Fort Madison (Alabama)

Last updated
Fort Madison
Suggsville, Alabama in United States
Fort Glass and Madison.jpg
Sketch of Fort Madison and Fort Glass
USA Alabama location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Madison
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Fort Madison
Coordinates 31°31′27″N87°43′14″W / 31.52417°N 87.72056°W / 31.52417; -87.72056 [1]
TypeStockade fort
Site information
OwnerPrivate
Controlled byPrivate
Open to
the public		No
Site history
BuiltJuly 1813
Built byMississippi Territory settlers
In use1813
Battles/warsCreek War

Fort Madison was a stockade fort built in August 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama (then Mississippi Territory), during the Creek War, which was part of the larger War of 1812. The fort was built by the United States military in response to attacks by Creek warriors on encroaching American settlers. The fort shared many similarities to surrounding stockade forts in its construction but possessed a number of differences in its defenses. The fort housed members of the United States Army and settlers from the surrounding area, and it was used as a staging area for raids on Creek forces and supply point on further military expeditions. Fort Madison was subsequently abandoned at the conclusion of the Creek War and only a historical marker exists at the site today. [2]

Contents

History

Background

The Creek War of 1813 was initially a civil war between two factions of the Creek nation, the Creek national government and the rebellious Red Sticks. The United States government was involved in the War of 1812 against Britain, but joined the Creek War in support of the government faction. The United States hoped to prevent the Red Sticks from becoming a British ally, to break the remaining Creek power in the southern United States, and to annex Creek territory. [3]

In retaliation, the Red Sticks began attacking American settlers and their homesteads. The settlers built protective stockades due to these attacks, since they were unsure if the United States military would offer them any assistance due to fact they were squatters on public lands. Many of these forts were named for the settlers who owned the land the stockade was built on. In addition to these protective stockades, the United States military constructed forts as staging areas for planned military action against the Creeks. [2]

Construction

In July 1813 Fort Glass was built as a protective stockade around the home of Zachariah Glass by local settlers in present-day Clarke County, Alabama. [4] After the Battle of Burnt Corn, General Ferdinand Claiborne feared retaliatory attacks by the Red Sticks against local settlers. Claiborne sent Colonel Joseph Carson with between 150-200 mounted soldiers from the Mount Vernon Cantonment to Fort Glass as reinforcements to protect the local settlers. [5] [6] [7] These soldiers arrived on August 10, 1813 and soon began constructing a new fort 225 yards northwest of Fort Glass to house themselves. [6] [8] [9] Some of these soldiers had joined soldiers from Fort Mims and participated in the Battle of Burnt Corn. [10] The fort differed from surrounding forts in that it was not named for a local landowner but was named after then-President James Madison. [11] Fort Madison was constructed on a dividing ridge between Alabama River and Tombigbee River. [12] The fort was located on a strategically important site as the first store in the area was located six miles due east, one of the first grist mills four miles north, and the first cotton gin was located two miles north. [13]

Fort Madison was made of 15-foot hewn pine logs that were sharpened at the top and buried three feet deep. The fort was square with each side being 60 yards in length. [2] Fort Madison additionally differed from surrounding forts in that it had blockhouses at each corner, providing additional protection from attackers. [14] Scattered throughout the walls were strategically placed gunholes to offer additional protection. [11] In addition, the blockhouses and roofs were covered with clay to hamper the wood from being caught on fire by attackers. [15]

Most forts and protective stockades at this time used fatwood placed on the top of the stockades to light the area surrounding the fort at night. [11] In addition to the traditional lighting method, Fort Madison employed a more-sophisticated lighting mechanism. Two differing descriptions exist of Fort Madison's lighting mechanism: Evan Austill's grandson (Austill reportedly helped design the lighting structure [16] ), described the mechanism as "...a tall pine pole erected in the middle of the fort, and built around it a scaffolding with a hole in the center so that it could be raised by pushing it up the pole. On this, earth was placed so that the burning pine would not ignite the boards. On this a light was kept burning at night...." [17] Samuel Dale, who himself was an occupant of Fort Madison, described it as "two poles, fifty feet long, were firmly planted on each side of the fort; a long lever, upon the plan of a well-sweep, worked upon each of these poles; to each lever was attached a bar of iron about ten feet long, and to these bars we fastened, with trace-chains, huge fagots of light-wood". [15]

After construction, the fort held somewhere between 30-40 families to 700 overall inhabitants. [18] [19]

Military use

Map of Alabama during the War of 1812 published by Benson John Lossing. Fort Madison is located in the upper center. Battle of Burnt Corn.jpg
Map of Alabama during the War of 1812 published by Benson John Lossing. Fort Madison is located in the upper center.

