Fort Mitchell (Fort Mitchell, Alabama)
Fort Mitchell · Alabama · Creek War
History & Significance
During late 1812 and winter of 1813, General John Floyd established Fort Mitchell in Creek territory along a trail that became the Federal Road, naming it for former Georgia governor David Brydie Mitchell. The fort served as a supply base and major base of operations for military campaigns against the Upper Creeks at Autossee and Calabee Creek.
Floyd's forces departed the fort with 1,100 militia and 400 friendly Creek warriors, fortifying additional positions along the Federal Road. After attacking Autossee in November 1813, Floyd retreated to Fort Mitchell.
From 1817 to 1825, the post became a center of commerce, with a trading house established to provide goods to local tribes below market prices. Beginning in 1817, an Indian Factory operated as a trading post staffed by the U.S. Indian agent, running until about 1820, while a post office operated from 1818 to 1820.
The fort was garrisoned during the Second Creek War in 1836, after which most Creek in Alabama were forcibly relocated to Indian Territory. Archaeological excavations in 1971 uncovered gravesites, hospital remains, the fort's footprint, barracks, and storage facilities.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Reconstructed 1813 stockade and military buildings from the Creek War era
- Museum exhibits on Creek War history and the Trail of Tears
- Chattahoochee Indian Heritage Center with Creek nation memorial
- Historic burial grounds and U.S. veterans cemetery on-site
- Archaeological remains and National Historic Landmark designation
Sources
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/creek-war-of-1813-14/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creek_War
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mitchell,_Alabama
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=241205
- https://visitfortmitchell.org/2016/07/11/brief-history/
- https://theclio.com/tour/1728
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Mitchell_Historic_Site
- https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/FtMitchell.asp
- https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/fort-mitchell/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=26069