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Fort Mitchell, Alabama
ExploreSouthernHistory.com
Fort Mitchell and the Creek Trail of Tears
First established in 1813 as a base for Georgia troops during the
Creek War of 1813-1814, Fort Mitchell was an important post on the
American frontier for nearly three decades. It also served as a key
point for operations during the Creek War of 1836 and was the
starting point for the Creek or Muskogee Trail of Tears.
Named for Governor David B. Mitchell of Georgia, the fort was built in
1813 by state militia forces under General John Floyd. Moving from
the east as part of a three-pronged attack on the Creek Nation,
Floyd's men constructed a large rectangular stockade on the Fort
Mitchell site. Their ultimate objective was the key village of Autossee
on the Tallapoosa River. A base for warriors from the Red Stick
faction of the Creeks.
So named because of the red "sticks" or war clubs they displayed in
their towns, the Red Sticks were followers of a nativistic religion
introduced among the Native American nations by Tenskwatawa, the
Shawnee prophet. They went to war against the United States after a
force of militia attacked a Red Stick supply party at Burnt Corn Creek
in Alabama in July of 1813.
Floyd's men destroyed Autossee and fell back to Fort Mitchell, where
they recuperated and prepared for a second expedition against the
Red Sticks.
The fort remained an important U.S. Army post through the rest of
the War of 1812, of which the Creek War was an independent part,
as well as the First Seminole War of 1817-1818. Eventually replaced
with a smaller and better constructed stockade, Fort Mitchell was an
important base during the Creek War of 1836 and served as the
launching point for the Creek or Muskogee Trail of Tears.
To begin your exploration of Fort Mitchell and its significant role in
American history, please follow the links below:
Creek War of 1813-1814, Fort Mitchell was an important post on the
American frontier for nearly three decades. It also served as a key
point for operations during the Creek War of 1836 and was the
starting point for the Creek or Muskogee Trail of Tears.
Named for Governor David B. Mitchell of Georgia, the fort was built in
1813 by state militia forces under General John Floyd. Moving from
the east as part of a three-pronged attack on the Creek Nation,
Floyd's men constructed a large rectangular stockade on the Fort
Mitchell site. Their ultimate objective was the key village of Autossee
on the Tallapoosa River. A base for warriors from the Red Stick
faction of the Creeks.
So named because of the red "sticks" or war clubs they displayed in
their towns, the Red Sticks were followers of a nativistic religion
introduced among the Native American nations by Tenskwatawa, the
Shawnee prophet. They went to war against the United States after a
force of militia attacked a Red Stick supply party at Burnt Corn Creek
in Alabama in July of 1813.
Floyd's men destroyed Autossee and fell back to Fort Mitchell, where
they recuperated and prepared for a second expedition against the
Red Sticks.
The fort remained an important U.S. Army post through the rest of
the War of 1812, of which the Creek War was an independent part,
as well as the First Seminole War of 1817-1818. Eventually replaced
with a smaller and better constructed stockade, Fort Mitchell was an
important base during the Creek War of 1836 and served as the
launching point for the Creek or Muskogee Trail of Tears.
To begin your exploration of Fort Mitchell and its significant role in
American history, please follow the links below:
| Fort Mitchell, Alabama The site of Fort Mitchell in Russell County, Alabama, includes the old military cemetery where many key figures of the early frontier are buried. |
| Reconstructed Wall at Fort Mitchell One of the original stockades has been reconstructed at Fort Mitchell Park, a county park in Russell County that preserves the old fort site. |
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