The Red Stick militancy was a response to the increasing United States cultural and territorial encroachment into their traditional lands. The alternate designation as the Creek Civil War comes from the divisions within the tribe over cultural, political, economic, and geographic matters.
Why did the Red Sticks go to war with the creek?
This faction of Creeks aggressively supported traditional views of Creek society such as hunting and communal land. Inspired by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and angered by the unrestrained encroachment of white culture, Red Sticks went to war against their own pro-European Creeks.
Where did the term Red Sticks come from?
The war began as a civil war, but the United States was pulled into the conflict in present-day southern Alabama, at the Battle of Burnt Corn. The term "red sticks" is derived from the red-colored war clubs and the alleged magical red sticks used by Creek shamans.
How did the Creek War start?
The Creek War began as a conflict within the Creek Confederation, but local militia units quickly became involved. British traders in Florida as well as the Spanish government provided the Red Sticks with arms and supplies because of their shared interest in preventing the expansion of the United States into their areas.
What was the Red Sticks faction?
The Red Sticks faction came primarily from the Upper Towns of the Creek Confederacy and supported traditional leadership and culture, including the preservation of communal land for cultivation and hunting, while opposing assimilation into European-American culture.
What did the Red Sticks want?
The Red Sticks' goal was to strike at mixed-blood Creek of the Tensaw settlement who had taken refuge at the fort. The warriors attacked the fort and killed a total of 400 to 500 people, including women and children and numerous white settlers.
What happened during the Red Stick War?
Upon defeating the militia garrisoned on the fortified plantation, the Red Sticks killed nearly every Lower Creek and white settler who had sought refuge there. The dramatic victory by the Red Sticks at Fort Mims sent reverberation across the United States that, ultimately, thrust the nation into the Creek Civil War.
Who won the Red Stick War?
The stunning success of the Red Sticks, played up in the national press as a barbarous attack against Americans, brought the United States into the war. Thus, the Creek civil war became a war of American conquest. The war ended with a decisive victory by Andrew Jackson at Horseshoe Bend in late March 1814.
When was the Red Stick War?
1813 – 1814Creek War / Period
What was the main cause of the Red Stick War in 1813?
Anglo- American encroachment into the traditional lands of the Upper Creeks instigated the Red Stick War. The Creek lived for thousands of years in southeastern North America, in what are now the states of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida.
Who was the leader of the Red Sticks?
William WeatherfordWilliam Weatherford (1780-1824) - also known as Red Eagle. Son of a Scottish trader and a Creek woman. Participated in the attack on Fort Mims and was the leader of the Red Sticks at the Holy Ground.
Who helped the Red Sticks?
There, on March 27, aided by Cherokee and Creek allies, Jackson's army routed the Red Sticks, killing nearly all of the estimated 800 warriors who had gathered behind an impressive barricade.
Why is Baton Rouge called the Red Stick?
In 1699 French visitors called the spot "red stick" baton rouge because of a boundary marker pole, stained with animal blood, standing on the river bluff. Members of the Houma tribe lived to the north of the red stick and Bayogoulas to the south.
What ended the War of 1812?
June 18, 1812 – February 18, 1815War of 1812 / Period
Was Red Stick a real person?
Red Sticks (also Redsticks, Batons Rouges, or Red Clubs), the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creeks—refers to an early 19th-century traditionalist faction of these people in the American Southeast.
What is French for Red Stick?
Baton RougeBaton Rouge is French for "Red Stick." In 1699, French explorer Iberville was traveling up the Mississippi River and saw a bloodied, red pole on the shore.
At which battle were the Red Stick Creeks defeated?
The dramatic victory by the Red Sticks at Fort Mims sent reverberation across the United States that, ultimately, thrust the nation into the Creek Civil War. The Cherokee, whose traditional lands bordered the Creek's, were acutely aware that the conflict between the two Creek factions could spill into their own towns.
At which battle were the Red Stick Creeks defeated?
The dramatic victory by the Red Sticks at Fort Mims sent reverberation across the United States that, ultimately, thrust the nation into the Creek Civil War. The Cherokee, whose traditional lands bordered the Creek's, were acutely aware that the conflict between the two Creek factions could spill into their own towns.
What event happened in the spring of 1814?
March 27 – Creek War – Battle of Horseshoe Bend: In northern Alabama, United States forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek Indians.
What was the main result of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend?
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend, fought on March 27, 1814 effectively ended Creek resistance to American advances into the southeast, opening up the Mississippi Territory for pioneer settlement.
Which group did the US fight at Horseshoe Bend?
Battle of Horseshoe Bend, also known as the Battle of Tohopeka, (27 March 1814), a U.S. victory in central Alabama over Native Americans opposed to white expansion into their terroritories and which largely brought an end to the Creek War (1813–14).
Where did the Red Sticks come from?
The term "red sticks" is derived from the red-colored war clubs and the alleged magical red sticks used by Creek shamans.
