John Blount, the son of William Blount, later a U.S. senator, and a Coushatta woman, became principal chief of the Apalachee or Apalachicola Indians while in Florida. During the First Seminole War from 1814 to 1815, he gained distinction by serving as a guide to General Andrew Jackson. After Jackson became president, Blount was invited to Washington D.C., recognized for his zealous efforts, and awarded a silver breast-plate calling him Jackson's "faithful guide." Blount is also known for his actions during the Trail of Tears, when the Indian Removal Act of 1830 allowed the government to move Indians from Florida to federal territory in the West. Because of his ties with Jackson, he received special permission to take the Apalachicola Indians to Texas, then Mexican territory, where his uncle, Chief Red Shoes, had already settled on the Trinity River. In 1834, Blount and 256 of his people began the long and difficult journey to what is now Polk County. After paddling down the Apalachicola River, they reached a bay near Oak Point and were placed on a vessel bound for New Orleans. Trials and delays left them without money for supplies, forcing them to travel the rest of the way on land. More hardships followed after they arrived, and Blount's group then numbered 152. Chief Blount was buried at the Coushatta settlement of Red Shoes. Although some of the tribe moved to Oklahoma in 1899, many descendants of Blount's persevering people still live in the area.