by their blood, but succeeded in overtaking but one of their wounded.

"Colonel Newman received three balls in the commencement of the action, which deprived me of the services of that gallant and useful officer. The assistant Adjutant-General Narden was indefatigable in the discharge of his duty, and rendered important services; his horse was wounded under him. The whole of the staff was prompt, and discharged their duty with courage and fidelity; their vigilance, the intrepidity of the officers, and the firmness of the men, meet my approbation, and deserve the praise of their country. I have to regret the death of many of my brave fellows, who have found honorable graves in the voluntary support of their country.

"My aid-de-camp, in executing my orders, had his horse killed under him. General Lee and Major Pace, who acted as additional aids, rendered me essential services, with honor to themselves and usefulness to the cause in which they have embarked. Four wagon and several other horses were killed, and two of the artillery horses wounded. While I deplore the losses sustained on this occasion, I have the consolation to know that the men whom I have the honor to command have done their duty."

Floyd retreated after this engagement, in which his losses had been considerable, under the impression that his force was not sufficient; and Red Eagle, or Weathersford, who commanded the Indians in person, claimed the Callibee as another score for them over the pale-faces.

CHAPTER XI.

END OF THE CREEK WAR-BATTLE OF TOHOPEKA-JOHN WOODS-RED EAGLE-THE CONQUEROR BECOMES

A

A MAJOR-GENERAL-TREATY OF

FORT JACKSON.

LTHOUGH General Jackson had been left at Fort Strother with a handful of men, his prospects were brightening, and the Creek War was rapidly approaching an end.

Governor Blount had been supported in his course by the Administration at Washington, and had used every means to raise an army of sufficient strength to bring the campaign to a speedy close. General Cocke had succeeded in raising two thousand men in East Tennessee, and more than that number were collected at Fayetteville under General Johnston. But better than all this, Judge Hugh L. White had succeeded in securing the services of the 39th Regiment of United States regulars, consisting of six hundred men under Colonel John Williams. On the 6th of February, this regiment reached Fort Strother, and by the close of the month General Jackson had an army of over four thousand men. The Choctaw Indians had also offered their services to him.

The great desire to bring a speedy end to the war had brought about this wonderful result. There were yet difficulties in supplying the army, but this was

mainly overcome in Jackson ordering the quartermasters to secure provisions where they could, and leave the contractors to settle the bills. In assembling this force the final difficulty occurred with General Cocke with the result as shown in a previous chapter. Two things were especially prominent in this case, the misrepresentations of persons in and out of Cocke's command, and the outrageous fury and haste with which Jackson acted. As to any lack of patriotism, or any misconduct on the part of General Cocke more than would arise from such irritating circumstances, the evidence is not so clear. The Courtmartial in acquitting him, did him only simple justice, no doubt. In subsequent discussions of this affair, the advantage was given to General Jackson. Nor was he much to be blamed, as his actions were the result of many very doubtful representations. The whole contemptible difficulty with Cocke should be put down as a Jackson "faux pas." But one of Jackson's difficulties was hardly settled until another was founded, and it would be useless for the reader to look forward to a period in the General's career when he could hope for a departure from this rule.

Before starting with this respectable army on his last Creek expedition, an occurrence of some importance greatly disturbed General Jackson's camp at Fort Strother. This was the execution of John Woods, a private in the 28th regiment of West Tennessee infantry. The company to which Woods belonged had formally enlisted under Colonel Roberts and rejecting what they believed to be General Jackson's determination to hold them for six months, when, under a written agreement, they were to be discharged

in three, they accordingly without leave or ceremony had gone home. The biographers have erred in palliating the case for Jackson, by saying that Woods was a deserter. Woods did not belong to the company during its first organization under Colonel Roberts, and only appeared in it at this time as a substitute for his brother, who had been in the first organization.

On arriving at Fort Strother, Woods being on guard duty one cold rainy day, was given a few minutes to return to the quarters of his mess to eat the meal left for him. While thus engaged an officer came along and ordered him to clean up the untidy quarters. Woods said he was a guard, and refused to do the work. He was then ordered to return to his station, and this he also declined to do. Words followed, and Woods was ordered under arrest. But he resisted this order too, and the cry of mutiny rang over the camp. It is said that on hearing this cry Jackson ran out of his tent hollooing: "Which is the rascal! Shoot him! Shoot him! Blow ten balls through the villain's body!"

Characteristic conduct, indeed, whether the General performed the undignified feat or not.

But poor Woods was tried by a court-martial and sentenced to die; and although nobody believed it would come to that, he was actually shot dead by General Jackson's order. Woods was only eighteen years old. Jackson said that the army needed an example of the kind to disprove the common impression that a militia officer could not or would not dare to do such an act, and because the discipline of his army would be improved by this systematic killing.

No man could ever have committed a greater mistake than to suppose that General Jackson would not dare, as a militia officer, to do such a thing. What would he not dare in any capacity? In 1828, this matter became a theme of bitter partisan discussion, the friends of General Jackson using every possible, reasonable, and unreasonable ground of apology and justification. It was much easier at that day, perhaps, to induce the people of this country to believe that the nature of the offense and the discipline of the army demanded the execution of the boy, than it would be at this day. From one end of Jackson's life to the other there were salient points which his friends were often at their wits' end to defend or justify. It was easy for him to do what became more than a Herculean task for his defenders to undo. Both friends and enemies were ever on the alert for some Jackson "faux pas," which they might at any time expect.

After the army had the pleasure (!) of seeing the execution of young Woods on the 14th of March, orders were given to break camp. The General had been for some time apprised that the Red Sticks were gathering and fortifying at a great bend in the Tallapoosa River, in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. At that point the river makes a bend, shaped like a horseshoe, and for that reason was called Tohopeka. A small body of a hundred acres of land with rocky and woody heights, well suited to the Indian's idea of a battle-field, was embraced in this bend, the neck leading into it not being over three hundred and fifty yards long. Here the Indians had determined to fortify themselves, a strange step to be taken by them,