Charles, thanks for your reply re Jere AUSTILL. I agree much more could have been said about him. Rev. T. H. Ball's book (1882) on Clarke Co., AL, pp. 459-467, has a quite good sketch about Jeremiah's life and the AUSTILL family. He speaks of Evan moving his family from SC to the Cherokee agency (US Gov.) in GA to help "spread among the Cherokees the arts of civilization." He says, "Mrs. E. AUSTILL is said to have been the first white woman who ventured to live among the Cherokees." Says Jeremiah was born in SC in 1794, but five more were born while living in the agency. They were there nearly 14 yrs. When Evan decided to move on, the Cherokees begged him not to leave, offering much land if he would stay. Re Burnt Corn - Jeremiah was married in 1819 to Martha HAYSE/HAYES, dau. of Capt. James HAYSE/HAYES, postmaster at Burnt Corn Springs. She died a year later, of injuries suffered when she was startled by raiding Indians and fell from a rail fence. In 1834, he and Margaret EADES HAILS were married, two years after her husband's death. I don't see the Battle of Burnt Corn in his pension appl. - but he was at Ft. Madison in Clarke Co., served under Capt. Sam DALE in the Canoe Battle (wounded) and the Holy Ground Expedition, did much scouting, etc. I've heard that story about Caesar only holding the canoes, but in his personal account of the battle in the AL Archives, Jeremiah included Caesar as a participant. It was a horrendous fight. There is also a large painting of Jere there. The DAR grave marker calls him "Col." - I presume because of his later militia service. Regards, Anne Connell ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles Lee To: Connell Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 9:35 PM Subject: Jeremiah AUSTILL, Sir Thanks for the story of this family. In "The Canoe Fight" there were three men against several Indians. I have not seen the actual number of Indians, but in two accounts it is said as if it were "overwhelming odds". One of the three was a black man named Caesar. He did not help but only held the canoes together. When ask about this he replied that the Indians would have only taken him as a slave! The other besides Austill was Sam Dale. A Local hero, pioneer, Indian fighter. There was a fort named for him close to Greenville Alabama. Fort Dale. It is said the Indians were so impressed by this "fight", that they did not bother the settlers for some time. Wasn't Mr. Austill also in "the battle of Burnt Corn". The settlers heard about a war party coming from Pensacola with new supplies. Some Farmers and a few real soldiers found them encamped on Burnt Corn Creek. They sprang on the Indians and ran them off. But the farmers soon "broke rank" and began plundering the pack animals. The Indians regrouped and counter attacked and would have killed all of them if it were not for these brave military men who retreated to a defensive position and laid down covering fire. Said another way, these few men knew what to do, but it took incredible "Moxie", to do it. (muskets you know, not repeater rifle's!) As for Mr. Austill being Indian, from what I have read on Alabama History etc., If he was there before 1810-15, there is a very good chance that he was part Indian. Pickets Alabama history is on line; http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~cmamcrk4/pktfm.html#anchor1397250 The Creek Indians are still there close to Atmore Alabama on "the Porch Indian reservation". a webb site for Creek Indians ; http://hometown.aol.com/dbreez9913/Secondwebpage1.html ----------------- Best Regards Charles L. Lee cllee@fls.infi.net