PATRON + This Alabama historic Native American site is still surrounded by controversy today

Thank you for your comment. We are truly thankful for Albert J. Pickett and his work. The reason Pickett’s name was not included as a source is because this is a direct transcribed excerpt from Rev. Brewer’s article. I’m sure Rev. Brewer included Albert J. Pickett in his book as a source, like most historians of this time did. Often, the early Alabama historians consulted with each other and quoted each other exactly in their books without clearly delineating their source.

I was unable to discern which historian had the information first (Brewer or Pickett) so I simply provided the most direct source, Rev. Brewer and left it up to the reader to make this distinction by reading Rev. Brewer’s book. I imagine many people gave these historians the same account of an event and so no clear ‘first’ source can be determined.

At the beginning of Albert J. Pickett’s book we find the following interesting note on the way he acquired information. Note by A. J. Pickett. I have taken
many of the following notes down on paper in a great hurry, as fast as the people narrating would speak, and there are many mistakes in
grammar, spelling & general arrangement. I wrote often under many disadvantages – frequently surrounded by intrusive people asking idle questions, often writing in fields in swamps, on my knees, wherever I had an opportunity of meeting with the person I desired to obtain the information from – I have traveled much over South Alabama to complete my stock of Historical information & was about twelve months engaged at it. I have seen many curious people, been in many curious houses, took all kinds of fare & lodging most cheerfully & was always enthusiastic & well satisfied if I obtained information. As the reader of these notes will see I have left no stone unturned to get all the information necessary or that was extant. Many of the following notes have been kindly furnished by persons themselves, through the mails and will be found to be in their own hand & language. Montgomery 8 . Dec http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/…/voices/id/3092/rec/1

Thank you for catching the misspelling. This article is an exact transcription of an excerpt from Rev. Brewer’s book and when transcribing, I never change the original spelling, but try to denote it by (sic). In old works, misspelled words or often found. I missed this one and did not denote the misspelled word. Donna

Thank you for your comment. Albert J. Pickett is considered by many to be Alabama’s 1st historian. The majority of history curriculum in Alabama school’s is based on his work. However, there were a number of Alabama historians from different localities and I am attempting to inform readers of the lesser known historians by providing interesting excerpts from them on the Alabama pioneers website. His book, HISTORY of ALABAMA AND INCIDENTALLY OF GEORGIA AND MISSISSIPPI, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD – can be found in most libraries. Here is a brief biography about him on the website. http://alabamapioneers.com/biography-col-albert-j-pickett-born-1810-with-photograph/#sthash.xkUutzA3.dpbs