This Torrent of Indians: War on the Southern Frontier, 1715–1728

by Larry E. Ivers

“It is likely as fine-grained an account of the actions of the Yamasee War as we are to possess for decades.” —H-Net ReviewsThe southern frontier could be a cruel and unforgiving place during the early eighteenth century. The British colony of South Carolina was in proximity and traded with several Native American groups. The economic and military relationships between the colonialists and natives were always filled with tension but the Good Friday 1715 uprising surprised Carolinians by its swift brutality. Larry E. Ivers examines the ensuing lengthy war in This Torrent of Indians. Named for the Yamasees because they were the first to strike, the war persisted for thirteen years and powerfully influenced colonial American history.Ivers’s detailed narrative and analyses demonstrates the horror and cruelty of a war of survival. The organization, equipment, and tactics used by South Carolinians and Native Americans were influenced by the differing customs but both sides acted with savage determination to extinguish their foes. Ultimately, it was the individuals behind the tactics that determined the outcomes. Ivers shares stories from both sides of the battlefield—tales of the courageous, faint of heart, inept, and the upstanding. He also includes a detailed account of black and Native American slave soldiers serving with distinction alongside white soldiers in combat. Ivers gives us an original and fresh, ground-level account of that critical period, 1715 to 1728, when the southern frontier was a very dangerous place.“Comprehensive and highly readable . . . This book will be a classic of Southern history.” —Lawrence S. Rowland, Professor Emeritus, University of South Carolina at Beaufort

Genres: History

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2016

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a history of the warfare between the colonists of the Carolinas and the Native American tribes of the region between 1715 and 1728. The author examines the causes of the war as well as the way the war was waged by both sides. A good read for those interested in Native Americans.