Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-12-10
MAKE INTERESTING HISTORY
Compiled By Mr.. ]. {. D,
Shipp

INTO GeOrSla territory.
Florida was then sore spot. 1t
was then under the dominion of Spain
and ever since the days of Oglethorpe
the inhabitants had exercised a great
deal of animosity against the Geor-
gians. The Seminole Indians had
been reinforced by band of seced-
ing Indians from the Creeks, of Geor-
gia, and known as Red Sticks" who
would not recognize the treaty made at
Fort Jackson, in which the Greeks had
ceded large portion of their territory
to the whites. These Red Sticks"
carried with them great many run
away negroes from Georgia and South
Carolina, who also joined the Seminole
Indians in their frequent marauding
expeditions against the southern from
| tier of Georgia.
On March 80, 1917 Governor David
B. Mitchell, of Georgia, wrote to Hon.
Hon. John C. Calhoun, secretary of
war, the following communication:
by yesterdays mail l received a
letter from MIR. Timothy Barnard, who
resides on Flint river in the Indian
country, in which he observes:
1 have been informed two. days
past from below where the Red Stick
cIoce racida tha+ a Dart., bo, bao,,
down near St Mary's and murdered a
woman and two children and brought
off some horses
THE Red Sticks have commenced
their war dances again, which is proof
that they mean to commence hostili-
ties Our Forts Crawford and Gaines
have been evacuated and this has
encouraged the Red Sticks, who be-
lieve that our troops were afraid to
continue"
This communication caused the sec
rotary of war to order General Jack
son from Nashville with two regiments
of soldiers to join General Gaines, who
was already in South Georgia with his
brigade, and prevent further hostili-
ties.
On January 20, 1918, General Jack
son wrote to the secretary of war:
The troops l have with me, joined
with the Georgia trops on the south
ern frontier, will enable me to in
fict speedy and merited chastisement
on the deluded Seminoles."
The point then that the troops were
directed to march to was to Fort
Scott, which is situated at the june
ton of the Flint and Chattahoochee
rivers. All of the territory between
Hartford (Hawkinsville now and
Fort Scott was entirely roadless, with
nothing but Indian trails, except
through this section the trail that
had been made by General Blackshear
during the war of 1912 was still kept
intact. Jackson then commenced his
march from Fort Hawkins (Macon) to
Hartford (Hawkinsville) and from
thence to Fort Early warwick and
passed exactly over the spot where
the city of Cordele is now standing.
1t is not our purpose here to detail
the adventures of this march; hos
Jackson was fed by the friendly Che
haw Indians near Cordele, nor of
the many thrilling acts of bravery
committed in adventures with hostile
Indians. These historic spots are
being marked all along this trail by
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton. Council of Safety Chapter at
Americas have already erected a large
monument to commemorate the friend
ly village of Chehaw, where Jackson
army was fed and quartered; Stony
Castle chapter, d. A. r., Dawson,
Georgia, have marked the trail of
Jacksons army through Terrell coun-
ty; appropriate exercises will soon
be had to mark the cities of Fort
Early and Warwick, Georgia; history
of this old fort which was erected un-
der Governor Early's administration by
General Blackshear and afterwards us
ed by General Gaines army and
Jacksons army in defense against the
Indians.
1t seems strange that neither the
patriotic clubs of Cordele nor of other
cities of the state have marked any
of the spots in Crisp county where
these armies camped and the road was
first cut out through the great forest
which then spread over the earth. The
highest degree of civilization that any
nation can reach is when it marks the
great and illustrious deeds of its peo-
pie and records with accuracy the
historic past for the uplifting and ed
ucatng of the youths of the land and
melting them to inquisitive research.
How strange it is that we send our
children to school to study histories
of all other countries and so neglect
our own! viii there never come a
time when our people will arouse
themselves to the making of correct re-
cords of the past and let our school
histories detail the noble and inspiring
deeds of Georgians, instead Of having
books filled up entirely with wars and
useless facts.