The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-28
Knife Presented to the
 State Archives.
BELONGED 10 CREEK LEADER
Was Commander of His Tribe at
 Fort Mims Massacre.
Forced to Take Leadership in War Against Whites. Which Wa. In- augurated Against His Ad-
 vice-Took No Part
 fin Massacre.

4 knife carried by William Weather Creeks. and who has been called "the greatest Indian his race ever produc- ed," has been presented to the State Department of Archives and History. It is the first relic of the great Ala bama Indian. who played such prom inent part in the pioneer history of the State. to be secured by the De- pertinent
 The knife was presented to the De- pertinent by will T Sheehan. staff cor respondent of The Advertiser. The knife was given MT. Sheehan by Sid- ney Weatherford. a grandson of the War Chief. while he was in Monroe County gathering information for se- ries of articles on the remnants of the Creek tribes, who are now living on Little River in Baldwin and Monroe Counties on lands which they obtained from the Government more than cen tury ago. The Weatherfords are the most prominent of the Alabamians of Indian descent of the twentieth cen- tury.
 The knife was part of the effects of his distinguished kinsman which was awarded to Sidney Weatherford. From a number of relics of the war leader he gave the knife to the newspaper man when he learned that he was writ ing of the achievements of the famous leader. None of these relics had ever before passed out of the possession of the Weatherford family.
 William Weatherford was the hero of Meek's famous poem Red Eagle, a most meritorious production, and which is read only too little in the twentieth century. No Indian of his
 IA lee hN making of pioneer history of the South as Ted Eagle" When the Creeks rose to stop the steady encroachments of the white man on the territory which is now Alabama, Weatherford was chosen as leader for the hostiles and literally forced to accept the post for he was reluctant to see his people go into a contest with the white man which could have only one ending, with the white mans superior resources and equipment.
 weatherford led the Indian warriors at the taking of Fort Mims. in Bald win County. August 30 1913 where 800 men, women and children died In the most horrible massacre that the United States has ever known. Weatherford did all in his power to prevent the mas sacre after the fort was taken. but his warriors were intoxicated with blood When he had exhausted every effort to stop them, he abandoned his command and rode away from the fort.
 He commanded the Indians at the Rattle of Holy Ground, fought some time later, in Lowndes County. just over the Montgomery line The chief tain escaped by riding his horse over bluff and swimming the Alabama River
 He foueht in the battle of Celeebe near the Macon County line. and he was in the disastrous battle of Horseshoe Bend. when Andrew Jackson broke for all time the power of the Creeks and killed most of their fighting men.
 A few days later, while Jackson and his volunteers were encamped near the fork of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Xiv CTS about eieht miles from Montgom- erv and not far from Wetumpka, Wea- therford rode in and surrendered and with his surrender ended the resistance Of the Creeks to the white man.
 weatherford was almost white. Ills 2 mother was nartlv of white blood and his father was Scotch trader. Charles weetherford who built the first race track in Alabama. It wac located In Fillmore County, across t%H Alabama River. between Montgomery and Coo sada.
 The mother of the war leader Is said nv Pickett to have been descended From the famous Wind family, the Creek aristocrats and rulers, and to have beer one of the famous Indian wemen whe