McIntosh and Weatherford: Creek Indian Leaders

by Benjamin W. Griffith Jr

Born of Creek mothers and Scottish fathers, these two fascinating men fought on opposing sides during the Creek War of 1813-14. William McIntosh (White Warrior) sided with Andrew Jackson and the Lower Creeks, and William Weatherford (Red Eagle) joined the Red Sticks. Benjamin W. Griffith, Jr., illuminates the remarkable story behind the legends and folk tales surrounding these Creek leaders.

340 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[Brenden Gallagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those instances where a brilliant idea results in a book that doesn't quite live up to its promise.

William Weatherford and William McIntosh were both Creek tribesmen despite having majority white heritage. They were both the children of prominent Creek families and they were both great warriors. When civil war erupted among the Creeks, Weatherford sided with his people and McIntosh was one of a contingent of Creeks to fight alongside Andrew Jackson and the Americans.

Weatherford's story is exciting and even noble. A reluctant leader, he fights against impossible odds before surrendering in heroic fashion when there are simply no more battles left to fight. He goes on to live a long life, defeated but never truly destroyed.

McIntosh's life was a series of compromises. Though he is a willing accomplice of the Americans in war and later in politics, he is stabbed in the back repeatedly by greedy politicians, and yet he continues to do the bidding of US, negotiating unfavorable treaties for his people until his people take matters into their own hands.

There is an obvious and simple lesson here that applies to our current moment as well as the Alabama frontier in the early 1800s. Emiliano Zapata once said he would rather dies on his feet than live on his knees. Weatherford ended his life respected by Whites and Creeks alike, and was honored with a massive monument in his honor. McIntosh was killed by his own tribesmen and is remembered as a traitor. That's about as clear an endorsement of feet over knees as there can be.

This book would probably be more interesting if McIntosh's life of cowardice and compromise were more interesting. Unfortunately for Griffith, so much of the book has to be concerned with the boring nature of McIntosh's back room dealings, dirty contracts, and skimming this or that off the top.

While it is a good idea to contrast these two figures, this book is a reminder that not only does cowardice not pay, it also isn't very interesting.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-researched retelling of an important and complex period in American history, told through the lives of two Native American leaders caught in the tension. Weatherford and McIntosh were as complex as the period in which they found themselves, landing on opposing sides of the competing interests of American settlers and the native Creek Indians upon whose land they encroached. Griffith does a good job presenting this controversial and often tragic period with a minimal amount of bias. If you want to learn more about the Creek Indian wars and the early history of the southeastern United States, one would be hard-pressed to find a better accounting.

[Jordan Harmon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very outdated. This book is good for information about chronological events. However, it is clearly written from the settler's perspective- it glorifies and calls Andrew Jackson a "hero," and it demonizes any Native Americans who fought against the United States. Read it for the information, but take what it says with a grain of salt.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both men were born of Scots fathers and Creek Indian mothers. Since the Creeks were a matriarchal society, that maternal ancestry came to the fore in terms of the way they lived their lives. They were not related, and in fact fought on opposing sides in the Creek War. I have McIntosh ancestry, but I am not descended from William McIntosh. I am, however, directly descended from William Weatherford and am very proud of it. I found the book very interesting from that standpoint.