As of today, we are in Arkansas, 171 miles along, 37% done. Since we started, I decided to look up which Trail of Tears my ancestors actually were on. We’re rewalking the Trail of 1830/31. Come to find out, my great great great grandparents were on the Trail in 1833. Leroy (Lee) Griggs, who was white, and wife, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Jones, who was full blood, were married in Mississippi. I’m working on finding out more information. I have great greats that were born about that time but I’m unsure if they were born on the Trail or not. I’ve discovered early census info is different! Choices for race are black, white, or mulatto. That makes determining full or partial blood difficult! Of course, occupations are interesting… the farmer in one census is a merchant in the next. Farmer, farm worker, and miller are normal, but, I admit, I did look up what a dray driver was. I wonder when they stopped asking if a citizen could read and write or do they still?
I also found it interesting that many Choctaw actually rode on paddle wheelers up the Mississippi. There were so many people that they pulled barges behind them filled with passengers. It was when they went cross country and the winter weather hit that they suffered.
This is a journey in so many ways.
