Matthew Steelman

            Matthew Steelman was born on his family’s plantation, near the place that today is known a Millboro, Virginia. The date was February 27, 1813, it was cold, and a bit snowy. Matthew’s father, Jonathan, was a soldier, who a year later would lose his left leg in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend¹. He would have lost his life except Climbing Bear, one of the US’s Cherokee allies, carried him to safety. Matthew’s mother, Rebecca, would die when he was seventeen, but until then she raised her son as best she could, doing her best to ensure that Matthew grew up to be a proper gentleman. Matthew had an older sister, but he never knew her real well, as she married when he was quite young, and her husband’s farm was in Kentucky, on the other side of the Appalachians. When he was twelve, he almost had another sister, but she died a few days after her birth.

            Matthew’s childhood was fairly ordinary, for his time. His family’s plantation, was small, as plantations go, but his family was well to do, straddling the line between upper middle class, and lower upper class. They had no neighbors, and with no other children his age, Matthew never had a lot of friends as a child. Once a week, a tutor came to the farm to educate him in the “three R’s.” His family had three slaves, one to tend to the house, and two others to work the fields. Matthew had a busy childhood, his time filled up with chores, but he did have time for himself, to swim in the small ponds, or play games he made up for himself. Additionally, on the rare occasions when his father felt their chores could be put off for a day, he would take Matthew hunting. When he was older, Matthew would often spend time hunting himself. But without a doubt as a young child, Matthew’s favorite activity was sitting in front of the fire in the evenings, and listening as his father recounted stories of his time in the military, especially the story of how his father had nearly died at Horseshoe Bend.

            In, 1831, when he was old enough, his family splurged and sent Matthew to attend Washington College² in nearby Lexington, Virginia. At college Matthew had his first opportunity to socialize with boys his own age on a regular basis. This was also Matthew’s first time away from his family’s plantation for a prolonged period, and although he traveled home for every break his first three years, he found himself desiring to see more of the world. Consequently when he was finished schooling in 1836, he enlisted in the military, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Matthew’s had a good, if undistinguished military career, quickly finding himself promoted to first lieutenant. He had a tendency to take as much time as he could to consider all the possibilities of a situation before making a decision. This is not to say he couldn’t make quick decisions, he could, but he preferred when he had the luxury of taking his time. Matthew also strived to be as fair as possible, and was consequently very popular with the men who served under him. This is not to say that Matthew did not have his detractors, in particular a peer of his, Second Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Smith, and he often got into rousing arguments over the best way to lead. Then came the Trail of Tears.

            Under the terms of the fraudulent l836 Treaty of New Echote, all Cherokee who lived within the Cherokee Nation, were required to give up their homeland and remove west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory. As of May l838, only a few had done so. So General Winfield Scott was dispatched to Calhoun, Tennessee with about seven thousand soldiers to forcibly remove almost sixteen thousand Cherokee to the west. Lieutenant Steelman, and his squad were among those deployed for this purpose. Matthew was not very happy with the relocation of the Cherokee, he not only remembered how it was a Cherokee warrior who saved his father, but he remembered his father telling him that the Cherokee alone, of all the Eastern tribes did not join Tecumseh’s “Indian Nation,” and fought with the white settlers when Tecumseh’s forces tried to drive the white man from the continent. But Matthew was also an officer in the United States Army, and had taken an oath. Had things gone smoothly, Matthew would probably have quietly done his duty. But things did not go smoothly.

            Tsali was one of the “traditionalist” Cherokee who had not been involved in the heated debates over the removal policy. He lived with his wife and three sons in a cabin near the mouth of the Nantahala River, where it flows into the Little Tennessee, near present day Bryson City, North Carolina. Soon the soldiers arrived at Tsali’s cabin and told him that he and his family must go to the stockade at Bushnell, down the Little Tennessee River from Tsali’s cabin. Although Tsali did not understand, he offered no resistance. With his wife, his sons and his brother-in-law’s family, they headed toward the Bushnell stockade carrying only a few things which they had managed to put into bundles. Four soldiers escorted them, including Matthew’s old rival, Second Lieutenant Andrew Jackson Smith.

