Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-05-17

people OF TINS DAY, so lately removed
from the scenes of the greatest war
of the world, to look with some in
difference upon the results of former
wars and former battles which pre-
ceded the war between the States of
1861 -65, and underrate their import
ance. They did not regard with
proper admiration the campaign of
Gen. Winfield Stott from Vera Cruz
to the City of Mexico, which was, in
fact, up to that period, unexcelled by
any campaign in brilliancy, heroic
achievement and masterful strategy; I;
or to the battle Of New Orleans, won
by Gen. Jackson, with unframed and
undisciplined ritlemen, against a
splendid. equipped British army,
which has never been excelled for its
unparalleled success by that of any
armies recorded in history. Yet the
greater numbers engaged, and the
greater losses on both sides in the
the civil war have tended to make us
look upon these and other battles
which preceded them as of compara-
lively small moment.
The true test in all such matters is
what was achieved, and not what was
the strength of the armies engaged.
propose in this paper to write of
a battle but little heard of in this
day, which was not only a great
military victory, but the results of
which were far. reaching and of great
Importance to people of this coun-
try. This was the battle of Toho-
peka, the Indian name, or the Horse
shoe, or Horseshoe Bend, won by
Gen. Andrew Jackson over the Creek
Indians, in the bend of the Talla-
poosa river, in Alabama, on the 9th
day of March, 1914, the details of
which / do not think are familiar
even to the average well read per-
son. This is not singular, as have
failed to find mention of this import
ant event in some of the leading en-
cyclopedias, which are presumed to
give accurate accounts of, at least,
leading events of the history of the
country, nor in some of the popular
histories which have consulted. 1t
is true that some few of the latter
.Aake meagre mention of the event,
but pass it over as matter OF small
Importance.
The Greek Indians were properly
the Muskhogeans, or swamp dwellers,
and formerly occupied almost all of
the territory of Mississippi and
Alabama, and large portions of
Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.
During the seventeenth century
the Spanish colonists had several
contests with the Creeks on the Tai
lapoosa river. The Greeks were
finally subjugated. The French set.
tied about the mouth of the Missis-
sippi river, and English pioneers on
the shores of the Atlantic. These
Indians, known to them as the Chik-
asaws, afterwards ceded their terri
tories to the English in 1853. Trou-
The great uprising of the Creek
Indians, in 1924, was insvigated
by the British and Tecumseh.
Near the close of the year 1918
the American settlements in what
was known as the Mississippi terri
tory, were comprised in three por-
tions of that country. In the
Natchez district there were about
10000 persons; in the eastern or
Tombigbie settlements, which in
cluded the annexed portion of
Florida, near Mobile Bay, there were
about 1000 persons, which also in
cluded settlement west of Amite Of
a population OF about 5000. The
third settlement was in the great
bend OF the Tennessee river, and had
q population Of about 5000. This
territory was also the home of five
powerful tribes of Indians, among
whom the Creeks, who were brave
and war-hkc people.