Fort Mims

In 1813, American settlers living on the frontier of Southwestern Alabama were fearful. Tensions between the U.S. government and the Redstick faction of the Creek Indian Nation were rising. Redstick warriors feared continual encroachment on their lands by white settlers and were ready for war.

In the summer of 1813, local American militia and allied Creeks attacked a group of Redsticks at Burnt Corn Creek, escalating the hostility. Families living along the Tensaw, Alabama, and Tombigbee Rivers began to seek refuge at various fortified sites in the area. A stockade was built around the home of Samuel Mims, an early settler of Baldwin County. His plantation was located on Lake Tensaw, about a mile east of the Alabama River. Over 500 white settlers, mixed-blood Creeks, and enslaved African Americans sought shelter behind the rough log walls of Fort Mims. About 200 armed militia, commanded by Major Daniel Beasley, were sent to defend the fortress.

At noon on August 30, 1813, the heat of summer beat down on all those encamped at Fort Mims. As the bell sounded, calling the settlers to a midday meal, over 700 Redstick warriors led by famed warrior William Weatherford, lurked in the dense forrest just outside the walls of the Fort. Using the bell as a signal, the Redsticks rushed through the opened gates. What ensued was the bloodiest battle between native Indians and white settlers in American history. The battle raged throughout the afternoon. Despite their initial surprise, the occupants of the Fort fought bravely, as did the Redstick Warriors. There are many stories of valor and sacrifice. After five hours of bloodshed and carnage, Fort Mims lay in smoldering devastation. Very few of the Fort's inhabitants were able to escape the attack.

News of the slaughter spread quickly and the American public was enraged. “Remember Fort Mims” became a battle cry heard around the nation. Troops from surrounding states descended upon the area and many battles ensued. The Redstick forces were eventually cornered and defeated by Colonel Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. That same year, the Creek Nation ceded over 20 million acres of their land to the Federal government.

The Redsticks assault on Fort Mims ranks as one of the greatest successes in Indian warfare. But, the bloody battle of Fort Mims forever changed the relationship of the Federal government with native Indian nations. Continued outrage over the attack at Fort Mims contributed to the eventual forced removal of Creeks and other Indians from the Southeast in the 1830s, in what is known as the “Trail of Tears.”

Today, the site is maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Fort Mims Restoration Association (FMRA). Walls of the Fort have been erected and a replica of the original block house is currently under construction and should be completed before the 200th Anniversary of the battle this year. An annual reenactment and living history weekend is hosted by the FMRA every August. Descendants of the few survivors of the battle of Fort Mims make pilgrimages to the site throughout the year.