Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-05-17
JAcKsoNs BRAVE SOLDIERS.
Heretofore Unpublished Account of the Strenuous
Alabama Campaign Against The Greeks.

ne STeek luuians, INSPIRED ana en-
couraged by their powerful allies,
commenced depredations on the
whites. On the 30th of August they
appeared before Fort Minis, where,
beside the families which had taken
refuge there, more than $50 persons
were massacred IN the fort. On the
| 18th of the following December Gen.
Claiborne, with 1000 men, some of
whom were friendly Choctaw In
dians, under Chief Pushmataha, at
tackled the Creeks under Mathers-
ford, at Eccananacha, or Holy Ground,
and defeated them.
Gen. Andrew Jackson, who was
major general of the Tennessee mill
tia, moved on the 10th of October
from Huntsville, Ala, with 1000
troops. He attacked the Creeks on
Tallahatchee creek, near the Coosa
river, and defeated them, and they
fled, leaving 1s6 warriors dead on
the field, and "a were taken prison
ers. The loss of the Tennesseeans
under Jackson was 5 killed and Al
wounded.
The next engagement was near
Talladega, where Jackson had force
of 1900 infantry and 800 mounted
riflemen. The Indian forces were
about 1000. The battle was fiercely
fought on both sides and continued
for two hours. The Indians lost 800
dead on the field, while Jackson's
loss was Is killed and S5 wounded.
This battle terminated the first cam
paign of the Tennessee troops against
the Indians.
The hostile Creeks now concen-
trated all of their available forces at
the Horseshoe Bend of the Tennes-
see river, and some minor engage
ments occurred before the battle of
the Horseshoe.
Early in March, 1914, Gen. Jack.
son was appointed major general
of the United States Army, and was
reinforced by the Thirty-ninth regi-
ment of United States Infantry,
under command OF Col. John Will
liams. In the meantime a number
of Choctaws from the Tombigbee
and Black Warrior and some Choc-
taws and few friendly Creeks had
joined Gen. Jackson. jackson moved
on their fortified position on the 9th
of March, and commenced the at.
tack. The battle lasted five hours.
Gen. Jackson's report of the battle
was made to Governor Willie Blount,
of Tennessee, and is on file in the
archives of the historical society of
that State, at Nashville. Following
are extracts from that report, dated
March 81, 1914:
"s l reached the bend of
the Tallapoosa, three miles beyond
where | had the engagements of the
January %, and at the Southern
extremity of Newyonga, on the
morning of the 9th. This bend re-
sembles in its curvature that of
horseshoe, and is hence called by
that name among the whites. Nature
furnishes few situations 80 eligible
for defense; and barbarians have
never rendered one more secure by
art. Across the neck of land which
leads into it from the North they had
erected breastwork of the greatest
compactness and strength, from S to
8 feet high, and prepared with double
rows of portfolios, very artfully ar
ranged. The figure of this wall mani
tested no less skill in the projectors
Of it than its construction. An army
could not approach it without being
exposed to double and cross fire from
the enemy, y,who lay in perfect security
behind it. The area of the peninsula
thus bounded by the breastworks in
cludes, | conjecture, SO or 100 acres.
"In this bend the warriors from
Oakfurkee, Oakchaya, Newyonga,
Hillabecca, the Fish Pond and Eu-
faula towns, apprised of our APP
proach, had collected their strengtl