USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 21
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 21
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 21
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28
-
319
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
moral, he resembled his antagonists of the woods. He had the square forehead, the high cheek-bones, the compressed lips, and, in fact, the physiognomy of an Indian, relieved, however, by a fine, benevolent, Saxon eye. Like the red man, too, his foot fell lightly upon the ground, and turned neither to the right or left ; he was habitually taciturn; his face grave : he spoke slowly, and in low tones, and seldom laughed. I observed of him, what I have often noted as peculiar to border men of high attributes: he entertained the strongest attachment for the Indians, extolled their courage, their love of country, and many of their domestic qualities, and I have often seen the wretched remnant of the Choctaws camped around his plantation and subsisting on his crops. In peace, they felt for him the strongest veneration-he had been the friend, both of Tecumseh and Weatherford-and in war, the name of ' Big Sam' fell on the car of the Seminole like that of Marius on the hordes of the Cimbri."
. Captain Dale, with a scouting party, had effectually scoured the swamps of Bassett's Creek, and Major Hinds's horse had routed a small body of the enemy, near Weatherford's Bluff, killing ten of their number, when an order from Flournoy permitted Claiborne to advance, with the Southern army, to the Alabama. His instrnetions confined him still to defensive operations, requiring him to establish a depot at Weather- ford's Bluff, and not to advance further into the Creek nation until he was joined by the Georgia and Tennessee troops. Claiborne accordingly broke up his camp at Pine Levels, marched across Clarke county, with three hundred volunteers,
1813 November 10
320
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER the dragoons and some militia, flanked by detachments under XXXVI. Captains Kennedy and Bates, and Lieutenant Osborne, and a party of Choctaws, under Pushmatahaw and Mushullatubba. Arriving at the Alabama, the army encamped for the night upon the western bank, and the next day, at twelve o'clock, had November 17 gained the other side, by means of rafts. Colonel Gilbert C. 1813 Russell, an accomplished and gallant commander in the regu- lar army, marched the third regiment of federal troops from Mount Vernon, through Nannahubba Island, by Mims's Ferry. to the head of Little river, and thence to the encampment ... November 28 of Claiborne, with whom he had been instructed by General Flournoy to co-operate. In the meantime, Claiborne had made rapid progress in the construction of a strong stockade, two hundred feet square, defended by three block-houses and a half-moon battery, which commanded the river. Before the close of November it was completed, and received the name of Fort Claiborne, in honor of the commander. The town where it stood still bears his name. The general wrote to Jackson, congratulating him upon his victories, giving him an account of the operations in the southern seat of war, and acquainting him with the fact, that an abundance of corn and December 5 other provisions were to be obtained in the neighborhood of Fort Claiborne. He also wrote to Governor Blount, appri- sing him of the arrival of more English vessels in Pensacola, and added that he wished "to God that he was authorized to take that sink of iniquity, the depot of tories and instigators of disturbances on the southern frontier." He had, a few days before, despatched Major Kennedy and others to Mobile,
-
321
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
to learn from Colonel Bowyer the particulars of the arrival of the British at Pensacola. They reported, giving satisfactory assurances that a large quantity of Indian supplies, and many soldiers, had arrived there; and, in addition, that the Indians were committing depredations in Baldwin county, having recently burned down Kennedy's and Byrne's mills.
