Fort Mitchell (3)
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Fort Mitchell (3) (1813-1837) - A U.S. Army post established in 1813 during the War of 1812 and the Creek Indian War by General John Floyd in present day Russell County, Alabama. Named for David Bryde Mitchell, governor of Georgia. Abandoned in 1837.
Fort Mitchell HistoryFirst established in Creek Indian country near the Chattahoochee River in 1813. In 1817 the Creek Indian Agency was established at the site. In 1825, with unrest among the Creek Indian Tribes, Major Donahoe and elements of the 4th U.S. Infantry arrived at the now dilapidated Fort Mitchell and rebuilt it on the same site as the original. The new fort Mitchell was palisaded and had two blockhouses on opposing corners The Treaty of 1832 and the resulting Creek Indian War of 1836 caused the Creeks to cede their land to the U.S. Government and in 1837 they were moved to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma. The local Creeks were assembled at Fort Mitchell and removed on 2 Jul 1836 to Montgomery Alabama where they boarded boats to begin their journey to the Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Creek warriors were removed in chains with the women, children and elderly left to follow along behind. Soon after their departure the fort was abandoned. U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)During the U.S. Civil War Fort Mitchell was used to recruit and organize Confederate units from Alabama. Confederate General James Cantey organized the "Cantey Rifles" at the fort in August 1861. Some eleven companies were raised from the surrounding counties for what would become the 15th Alabama Volunteer Regiment. Over 900 volunteers were raised for the 15th Alabama which ended up fighting in east Tennessee and Virginia. Current StatusNow a reconstruction of the 1813 fort and a visitor center in Russell County, Alabama.
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Links: Visited: 17 Apr 2016
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