Tallapoosa County, AL. Cemeteries Ft. Williams Cemetery Battle of 1812 ************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************************** Submitted by: Linda Ayres Dec 2003 This cemetery is in Coosa but the battle took place in what is now Tallapoosa County. The Indian War of 1812 Battle of Horseshoe Bend In March 1814, General Andrew Jackson mobilized the Tennessee Militia, made up of Volunteers from the East and West Tennessee Militias and the Thirty-Ninth U.S. Infantry for a full-scale campaign against the Red Sticks. General Jackson's army totaled about 3,000 men. Jackson's army left Fort Williams on the Coosa River (Mississippi Territory) and marched 52 miles through the forest in three days. They made camp six miles north of Horseshoe Bend. The Red Stick's had built a barricade on the river, which eventually trapped them once Jackson's soldiers surrounded them. Over 800 Red Sticks died as a result of the Battle. General Jackson's dead and wounded were taken back to Ft. Williams. The following is a listing of the soldiers who were buried at Ft. Williams. The original site of Fort Williams is now under Lay Lake in Coosa County, Alabama. The headstones and the monument to the soldiers were moved to a new location 57 miles north of Horseshoe Bend Military Park. The cemetery has been badly vandalized. The site is NOT part of the Military Park and is on private property. Unfortunately, the Military Park Rangers cannot maintain the cemetery, as they have no jurisdiction over the site. The Battle of Horseshoe Bend was fought March 27, 1814 between the American army under General Andrew Jackson, numbering about 3,000, with about 200 Cherokee Indian allies, against an unknown number of Creek Indians. The location was on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama. The place was also called Tohopeka. Jackson's force defeated the Creeks. The Creeks lost about 550 within the bend, which had been fortified, and more in the river. Jackson lost 50 killed and 150 wounded. The Creeks were allied with the British against the Americans. In the end they lost giving up one-fifth of Georgia and three-fifths of Alabama. This brings out a major point of the War Of 1812. The British, Americans and Canadians did not lose the war. They fought to a draw. The Indians lost and never recovered. The following list of those buried at the Indian War of 1812 Cemetery, along with a corresponding map. Mr. Paul Ghioto, Park Historian, Horseshoe Bend Military Park did the list in March 1978. The headstones are numbered 1-78. Dates have been added by Linda S. Ayres 1. Pankey, William Riley Pvt. [Born 1784, died Apr 20, 1814 Ft. Williams Talladega County] 2. Duncan, Allen Sgt 3. Austin, John Pvt. 4. Laton, Joshua Pvt. 5. Sharper, Jacob, Pvt. 6. Watson, George Pvt. 7. Abbot, Samuel Pvt. 8. Tracy, Paris Pvt. 9. Sawry, Henry Pvt. 10. Jones, John Pvt. 11. Ellis, James Pvt. 12. Bright, Elijah Pvt. 13. Pursell, William, 1st Sgt 14. Brooks, George Pvt. 15. O'Neal, Isom Pvt. 16. Beeler, Joseph Pvt. 17. Stubbs, Everett Pvt. 18. McGill, William Pvt. 19. Summers, Johnston Pvt. 20. Bray, Solomon, 1st Corp 21. Bell, Phillips, Pvt. 22. Hamblen, Thomas Pvt. 23. Hamilton, James Pvt. 24. McCoy, James Pvt. 25. Dawson, Thomas Pvt. [Born 1784, died Oct 10, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 26. Meants, David Pvt. 27. Robertson, Joseph Pvt. 28. Sawyer, Smiley Pvt. 29. Hutchinson, Rueben Pvt. 30. Glasco, Robert Pvt. 31. Captain Nicholas Gibbs III born 1772 in Orange County NC Died on 14 MAR 1814 in Horseshoe Bend, AL Memorial at Gibbs Home, Corryton, TN Captain in US Army, War of 1812 From Knox Co. Roster of Soldiers of the War of 1812, which is in the possession of Mr. Frederick R. Gibbs. Nicholas Gibbs had the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He died on March 14, 1814, from wounds received in the Battle of the Horseshoe. Tradition has it that he was a close friend of Andrew Jackson, and that members of the Gibbs family were frequent visitors at the Hermitage. Several of his letters to Andrew Jackson are said to be preserved at the Hermitage. 