted with bow and arrow as well as flintlocks. Cuscowilla had wood frame buildings, square ground with council house, outlying settlements. Oconee joined by Apalachicola, Sabacola and Chiaha at Cuscowilla.