            What happened is unsure. According to Smith, he, accompanied by three soldiers, had captured the Tsali group of twelve, five men, seven women and some children. In the morning of November l, Smith led the “prisoners” back toward the stockade at Bushnell. Having made a camp, Smith warned his men to be on guard for trouble. Shortly thereafter, one of the Cherokee drew a hidden ax and sunk it in the forehead of one of the three soldiers. In the next moments, a second soldier was killed, and the third was wounded. Smith claimed that his horse became frightened and ran away, saving Smith’s life, according to his official report. The Cherokee then fled, after taking some articles from the soldiers. Smith went to the Bushnell stockade, took the Cherokee who had been previously collected there and marched to Fort Cass at Calhoun where he made his official report to General Scott on November 5.

            Those who later talked to Tsali in his hiding place told a different story. According to the story somewhere along the way, one of the soldiers prodded Tsali’s wife with a bayonet, to quicken her steps. Tsali became angry. In the Cherokee language, Tsali told the other Cherokee to get prepared to take the soldier’s guns when he pretended to fall, and they would escape into the hills. In the resulting scuffle, a soldier’s gun discharged and ripped a hole in the side of his own head. Tsali had intended no bloodshed, but his family quickly ran into the woods and proceeded to a cave in the mountains under Clingman’s Dome.

            From his past experiences with Smith, Matthew found himself doubting his account of events. How could four United States military personnel, carrying rifles, one on horseback when they were supposedly camping, be overpowered by five Cherokee men and seven women and children, who were apparently armed with only one ax small enough to be hidden on a man’s body? Consequently he was all too ready to believe the Cherokee account when it started circulating. Sure Smith’s report made no mention of a soldier prodding Tsali’s wife with a bayonet, but Matthew could see Smith omitting such an action, which would reflect poorly on him. Further he knew Smith’s men were prone to being drunk and disorderly, and could quite easily have provoked the Cherokee farmer in Matthew’s estimation. Unfortunately, Matthew’s opinion on the subject was irrelevant. On November 6, General Scott gave orders to Colonel William S. Foster to hunt down and shoot the “murderers.” However, the hunt was less then successful. As the Cherokee that had fled to the mountains before Tsali demonstrated, the mountains were a large area, and full of hiding places, and the Cherokee had lived in the area for uncounted generations. Even seven thousand soldiers could not hope to conduct a thorough search of the region. Finally, General Scott enlisted the aid of Drowning Bear and Will Thomas (the white adopted son of Chief Drowning Bear). General Scott offered Drowning Bear a deal to take to Tsali. If Tsali and his sons would surrender to the military, the soldiers would cease hunting down the refugees hidden in the mountain, and allow them to remain. Tsali accepted the deal, and he and his sons surrendered, and with the exception of Tsali’s youngest son, they were executed the next day. Shortly afterwards, the last group of Cherokee to be forced to leave, left on the long journey to the Indian Territories.

            For Matthew the execution of Tsali was the last straw. Already opposed to the forced removal of the Cherokee who had always been friends of the white man, Matthew felt that the execution of Tsali was totally unjustified, and said so in so many words. Unfortunately Matthew was only a lieutenant, while Scott was a general under orders, much as he might disagree with them. Finally, in protest, Matthew resigned his commission, and stormed out of the encampment.

            Matthew, disgusted by what he had seen returned to his family’s plantation, now his with his father’s passing a year beforehand. Finally, Matthew decided on a course of action. He sold the plantation, for as much money as he could, and with that money, along with a tidy sum he had managed to save up during his enlistment, he returned to the Great Smokie Mountains of Western North Carolina, and bought up as much land as he could, inviting the remaining Cherokee to set up farms on the land which came to be known as Golanuyi. Matthew himself used only a small portion of the land, enough for a small house and farm. Matthew also served as a purchasing agent for the Cherokee (as did Will Thomas) allowing Cherokee to purchase land through him, as the Cherokee could not legally own the land they had lived on for centuries.

