The Yazoo
Yazoo county and river derived their name from a tribe of Indians who inhabited
that section. They were a brave, fierce, intrepid and warlike people. They
fought always to the death, unless victorious. It is said that in the Indian
vernacular Yazoo meant death. In conflict with other tribes it was to victory
or death, and always victory until extinguished. By some it was thought
that the name of Yazoo was given because of the sickly nature of the country
along the river, but this was a mistake.
There is a tradition that the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians came from the
West over the Mississippi river and combining their forces, waged a war
of extermination against the Yazoo and other tribes and that the Yazoos
fought desperately until the last of their race was slain. By treaty between
the Choctaws and Chickasaws the Coctaws took as their share of the conquest
all the lands along the Yazoo river and many of the counties east of that
river. The Choctaws were in possession of part of this country when it
was first discovered by the white man, though the Yazoos were not exterminated,
as their name appears on many of the earliest maps of this part of the
country. According to Indian tradition there once inhabited Yazoo county
and other lands on the Yazoo river a race of giants, who were a peaceable
people, engaged in agriculture. They were annihilated by the fierce Yazoos,
who invaded and took forcible possession of their lands.
The present site of Yazoo City, or at least a part of it, had originally
large mounds on it. One of these extended from Main street about midway
between Jefferson and Bridge street, beyond Mound street. Another from
Main to Washington streets covered also a part of Jefferson. These mounds
had a diameter of three or four hundred feet and were excavated and dug
down as Yazoo City increased in population and the city expanded, it being
absolutely necessary to do this in order to obtain passways or streets.
When these mounds were dug down, tomahawks, bowls, cups, saucers were found
in them. There was also found grave vaults exactly of the style and make
of those made by the white people, but of larger dimensions, being ten
or twelve feet long. No bones were found in them, but apparently cinders
of burnt bones.
By what race of tribe these mounds were built seemed to have been unknown
by any legend or tradition among the Choctaws. These large grave vaults
might indicate that they were built by the so-called “giants” of Choctaw
tradition. The Choctaws originally erected scaffolds upon which they laid
the corpses of their dead, and underneath which they kindled bark fires.
These were kept burning day and night until every vestige of the flesh
was consumed or mouldered from the bones. These skeletons were kept until
a number accumulated, when they were put in the ground. Over the graves
of the dead they usually built pole houses a few feet high covered over
with pucheons.
The dead and their burial ground were held sacred. For years after they
had left and removed a long distance they would make in large numbers annual
visits to the resting place of their dead and would spend about two or
three days and nights celebrating funeral rites. A fire was kept constantly
burning during this period of mourning and every once and a while dismal
wails and shrieks would ascend from the lips of all who were congregated
around the graves. All kept their heads covered with blankets or deerskins.
There were besides those mentioned a few smaller mounds on the Yazoo river
and a large one near Silver City or Palmetto Home. A gentleman who explored
some of the mounds in Yazoo county informs me that in one of them he found
several years ago some peach seeds which he planted. They came up and bore
peaches.
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