Creek War of 1836

The antagonism between the early settlers and the Indians continued to grow and culminated in warfare and pitched battles. In 1836 quite a panic was produced by an uprising of the Indians. The people of LaGrange expected momentarily to be attacked and there was an exodus of citizens towards the eastern part of the county. Rufus Broome, grandfather of Mrs. J. E. Dunson, Jr., gathered all the remaining women and children in the court house, and strongly barricaded it, resolving to protect them or die.

Judge Blount C. Ferrell used to tell an amusing story of a stranger in the town, who becoming frightened and fearing to lose his scalp, bought a small Indian pony on which to flee. The man weighed about three hundred pounds, and the poor little pony had only gone five miles when he succumbed. Fortunately for him the hastily assembled militia had pursued the Indians across the Chattahoochee River, and soon afterward destroyed their village.

Col. Julius C. Alford was commander of the battalion of cavalry, and Captain Robert H. Sledge with Walker Dunson as First Lieutenant are known to have participated in these conflicts, and it is probable that all the militia companies were assembled for the conflict.

The first alarm brought into West Point, where the Indians were thickly settled on the west banks of the Chattahoochee, was a report by a Mr. Freeman, who came from Blackstone, now called Cusseta, Alabama. He reported all the inhabitants killed except himself. At this disquieting news, Major John C. Webb at once summoned every militia member in the 701st district to appear with arms and ammunition. Major Webb moved forward with his command to Blackstone, and to his amazement found the people all alive and the Indians quiet.

The last act on this condition of affairs was the burning of an Indian village on the banks of the Chattahoochee in land lot 44 of the 16th district in reprisal by the pioneers for the continual raids and annoyances by the dissatisfied tribesmen. The following story is quoted from White’s Historical Recollections and is reprinted with some minor corrections.

A partial list of a company which participated in the Indian conflict, made up by the old members from reminiscent recollections of old citizens, is given below:

• The Burnt Village
• Captain Robert H. Sledge’s Company

Source: History of Troup County, Smith, Clifford L.; Atlanta, Ga.: Printed by Foote & Davies Co., c1935, 330 pgs.