Friday, April 10, 2015

2015 ~ Friday, April 10, General Coffee defining moments with Andrew Jackson Florence Library, Florence, Alabama


Attended a one hour talk about General Coffee, his life, and journey during the war of 1812 and the Indian Wars. http://tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/tn1812.htm


The War of 1812 and Indian Wars

http://www.tennessee.gov/tsla/exhibits/veterans/1812.htm

Felix GrundyNashville lawyer, along with a group of Democratic-Republicans known as the War Hawks, provided the rhetoric necessary to lead the nation into a conflict that many considered unpopular.

War Hawks and set the tone for the War Hawks by proclaiming he would rather have war than further submit to British insults.

Henry Clay, Was the leader of the War Hawk fraction. 


Andrew Jackson, His victory in the New Orleans Battle catapulted him into a national celebrity and was elected the President of the United States


George Washington Campbell, Served as Chairman of the Committee of Military Affairs.


John Coffee was Jackson's right-hand man during the war and he advanced to Brigadier General during the war. 


John Sevier, he headed the Military Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives during the War of 1812. He and Andrew Jackson hated each other.

http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/1812/intro3.htm

Mr. Brown talked about battles at Talluwshatchee and Talladega 

(3 and 9 November 1813)

battle of Emuckfau and Enotochopco 
(22 and 24 January 1814)

Battle of Battle of Horseshoe Bend -the battle that ended the Creek Wars. (27 March 1814) 
On April 1, 1814, John Coffee wrote a letter to his wife, Mary, describing the Battle of Horseshoe Bend:
"I crossed the river with 700 mounted men and 600 Indians and took possession of the other bank to prevent them swimming over the river and escaping – all was executed well, the enemy fought with their usual desperation, but we overpowered them, and after Cannonading them about two hours, we charged their works by storm and put the whole to death but a few that hid under the banks of the river, the slaughter was great we counted 557 dead bodies on the ground beside about 300 that was shot and sunk in the river, making in the whole that we killed from 850 to 900 – and took about 500 prisoners squaws and children – we lost on our part of white men 26 killed and 106 wounded besides 23 friendly Indians killed and 47 wounded . . ."


Meyers Brown was very informative and covered a lot about General Coffee's involvement in the War of 1812, his association with Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, George Washing Campbell, Felix Grundy, John Sevier and many others.

Most of this information can be found at the Tennessee Archives.
Tall tombstone belongs to John Coffee and around our family members
taken September 8, 2010
Brick wall around the Coffee Cemetery
Taking the path to the Coffee Cemetery 

Walmart donated $25,000 dollars to the restoration of the Coffee Cemetery and members of the Historical Society are in the process of cleaning it up and making it a historic site to visit.
Anyone interested in helping contact the historic Society of Florence.

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