|
1802 | The Treaty of Fort Wilkinson cedes a strip of land west of the
Oconee and Apalachee Rivers, along with a narrow corridor south
of the Altamaha River.
|
|
1805 | The first Treaty of Washington cedes the remainder of the land
between the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers, excluding a 3x5-mile strip
known as the Old Ocmulgee Fields Reserve at present Macon, which
the Muscogee (Creek) people refuse to give up. The treaty allows the
United states to construct a road across the Creek Nation to the
Alabama River and facilities for public accomodations along this
road. Much of this "Federal Road" follows the ancient Lower Creek
Trading Path and eventually stretches from Washington, D.C. to New
Orleans.
The treaty also provides for a United States military fort on the
Reserve to guard the frontier along the Ocmulgee River. This outpost
is called Fort Hawkins in honor of Benjamin Hawkins, U.S. Indian
Agent to the Creeks and friend of George Washington.
|
|
1806 | Fort Hawkins is built a short distance from the mounds. It serves as
a frontier outpost, trading and center and location for treaty payments
to the Creeks until the United States boundary is later extended to
Alabama Territory. For the entirety of its existence as a U.S. military
fort, it sat on land owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Confederacy.
Read more about the Story of Fort Hawkins
|
|
1807 | Aaron Burr travels, under guard, through the Reserve after his capture
in Alabama.
|
|
1811 | Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, working with his brother the Prophet,
travels up and down the frontier exhorting the Indians to discard their
plows, whiskey and the white man's ways. Some of the Creeks join
his movement and nearly every town has a so-called "Red Stick" faction.
The leaders are as divided as their people. William McIntosh emerges
as leader of the faction loyal to the U.S. government. William
Weatherford (Red Eagle) becomes the most important leader of the
Red Sticks.
|
|
1812 | General Andrew Jackson (later President) stops at Fort Hawkins
during the War of 1812. The fort is an important port of rendezvous
for dispatching troops. This war with Great Britain concerns the issues
of neutral maritime rights and British involvement in Indian problems
along the frontier.
Hostilities between Creek loyalists and traditionalist Red Sticks
increases. Red Sticks attack and destroy Tuckabatchee and several
other Upper Creek towns in northern Alabama. A Red Stick band
returning from Spanish Florida is attacked by militia.
|
|
1813 | In retaliation, the Red Sticks attack Fort Mims near Mobile and
kill 247 people. After the Fort Mims "massacre", an article in the
Nashville Clarion declares that the Creeks "have supplied us with
a pretext for a dismemberment of their country." The event supports
Andrew Jackson's effort to enlist volunteers to fight the Red Sticks.
Loyalist Creeks, Cherokees and Choctaws join him.
In the first battle of the ensuing war, a band of loyalist Creeks
attacks and defeats 150 Euchees (Yuchis) who are on their way to
join the Red Sticks. Shortly afterward, Gen. Jackson dispatches
Gen. John Coffee with 900 mounted troops to destroy the town of
Tallushatchee on the Coosa River where 186 Indians, including women
and children, are killed. Describing the event, Lt. Richard Keith writes:
We found as many as eight or ten bodies in a single cabin.
Some of the cabins had taken fire, and half-consumed bodies
were seen amidst the smoking ruins. In other instances dogs
had torn and feasted on the mangled bodies... Heart sick I
turned from the revolting scene.
|
|
1814 | The decimation of this village convinces many Creek towns to
side with Jackson, who heads South into Creek territory as the
Georgia militia enter from the east and federal troops proceed from
the South. The Creek Nation is laid waste. The carnage ends after
Jackson and his combined forces attack the Red Stick stronghold at
Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama on March 27.
More than 500 Red Sticks are killed, many surrender, while others
flee to their kinsmen, the Seminoles.
Following the war, the treaty of Fort Jackson takes 11-million
acres of Creek land bordering Spanish Florida. The loyalist Creeks
are paid nothing for this cession, but the government agrees to indemnify
them for damages suffered during the war. Of the $195,000 award,
$85,000 is paid to them in 1817. The remainder is not appropriated
until 1853. The land is sold to settlers and speculators for more than
$11,250,000.
|
|
1818 | The Treaty of Fort Mitchell takes a small strip of land east of the
upper Apalachee River.
|
|
1819 | Thousands of Muscogee (Creek) people gather for the last time in
a great encampment at Ocmulgee to receive payment for their lands
east of the river. General William McIntosh and the great orator Little
Prince are present.
The ancient Lower Creek Trading Path, now called the Federal
Road, is the major artery from North to Southwest for many years
(State Highway 49 follows much of this route through Central Georgia).
It serves as the postal route from New York to New Orleans. A ferry
is built near the mounds on the Old Ocmulgee Fields Reserve, and the
first white child, later Mrs. Isaac Winship, is born in the area.
|
|
1821 |
The Creeks give up the lands between the Ocmulgee River and
the Flint River.
|
