USA > Alabama > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 22
USA > Georgia > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 22
USA > Mississippi > History of Alabama, and incidentally of Georgia and Mississippi, from the earliest period. v. 2 > Part 22
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1814 January 24
One hundred and eighty-nine bodies of the enemy were counted upon the fields of Emuckfau and Enitachopco. The
* Constantine Perkins was born in Knox county, Tennessee, the 17th August, 1792. He graduated at Cumberland College, in 1813, and was with Jackson, at the battle of Talladega, in Carroll's advance guard, where he greatly distinguished himself. Refusing to abandon Jackson, in a hostile land, he remained, with the small number who adhered to him. In the two battles at Emuckfau, he fought side by side with the bravest. When the Creek war was at an end, he studied law at Nashville. He was elected solicitor of one of the Teunessce circuits, but, removing to Alabama in 1819, was elected solicitor of the third circuit, which office he held until 1826, when he was elected attor- ney-general. In 1834, the people of Tuscaloosa county placed him in the State Senate, of which he was a member until the 17th Sep- tember, 1836, when he died.
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loss of the Americans was twenty killed and seventy-five wounded, several of whom afterwards died. Major A. Don- aldson was killed at Emuekfan. Captain Hamilton, Lieu- tenant Armstrong, Bird Evans, Hiram Bradford and Jacob McGivock were severely wounded. The first named after- wards died. Jackson, in his report, spoke in the highest terms of the bravery of these men, and also of that of Cap- tains Sitler, Quarles, Elliott and Pipkin, and Colonel Higgins. He also mentioned the gallantry of the venerable Judge Cocke, who, at the age of sixty-five, was in the midst of these battles.
. The army continued its march to Fort Strother, where Jackson ordered the sixty day volunteers to march to HIunts- ville, for honorable discharge, at the same time granting to . Coffee and his officers the privilege of returning home, until the government again demanded their services, to all of whom he addressed a kind letter, commending their patriotism and bravery. A court martial acquitted Colonel Perkins of the charge of cowardice, at the battle of Enitachopco; but Colonel Stump was found guilty, and cashiered .* .
Such is the American account of these engagements. The brave natives of Alabama had no writers among them, to record their achievements. Several Chiefs and leading war- riors, who were in the battles of Emuckfau and Enitachopco, have stated to us that they "whipped Cuptain Jackson, and run him to the Coosa river." The authors who have written
CHAPTER XXXVII.
1814 January 28
* Kendall's Life of Jackson, pp. 258-264. Waldo, Eaton, etc., etc.
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CHAPTER XXXVII.
upon these campaigns speak of the weakness of the American force. It consisted of seven hundred and sixty-seven men, with two hundred friendly Indians. We are enabled to state, with confidence, that the force of the Red Sticks, in these battles, did not exceed five hundred warriors, for the larger body had assembled below, to attack Floyd, while others were fortifying the Horse-Shoe, and various other places.
It has been seen that the Georgia army, after the battle of Auttose, retired to the Chattahoochie. . There, for more than six weeks, it had reposed, for the want of expected supplies. When General Floyd recovered from his wound, he again marched to the seat of war, with a force of twelve hundred and twenty-seven, rank and file, besides a company of cavalry and four hundred friendly Indians. His destination being the town of Tookabatcha, he established posts upon the route, for the purpose of keeping up a communication and facilita- ting the transportation of supplies. Marching from post to post, as they were established, he at length encamped on the Calebce Creek, upon the high lands bordering its swamp .*
181+ January 27
At twenty minutes past five o'clock in the morning, the Red Sticks, who had secreted themselves in the swamp during the latter part of the night, sprung upon the Georgians like tigers, driving in their sentinels, and taking the whole army by sur- prise. In twenty minutes, the action became general, and 1
* This creek runs in a north-western direction, through Macon county, Alabama.
