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Show - ' .See See . at Fort Mims Mimsa sJ J ' , a j . . s s ( .f f 4 4Jiit Jiit Jiittr tr . ; : k - * t tr r r u \ $ _ 13 13ys ys , f 1 , I 2 2I * I ir $ - ' a o oi otY i tY mn > < g : ' \ t2C t2Ct t f\ f t2Cf fI , I N - ' Mims GeneralJacksonMims Weatherford and GeneralJackson . " . . ' " .v.Jvi v.Jvi vJvi . ' . , < t . ' i- i iif - if : l b lY1a ax.k'tw ax.ktw axktw . . " ' r c Y 5.Q40 5Q40 > . . t < " . , .l'J.hlJ lJ.hlJ lJhlJ . ' r + dsi . .tXol tXol . > . f"N'E1 fNE1 " ; ' . ' TCieAttacK TheAttack The Att.ac.J Attac.J AttacJ . . < . at atth.e atthe the . Gate GateBy 4 , 4By By ELMO SCOTT WATSONZvE WATSON . TWENTY'a TWENTYa NE ZvE E HUNDflrD1D HUNDRED HUNDflrD ; - \ & A.ND AND -\1\D 1 D &ND ND . ' \ TWDNTY TWENTY TWDNTYyears TWENTYyears ? ' : . years ago 1go ' this month there occurred occurredone occurredone occurredvsx one of the worst , perhaps theworst the tlieKH O TWDNTYO TWENTYO \ worst orst . . . in 1n point pomt of or numDers numbers numDersio numocrsSy io ! ios1'1ln xslain x slain s1'1ln s11ln ' . . . Indian massacres m'lcsacres mlcsacres ' : InAmerican InAmerIcan In American history That 1h'1.t 1h1.t 1h1t .hat hat ' ' . ' . was theclaughter theslaughter the ' : daughter claughter slaughter at Fort lIlmqpAh MlmsrAla l\Ilmqp l Ilmqp Mlmsr \ Mim Ala Ah , onAugust onAugust on onT T August SO 30 , 1813 , " wlicn "hen hen when a thousandCreek thousand thous'lnd thouslnd thousandW ' : W CreekarrIors Creek \ warriors \\arrIors arrIors under the le'lder- le'lder lelder leader- leader leadership le'lderchlp leadcr-y leadcr y ' - rrQtl thous'lndrrQtl rrQtlCreek ' < P ship chlp ; of ot Chief Red fled ; Eagle I1gle ' , orViI orVhl or Wil- Wil \ViI- ViI \Vhl- Vhl \ ViIll \ Wil3J Vhlham - 3J ll ham m We Weithcrford Weatherford 1therford , overwhelmed 0erVhelm overwtmelmeu 0\ 0 \ er\Vhelm er Vhelm \ u tho the thog'1rrlson thegarrlson thegarrison g'1rrlson g1rrlson garrlson ' of more than th'1n th1n ' 500 n \ whites hltc hues < : ; , , half breeds breedsnnd breedsand breedsand nnd and negroes nCgTOCS and nnd left more than th'ln thln ' half h'llf hllf ' of or them themde'1r1 themdead themdead themdeadThe de'1r1 de1r1 dead ' de'1r1The deadTime The Time number of . killed I.J1led IJ1led . ' at 'It It Fort rort tort Slims nm'3 nm3 MIms ' has never neverbeen neverbeen neverbeen been accurately accur'lrey accurlrey accurarely ' ] determined Different authorities authoritiesgive authoritiesgive give h e , " varvjng varying 'lr lr ' , mg figures , . ' \ ranging r\nglng r nglng from 250 to 450 450with 450with with \ \ Ith the preponderance preponder'1nce preponder1nce ' of reliable reII'lble reIIlble ' c\ c evidence cidence \ idence plac plae-- plae plac- - plaeIng placing placing - ing the number Dumber ' at 1t 250 But e\ e even een \ en taking takmg . , . thIs thislowest thislowest 10est lowest 10\\ 10 \ est figure , it gives rres thp the tr tngedv tragedy IgedV ' at Fort rort Mlms Mims Mlmstbe Mimsthe Mimathe tbe the doubtful distinction dlstmctlOn of being bemg much worse worsethan \ worsethan orse orsethan than any nny of tlie the other Indian Jndl'1n Jndl1n ' massacres maSS'1cres maSS1cres ' wliose wliosestories \ whosestones hoso hosostorrcs storrcs stories are tire ' familiar f'1mlllar f1mlllar to most Amer1c Americans J.ns Jns < . . . . Before Defore discussing the tllC affair aff'1lr aff1lr ' ' at 1t Fort Minis Mims hms and andsome andsome andsome some of the factors f'1ctors f1ctors ' which vshtch \ \ hleh make it unique in our ourbistory ourhistory ourhistory bistory history , It might be \ well en to consider first the theword theword word \ ord ordumas5.Icre ' "massjcre massjcre umas5.Icre umas5Icre 'massacre massacre " . * ' and hoIn'1ccur1tely how ho\\ ho \ Inaccurately In'1ccur1tely In1ccur1tely ' that thatword thatword word \ ord Is used by most Americans Arneric'lns Arnericlns ' For ror instance instancethe instancethey instancethe the they ) refer to the annihilation of Capt W IV J Fet Fetterm Fetterman Fctterman term terman an and his Ills command on December 21 , lSG6 1SGG 1SGOas , as the 'Fetterman Fetterman rettermnn Vetternman ' Massacre Mass'lcre Masslcre ' " or the "Fort Fort " PhilICearne3 Phil PhilKe'lrne PhilKearnci ICearne3 Ke'lrne Kelrne ' ) Massacre ' and to the Battle of the Little Lit Lit- Little Little - - tle Big Horn , fought June 25 .3 3 . , 1876 , as the ' Cus Custer Custer Custer ter Massacre MasC'lcre MasClcre : . ' " Tl6.e Tl6e Thee The . late hte Cyrus To\\ To Ton Townsend Tonsend \ nsend Brady Br'ldy Brldy ' In his "In In "Indian "Indian Indian " 11'1n 111n dian < ' Fights rights and Fighters rIghters ' In commenting on this thissays thissays thissays says ' "Fetterman Fetterman "retterm'ln rettermln " ' ' and 'lnd lnd Custer attacked att'1c1ced att1c1ced ' the Indl Indlnns Ind Indlans ] nns ans and fought de desperately perateIy until untlI they and nnd tneir tnelr tneirmen tnelrmen uieirmen men were all n11 killed I call caB that th'lt thlt tint ' a R 'battle battle ' , ' , ' not a a'm'1SS'lCle a'massacre a'massacie amassacie ' 'm'1SS'lCle m1SSlCle 'massacre massacre ' ' ' . . . ' When an Indiantlr Indian \ war \\tlr tlr wnr party raided 3- 3 a - 3settlement asettlement asettlement settlement or overwhelmed a train tr'1ID tr1ID ' or murdered murderedchil murderedchildren murderedchildren chil children ren and women , that , I think thlnl , " was 'IS IS ' a 'mas mas 'massacre 'massaare 'maseacre maseacre ' sacre saare ' ' , , but these t\\ t two t0 \ 0 Instances \ were ere not " ' Much 'Juch Juch the same reasoning applies appl1es to the so- so socalled socalled so-called so called - - called ' Dade D'1de D1de Dide ' 'I'1 I1 ' "Massacre Massacre " ' < : s'1cre s1cre ' " during durmg the Semlnole Seminole war warOn warOn warOn On December 28 , 1836 1856 Maj Francis rrnnc1s I L , Dade D\de D de ' \ of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Fourth Infantry , \ who wimo \ ho had set out from rort Fort rortBrook FortBrook FortBrook Brook In Florida I1ond'1 I1ond1 floridi ' \ with \ 1th a force of 110 officers and andmen andmen andmen men to co operate oper'1te oper1te ' \ with Ith another detachment det\chment det chment ' \ from fromrort fromFort fromFort rort Fort King ring in a punitive punlth e e expedition " < pedltlon 'l l ' against 1lnst ' Osce Osceoa's Osceola's Osceola's Osceolas oa's oas ola's olas ] ' Seminolcs SemInoles was ambushed near theVithla the Within \Vithla Vithla Withincoochee \ Withiacoochee Vithlacoochee coochee river rJer " , and fought bravelv bravely until all 111 ' but butfour butfour butfour four were killed In this case all an of the slain slainvere slainrere slainv-ere slainv ere v-ere v ere rere - - soldiers bearing be'1rlng be1rlng ' arms so It seems h'lrdly hlrdly hardly h'lrdlyf'lrr hardlyfair hardlyfair ' f'lrr flrr fair ' to call It a "massacie massacie "maSS'lCl maSSlCl "massacre massacre " ' e " Some\\ Some Somew Somewhat Someh'1t \ h'1t h1t hat ' different are fire the cases of the 'Chcrr Chcrr ' Cher Cherr Cherr3 r r3 ; ) Valley Massacre ra e1cre ; " and the Wyoming 'Wvomlng Wvomlng ' Valley ValleyMacs1cre ValleyMassacre ValleyMassacre Macs1cre Massacre : ' during the Revolution neroJution At Chprrv Cherry Val V'11 V11 Val- Valley Valley ' . - ley Iey 32 non combatants combat'lnts combatlnts ' , , men women and nnd cllli chit clllidren chitdren children dren , \ were ere slain shin bv In by the Indians Indl'lns Indllns ' and Tories Tortes whoalso who whonlso whoalso nlso also killed J.l1Ied Jl1Ied . 1G IG Id Continental : soldiers coldlers of the gar garrison garrison 'lr lr 'lrrlson ' rlson rison risonit at 1t -it it ' - Fort rort AIden Alden ' and 'lnd lnd ttieir theIr commander comrn'lnder comrnlnder ' . , Col ColIchabod Co ColIchabod } Iclmbod Ichabod Aiden Alden , whose negligence negllg-ence negllg ence - and Incompe Incompe- Incompetence incompetence Incompetence - - tence \ was as tn1Inl mainly ) repon rc&ponsiblc rcponsiblc reaponslble & : ) lble for the trn tragedy tragedythere tragedythere e y ythere there At Wyoming liyoming , , yomm Valley Valhe3 " 'llle llle ' it \ was \ 'IS IS ' a 1 ' case C'lse Clse ' of 'tn tn an anarmed 'tnarmed ' anarmed armed force , about 'lhout lhout ' 50 GO Continentals Contlllent'll"l Contlllentlll Contrnentais ' " ' and 'lnd lnd : some corne carne 2GO 250 2GOsollIer 250soldiers 250soldiers sollIer soldiers ( emol1ed entailed cm oiled as militia mlhh'l mlhhl ' , , t'1lrn t1lrn taking ' , the ficid field ficidagaInst fieldagainst fieldagainst agaInst the cnemv enemy , Tone Torle Tories & : . and Indians rndl'1ns rndl1ns ' bem being beingdefeated beingdefeated defeated and suffering suffermg a loss of 'l1)prO'nmatelv l1prOnmatelv approcimately ' approximately1GO 'l1)prO'nmatelvIGO ) ' IGO 1130 I killed llIed in action or slaughtered hv by the Tn In TndIans Inflans Indians dIans flans ' after 'lfter lfter bein being taken t'lIen tlIen ' , pi pilsoners prisoners Iconers : and disarmed disarmedIn In that respect rpspect ( the klllln killing of prisoners llrlsoners lmrisnners ) it w ' \ IS ISa isa isa a "massacre massacre "ma'S'lcre maSlcre " ' ' " " But dp de&pite depite despite & p1te the e exaggerations exaggerationsand , < a g'er'1t1ons ger1t1ons g'er'1t1onsand ' ' and myth m mi th maJ making lng of tlie tile the early historians hlstorulnS of the theWomlng theW3oming theWyoming Womlng W3oming ) Valley V.l11e.y Vl11e.y Vl11ey . . aff'lir'tho affair aff'lir afflir nffair ' who \'tho 'tho tho \ ' painted pmnted it as a "dl dl "dlabollc'll "dlabolic "dlabolical dlabolical " abollc'll abollcll