Today, March 26, 2022, is the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, a massacre in which General Andrew Jackson and some 3000 of his troops, representing the United States, executed a planned attack against a Muscogee Creek settlement located in this bend of the Tallapoosa River, in what is now the state of Alabama. By the end of the day, Jackson and his troops had slaughtered somewhere between 800 and 2000 members of the Muscogee Creek Nation -- on their homeland.
The Battle at Horseshoe Bend is considered to be the “Last Battle of the Creek War” and resulted, in addition to the immediate death and destruction, the acquisition by the United States of 23,000,000 acres of land, the election of Andrew Jackson to the Presidency, and the Trail of Tears.
I’d read and heard of Horseshoe Bend, but it wasn’t until last month when I visited the site that the enormity and brutality of the event became apparent to me, and I was moved to make this quilt. The site is beautiful – a dramatic bend in the river, tall trees dotting a gently undulating landscape … I can see why a group of Muscogee Creeks had decided to make the place their home. The site is now a National Military Park, featuring interpretive exhibits, walking trails, and a driving tour. I strongly suggest a visit.
The title of this quilt is “Genocide at Horseshoe Bend.” Each of the red hand-embroidered seed stitches represents the body of a slaughtered Native American. There are approximately 1200 of these stitches. It is said that the river ran red for days.
36” x 36”