Battle of Enitachopko Historical Marker

This battle between Andrew Jackson's invading army and tribes that were part of the Creek Confederacy during the early phase of the Creek War. On January 24, 1814, two days following General Andrew Jackson's battle at Emuckfau, Creek Indians attacked Jackson and his men while they were on their way to Fort Strother. Although Jackson's troops were able to break through the lines and continue on towards Fort Strother as planned, the Creek viewed the engagement as a victory and boasted that they were able to defeat Jackson and drive them to the Coosa. Between the two battles, Jackson lost 20 killed and 75 wounded. The Creek lost 189 killed and an unknown number of wounded. The Creek War ended with Native tribes ceding control of central Alabama and the southern part of Georgia.

The Creek War was a conflict that was part of the War of 1812. In addition to issues related to boundaries and trade, the War of 1812 was a contest between European powers and Native tribes that vied for control of the North American interior. The Native tribes in the area generally allied with the British in opposition to American forces that were attempting to expand their territory.

As General Andrew Jackson and his men were returning back to Fort Strother following their battle with the Indians of Emuckfau, they faced another attack from the Creek Indians. Jackson and his men had set up camp for the night not far from the Creek Indian village of Anatichapko. Knowing that there was great potential for an attack, Jackson had already prepared his men by arranging them to be in position for a counterattack from whichever direction needed.

Despite the foresight in preparing for a potential attack, Jackson's ragtag force were not very experienced, nor were they very disciplined. When Jackson heard the alarm shots coming from behind, he retreated to the rear to find that the entire rear guard had panicked and fled to the other side of the stream. This left only a handful of men to prevent the Creek from taking advantage and potentially routing Jackson's men. 

Fortunately for Jackson, he possessed superiority of equipment. His men loaded and fired their canon upon the Creek. The Creek attempted to attack Jackson's artillery and many of the men who manned the guns were wounded. Lieutenant Armstrong was severely wounded during the attack and is remembered as exclaiming “my brave boys, some of you may fall, but you must save the cannon.”

General Jackson was eventually able to somewhat restore order and his men were able to push the Creek back from his once-exposed lines. Jackson then regrouped his troops and they proceeded to Ft Strother. Although neither side could truly claim victory in this battle, from the perspective of the Creek, they had bested a superior force and inflicted heavy losses on Jackson's men. Jackson saw things differently as he was able to rally his forces and mitigate the potential loss and continue his route to Fort Strother as planned.

Linzy, T. J. (2018, January 23). Battle of Emuckfau Creek and Enitachopco 22-24 January 1814. Retrieved February 18, 2018, from https://battlefieldbiker.com/battles-of-enitachopco-and-emuckfau-emuckfaw-creek-22-24-january-1814/
Causey, D. R. (n.d.). A Major Battle Took Place Here – Who Do You Believe Won. Retrieved February 18, 2018, from http://www.alabamapioneers.com/battle-of-enitachopco-creek-indian-war/
Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Emuckfaw_and_Enotachopo_Creek
(n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2018, from https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=95076