abolic ' ih slaughter of both sc\cs sc cs se\es se es sexes \ ' ' and 1nd every ecry e\ e \ cry age age"modern agemodern , . " modern historical blstorlCfiI research h 11 ii is ms established estnhhcIlC'el estnhhcIlCel ; ' the thefa thefact thefact fa fact t that onlv onh only one man , a British de desr dcs01- dcs01 des- des dcs01wasput , : " " ' " - - ' 1 r " ' was wasput \ wasput ae ; put to death after the surrender of it I , i I [ ort art ortand artand ortand and that th'1t th1t ' there was wa9 no "massacre massacre "m'lss'lcre mlsslcre " ' ' " of 110 inn nua ' ) com corn combatantq cornbatanta cornbatant batantq batanta " batantqTo batantaTo To three other historic affairs , , the term "mR mR "mas mas "masnacre " "massacre massacre " ! ; sacre nacre ' ma may v be justly applied appHed One of them gas gasthe " wasthe 1S 1Sthe < the "Fort Fort "rort rort "tort tort " William Willl'1m Willl1m ' Henry Massacre ln < ; S cro " in 1757 1757v 1757alien 1757when v . alien hen some 'i0 i0 SO ' O soldiers , women and children of ofthe ofthe ofthe the : English Lng1ch ! ; garrison g'1rrlson g1rrlson garrlson ' were shu slaughtered htered by the theIncli'1n theIndians theIndians Incli'1n Incli1n Indians ' ' after 'tfter tfter the sUrr surrender n 1er < of the fort to the time theFrench timeFrench theFrench French before Montcalm , the French rrench commander commandercould , could restrain the ferocity of or the S'l\n S'l Sl n savages savnges ' \ es An Another Another Another other " was "as as the time "Fort Fort "rort rort "tort tort " Dearborn Massacre l\1'1cc1cre l 1'1cc1cre 11cc1cre \ ' : ; ; ' ' tn in in1812 1812 when the Pottavvatomles Pottnwntomles Pottawatomies ' after 'lfter lfter Capt bath bathan Kathan 'lth lth 'lthan ' an llC Upald lleald > 'lld lld ' had h'ld hld ' evacuated the fort , attacked nttacll.cd nttacllcd . the theretreatln theretreating theretreating retreatln retreating : Americans among the sand s'1nd s1nd ' hills hlJIs lulls of ofLaI ofLake ofLake LaI Lake e Michigan and killed 20 2G regular regu1'lr regu1lr ' soldiers soldiers,12 soldiers12 , , 12 militia , a frontiersman frontiersm\D frontiersm D frontlersman ' \ , t\\ t two t0 \ 0 women and 12 12c11l1dren 12children 12children c11l1dren children a total lotal o of ( 53 The third was the ' River RiverRaisIn RiverRaisin RiverRaisin RaisIn Massacre Massncre ' in 1812 when after the Bat BattIe Battie Battie tIe of Frenchtown Frenchto\\n Frenchto n \ the British commander , Proc Proctor Proctor Proctor tor protecilonfor protectionfor , by failing fai\lng fai lng \ to pro\ pro provide proIde \ Ide adequate adequ'1te adequ1te ' protection for ; some eome SO 30 wounded American merlc'ln merlcln ' prisoners al allowed lowed them to fall victims to the scalping sC'11prng sC11prng ' knivesof knives knivesof knivesof of his Indian Jndl'ln Jndlln ' amesBut alliesBut allies ames alliesBut But lest It be he thought that the sIn slaughter lighter of ofwhites ofwhites ofwhites whites by Indiana JDdln Indians . ! ! : > \ " ' were ere the only "Indian Indian 'Indian mas m'1S- m'1S m1S mas- - m'1Ssacres massacres ' - sacres , " massacres sacres atGnnddcnhutten atGnnddenhutten atGnaddenhutten , " let