RobertBruceFerguson
Private
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2014
- Location
- Central Mississippi
Jack Amos was born about 1828 in the Choctaw Nation when the nation was still east of the Mississippi River. Today, Amos' birthplace is within Lauderdale County, Mississippi. He was a Choctaw Indian, and his parents were Apatomby and Nahhatema. Jack's Indian name was Eahantatubee. In the Choctaw Indian language, Eahantatubbee means "Going Out To Kill."
As a young man, Jack likely played an important role in tribal affairs since he was familiar with the English language. Names on petitions find names similar to Eahantatubee during the 1840s and 1850s. His name appears as Ea han lubba in an 1851 petition to the Commission of Indian Affairs at Washington City.
Jack likely joined Major John W. Pierce's 1st Choctaw Battalion in the later part of 1862. Jack and Samuel G. Spann spent considerable amount of time together as they recruited Indians from the various Indian townships found in central Mississippi.
The 1st Choctaw Battalion was endorsed by President Jefferson Davis on February 17th of 1863 and lasted from February until May 9th of 1863 when it was disbanded. The battalion was headquartered at Newton Station, Mississippi. They were used for tracking conscripts and deserters.
When a train derailed into the Chunky River near Chunky, Mississippi, S. G. Spann ordered the members of the 1st Choctaw Battalion to rescue the survivors & victims. Jack was among the rescuers.
At the end of March of 1863, the 1st Choctaw Battalion, as reinforcement, took the railways from Newton Station, Mississippi to Hammond, Louisiana. Along with many other Confederate units, the 1st Choctaw Battalion marched south along the New Orleans, Jackson, and Greater Southern Rail Road. They helped push the "yankees" out of Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
The 1st Choctaw Battalion was disbanded; yet, two loyal companies were soon transferred to Spann's Independent Scouts. Jack was soon part of Spann's scouts. Many Indians served in Spann's unit until the end of the War. They surrendered in Meridian, Mississippi and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Jack gave testimony in Newton, Mississippi on December 17, 1900. In part he said: "I here state that I am a full-blood Indian, of the Choctaw Tribe, a native of Mississippi. I am now 73 years old. I lived in Newton County, Miss., in 1863. I knew the chief of my people, his name was Tonubby. About two hundred of the Choctaw braves enlisted in the Confederate service, under Capt. J. W. Pearce, in the early part of 1863, and were mustered into service as the First Choctaw Battalion of Indians ... "
In 1903, Jack attended the U.C.V. Reunion at New Orleans. The Times-Democrat interviewed Jack in a newspaper article called: "FAMOUS INDIAN SCOUT."
Jack died not live long after his 1903 appearance at New Orleans. His obituary appeared in the The Newton Record on March 22, 1906.
Sources: New Orleans Bee, April 7, 1863; The Newton Record, March 22, 1906; The Times-Democrat, May 22, 1903; Jack's testimony from the Department of Mississippi's History and Archives; Gregg Boggan's Jack Amos (http://www.nchgs.org/html/jack_amos_e-aht-onte-ube.html).
Biographer: ROBERT BRUCE FERGUSON, 2017.
As a young man, Jack likely played an important role in tribal affairs since he was familiar with the English language. Names on petitions find names similar to Eahantatubee during the 1840s and 1850s. His name appears as Ea han lubba in an 1851 petition to the Commission of Indian Affairs at Washington City.
Jack likely joined Major John W. Pierce's 1st Choctaw Battalion in the later part of 1862. Jack and Samuel G. Spann spent considerable amount of time together as they recruited Indians from the various Indian townships found in central Mississippi.
The 1st Choctaw Battalion was endorsed by President Jefferson Davis on February 17th of 1863 and lasted from February until May 9th of 1863 when it was disbanded. The battalion was headquartered at Newton Station, Mississippi. They were used for tracking conscripts and deserters.
When a train derailed into the Chunky River near Chunky, Mississippi, S. G. Spann ordered the members of the 1st Choctaw Battalion to rescue the survivors & victims. Jack was among the rescuers.
At the end of March of 1863, the 1st Choctaw Battalion, as reinforcement, took the railways from Newton Station, Mississippi to Hammond, Louisiana. Along with many other Confederate units, the 1st Choctaw Battalion marched south along the New Orleans, Jackson, and Greater Southern Rail Road. They helped push the "yankees" out of Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
The 1st Choctaw Battalion was disbanded; yet, two loyal companies were soon transferred to Spann's Independent Scouts. Jack was soon part of Spann's scouts. Many Indians served in Spann's unit until the end of the War. They surrendered in Meridian, Mississippi and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Jack gave testimony in Newton, Mississippi on December 17, 1900. In part he said: "I here state that I am a full-blood Indian, of the Choctaw Tribe, a native of Mississippi. I am now 73 years old. I lived in Newton County, Miss., in 1863. I knew the chief of my people, his name was Tonubby. About two hundred of the Choctaw braves enlisted in the Confederate service, under Capt. J. W. Pearce, in the early part of 1863, and were mustered into service as the First Choctaw Battalion of Indians ... "
In 1903, Jack attended the U.C.V. Reunion at New Orleans. The Times-Democrat interviewed Jack in a newspaper article called: "FAMOUS INDIAN SCOUT."
Jack died not live long after his 1903 appearance at New Orleans. His obituary appeared in the The Newton Record on March 22, 1906.
Sources: New Orleans Bee, April 7, 1863; The Newton Record, March 22, 1906; The Times-Democrat, May 22, 1903; Jack's testimony from the Department of Mississippi's History and Archives; Gregg Boggan's Jack Amos (http://www.nchgs.org/html/jack_amos_e-aht-onte-ube.html).
Biographer: ROBERT BRUCE FERGUSON, 2017.
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