Fairhope, Alabama
ANNUAL FORT MIMS EVENT
The city was well represented today by Fairhope's museum director Donnie Barrett, the master of ceremonies for the annual re-creation of the 'Massacre at Fort Mims' at the state historic site (click) near the Tensaw community, about 50 miles north.
Re-enactors from all over the south participated as well.
(video below)
On August 30, 1813 a band of 'Red Stick' Creek Indians led by their chief William "Billy" Weatherford (aka "Truthspeaker"and later Red Eagle) attacked the fort and "slaughtered" over three hundred white, friendly-Indian, and mixed-raced settlers (including women and children) who had gathered there for protection shortly after the War of 1812 began.
A number of black slaves and a few others were made prisoners. Only about 36 settlers escaped into the woods: 100 of the Indians were killed. (click)
250 scalps were taken that day.
From Wikipedia:
"Weatherford joined the Red Sticks along the frontier, where they tried to repulse American settlers from Creek territory. In late August 1813, with Peter McQueen and other Red Sticks, Weatherford participated in a retaliatory attack on Fort Mims. It was a hastily built civilian stockade on the lower Alabama River, about 35 miles north of present-day Mobile, Alabama. Frontier American families and Lower Creek had retreated to the fort, which was ineptly guarded. The Red Sticks made their way into the fort and massacred the Lower Creek, as well as European-American settlers, including women and children. Estimates are that up to 500 persons were killed, with some 35 individuals surviving. As a prominent leader, Weatherford was held responsible for the massacre, although there are reports he tried to prevent it."
Reports of the horrific attack soon spread across the nation and forever changed the perception of Indians -- leading to their eventual expulsion by Andrew Jackson to reservations in the West via the 'Trail of Tears' beginning in the 1820s, according to Barrett
Barrett said he helped start the annual event thirty years ago as part of an effort to preserve the site: just an old garbage dump then.
Barrett spent the weekend sleeping on a cot in his tent: number 7.
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| Final salute Sunday at Fort Mims |
ANNUAL FORT MIMS EVENT
The city was well represented today by Fairhope's museum director Donnie Barrett, the master of ceremonies for the annual re-creation of the 'Massacre at Fort Mims' at the state historic site (click) near the Tensaw community, about 50 miles north.
Re-enactors from all over the south participated as well.
(video below)
 |
| preacher killed too |
On August 30, 1813 a band of 'Red Stick' Creek Indians led by their chief William "Billy" Weatherford (aka "Truthspeaker"and later Red Eagle) attacked the fort and "slaughtered" over three hundred white, friendly-Indian, and mixed-raced settlers (including women and children) who had gathered there for protection shortly after the War of 1812 began.
A number of black slaves and a few others were made prisoners. Only about 36 settlers escaped into the woods: 100 of the Indians were killed. (click)
250 scalps were taken that day.
From Wikipedia:
"Weatherford joined the Red Sticks along the frontier, where they tried to repulse American settlers from Creek territory. In late August 1813, with Peter McQueen and other Red Sticks, Weatherford participated in a retaliatory attack on Fort Mims. It was a hastily built civilian stockade on the lower Alabama River, about 35 miles north of present-day Mobile, Alabama. Frontier American families and Lower Creek had retreated to the fort, which was ineptly guarded. The Red Sticks made their way into the fort and massacred the Lower Creek, as well as European-American settlers, including women and children. Estimates are that up to 500 persons were killed, with some 35 individuals surviving. As a prominent leader, Weatherford was held responsible for the massacre, although there are reports he tried to prevent it." |
| came through west gate |
Barrett said he helped start the annual event thirty years ago as part of an effort to preserve the site: just an old garbage dump then.
Barrett spent the weekend sleeping on a cot in his tent: number 7.
 |
| hand to hand combat |
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| "dead" Indian |
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