Evening star., 1914-03-22

tall and commanding in person, generally silent and
served, but on occasion gifted with fiery and per
suaslve eloquence comparable with that of Tecuse,
Logan, or Red Jacket In council WISE in battle fear
less and ruthless, he natural leader of men, He
had sordid passion for wealth. of which he amassed
much, and he addicted to many of the vices
of both the white and the red races
Such the organization and leader of the Creek
Confederacy in its against the United States and
such was the man against whom Andrew Jackson was
to be ptted.
The massacre of Fort Minis occurred at the end OF
August, 1913, and that fall Jackson was sent to the
region with three thousand Tennessee and other militia
marching straight for Ten Islands, the Coosa in the
Creek country He would have got there sooner than
he did but for having to wait for recovery from wound
he had received in duel with Thomas H. Benton
Several engagements fought chiefly by his sub
ordnates, General Coffee and General Carroll and the
campaign might have been pursued at once to a sue
cessfu termination but for lack of supplies By
wretched bunde provisions sent the troops
when needed and they reduced great privaton
and compelled to retreat.
ONE day Jackson was seated at the foot Of tree,
munching frugal meal, when soldier approached
him, begging food and evidently the point starva
ton. Jackson responded by taking from his pocket
handful of acorns and handing them to his guest saying
that they had been for sometime his sole food The soldier
accepted them and went away tell his comrades that
they ought not to at prvations seeing that the
General himself had nothing to eat but acorns. From
this incident grew story that Jackson invited his Of
cers to dine with him, and then gave them nothing but
acorns to eat There were however, small
mutnies in the army until it got back to Tennessee.
Meanwhile other troops, under Generals Cooke White,
Floyd, Claiborne, and others, maintained prosperous
but not decisive campaign against the Indians.
Jackson returned to the in January, 1874 and
was joined by some hundreds of friendly Creeks under
a chief named Fife. Sharp engagements fought
at Emuckfaw on January %, and at Enotochopko
Creek days later and then Jackson rested at Fort
Strother at Ten Islands, the Coosa, until March "a
Then, having received large reenforcements OF Ten
militia and friendly Indians, he out for the
Creek headquarters, intending strike blow that
would end the
His objective was Horseshoe Bend, called by the
Creeks Tohopeka on the Ta1apoosa River Here the
Creeks had fortress that they deemed impregnabe
1t stood bluff at the extreme inner end of long
horseshoe bend of the river that it surrounded
by the except at one polnt where access was had
by narrow strip of lowland fully commanded by the
ramrarts of the fort Across this neck the Creeks built
wall OF logs and earth from five to eight feet high,
pierced with double of loopholes and portfolios,
through which murderous fire could be directed Back
of this fortress and beyond, in tanced security,
was an of hundred acres occupied by thousand
resoute and indeed desperate Indians.
Jackson, with nearly three thousand men, arrived
within six miles of the place the evening of March &C.
Next morning he General Coffee, with cavalry and
the Indian eves to the river two miles below the
fort and surround the place the other side
prevent escape in that direction 1t was his purpose
let no enemy escape but to blot out the hostile Creeks
at single blow The remainder of his force he led to
the breastwors the neck, to carry them by assault
First however, heavy cannon and rifle fire was di
rected against them
When the Indian allies under General Coffee, at the
other side of the fort and river, heard the firing they
could no longer be held await the sayng of the gar
rison but themselves rushed to the attack. Some of
them swan the and brought back canoes, which