On the Border with Andrew Jackson

Not only did the fights at Emuckfan and Enotachopco Creeks dash the spirit of the Indians, but they also gave Jackson’s raw troops a taste of war as it is waged in the wilderness. Instead of harrying the border and setting it ablaze as they had no doubt intended, the savages were content to hold their fort at the bend of the Tallapoosa and await the aggression of the white man.

Being reinforced by more militia and the thirty-ninth regiment of regulars, General Jackson grew quite at ease and confident that success was at last at hand. With three thousand troops he moved down the river, where some thirty miles south he established a new base of supplies called Fort Williams.

“Let me manage to collect enough provisions to last my army but four weeks,” said the commander at this place, “and I will end the war at a blow.”

Just about this time there came the tidings from Fort Stoddart that fifteen hundred men with a great store of supplies were about to move up the Alabama River to a place called Hickory Grounds. This was, perhaps, the most cheerful and helpful news that Jackson had heard in a long time; and from then on he felt safe as to the future. Let him but open the way to that point and his work in the Creek country was done.

So, getting his force under arms, he led them through the forest to the bend of the Tallapoosa where the Creeks had made their stronghold. This bend was much like a horseshoe in shape, and built across the narrow tongue of land was a “snake fence” barrier of logs and earth. Between the wall and the river was a space of perhaps a hundred acres; and in front of the wall trees had been felled to form a shelter for sharp-shooters. The lodges and huts of the Indians were built upon the river’s edge; and here their canoes were tied, to be used in escaping across the river if the fort was carried by the white men.

The leaders of the savages had boasted of the strength of this position, of its possibilities for defense or retreat. In the first of these claims there was some truth; the barrier was strong and the zigzag manner of its building enabled the Indians to sweep an attacking party with a deadly cross fire; but as to retreat in case of need, it lacked every necessary advantage.

Coming in sight of the bend, Jackson put his plan of battle into instant operation. He planted his infantry before the barrier of logs and mounted his two small cannon on a hill eighty yards away where they commanded the Creek position. Colonel Coffee, with the mounted troops and friendly Indians, was instructed to ford the Tallapoosa and hold the opposite bank at the rear of the fort.

Allowing time for the cavalry to accomplish this movement, General Jackson opened with his two pieces of artillery; the shot thudded upon the logs and buried themselves in the earth, but apparently no damage was done.

“It looks as if the guns were too small,” observed Jack Davis, his keen eyes upon the Creek barrier.

“Hark to the redskins hoot!” said Frank, as yells of mockery came from the stronghold.

“That’ll not be for long,” said Jack, grimly. “I see the general’s brows coming together. He’ll be fighting mad in a little while, and then the Indians had better look out.”

But General Jackson knew the position selected by the Creeks was a formidable one, and so held back any desire he might have had to launch a frontal attack. This, he felt sure, would mean the certain death of many of his soldiers; and if the thing could be done without that, he was most anxious so to accomplish it.

While the two small guns were booming, and the riflemen were endeavoring to pick off any Indians who showed themselves, the Cherokees who accompanied Colonel Coffee in his movement toward the rear of the Indian fort introduced a piece of Indian warfare which at once brought matters to a crisis. Running Elk, who was among them, saw the Creek canoes tied upon the opposite bank. Without a word he plunged into the water and began to swim toward them.

At once his fellow braves understood his purpose; they also entered the water and struck out for the further shore. The Cherokees seized the canoes; also they set fire to the Creek huts and lodges. A great blaze went up; the smoke ascended in clouds.

Seeing the flames, the infantry before the barrier of logs could no longer be held in check. They begged of the general to permit them to storm the Indian works, and Jackson, seeing their eagerness and not desiring to dampen their spirits at this critical time, finally gave the word.

With a rush, the white men, both regulars and militia, went at the log wall. Paying no attention to the sleet of arrows and bullets, they scaled it like monkeys. The first over was young Sam Houston; he had an arrow through him almost at his first move; but this did not stop him. With his clubbed rifle sweeping a path among the savages he shouted:

“Come on, boys. Strike hard, and the thing is done.”

Jack and Frank were at his heels; the infantry then came smashing down upon the Creeks; and amid the blaze and smoke of the burning huts the desperate contest was on. Rifle and pistol cracked, bows twanged, sword and tomahawk rose and fell. At length the savages felt that they were being worsted, but when they turned to run they saw that their way was blocked. Again they faced their foe and battled like cornered wolves; they did not ask for quarter and were given none. With the memory of the slaughter at Fort Mims in their minds the whites struck vengefully.

By mid-afternoon the battle was over; the Americans had forty-five men killed and about one hundred and fifty wounded. The Creeks had lost eight hundred in killed, and three hundred were prisoners.

This was the last of the Creeks as a warlike nation; almost the entire remainder of the tribe fled into Florida, where they were protected by the Spanish flag. When General Jackson a little later marched upon those villages which he knew were located upon the lower Tallapoosa, he found them deserted.

“And now,” said Jack Davis, as he and Frank sat, their rifles laid aside in the peace of the Davis farmhouse, “the war is over as far as the Creeks are concerned; and I don’t think there will be much delay about the rights to your father’s land.”

And this proved to be the case; for General Jackson, in his great treaty with the Indians at Fort Jackson some time later, secured great tracts of territory from the subdued savages in payment for the harm which they had done. In this ceded land was the old grant held by Mr. Lawrence, and as soon as his possessions could be removed from Virginia to the border-land, he took possession of it.

Slowly the settlers took up the land all about; but the hunting grounds remained as they had been for many years. And through the aisles of the mighty forests, across the streams which wound like silver threads among the trees, Jack Davis, with Frank Lawrence and the Cherokee brave, Running Elk, often wandered with rifle and bow, stalking deer and hunting bear and panther. Peace was upon all the border-land—a peace which they knew would not have come for many years if it had not been for the invincible resolution of Andrew Jackson.