THE BATTLE OF THE HORSESHOE
Not only did the fights at Emuckfan and Enotachopco Creeks dash the
spirit of the Indians, but they also gave Jackson’s raw troops a taste
of war as it is waged in the wilderness. Instead of harrying the border
and setting it ablaze as they had no doubt intended, the savages were
content to hold their fort at the bend of the Tallapoosa and await the
aggression of the white man.
Being reinforced by more militia and the thirty-ninth regiment of
regulars, General Jackson grew quite at ease and confident that success
was at last at hand. With three thousand troops he moved down the
river, where some thirty miles south he established a new base of
supplies called Fort Williams.
“Let me manage to collect enough provisions to last my army but four
weeks,” said the commander at this place, “and I will end the war at a
blow.”
Just about this time there came the tidings from Fort Stoddart that
fifteen hundred men with a great store of supplies were about to move
up the Alabama River to a place called Hickory Grounds. This was,
perhaps, the most cheerful and helpful news that Jackson had heard in a
long time; and from then on he felt safe as to the future. Let him but
open the way to that point and his work in the Creek country was done.
So, getting his force under arms, he led them through the forest to
the bend of the Tallapoosa where the Creeks had made their stronghold.
This bend was much like a horseshoe in shape, and built across the
narrow tongue of land was a “snake fence” barrier of logs and earth.
Between the wall and the river was a space of perhaps a hundred acres;
and in front of the wall trees had been felled to form a shelter for
sharp-shooters. The lodges and huts of the Indians were built upon the
river’s edge; and here their canoes were tied, to be used in escaping
across the river if the fort was carried by the white men.
The leaders of the savages had boasted of the strength of this
position, of its possibilities for defense or retreat. In the first
of these claims there was some truth; the barrier was strong and the
zigzag manner of its building enabled the Indians to sweep an attacking
party with a deadly cross fire; but as to retreat in case of need, it
lacked every necessary advantage.
Coming in sight of the bend, Jackson put his plan of battle into
instant operation. He planted his infantry before the barrier of logs
and mounted his two small cannon on a hill eighty yards away where they
commanded the Creek position. Colonel Coffee, with the mounted troops
and friendly Indians, was instructed to ford the Tallapoosa and hold
the opposite bank at the rear of the fort.
Allowing time for the cavalry to accomplish this movement, General
Jackson opened with his two pieces of artillery; the shot thudded upon
the logs and buried themselves in the earth, but apparently no damage
was done.
“It looks as if the guns were too small,” observed Jack Davis, his keen
eyes upon the Creek barrier.
“Hark to the redskins hoot!” said Frank, as yells of mockery came from
the stronghold.
“That’ll not be for long,” said Jack, grimly. “I see the general’s
brows coming together. He’ll be fighting mad in a little while, and
then the Indians had better look out.”
But General Jackson knew the position selected by the Creeks was a
formidable one, and so held back any desire he might have had to launch
a frontal attack. This, he felt sure, would mean the certain death of
many of his soldiers; and if the thing could be done without that, he
was most anxious so to accomplish it.
While the two small guns were booming, and the riflemen were
endeavoring to pick off any Indians who showed themselves, the
Cherokees who accompanied Colonel Coffee in his movement toward the
rear of the Indian fort introduced a piece of Indian warfare which at
once brought matters to a crisis. Running Elk, who was among them, saw
the Creek canoes tied upon the opposite bank. Without a word he plunged
into the water and began to swim toward them.
At once his fellow braves understood his purpose; they also entered the
water and struck out for the further shore. The Cherokees seized the
canoes; also they set fire to the Creek huts and lodges. A great blaze
went up; the smoke ascended in clouds.
Seeing the flames, the infantry before the barrier of logs could no
longer be held in check. They begged of the general to permit them to
storm the Indian works, and Jackson, seeing their eagerness and not
desiring to dampen their spirits at this critical time, finally gave
the word.
With a rush, the white men, both regulars and militia, went at the log
wall. Paying no attention to the sleet of arrows and bullets, they
scaled it like monkeys. The first over was young Sam Houston; he had an
arrow through him almost at his first move; but this did not stop him.
With his clubbed rifle sweeping a path among the savages he shouted:
“Come on, boys. Strike hard, and the thing is done.”
Jack and Frank were at his heels; the infantry then came smashing down
upon the Creeks; and amid the blaze and smoke of the burning huts the
desperate contest was on. Rifle and pistol cracked, bows twanged, sword
and tomahawk rose and fell. At length the savages felt that they were
being worsted, but when they turned to run they saw that their way was
blocked. Again they faced their foe and battled like cornered wolves;
they did not ask for quarter and were given none. With the memory of
the slaughter at Fort Mims in their minds the whites struck vengefully.
By mid-afternoon the battle was over; the Americans had forty-five men
killed and about one hundred and fifty wounded. The Creeks had lost
eight hundred in killed, and three hundred were prisoners.
* * * * *
This was the last of the Creeks as a warlike nation; almost the entire
remainder of the tribe fled into Florida, where they were protected
by the Spanish flag. When General Jackson a little later marched upon
those villages which he knew were located upon the lower Tallapoosa, he
found them deserted.
“And now,” said Jack Davis, as he and Frank sat, their rifles laid
aside in the peace of the Davis farmhouse, “the war is over as far as
the Creeks are concerned; and I don’t think there will be much delay
about the rights to your father’s land.”
And this proved to be the case; for General Jackson, in his great
treaty with the Indians at Fort Jackson some time later, secured great
tracts of territory from the subdued savages in payment for the harm
which they had done. In this ceded land was the old grant held by Mr.
Lawrence, and as soon as his possessions could be removed from Virginia
to the border-land, he took possession of it.
Slowly the settlers took up the land all about; but the hunting grounds
remained as they had been for many years. And through the aisles of
the mighty forests, across the streams which wound like silver threads
among the trees, Jack Davis, with Frank Lawrence and the Cherokee
brave, Running Elk, often wandered with rifle and bow, stalking deer
and hunting bear and panther. Peace was upon all the border-land--a
peace which they knew would not have come for many years if it had not
been for the invincible resolution of Andrew Jackson.