On this day in Alabama history: Creeks defeated militiamen in Battle of Burnt Corn Creek
The map details the route taken by Mississippi militia leader Col. James Caller and his men to Burnt Corn Creek in response to an attack on plantations in south Alabama during the initial outbreak of the Creek War. The Battle of Burnt Corn Creek took place on July 27, 1813. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama)
July 27, 1813
Red Stick warriors defeated Mississippi Territory militiamen in the Battle of Burnt Corn Creek, the first real battle of the Creek War of 1813-14. The 180 militiamen, under the command of Col. James Caller, attacked the surprised Creeks during a noon-day meal and quickly drove them from their camp. The Creeks, however, regrouped and launched a fierce counterattack that routed the militiamen into the woods. The loss embarrassed the militia and subjected its participants to public ridicule for years. The Red Sticks later launched a retaliatory attack on Fort Mims, where 700 warriors massacred 250 people and took 100 more captive.
Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.
This flintlock pistol was recovered in the vicinity of the likely site of the Battle of Burnt Corn Creek, which is widely acknowledged as being the opening skirmish of the Creek War of 1813-14. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History)
For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
