.MOONEY] BATTLE OF HORSKriHoK BEND 1S14 93 



Pickott states, on what sooins o-ood authority, that the Creeks eiii;ajjpd 

 (lid not numher more tiian five himdi-ed warriors. Jackson had prob- 

 aliiv at least one thousand two inindred men, including Indians.' 



While these events wei'e transpiring in the north, (ieneral Floyd 

 aoain advanced from (ieorgia with a force of about one thousand three 

 hundred Americans and four hundred friendly Indians, but was sur- 

 prised on (_'aleel)i'e criH'k. near the jjresent Tuskegee, Alabama, on the 

 morning of January 27, 1S14. and compelled to retreat, leaving the 

 enemy in po.s.ses.sion of the Ktdd.- 



We come now to the tinai event of the Creek war, the tei'ril)le t)attle 

 of the Horseshoe liend. IIa\ing received large recnforcements from 

 Tennessee, Jackson left a garrison at Fort Strother. and, about the 

 middle of ]March. descended the Coosa river to the mouth of Cedar 

 creek, southeast from the present Columbiana, whei'e he built Fort 

 Williams. Leaving his stores here with a garrison to protect them, 

 he began his march for the Horseshoe bend of the Tallapoosa, where 

 the hostiles were reported to iiave collected in great force. At this 

 place, known to the Creeks as Tohopki or Tohopeka, the Tallapoosa 

 made a bend so as to inclose some eighty or a hundred acres in a nar- 

 row peninsula opening to the north. On the lower side was an island 

 in the river, and about a mile below was Emukfaw creek, entering from 

 the north, where Jackson had been driven back two months before 

 Both locations were in the present Tallapoosa county, Alabama, within 

 two nuies of tlie present post village of Tohopeka. Across the neck of 

 the peninsula the Creeks had l)uilt a strong breastwork of logs, behind 

 which were their houses, and l)ehind these were a numl)er of canoes 

 moored to the bank for use if retreat became necessary. The foit was 

 defended V)v a thousand warriors, with whom were also about three 

 hundred women and children. Jackson's force luanbered about two 

 thousand men, including, according to his own statement, five hundred 

 Cherokee. He had also two small cannon. The account of tiie battle, 

 or rather massacre, which occurred on the morning of March -27 . IS14, 

 is best condensed from the official reports of the principal connuanders. 



Having arrived in the neighborhood of the fort. Jackson disposed 

 his men for the attack by detailitig (ieneral Coflee witii the mounted 

 men and nearly the whole of the Indian force to cross the river at a 

 ford about three miles lielow and suri'ound the bend in such manner 

 fhat none could escape in that direction. He himself, witii the rest of 

 his force, advanced to the front of the breastwork and planted hiscan- 



'Fay and Davison, Sketches of the War, pp. 2-47-250. 1S15; Pickett, Alabama, pp. .')79-.'iSJ. reprint of 

 1896; Drake, Indians, pp. 398-100, 18S0. Pickett says Jackson had ■■7117 men. witli 200 friendly Indians" : 

 Drake says he started with 930 men and was joined at Talladega hy 2CKI friendly Indians: .lackson 

 himself, as quoted in Fay and Davi.son. says that he started with 930 men, crcludhiii Iiirliam, and 

 was joined at Talladega "by between 200 and 300 friendly Indians." IB being (;herokee. the rest 

 Creeks. The inference is that he already had a number of Indians with him at the start— probably 

 the Cherokee who had been doing garrison duty. 



2 Pickett, op. eit., pp.5M-.586. 