Who inspired the Red Sticks?
Inspired by the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and angered by the unrestrained encroachment of white culture, Red Sticks went to war against their own pro-European Creeks.
What was the Indian war called?
Indian Wars: Red Stick War 1813-1814. The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek (Muscogee) nation. It is sometimes considered to be part of the War of 1812.
What was the name of the river that the Red Sticks fought against?
The wall against which the Red Sticks placed their backs was the Talapoosa River . Here, on a peninsula formed by a meander of the river, a number of the Upper towns had gathered their forces. The landward neck of the peninsula had been closed by a log breastwork. Within the enclosed area were nine hundred warriors and their families. Jackson advanced against this position with 2,000 men, including infantry, cavalry and mounted gunmen, Cherokees, and friendly Creeks; the largest army he had yet led against the Red Sticks. He attacked on March 27. . .The Red Sticks refused to surrender, asked for no quarter, and received none. Their total casualties in killed and drowned were 700. Three hundred prisoners, mostly women and children, were taken. The loss of the Tennesseeans and their Indian allies was 49 killed and 154 wounded. . .This terrible battle, known to the Creeks as Tohopeka and to the whites as the Horseshoe, brought the war in the Creek country proper to a close.
Who was in charge of the Company of Spies during the Red Stick War?
As information on enemy dispositions is a strategic asset, the senior scout would have received his assignments from the commander of the campaign. Oral history from this Lewis Family states that Walden Lewis served with Gen. Thomas Pinckney during the Indian War. Of note, descendants of Walden Lewis were named Pinckney, reportedly in honor of the general.
Why did the Moseley brothers fight in the Red Stick War?
First, the wife of Benjamin Moseley had been captured by hostile Indians, probably in late 1813. This, of itself, would be enough to send the Moseley Brothers off to war. Second, we learn that Robert of the Indians had abandoned his White family to live among the Creek. And third, we learn that Robert of the Indians and Rev. Elisha Moseley were brothers.
Who was on the right flank of General Jackson's army?
The Right flank of General Jackson's force was composed of Colonel Perkins' first regiment during the action just described, and the left flank was composed of Colonel Higgins' second regiment. Capt. Pipkin's company had one man, Edward Tipton, killed and William Hughes was wounded. Other casualties from the first regiment were James Richards of Captain John B. Quarles' company and Samuel Marr of Captain George Elliott's company. . . .
Why were the Red Sticks made?
Made up mostly of Creek of the Upper Towns that supported traditional leadership and culture, as well as the preservation of communal land for cultivation and hunting, the Red Sticks arose at a time of increasing pressure on Creek territory by European-American settlers.
Why did the Red Sticks attack Fort Mims?
The Red Sticks decided to attack the garrison at Fort Mims in the Mississippi Territory (present-day Tensaw, in southwestern Alabama), in an attempt to reduce the influence of the Tensaw Creek who controlled the fort.
What is a red stick?
Red Sticks (also Redsticks or Red Clubs ), the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creeks —refers to an early 19th-century traditionalist faction of these people in the American Southeast. Made up mostly of Creek of the Upper Towns that supported traditional leadership and culture, ...
What did the Creeks do?
The Creeks had a matrilineal culture , in which a person's place and status were determined by their maternal clan. The Creeks of the Lower Towns, who comprised the majority of the population, had adopted more European-American ways; in addition, they had more intermarriage among their women with white traders and settlers, and economic relations with the United States settlers. At the same time, the mixed-race children, such as the chiefs William Weatherford and William McIntosh, were generally raised among the Creek. Benjamin Hawkins, who was first appointed as United States Indian agent in the Southeast and then as Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the territory south of the Ohio River, lived among the Creek and Choctaw and knew them well. He commented in letters to President Thomas Jefferson that Creek women were matriarchs and had control of children "when connected with a white man". Hawkins further observed that even wealthy traders were nearly as "inattentive" to their mixed-race children as "the Indians"; Benjamin Griffith argues that Hawkins failed to understand the closer relationship that children in Creek culture had with their mother's eldest brother, closer than with their biological father, because of the importance of the clan structure.
What was the Red Sticks' weapon?
The term "Red Sticks" (alternatively "Redsticks" or "Red Clubs"), was derived from the name of the 2-foot-long wooden war club, or atássa, used by the Creeks. The preferred weapon of the Red Stick warriors, this war club had a red-painted wooden handle with a curve at its head that held a small piece of iron, steel, or bone projecting about two inches. The Red Sticks faction came primarily from the Upper Towns of the Creek Confederacy and supported traditional leadership and culture, including the preservation of communal land for cultivation and hunting, while opposing assimilation into European-American culture.
What was the Red Sticks' skirmish?
