Before he became President, British colonel, George Washington used Cherokee warriors against Shawnee.........................Andrew Jackson, when he was a general, used Native Amcricans against the British..........

When the United States declared war on Great Britain in June 1812, Tennessee was a fledgling state in the nation's backcountry. Yet Tennesseans would play a prominent role during the conflict, both politically and militarily. For example, Felix Grundy and George Washington Campbell, War Hawk congressmen from Tennessee, provided the political rhetoric in getting the war declared. On the battlefield, Andrew Jackson led the army of Tennessee militia and volunteers through the Creek War and, later, at the climactic battle against the British forces at New Orleans. Other notable Tennesseans, such as Sam Houston and David Crockett, participated in the war as soldiers. While it is difficult to ascertain exactly how many Tennesseans participated in the War of 1812, it would be safe to assume that up to 20,000 men served at one time or another during the conflict. Most these men served as volunteers or in the militia, while others saw action in the U.S. Regular Army. Fort Mims Library Photograph Collection This call for troops in 1812 shows the primary opponent of most of the Tennessee Volunteers: not the British, but the Native Americans. Tennesseans fought alongside and were close allies with certain Native American tribes and factions, but native contributions tended to be overlooked in the greater conflict and in the treaty ending the war. For most Tennesseans, in fact, it was the Creek War of 1813-1814 that was the War of 1812. The hostile element of the Creek Indian nation, in reaction to white encroachment on Creek land and culture, fomented an internal crisis within the Creek nation that spilled over into the nearby Anglo-American settlements. The massacre at Ft. Mims (near present-day Mobile, Alabama) in late August 1813 activated Tennessee's punitive measures that led to the Creek War (1813-1814) — a war disastrous for the Creek nation, which suffered thousands of casualties and the loss of much of their territory. As volunteers and members of local militia, many Tennessean soldiers both distrusted and feared Native Americans and disliked British intervention and aggression in America. Many were also motivated by the opportunity for adventure, a chance to get away from domestic life, and a sense of patriotic duty. Upon enlistment, soldiers elected their officers, usually the wealthiest and most popular men among them.

Division orders signed by Andrew Jackson, 1812 Dyas Collection, John Coffee Papers

Muster Rolls Dyas Collection, John Coffee Papers

A View of Colonel Johnson’s Engagement near Moravian Town, October 5, 1812 Penelope Johnson Allen Cherokee Collection The Creek War As the leader of the hostile Creek federation, Tecumseh distributed small bundles of red-painted sticks to his followers, telling them to throw away a stick every morning and whenever they saw a comet. Once they had thrown away all the sticks, it would be time to attack. The use of these sticks and red war clubs by the hostile factions of the Creeks gave rise to the term “Red Sticks,” by which the upper Creeks came to be known. Tecumseh died in the Battle of the Thames, and Colonel Richard M. Johnson (depicted here) was popularly credited with killing him. Johnson used this reputation to his advantage, later becoming Vice President under Martin Van Buren.

General Andrew Jackson quelling a mutiny 1813 Library Photograph Collection

Creek War discharge papers for Samuel Beard 1814 Dyas Collection, John Coffee Papers Enlistment Disputes By December 1813, after the victories won by the Tennessee Volunteer armies at the Battle of Talladega in November 1813, General Andrew Jackson faced a mutiny by his volunteers regarding their enlistment periods. The problem originated with troops having volunteered for a one-year period at the time of The Natchez Expedition. Jackson felt that time not spent in the field should not apply to the year’s enlistment, but the volunteers felt otherwise, insisting that the enlistment period should include all time spent away from home. The conflict evolved into hostilities and ended with courts-martial for a considerable number of men. By the time Jackson received 900 raw recruits on January 14, 1814, he was down to a force of 103 men. Jackson fought the Battles of Emuckfaw and Enotachopo Creek a week later on January 22-24, 1814.