as well a grandmother who identified as Choctaw Indian. Church members described Benford as a "legend" and a "warrior" known for his community outreach. "God was all they had," Benford's obituary ...

about 300 African Americans and 30 Seminole and Choctaw Indians. News of "Negro Fort" (as it came to be called) attracted as many as 800 black fugitives who settled in the surrounding area.