After completion of Fort Madison, Colonel Carson moved the headquarters of his military district (which included the area between the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers), from Fort Stoddert to Fort Madison. [21] Soldiers were moved between different forts in the area during this time—after the construction of Fort Mims, 40 soldiers under the command of a Lieutenant Bowen were sent by General Claiborne to garrison Fort Madison while 16 troops under the command of Lt. S. M. Osborne were transferred from Fort Madison to Fort Mims. [21] [22]

On August 21, a Choctaw warrior brought news to Fort Easley that warned of 400 Red Stick warriors and a number of Choctaw warriors from the village of Turkey Town were planning to attack Fort Easley and Fort Madison in the coming days. This news proved to be false, as the actual attack occurred at Fort Mims on August 30 in what became known as the Fort Mims massacre. [23] Two days later, Red Stick warriors under the command of Josiah Francis (Hillis Hadjo) attacked settlers who had left the protection of Fort Sinquefield. The warriors killed 11-12 women and children in what became known as the Kimbell-James massacre. [24] When news of this second massacre reached Fort Madison, Colonel Carson sent a detachment of 11 troops to assist in the burial of the victims. [25] That night Jeremiah Austill (son of Evan Austill), left Fort Madison on horseback to deliver news of the massacre to General Claiborne at Mount Vernon—only stopping for rest at Fort Carney. [26] The next day, Red Stick warriors attacked Fort Sinquefield itself but after killing two of the occupants were driven off by some of the soldiers from Fort Madison. [24] After this second attack all the remaining occupants of Fort Sinquefield fled to Fort Madison, along with many of the occupants of Fort Glass and nearby Fort Lavier. [27]

Following the Fort Mims and Kimbell-James massacres, General Thomas Flournoy and General Claiborne decided to abandon the settler stockades and concentrate their forces in more defensible areas. [12] [19] On September 8, General Claiborne sent Colonel Carson discretionary orders to abandon Fort Madison if he felt he could not properly protect it and fall back to Fort St. Stephens. [28] Carson debated abandoning the fort and reluctantly ordered his troops to leave Fort Madison on September 10. [8] The settlers were also given the recommendation to leave, but Evan Austill stated that if 50 people would remain at the fort he would command them in its defense. [19] Contrasting this, Dale later reported in interviews that he himself actually was in command of the only 80 persons who remained behind at Fort Madison. [12] [17] [28] Austill and Dale were each made captains of separate militia companies made up of men who remained behind at Fort Madison. Both captains had previous experience with American-Native American relations: Austill had served as an Indian agent with the Cherokee in Georgia prior to moving to the Mississippi Territory and Dale had recently been wounded at the Battle of Burnt Corn. [29] [30] After Carson departed, Colonel John Haynes was left in overall command of the fort. [8]

While the small number of settlers remained in the fort, Red Stick warriors continually reconnoitered the fort's strength. William Weatherford even disguised himself as a local settler and gained access to Fort Madison, concluding it was too strong to attack. [31] Austill and Dale had women wear hats and uniforms to appear as if there were a larger number of soldiers in the fort along with using the lighting mechanism to provide constant aid in surveillance. [15] The settlers did not leave the fort for two weeks and shot any hogs or cattle that came within musket range for food. [15] Realizing the settlers were not abandoning the fort, Claiborne allowed Carson and 250 soldiers to return to Fort Madison. [19] After the soldiers' arrival, parties were sent out searching for Red Stick warriors who had destroyed surrounding farmsteads. [19] [32] Other parties were sent to obtain food from their own farms, with some facing death at the hands of waiting Red Sticks. [33] One of these scouting expeditions led to the subsequently notable Canoe Fight, in which Dale, Jeremiah Austill, James Smith, and a free Black named Caesar killed ten Red Stick warriors. [19] [34] In addition to military and militia members, friendly Choctaws also participated in scouting the Alabama River Valley. [35]

In November 1813, General Claiborne advanced his command from St. Stephens to Fort Madison. Soon after, he crossed to the east side of the Alabama River and began construction on Fort Claiborne. [36] Fort Madison was used as a stopover on journeys between Fort Claiborne and St. Stephens. [35] Pushmataha and his Choctaw warriors stopped at Fort Madison on their way to the Battle of Holy Ground and were given 20 new rifles in preparation for the battle. [37]

After the Battle of Holy Ground, militia from Fort Madison under the command of Austill joined with a cavalry company and formed a battalion under the command of Dale. This battalion marched under Colonel Gilbert C. Russell in his failed attempt to attack Creek towns along the Cahaba River. [38]

Postwar

Fort Madison lent its name to one of the early major neighborhoods of Clarke County. The community also had a local cemetery. [2] A subsequent community grew around the site of Fort Madison and was known as "Allen". [39]

The approximate site of Fort Madison has been identified and archaeological surveys have been made of the area, but no defining features or artifacts have been found. [40] A historical marker was placed by a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the early 1900s and is located near the site of Fort Madison. [41] [42] The burial site of Evan Austill is located a short distance away from the Fort Madison historical marker. [43]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creek War</span> 1813–14 US Indian War

The Creek War, was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within the tribes of the Muscogee, but the United States quickly became involved. British traders and Spanish colonial officials in Florida supplied the Red Sticks with weapons and equipment due to their shared interest in preventing the expansion of the United States into regions under their control.