            At first the Cherokee were wary of Matthew, for he was a white man, and had been one of the soldiers that had come to force them from their homes. But his actions now, as well as tales of his actions before, began to win them over. Matthew eventually married a Cherokee woman, Virginia Standingdeer, and was adopted by her father Carl Standingdeer. Carl’s adoption of Matthew also served another purpose, as Carl was a Keeper of the Medicine, and having no sons of his own, wished for someone to pass his knowledge onto.

            Matthew received the Cherokee name Golanuanida Awigadoga [Young-raven Standingdeer]. And he did indeed receive some basic training from his adopted father. For five years he lived happily with his adopted people, but the return of the Sunoyi Waya, put an end to all that.

            The Sunoyi Waya, (Cherokee for Night Wolf) was a semi-mystical creature. According to the legends it was a great wolf, smart as a man, that hunted only on the darkest nights. The creature could not be hurt by weapons, and any who saw it would die of fright. It was said the creature did not eat meat, but feasted on the spirits of its victims. When it was in the area, animals would mysteriously die, and any person caught outside would be found dead the next day, often without a mark on them. Matthew however was a practical person, who was skeptical of such legends. After considering the stories, as well as the current events, Matthew came to the conclusion that the Sunoyi Waya, was just a large rogue wolf, and that its depredations were being exaggerated by people scared by the old legend. But legend or not, it was a problem for his adopted people, and Matthew decided to hunt it down. Scared by the old legends, no one would accompany Matthew on his “quest” and his wife begged him not to go. Matthew assured her that he would be back before too long, then set out into the chilly September morning to hunt.

            For a week, Matthew tracked Sunoyi Waya through the mountainous woodlands, his quarry always seeming to be just beyond the next ridge. Certain times as he moved through the dark and mist shrouded forest he found himself wondering just who was hunting who, but he dismissed such thoughts, and chided himself for listening to fanciful legends. Finally, on the seventh night, Matthew managed to close with his prey, only to discover two things. One, that the wolf had indeed been hunting him. Two, in every legend there is a grain of truth.

            In this case the truth was that Sunoyi Waya was not a wolf in truth, but a vampire, who preferred to remain in the form of a great black wolf. On a misty night Matthew cornered the Sunoyi Waya in a dead end canyon, the wolf stopped beside a waterfall, and turned to face him, its eyes gleaming red in the darkness. It bared its fangs in a ferocious growl, and then charged. Aiming as fast as he could, he fired his rifle, at the swiftly approaching animal. He never knew if his shot hit or not, as the wolf didn’t even slow. It leapt at Matthew, who drew his tomahawk and knife and prepared to fight for his life. In midair, the form of the wolf melted away to become a wild-looking man with long fangs, and fingers ending in sharp claws. For several minutes they fought, Matthew out of desperation, and Sunoyi Waya with an inhuman savagery. Matthew was a strong man, and skilled, but he was just a man, and no match for the supernatural might of his foe, and before too long he fell. His last thoughts of his wife, and the promise he made, Matthew went down.

            The battle over, Sunoyi Waya stood over his fallen foe, watching the last of Matthew’s life ebb away, and considered. True, when this foolish white man decided to hunt him, it was annoying, but that he had persevered for a week was impressive, and that he had nearly succeeded in catching him on several occasions was amazing. Further this person, had managed to hold him off far longer then he would have anticipated. Here was one who was worthy. Calling on the powers of his blood, he summoned a nearby bear to the location, and stunned it. Then he bent down, and drank deeply of Matthew’s blood, when he had drawn the last bit out he bit the end off his tongue, and allowed a small drizzle of his own vitae to flow into Matthew’s mouth. As Matthew started to stir, Sunoyi Waya padded away into the darkness. Matthew awoke, his body hurt all over, but worse was the burning pain in his stomach, a hunger worse then any he had known before. The scent of something warm, and sweet, reached his nostrils, and without thinking Matthew began to feed. It wasn’t until he had drained the last drop of blood from the bear that Matthew realized what he was doing. Horrified, and not knowing what he had become, Matthew searched all over but could not find any trace of Sunoyi Waya. Finally, as dawn approached, Matthew felt a strange lethargy creeping over him. He found a cave, curled up and fell asleep.

