Southwest Georgia Played a Key Role in the War-- Part 2: The Blackshear Trail and Andrew Jackson

Much of the defense of Georgia's south border fell to General David Blackshear, who was instructed to construct a series of  fortifications for that purpose.  Blackshear, like many who fought in the War of 1812, had gained military experience during the American Revolution.  He had been at an early engagement of that war at Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina.

After the war, he became a surveyor, moving to Springfield in Laurens County, Georgia, settling on a land grant he received for his Revolution service. 

After war was declared in June 18, 1812, he returned to military service and was authorized to construct 11 forts along Georgia's southern and western borders.

The first clue to this effort he made can be found on a Georgia historical marker on Highway 300 in  Crisp County.  It reads:  "Blackshear Trail. made by General David Blackshear during the War of 1812, was used by General Andrew Jackson when he led  his troops from Fort Hawkins, near Macon,  through Hartford, now Hawkinsville, to Fort Early in 1818.

"The section was roadless except for this and a few Indian trails.  General Jackson used it in his campaign against the Seminole and Creek Indians.  The Battle of Skin Cypress Pond was fought on the Blackshear Trail.  During the battle, three  U.S. soldiers and a number if Indians were killed.

"They were buried at the site in unmarked graves."

--Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 3: Second Seminole and Mexican Wars

Continued from December 27, 2020.

SECOND SEMINOLE WAR

Using his own tactics, he successfully prosecuted the Second Seminole War in Florida and was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general.  Eventually he convinced Secretary of War John C. Spencer to allow the remaining Seminoles  in the territory of Florida to confine to an unofficial reservation in southwest Florida, and declared an official end to the war in August 1842.

MEXICAN WAR

When the Mexican War began, Worth was serving under General Zachary Taylor in Texas and negotiated the surrender of the Mexican city of Matamoros.  He next commanded the Second Regular Division, Army of Occupation at the Battle of Monterrey in September 1846.  In 1847, he was transferred to  his old friend Winfield Scott's army and placed in command of the First Division.

He took part in the Siege of Veracruz and engaged  in the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras and Churubusco.  At Mexico City, Scott ordered Worth to seize the Mexican fortifications at Molino del Rey.  This effectually ended the two generals' friendship when Scott refused to allow Worth to change his plan of attack, a move that caused the First Division to suffer heavy casualties.

--Brock-Perry

Action Around Apalachicola Bay-- Part 5: The Creek War and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend

Angered that they were turned down by Spanish governor Gonzalez Manrique. they turned to John Innerarity at the Forbes store  in Pensacola.  Innerarity feared that an Indian war was about to begin and showed them only empty barrels and turned down their request for guns and gunpowder

However, Governor Manrique decided to help the Creeks and  provided Chief Peter McQueen with 1,000 pounds of gunpowder.  An attack on Fort Mimms caused the United States to declare war on the Creeks.

Alarmed that the Creeks would become a dangerous threat if the British armed them, Andrew Jackson's Tennessee volunteers marched to the Alabama River from Nashville and defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814, and forced the Indians to ceded half of their territory to the Americans.

With some justification,  hostile factions among the Creeks and Seminoles blamed Forbes & Company for their lack of firearms and gunpowder that led to their defeat and loss of land.

--Brock-Perry

Georgia's John Floyd-- Part 2: St. Marys and the Patriot War

At the beginning of the War of 1812, John Floyd commanded a force at Point Peter at St. Marys in Camden County.  He was asked by General George Matthew, special agent during the Patriot War, to have his militia ready to overthrow the Spanish government in East Florida.

In October 1812, Floyd, with 120 volunteers reached New Camp Hope in East Florida where he encountered Seminoles (who the Spanish government had enlisted their aid).  The Americans ran out of supplies and many got sick, forcing a withdrawal.

Creek Indians, allied with Britain, began attacking American settlements in eastern and central Alabama and western Georgia.  Those Indians from the Upper Creek Towns were known as the Red Sticks and were especially bad.

--Brock-Perry

Camp Blount, Tennessee-- Part 3: Mustering Point for Other Wars

Camp Blount served as the mustering grounds for other wars than the War of 1812.

Tennessee troops mustered here for the Seminole Wars of 1818 and 1836.  Later they did the same for the Civil War.

It is likely that both Confederate and Union troops mustered here during the Civil War, though, obviously, not at the same time.

--Brock-Perry

Fort King, Florida-- Part 2: Thompson, Dade and Osceola

I am writing about the Seminole Indians in Florida and the U.S. Army in this blog even though it took place after the War of 1812 because it is directly related to the war.  All the main Americans participated in the war, though I have been unable to find out much about their service.  But, the Indians were definitely one aspect of the war.

From Exploring Southern History.