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the front right and left flanks of the Americans were closely pressed ; but the enemy was met at every point. The front line was preserved by the steady fire of the artillery, under Captain Thomas, aided by the riflemen of Captain Adams. These troops suffered severely, for the enemy rushed within thirty yards of the cannon. Captain John Broadnax, who commanded one of the picket guards, maintained his post, until a party of Indians had cut off his retreat to the main army. In this desperate situation, his resolute band cut their way through to their friends, assisted by Timpoochy Barnard, a half-breed, at the head of some Uchees. The other friendly Indians, with a few exceptions, taking refuge within the lines, remained alarmed and inactive, while the battle lasted. When day appeared, the battalions of Majors Watson and Freeman were ordered to wheel up at right angles. Those of Majors Booth and Cleavland, who formed the right wing, received the same order, while Captain Hamilton's cavalry was instructed to form in the rear of the right wing, to act as circumstances required. A charge was now made, and the Red Sticks gave way before the bayonet. The cavalry, falling upon them, made considerable havoc, and, followed by the friendly In- dians and the rifle companies of Merriweather and Ford. pur- sued them through Calebee swamp. From the traces of blood, and the number of head-dresses and war-clubs found in various directions, the loss of the enemy must have been considerable. In the commencement of the action. Colonel Newnan was wounded by three balls, which deprived the VOL. II. 18
CHAPTER XXXVII.
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CHAPTER XXXVII.
commander of the services of that gallant and useful officer. Adjutant-General Narden, whose horse was wounded under him, performed important services, while the aid-de-camp of Floyd also had his horse killed under him. His additional aids, General Lee.and Major Pace, acted in a manner highly honorable to themselves and useful to the army. The loss of the Americans was seventeen killed and one hundred and thirty-two wounded, to which must be added the loss of the friendly Indians, who had five killed and fifteen wounded. The Georgians fought with great resolution ; but, assailed before day, with no fortifications around them, the Indians, until the charge was made, had the advantage, and made use of it .* The large number of wounded . Georgians, the proximity of the enemy, who continued to hover around them, indicating a disposition to renew the attack, were reasons deem- ed sufficient by Floyd for relinquishing the main object of the expedition, retracing his steps, and awaiting further reinforce- ments. He accordingly marched from Calebee to Fort Hull, one of his newly-erected posts, and, the next night, the In- dians were in possession of the battle-field. Leaving at Fort Hull a small garrison, he returned to Fort Mitchell, upon the Chattahoochie, which he believed, from information, was soon
1814 February 2
* Zachariah MeGirth, bearing a despatch from General Claiborne to Floyd, passed through the Calebee swamp late in the night, while it must have been filled with the enemy, and strangely reached the American camp in safety.
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to be attacked. Although the Georgia army had gallantly maintained their ground, at the battle of Calebee, the Indians stopped their further march into the nation, and caused them, in a few days, to retreat .*
General Jackson had employed the few militia who re- mained with him at Fort Strother, after the battles of Emuck- fau and Enitachopco, in constructing flat-boats, to descend the Coosa, with stores for the use of the new army, then being raised in Tennessee, which was to operate below. The Kiali- gee Chiefs, whose neutrality Jackson had viewed with suspi- cion, becoming alarmed, paid him a visit, and disclosed that the Ufaulas, New-Yaucas and Ocfuskes, the remnant of the Hillabees, the Fish Ponds, and many Red Sticks from other towns, were then in a bend of the Tallapoosa, and on an . island near Emuckfau, where they had resolved to defend themselves to the last extremity. This information deter- mined him to march upon them.
When the army arrived at Fort Strother, he embarked the stores in the flat-boats, which were to proceed down the Coosa, in charge of the thirty-ninth regiment, and, leaving a garrison of four hundred and fifty men in Fort Strother, under the command of Colonel Steele, he began the march, for the third time, towards the seat of war. Within five days, Jackson reached the mouth of Cedar Creek, having
* Russell's History of the Late War, pp. 242-243. Waldo's Life of Jackson, pp. 124-126. Kendall's Life of Jackson, p. 240.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
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1814 February 15
March 15
March 16
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CHAPTER XXXVII. 1814 March 22
been retarded by the cutting out of thirty miles of the road. The boats, in descending the river, meeting with some ob- structions, finally reached this point also, where a fort was immediately commenced, which Jackson called Fort Williams, in honor of the commander of the thirty-ninth regiment. A detachment returned to the camp, and reported that they had burned two Indian towns, lower down, but had seen no Red Sticks.
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BATTLE OF
CHOLOCCO LITABIXEE; OR, THE HORSE-SHOE.
Rear Guard
line a reserre /
7th March 1814-
FB
The Ras
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A
Breast wor
A
Island
High Ground
B
4 0
0
"Gen ! Coffees track"
Tallapoosa
D
D
Reari Guard -
P.
P
R
River
REFERENCES. A-Hill from which the cannon played. B B B B-High broken ridge. C C-Indian huts. DD DDpppp ppp- Men formed in battle.
