The Creek War

Creek War

• Also known as the – Red Stick War– Creek Civil War

• 1813-1814• Creek Muscogee Nation

Background

• Shawnee Chief Tecumseh– Tried to unite Indian

tribes against European-American encroachment

– Feb 1813

Background

• Great Comet of 1811– March 25, 1811– 260 days

• New Madrid Earthquake– Dec 11, 1811

• Red Sticks– Return to traditional ways

• William Weatherford (Red Eagle)

• Peter McQueen• Menawa

Background

• US Indian Agent Benjamin Hawkins• Civilization programs• Lower Creek began to farm as hunting grounds

disappeared

Background

• Feb 1813• War party of Red Sticks• Led by Little Warrior• Returning from Detroit• Killed 2 families along the Ohio River• Hawkins demands the war party be turned over• Old Chiefs decided to execute the war party

themselves• Red Sticks resisted

Burnt Corn Creek

• July 21, 1813• Red Sticks and US forces clash• Red sticks returning from Pensacola• Spanish Gov. had given them weapons• Battle of Burnt Corn• US ambush and loot Red Sticks – then the Red

Sticks return and defeat the US

Fort Mims• Aug 30, 1813• North of Mobile• 1,000 Creeks led by

– Peter McQueen & William Weatherford

• 400 – 500 killed• Major Beasley

– 265 militia

• Mid-day attack on main gate, left open by drifting sand– 100 captives– 36 escape

• This was the transition from a Creek Civil War to a war with the US

US Mobilizes

• Sec of War John Armstrong– Creek Nation & Spain possibly

• Georgia & Tennessee & Mississippi Territory form militias

• Lower Creeks join US – Led by William McIntosh

• 200 Cherokee Join TN militia

Red Sticks

• ~ 4,000 warriors• ~ 1,000 guns• Holy Ground– Junction of Alabama & Coosa Rivers

Canoe Fight• Nov 12, 1813• Alabama River & Randons

Creek• Clarke and Monroe Counties• Skirmish• 2 American Militia war canoes

battled with a Creek war canoe• Captain Samuel Dale, Jeremiah

Austill, James Smith, and Caesar (slave)

• 8 Creeks killed in hand-to-hand combat

Jackson

• No roads• Short enlistments• Cavalry deserts• TN River to low to move supplies• At a low point 103 men• Feb 1814 39th US Infantry arrives– ~ 5,000 men

• TN militia grows to ~ 2,000

Horseshoe Bend

• March 27, 1814• Tallapoosa on the Coosa

River• 2,600 US troops• 500 Cherokee • 100 Lower Creek

Horseshoe Bend• Jackson sends 1,300 to cross the

river and surround the Indians• 2 hr canon barrage on Indian 400

yd log and dirt fortification• Bayonet charge• Sam Houston• Gen Coffee crosses the river and

attacks from the rear• 5 hr battle

– 800 of the 1,000 Creeks killed– US lost less than 50– Chief Menawa wounded escapes

• Effectively ended Red Stick resistence

Menewa

Treaty of Fort Jackson

• Aug 9, 1814• Jackson forces both

Lower and Upper Creeks to sign

• 23 million acres