The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-04
Ten Thousand People Visit
Old Battle Ground
WANT BIG NATIONAL PARK
Addresses Are Made BY Representa-
tive Heflin, Governor Conner, Com
missioner Wilkinson, T. L,
Bulger and r. M. Owen.
BY WALTER HARPER.

BY WALTER HARPER.
Horseshoe Bend, July 3-(Special)-Ten
thousand pale faces gathered on this his
toric spot today. There was speechmak-
ing by men of prominence, music and
feasting.
The vast throng of people, men, women
and children, gathered from many coun-
ties, constituted perhaps the largest gath
ering of people ever assembled on such
an occasion in the state of Ala abama.
It was advertised as picnic and 1t was
ell of that and more. At noon the vast
multitude was served with a basket din
ner under the trees. It was more than
a basket dinner. Provisions were hauled
to the place In trunks and dry goods
boxes. The people were fed until they
were full and there was gathered up
enough to feed several thousand more.
Never before was there such a bounteous
picnic spread in Alabama
And let it be said to the credit of the
incident occurred during the entire day
to mar the pleasure of the occasion.
National Park.
The occasion was the beginning Of a
movement to establish here in the horse
shoe bend of Tallapoosa river a national
park In commemoration OF that historic
battle of March q. 1914. when tile final
decisive battle was fought between Cen
eral Jackson and the Creek Indians.
The last legislature passed resolution
asking Governor Conner to appoint a
committee to take up the matter, inves-
tigate the possibilities and report to the
next regular session. One of the first
acts of this commission was the calling
of gathering of people for this date
great picnic on the old battle-ground
The commission also memorialized Con-
gress and at the last session Represen-
tative Hef1n of the Fifth district intro
duced a bill asking for an appropriation
of $4,000 for the purchase of the ground.
its preparation as a national park and
for the erection of a monument.
This commission held meeting today
and approved the work that has already
been accomplished
Congressman Heflin, who was present,
expressed confidence in the final pas
sage of the bill. The members OF the
commission present today were Gov B. B.
Conner Thomas NJ Owen, Thomas l..
Bulger, James w. Strother and John w.
Overton. Judge S. l.. Brewer and Felix
L. Smith. also members of the commits
sion, were unable to be present.
Mr.. BuIser Speaks.
AT 10 O'Clock Thomas l.. Bulger, repre-
sentative in the legislature from Tala-
~ nd octa ~ apfa.
called the crowd to order and made an
address of welcome, outlining the pur-
poses of the picnic. He said in part:
ladies and Gentlemen--We have as
sembled from different sections of the
country In the name of the people of
this county and this state | welcome you
all here on this historic battle-ground.
Here where the last and victorious con-
fict took place between the American
soldiers under General Jackson and the
Creek Indians tribe under the brave and
fearless Manoya. This battle was the
final conflict between the white man and
the red man for the supremacy in the
south. Nearly 100 years ago General
Jackson led the flower of the American
army from Tennessee around by Tala-
dega and Emuckfaw to the Horseshoe
Bend. Exactly at sunrise on Sunday
morning, March q, 1914. he attacked the
enemy. The enemy had fallen back into
this bend of the Tallapoosa and thrown
up their breastworks and dug their
trenches east and west. right along where
now are, preparatory to its last stand.
Over Wonder ON that knoll among the
pines the American batteries were planted.
anticipating retreat OF the enemy,
General Coffee was detached from the
main army and at the break of day was
crossing the river two miles below He
advanced up the river and stationed his
frOOnc the south side ODnOSfte the
bend. Then the signal was given and the
fight began the result of which estab-
lished forever the supremacy of the white
man in the south. 1t opened up the way
in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and
Georgia for all this Christianity, civil
ization, prosperity and happiness that ex-
lists among our people in these states.
And the battle of Horseshoe Bend went
down in history one of the most I'M
portant events in the annals of our coun-
try.
Greatest Governor.
II am glad ! am an American citizen.
am glad | belong to this great country.
upon whose flag the sun never goes down.
and whose proud ships of commerce ply
the waters of every nation of the earth.
l am glad I belong to government,
where the constitution. the flag and the
Holy Bible make grand trio. the ad-
vance guard of civilization and Chris
t1an1ty through our Goa Almighty uni
verse. | am glad | am citizen of
Alabama the greatest state with the
greatest governor, in my humble judg
ment in the American union. Her min
eral resources and her agricultural prod
ucts. her railroads and her waterways,
her magnificent cities, her fertile farms.
her mountains and her valleys, her
sunshine and her shadows, her cotton
fields and her cotton factories. her schools
and her churches, her brave men and
her beautiful women make Alabama the
greatest state In the union.
Men and money are coming to Ala
bama from everywhere. They are coming
from the vine-clad hills of Vermont and
Massachusetts,. from the green fields of