Lieutenant-Colonel George Henry Nixon had succeeded Russell in the command at Mount Vernon. At his request, Claiborne permitted him, also, to man Fort Pierce, in the neighborhood of the disturbances .*
Claiborne, having determined to advance to the enemy's strong-hold, the line of march was taken up by an army December 13 consisting of Colonel Russell's third regiment, Major Cassels' battalion of horse, a battalion of militia, under Major Benja-
Colonel Nixon was born in Virginia, and, living some years in South-Carolina, removed from thence, in 1809, to the Mississippi Ter- ritory. He was among the first to offer his services in defence of his country. During the Creek war, Colonel Nixon, at the head of a con- siderable force, scoured the swamps of the Perdido and other streams, and frequently killed and captured Indians. After he had accom- plished all he could, he marched to the head of the Perdido, where he divided his eommand, sending Major William Peacock, with the troops of the 39th, to the Boat Yard, on Lake Tensaw, while he marched the remainder of his command to Fort Claiborne. He was an excellent officer, and served in the war until its final conclusion. He was a member of the convention that formed the constitution of the State of Mississippi, and was, afterwards, frequently a State Senator. He died in Perlington, Mississippi, in 1824. He was a large and fine-looking man, with fair complexion, and was very popular.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
1813 December 13
-
322
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
min Smoot-Patrick May being adjutant, Dale and Heard captains, and Gerard W. Creagh one of the lieutenants-the twelve months' Mississippi Volunteers, under Colonel Carson, and one hundred and fifty Choctaws, under Pushmatahaw, numbering, in the aggregate, near one thousand men. A few days before, nine captains, eight lieutenants, and five ensigns, signed a remonstrance, in respectful language, against the march to the nation, and presented it to the general. They set forth that the time of service of many would soon expire, that the weather was cold, that they were too scantily sup -. plied with clothing and food for such a campaign, and that the route to the enemy's towns was entirely a pathless one : but they stated their willingness to obey, if Claiborne should resolve to proceed.
1813 December
Claiborne moved in a north-eastern direction, until he reached the high lands south of Double Swamp, at the dis- . tance of eighty miles, where he built a depot, called Fort Deposite, situated in the present county of Butler, and where he left the wagons, cannon, baggage and the sick, with one hundred men, as a guard. Thirty miles further brought him into the immediate neighborhood of the Holy Ground, which had been reached without the aid of a single path. The pork being exhausted, the troops were in a suffering condition, for they had only drawn, when leaving Fort Deposite, three days' allowance of flour. Econachaca (Holy Ground) had recently been erected by Weatherford, the prophets having assured the Indians that here no white man could approach without instant destruction. It was strongly fortified in the
-
323
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
Indian manner, and had, for some months, formed a point to which those who had been routed in battle retreated, and where a great amount of plunder had been stored. It was situated upon a bluff, on the eastern side of the Alabama river, just below the present Powell's Ferry, in the county of Lowndes. Here many of the white prisoners and friendly Indians were burned to death, by order of the prophets, and, when Claiborne was almost within sight of the town, with his advancing army, Mrs. Sophia Durant, and many other friendly half-breeds, were mustered in the square, and surrounded by- lightwood fires, designed to consume them.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
1813
The troops advanced toward the town in three columns, December 23 the centre commanded by Colonel Russell, at the head of which was Claiborne himself, Lester's guards and Wells' dragoons acting as a corps of reserve.
At noon Carson's right column came in view of the town, and was vigorously attacked by the enemy, who had chosen their field of action. The town was nearly surrounded with swamps and deep ravines, so that the enemy, who afterwards retreated, could not be successfully pursued. Major Cassels, who had been directed to form his battalion of horse on the river bank, west of the town, failing to effect such a move- ment, fell back on the head of Carson's regiment, who, how- ever, advanced, and took his position. The third regiment, coming up in gallant style, did its duty. Major Smoot as- sumed his position in a proper manner, and all would have been right, if Cassels' cavalry had not failed to obey orders,
17*
-
324
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
thereby permitting hundreds of the enemy to escape, along the Alabama river, by the western border of the town. The Indians, headed by Weatherford, for a short time fought with considerable fury, but afterwards fled with great rapidity. The short engagement resulted in the death of thirty Indians and negroes, whose bodies were afterwards counted upon the field. Many must have been severely wounded. Lucket, an American ensign, was killed, and twenty men were wounded.
