The Reminiscences of George Strother Gaines

The two sections of the Reminiscences of George Strother Gaines form one of the most important primary sources on the early history of Alabama and Mississippi. The Reminiscences cover the years 1805 to 1843, when Gaines served as assistant factor and then factor of the Choctaw trading house (1805-18), as cashier of Tombeckbee Bank in St. Stephens (1818-22), as a merchant in Demopolis (1822-32), and finally as a banker and merchant in Mobile (1832-43). In addition, Gaines played a key role in Indian-white relations during the Creek War of 1813-14, served a two-year term in the Alabama Senate (1825-27), led a Choctaw exploring party to the new Choctaw lands in the West following the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (1830-31), and served as the superintendent for Choctaw removal (1831-32). Gaines dictated his Reminiscences in 1871 at the age of eighty-seven. In this first book-length edition of the Reminiscences, James Pate has provided an extensive biographical introduction, notes, illustrations, maps, and appendixes to aid the general reader and the scholar.