10. Susan 'Susy'² Colbert (James Logan¹)⁽¹⁵²⁾ (#916) was born circa 1770. Susan died after 1848 in IT?.⁽¹⁵³⁾ She filed a claim as a self emigrating Chickasaw on 15 NOV 1848.

She married twice. She married James B. Allen in Chickasaw Nation, MS, circa 1790.⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ (James B. Allen is #915.) James was born in NC. (Additional notes for James B. Allen⁽¹⁵⁵⁾) James died 1835 in Toccopola, MS. His body was interred 1835 in Toccopola, MS. He was listed as a resident in the census report in Chickasaw Nation, MS, 1818.⁽¹⁵⁶⁾ James was baptized at in Monroe Mission, Pontotoc Co., MS, 6 JUL 1828. Religion: religion unknown.⁽¹⁵⁷⁾ He was listed as a resident in the census report in Monroe Co., MS, 1830.⁽¹⁵⁸⁾ James Allen was a North Carolinian, well educated and of a family in easy circumstances. He came to Nashville, intending to settle there as a lawyer, but from some disgust, entered the Chickasaw Nation, where he soon conciliated the favor of a wealthy half-breed, General William Colbert, (the son of Scotsman James Logan Colbert and a Chickasaw Indian woman). Allen married his daughter Susie. Their daughter, Peggy, was very beautiful and she married a handsome young man from the neighborhood of Natchez.

There is much confusion about this mans first name. Several sources refer to him as "James", (i.e., Don Martini in his works), others refer to him as "John". The court records refer to him as "John", (Monroe Co., MS - Fisher v. Allen - the famous case involving the gift of the slave "Toney" by Allen's wife, Betsy Love, to their daughter.)

It would appear that this "John Allen" was not in fact the same "John L. Allen" who was a sub-agent for the Chickasaws, due to some records that would indicate that the sub-agent "Allen" was alive after the reported death date for this "Allen". (However, there always remains the possibility that these are the same people who simply had more than one wife.)

In Don Martini's book, "Southeastern Indian Notebook", which was written several years after his "Chickasaw" book, he has now changed his position that there were two "James Allens". He now states:

"James Allen, a native of North Carolina and reputedly at one time a lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee, arrived in the Chickasaw Nation sometime before 1793. By 1797, he was married to Susan Colbert, the youngest daughter of trader James Colbert, [James Logan Colbert], and two years later their daughter, Peggy, was baptized by missionary Joseph Bullen. Allen was also married in 1797 or 1798 to Betsy Love, daughter of trader Thomas Love."

It should be noted that Martini also stated in the above paragraph that Susy Colbert was the youngest daughter of James [Logan] Colbert, where most other authorities indicate she was the daughter of Gen. William Colbert.

Part of this confusion may also lie in the fact that Margaret Colbert, a daughter of Gen. Colbert did marry John L. Allen, the Chickasaw sub-agent.

Further, in the same "Notebook", Martini states that Susy Perry Colbert was probably the daughter of Joseph or Samuel Colbert, brothers to Major James Colbert, (who was the youngest of James Logan Colbert's sons), and that she was adopted by Major James Colbert, as apparently it is believed that both Joseph and Samuel died early.

What is overlooked by Martini is the entry in the Monroe Co., Mississippi, "Susan Perry, Yalobusha Co., Mississippi, to daughter Margaret Burney of the Chickasaw Nation, slaves. February 9, 1825."

[Plural marriages was certainly consistant with Chickasaw Tribal Law at that time, and many a white trader took advantage of that fact.]

She married ??? Perry before 1818. (??? Perry is #19411.)

She was listed as a resident in the census report in Chickasaw Roll, Chickasaw Nation, MS, 1818. Susan registered to pay taxes in Yalobusha Co., MS, 1834-1835.⁽¹⁵⁹⁾ She sold property in Yalobusha Co., MS, 9 FEB 1835.⁽¹⁶⁰⁾ She was listed as a resident in the census report in Tax List, Yalobusha Co., MS, 1835. She bought property in Yalobusha Co., MS, 9 FEB 1836.⁽¹⁶¹⁾ She was listed as a resident in the census report in Yalobusha Co., MS, 1840. She bought property in MS, 22 MAY 1843.⁽¹⁶²⁾ The reserve was suspended later in 1843.