1813 December 23
Several hours before the battle began, the Indian women and children had been conveyed across the river, and were securely lodged in the thick forests of the region now fami- liarly known as the Dutch Bend of Autauga county. Here the retreating warriors, some of whom came over in boats, while others swam, joined them. Weatherford, seeing that his forces had deserted him, now pushed hard for his own . safety. Coursing, with great rapidity, along the banks of the Alabama, below the town, on a grey steed, of unsurpassed strength and fleetness-which he had purchased, a short time before the commencement of hostilities, of Benjamin Baldwin, late of Macon county-came, at length, to the termination of a kind of ravine, where there was a perpendicular bluff, ten or fifteen feet above the surface of the river. Over this, with a mighty bound, the horse pitched, with the gallant Chief, and both went out of sight, beneath the waves. Presently they rose again, the rider having hold of the mane with one hand and his rifle firmly grasped in the other. Regaining
-
325
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
his saddle, the noble animal swam with him to the Autauga side .*
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Claiborne reduced the town of the Holy Ground to ashes. He then despatched the cavalry to Ward's place, up the river, December 24 1813 who, before reaching there, fell in with three Shawnees of distinction, retreating from the battle, whom they killed. The firing being heard at the camp, Claiborne struck his tents, and marched in that direction, during the night. Encamp- ing at Weatherford's place, in an open field, the cold rains descended in torrents upon the troops, and Christmas morning found them engaged in parching corn for breakfast, which was the only thing left to eat. After destroying some houses and farms, the army marched back to Fort Deposite, and from December 26 thence to Fort Claiborne, where, the term of service of Car- -son's Mississippi volunteers and cavalry having expired, they were mustered out of service.
Colonel Russell, now left in sole command of Fort Clai- borne, preferred charges against Major Cassels, for disobe- dience of orders, at the Holy Ground, and a court of inquiry, composed of Captain Woodruff, president, Captain J. E. Denkins and Lieutenant II. Chotard, decided that Sam Mc- Nac, the guide, was chiefly to blame, for the failure of Cas-
* Extravagant tales have often been told of Weatherford's leap, and a bluff, at or near the site of the Holy Ground town, which is probably eighty or a hundred feet high, is often pointed out as the one over which he charged. The account I have given is Weatherford's own state- ment of the affair.
1814 January 1
1
-
326
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVI. 1814 January 1
sels to occupy the position which had been assigned him. Another court of inquiry, composed of Colonel Carson and Lieutenant Wilcox, decided that the contractor of the army was solely to blame for the perishing condition of the expe- dition, as General Claiborne had given him ample instructions to furnish abundant supplies. The command had been en- tirely without meat for nine days.
January 24
General Claiborne wrote to the Secretary of War, from Mount Vernon, that he had been left with but sixty men, whose time lacked only a month of expiring ; that his other volunteers, who had been disbanded, had gone home naked, and without shoes, with eight months pay due them ; and that his army, being thus broken up, he intended to return home, as soon as he received permission from General Flour- noy .*
Having planned an expedition against the enemy, Colonel Russell despatched Captain Denkins up the Alabama, from Fort Claiborne, in command of a barge, laden with provisions, and defended by a piece of artillery, with instructions to enter the Cahawba river, and to ascend it to the "Old Towns," where his army would shortly join him. Afterwards, march- February 1 ing the larger portion of his regiment to the cross-roads, in Clarke county, four miles north of the present Sugsville, he was there joined by a company commanded by Captain Evan Austill and Lieutenant G. W. Creagh, and Captain
* Claiborne's MS. papers. Conversations with the late Colonel Creagh, General Patrick May, of Greene, and others.
1
327
.
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
Foster's horse company, both under the command of Major Samuel Dale. Leaving this place, with six days rations, Colonel Russell reached the Cahawba Old Towns, where he was mortified to find that Captain Denkins had not arrived- nor had he encountered, on the way, a solitary Indian. Des- patching Lieutenant Wilcox in a canoe, with five men, with directions to find Denkins and hasten him on, that officer proceeded down the Cahawba, upset his boat the first night, wet his ammunition, and lost two of his guns. Recovering the canoe, however, and proceeding down the river, lying by in the cane in the day-time, he was, in the evening of the second day, fired upon by a party of Indians. The two Wilsons, who belonged to this expedition, made their escape, and reached the lower settlements many days after, in a starving condition. One of them, Matthew, was found by Hais Rodgers, on the ridge road of Clarke. Lieutenant Wilcox and the other three were made prisoners by the Indians, who proceeded with them down the Cahawba, into the Alabama. In the meantime, Denkins, unfortunately passing the mouth of the Cahawba by mistake, had ascended some distance up the Alabama, and was now returning to Fort Claiborne, knowing that the army could not wait for him, but would return to that place likewise. The Indians, going down the river also, descried the barge, and, fearing to lose their prisoners, toma- hawked and scalped Wilcox and his three companions, leaving them in their canoe. When the canoe and the barge came together Wilcox was still alive, but too far gone to give any account of the particulars of his capture, or of Russell's expe-
CHAPTER XXXVI.
