Last week saw another bicentennial event with links to Mississippi.
It was about 200 years ago that what is now the Columbus area began seeing a significant European American presence. In 1810, John Pitchlynn established his residence at what is now the west bank area of the Stennis/Columbus Lock and Dam on the Tombigbee River. Last week marked the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. The battle had more links to east Mississippi than most people realize.
By the fall of 1814 the Creek Indian War that had enveloped present day Alabama was all but over but was replaced by threat of a British invasion. Andrew Jackson believed that the British plan was to assume effective control of Spanish Pensacola, then capture Mobile and finally attack and seize New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Jackson began marshaling American forces north of Mobile. He ordered Gen. John Coffee in Tennessee to bring his 2,800-man brigade of Tennessee Mounted Volunteers south to St Stephens, Alabama. Among Coffee’s Scouts was David Crockett, but the scouts missed the rendezvous with the army and were traveling a week behind trying to catch up.
Coffee’s troops stopped at John Pitchlynn’s for supplies on Oct. 14 and again stopped for supplies about 30 miles south at Starnes, near present day Macon. Coffee’s Tennesseans joined with Jackson at St. Stephens on Oct. 26. Also with Jackson was a company of 53 Choctaw warriors commanded by Pushmataha, the great medal chief who Jackson commissioned a Colonel. Jackson’s forces searched the swamps of present day south Alabama and west Florida seeking the last of the hostile Creek Indians. In addition, Jackson attacked Spanish Pensacola receiving the surrender of the Spanish govern0r and driving out the British.
Jackson then turned his attention to New Orleans. He gathered his forces together and proceeded west. However, he did leave some troops behind to provide protection to the Mobile area and some who were sick or injured. Joining Jackson in his march to New Orleans was Gen. Coffee with 1,218 Tennessee Mounted Volunteers and the company of Choctaw warriors.
The Choctaw’s commander was listed as Capt. Pierre Juzan (or Jugeant) not Pushmataha. History does not mention Pushmataha at the Battle of New Orleans but Gideon Lincecum, who was in Columbus by 1819, knew him and wrote that Pushmataha accompanied Jackson to New Orleans “where without being a participant he witnessed the battle of January 8, 1815.” It was also reported that about 750 Choctaw warriors were assembling to reinforce Jackson if needed.
While we are all familiar with Andrew Jackson’s defeat of the British at New Orleans 200 years ago there are some interesting incidents related to the battle that are not as well known. While the force of Choctaw warriors was small, only about 50, they played an important role. For over a week prior to the main battle the Choctaws positioned themselves near the British camp and acting as snipers they would pick off British sentries at night. One of the Choctaws learned that a profit could be made by slipping into British lines and taking and selling the rifles of the British soldiers he killed. The Choctaws were called “assassins” by the British and were reported to have killed about 50 British sentries during the nights leading up to January 8th.
What we generally refer to as the Battle of New Orleans was the final fighting that occurred on Jan. 8, 1815, but skirmishing had begun on Dec. 23, 1814. Prior to the opening of the fighting Jackson had on Dec. 18 reviewed his troops. He prepared addresses which were to be read to each unit by his aides-de-camp Livingston and Butler. There were two battalions of Free Men of Color (free African Americans), Major, Lacoste’s Louisiana Free Men of Color and Captain Daquin’s Santa Domingo Free Men of Color in Jackson’s army. Niles’ Weekly Register, a Baltimore newspaper, published Jackson’s address to the “Men of Color” in its Jan. 28, 1815, edition.
“Soldiers — From the shores of Mobile I collected you to arms — I invited you to share in the perils and to divide the glory of your white countrymen. I expected much from you, for I was not uninformed of those qualities which must render you so formidable to an invading foe. I knew that you could endure hunger and thirst and all the hardships of war — I knew that you loved the land of your nativity, and that, like ourselves, you had to defend all that is most dear to man — But you surpass my hopes. I have found in you, united to these qualities, that noble enthusiasm which impels to great deeds.
“Soldiers — The President of the United States shall be informed of your conduct on the present occasion, and the voice of the Representatives of the American nation shall applaud your valor, as your General now praises your ardor. The enemy is near, his ‘sails cover the lakes,’ but the brave are united; and if he finds us contending among ourselves, it will be for the prize of valor, and fame its noblest reward.”
The other incident that comes to mind is origin of the phrase “O.K.” I wrote about this last year so without going into detail, at about the same time Jackson and his aids addressed other troops they would have spoken to the Choctaws. If asked if they were ready for battle their Capt. Juzan may well have replied OKE, or “it is so” in Choctaw. And that might well be where the term O.K. came from.
Two hundred years ago the Battle of New Orleans gave America an identity, helped propel Andrew Jackson toward a future presidency and may have given us the phrase “O.K.”
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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