New Youka Village
Gen! Coffe's return march in the evening of the 27Th March
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track with the main army
..........
i's
so
Gen! Jacks
Emucktan Crrek
D
B
B"
"track on the morning of the 27th March IST.
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THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI. 341
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
BATTLE OF THE HORSE-SHOE-WEATHERFORD SURRENDERS HIMSELF AT FORT JACKSON.
LEAVING a guard at Fort Williams, General Jackson put his 'army, which consisted of two thousand men, upon the · march. He opened a passage across the ridge which divides the Coosa and Tallapoosa, and, in three days, advanced to
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 1814 March 24 March 27 the immediate neighborhood of the enemy.
Cholocco Litabixee-the Horse-Shoe-where the Red Sticks had assembled, to make a desperate defence, was admirably adapted by nature for security, if well guarded, but equally for destruction, if not well defended. About one hundred acres of land was bordered by the Tallapoosa river, forming a peninsula. Across the neck of the bend, the Red Sticks had a breast-work of logs, so arranged as to expose assailants to a cross fire. The houses of the village stood upon some low grounds, at the bottom of the bend, where hundreds of canoes were tied to the banks of the river. The warriors of Hillabee, Ocfuske, Oakchoie, Eufaulahatche, New-Yauca, Hickory Ground and Fish Pond towns, had concentrated upon the remarkable peninsula. General Coffee, with a large
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CHAPTER XXXVIII. 1814 Morning of March 27
body of mounted men, and the friendly Indians, forded the Tallapoosa, two miles below the breast-work, and, having gained the eastern side, extended his lines for a great distance, so as to encompass the bend. As soon as Jackson saw, from signals which were made, that Coffee had taken his position, he marched the remainder of his force towards the breast- work, planted two pieces of artillery, eighty yards distant from the nearest part of the Indian defence, and, at ten o'clock in the morning, began to open them upon the enemy. These pieces, accompanied by occasional discharges from the mus- kets and rifles, effected but little. In the meanwhile, the Cherokees, under Coffee, swimming the river, took possession of the canoes, and, returning with them to the opposite bank, they were presently filled with friendly Indians and Ameri- cans, the latter headed by Colonel Morgan and Captain Rus- sell. They reached the town, and wrapped it in flames. Jackson then ordered his troops to storm the breast-work, behind which all the warriors had posted themselves. A short contest was maintained at the port-holes, but presently the impetuous Americans mounted the breast-work, and, dyeing the huge logs with their blood and that of the enemy, they finally, after a most desperate struggle, became masters of the interior. The Red Sticks, now assailed in front by Jackson, who had taken possession of their breast- work, and attacked from behind by a portion of Coffee's troops, who had just completed the conflagration of their village, fought under great disadvantages. However, none of them begged for quarter, but every one sold his life at the
a meaf ine
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dearest rate. After a long fight, many of them fled and CHAPTER attempted to swim the river, but were killed on all sides by XXXVIII. the unerring rifles of the Tennesseans. Others screened themselves behind tree-tops and thick piles of timber. Being desirous not to destroy this brave race, Jackson sent a mes- senger towards them, who assured them of the clemency of the general, provided they would surrender. They answered by discharges from their guns and shouts of defiance. The ar- tillery was then ineffectually brought to bear upon them. The Americans then applied fire to their retreat, which soon forced them to fly, and, as they ran, they were killed by American guns. It was late in the evening before the dreadful battle 1814 March 27 ended. The Red Sticks numbered about one thousand war- riors, and, out of that number, five hundred and fifty-seven were found dead on the peninsula .* As many were killed in the river, by Coffee's troops, while they were endeavoring to swim over, it may safely be stated that not more than two hundred survived. Some of them long afterwards suffered with the most grievous wounds. Manowa, one of the bravest Chiefs that ever lived, was literally shot to pieces. He fought as long as he could. He saved himself by jumping into the river, where the water was four feet deep. He held to a root, and thus kept himself beneath the waves, breathing through the long joint of a cane, one end of which he held in his mouth, and while the other end came above the surface of the
* Kendall, Eaton, and Waldo's Lives of Jackson.
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
water. When night set in, the brave Manowa* rose from his watery bed, and made his way to the forest, bleeding from many wounds. Many years after the war, we conversed with this Chief, and learned from him the particulars of his re- markable escape. His face, limbs and body, at the time we conversed with him, were marked with the scars of. many hor- rible wounds. Another Chief was shot down, among a num- ber of slain warriors, and, with admirable presence of mind, saved his life, by drawing over him the bodies of two of them. under which he lay, till the darkness of the night permitted him to leave the horrible place.
