ansaction are copied from a letter of dated September 7th, 1813.

ul catastrophe which we have been ipating has at length taken place. The oken in upon us, in numbers and fury Our settlement is overrun, and our , is on the eve of being depopulated. vhich we received led us to expect an he full moon of August; and it was acola, when the ammunition was given to 10 were to be the leaders of the respecstined to attack the different parts of our The attempt made to deprive them of on, issued by the Spaniards on the recomBritish general, on their way from Penwhich it was said the Indians lost more nen, although only one third of our peo r ground, it is highly probable, in some rded their operations; and the steady rain contributed to produce the same their attempt been conducted with more supported with more vigor, there would 1 end, for a time, of Indian warfare. In of the delay, our citizens began to grow confident; and several families who from Tensaw to fort Stoddert, returned Il a sacrifice to the merciless savages.. ays before the attack, some negroes of Mr. › lived in that part of the Creek territory abited by half-breeds, had been sent up the his plantation for corn; three of them were arty of Indians. One escaped and brought of the approach of the Indians. The officer ttle credit to him; but they made some aration to receive the enemy. On the next mes Cornels, a half-breed, and some white had been out on the late battle-ground, and the trail of a considerable body of Indians ards Mr. M'Girt's, came to the fort and the commanding officer of the discovery.

lated to depress his spirits and produce humility. Almost all the other chiefs had been killed, or had surrendered themselves prisoners, and he was without the means of living or resisting.

CHAP. XIX.

WAR WITH THE CREEK NATION.-MASSACRE AT FORT MIMS.BATTLES OF TALLUSHATCHES, TALLEDAGA, ANTOSSE.-ATTACK UPON CAMP DEFIANCE, AND BRILLIANT VICTORY AT THE BEND OF THE TALLAPOOSA.

THE enemy, apparently disposed to enlist the savages in the war at its commencement, despatched messengers to several of the Indian tribes in the Mississippi Territory, distinguished by the names of Creeks, Choctaws, and Chickasaws, to persuade them to take a part with them in their contest with the United States. The most friendly relations had subsisted between these tribes and the United States for many years; and the latter, dictated by a generous policy, had been successful in their endeavors to introduce among them the improvements of civilized society. But so ardent is the propensity of the Indian character for war, that many were induced to commit the most wanton and unprovoked acts of barbarity upon the Americans.

The most experienced and well-disposed chiefs, aware of the evils a war with the United States must produce upon the tribes, made use of their best endeav ors to suppress their acts of cruelty; but those determined on war were not disposed to listen to the dictates of discretion or wisdom, and commenced open hostilities against the United States by one of the most bloody massacres recorded in Indian history. The particulars

of the bloody transaction are copied from a letter of Judge Toulman, dated September 7th, 1813.

"The dreadful catastrophe which we have been some time anticipating has at length taken place. The Indians have broken in upon us, in numbers and fury unexampled. Our settlement is overrun, and our country, I fear, is on the eve of being depopulated. The accounts which we received led us to expect an attack about the full moon of August; and it was known at Pensacola, when the ammunition was given to the Indians, who were to be the leaders of the respective parties destined to attack the different parts of our settlement. The attempt made to deprive them of their ammunition, issued by the Spaniards on the recommendation of a British general, on their way from Pensacola, and in which it was said the Indians lost more than twenty men, although only one third of our peo ple stood their ground, it is highly probable, in some measure, retarded their operations; and the steady succession of rain contributed to produce the same effect. Had their attempt been conducted with more judgment and supported with more vigor, there would have been an end, for a time, of Indian warfare. In consequence of the delay, our citizens began to grow careless and confident; and several families who had removed from Tensaw to fort Stoddert, returned again, and fell a sacrifice to the merciless savages..

"A few days before the attack, some negroes of Mr. M'Girt, who lived in that part of the Creek territory which is inhabited by half-breeds, had been sent up the Alabama to his plantation for corn; three of them were taken by a party of Indians. One escaped and brought down news of the approach of the Indians. The officer gave but little credit to him; but they made some further preparation to receive the enemy. On the next day Mr. James Cornels, a half-breed, and some white men, who had been out on the late battle-ground, and discovered the trail of a considerable body of Indians going towards Mr. M'Girt's, came to the fort and informed the commanding officer of the discovery.

Though their report did not appear to receive full credit, it occasioned great exertions; and on Saturday and Sunday considerable work was done to put the fort in a state of defence. On Sunday morning three negroes were sent out to attend the cattle, who soon returned with an account that they had seen twenty Indians. Scouts were sent out to ascertain the truth of the report. They returned and declared they could see no signs of Indians. One of the negroes belonging to Mr. Randon was whipped for bringing what they deemed a false report. He was sent out again on Monday, and saw a body of Indians approaching ; but, afraid of being whipped, he did not return to Mims but to Pierce's fort; but before his story could be communicated, the attack was made. The commanding officer called upon Mr. Fletcher, who owned another of the negroes, to whip him also. He believed the boy, and resisted two or three applications; but at length they had him actually brought out for the purpose, when the Indians appeared in view of the fort. The gate was open. The Indians had to come through an open field one hundred and fifty yards wide before they could reach the fort, and yet they were within thirty steps of the fort, at eleven o'clock in the morning, before they were noticed. The sentry then gave the cry of Indians!' and they immediately set up a most terrible war-whoop, and rushed into the gate with inconceivable rapidity, and got within it before the people of the fort had an opportunity of shutting it. This decided their fate. Major Beasely was shot through the body near the gate. He called to the men to take care of the ammunition and retreat to the house. He went himself to a kitchen, where it is sup posed he must have been burnt.

"There was a large body of Indians, though they probably did not exceed four hundred. Our people seemed to sustain the attack with undaunted spirit They took possession of the port-holes in the other lines of the fort, and fired on the Indians who remained in the field. Some of the Indians got on the block

house, at one of the corners; but, after much firing upon the people, they were dislodged. They succeeded, however, in setting fire to a house near the pickets, from which it communicated to the kitchen, and from thence to the main dwelling-house. They attempted to do it by burning arrows, but failed. When the people in the fort saw the Indians retained full possession of the outer court, and the gate continued open, that their men fell very fast, and that their houses were in flames, they began to despond. Some determined to cut their way through the pickets and escape. Of the whole number of white men and half-breeds in the fort, it is supposed that not more than twenty-five or thirty escaped, and of these many were wounded. The rest, and almost all the women and children, fell a sacrifice either to the shot of the Indians or the flames. The battle terminated about an hour before sunset.

"The women and children took refuge in an upper story of the dwelling-house; and it is said that the Indians, when the buildings were in flames, danced around them with savage delight. The helpless victims perished in the flames. It is also reported that, when the buildings were burning, and the few who remained were exposed to the fire of the enemy, they collected many of the guns of the deceased and threw both them and the remaining stock of ammunition into the flames, to prevent their becoming subservient, in the hands of the Indians, to the destruction of their fellowcitizens. Surely this was an instance of determined resolution and benevolent foresight, of which there are not many examples.

"But notwithstanding the bravery of our fellowcitizens, the Indians carried all before them, and murdered the armed and the helpless without discrimination. Our loss is seven commissioned officers, and about one hundred non-commissioned officers and privates, of the first regiment of the Mississippi territory volunteers. There were about twenty-four families of men, women, and children in the fort, of whom almost