The Opelousas courier., 1883-12-01
The Charge Of the Hounds.

An Incident OF the Creek WAR.
a terrible bit of news was carried
from mouth to mouth through the
region that is now Alabama, at the
beginning of September, 1883. The
country was at that time in the midst
of the second war with Great Britain,
and for a. long time the British agents
had been trying to persuade the Creeks
Ia powerful nation Of half-civilized
but very warlike Indians who lived in
Alabama-to join in the war and des-
troy the whole settlement in the South
west,
For some time the Greeks hesitated
and was uncertain what they would
do. But during the summer of 1918
they broke out in hostility, and on
the 30th Of August their great leader,
Weatherford, OF the Red Eagle, as
they called him, stormed Fort Minis
the strongest fort in the Southwest.
He took the fort by surprise, with a
Thousand warriors behind him, and
after FIVE hours of terrible fighting
destroyed it, killing above five hundred
men, women and children.
This was the news that startled the
settlers in the region where the Ala
hama and Tombigbce Rivers came to-
gether. It was certain. after such a
massacre ais that, that the Indians
meant to destroy the settlements and
kin all the white people without
mercy.
In order to protect themselves and
their families. the settlers built rude
forts by setting timbers endwise in the
ground, and the people hurried to
these places for safety. Leaving their
homes t. Do burned, their crops to be-
destroyed, and their cattle to be killed
or carried off by the Indians. the
Settlers hastily got together whatever
food they could, and took their
families into the nearest forts.
One Of the smallesto Of these stockade
forts was called sinquefeld. It stood
tn what is now called Clarke county.
Ala, and. as that region was very
thinly settled, there were not enough
men ID make 4 strong force for the
defense of the fort. But the brave
farmers ana hunters thought they
could hold the place, and SO they took
their families there as quickly as they
could.
Two families, numbering seventeen
persons. found 1t was not easy to GO to
Sinquefeld on the I'd Of September,
and sos al they we're pretty sure that
there were no Indians III their neigh
borhood, they made up their minds to
stay one more night at a house a few
miles from the fort. That night they
were attacked. and all but FIVE of them
were killed. Those who got away
carried the news OF what had happened
TO the fort, and q party was sent out
10 bring Id the bodies.
The next day All the people Id Fort
SinqueaeM went out ID bury their dead
friendsin valley al some little distance
from the fort, and strange as il seems,
they took 30 arms wit them. Rsliev-
ing that there were no Indians near
the place, they left the gates Of the
fortress open, and went out in a body
without their guns.
AS b matter 81 fact, there was d
large body Of Indians not only very
near them, but actually looking Ak
4hem aIl th9 time. The celebrated
Prophet Francis was ID command, and
ID bis ~ way be kept IS near the fort
as possible I'd look for d good chance
b attack it. Making his men lie
down and crawl like snakes, he had
reached a point only q few hundred
yards from the stockade without
alarming the people; and now while
thgy stood around the graves Of their
friends without arms to defend them.
selves with, Il host of their savage
enemies lay looking II them from tht
grass ana bushes On the hill.
Al scon as be saw the right momeni
had come, Francis sprang up with /
savage war-crv and at the head Of his
warriors made 8 dash ct the gates
HE Ind seen that the men outside wers
unarned, and bis plan i ii III bet x
the gates before they conld reach
thenas and Thus get Ill the people 81
tine place at bis mercy III an open field
and without arms to aghE with.
The fort people we're quick to sen
what his purpose was, and the mer
hurried forward With al their might
hoping III reach 80 fort before til,
savages could get there Ry running
N the tep ~ their speed they ala this