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having sustained the heat of the action, and being somewhat weakened, was reinforced by captain Ferrill's company of infantry, and was ordered and led on to the charge by general Coffee, who was well supported by colonel Higgins and the inspector general, and by all the officers and privates who composed that line. The enemy was completely routed at every point, and the friendly Indians joining in the pursuit, they were chased about two miles with considerable slaughter.

The chase being over, I immediately detached general Coffee with 400 men and all the Indian force to burn their encampment; but it was said by some to be fortified. I ordered him in that event not to attack it, until the artillery could be sent forward to reduce it. On viewing the encampment and its strength, the general thought it most prudent to return to my encampment and guard the artillery thither. The wisdom of this step was soon discovered; in half an hour after his return to camp, a considerable portion of the enemy made its appearance on my right flank, and commenced a brisk fire on a party of men who had been on picket guard the night before, and were then in search of the Indians they had fired upon, some of whom they believe have been killed. General Coffee immediately requested me to let him take 200 men and turn their left flank, which I accordingly ordered; but through some mistake, which I did not then observe, not more than 54 followed him, among whom were the old volunteer officers. With these, however, he immediately commenced an attack on the left flank of the enemy; at which time I ordered 200 of the friendly Indians to fall in upon the right flank of the enemy and co-operate with the general. This order was promptly obeyed, and in the moment of its execution, what I expected was realized. The enemy had intended the attack on the right as a feint, and, expecting to divert all my attention thither, meant to attack me again with their main force on the left flank, which they had hoped to find weakened and in disorder.-They were disappointed. I had ordered the left flank to remain firm to its place, and the moment the alarm gun was heard in that quarter, I repaired thither, and ordered captain Ferrill, part of my reserve, to support it. The whole line met the approach of the enemy with astonishing intrepidity, and having given a few fires, they forthwith charged with great vigor. The effect was immediate and inevitable. The enemy fied with precipitation, and were pursued to a considerable distance by the left flank and the friendly Indians, with a galling and destructive fire. Colonel Carroll, who order ed the charge, led on the pursuit, and colonel Higgins and his regiment again distinguished themselves.

In the mean time general Coffee was contending with a superior force of the enemy. The Indians, who I had ordered to his support, and who had set out for this purpose, hearing the fire on the left, had returned to that quarter, and when the enemy were routed there, entered into the chase. That being now over, I

forthwith ordered Jim Fife, who was one of the principal commanders of the friendly Creeks, with 100 of his warriors, to execute my first order. As soon as he reached general Coffee, the charge was made and the enemy routed: they were pursued about three miles, and 45 of them slain, who were found. General Coffee was wounded in the body, and his aid-de-camp, A. Donaldson, killed, together with three others. Having brought in and buried the dead, and dressed the wounded, I ordered my camp to be fortified, to be the better prepared to repel any attack which might be made in the night; determined to commence a return march to Fort Strother the following day.

Many causes concurred to make such a measure necessary, as I had not set out prepared, or with a view to make a permanent establishment. I considered it worse than useless to advance and destroy an empty encampment. I had, indeed, hoped to have met the enemy there, but having met and beaten them a little sooner, I did not think it necessary or prudent to proceed any further: not necessary, because I had accomplished all I could expect to effect by marching to their encampment; and because, if it was proper to contend with and weaken their forces still further, this object would be more certainly attained by commencing a return, which, having to them the appearance of a retreat, would inspirit them to pursue me. Not prudent, because of the number of my wounded, of the reinforcements from below which the enemy might be expected to receive; of the starving condition of my horses, they having had neither corn nor cane for two days and nights; of the scarcity of supplies for my men, the Indians who met me at Talladega, having drawn none, and being wholly destitute; and because, if the enemy pursued me, as it was likely they would, the diversion in favour of general Floyd would be the more complete and effectual. Influenced by these considerations I commenced my return march at half past ten, on the 23d, and was fortunate enough to reach Enotochopco before night, having passed without interruption a dangerous defile, occasioned by a hurricane. I again fortified my camp, and having another defile to pass in the morning, across a deep creek, and between two hills, which I had viewed with attention as I passed on, and where I expected I might be attacked, I determined to pass it at another point, and gave directions to my guide and fatigue men accordingly. My expectation of an attack in the morning was increased by the signs of the night, and with it my caution. Before I moved the wounded from the interior of my camp, I had my front and rear guards formed, as well as my right and left columns, and moved off my centre in regular order, leading down a handsome ridge to Enotochopco creek, at a point where it was clear of reed, except immediately on its margin. I had previously issued a general order, pointing out the manner in which the men should be formed in the event of an attack on the front or rear,

or on the flanks, and had particularly cautioned the officers to halt and form accordingly, the instant the word should be given. The front guard had crossed with part of the flank columns, the wounded were over, and the artillery in the act of entering the creek, when an alarm gun was heard in the rear. I heard it without surprise, and even with pleasure; calculating with the utmost confidence on the firmness of my troops, from the manner in which I had seen them act on the 22d. I had placed colonel Carroll at the head of the centre column of the rear guard; its right column was commanded by colonel Perkins, and its left by colonel Stump. Having chosen the ground, I expected there to have entirely cut off the enemy by wheeling the right and left columns on their pivot, re-crossing the creek above and below, and falling in upon their flanks and rear. But to my astonishment and mortification, when the word was given by colonel Carroll to halt and form, and a few guns had been fired, I beheld the right and left columns of the rear guard precipitately give way. This shameful retreat was disastrous in the extreme; it drew along with it the greatest part of the centre column, leaving not more than 25 men, who being formed by colonel Carroll, maintained their ground as long as it was possible to maintain it, and it brought consternation and confusion into the centre of the army, a consternation which was not easily removed, and a confusion which could not soon be restored to order. There was then left to repulse the enemy, the few who remained of the rear guard, the artillery company and captain Russell's company of spies. They, however, realized and exceeded my highest expectations. Lieutenant Armstrong, who commanded the artillery company in the absence of captain Deadrick (confined by sickness), ordered them to form and advanced to the top of the hill, whilst he and a few others dragged up the six pounder. Never was more bravery displayed than on this occasion. Amidst the most galling fire from the enemy, more than ten times their number, they ascended the hill and maintained their position, until their piece was hauled up, when, having levelled it, they poured upon the enemy a fire of grape, re-loaded and fired again, charged and repulsed them.

