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Show 160 LIFE m· GEN. JACKSON. CHAP. Having at length succeeded in procuring confidenv. tial messengers, previously to setting out on this ex...,.,._, pediti:on; Jackson addressed colonel Milton,and advised 1814' him of his intended movement. To guard against any accident or failure that might happen, different expresses were despatched, by different routes. He informed him that with eight days' provisions, and a force of about two thousand men, he should, on the 7th, take up the line of march, and proceed directly for Hoithlewalee ; which he expected to reach and at· tack on the 11th. He urged the necessity of a proper concert being established in their movements ; and ci· ther that he should proceed against the same place, about the same time, or, by making some favourable Expcdi· tion to Hoithlewalee. diversion in the neighbourhood, contribute to the sue· cessful accomplishment of the objects of the expedition. His point of destination, owing to the floods of rain which had fallen, and raised the streams to considerable heights, was not reached until the 13th. This de_lay, unavoidable, and not to be prevented, gave the lndmns an opportunity of fleeing fi·om the threatened danger. On reaching a creek, of the same name, which skirted the town, it was so swollen as to be impassable. The savages, gaining intelligence of an approach that ~vas thus retarded, were enabled to escape, by passmg the river in their canoes, and gaining the opposite shore. Had colonel Milton fortunately made a dif· ferent disposition of the troops under his command, and co-operated with the Tennessee division, by guarding the southern bank of the river, their escape would haYc been prevented, and the whole force, col· LIFE OF GEN. JACKSON. 161 lected here, would either have been destroyed or made CHAP. prisoners. Although Jackson, in his Jetter of the 5th, v. ~ had asst:red him he would reach the enemy on the 1814• 11th; and when prevented by high waters and rotten roads, had ag-ain notified him, that he would certainly arrive and attack him by the morning of the 13th; and urged him to guard the south bank of the Talla-poosa; still was the request disregarded, and the sa-vages permitted to escape. Learning they were aban-doning their position, and seeking safety in flight, Jackson filed to the right, and overtaking the rear of the fugitives, succeeded in making twenty-five prison-ers. At this time, nothing was heard of colonel Mil-ton; but on the same day, having marched about five miles from his encampment at Fort Decatur, and approached within four of Hoithlewalee; he, the next morning, gave notice of an intention to attack the vil-lage that day ; at this moment the inhabitants and war-riors had fled, and the town was occupied and partly destroyed by a detachment from Jackson's army, that had succeeded in passing the creek. The Georgia army being so near at hand, was a source of some satisfitction, although the escape of the enemy had rendered their presence of less impmiance tl~a~ it oth~rwise would have been. The stock of pro~ VISIOns, w1th which the march had been commenced from Fort Williams, was nem·ly exhausted. Assurances, however, l~aving been so repeatedly given, that abundant supphes would be had on uniting with the sout11ern army, and that event being now so near at lmnd, all uneasiness upon this subject was at once dispelled. Colonel Milton was immediately applied to, X |