            Matthew awoke the next evening, and decided to return to his home, perhaps his adopted father could explain to him what he had become, and maybe even cure him. Moving swiftly, he made it back in just three days. On the fourth night, he arrived at his home, and quietly slipped inside. He went to his bed, and looked down on his sleeping wife, debating wether to wake her, or to slip into bed beside her and let her find him when she awoke in the morning. But as he looked down on her he found himself thinking only of the blood that pumped through her veins, of how good it would taste, how welcoming the warmth would be as it flowed into his mouth, and how hungry he suddenly was. Tearing himself away from the bedside, he went out to the living room, and shook for several minutes, terrified of how close he had nearly come to feeding from and killing his wife. He came to the realization that he was a danger to those he loved, as long as he was near, so he grabbed a few possessions and made ready to leave. Unfortunately he had not been as quiet he thought, and the noise awoke his wife. She came into the living room, carrying a small pistol, Matthew, about to walk out the door at this point heard her small gasp of shock, and turned to face his wife one last time. Terrified of what he might do if he stayed, yet desiring to stay more then anything, he faced her for what seemed like hours. Finally, he made his decision, whispering “I love you,” he turned and ran outside, disappearing into the fog. His wife ran to the door and called after him. Mustering every bit of his will, he ran on until finally, he found a small cave where he curled up, and wept bloody tears as the sound of his wife calling his name, echoed in his mind.

            For the next couple of weeks, he haunted the area around Golanuyi, always careful to avoid his adopted people. The white poachers, who had convinced themselves that Indians were somehow less then human, and consequently felt no qualms about stealing their livestock and crops became his prey. Golanuyi, already considered slightly peculiar, started to gain a very black reputation. Matthew himself began to discover certain benefits to his new state. With a little concentration, he could see in complete darkness as easily as daylight, and he found that he had become tougher, harder to injure. But though he was careful to avoid being caught, he could never escape the feeling that he was being watched.

            Over a month after his previous encounter with Sunoyi Waya, the Night Wolf returned. When the great wolf appeared ahead of him, its black coat in sharp contrast to the moonlit snow, Matthew paused unsure. He remembered the last encounter, and how badly outmatched he had been. And though he was angry with Sunoyi Waya suspecting that he was responsible for his new state, he did not feel that he was a match for the creature even with his new found power. So instead Matthew waited, ready, and watched to see what Sunoyi Waya would do. This time the wolf didn’t attack, instead its features again, melted into that of a smallish man. The man approached with his arms, at his sides, but slightly away from his body and forward, palms facing Matthew. Matthew held his ground, but could feel a part of him howling to either fight or flee. When only a few feet separated the two of them, the man spoke. He introduced himself as Galen, explaining what he was, and what Matthew had become. For a year they ran together. Galen had haunted this area for centuries, having traveled across the Atlantic in the hold of the ship that brought the members of the ill-fated Roanoke colony in 1584. He traveled a yearly route, seldom staying in one place for more then a week, before moving on. A whole circuit of his territory took a whole year. During his time there he had encouraged the spread of the Sunoyi Waya legend, as it made his hunting and feeding much easier.

            During their time together he trained Matthew in everything he felt Matthew would need to know. Matthew learned that he had become a vampire, more specifically, a member of the clan called Gangrel. Galen taught Matthew of his lineage, and the ways of the clan. He also instructed Matthew in the fine arts of hunting, and tutored him in the uses of his blood. As time went on, his lessons turned to the others. He learned of the other clans, and of the two great sects. Galen explained that even though they ran by themselves, they were members of the Camarilla, and to beware the treacherous ways of the Sabbat. He carefully educated Matthew on the traditions, ensuring that Matthew knew and understood them. He explained how if he ever went to one of the few cities, disobedience to the traditions could cost him his existence.

            He also taught Matthew of the other beings that haunted the night, of the Lupines, creatures that Matthew would meet all too soon. It was a night nearly a year to the day from Matthew’s embrace, when Galen announced that Matthew would soon have the opportunity to meet others of his kind. He explained that an althing, a clan gathering was to be held in a few weeks, and that they would begin traveling to the spot immediately. Unfortunately their route took them a little too close to a holy place of the lupines. Something the lupines did not like at all.