Skirmish over arms. Main article: Battle of Burnt Corn. The Red Sticks were involved with the skirmish that become known as the Battle of Burnt Corn. The armed conflict occurred when a group of Red Sticks were attacked by American white militiamen while returning from Florida with arms in 1813.
How many people were killed in the Battle of the Red Sticks?
In the end only thirty-two Americans were killed, and ninety-nine were injured. In contrast only twenty Red Sticks were able to escape, including their leader Menewa. Some of the notable people present at the battle were: Sam Houston, John Coffee, and Andrew Jackson.
Why were the Red Sticks called Red Sticks?
These dissidents were soon called Red Sticks because they had raised the "red stick of war," a favored weapon and symbolic Creek war declaration.
Which tribes fought against the Red Sticks?
On the other hand, many Upper Creeks not only opposed the Red Sticks, they also fought against them. Likewise, whereas many Alabama Indians sided with the Red Sticks, the Yuchi and Natchee Creek Indians (also non-Muskogean speakers) fought on the side of the national Creeks.
What was the purpose of the Creek War?
The Creek War of 1813-14 began as a civil war, largely centered among the Upper Creeks, whose towns were located on the Coosa, Tallapoosa, and upper reaches of the Alabama rivers. The struggle pitted a faction of the Creeks who became known as Red Sticks against those Creeks who supported the National Council, a relatively new body that had developed from the traditional regional meetings of headmen from the Creek towns. Under the auspices of federal Indian agent Benjamin Hawkins, the National Council's authority and powers had been expanded. The war broke out against the backdrop of the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Americans, fearful that southeastern Indians would ally with the British, quickly joined the war against the Red Sticks, turning the civil war into a military campaign designed to destroy Creek power. To prove their loyalty to the United States, contingents of Choctaw and Cherokee warriors joined the American war against the Creeks. Thus, the Creek civil war was quickly transformed into a multidimensional war that resulted in the total defeat of the Creek people at the hands of American armies and their Native American allies.
What conflict grew after the attack on Fort Mims?
The Conflict Grows. Following the attack on Fort Mims and the ensuing escalation, the divided Creek towns faced an invasion of their country by military forces from Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee. The sprawling and open lay-out of Creek towns, however, made them difficult to defend or fortify.
Where did the Georgia militia fight?
The Georgia militia, under Gen. John Floyd, had actually been in the field first, with limited action against Red Sticks along the Chattahoochee River, near the allied Creek town of Coweta in August and September. The nearly 1,000 Georgians set out for the Tallapoosa towns at roughly the same time that the Tennesseans moved toward the Abeika heartland in October, building a string of fortified supply depots as they proceeded. Floyd's army was assisted by a contingent of 400 Creek warriors under William McIntosh. Floyd's main objective was the Red Stick stronghold at Autossee. His men attacked and burned the town on November 29, 1813, but could not surround it. Most of the inhabitants escaped, but the defenders lost an estimated 200 warriors to only 11 American dead and just over 50 wounded, including Floyd. He retreated to Fort Mitchell, a supply post he had established earlier on the Chattahoochee River.
How many people died in the Creek War?
The death rate during the various Creek war battles was high, with estimates ranging from 1,500 to 3,000. Whatever the number, the Red Sticks themselves represented their numerous losses to agent Benjamin Hawkins as "like the fall of leaves." The death toll among noncombatants continued to climb after hostilities ceased, primarily from starvation and exposure. Uncounted numbers of refugees headed for Florida and resettled among the Seminoles.
What was the Creek resentment?
In addition, Creek resentment was growing over expanding settlements of Americans along the Creek-Georgia border and in the Cumberland Valley. By the spring of 1812, Creek representatives had met with Shawnee leaders on the Ohio River regarding the possibility of obtaining arms from the British.
Background
From December 11, 1811, four major episodes of the New Madrid Earthquake, estimated at about 7 in intensity, shook the Creek lands and the Midwest. The shocks were felt over an area of 50,000 square miles.
Opposing forces
After Burnt Corn, the U.S. Secretary of War John Armstrong notified General Thomas Pinckney, Commander of the 6th Military District, that the US was prepared to take action against the Creek Nation. Further, if Spain were found to be supporting the Creeks, a strike against Pensacola would occur.
Results
The orange territory indicates that of the United States government, ceded by the Creek Nation.
External links
A map of Creek War Battle Sites from the PCL Map Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
Who was the main participant in the Creek War?
Major Participants in the Creek War. Andrew Jackson . portrait by Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl. Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) -known to his Creek enemies as “Mad Dog Jackson” or “Old Mad Jackson.”. After the Fort Mims attack, he railed against the “horrid butcheries” committed there, and called for a “spirit of revenge.”.
Who was the Crazy War Hunter?
Son of a white trader and a Creek woman. Known in his youth as Hothlepoya or "Crazy War Hunter" for his prowess as a warrior along the Tennessee and Georgia frontiers. Supported the Red Stick cause during the Creek civil war and led Red Stick warriors at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.