Now that Dauphin Island has rightly claimed itself the "ISLE OF 7 FLAGS", it might be good to explain how D.I. became part of the REPUBLIC OF WEST FLORIDA which flew the first LONE STAR FLAG. The Republic of West Florida was the first sovereign nation in the New World to be claimed from Spain through rebellion. This "Tom Thumb Republic" only existed for 74 days in 1810 before being proclaimed to be a part of the United States as part of the 1803's Louisiana Purchase. West Florida insurgents threatened the Spanish authorities in Mobile but were defeated due to the influence of U.S. authorities at Fort Stoddard on the Mobile River.  Evidence of the republic's claim to all the land from the Mississippi to the Perdido comes when the U.S. took over the republic by proclamation in December of 1810 and made it part of the Territory of Orleans and named it FELICIANA COUNTY. St. Francisville, Louisiana was named the county seat and the county was divided into six parishes. Dauphin Island was a part of PASCAGOULA PARISH which had three eastern boundary lines: Bayou La Batrie, Bayou Perro (Dog River) and the Perdido River.