On Friday, I trod where Andrew Jackson once did.
I saw from his vantage point where the Red Stick Creek Indians – armed only with war clubs, bows and arrows, knives, spears and tomahawks – constructed an earthen barricade to protect themselves from Jackson’s encroaching Tennessee Militia.
kAmx DE@@5 :? 2=>@DE 2 5:C64E 62DE\H6DE =:?6 H:E9 H96C6 E96 #65 $E:4< 32CC:4256 925 DE@@5 2?5 :>28:?65 H92E y24<D@? 925 56D4C:365 E96 rC66<D 925 :>AC6DD:G6=J 3F:=E :? H92E H6C6 E96? H@@5D E9:4< H:E9 A:?6[ @2< 2?5 9:4<@CJ]k^Am
kAm“xE :D :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 4@?46:G6 2 D:EF2E:@? >@C6 6=:8:3=6 7@C 5676?D6 E92? E96 @?6 E96J 925 49@D6? 2?5 E96 D<:== H9:49 E96J >2?:76DE65 :? E96:C 3C62DEH@C< H2D C62==J 2DE@?:D9:?8[” y24<D@? HC@E6 =2E6C] “xE 6IE6?565 24C@DD E96 A@:?E :? DF49 2 5:C64E:@? 2D E92E 2 7@C46 2AAC@249:?8 H@F=5 36 6IA@D65 E@ 2 5@F3=6 7:C6[ H9:=6 E96J =2J 6?E:C6=J D276 369:?5 :E] xE H@F=5 92G6 366? :>A@DD:3=6 E@ 92G6 C2<65 :E H:E9 42??@? E@ 2?J 25G2?E286 …”k^Am
kAm{2E6C[ x DE@@5 :?D:56 E96 9@CD6D9@6 @7 9@CD6D9@6 36?5[ ;FDE ?@CE9 @7 E96 %2==2A@@D2 #:G6C H96C6 E96 E:?J #65 $E:4< G:==286 @7 %@9@A6<2 @?46 DE@@5] rC66< H@>6? 2?5 49:=5C6? H6C6 6?42>A65 E96C6 2E E96 E:>6 @7 E96 32EE=6 – 2 32EE=6 E92E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ @?6 @7 E96 >:=:E:2>6? H9@ H2D E96C6[ EFC?65 D@ D2G286=J G:4:@FD E92E E96 H2E6C @7 E96 %2==2A@@D2 #:G6C EFC?65 C65 H:E9 E96 3=@@5 @7 E96 5625 2?5 :?;FC65 7@C D6G6C2= 9@FCD]k^Am
kAmx D2H 2== @7 E9:D H:E9:? 2 4@>7@CE23=6 b_ >:?FE6 C:56 7C@> p=6I r:EJ] w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 }2E:@?2= |:=:E2CJ !2C< :D 3F:=E @? =2?5 4@==64E65 7C@> p=232>2 !@H6C r@] 2?5 E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2 E92E H2D @?46 D=2E65 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 {2<6 |2CE:?] p?5 2D x C@56 E9C@F89 E96 A2C<[ :E H2D :>A@DD:3=6 ?@E E@ E9:?< 23@FE E96 9F>2? =:G6D E92E 4@?G6C865 E96C6[ 7:89E:?8 7@C C62D@?D E92E AC@323=J @?=J E96:C =6256CD ECF=J F?56CDE@@5[ 3FE H:==:?8 E@ A2J E96 F=E:>2E6 AC:46 7@C E96:C C6DA64E:G6 H2JD @7 =:76]k^Am