To say that Wiley Thompson and the Seminoles, and especially warrior Osceola, didn't like each other would be an understatement.  At one point, Thompson had Osceola clapped in irons and held for a period of time.  Osceola decided to have his revenge.

On December 28, 1835, as Francis L. Dade was leading his troops to Thompson's relief, as Wiley Thompson and associates went for a walk, Osceola and his warriors ambushed him and Thompson was shot 14 times and scalped along with six others.

That same day, a larger force of Seminoles attacked Dade and killed him and over 100 others.

This caused the second Seminole War to take place.

--Brock-Perry

Fort King, Florida-- Part 1: To Control the Seminoles

The subject of Saturday's post was Gen. Wiley Thompson who was killed by Seminole leader Osceola at Fort King, Florida.

From Wikipedia.

Fort King, also called Camp king or Cantonment King, is located in north central Florida near the present-day city of Ocala.  It was named for Colonel William King, commander of Florida's 4th Infantry, the first governor of Provisional West Florida.

The fort was built in 1827 as tensions between settlers and the Seminoles in Florida intensified and it became an important base for the Army's removal of the Seminoles in the 1830s.  In 1844, it served as the courthouse for the newly formed Marion County.

When the Army left, it was taken apart by locals for use as building materials.

The site is now a National Historic Landmark and is located by the corner of East Fort King Street and 39th Avenue inOcala.  No visible signs of the fort remain.

--Brock-Perry

General Wiley Thompson: Seminole Indian Agent Killed By Osceola

From Wikipedia.

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that Francis Dade and his men were ambushed and massacred by Seminoles while on his way to help Gen. Wiley Thompson at Fort King near present-day Ocala.

September 1781 to December 28, 1835.  He died the same day as Dade and his men, all killed by the Seminoles.  Thompson was a U.S. Representative from Elberton, Georgia who served as a major general in the Georgia militia from 1817 to 1824.  I could not find out any reference to his War of 1812 service, but imagine he did have some sort of involvement in it.

He served in the U.S. Congress from 1821-1832.

Appointed Indian agent to the Seminoles and in 1834, directed their removal from Florida.  This angered Seminole warrior Osceola who killed him at Fort King, Florida on December 28, 1835.  Thompson is buried at his estate in Elberton, Georgia.

--Brock-Perry

Edmund P. Gaines-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

I mentioned that Gen. Edmund P. Gaines ordered Duncan Clinch to attack Negro Fort which resulted in the July 27, 1816, battle.

Edmund P. Gaines (March 20, 1777 to June 6, 1849) was an American Army officer who fought in the War of 1812, the Seminole Wars and the Black Hawk War.

Born in Virginia, he enlisted in the Army in 1799 and was a first lieutenant by 1807.  He surveyed the Mississippi Territory and helped lay out the Natchez Trace.  While commander of Fort Stoddert, he arrested Aaron Burr in Wakefield, Alabama.  After that he took leave from the Army and practiced law.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Gadsden-- Part 5: The Battle at Negro Fort

The freedmen in Negro Fort refused to surrender and be returned to slavery and cries of "Give Me liberty or Give Me Death" were heard several times during the ensuing battle.  Cannon fire was exchanged, but the shots of the inexperienced blacks did not find their marks.

A "hot shot" from an American cannon found its way into the fort's powder magazine and resulted in a huge explosion, reportedly heard as far away as 100 miles.  It killed all but 30 of the fort's 300 occupants.

Garson and the Choctow chief were handed over to the Creek Indians who shot him and scalped the chief.  The other blacks were returned to slavery.  The Creeks managed to salvage 2,500 muskets, 50 carbines, 400 pistols and 500 swords from the ruins.  (These numbers seem to be considerably high in my opinion.)
The battle made relations between the Creeks and Seminoles much worse (the Seminoles supported the blacks).  It also tilted superiority to the Creeks with all their new weapons.  The Seminoles also were mad at the United States which was part of the reason for the First Seminole War a year later.

Spain protested this blatant violation of its territory but lacked the power to do anything about it.

--Brock-Perry

Nicholls' Outpost-- Part 1

From the Explore Southern History Blog by Dale Cox.

The other British fort built on the Apalachicola River was at Prospect Bluff and Nicholls' Outpost was located upriver at present day Chattahoochee, Florida.  The Post and fort were built as part of a British plan to recruit Red Stick and Seminole Indians to their cause during the War of 1812.

The other fort was 30 miles north of the mouth of the Apalachicola River at the site of present day Fort Gadsden Historic Site. Both forts were built by Edward Nichols of the Royal Marines.   This fort later was referred to as the "Negro Fort."

Nicholls' Post was the smaller fortification of the two and was built on top of a large Indian mound at Chattahoochee Landing in Gadsden County, Florida.

--Brock-Perry