            The pack pursued the pair for three nights, dogging their every step. The slept carefully in well concealed caves, and each night awoke hoping that they had lost their pursuers, only to hear the howling again shortly after they set out. On the fourth night they decided to split up feeling that either the lupines would only follow one of them, or they would split up as well, giving them both a better chance to escape. That was the last time Matthew saw Galen. Matthew never knew if the lupines had indeed split their forces, or had ignored Galen to chase him with all their numbers. For three more nights, Matthew fled through the mountains trying every trick he knew, and even making up a few new ones, but to no avail. The lupines eventually caught him. Cornered at the top of a cliff, Matthew fought as best he could, but he was no match for five angry lupines. The battle ended in seconds, when Matthew fell off the cliff, and plunged to the stream below. Badly injured, and low on blood, Matthew none the less managed to crawl from the river. He found a shallow cave, really nothing more then a depression in the dirt, and sank into the ground to sleep. And sleep he did.

            As Matthew slept, the world around him changed. A great war split the United States over the issue of slavery, with the ending of the war, the slaves were freed. The Cherokee were recognized as citizens of the United States, and their land in western North Carolina, the Qualla Boundary, was declared the Eastern Cherokee reservation. The United States grew to span the entire continent of America. The automobile was invented, and the airplane. A great war was fought in Europe, and the United States was sucked into it, to emerge victorious, now recognized as a world power. A few years later, the economies of the world collapsed, and the world spiraled into another great war. Again the United States emerged victorious, this time as the leading power of the world. No sooner then that war ended did the West, led by the US, find itself locked in “Cold War” with the East, personified in the Soviet Union. For forty years the two nuclear powers stared at each other, in a deadly game of nuclear brinkmanship, until in the mid 1980s the economy of the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Cold War ended, with the US, and it ideology again victorious.

            Through this all, Matthew slept in the ground just to west of the now bustling city of Asheville, North Carolina. Then one day, the interstate there was due for repairs. The interstate that had ironically been laid over Matthew’s unmarked tomb. The rumble of the construction vehicles began to disturb Matthew’s sleep, bringing him nearer and nearer to wakefulness. Then the accident happened. No one was killed, but the worker was badly injured and lost a lot of blood, the precious red fluid draining into the ground over Matthew’s head. The smell, brought Matthew still closer to waking. That night Matthew awoke with the taste of blood in his mouth. Using the power of his blood Matthew called animals to his side, draining their blood for sustenance. Then he set out to discover how things had changed while he slept. The first thing he discovered was a strange black ribbon, over which contrivances of some sort traveled at great speeds, with bright lights leading the way. He eventually wandered to the outskirts of Asheville, only to discover that the once small community where people huddled around fires after darkness fell, had become a city, well lit by some unknown force.

            It was at a highway rest area near Asheville, that Matthew had his encounter with a mortal of this new time. He rode a two wheeled contrivance of some sort, and his clothes were cotton and leather. He smelled of alcohol, and hemp, and upon seeing Matthew, attired in the few rags of his clothes that survived the week of running, and the final lupine assault, he began to taunt Matthew. Matthew did not remember the fight, just the dimming of his vision into a red haze, as the beast long denied, screamed from it’s cage. When at last he was in control of himself again, the exsanguinated body of the biker was at his feet. Realizing that he would need attire more suited to this time and place, and that the stranger would no longer need his clothes, he took the them, concealing the body, and his old rags, where they would not be found for a while.

