MassacreFort Mimms, AL
1813
Colored Engraving
19th Century
The phrase originated with Benjamin Hawkins (1754-1816), Creek Indian agent around the time of the War of 1812.
It should be correctly written as 'God willing and the Creek don't rise'.
Hawkins, college-educated and a well-written man would never have made a grammatical error, so the capitalization of Creek is the only way the phrase could make sense.
He wrote it in response to a request from the President to return to our Nation's Capital and the reference is not to a creek, but The Creek Indian Nation. If the Creek "rose," Hawkins would have had to be present to quell the rebellion.
Is that painting of the massacre at Fort Mims in Alabama?
ReplyDeleteThere was an important battle against the Creek Indians not far from me at Horseshoe Bend in March, 1814.
The site is now a national military park, and in the museum they have a copy of an engraving that looks like your picture.
You are so right, Laura!
ReplyDeleteWhile I copied the picture from the New Georgia Encyclopedia, I went back and found that it referenced The Granger Collection.
Here's what it says about this engraving:
MASSACRE: FORT MIMMS, 1813.
The massacre at Fort Mimms, Alabama, on 30 August 1813 in the opening of battle of the Creek Indian War: colored engraving, 19th century.
I just googled that phrase after writing my comment over at Cindy's. :) Your blog was my next stop.
ReplyDelete