Tallapoosa

by Larry Williamson

Two brothers from Virginia migrate to new lands in the Mississippi territory (present-day Alabama) in the early 1800s. There they take brides, one an Indian woman and the other the daughter of another settler, and try to build lives on the border of the Creek Nation. At first, life is peaceful and happy as the two couples farm, build and trade with the Creeks living nearby. But as more Europeans arrive, economic forces, political ambition, and personal aggression result in increasing conflict and then bloodshed, culminating in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. Tallapoosa is an exciting historical novel about the Creek Wars and the ramifications of U.S. aggression into Native American lands.

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical novel about a nearby place for me and a time I'm interested in. East Central Alabama, 1810, 2 brothers from western Virginia arrive in Creek territory and decide to settle near the Tallapoosa River. One of them marries a Creek woman and starts a family. But the Creeks are realizing that their lands are in danger. The Fort Mims massacre in south Alabama is the fire starter used by Andrew Jackson and other Tennessee and GA militia to invade the Creek lands and decisively defeat them at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. This was a civil war for the Creeks since some of the "Lower Creeks" in GA and the Cherokees fought for General Jackson.
The brothers try to stay out of the War, to maintain peace and friendship with their Creek neighbors. The sorrow of the Creek wife as she loses her father and brothers is heartbreaking. We all know how this story ends but fiction allows us to see it from different angles.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tallapoosa Love reading about my backyard and the river that runs through it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical novel about two brothers who move from Virginia to the frontier of the Mississippi Territory, now Alabama, in 1810. They settle in the wilderness along the Tallapoosa River in Creek Indian territory. There are no other white families within a day's journey. They make friends with their Creek neighbors and one of the brothers marries a Creek girl. It is during this period of the War of 1812 that the war with the Creek Indians erupts. Most of the Creeks want to live in peace with the whites, but the "Redsticks" influenced by Tecumseh want to bar whites from their nation. The massacre at Fort Mims brings Andrew Jackson and the army to try and punish the Creeks. During this time the two brothers and their wives live in peace with their Creek neighbors, including most of the Redsticks. The story is mostly told from the viewpoint of the brothers, but also switches to the viewpoint of various other figures such as Jackson, President Monroe, and various soldiers and Creeks. The book vividly describes life in the Alabama frontier and coming of war. It is about the "white" inaccurate view of the Creeks as mindless savages who they determine to wipe out in order to take their lands. It is a story both sad and uplifting. I would recommend to anyone who wants an accurate look and this time period and location.