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Show SG LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. CHAP. must conform; believing it might be more difficult to II. drive licentiousness from his camp, than to prevent ~its entrance. Impatient to join his division, although his health was far from being restored, his arm only beginning to heal, the general, in a few days afterwards, set out for the encampment, and reached it on the 7th. Finding, on his arrival, that the requisition was not complete, either in the number of men, or the necessary equipments, measures were instantly taken to remedy the deficiency. Orders were directed to the several brigadiers in his division, to hasten immediately their respective quotas, fully equipped for active operations.' Circumstances did not permit him to remain at this place long enough to have the delinquencies complained ·of remedied, and the ranks of his army filled. Co-october. lone! Coffee had proceeded with his mounted volunteers, to cover Huntsville, and give security to the fron· tiers. On the night of the 8th, a letter was received from him, dated two days before, advising, that two Indians, belonging to the peace party, had just arrived at the Tennessee river, from Chinnaby's fort, on the Coosa, with information that the war party had despatched eight hundred or a thousand of their warriors, to attack the frontiers of Georgia; and, with the remainder of their forces, were marching against Huntsville, or Fort Hampton. In consequence of this intelligence, exertions were made to hasten a movement. Late on the following night, another express arrived, confirming the former statement, and representing the enemy, in great force, to be rapidly approaching the Tennessee. Orders were now given for preparing the line of march, LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. 57 and by nine o'clock the next day, the whole division, CHAP. was in motion. They had not proceeded many miles, II. when they were met with intelligence that colonel~ Gibson, who had been sent out by Coffee, to recon-noitre the movements of the enemy, had been killed by their advance. A strong desire had been mani-fested to be led fonvard ; that desire was now strength· ened, by the information just received; and it was with difficulty their emotions could be restrained. Thev mended their pace, and before eight o'clock at night, arrived at Huntsville, a distance of thirty-two miles. Learning here, that the information was erroneous, which had occasioned so hasty a movement, the gene-ral encamped his troops ; having intended to march them that night to the Tennessee, had it been confirm-ed. The next day, the line of march was resumed. The influence of the late excitement was now visible in the lassitude which followed its removal. Proceed-ing slowly, they crossed the Tennessee, at Ditto's landing, and united in the evening with colonel Coffee's regiment, which had previously occupied a command-ing bluff, on the south bank of the river .. From this place, in a few days afterwards, Jackson detached co-lonel Coffee, with seven hundred men, to scour the Black "V arrior, a stream running from the north-east, and emptying into the Tombigbee; on which were supposed to be settled several populous villages of the enemy. He himself remained at this encampment a week, using the utmost pains, in training his troops for service, and labouring incessantly to procure the ne-cessary supplies for a campaign, which he had deter· mined to carry directly into the heart of the enemy's |
