Attempts to cross the river at all points of the bend were made
by the enemy, but not one ever escaped. Very few ever reached
the bank and that few was killed the instant they landed. From
the report of my officers, as well as from my own observation,
I feel warranted in saying that from two hundred and fifty to
three hundred of the enemy was buried under water and was not
numbered with the dead that were found.
Some swam for the island below the bend, but here too a detachment
had been posted and "not one ever landed. They were sunk by Lieutenant
Bean's command ere they reached the bank." [235]
Quoting again from Jackson--
The enemy, although many of them fought to the last with that
kind of bravery which desperation inspires, were at last entirely
routed and cut to pieces. The battle may be said to have continued
with severity for about five hours, but the firing and slaughter
continued until it was suspended by the darkness of night. The
next morning it was resumed and sixteen of the enemy slain who
had concealed themselves under the banks. [236]
It was supposed that the Creeks had about a thousand warriors,
besides their women and children. The men sent out to count the dead
found five hundred and fifty-seven warriors lying dead within the
inclosure, and Coffee estimates that from two hundred and fifty to
three hundred were shot in the water. How many more there may have
been can not be known, but Jackson himself states that not more than
twenty could have escaped. There is no mention of any wounded. About
three hundred prisoners were taken, of whom only three were men. The
defenders of the Horseshoe had been exterminated. [237]
On the other side the loss was 26 Americans killed and 107 wounded,
18 Cherokee killed and 36 wounded, 5 friendly Creeks killed and 11
wounded. It will be noted that the loss of the Cherokee was out of
all proportion to their numbers, their fighting having been hand to
hand work without protecting cover. In view of the fact that Jackson
had only a few weeks before been compelled to retreat before this same
enemy, and that two hours of artillery and rifle fire had produced no
result until the Cherokee turned the rear of the enemy by their daring
passage of the river, there is considerable truth in the boast of the
Cherokee that they saved the day for Jackson at Horseshoe bend. In
the number of men actually engaged and the immense proportion killed,
this ranks as the greatest Indian battle in the history of the United
States, with the possible exception of the battle of Mauvila, fought
by the same Indians in De Soto's time. The result was decisive. Two
weeks later Weatherford came in and surrendered, and the Creek war
was at an end.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account