Published On: 11.12.17 | 

By: 9316

On this day in Alabama history: Legendary Canoe Fight occurred

Nov 12 feature

The Canoe Fight, which took place during the Creek War of 1813-14, was a confrontation between frontiersman Samuel Dale and his men and a band of Creek warriors. The incident took on the quality of legend because it took place in canoes. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, courtesy of Alabama Department of Archives and History)

November 12, 1813

The legendary Canoe Fight occurred during the Creek War of 1813-1814 in present-day Clarke County. Leading a mission to drive the Creeks from the Mississippi Territory, Capt. Samuel Dale and his small band of militia engaged a group of 10 Creek warriors and a chief on the Alabama River. After shooting two of the warriors from the shore, Dale and two others boarded a canoe paddled by a free African-American and killed the remaining nine Creeks in hand-to-hand combat. Dale’s role in the fight earned him the nickname “Daniel Boone of Alabama,” and he later served as a representative in the first Alabama General Assembly.

Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.