The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-18
CAPTAIN JOHN COFFEE
HIS DEATH AT yEoHx1eCp RE
 CALLS HIS WAR RECORD.
To Veteran Tennesssean Who Gives c Sketch of Life of His
 torical Interest.

A. S. Colyar in Nashville American.
 Your article this morning on tn, death of Captain Coffee, at his home near Florence. is a little confusing. The Coffees were not related to Gen. eral Jackson. General John Coffee, the father of Alex D. Coffee, was, when a young man, @ member of the firm of Jackson & Coffee. in a store at Glover Bottom, and his wife was a niece of Mrs. Jackson. He commanded Jack sons cavalry in the Netchez campaign, crossing the river at Florenee and going through the Indian Nation te Nstchez. while Jackson went down the river on flatboats.
 On the return to Tennessee he was with Jackson in the fight with the Bentons. Then he commanded Jack sons cayalry in the Creek war, meet ing the Indians (the advance of the army) on eur frontier, and fought the battle of Talasehatchie. This is the exception in American battles. Coffee suffered heavy loss, but killed every single Indian engaged. The 5ustifica- tion of this was that not an Indian would surrender. Before they left the capital of the Creek Nation on the Ala bama river they had been imbued with the idea by the great Tecumseh that the way to get back their country was to kill all women and children as well as men. This they were doing and not an Indian asked for quarter This was an awful lesson and had its effect.
 Three days after Jackson met the next advance at Talladega and de- streyed 1t. Then came the mutiny from starvation.
 Coffee returned to Tennessee, raised . new army of 2,50e men, crossed the ynachnd Tan1eann at Mobile, led the attack on Pensacola, captured the Spanish governor. drove the British ships out of the bay and destroyed the Spanish forts and turned on New Orleans.
 Jackson went on to New Orleans and sent a special courier back to meet Coffee. Coffee selected i,2e0 of his best horses and as many men, and in the last twenty-four hours travelled eighty miles.
 Jackson took half his men and led the right wing down the river. while Coffee with the other half led the left wing, and they fought the night bat tie of December 2S. This battle was fought in the darkness of the night with butchers knives and spears. have one of the spears used in. this battle now in my office. British au- therities say this battle demoraiized the British army, which led to the de- feat of the eighth.
 In the battle of the eighth. General Coffee did not command the right wing; he commanded the left wing in the swamp, and so cut to pieces the night wing of the British army, com manded by General Gibbs, that he re- tired and when Paokenham was killed by Carrof's men. Giggs took command and was killed instantly when he took Packenham's place.
 AS a soldier, General Coffee was only inferior to the great commander whose lead he followed with a courage and fidelity that will live while the great soldier, Andrew Jackson. has place in history.
 When Coffee died Jackson was Presi. dent. Getting the news, the greaa soldier sat down, pulled his cap dowr over his eyes and wept, and wrote the beautiful and deeply touching epitapt to be seen on the stone that marks the grave at Florence.
 Tennesseeans will stigmatize the be. loved State with ingratitude when they fail to honor the name of Coffee. Nashville, May Il.