Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/31

Rh which opened to the north. This opening was protected by a huge breastwork, constructed of three tiers of heavy pine logs, with two rows of skillfully arranged port-holes. This breastwork reached both sides of the river, across the peninsula.

On the 27th of March, 1813, Gen. Jackson arrived at the horseshoe bend, or Tohopeka. In a few hours, by a skillful arrangement of his forces, he had completely invested the peninsula and was prepared for action. Gen. Coffee, with all the friendly Indians serving under Gen. Jackson and a body of mounted men, crossed the Tallapoosa River, at a ford two miles below Tohopeka. By drawing up his lines on the south of the bend, at 10 o'clock he had cut off all escape from three sides of the peninsula. The main army advanced to the north side of the bend, the lines were drawn up for battle, and two pieces of artillery began to play upon the pine-log breastworks. From half-past ten to one o'clock, a brisk and apparently ineffectual firing was maintained, the massive timbers proving how harmless were the small cannon shot which were played upon them. The main body of the army had as yet no opportunity to show their valor. But soon from the southern part of the bend there appeared rolling up, a heavy column of smoke, and the sharp crack of a hundred rifles mingled with the rattle of musketry.

A line of canoes half concealed by the bushes on the opposite shore, were discovered by the Cherokees under Gen. Coffee. They swam the stream at once, and in a few minutes brought the canoes across. Richard Brown, the gallant Cherokee chief, followed by his brave warriors, jumped into the canoes, accompanied by Capt. Russell's companies of spies, and crossed the river. The cluster of wigwams near the shore was set on fire. The smoke arose over them, in whose volumes they advanced upon the rear of the thousand Creek warriors, who were sheltered by the breastworks from the artillery of Gen. Jackson's main army on the north.

As soon as the troops of the main army heard the firing and saw the smoke rolling up, they were eager to storm the Indian breastworks before them, as they knew that their companions had crossed the river. They were held steady to their lines, until Gen. Jackson had sent an interpreter to remove the several hundreds of women and children in the bend, to a place of safety beyond the river. Immediately on accomplishing this object, the order was given to storm the breastworks. With a shout the order was received. Col. Williams with the 39th Regiment, and Gen. Doherty's Brigade of East Tennesseeans, with loud cries dashed to the onset. A sanguinary struggle ensued. Bayonet met bayonet, muzzle touched muzzle at the port-holes. The first man, Major Montgomery, who sprang upon the breastworks received a ball in his head, and was hurled