32. Miltonberger, William Pvt. 33. Feffew, Jeffery Pvt. 34. Pankey, Stephen Pvt. [Born 1778, died May 6, 1814 Fort Williams] 35. Ford, Thomas Pvt. 36. Yates, Robert Pvt. [Yeats] [Born 1794, died Apr. 11, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 37. Freeman, Moses Pvt. [Born Apr 5, 1780, died Jan 9, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 38. Payne, William Pvt. 39. Hill, Spencer Pvt. 40. Rice, Roland Pvt. [Born Dec 12, 1781 Mass, died Nov 8, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 41. Cloud, William Pvt. [Born 1795, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 42. Ucher, John Pvt. 43. Ritchey, Thomas Pvt. 44. Rector, Enoch Pvt. 45. Nail, Archibald Pvt. 46. Harden, William P. Pvt. 47. Weddle, Elias was born Apr 16, 1770 in Holland, he died on Mar 27, 1814 at Horseshoe Bend 2nd Lt. 48. King, Edward 1st Lt. Page 2, The Indian War of 1812 Cemetery: 49. Smith, Bryant Pvt. 50. Sims, Alfred Sgt. 51. Cahoon, Andrew Pvt. 52. Cox, Gale Q.M. 53. Bruner, Jacob Pvt. 54. Gross, George Pvt. 55. Johnson, Thomas J. 1st Lt. 56. Bunch, William Pvt. 57. Huffman, John Pvt. 58. Crumley, Jacob, Sr. Pvt. [Born 1771, died Apr 28, 1814, Fort Strouthers] 59. Marshall, Joseph Pvt. 60. Masoner, Peter Pvt. 61. Horton, Caleb Pvt. 62. Hill, Richard Pvt. 63. McConka, Samuel Corp 64. Rogers, Spencer Pvt. 65. Boaz, James Pvt. [James Boaz of East Tennessee Militia died on May 14, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] 66.Yount, Jacob Pvt. 67.Hellums, George Pvt. 68.Dockrey, Able Pvt. [Abel Henry Dockrey born 1783, died May 2, 1815, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] MILITARY: Abel Henry Dockery enlisted as a private in the War of 1812 on June 20, 1814 in Capt. Henry Newlin's Co., Col. Philip Pipkin's TN Militia Infantry. He left on 4 November 1814 because of illness. He was left behind at Ft. Williams, AL, when his unit left. He died and was buried there, or near there, at the National Cemetery (from Soldiers of Maury County, Tennessee). The inscription on his grave marker reads: PVT. NEWLINS' CO., 1 WEST TN MILITIA, WAR OF 1812 at National Cemetery near Childersburg and Sylacauga, AL. 69.Leeper, John Pvt. 70.Rankin, David 1st Lt [Born Feb 4, 1791, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort William Cemetery] 71.Thompson, Moses Pvt. 72.Kathcart, Joseph Pvt. 73.Rice, Able (Musician) [Note: Able Rice brother to Roland Rice died in 1837 in Illinois] 74.Moiers, Williams Pvt. 75.French, John Pvt. 76.Holmes, Joseph Pvt. 77.Fields, David Pvt. 78.Alstatt, Nicholas, Pvt. [Born Nov 28, 1793, died Mar 27, 1814] Location of the Cemetery: The Cemetery is near the town of Sylacauga, Ala., about 13.2 miles off of U.S. Highway 280, approximately 57 North of Horseshoe Bend Military Park. The Site is marked on Alabama Maps as “Indian War of 1812 Cemetery. Family Histories State these men are possibly buried at Fort Williams Berry, James born app. 1771 10 May 1814 Compiled Service Record of 1st Lieut. JAMES BERRY Company Muster Roll dated at Fayetteville. 1st Lieutenant JAMES BERRY: Lieut. JAMES Berry’s Company, Col. Robert H. Dyer's Regiment of Cavalry and Mounted Gunmen, Tennessee Vols. Mustered into service March 1, 1814, to May 10, 1814, when discharged. Date of appointment or enlistment: March 1, 1814. To what time engaged: March 27, 1814. Remarks and alterations since last muster: Killed on 27th March 1814 at the Battle of Tohopeka/Tippecanoe [sic]. [NOTE: the Indian name for Horseshoe Bend was Tohopeka.] Estes, Gallant born 1780, buried Fort Williams Cemetery Gallant was with his son Edward by his first wife, at the Battle of Eufaula, in AL, as a private in the Co. of TN Volunteers Mounted Gunmen commanded by Capt. Adam Dale, 2nd Reg. commanded by Col. William Y. Higgins under the command of Major General Andrew Jackson, fighting the Creek Indians. He was shot through the head on the morning of Jan 22, 1814 and died four days later, on Jan 26, 1814. Fancher, Job born 1780, died 1814 Fort Williams Talladega County Hudson, Charles W. born Mar 15, 1789, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery Patton, James born 1784, died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery Shields, William Stephens, Joseph [Died Mar 27, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery] Williams, Michael [Born 1778, died Oct 16, 1814, buried Fort Williams Cemetery]