            Matthew continued his wanderings, hoping to find one of his own kind, who might be able to explain what he was seeing. For several months he wandered eastward, never meeting another vampire at all, although occasionally, he would see the signs of other kindred. Finally, Matthew wandered just north of the city of Greensboro. He found the area around Lake Brandt, Lake Higgins and Bur-Mil Park, to be to his liking. Not too far from civilization, but not crowded with houses. He claimed the area around the two lakes and the park as his hunting grounds. He fed mostly from the animals, but was not above grabbing foolish mortals who thought to use the wilderness area for nefarious ends. Consequently his presence went unnoticed both by the mortals, and by the other supernatural denizens of the city although a few mortals began to wonder at the sudden dearth of stray animals in the area. Then there was the time two gangbangers decided to drag a rival, who had been encroaching on their drug territory, out to the lake to “dispose” of him. Matthew had an enjoyable time hunting the three of them through the dark woods, and even though the police were puzzled why they would go swimming that late in the season, no one seemed to notice that all three bodies were missing quite a bit of blood. . .

            Matthew wandered his territory, staying away from the roads as much as possible, and sleeping in the ground wherever he might be when the sun arose. Away from the wilderness trails, and the fire breaks, Matthew found an old abandoned cabin that he used to store the few possessions he accumulated that he could not Earth Meld with. He suspected there were lupines in the area, but he never encountered them. He came to the conclusion that if there were lupines nearby, they would ignore him as long as he kept a low profile. In the meantime, he kept a sharp look-out for signs of other kindred. Over time he began to notice the patterns that Galen had told him to watch for. He now thinks he can find the local population of kindred, and is preparing to enter the city and present himself to the Prince.

Gangrel, Camarilla, and any other elements of Vampire: the Masquerade are Copyright by White Wolf Publishing Inc. Everything else is Copyrighted 2001 by George Embley.