328
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
dition. The body of this gallant young officer, being found upon the Alabama, where it meanders through the region between Canton and Prairie Bluff, the legislature appro- priately preserved his memory, by giving the county his name.
1814 February
Colonel Russell remained two days at the Cahawba Old Towns, in which time one of his men was killed by some skulking savages. Despairing of the arrival of the barge, he began the return march, without any provisions ; and setting the example himself, in having his best horse killed for sub- sistence, twelve animals of that kind were devoured by the perishing troops. At Bradford's Pond they were timely re- lieved by wagons, laden with abundant provisions, and, arri- ving again at the cross-roads, were disbanded, the regulars marching to Fort Claiborne .*
* Conversations with Colonel Gerard W. Creagh, late of Clarke county.
329
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
BATTLES OF EMUCKFAU, ENITACHOPCO AND CALEBEE.
SINCE the battle of Talladega, Jackson had encountered innumerable difficulties and mortifications, owing to the failure of contractors and the mutiny of his troops, who were finally reduced to one hundred men, by the expiration of their time of service. He was now compelled to employ Cherokees to garrison Fort Armstrong, upon the Coosahatchie, and protect the stores at Ross's. Almost alone, in a savage land, he yet constantly rode between Fort Strother and Ditto's Landing, to hasten supplies for the new army, which he had employed Governor Blount to raise for him. At last, two regiments, one of them commanded by Colonel Perkins, and the other by Colonel Higgins-numbering together eight hundred and fifty men, who had only enlisted for sixty days-reached Fort 1814 January 14 Strother. Well understanding the character of minute men, like these, who must be constantly employed, Jackson imme- diately marched them across the Coosa, to the late battle- ground of Talladega, where he was joined by two hundred January 16 Cherokees and Creeks, who evinced great alarm at the weak-
CHAPTER XXXVII.
1
*
330
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVII. 1814
ness which the command presented. Continuing the march towards the Tallapoosa, the army encamped at Enitachopco, January 21 a Hillabee village, and, the next day, fell into many fresh- beaten trails, indicating the proximity of a large force. Here Jackson determined to halt, for the purpose of reconnoitre. Before dark, his encampment was formed, his army thrown into a hollow square, his pickets and spies sent out, his senti- nels doubled, and his fires lighted, some distance outside of the lines. About ten o'clock at night, one of the pickets, firing upon three of the enemy, succeeded in killing one, and _ at the hour of eleven the spies reported a large encampment, three miles distant, where the savages were whooping and dancing, and, being apprised of the approach of the Ameri- cans, were sending off their women and children.
January 22
About six o'clock in the morning, the Indians suddenly fell upon Jackson's left flank, and upon the left of his rear, maintain- ing a vigorous attack for a half hour. General Coffee, Adjutant- General Sitler, and Inspector-General Carroll, rode rapidly to the scene of action, as soon as the firing commenced, animating the men, who firmly kept the assailants at bay. Morning shed its light upon the exciting scene, enabling Captain Terrill's infantry to reinforce the left flank, when the whole line was led to the charge by General Coffee, supported by Colonels Higgins and Carroll, and the friendly Indians, which forced January 22 the savages to abandon the ground in a rapid manner. They were pursued, with slaughter, for two miles. Coffee, being then ordered. with four hundred men and the friendly Indians, to burn up their encampment, advanced, and, finding it strong-
331
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
ly fortified, returned for the artillery. Shortly afterwards, a body of the enemy boldly advanced, and attacked the right wing of Jackson's encampment. Coffee again charged, but, through mistake, only forty-five men followed him, composing his own company of volunteer officers ; but the friendly In- dians were sent by Jackson to his support. Dismounting his men, he now pursued the "Red Sticks" to the swamp of a creek .*
Jackson had ordered his left flank to remain firin, and now the Indians came rushing, with yells, against it. Repairing to that point, and ordering up Captain Terrill to his support, the whole line received the enemy with intrepidity, and, after a few fires, advanced to the charge, under the impetuous Car- roll. Again the Red Sticks fled before the bayonet, the Ame- ricans pursuing some distance, and marking their trails with blood. In the meantime, Coffee kept the enemy, who had now returned upon him from the swamp, at bay, until Jack- son strengthened him, with a reinforcement of a hundred friendly warriors, at the head of whom was Jim Fife. Cof- fee again charged, when the Red Sticks once more gave way, and the pursuit was continued for three miles, with the loss of forty-five savages.
