Red Eagle and the Wars With the Creek Indians of Alabama.Eggleston, George Cary
History
Red Eagle and the Wars With the Creek Indians of Alabama.
Eggleston, George Cary
Creek War, 1813-1814; Weatherford, William, approximately 1780-1824
About sunrise, every thing being in readiness, General Coffee sent two
companies forward into the town, without breaking his circular
alignment, instructing the officers in command of them to make an
assault and bring on the action. The manoeuvre was altogether
successful. As soon as the two companies made their attack, the Indians,
confident that this was the whole of the assaulting column, rushed out
of their houses and other hiding-places; and charged their assailants
with great vigor. The companies of whites thereupon began falling back
and the Creeks pursued them hotly. When the main line was reached, it
delivered a volley into the midst of the advancing savages, and
immediately charged them, driving them back in confusion to the shelter
of their houses. Here the Creeks fought with the utmost desperation,
refusing quarter, obstinately resisting when resistance was manifestly
in vain, and choosing to die where they stood, rather than yield even to
Coffee's overwhelming numbers.
General Coffee said in his report of the affair:
"The enemy retreated, firing, until they got around and in their
buildings, where they made all the resistance that an overpowered
soldier could do. They fought as long as one existed; but their
destruction was very soon completed. Our men rushed up to the doors of
the houses, and in a few minutes killed the last warrior of them. The
enemy fought with savage fury, and met death with all its horrors,
without shrinking or complaining; not one asked to be spared, but [they]
fought as long as they could stand or sit. In consequence of their
flying to their houses and mixing with their families, our men, in
killing the males, without intention killed and wounded a few of the
squaws and children, which was regretted by every officer and soldier of
the detachment, but which could not be avoided."
Coffee counted one hundred and eighty-six dead bodies of Indians, and,
as many of them fell in the grass and high weeds, where their bodies
were not easily found, he expressed the opinion in his report that the
number of killed did not fall short of two hundred, while his own loss
was five men killed and forty-one wounded, most of the wounds being
slight and none of them mortal. For the first time in the history of
Indian warfare, the fighting force of the savages in this battle was
utterly destroyed, not a single warrior escaping alive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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