Endnotes

1]Tecumseh, 1768-1813, was one of the greatest leaders of the Shawnee Indians. He attempted to form a confederacy of various Indian tribes, working towards his ultimate goal of a unified Indian nation. While the Prophet (Tecumseh's Brother) united Indians spiritually, Tecumseh desired to unite the Indians politically. Tecumseh joined his brother in Prophetstown with his own group of warriors, but he never settled there permanently. He spent most of his time traveling around to the other tribes. Tecumseh had a goal: to unite all of the Indian tribes and form one nation that would occupy what was left of Indian territory. He wanted to stop the advancement of Anglo-American settlers, and Tecumseh felt a unified Indian Nation was the means of doing so. Tecumseh began his unification process with the tribes in the northwest. He and his band of warriors would travel from tribe to tribe. Tecumseh would speak of unity and the evils of the Anglo-American settlers. He gained the reputation of a gifted and influential speaker. Though many of the tribes did not agree with him, Tecumseh still managed to form a confederation of tribes in the northwest. Tecumseh also saw the British as an important ally. He sensed the growing animosity between the British and the United States. The growing confederation and the possible alliance between Tecumseh and the British alarmed Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory. A strong unified Indian nation that allied with the British was a serious threat to the young United States. Harrison began to take action. On September 30, 1809, he signed the Treaty of Fort Wayne with chiefs of the Miami, the Potawatomis and the Delawares. The treaty gave more land to the United States, and was a setback for Tecumseh. Both Harrison and Tecumseh continued to work against each other, and finally realized that a meeting was necessary. The summer of 1810, Tecumseh traveled to Governor Harrison's home in Vincennes, Indiana Territory. Harrison documented the meeting in a letter he wrote to the Secretary of War. Tecumseh told the Governor that he did not want to go to war with the United States. He only wanted to prevent further expansion into Indian Territory. Tecumseh also explained his distrust of the United States and his dislike of the Treaty of Fort Wayne. He felt the land was public, and all of the tribes had to consent for the land to be sold. The meeting did not accomplish much, except that Tecumseh claimed he would not go to war with the United States, and Governor Harrison promised to believe him. Tecumseh continued to recruit warriors, and Prophetstown continued to grow. Governor Harrison still feared an Indian uprising. On June 24, 1811, he wrote to Tecumseh about his fears. He wrote that the settlers feared the Indians. He wrote that he knew Tecumseh formed a confederacy with the intent to fight the United States. Tecumseh agreed to return to Vincennes, in order to qualm Governor Harrison's fears. He arrived with close to two- hundred warrior, but also a number of women and children to show he came in peace. Again Tecumseh claimed he meant no harm to Governor Harrison or the settlers. Immediately after this meeting, Tecumseh traveled to the south. He knew that the northern tribes and southern tribes must unite . This would complete his dream of the one Indian Nation, and make the confederacy successful. Tecumseh did not want to fight a war with the United States with out support of the southern tribes. He left the Prophet with strict instruction to maintain the peace with Governor Harrison. Tecumseh reached the Creeks (his mother's tribe) in the fall of 1811. He spoke at the annual Creek council in October. At the council he denounced the Anglo-American settlers and discussed the need to prevent them from inhabiting any more of the Indian lands. He asked the Creeks to join his confederation of tribes. The Creeks were an important ally because they too did not get along with the United States. Tecumseh was influential in his trip to the south, where he remained until around December. Many of the Creek tribes believed him and wanted to join the confederation. The future looked promising, but fate stepped in. Tecumseh returned home to face defeat. The Prophet had not listened to Tecumseh's request of Peace. He had fought the Battle of Tippecanoe with Governor Harrison and lost. In March 1814, Jackson's army left Fort Williams on the Coosa, cut a 52-mile trail through the forest in three days, and on the 26th made camp six miles north of Horseshoe Bend. The next morning, Jackson sent Gen. John Coffee and 700 mounted infantry and 600 Cherokee and Lower Creek allies three miles downstream to cross the Tallapoosa and surround the bend. He took the rest of the army-about 2,000 men, consisting of East and West Tennessee militia and the 39th U.S. Infantry-into the peninsula, and at 10:30 a.m. began an ineffectual two-hour artillery bombardment of the Red Sticks' log barricade. At noon, some of Coffee's Cherokees crossed the river and assaulted the Red Sticks from the rear. Jackson quickly ordered a frontal bayonet charge, which poured over the barricade. Fighting ranged over the south end of the peninsula throughout the afternoon. By dark, at least 800 of Chief Menawa's 1,000 Red Sticks were dead (557 slain on the field and 200-300 in the river). Menawa himself, although severely wounded, managed to escape. Jackson's losses in the battle were 49 killed and 154 wounded, many mortally. Though the Red Sticks had been crushed at Tohopeka, the remnants of the hostile Creeks held out for several months. In August 1814, exhausted and starving, they surrendered to Jackson at Wetumpka, near the present city of Montgomery, Ala. The Treaty of Fort Jackson ending the conflict required the Creeks to cede some 20 million acres of land-more than half of their ancestral territorial holdings-to the United States. (The State of Alabama was carved out of this domain and admitted to the Union in 1819.) In 1829, partly as a result of his fame from the battles of Horseshoe Bend and New Orleans, Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States; a year later he signed the Indian Removal Bill forcing all the tribes east of the Mississippi River to move to Oklahoma, a journey the Cherokees called the "Trail of Tears." The Southeast, cleared of most Indians and free from the threat of foreign intervention, thus became part of the United States and was opened for settlement by whites.

2] In 1749, Scotch-Irish pioneers who had migrated deep into the Valley of Virginia founded a small classical school called Augusta Academy, some 20 miles north of what is now Lexington. In 1776, the trustees, fired by patriotism, changed the name of the school to Liberty Hall. Four years later the school was moved to the vicinity of Lexington, where in 1782 it was chartered as Liberty Hall Academy by the Virginia legislature and empowered to grant degrees. A limestone building, erected in 1793 on the crest of a ridge overlooking Lexington, burned in 1803, though its ruins are preserved today as a symbol of the institution's honored past. In 1796, George Washington saved the school from possible oblivion, giving the school an endowment gift valued at $50,000 - at that time the largest gift ever made to a private educational institution in America. This gift remains a part of the University's endowment, and income has exceeded $500,000. Thus all Washington and Lee students can say that Washington's gift helps pay a part of the cost of their education every year. In 1798, the trustees expressed their gratitude to Washington by changing the name of the school first to Washington Academy and later to Washington College. By then, the college was established on its present grounds. Additional endowment was provided by the Virginia Society of the Cincinnati and from the estate of John Robinson. These gifts, added to Washington's, formed the principal financial foundation of the college until the presidency of Robert E. Lee.