How did Andrew Jackson defeat the Red Stick Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend?

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1812, War of — War of 1812 Battle between the frigates HMS *Shannon* and USS *Chesapeake* off Boston during the War of 1812; detail of a lithograph Louis Haghe after by J.C. Schetky.

At the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814, Andrew Jackson utilized a force of 2,700 disciplined troops, supported by 600 Cherokee and "White Stick" Creek allies, to defeat the Red Stick Creeks.1

The Red Sticks were entrenched in a stronghold called Tohopeka, protected by the Tallapoosa River on three sides and a heavy earth-and-timber breastwork on the fourth. Jackson’s victory was achieved through a two-pronged approach:1

Diversion: Jackson used two field guns to bombard the breastworks. While this caused little structural damage, it served as a distraction while Colonel John Coffee’s forces crossed the river in captured canoes to attack the village from the rear.1
Direct Assault: With the enemy distracted, Jackson ordered his regulars and militia to charge the breastworks. The troops stormed the fortifications using bayonets and clubbed muskets, leading to a brutal five-hour hand-to-hand battle that effectively crushed the Red Stick resistance.1

This decisive engagement largely ended the Creek War.1