Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/476

 472 CREEKS CREEPER Fort Mimms, Aug. 30, 1813, killing 400 men, women, and children. The work of reducing them was prompt. They were defeated at Tallushatchee Nov. 3, by Gen. Coffee ; at Tal- ladega on the 7th, by Gen. Jackson ; at Hilla- bee on the llth, by Gen. White; at Attassee on the 29th, by Floyd; and at Eccanachaca Dec. 23, by Claiborne. Jackson on Jan. 18, 1814, defeated them at Emuckfau, on the 24th atEnotochopco, and finally on March 27 crushed them completely at their last stand, Horseshoe Bend. Having lost nearly 2,000 warriors and had their country ravaged, towns laid in ashes, and misery before them they submitted. By the treaty of Aug. 9 they ceded extensive tracts of land to pay for the war expenses. Other treaties followed ceding more lands, as the whites in Georgia became anxious for their removal, and the United States had in 1802 promised to extinguish the Indian title. Many were in favor of removing, and from the begin- ning of the century some Alabamas and Coo- shattas had settled in Louisiana, and finally in Texas, where they remained on a reservation till 1872, when the government took steps to reunite them with the rest of the nation. In 1822 the Creeks were estimated at 22,000, and still occupied much of Georgia and Ala- bama, and the chiefs had decreed that any one signing a treaty ceding lands should be put to death. When Gen. William Mclntosh and a few other chiefs were induced to sign a treaty at Indian Spring, Feb. 12, 1825, ceding all their Georgia lands and much in Alabama for an equal quantity on the Arkansas and Cana- dian rivers and $400,000 in money, the nation repudiated the treaty, and on May 1 put Gen. Mclntosh to death. The Creeks then divided into two parties, one, under Chilly Mclntosh, favoring emigration, the other opposing it. A treaty at Washington, Jan. 24, 1826, declared null and void that of Indian Spring, but ceded their Georgia lands, except a small strip on the Chattahoochee, and made provision for remov- ing the Mclntosh party, stipulated sums of money to be paid to both divisions of the tribe. The other party retired for a time to Alabama. In 1828 by further largesses the tribe were in- duced to ratify past cessions. In 1836 some of the Creeks, under Opothleyoholo, Menawa, and other chiefs, joined the United States troops against the Seminoles ; but others took up arms and began a general attack on the frontier vil- lages in Georgia and Alabama. Gen. Scott soon reduced them, and the government at once set about the removal of the whole tribe to the territory assigned them between the Arkansas and Canadian. In all 24,594 were removed, 236 perishing on the steamboat Monmouth. Only 744 remained east of the Mississippi. Government unwisely attempted to force a union between them and the Seminoles, but this only created trouble. Attempts were made to Christianize and elevate them ; but as Christianity was known only as the negro slaves presented it, nothing but contempt was shown for its worship and doctrine, and the Creeks refused missionaries and schools. It was not till 1843 that a school was opened at Coweta. Missions followed under the di- rection of the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, and some progress was made ; books were printed and a better spirit awakened. The tribe however steadily declined. In 1857 they numbered only 14,888, having lost nearly one fourth in 20 years. When the civil war began in 1861 the tribe divided ; 6,000 under the head chief joined the confederates, and others under Opothleyoholo adhered to the United States. These defeated the confeder- ates in two battles, but in a third battle were utterly defeated, and 6,000 or 8,000 men, wo- men, and children fled to Kansas. There Gen. Hunter relieved them, but numbers perished ; 1,000 entered the army. After the war they were estimated at 14,396. By treaty of June 14, 1866, proclaimed Aug. 11, the Creeks ceded 3,000,000 acres at about 30 cents an acre, the United States to pay $975,000, only $100,000 directly to the loyal portion. The government of the Creeks was peculiar. Each town was independent of the rest, ruled by its own micco or elective king, next to whom was the war chief. Each town had its square enclosed by houses for the celebration of the great fast called poslceta, or more commonly luslc, which was attended with curious ceremonies. The micco and war chief had special houses around the square. The number of chiefs in time be- came very great and oppressive to the tribe, so that they were reduced to 500 ; but a new form of government was desirable, and neces- sary for any real improvement. In 1868 a plan was adopted including a first and second chief, a house of warriors, and a house of kings ; but it was not unanimously accepted, fully one half the tribe opposing it. In 1869 the portion of the Creeks who had since the war been living in the Cherokee country were brought back to the Creek territory. In 1872 the Creeks, estimated at 13,000, had 3,215,495 acres, only 30,000 cultivated ; they had 33 schools under the Methodists, and one Presby- terian, with 760 pupils ; their annual payments from the government amounted to $68,000. The Muskokee language has no sound like a in fate, and no &, c, d, g, j, r, $-, 0, a;, or z. In the printed books c represents tch, and r a sound like hi. The two principal dialects are the Main Creek and Hitchitee ; the Alabama, Coo- sady, and Mikasuky, spoken by the Seminoles, approach the Hitchitee. The Uchee and Nat- chez are spoken by remnants of those tribes. Women have words peculiar to themselves. The only grammar of the language is that by H. F. Buckner (Marion, Ala., 1860), analyzed in Brinton's " Contributions to a Grammar of the Muskokee " (Philadelphia, 1870). The printed books are almost entirely religious. CREEPER, a bird of the order passeres, tribe tenuirostres, and family certhiadce. To the sub- family certhiance, containing five genera, and to