The most deliberate bravery was displayed by Constantine Perkins and Craven Jackson of the artillery, acting as gunners. In the hurry of the moment in separating the gun from the limbers, the rammer and picker of the cannon were left tied to the limber: no sooner was this discovered, than Jackson, amidst the galling fire of the enemy, pulled out the ramrod of his musket, and used it as a picker; primed with a cartridge and fired the cannon. Perkins having pulled off his bayonet, used his musket as a rammer, drove down the cartridge; and Jackson, using his former plan, again discharged her. The brave lieutenant Armstrong, just after the first fire of the cannon, with captain Hamilton, of East Tennessee, Bradford and McGavock, all fell, the lieutenant exclaiming as he lay," my brave fellows, some of you

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may full, but you must save the cannon." About this time, a number crossed the creek and entered into the chase. The brave captain Gordon of the spies, who rushed from the front, endeavored to turn the left flank of the enemy, in which he partially succeeded, and colonel Carroll, colonel Higgins and captains Elliot and Pipkins pursued the enemy for more than two miles, who fled in consternation, throwing away their packs, and leaving twenty-six of their warriors dead on the field. This last defeat was decisive, and we were no more disturbed by their yells. I should do injustice to my feelings if I omitted to mention that the venerable judge Cocke, at the age of sixty-five, entered into the engagement, continued the pursuit of the enemy with youthful ardor, and saved the life of a fellow soldier by killing his savage antagonist.

Our loss in this affair was killed and wounded; among the former was the brave captain Hamilton, of East Tennessee, who had, with his aged father and two others of his company, after the period of his engagement had expired, volunteered his services for this excursion, and attached himself to the artillery company. No man ever fought more bravely or fell more gloriously; and by his side fell with equal bravery and glory, Bird Evans of the same company. Captain Quarles, who commanded the centre column of the rear guard, preferring death to abandoning his post, having taken a firm stand in which he was followed by twenty-five of his men, received a wound in his head of which he has since died.

In these several engagements our loss was twenty killed and seventy-five wounded, four of whom have since died. The loss of the enemy cannot be accurately ascertained; one hundred and eighty-nine of their warriors were found dead; but this must fall considerably short of the number really killed. Their wounded can only be guessed at.

Had it not been for the unfortunate retreat of the rear guard in the affair of the 24th instant, I think I could safely have said that no army of militia ever acted with more cool and deliberate bravery. Undisciplined and inexperienced as they were, their conduct in the several engagements of the 22d could not have been surpassed by regulars. No men ever met the approach of an enemy with more intrepidity, or repulsed them with more energy. On the 24th, after the retreat of the rear guard, they seemed to have lost all collectedness, and were more difficult to be restored to order than any troops I had ever seen. But this was no doubt owing in a great measure, or altogether, to that very retreat, and ought rather to be ascribed to the want of conduct in many of their officers than to any cowardice in the men, who on every occasion have manifested a willingness to perform their duty so far as they knew it.

All the effects which were designed to be produced by this excursion, it is believed have been produced. If an attack was

meditated against fort Armstrong, that has been prevented. If general Floyd is operating on the east side of the Talapoosie, as suppose him to be, a most fortunate diversion has been made in his favour. The number of the enemy has been diminished, and the confidence they may have derived from the delays I have been made to experience, has been destroyed. Discontent has been kept out of my army, while the troops who have been exposed to it, have been beneficially employed. The enemy's country has been explored, and a road cut to the point where they will be concentrated when they shall be driven from the country below. But, in a report of this kind, and to you who will immediately perceive them, it is not necessary to state the happy consequences which may be expected to result from this excursion. Unless I am greatly mistaken, it will be found to have hastened the termination of the Creek war, more effectually than any measure I could have taken with the troops under my command.

I am, &c.

Major general Thomas Pinckney.

ANDREW JACKSON,

Maj. Gen. Tennessee Volunteers.

SIR,

CHARLESTON, January 31st, 1814.

I have the honour to inform you that yesterday morning about 4 o'clock, I received information express from Stono, that the United States' schooner Alligator had been the evening before chased in by an enemy's squadron, and attacked in the night by a detachment of boats. I immediately repaired to the place, and ordered two barges round, and a detachment of seamen overland, from the Nonsuch, to her assistance. About 8 A. M. I got on board the Alligator, then some distance up the river. I received the following information from sailing master Bassett, her commander; that he sailed on Saturday morning from the river of North Edisto, for Charleston. Soon after leaving the bar, discovered an enemy's squadron, consisting of a frigate, a heavy brig, and a hermaphrodite, which gave chace to him-wind light from the south-west; he found that the frigate would cut him off from Charleston, and in the evening run into the river and hove to; the enemy then close off the bar; and from their manouvres was of opinion they intended to send in their boats. He stood up the river about two miles, and anchored, prepared for action. About a quarter before 8 P. M. the moon very bright, discovered six of the enemy's boats shove off from under the marsh abreast him, and within pistol shot (having under cover of the marsh, with muffled oars, approached this near without discovery), he immediately gave them a broadside, which was returned;

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