Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 469
fame. It was ordered further that the sword be purchased at once and
deposited for safe keeping in the executive chamber. This was done;
and for more than fifty years it was one of the treasures of the state
capitol. In 1880, during the administration of Governor McDaniel,
the General Assembly made the Georgia Historical Society of Savan
nah the custodian of this priceless heirloom.
Having brought the Creeks to terms, General Jackson turned his
eyes still further southward. We next find him at Mobile, awaiting an
attack from the British. But the latter had crossed over into West
Florida, then a territory of Spain and had reached Pensacola, a town
which Jackson had already asked for permission to attack. In default
of an answer from Washington, he now threw diplomacy to the winds
and with 3,600 men stormed the town, expelled the British from Pensa
cola and drove the Creeks and Seminoles into the neighboring swamps.
To join General Jackson at Mobile the general government in Octo
ber called on Georgia for 2,500 militia. These troops were ordered to
meet at Fort Hawking and were put under command of Gen. John Mc-
Intosh. From this body of troops, Brigadier-General Blackshear was
detached at the head of a column to subdue an uprising of Seminoles
on the Flint River. At the same time, General Mclntosh, with the re
mainder of the militia started for Mobile, instructing General Black-
shear to join him there; but on reaching his destination General Black-
shear found that the Seminoles had been effectually subdued, that the
British had been driven from Pensacola and that General Jackson,
marching over land, was then en route to New Orleans there to meet
the Red Coats of England upon arrival. General Blackshear was then
ordered to join General Floyd in Savannah; and it was on this march
across the state that he blazed the afterwards famous Blackshear Road.
Word received from General Floyd stated that the British were 2,000)
strong, had pillaged the Town of St. Mary's and had withdrawn to-
Cumberland Island; but on General Blackshear's arrival no sign of the
enemy was to be found.
Jackson's arbitrary conduct in foreign territory belonging to ai
power with which we were then at peace was about to result in censure'
from the President when he transferred his forces to New Orleans, there-
winning on January 8, 1815, over the seasoned veterans of Packenham,
a victory which instantly restored his popularity and caused the cabi
net to drop its consideration of drastic measures with respect to his con
duct at Pensacola, The Treaty of Ghent had already been concluded!
between the two nations at war when General Jackson fought the Battle'
of New Orleans; but this fact did not lessen the brilliancy of a triumph!
won by him over soldiers who had been trained under the Iron Duke-
and who later in this same year were to stand among Wellington's con
quering legions at Waterloo.
On January 26, 1815, news of the Battle of New Orleans was brought
to Fort Hawkins by an Indian runner from Mobile. General Black-
shear, en route to Savannah, received the tidings on February 4th, and'
in return sent a letter by courier to General Floyd telling him that in
celebration of the victory nineteen guns were fired at Fort Hawkins.,