The brave Creeks had now been repulsed in every attempt, but they exhibited a ferocity and courage which commanded the serious consideration of Jackson, whose force was weaker
* The Indian war-party were often called the " Red Sticks," because their war-clubs were invariably paided red.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
1
ـع
332
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
than he desired. The horses had been without cane and without corn for two days, and but few rations remained for the men. The wounded were numerous, and the enemy would, doubtless, soon be reinforced. Jackson determined to return to Fort Strother, with all possible despatch. The remainder of the day was employed in collecting and burying the dead, dressing the wounded, and fortifying the camp ; but the morning dawned without another attack .*
1814 January 23
The army began the retrograde march about ten o'clock, A.M., bearing the wounded, among whom was Coffee, in litters, constructed of the hides of the slain horses. Jackson reached Enitachopco before night, without molestation, and fortified himself at a place a quarter of a mile from the creek, around which the " Red Sticks " prowled, but refrained from attack. Dreading an onset at the ford of the creek, by which his army had passed a few days before, and which afforded great facilities for Indian ambuscades, the commander despatched spies in search of a less exposed crossing-place. Six hundred yards lower down was selected, and thither he January 24 advanced his troops in the morning. Carroll commanded the rear-guard, Colonel Perkins the right column, and Colonel Stump the left. In case of attack, Carroll was to face about, display and maintain his position, while the other two colo- nels were to face outward, wheel back on their pivots, and attack the Red Sticks on both flanks.
* The battle of Emuckfau was fought near a creek of that name, which runs south, into the Tallapoosa river, in Tallapoosa county, Alabama.
333
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
The wounded and the front guard had passed the creek, and, as Jackson was upon the eastern bank, superintending the crossing of the army, an alarm gun was heard, which was succeeded by a fierce attack of the savages upon the rear-guard of Captain Russell's spies. Colonel Carroll ordered the rear-guard to halt and form, when the right and left co- lumns, seized by a sudden panic, fled, without firing a gun, drawing after them most of the centre, with their officers foremost in the flight, at the head of whom was Colonel Stump, who came plunging down the bank, near the exas- perated commander-in-chief, who made an unsuccessful effort to cut him down with his sword. With only twenty-five men, under Captain Quarles, Carroll gallantly checked the advance of the Red Sticks. The artillery was under the command of Lieutenant Armstrong, in the absence of Captain Deadrick, who now ordered his company, armed with muskets, to ad- vance to the top of the hill, while he, with Constantine Per- kins, and a few others, dragged np the six-pounder from the middle of the creek. Instantly in their position, they main- tained it against ten times their number, until Armstrong reached them with his piece. Discovering that, in the hurry of 'separating the gun from the limbers, the rammer and pricker had been left tied to the latter, with wonderful pre- sence of mind, and while Indian bullets rattled like hail around them, Constantine Perkins and Craven Jackson, two of the gunners, supplied the deficiency. Perkins took off his bayonet, and rammed the cartridge home with his musket, and Jackson, drawing his ramed, employed it as a pricker,
CHAPTER XXXVII.
.
1814 January 24
334
THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
priming with a musket cartridge .* The six-pounder was thus twice charged, pouring grape among the savages, then only a few yards distant. Several comrades of these men fell around them, and, after the second fire, the little artillery company furiously charged on the assailants, who became more cautious in ' their approaches. Captain Gordon's spies, in front of the army when the alarm was given, made a cir- cuit, and attacked the left flank of the Indians. At the same time, a number of the rear-guard and flankers, rallied by Jackson, re-crossed the creek, and joined in the fight. The savages, finding that the whole army was now brought against them, fled, throwing away their packs, and leaving upon the field the bodies of twenty-six warriors.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.