Tohopeka: Rethinking the Creek War and the War of 1812

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments I would like to thank ove Jensen, my friend and ally in this endeavor, for his vision and unwavering determination to bring historical scholarship and the public together. ove’s zeal and devotion to horseshoe Bend National Military park inspired me from the moment we first met and his continuing service to one of the Creek people’s most revered sites warrants the respect of all who love historic places and admire the Creek people. Marianne Mills, who was superintendent of horseshoe Bend National Military park at the time of the symposium, spearheaded the funding effort from the National park Service. She and ove worked with auburn University to make our Creek War and War of 1812 symposium a reality. I would also like to thank all the staff at horseshoe Bend for their support and assistance. They are a collegial group of public historians who work tirelessly to promote and interpret one of the nation’s most important battlefields. Thanks as well to Jay Lamar, who, as head of auburn’s Carolyn Marshall Draughon Center for the arts and humanities, is tireless in her efforts to bring scholars and the public together. The man responsible for most of the drudgery involved with making the symposium work, Mark Wilson, deserves special acknowledgment , not only for expert planning but for the good cheer with which the myriad tasks associated with the symposium planning were completed. I would also like to thank Dr. Charles Israel, chair of auburn’s history Department , for his support, encouragement, and assistance with the symposium . I would especially like to thank my fellow contributors for their collaboration on this project, as well as for the hard work their contributions represent. Special commendation is due to Sarah Mattics of the University of South alabama, who worked with me to produce the maps for the volume . Many thanks are also due to Gregory a. Waselkov and Craig Sheldon for their assistance in numerous tasks associated with preparing illustrations, maps, and editing. For permission to use images from their collections, I wish to acknowledge the assistance and support of the following individuals and their insti- xviii acknowledgments tutions: Meredith McLemore and Debbie pendleton of the alabama Department of archives and history, Montgomery, alabama; hugh alexander of the National archives of the United kingdom; Brett McWilliams for permission to use photographs of objects in his private collection; Frank White, executive director of the alabama historical Commission for permission to use a drawing of one of the objects in the ahC collections; Craig Sheldon for the use of his pen-and-ink sketch of artifacts; Lisa haney of the Missouri archaeological Society; eric Seiferth of the Williams Research Center, historic New orleans Collection, New orleans; and the National park Service, harpers Ferry Center. Kathryn E. Holland Braund Dadeville, alabama Battle of Horseshoe Bend, fought March 27, 1814. This map of the horseshoe Bend in the Tallapoosa River was drawn by J. L. holmes for Captain Leonard L. Tarrant of Winchester, Tennessee , who served with the West Tennessee Militia in the Creek War.The map depicts both the landscape and battle positions of Red Sticks, the americans and their allies (with left corresponding to east; right to west; up to south; and down to north). Surrounding Horseshoe Bend: (top left) the “craggy hills” flanking the river; (bottom left) the Creek town of Nuyaka (Neuyorcau); (eastern riverbank) Coffee’s cavalry brigade encircling the high ground around the river; (top right—above wavy line) the location that Cherokee Indians crossed the Tallapoosa River to attack; (top right— below wavy line) the location of Captain Russell’s company (spies) and Cherokees; and (center right) the location at which Coffee’s men crossed the river to complete their encirclement from the rear. Inside Horseshoe Bend: (south tip) the village of Tohopeka (Tehoopcau); (north of Tohopeka) Tohopeka ’s associated defense works behind the main log fortification across the bend (Breast Works); and (north of Breast Works) Jackson’s forces, including the 39th US Infantry, east and West Tennessee militia units, the rear guard, and the artillery and baggage wagons. Map courtesy of the alabama Department of archives and history. Tohopeka ...