The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also
known as Tohopeka, Cholocco Litabixbee or The Horseshoe), was
fought during the War of 1812 in central Alabama. On March 27,
1814, United States forces and Indian allies under General Andrew
Jackson defeated the Red Sticks, a part of the Creek Indian tribe
inspired by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, effectively ending the
Creek War.
Horseshoe Bend was the major battle
of the Creek War, in which Andrew Jackson sought to "clear"
Alabama for American settlement. General Jackson was in command
of an army of West Tennessee militia, which he had turned into
a well-trained fighting force. To add to these militia units
was the 39th United States Infantry and about 600 Cherokee, Choctaw
and Lower Creeks fighting against the Red Stick Creek Indians.
After leaving Fort Williams in the spring of 1814, Jackson's
army cut its way through the forest to within 6 miles (10 km)
of Chief Menawa's Red Stick camp near a bend in the Tallapoosa
River, called "Horseshoe Bend," in central Alabama,
12 miles (19 km) east of what is now Alexander City. Jackson
sent General John Coffee with the mounted infantry and the Indian
allies south across the river to surround the Red Sticks camp,
while Jackson stayed with the rest of the 2,000 infantry north
of the camp.[3]
Battle positionsOn March 27 at
10:30 a.m., Jackson began an artillery barrage which consisted
of 2 cannons firing for about two hours. Little damage was caused
to the Red Sticks or their fortifications. Coffee's Cherokees
and cavalry began crossing the river and fought the Red Sticks
on their rear. Jackson then ordered a bayonet charge. The infantry
charged the breastworks surrounding the camp and caught the Red
Sticks in a cross fire. Sam Houston (the future governor of Tennessee
and Texas, as well as the President of the Republic of Texas)
served as a third lieutenant in Jackson's army. Houston was one
of the first to make it over the log barricade alive and received
a wound from a Creek arrow that troubled him the rest of his
life.[4]
The battle raged for about five
hours. Roughly 550 Red Sticks were killed on the field, while
many of the rest were killed trying to cross the river.[5] Future
United States Senator John Eaton wrote "This battle gave
a death blow to [the enemy's] hopes, nor did they venture, afterwards,
to make a stand... In this action, the best and bravest of their
warriors were destroyed".
Chief Menawa was severely wounded
but survived and led only about 200 of the original 1,000 warriors
across the river and into safety among the Seminole tribe in
Spanish Florida. After the battle, U.S. troops cut off the tips
of Creek noses to obtain an accurate body count. Some also are
said to have cut long strips of flesh from the dead Creek to
be used as bridle reins.
Results:
On August 9, 1814, Andrew Jackson
forced the Creeks to sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson. Despite
protest of the Creek chiefs who had fought alongside Jackson,
the Creek Nation ceded 23 million acres (93,000 km²) --
half of Alabama and part of southern Georgiato the United
States government. Even though the Creek War was largely a civil
war between the Creeks, Andrew Jackson saw no difference between
the Creeks that had fought with him and the Red Sticks that fought
against him. Of the 23 million acres (93,000 km²) Jackson
forced the Creeks to cede, 1.9 million acres (7,700 km²)
was claimed by the Cherokee Nation who had allied with the United
States.[6] After becoming President, Jackson took the land ceded
to his former allies, the Cherokees, together with other Cherokee
lands in his removal of the Cherokees to the Oklahoma Territory.
Chief Junaluska, the Cherokee Chief who saved the life of Jackson
in Battle and who led 500 Cherokees in support of Jackson at
Horseshoe Bend, stated that "If I had known that Jackson
would drive us from our homes, I would have killed him at Horseshoe".
This victory, along with the Battle
of New Orleans, gave Andrew Jackson the popularity to win election
as President of the United States in 1828.
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1.^ a b Borneman p.151
2.^ Susan K. Barnard, and Grace M. Schwartzman, "Tecumseh
and the Creek Indian War of 1813-1814 in North Georgia,"
Georgia Historical Quarterly, Fall 1998, Vol. 82 Issue 3, pp
489-506
3.^ a b Robert Remini, Andrew Jackson and the Course of American
Empire, 1767-1821 (1977) ch. 13
4.^ Remini, Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire,
1767-1821 ch. 13
5.^ Heidler, p. 135
6.^ Ehle p. 123
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