Red Sticks —the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creek—refers to an early 19th century traditionalist faction of Muscogee Creek people in the Southeastern United States. Made up mostly of Creek of the Upper Towns that supported traditional leadership and culture, as well as the preservation of communal land for cultivation and hunting, the Red Sticks arose at a time of increasing pressure on Creek territory by European American settlers. Creek of the Lower Towns were closer to the settlers, had more mixed-race families, and had already been forced to make land cessions to the Americans. In this context, the Red Sticks led a resistance movement against European American encroachment and assimilation, tensions that culminated in the outbreak of the Creek War in 1813. Initially a civil war among the Creek, the conflict drew in United States state forces while the nation was already engaged in the War of 1812 against the British.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Stoddert</span> U.S. colonial fort (1799–1814) in present-day Mount Vernon, Alabama

Fort Stoddert, also known as Fort Stoddard, was a stockade fort in the U.S. Mississippi Territory, in what is today Alabama. It was located on a bluff of the Mobile River, near modern Mount Vernon, close to the confluence of the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers. It served as the western terminus of the Federal Road which ran through Creek lands to Fort Wilkinson in Georgia. The fort, built in 1799, was named for Benjamin Stoddert, the secretary to the Continental Board of War during the American Revolution and Secretary of the Navy during the Quasi War. Fort Stoddert was built by the United States to keep the peace by preventing its own settlers in the Tombigbee District from attacking the Spanish in the Mobile District. It also served as a port of entry and was the site of a Court of Admiralty. While under the command of Captain Edmund P. Gaines, Aaron Burr was held as a prisoner at the fort after his arrest at McIntosh in 1807 for treason against the United States. In July 1813, General Ferdinand Claiborne brought the Mississippi Militia to Fort Stoddert as part of the Creek War. The 3rd Infantry Regiment was commanded by General Thomas Flournoy to Fort Stoddert following the Fort Mims massacre. The site declined rapidly in importance after the capture of Mobile by the United States in 1813 and the establishment of the Mount Vernon Arsenal in 1828.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Mims massacre</span> Part of the Creek War (1813)

The Fort Mims massacre took place on August 30, 1813, at a fortified homestead site 35-40 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, during the Creek War. A large force of Creek Indians belonging to the Red Sticks faction, under the command of headmen Peter McQueen and William Weatherford, stormed the fort and defeated the militia garrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Dale</span> American politician

Samuel Dale, known as the "Daniel Boone of Alabama", was an American frontiersman, soldier, and politician, who fought under General Andrew Jackson, in the Creek War, later, becoming a brigadier general in the U.S. Army, and an advocate for Alabama statehood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Sinquefield</span> United States historic place

Fort Sinquefield is the historic site of a wooden stockade fortification in Clarke County, Alabama, near the modern town of Grove Hill. It was built by early Clarke County pioneers as protection during the Creek War and was attacked in 1813 by Creek warriors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canoe Fight (Creek War)</span> Skirmish with Native Indians

The Canoe Fight was a skirmish between Mississippi Territory militiamen led by Captain Samuel Dale and Red Stick warriors that took place on November 12, 1813 as part of the Creek War. The skirmish was fought largely from canoes and was a victory for the militiamen, who only had one member wounded. The victory held little military value in the overall Creek War but its participants gained widespread notoriety for their actions during the fight. The fight has been depicted in multiple illustrations, but only a historical marker currently exists near the site of the fight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Claiborne</span> United States historic site in Alabama

Fort Claiborne was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Monroe County, Alabama during the Creek War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Autossee</span> Battle fought during the Creek War

The Battle of Autossee took place on November 29, 1813, during the Creek War, at the Creek towns of Autossee and Tallasee near present-day Shorter, Alabama. General John Floyd, with 900 to 950 militiamen and 450 allied Creek, attacked and burned down both villages, killing 200 Red Sticks in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Armstrong (Alabama)</span> United States historic site

Fort Armstrong was a stockade fort built in present-day Cherokee County, Alabama during the Creek War. The fort was built to protect the surrounding area from attacks by Red Stick warriors but was also used as a staging area and supply depot in preparation for further military action against the Red Sticks.