us remember remeinber what took plaL place at Gnnddenhutten Gnaddenhutten Creekin In Ohio in 1782 at Sand 'lnd lnd ' Cnel Creek , { In Colorado In 18G4 18Gt 1864 and at Wounded 1Vounled ( Knee creek creekIn In South Dakota D'1lcota D1lcota Dalcota ' In 1800 1890 Those ofan were ca cases < ; es of an "Indian Indian 'Indian " ' massacre mnscncre massncre ; " in \ which \ hlch the white men were menwere the murderers murdprers murcierers and Indian Indl'1n Indl1n ' men , welDen weinen womenand welDennnd weinenand nnd and children were the vIctimsTo victimsTo victims victimsTo To return now to the massacre m'lssacre mlssacre ' ul l1t at Fort li'orl liorl ' AIlm Siim nm nmIt SiimIt -It It - - It will WiIl be fccen seen c.en cen . from the foregoing that the thetoll thetrill t'U tU thet'U trill . ! ' of ot death df'nth dfnth ' there " was "as as greater than that at any f anyf anyther thcr ther 'nidssicre nidssicre ' . ffic.lSS fficlSS mass . ' lcre of whites by the Indians Indi'1.ns Indi1.ns Indi1ns ' . , espe espe'ally espeally espeltEy espeholly ltEy holly ' : It U 11 that term la Is limited to the killing of or I - . "a a " "aa a o F FM FZ FGeneral M Z General Andrew Jac JacKson c son on onThe . The plan pln : ! of Fort Mims Mlms , shown above , . W 1S was 1Sfound wasfound wasfound found among the manuscripts manusrlpts : of General Clal Clah Clahborne Clalborne Clalborne borne and first published by Pickett in hie his "Hls Hls "His His "Hlstory "History " "History History " tory of AI Alabama lbama < " The reference figures are as asfollows asfollows asfollows follows follows- follows1 ' . - 1 . Blockhouse Olockhouse ; 2 Pickets cut away by bythe bythe bythe the Indians , 3 Guards ' station ; 4 Guardhouse Guardhouse,5 Guardhouse5 , 5 Western gate , but not up ; : 6 Western gate gateshut , shut when attacked by tlie the Indians who cut a ahole ahole ahole hole through it to enter ; 7 . Captain Bailey's Baileys Bailey'shouse Bailey'shouse Bailey'shouse Baileyshouse ' house ; 8 a Steadham's Steadhams ' house ; 9 Mrs Dyer's Dyers Dyer'shouse Dyer'shouse Dyer'shouse Dyershouse ' ' ' house ; 10 Kitchen ; 11 . Captain Mims Mlms ' house ; 12 Randon's Randons ' house ; 13 Old gateway , open ; 14 14,15 1415 , 15 , 16 and 17 Officers ' tents ; 18 Captain Jack's Jacks Jack'shouse Jack'shouse Jack'shouse Jackshouse ' house ; 19 , 20 and 21 . Portholes Porth-oles Porth oles - taken by in- in indeans In Indians . - dians dlans deans , , 22 . Major Mayor Beasley's Beasleys ' cabin ; 23 Captain CaptainJnck's CaptainJack's CaptainJack's CaptainJacks Jnck's Jncks Jack's Jacks ' company ; 24 . Captain Middleton's Middletons Mrddleton's Mrddletons ' corn com com- company . - pany ; 25 Wnere Wl1ere Woere Beasley fell ; 26 Eastern gate gatewhere , where the Indians entered . e , non combatants combatant'3 combatant3 ' Another factor which makes makesthe makesthe makesthe the tra tragedy edy at [ ' Fort 'ort ort I'ort Iort ' ' Minis 111'115 111115 ' unique Is the fad fact fadthat factthat factthat that the Indian 'Indian ' leader lenc1er " In tins this massacre maSS'1cre maSS1cre ' had hadmore hadmore hadmore more " white "hlte hlte blood In his veins than did the two two"white |