William Colbert, native name Chooshemataha, was the oldest son of North American trader James Colbert by his first wife, a Chickasaw woman. Along with several of his brothers, William Colbert was important leader of the Chickasaw people in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Chickasaw were aligned with the British during the American Revolutionary War, and William joined his father in capturing Spanish ships on the Mississippi and the Battle of Arkansas Post in 1783. In 1791, under command of Arthur St. Clair in Ohio, William, his brother George Colbert, and Piomingo fought other Indigenous people for which they were awarded medals by George Washington. William Colbert also led attacks on Osage people across the Mississippi River, which frustrated U.S. Indian Agent Samuel Mitchell because it led to retaliatory attacks on non-Chicksaws.