War of 1812 Battles |
Colonial Wars |
American Wars |
Battle of Talladega
November 9, 1813, Talladega, Alabama (Mississippi Territory)
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The Battle of Talladega was a battle fought between Tennessee militia and the Red Stick Creek Indians during the Creek War.
When Gen. John Coffee returned to Fort Strother after defeating the Red Sticks at the Battle of Tallushatchee, Brig. Gen. Andrew Jackson received a call for help from friendly Creek who were being besieged by Red Sticks at Talladega. On November 9, Jackson's army arrived outside the village and their Creek allies inside the town yelled "howdy-do brothers, howdy-do". Legendary frontiersman Davy Crockett described the Red Stick counterattack as a 'rush of locusts led by a devil'. The Red Sticks, led by William Weatherford, inflicted 100 casualties upon Jackson. However it took only 15 minutes for Jackson to inflict 410 casualties on the Red Sticks and drive them from the field.
After the battle there was a significant lull in the fighting between the Red Sticks and Jackson's army. By December, the American force was down to almost 500 strong due to desertion and enlistments running out. In January, in order to support the Georgia Militia, Jackson marched toward the village of Emuckfaw with an inexperienced force. This move resulted in the Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek.
After these battles Jackson retired to Fort Struther. When Jackson received additional reinforcements (some of them regular U.S. troops) he once again went on the offensive and met the Red Sticks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
