Английская Википедия:Battle of Island Flats

Содержание

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Текст

Шаблон:Infobox military conflict The Battle of Island FlatsШаблон:Efn (also Battle at Long Island of the Holston, Battle of Eaton's Station) was the opening battle of the American War of Independence in the west. The battle was fought in July 1776, and pitted the American regional Patriot militia against the British allied Cherokee forces in the Overmountain region of the American frontier.

War

In mid-July, Dragging Canoe, Oconostota , and The Raven led a surprise attack on the Overmountain settlements of Eaton's station, Fort Watauga, and Carter's Valley, respectively. The purpose of the coordinated, three-pronged attacks were to drive the settlers of the Washington District back over the Appalachian Mountains. The attacks were made with the knowledge that the British allies of the Cherokee would be escalating their war against the American rebels following their recent Declaration of Independence. The Cherokee were going to war.

Eaton's station

Warned ahead of time of the coming assault by messengers sent from Cherokee diplomat Nancy Ward, the areas' militia members, most of whom were battle hardened and experienced from the recent Dunmore's War, were mustered to Eaton's station,Шаблон:Efn situated on the ridge just east of Long Island. Under Majors James ThompsonШаблон:Efn and William Cocke, they readied Eaton's station for battle. Along with a small garrison of soldiers that had been stationed in the area, they rapidly fortified the simple way-station and constructed a stockade fence of logs and rails around it. Then the frontiersmen waited for the arrival of the war party.

Battle

Both of the opposing forces comprised less than 200 men each: about 170 for the frontiersmen, and approximately 190 for the Indians. The Native American raiders were following Cherokee war chiefs, Oconostota, Dragging Canoe (Tsiyu Gansini) and The Raven (Savanukah), all of whom were skilled and experienced warriors. They started their campaign against the settlers on July 20, 1776. Because of the lack of surprise that they counted on, the Cherokees were quickly routed, and they withdrew after suffering at least 14 fatalities (nearly one-twelfth of their entire force). The Indians also suffered several lesser casualties—including a badly wounded Dragging Canoe. The station defenders suffered four casualties.

After being beaten back by the frontiersmen, Cherokee raiding parties continued attacks against the isolated settlements in the region. State militias retaliated, destroying Native villages and crops.

Further reading

• Alderman, Pat; Dragging Canoe: Cherokee-Chickamauga War Chief; Overmountain Press; Johnson City, Tennessee; (1978)
• Brown, John P; Old Frontiers; Kingsport: Southern Publishers; (1938)
• Haywood, W.H.; The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee from its Earliest Settlement up to the Year 1796; Methodist Episcopal Publishing House; Nashville; (1891)
• Moore, John Trotwood; Foster, Austin P.; Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923, Vol. 1; S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.; Chicago; (1923)

External links

• Battle of Long Island Flats; Waymarking.com; Roadside Historical Marker; Text & Picture