|  | Massacre Island | |  | | Massacre Island | | Twelve-year-old Nicolas de La Salle and his family sailed to La Louisiane (French Louisiana) with Governor Iberville to start a French settlement on the Gulf coast. Nicolas's father was with the explorer, Robert Cavelier de La Salle, when he reached ... | | | $16.95 | |  |
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| | | History | Home » » » A Conquering Spirit: Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813-1814 | | | | | | | Product Promotions: | | | | | Description: | | Nationwide repercussions to a bloody battle on the southern frontier. The Fort Mims massacre changed the course of American history in many ways, not the least of which was the ensuing rise of one Andrew Jackson to the national stage. The unprecedented Indian victory over the encroaching Americans who were bent on taking their lands and destroying their culture horrified many and injured the young nation’s pride. Tragedies such as this one have always rallied Americans to a common cause: a single-minded determination to destroy the enemy and avenge the fallen. The August 30, 1813, massacre at Fort Mims, involving hundreds of dead men, women, and children, was just such a spark. Gregory Waselkov tells compellingly the story of this fierce battle at the fortified plantation home of Samuel Mims in the Tensaw District of the Mississippi Territory. With valuable maps, tables, and artifact illustrations, Waselkov looks closely at the battle to cut through the legends and misinformation that have grown around the event almost from the moment the last flames died at the smoldering ruins. At least as important as the details of the battle, though, is his elucidation of how social forces remarkably converged to spark the conflict and how reverberations of the battle echo still today, nearly two hundred years later. A Dan Josselyn Memorial publication | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Dr. Gregory A. Waselkov Ph.D. | | Hardcover:
| 408 pages | | Publisher:
| University Alabama Press | | Publication Date:
| February 28, 2006 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0817314911 | | Product Width:
| 163.0 centimeters | | Product Height:
| 238.0 centimeters | | Product Weight:
| 2.06 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.3 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.6 inches | | Package Weight:
| 2.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 5 reviews |
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10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 When's The Movie Coming?Dec 30, 2006
By Brother Dave
Finally someone has written a modern study of the "Creek War" and my favorite history period in one complete package.
The early history of the migration of Americans into the Mississippi Territory and the conflicts this created is covered. Wonderfully detailed with illustrations, pictures of artifacts, notes and additional details not normally covered in this period of history. Mr. Waselkov includes the only detailed account of every known participant of the attack on Fort Mims. Great for those tracing their genealogical history in this area and period of time.
This book covers the periods leading up to the attack, the details of the attack, the expanded war it created and the political outcomes in more detail than has ever been published. This is the best detail and depth of information on the Creek culture and its relation to the causes of the "Creek War" I've ever read. Outstanding!
If you grew up loving movies and books about Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone and fiction like the "Last of the Mohicans" then this true history of the conflict between Southern Indian tribes and the American Pioneers is for you. The many personalities involved in this terrible tragedy that can be described as "heroes" on both sides. It is a wonder that noone has made a movie of this history.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
The Ft. Mims MassacreJun 19, 2008
By Richard L. Welch
A CONQUERING SPIRIT, Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813-1813, by Gregory A. Waselkov, The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa (2006), 414 pages.
This must be lucidly the ne plus ultra for this fascinating conflict. The research is indefatigable, thorough, and multi-faceted. The author has utilized the skills of historian, archaeologist, anthropologist, ethnologist, and genealogist. It is only after his melding these elements all together that the trees become clearly delineated from the woods. His explication of family relationships and interactions sheds light on otherwise difficult to understand actions by the participants. His explanation of the clan and kinship systems used by the Creeks and the inevitable cultural conflicts that arose with the Americans are invaluable.
Probably few Americans grasp that the Ft. Mims Massacre of 30 August 1813 was presumably the greatest massacre of cultural non-Indians of the many Indian Wars in our four hundred years of history. Even fewer grasp that of the hundreds killed, many were not white but included large numbers of cross-breeds of Indian and white (the author interestingly refers to them as métis which is a French derived word for "mixed" similar to the Spanish mestizo) and blacks - not to mention that these included numerous women and children. Ultimately the fight descended into a massacre of civilians by the Creek Indians many of whom themselves were métis and therefore related to those whom they were killing. There is great academic debate on exactly how many were killed but most historians agree that the number is between 350 and 530. It was not pretty.
