Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek


caption=
partof=Creek War |date=January, 1814
place=20 to 50 miles northwest of Horseshoe Bend
result=Standoff
combatant1=Creek Indians
(Red Sticks)
combatant2=Tennessee Militia
commander1=
commander2=Andrew Jackson
strength1=400 to 500 Red Stick Creek
strength2=175 Militia
30 Artillery
200 Creek and Cherokee
casualties1= 54 killed
casualties2=24 killed
71 wounded

The battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek are part of Andrew Jackson's campaign in the Creek War. They took place in January 1814 approximately 20 to 50 miles (30-80 km) northeast of Horseshoe Bend.

Background

After Talladega, Jackson was plagued by supply shortages and discipline problems arising from his men's short term enlistments. General John Coffee, who had returned to Tennessee for remounts, wrote Jackson that the cavalry had deserted. By the end of 1813, Jackson was down to a single regiment whose enlistments were due to expire in mid January. Although Governor Willie Blount had ordered a new levee of 2,500 troops, Jackson would not be up to full strength until the end of February. When a draft of 900 raw recruits arrived unexpectedly on January 14, Jackson was down to a cadre of 103 and Coffee, who had been "abandoned by his men."

Battles

Since new men had sixty day enlistment contracts, Jackson decided to get the most out of his untried force. He departed Fort Struther on the seventeenth and marched toward the village of Emuckfaw to cooperate with the Georgia Militia. However, this was a risky decision. It was a long march through difficult terrain against a numerically superior force, and the men were inexperienced and insubordinate. A defeat of Jackson would have prolonged the war.

On January 22, 1814, Jackson was encamped about twelve miles (20 km) from Emuckfaw. At dawn, a strong force of Red Sticks, camped three miles (5 km) away, attacked Jackson's position but were driven off after about thirty minutes. Jackson sent Coffee with a force of 400 to burn the Indian camp. Upon seeing the strength of their position, Coffee did not attack and returned to Jackson's position. The Red Sticks attacked again. Coffee was seriously wounded when he led a small party to turn their flank. The Creek were driven off with a loss of 54 killed. At this point, Jackson had no choice but to retreat to Fort Struther.

Because of the difficulty of the earlier crossing of the Emuckfaw, Jackson took a longer route back to Fort Strother. Even so, the crossing was difficult. On the morning of January 24, 1814, he began to recross the creek. When Jackson's artillery was about to enter the ford, alarm shots sounded in the woods. Having anticipated an attack, Jackson had ordered his advance guard to counterattack and attempt an envelopment. The rear guard panicked and retreated. For reasons unknown, the Red Sticks were unable to take advantage of the situation, and a handful of defenders drove them off. Jackson's losses for the two engagements were 24 killed and 71 wounded.

Aftermath

Although Jackson had been forced to withdraw, the Red Sticks had lost their best opportunity for a decisive victory against the American forces. Jackson returned to Fort Struther and did not resume the offensive until mid-March.

References

* Henry Adams "History of the United States of America During the Administrations of James Madison" (Library Classics of the United State, Inc. 1986), pp. 791-793 ISBN 0-940450-35-6
* John K. Mahon "The War of 1812" (University of Florida Press 1972) pp. 241 ISBN 0-8130-0318-0

External links

* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/national_parks/horseshoe_bend_war_1813-14.jpgA map of Creek War Battle Sites] from the PCL Map Collection at the Universtity of Texas at Austin.