Ferdinand Claiborne

Mississippi Territory

At the time of his move to Natchez, Claiborne's brother William C. C. Claiborne was serving as governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for the Mississippi Territory.

Elected in 1804 to serve in the 3rd General Assembly of the Mississippi Territory, Claiborne experienced a rapid rise in prominence. In July 1804 he announced in the Natchez newspaper that he and Edmund Wooldridge were becoming business partners. As of 1805, Ferdinand Claiborne had a dry goods store in the Natchez District in partnership with Edmond Wooldridge. They announced a dissolution of the partnership in October 1805, while Claiborne carried selling assorted foodstuffs and sundries including Madeira wine, coffee, soap, tamarinds, and spermacetti candles.

Appointed colonel of the Militia of Adams County, in 1806 Claiborne was ordered to march a unit in support of General James Wilkinson during the Sabine expedition. On November 30, 1806, he dueled Captain Benjamin Farar on the Vidalia sandbar; they shot at each other "with a brace of dueling pistols at ten paces. After two rounds were fired without damage to either party, the challenger declared that his honor was satisfied." The feud continued into 1807, in part because Farar "considered Claiborne an arrogant martinet". A dispute involving Farar, Claiborne, and Governor Williams and review of militia troops led to the revocations of Claiborne's commissions as militia colonel and magistrate. Claiborne's former business partner Wooldridge died at age 32 in June 1807 at the White Apple Village after a year's illness. In October 1807 local planter and politician Joseph Sessions wrote to James Madison requesting intervention in the matter of Claiborne's commission.

In January 1807 he advertised for sale "two women and five children, two of them of sufficient size to pick cotton...to be sold low and a credit given until 1st March next."

As of 1812 he was a director of the Bank of Mississippi, capitalized at $500,000, along with Stephen Minor, Samuel Postlethwaite, William Shields, Wm. Brooks, John Hankerson, Lyman Harding, Wm. G. Forman, Jeremiah Hunt, Lewis Evans, Jas. McIntosh, Thos. Wilkins, and Jas. C. Wilkins.

War of 1812 and Creek War

A change of territorial administrations led to Governor Holmes asking the President of the United States to commission Claiborne as a Brigadier General of the militia of the territory. Supported by the legislature in 1809, this appointment was made in 1811. When war was declared in 1812 Claiborne was made a colonel of Mississippi Volunteers, United States Volunteers. Promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in March 1813, he became the force's commander.

Creek War

United States military involvement in the Creek War began on 27 July 1813. A unit of Mississippi Territory militia intercepted and engaged a group of Red Stick Creeks. This engagement, known as the Battle of Burnt Corn raised tensions considerably within the territory.

In July 1813, Claiborne was ordered to Fort Stoddert to defend the eastern part of Mississippi Territory from the Creeks. Claiborne expected the Creek to seek revenge for the previous battle. Knowing that he did not have the resources for a full-scale offensive against the Creek, he instead dispatched troops to reinforce various frontier forts, including Fort St. Stephens and Fort Glass. Claiborne assigned Major Daniel Beasley to take less than 200 militiamen to reinforce forts along the Tensaw River. Beasley distributed about 50 of his troops to various forts along the river and stationed the remaining 120 at Fort Mims. This decision turned out to be a fateful one as Beasley, his troops, and many of the settlers and mixed race Creek sheltering in the fort were killed during the Massacre of Fort Mims on 30 August 1813. Claiborne was initially blamed for the massacre. However, Beasley took few precautions despite the likelihood of an attack. The day before the attack Beasley disregarded the sighting of Creek warriors by two slaves, after cursory scouting did not find any Creeks.

When news of the massacre reached Claiborne, his command was still in no position to further reinforce the frontier. Brigadier General Thomas Flournoy, commander of the Seventh Military District, based in New Orleans, authorized Claiborne to call up more militia to augment his force. He was ordered to march his newly augmented force to the confluence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers engaging any Creek forces encountered. Claiborne spent approximately one month at Fort Easley combing the area for Red Stick warriors. Claiborne then established Fort Claiborne as his base of operations against the Creeks. With the completion of the fort, Claiborne was to be reinforced by army regulars from the 3rd Infantry Regiment and 7th Infantry Regiment.

Claiborne's expected reinforcements were delayed when an administrative change of responsibilities for the Creek campaign occurred. The conflict was taking place in both the Sixth Military District and the Seventh Military District. The decision was made to place the conflict under the command of the Sixth Military District. Taking offense, Flournoy, the Seventh District commander called his regulars back to New Orleans and dismissed from federal service the Mississippi Dragoon Regiment. Claiborne's initial protest was met by a reprimand from Flournoy, but Claiborne's persistence led to the Third Infantry joining the campaign.

With the addition of the regulars, Claiborne began his campaign in November 1813 with a combined force of 1200 troops. The campaign's objective was the Creek settlement at Econochaca. Also known as the Holy Ground, this settlement served as a safe haven and base of operations for William Weatherford. Creek prophets claimed to have placed a protective barrier around the town to kill any white man who crossed the barrier. As Claiborne marched on Econochaca, he established forts to protect the rear of his force. On 23 December 1813, Claiborne attacked Econachca. The ensuing Battle of Holy Ground marked a defeat for the Creeks. After Claiborne's force foraged for food, they burned the rest of the town. The following day Claiborne's force fought another brief engagement and burned another Creek town.

Aftermath and effect on the wider war

With the Red Sticks on the run and pushed out of his area of operations Claiborne retired to Fort Claiborne. His militia troops' enlistments were due to expire on 1 January 1814. Claiborne resigned his volunteer commission on 17 January 1814. Claiborne's campaign had a significant impact on the Creek War. By clearing the Alabama River of Red Sticks, and building fortification to keep them out, he forced them to move eastward. This eastward movement nearly coincided with the beginning of the campaign of General Andrew Jackson. This set the stage for the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, which occurred on 27 March 1814, a decisive victory for Jackson, effectively ending the Red Stick resistance.

Last years and death

Claiborne returned to Natchez with his troops in 1814. In March of that year, he resumed his duties as brigadier general of militia. Claiborne made extensive expenditures, of his own money, for the care and transportation of his men. In doing so, he expended nearly all of his fortune. Claiborne died March 22, 1815, at the age of 45.

Personal life

Ferdinand L. Claiborne was married to Magdaline Hutchins, a daughter of Anglo-American settler Anthony Hutchins. Another Hutchins daughter, Mary, was the wife of planter and territorial treasurer Abner Green. After Claiborne's death his widow remarried, to Baptist minister Dr. David Cooper.