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The First Survey Through Hal's Lake Swamp Page 8
The Wailes' family was close to the Butler family of
Natchez,42 and across the river in Feliciana Parish in Louisiana,
and it might well have been Wailes who introduced that family to
land at Hal's Lakes,43 and the John Foster who owned part of Hal's
Lake44 might well have been the same John Foster who founded
Washington, Mississippi.45James Powell. Both the Powell and Bates families were living below
McIntosh's Bluff before 1791.46James Powell, almost undoubtedly from this family, was born
in Georgia and his family settled at Black's Bend.47 James Powell
married Sarah Bates,48 but it is not clear whether James Powell
had Indian blood.Before 1805, Washington County poll tax records show that
James Powell had 800 acres of land on the upper end of McIntosh's
Bluff.51 In 1805 he owned one slave, 52 three horses,53 120 cows,54___________
42Id. at 203.
43See Bagwell, A Working History of Hal's Lake, Vol. 18 CLARKE
COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY, p. 21 (1994)44 In 1818 John Foster bought two prime quarter sections at
Hal's Lake, Clarke County Tract Book 1, p. 138; Book 109. [/ 627.45SYDNOR at 24, 28 n. 68.
46Matte, History of Washington County, Vol. I, p. 12-13. John
Powell, shown in the 1810 census, might have been brother of James.47Letter from Allen Powell of Uriah, a descendant. [Does
anybody know where this is? Across from Powell's Landing at Mile
88.2 of the Tombigbee is "Blackwell's Bar". Could they be the
same?]48Id.
49James and Sarah were listed separately in the 1810 census,
Sarah under her maiden name, with Sarah in Washington County, and
James in Baldwin County (Baldwin County then encompassed much of
what is now Clarke County).50Letter from Allen Powell, a descendent.
51Washington County, Mississippi Territory 1803-1616 Tax Rolls,
p. 3.52Id. at p. 11.
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