Fort Carney was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama, during the Creek War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Dale</span> Stockade fort built in present-day Butler County, Alabama, United States

Fort Dale was a stockade fort built in present-day Butler County, Alabama by Alabama Territory settlers. The fort was constructed in response to Creek Indian attacks on settlers in the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Easley</span> United States historic site in Alabama

Fort Easley was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Glass</span> United States historic site in Alabama

Fort Glass was a stockade fort built in July 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War.

Fort Landrum was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War. The fort was located eleven miles west of Fort Sinquefield. Fort Landrum, like many other forts built around the same time, was built in response to Red Stick attacks on settlers in the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Leslie</span> American historical site in Alabama

Fort Leslie was a stockade fort built in present-day Talladega County, Alabama, in 1813 during the Creek War. After the Creek War began, protective stockades were built by settlers and Creeks who were allied with the United States to protect themselves from hostile Creek attacks. Fort Leslie was the focal point of the Battle of Talladega but was soon abandoned after the end of the Creek War.

Fort Montgomery was a stockade fort built in August 1814 in present-day Baldwin County, Alabama, during the Creek War, which was part of the larger War of 1812. The fort was built by the United States military in response to attacks by Creek warriors on encroaching American settlers and in preparation for further military action in the War of 1812. Fort Montgomery continued to be used for military purposes but in less than a decade was abandoned. Nothing exists at the site today.

Fort Pierce, was two separate stockade forts built in 1813 in present-day Baldwin County, Alabama, during the Creek War, which was part of the larger War of 1812. The fort was originally built by settlers in the Mississippi Territory to protect themselves from attacks by Creek warriors. A new fort of the same name was then built by the United States military in preparation for further action in the War of 1812, but the fort was essentially abandoned within a few years. Nothing exists at the site today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turner's Fort</span> United States historic site in Alabama

Turner's Fort, also known as Fort Turner, was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War. Turner's Fort, like many other forts built around the same time, was built in response to Red Stick attacks on settlers in the surrounding area.

Fort White, also known as White's Fort, was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War. The fort was located northeast of present-day Grove Hill. The fort was possibly named due to the fact that it offered protection to local white settlers. Other sources state it was named for a local settler. Fort White offered protection to the residents of the community that would eventually become Grove Hill from possible Red Stick attacks. Fort White was likely abandoned after the Fort Mims massacre.

References

  1. ↑ "GNIS Detail - Fort Madison". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form". Department of the Interior. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Braund, Kathryn. "Creek War of 1813-1814". Alabama Humanities Alliance. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ Harris 1977, pp. 109.
  5. ↑ Claiborne 1860, pp. 94.
  6. 1 2 Pickett 1878, pp. 526.
  7. ↑ Waselkov 2006, pp. 104.
  8. 1 2 3 Creagh 1847, pp. 4.
  9. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 110–111.
  10. ↑ Claiborne 1860, pp. 72.
  11. 1 2 3 Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 110.
  12. 1 2 3 Claiborne 1860, pp. 116.
  13. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 109.
  14. ↑ Stowe, Noel R.; Hoyt, Marvin (1975). Olsen, Susan C. (ed.). Archeological Investigations at Fort Mims (PDF) (Report). Washington, D.C.: Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Archeological Completion Report Series, Number 4.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Claiborne 1860, pp. 117.
  16. ↑ Bunn, Mike; Williams, Clay. "Evans Austill Gravesite". The Creek War and the War of 1812. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  17. 1 2 Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 203.
  18. ↑ Ball 1994, pp. 318.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Austill 1847, pp. 2.
  20. ↑ Lossing 1868, pp. 751.
  21. 1 2 Thrapp 1991, pp. 234.
  22. ↑ Holmes 1847, pp. 5.
  23. ↑ Claiborne 1860, pp. 103–104.
  24. 1 2 Bunn, Mike. "Fort Sinquefield". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  25. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 185.
  26. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 202.
  27. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 197.
  28. 1 2 Pickett 1878, pp. 547.
  29. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 131.
  30. ↑ Ball 1994, pp. 459.
  31. ↑ Weir 2016, pp. 262.
  32. ↑ Pickett 1878, pp. 561.
  33. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 223.
  34. ↑ Creagh 1847, pp. 5.
  35. 1 2 Gaines 2014, pp. 64.
  36. ↑ Creagh 1847, pp. 6.
  37. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 241.
  38. ↑ Eggleston 1878, pp. 227.
  39. ↑ Foscue 1989, pp. 7.
  40. ↑ Braund 2012, pp. 250.
  41. ↑ Bunn, Mike; Williams, Clay. "Fort Madison". The Creek War and the War of 1812. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Fort Madison-Creek War 1812-13". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  43. ↑ Halbert & Ball 1895, pp. 205.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.