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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 579
yards through mud and water, thickly set with cane, a man was ordered
to ascend a tree, for the purpose of making discoveries, who reported the
camp at a distance of three hundred yards, pointed out a noted forked
pine as a land-mark, and also stated that he could discern spies watching
their trail, and others keeping a look-out on General "Wellborn's division.
Captains Ball and Clifton were directed to move forward, inclining to
the left, in order to give them an attack broadside. The march was con
tinued until the Indians could be heard talking. A halt was ordered
by giving signs, and Colonel Wood dispatched, with others, to gain the
rear of General Wellborn, and inform him where Major Jernigan was
situated, the position of the Indians, etc. The messengers had not been
absent two minutes before a brisk firing took place between General
Wellborn and the savages. A charge was ordered with, the sound of the
horn, and in thirty seconds from the fire of the first gun, the two com
panies gained the hammock, and covered the entire line of the enemy.
The firing from all quarters was heavy and, animated. The Indians
fought with more desperation, and gave up the ground with more reluc
tance, than in any battle previously had with them. The engagement
lasted forty-five minutes, and ended about half past one o'clock.
"After forcing them from their strong positions, two infant chil
dren were heard to cry in the cane-brake. They were brought to the
battle-ground. Major Jernigan's loss was three killed—Mr. Carter, of
Irwinton, Ala., David Sutley, of Randolph, and John Cfocker, Jun., of
Lumpkin. Thirteen were wounded. A part of those whose wounds were
slight returned to their homes. The following is a list of the wounded:
—E. Butler, ————— Frith, Thomas Shepherd, Willis Barton, William
Hughes, Colonel Wood and William Hilborne, of Randolph; Lewis Wil
liams, Richard Cannady, Captain Green, and B. Ball, of Stewart; Cap
tain Jenkins and ————— Patterson, of Irwinton, Ala. The loss of the
Indians was not ascertained. Eighteen were found dead, some of them
three miles from the battle-ground,"
Nine congressmen were allotted to Georgia under the new apportion
ment which became effective for the first time in the Twenty-Third Con
gress (1833-1835). The state's delegation chosen at this time was as
follows :• Augustin S. Clayton, John Coffee, Thomas F. Foster, Roger L.
Gamble, George R. Gilmer, Seaborn Jones, William Schley, James M.
Wayne and Richard Henry Wilde.* Mr. Schley, at the expiration of his
term of office, was elected governor of Georgia.
To the Twenty-Fourth Congress (1835-1837), Georgia sent: Jesse
F. Cleveland, John Coffee, Thomas Glascock, Seaton Grantland, Charles
E. Haynes, Hopkins Holsey, Jabez Jackson and George W. Towns.!
General Coffee died while in office and to -succeed him, Hon. William
C. Dawson, of Greensboro, afterwards a United States senator, was
elected. General Coffee was a distinguished Indian fighter but was not
the officer of this name, associated with Gen. Andrew Jackson in his
campaign against the Creeks, afterwards the latter's law partner, in
Nashville, Tennessee. These two John Coffees were first cousins, and
were not, therefore, as many have supposed, identical. George W. Towns
* "Biog. Cong. Directory,'
t Ibid., p. 139.
1774-1911, p. 133.