I have a BIRD female. I don't know much about her...but...would love to connect with this BIRD family... Here is what I know... This is taken from a little family history that was sent to me by a cousin and I will type it just as HE wrote it.... "In the year of 1815, in the state of tennessee, a fullblood Choctaw baby was born. I can't find the names of her mother and tahter, but they named their baby Christina, which was usually written in the sort form "Tennie." She was 21 years old when her folks were (by the order of the federal govenment) started on the "Trail of Tears" move to the Indian Territory. The Indian Removal Act of May 28, 1830, moved the Choctaws to Indian Teritory in 1836. Tennie's family either bought their way out of the march--they could well afford to--or just slipped away. That was the two ways they could have gotten out of coming to I.T. Both were common occurrences during the march. The soldiers were sympathetic to their plight, for one thing, and the other reason for not guarding them clsely was that each Indian who was let slip away was just one more Indian that the soldiers didn't have to worry with. Tennie's folks settled around Casseville, Mo. There was a large group of her brothers and sisters; I can fine none of their names, except one sister's name was Sarah. Tennie married a man named BIRD. I have found the name spelled "Byrd" but the oldest documents render it "Bird." She was our great-grandma. In 1844, when Tennie was 29, on the 18th of November, a baby girl ws born to her. The baby was named JULIA ANN BIRD. She had brohters and sisters, some of them settled in Arkansas and for a time some of granny's folks lived at Panama, Oklahoma. The BIRDS moved to Crawford County, Arkansas before the war, near Van Buren. It was at the home of her mother and step-father that JULIA married her beau she had met in Missouri.......JAMES AKINS........." A little more continues on.... "The newly-weds made their home with James's father, Jimmy Akins, north of Greenwood.........." Here are some of the children recorded that were born to JULIA ANN BIRD and Jimmy Akins: John Nicklis, March 1, 1867, Greenwood, Sebastain County, Ark Mary Ann , August 8, 1871, Greenwood, Sebastian County, Ark George Washington, July 15, 1874, Texas James William (Will) April 21, 1876, Greenwood Vandia Lee (Frost) May 1, 1879, Greenwood Victory (Vic), July 15, 1881, Greenwood Henry, March 17, 1884, Greenwood Minnie B., June 6, 1886, Greenwood Christinia (Tennie) March 13, 1888, Greenwood Havey Bishop, June 25, 1891, Greenwood They moved to the Indian Territory....and finally got her Civl War Widow's pension granted, (Oct 7, 1898).... certificate number 469508 and the money was sent to her on November 16, 1898. This is when she lived at Skullyville, OK.... She took the check to Keota, OK It was said that she was afraid to sign the Choctaw Indian rolls because she was told that she would lose her Civil War Pension check!!!!! When she had her first stroke (1914), she did not fully recover....The doctors that were used were: Dr. Newman, Dr. Lett, Dr. Van Matri, and Dr. Bush. The lawyer used by JULIA ANN BIRD Atkins was Clark from Stigler, OK...... She died May 10, 1923.....She was 78 years old...and....six months...in OK... Hope this helps to connect to this family!!!! Thanks!!! kaite....