Long Roll Beating / Charge! / Designed for Defense -- Horseshoe Bend NMP, Daviston AL - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

These three signs of history are located together at the shelter that overlooks the site of the Red Stick breastwork and the Horseshoe Bend battlefield. The signs are arranged from left to right, and read as follows:

Sign 1:

"WHILE THE LONG ROLL WAS BEATING

“I never had such emotions as while the long roll was beating . . . It was not anxiety or concern of the fate of those who were so soon to fall but it was a kind of enthusiasm that thrilled through every nerve and animated me with the belief that the day was hours without adverting to what it must cost us . . .” Major John Reed Tennessee militia

while general coffees men took position across the Tallapoosa River, Major General Jackson stationed his remaining soldiers here, in front of the Red Stick’s log barricade (marked by the white posts). In this field about 1400 of Jackson’s 2000 men were Tennessee militia; 600 were regulars in the 39th US Infantry Regiment.

On both sides, the tension built as volcanic shot slammed into the barricade. At 1230 p.m. drums beat the long roll announcing your charge. The Army surged forward. Drummers like Americus Hammock, one of several African-American soldiers with Jackson, echoed the pounding hearts of the men as they advanced into battle."

Sign 2:

"CHARGE!

“Having maintained for a few minutes a very obstinate contest, muzzle to muscle, through the port-holes, in which many of the enemy’s balls were welded to the bayonets of our muskets, our trip succeeded in gaining possession of the opposite side of the works. The event could no longer be doubtful . . .”
Major General Andrew Jackson, Tennessee militia

After a two-hour cannon bombardment of the Red Sticks’ barricade, Major General Jackson discovered that some of General Coffee’s Creek and Cherokee warriors had crossed the Tallapoosa and attacked the red sticks from the rear. Realizing his enemy was surrounded, Jackson gave the order for his men to charge the barricade at 1230 p.m.

For a few brief but bloody minutes the fighting raged. Warriors and soldiers desperately struggled to control the barricade, shooting, hacking, and stabbing with muskets, Tomahawk’s, and bayonets. Overwhelmed by numbers and firepower, the Red Sticks fell back to the river’s banks. Many attempted to escape by crossing the Tallapoosa only to be shot by Coffee’s men stationed on the opposite side."

Sign 3:

"DESIGNED FOR DEFENSE

“. . . [The Creek] had erected a breastwork, of greatest compactness and strength -- from 5 to 8 feet high, and prepared with double rolls of port-holes very artfully arranged . . . An army could not approach it without being exposed to a double and crossfire from an enemy who lay in perfect security behind it.
Major General Andrew Jackson, Tennessee militia

The Red Sticks -a militant branch of Creek society - built the 400 yard long barricade (breast-work) of dirt and pine logs. Stretching from bank to bank across the Horseshoe Bend of the Tallapoosa River, the barricade protected Tohopeka, their temporary village.

On a dreadful March afternoon in 1814, the barricade exploded with action. Nearly 1000 red stick warriors bravely fought General Jackson’s army here. About a third of the warriors carried muskets. The others used bow and arrows, knives, tomahawks, and war clubs."

Group that erected the marker: National Park Service URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Horseshoe Bend National Military Park New Site, AL

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Date Logged Log   07/26/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it