kAm%96 p>6C:42?D H6C6 2E H2C H:E9 E96 qC:E:D9 282:? WE96 (2C @7 `g`aX 2?5 E96 rC66<D 925 DA=:E :?E@ 724E:@?D] ~?6 @7 E9@D6 724E:@?D H2D E96 #65 $E:4<D[ H9@ H6C6 C6D:DE2?E E@ tFC@A62?\p>6C:42? 6?4C@249>6?E 2?5 H6C6 E2<:?8 25G2?E286 @7 E96 &]$] 7656C2= EC@@AD 6?8286>6?E 6=D6H96C6] %96 #65 $E:4<D H6C6 7C6D9 @77 H:?D 2E qFC?E r@C? :? AC6D6?E\52J tD42>3:2 r@F?EJ 2?5 u@CE |:>D – 23@FE bd >:=6D ?@CE9 @7 AC6D6?E\52J |@3:=6 @? E96 62DE6C? 32?< @7 E96 p=232>2 #:G6C – H96C6 E96 #65 $E:4<D <:==65 >@C6 E92? d__ >:=:E:2[ D6EE=6CD[ D=2G6D 2?5 rC66<D =@J2= E@ E96 p>6C:42?D[ E2<:?8 ad_ D42=AD :? E96 AC@46DD] x’> DFC6 E96 %6??6DD66 >:=:E:2>6? @7 y24<D@? 2?5 9:D 3C@E96C\:?\=2H y@9? r@7766 H6C6 2H2C6 @7 E9:D[ H9:49 H@F=5 92G6 DFC6=J 366? 6?@F89 E@ C2:D6 E96:C 52?56C]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] 7@C46D[ :? E96 7@C> @7 y24<D@?’D %6??6DD66 >:=:E:2[ 8@E E96:C C6G6?86 2E w@CD6D9@6 q6?5[ H:E9 y24<D@?’D b[b__ >:=:E:2>6? 2EE24<:?8 r9:67 |6?2H2’D `[___ #65 $E:4< H2CC:@CD] (:E9 E96 rC66<D 56A6?5:?8 @? E96:C 7@CE:7:65 32CC:4256[ E96 >:=:E:2>6? DFCC@F?565 E96>[ y24<D@?’D 7@C46D E@ E96 ?@CE9 2?5 r@7766’D E@ E96 D@FE9[ ;FDE @? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 C:G6C] %96 2EE24< 3682? :? E96 >@C?:?8 2E 23@FE `_ib_ 2]>] 2?5 H2D =2E6C 56D4C:365 7@C A@DE6C:EJ]k^Am
kAm“yFDE 27E6C `_ib_ 2]>][ y24<D@? =2F?4965 9:D 2EE24< 2D #65 $E:4< AC@A96ED – C6A@CE65=J 5C6DD65 :? 2 ‘72?E2DE:4 >2??6C’ – 52?465 2?5 AC2J65] qJ 5FD<[ >@DE #65 $E:4<D =2J 5625]”k^Am
kAm%96 5625 :?4=F565 E96 #65 $E:4< 7@C46D 2?5 E96 :??@46?E H@>6? 2?5 49:=5C6? @7 %@9@A6<2]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ >@C6 E92? a__ J62CD =2E6C[ E96 H2E6C E92E H6?E C65 H:E9 3=@@5 E92E 52J DE:== C@2CD 2C@F?5 E96 @I3@H E92E :D 7@C6G6C <?@H? 2D w@CD6D9@6 q6?5] %96 H@@5D E92E CF? 2=@?8D:56 E96 C:G6C 2?5 3@C56C E96 @A6? 7:6=5 H9:49 E96 #65 $E:4<D’ 32CC:4256 @?46 DAC625 24C@DD 649@ H:E9 E96 DA:C:E65 $@FE96C? 2446?ED @7 E96 %6??6DD66 >:=:E:2 2?5 E96 H2C 9@@AD @7 E96 #65 $E:4< rC66<D]k^Am
kAmxE :D 66C:6 E@ DE2?5 @? E96 32?<D @7 E96 C:G6C[ :>28:?:?8 E96 7:6C46 962E @7 E96 32EE=6 E92E H2D H2865 E96C6] xE’D 66C:6C DE:== E@ C62=:K6 E92E 7:?2= 3C62E9D H6C6 =:<6=J 5C2H? 766E 7C@> H96C6 x DE@@5]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8[ :E :D 2H6\:?DA:C:?8 E@ DE2?5 @? 2 32EE=67:6=5 H96C6 3=@@5 H2D D965 E@ >2<6 E9:D 4@F?ECJ H92E :E :D E@52J[ E@ 3C:?8 23@FE E96 :?56A6?56?46[ =:36CEJ 2?5 7C665@> E92E H6 46=63C2E6 @? E9:D yF=J c H66<6?5]k^Am
kAm%96 96C@ @7 w@CD6D9@6 q6?5[ p?5C6H y24<D@? @?46 D2:5[ “}@ @?6 ?665 E9:?< E96 H@C=5 42? 36 CF=65 H:E9@FE 3=@@5] %96 4:G:= DH@C5 D92== 2?5 >FDE 36 C65 2?5 3=@@5J]”k^Am
kAm%9:D H66<6?5 >@C6 E92? >@DE[ x 2> E92?<7F= 7@C E96 >6? 2?5 H@>6? H9@ 92G6 D965 E92E 3=@@5]k^Am