The loss of the Americans was thirty-two killed and ninety- nine wounded. The friendly Cherokees had eighteen killed and thirty-six wounded. The tory Creeks had five killed and eleven wounded. Among the slain were Major L. P. Mont- gomery and Lieutenants Moulton and Somerville, who fell in the charge upon the breast-works.
Major Lemuel Purnell Montgomery was born in Wythe county, Virginia, in 1786. He was a relation, by consangui- nity, of the gallant general of that name, who fell at the storming of Quebec. His grandfather, Hugh Montgomery, of North-Carolina, a man of fortune and talents, commanded a whig company during the revolution, which he equipped and supported at his own expense. With this company he fought the British and tories with great success. He was a
* Known by the American settlers as " Old Manorway."
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THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
member of the convention which formed the constitution of the State of North-Carolina, and, not long afterwards, one of the counties of that State was named in honor of him. The father of Major Montgomery, also named Hugh, was a man of talents, and, having removed to. Virginia, was a member of the Senate of that State. At Snow Hill, in Maryland, he married a lady, whose maiden name was Purnell, which was the middle name of her son, the brave major, who fell at the Horse-Shoe. The father removed from Virginia to East Tennessee, near Knoxville.
Major Montgomery completed his education at Washington College, Tennessee, studied law with Judge Trimble, of Knox- ville, and established himself in that profession at Nashville, where, in four years, his attainments, eloquence, zeal, fearless independence and popular bearing, rendered him a formidable rival of the able Felix Grundy. During this period, he was frequently placed at the head of parties of armed horsemen ; and with them he scoured the dark gorges of the Cumberland mountains, in pursuit of desperate banditti, who had long pillaged the people in the vallies. At length he was ap- pointed by Madison first major of the thirty-ninth regiment, which he gallantly led to the breast-works of the Indians at the Horse-Shoe. He was the first man that mounted the breast-work, and, while waving his sword and animating his men, a large ball, shot from the rifle of a Red Stick, entered his head, and instantly killed him. When the battle was ended, Jackson stood over his body, and wept. He exclaimed, "I have lost the flower of my army !"
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
!
1814 March &
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
At the time of his death, Major Montgomery was only twenty-eight years of age. His eyes were keen and black ; his hair was of a dark auburn color ; his weight was one hundred and seventy-five pounds ; his height was six feet and two inches ; his form was admirably proportioned, and he was, altogether, the finest looking man in the army.
A diversity of opinion prevails among the soldiers of this campaign, as to the disposition of the body of Major Mont- gomery. Some contend that Jackson caused it to be sunk in the Tallapoosa river, to protect it from Indian brutalities. We have in our possession the affidavit of two soldiers, now living in Tennessee-John Lovelady and Samuel Gearing-which states that they assisted to bury the body of Montgomery, and bore off the surplus dirt which remained about the grave, upon the skin of a beeve, and threw it into the river. They then burnt brush over the grave, to conceal it from the keen eyes of the savages. Since then, and only a few years ago, the people of Tallapoosa county took up these remains, con- veyed them to their court-house, and deposited them in the ground, with military honors. The county of Montgomery, Alabama, was named in honor of Major Montgomery, while the memory of his relation, who fell at Quebec, is preserved in the name of the city.
1814
The day after the terrible battle of the Horse-Shoe, Gene- ral Jackson assumed the line of march, and reached Fort Williams on the second of April.
Upon an examination of the Coosa river, it was found impracticable to transport the stores from Fort Williams to
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THE AMERICANS IN ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
the termination of the falls, by water, and the reduced condi- tion of the horses and the roughness of the country rendered it impossible to transport them by land, in any quantity. However, with such provisions as the men could carry upon their backs, Jackson marched towards the Hickory Ground, relying upon the eastern army, whose advance-guard was then under Milton, for supplies. Heavy rains retarded his march ; but he reached Fooshatchie, where he captured a few prisoners. The Red Sticks fled from Hoithlewaule and other towns, across the Tallapoosa.
- Colonel Milton, with troops from the two Carolinas, had been a month at Fort Decatur, situated upon a commanding bluff, on the eastern side of the Tallapoosa, but took no step to co-operate with Jackson in preventing the escape of the Indians.
