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- Spell ancestors: Frederic Spell, John Spell, William Spell
On October 16 1779 after raids by so-called patriot, John Willing, into the British West Florida settlements of Natchez, Baton Rouge and Manchac, Edward Forman and 18 others signed oaths of allegiance to the "United Independent States of North America" in the presence of Capt. Pickles who had captured the British armed vessel on Lake Ponchartrain.
'We whose names or marks are here unto set and subscribe, being settlers and inhabitants on Lake Ponchartrain between the Bayou La Combe and the River Tanchipaho, de herby and acknowledge ourselves to be natives as well as true and faithful subjects to the United Independent States of North America.
An whereas on the tenth day of last month, William Pickles, captain of the navy of the said States, did arrive in this lake and made prize of the English armed sloop, West Florida, who had kept possession of the lake for near two years before, and the said William Pickles, Esquire, did on the twenty first of the same month, land some of his people, and take possession of this settlement and gave us all the protection again Indians and others that his force would admit of, and suffered us to remain on our possessions till further orders; we, therefore, consider ourselves belonging to the said States, and are willing to remain here and enjoy our property and privileges under them, the said United States October 16, 1779'
Gerald Brandon, Alex McCollough, James Mosely, Mary Smith, Samuel Smith, James Farro, Abel Goffegon, Edward Foreman, Wm. Dakimore, Jacob Ambrose, Frederic Spell, Benj. Curtis, Wm. Fisher, Paul Pigg, Daniel Tuttle, Matt McCollough, Francis Fisher, John Spell, Wm. Spell" Source Mississippi as a Providence, Territory and State, Clairborne, 1880."
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