Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/323

ANDREW JACKSON 267 Seminoles. During his absence his brother, known as the Prophet, attacked Gen. Harrison at Tippe- canoe and was overwhelmingly defeated. The war with Great Britain renewed Tecumseh s oppor tunity, and his services to the enemy were extremely valuable until his death in the battle of the Thames. Tecumseh s principal ally in the south was a half- breed Creek chieftain named Weathersford. On the shore of Lake Tensaw, in the southern part of what is now Alabama, was a stockaded fortress known as Fort Minims. There many of the settlers had taken refuge. On August 30, 1813, this stronghold was surprised by Weathersford at the head of 1,000 Creek warriors, and more than 400 men, women, and children were massacred. The news of this dreadful affair aroused the people of the southwest to vengeance. Men and money were raised by the state of Tennessee, and, before he had fully recovered from the wound received in the Benton affray, Jackson took the field at the head of 2,500 men. Now for the first time he had a chance to show his wonderful military capacity, his sleepless vigilance, untiring patience, and unrivalled talent as a leader of men. The difficulties encoun tered were formidable in the extreme. In that fron tier wilderness the business of the commissariat was naturally ill managed, and the men, who under the most favorable circumstances had little idea of military subordination, were part of the time