User:Garrison Morgan/Red Sticks

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Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Main article: Battle of Horseshoe Bend

Jackson lead a force of 3,000 men to Horseshoe Bend or Tohopeka in creek, from Fort William on the 14th of March. This was after his scouts reported a force of 1,000 Red Sticks warriors and their families were living there. Jackson's army had to march over 60 miles of rugged terrain. Before they left he gave out an warning that if anyone retreats without being compelled by significant force they would be killed.

Jackson's army arrived on March 26th and set up camp six miles away near the site of the battle of Emuckfau Creek. The day before the Creek's commander William Weatherford left to with his pregnant wife leaving Chief Menewa in charge. Jackson's cavalry and mounted horsemen under the command of Coffee left at 3 a.m. to cross the Tallapoosa river to cut of the Red Sticks retreat and prevent reinforcements. Coffee's brigade was made up of 700 mounted infantry and 600 allied Indians. Meanwhile Jackson marched to the breastworks. He had one six pound and one three pound artillery piece that started a bombardment at 10:30 a.m.. This lasted till noon when Jackson realized that it was having little effect and decided to storm the fortifications. The first person to scale the fortification was Major Lemuel Montgomery who was promptly shot in the head. The fight for the breastworks was a quick but bloody affair but in the end Jacksons men. The Red Sticks fell back to there their second line of defense a breastwork of logs and underbrush. The Creeks asked for no quarter while there prophets where saying that it would be worse if they were captured. Jackson offered them a chance to surrender and instead the Creeks fired on the party offering it. The fighting lasted until sunset.

During the battle atrocities took place. In one instance a five year old boy was killed with the butt of a musket because " someday the boy would be a warrior." Another person killed an indian who was just sitting down because he wanted to brag about it. After the fighting was over some soldiers started to cut skin from indians to make bridle reins. In the end only 32 Americans were killed, and ninty-nine were injured. In contrast on twenty Red Sticks were able to escape, including their leader Menewa.

some of the notable people present at the battle are Sam Houston, John Coffee, and of course Andrew Jackson