taken entirely by surprise. The savages
massacred nearly three hundred men, women, and children in the most
cruel manner. This horrible outrage spread consternation on the
frontier, and aroused indignation in all parts of the country. Hundreds
of frontier settlers fled from their homes, and sought safety in the
more thickly settled regions.

It was owing to this massacre that the troops commanded by General Floyd
were called out. This active and energetic leader began his campaign
by building a line of forts and blockhouses from the Ocmulgee to the
Alabama River, and in this way completely protected the northern part of
the State from invasion by the Creeks. General Floyd accomplished this
work in spite of the failure of the United States officials to supply
with provisions and transportation the troops they had called out.

He completed his line of defense by building Fort Mitchell. Leaving a
sufficient garrison in this fort, General Floyd placed himself at the
head of nine hundred and fifty men, and marched on Autossee, one of the
most populous towns of the Creek nation, situated on the left bank of
the Tallapoosa River, and near the town of Tallassee, which was nearly
as large. The distance from Fort Mitchell to Autossee was sixty miles,
and General Floyd made it by forced night marches, resting his troops
during the day. He was accompanied on this expedition by General William
Mcintosh, the famous Indian chief, who led four hundred friendly Creeks.

Arriving at Autossee and Tallassee at daybreak on the 29th of November,
1813, General Floyd arranged and ordered a simultaneous attack on both
towns. By nine o'clock the Indians had been defeated and driven from the
towns, and their houses burned. Four hundred houses were burned, with
all the provisions and stock. Two hundred Indians were killed, including
the kings of both towns. The pipe which the old chief of Tallassee had
smoked at a treaty forty years before, was taken and presented to the
governor, who placed it in the executive office of the State Capitol.
Eleven whites were killed, and fifty-four wounded; among them, General
Floyd himself, who had received a ball in the knee early in the fight.
He refused to have his wound dressed, and continued on horseback,
directing his troops, until after the battle was over. He never entirely
recovered from the effects of this wound. After the towns had been
entirely destroyed, the troops returned to Fort Mitchell, having m