This exhaustively endnoted volume details the story of this fierce fight at the fortified plantation home of Samuel Mims in the Tensaw District in what is today Baldwin County, Alabama, north of Mobile. Essentially this massacre triggered the Creek War of 1813-1814 that had been incubating for some time with the many social forces that conflated to spark the massacre and war. Ultimately it was Andrew Jackson that terminated this sanguinary war with his historic victory at Horseshoe Bend. The Creeks never really recovered after this war that they initiated with the great massacre at Samuel Mims plantation.
This magnus opus of the Ft. Mims massacre in the Redstick War is strongly recommended. It presents the many different perspectives of the protagonists with equity.
5 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Breathing New Life Into Our Forgotten HistoryDec 19, 2008
By Robert R. Fisher
The War of 1812 is a fascinating period that has long been neglected in American history courses. I suspect this is partly due to the disconnected or isolated nature of the conflicts that together encompass what we call the "War of 1812." From naval battles on Lake Erie against the British to the Redstick War against the Creek Indians in Alabama, the War of 1812 just does not lend itself to a simple linear presentation.
There is, however, opportunity to study the components of the war, each with unique causes, combatants and historical implications. And with that in mind, Gregory Waselkov has done a masterful job presenting the Redstick War of 1813-1814.
The passages dealing with the mixed race metis on the Tensaw and their role in the start of the Redstick civil war have never been so clearly explained. The details about the Battle at Fort Mims that emerged from the authors' research made reading "A Conquering Spirit" worth while even if you have read other accounts.
Waselkov goes well beyond dates and names and brings this story alive with archaeological details and the personal and sociological motivations of groups and individuals involved. From the Weatherford brothers on opposite sides of the battle to the fascinating way the Creek metis and whites of the Tesnaw lived in peace in the decade before the war, the story telling is lively and engaging throughout.
Fort Mims was a stand alone cultural reference point and defining moment of early American history. Without Mims, the resulting Trail of Tears may not have happened. Through the Redstick War we see the early literary and cultural romanticization and transfiguration of the this once hated foe. It is not an overstatement to say that a full understanding of US Native American policy in the 19th century is not possible without understanding the events and missed opportunities with the Creek in Alabama.
I began researching historical accounts of Fort Mims and Clarke County Alabama history several years ago. I discovered Halbert and Ball's "Creek War of 1813 and 1814" in Google Books. From there I found "A Conquering Spirit" and this work is a perfect compliment to that classic.
A final note: If you find yourself traveling down I-65 or on I-10 in Alabama, many of the sites and locales described in this book are still around to be visited. There are still short sections of the Federal Road near Monroeville and the Fort Mims and Sinquefield sites near the Alabama river look much as they did nearly 200 years ago. A little research will get directions. Horseshoe Bend Military Park is another great place to visit.
 A distorted viewFeb 04, 2012
By Edmond P. Garrett
Too much modern sociology overlaid onto an historical event. Looking at historical events through a modern prisim of political correctness distorts the causes and consequences of historical events. This particular event was basically a race war of ethinic cleansing by the Red Sticks, however the author never mentions this aspect. The noble savage was an invention by Fenimore Cooper that modern academics cannot seem to throw off.
A Very Valuable ResourceNov 27, 2010
By Steven M. Hamrick
As a writer of historical fiction, primary sources are extremely valuable. "A Conquering Spirit" does a wonderful job of compiling the various primary sources into a detailed picture of what the Battle of Fort Mims was actually like. The writing is professional yet easy to absorb, and I came away with a much improved idea of what the entire battle was like, including the events leading up to it and following it.
I would recommend this book to any professional or casual student of history. It's a great way to learn about an era that's nearly been forgotten, and you'll be impressed with what you learn.
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