GEORGIA   INDIAN WARS  BATTLES   Battle of Chickasawhatchee

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Battle of Chickasawhatchee


In today's Baker County, one of the hardest
battles of the Creek War was fought in 1836.  In
the latter part of June 1836, the Creek Indians,
after burning Roanoke in Stewart County, departed
for Florida to join the Seminoles.  On their way
they passed through today's Baker County with a
group of white militia after them.  The group of
Indians, some 300 warriors, took possession on an
island in the Chickasawhachee Swamp and prepared
to defend themselves.  By that time, the Georgia
militia, having grown to about 500 men, surrounded
the swamp and moved in to give battle to the
Indians.  The Creeks were defeated with a large
number killed and wounded, before they retreated
southward toward Florida.  The whites had one
killed and nine wounded in the struggle.

After the battle, the Creek Indians fled into
Florida to escape the Georgians.  The Indians left
behind many supplies, including 36 tents, and an
incredible quantity of beef, bacon, horses,
saddles, bridles and many cooking utensils.  Could
some of these items still be at that old battle
site?

Exactly where is the old battle site?  Modern maps
show the only island in the Chickasawhatchee Creek
and the Swamp to be immediately west of Elmodel,
along Georgia Highway 37.  Another possibility is
north of that place in the lower part of the
present day Chickasawwhatchee Wildlife Management
Area.  That possible spot is just east of Georgia
Highway 37 and north of Clear Lake Road, some
three miles north of Elmodel.  The swamp is much
larger at the upper site.

It is interesting to note that the word
"chickasawhatchee" did not come from the Chickasaw
Indians of Alabama and Mississippi.  The word as
used in western Georgia means "Council House
Creek" from "chiki" or "chickee", which means
house, or more properly, council house.  The
center part is a word "sasi", which is a term that
tells that something is there.  Finally, the
"hatchee" or "hahchi" is a stream.

ref.: Historic Indian Trails of Georgia, by Marion
R. Hemperly, pgs. 48-9.