She was listed as a resident in the 1847 census report in IT, 1847.⁽¹⁶³⁾ She was listed as a full blood over the age of 50.

She resided in IT 15 NOV 1848.⁽¹⁶⁴⁾ There seems to be some confusion over just who was Susan Colbert's parents. Some sources indicate that she was the daughter of General William Colbert and his wife Mimey. Other sources indicate she was the daughter of either Joseph or Samuel Colbert and later adopted by their brother Major James Colbert, the youngest son of James Logan Colbert. While still other sources indicate that she was the youngest daughter of James Logan Colbert, himself.

Jonathan Daniels in his book, "The Devil's Backbone - The Story of the Natchez Trace," refers to "Peggy" Allen, (who married Simon Burney), as the "great-granddaughter" of James Logan Colbert. Also stating that she was the daughter of Susie Colbert and James Allen.

Don Martini in his book, "Chickasaw Empire - The Story of the Colbert Family," at page 15 states, "Susan Colbert, youngest of the Captain's [James Logan Colbert] children, took for a husband one James Allen, a white man, bore him a daughter named Peggy Allen, and disappeared from history in 1800." Later, on page 41, Martini states that Susan Colbert evidently died about 1800.

There does exist in the Monroe Co., Mississippi records the following; "Susan Perry, Yalobusha Co., Mississippi, to daughter Margaret Burney of the Chickasaw Nation, slaves. February 9, 1825."

Margaret (Allen) Burney was most often refered to as "Peggy," ("Peggy" is a well known nickname for Margaret), and was the daughter of Susan Colbert and James Allen. Margaret married Simon Burney.

Therefore, it is not as Martini states "evident that Susan (Colbert) Allen died in 1800," as she must have been alive in 1825, and living in Yalobusha Co., Mississippi.

There are three things to be noted from the evidence we now have; first, Yalobusha County, while on the border line of the Chickasaws and Choctaws in Mississippi, was considered Choctaw land. Second, the above cited record gives Susan's last name as "Perry" and not "Allen". Third, James Allen had by 1798 married to Betsy Love, daughter of trader Thomas Love. I think it may be fairly easy to speculate from these three items that something happened to the marriage of James Allen and Susie Colbert. That Susie (Colbert) Allen married a man named Perry and moved to near, if not in the Choctaw Nation.

There were a number of prominent Perry's in the Choctaw Nation and I believe that Susie (Colbert) Allen married one of them. Since we know that she was alive in 1825, but there appears to be no Susie Perry listed on the 1818 Census of the Chickasaw Nation in Mississippi, then it is quite probable that the reason is that she married a Choctaw Perry. (Actually there is a Susy Perry listed with the Colbert family on the 1818 Census and I now believe that she may be the same person, possibly she was a "Perry" widow by 1818?)

Martini, in "Chickasaw Empire," tells of the distitute position Susan's brother James Colbert forund himself in 1830, and about how he was trying to get back the slaves that he had inherited from his father James Logan Colbert, but had given or sold to a number of his friends or relatives. Listed among those friends or relatives was Benjamin Love, who had married Charlotte Burney (a granddaughter of young James Colbert's sister Susan), David Burney (a brother of Charlotte's), Simon Burney (the father of Charlotte and David, as well as the husband of Margaret "Peggy" Allen), and "Susan Perry", John Perry, and Joseph Perry.

It is quite possible that the slaves held by the Burney's and Benjamin Love, were among the slaves given to Margaret (Allen) Burney by her mother Susie (Colbert) Perry. Likewise, it entirely probable that the "Susan Perry" listed in the above "friends and relatives list" is the same person as "Susan (Colbert) Perry".

One other note should be made, the 1818 Chickasaw Census does list as an apparant member of the house hold, (and child of?), of James Colbert, Susan's brother, an individual named "Susy Perry Colbert," perhaps named after his sister? Very probably though the same person?

Susan 'Susy' Colbert and James B. Allen had the following child:

+ 90 i. Margaret 'Peggy'³ Allen was born circa 1790.

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