. Prevented from pursuing the enemy, by a flood in the river and the scarcity of provisions, Jackson marched to the head of the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa, and planted his colors upon the spot where Governor Bienville, one hundred years before, had erected Fort Toulouse, so long garrisoned by French troops. Here the rivers approach within six hundred yards of each other, and diverging, unite four miles below.
The battle of the Horse-Shoe had nearly put an end to the war, and the dispirited Red Sticks made but few efforts to rally. Many came in and surrendered, while the larger portion escaped towards Florida. The old French trenches were cleaned out, and an American stockade with block-houses was erected upon the site, which received the name of Fort Jackson.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
1814 April 4
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April 17
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
Deputations of Chiefs continually arrived, and submitted, in behalf of themselves and their people, to such terms as General Jackson thought proper to impose. Among the most conspicuous of these was William Weatherford, who led the Indians at Fort Mims, and at the battles of Calebee and Holy Ground. Jackson had directed that he should be captured, if possible, and brought to him, confined, to receive such punishment as his erimes merited. Weatherford, a man without fear, boldly resolved to appear at the American camp, voluntarily. Mounting the same splendid gray steed which had borne him over the bluff at the Holy Ground, * he rode within a few miles of Fort Jackson, when a fine deer crossed his path and stopped within shooting distance, which he fired at and killed. Re-loading his rifle, with two balls, for the pur- pose of shooting the Big Warrior, should he give him any. cause, at the fort, he placed the deer behind his saddle, and advanced to the American outposts. Some soldiers, of whom he politely inquired for Jackson's whereabouts, gave him some unsatisfactory and rude replies, when a gray-headed man, a few steps beyond, pointed him to the marquee. Weatherford rode up to it, and checked his horse immediately at the en- trance, where sat the Big Warrior, who exultingly exclaimed, " Ah! Bill Weatherford, have we got you at last !"
1814 April
The fearless Chieftain cast his keen eyes at the Big Warrior, and said, in a determined tone,
* The Weatherfords always had fine horses, and old Charles, the father, was a celebrated patron of the Alabama turf.
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"You d-d traitor, if you give me any insolence, I will CHAPTER blow a ball through your cowardly heart." XXXVIII.
General Jackson now came running out of the marquee, with Colonel Hawkins, and, in a furious manner, exclaimed,
" How dare you, sir, to ride up to my tent, after having murdered the women and children at Fort Mims !"
Weatherford said :
" General Jackson, I am not afraid of you. I fear no man, for I am a Creek warrior. I have nothing to request in be- half of myself ; you can kill me, if you desire. But I come to beg you to send for the women and children of the war · party, who are now starving in the woods. Their fields and cribs have been destroyed by your people, who have driven them to the woods, without an ear of corn. I hope that you will send out parties, who will safely conduct them here, in order that they may be fed. I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and children at Fort Mims. I am now done fighting. The Red Sticks are nearly all killed. If I could fight you any longer, I would most heartily do so. Send for the women and children. They never did you any harm. But kill me, if the white people want it done."
At the conclusion of these words, many persons, who had surrounded the marquee, exclaimed, "KILL HIM ! KILL HIM ! KILL HIM !" General Jackson commanded silence, and, in an emphatic manner, said,
" ANY MAN WHO WOULD KILL AS BRAVE A MAN AS THIS WOULD ROB THE DEAD !"
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
1814 April
He then invited Weatherford to alight, drank a glass of brandy with him, and entered into a cheerful conversation, under his hospitable marquee. Weatherford gave him the deer, and they were then good friends. He took no further part in the war, except to influence his warriors to surrender .* He went to the place of his former residence, upon Little river, but soon had to leave it, as his life was in constant danger.
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He then went to Fort Claiborne, and the commanding offi- cer of that post saved him from being killed, by placing him in a tent by himself, which was pitched very near the mar- quee, and which was constantly guarded by a file of soldiers. After he had been kept there ten or fifteen days, the com- manding officer became still more uneasy, for fear he would be killed by persons who had lost relations at Fort Mims, and who were bent on his destruction. He now resolved to send him beyond the lines, during a dark night. About midnight, he sent his aid, followed by Weatherford, to the station of Major Laval, who was then a captain, and the offi- cer on guard. Ile said, "Captain Laval, the commanding officer says you must take Weatherford to yonder tree, under which you will find a horse tied, and that he must mount the
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