Daviston
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Daviston

Daviston

Small Alabama town beside Horseshoe Bend battlefield, where the Creek War turned decisively

Daviston is a small town in east-central Alabama, notable as the location of Horseshoe Bend National Military Park. On March 27, 1814, General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3,300 -- Tennessee militia, U.S. regulars, Cherokee, and Lower Creek allies -- attacked Chief Menawa and 1,000 Red Stick Creek warriors fortified in a bend of the Tallapoosa River.

The Red Sticks had built a 400-yard barricade of dirt and logs across the neck of the horseshoe bend. While Cherokee and Lower Creek warriors swam the river to attack from the rear, Jackson's forces stormed the barricade. Over 800 Red Sticks died defending their homeland in one of the bloodiest battles of the Creek War. The subsequent treaty forced the Creek to cede nearly 20 million acres in what is now Alabama and Georgia, and the victory launched Andrew Jackson toward the presidency.

The 2,040-acre park preserves the battlefield with a visitor center, hiking trails, and a driving trail along the river.

Guide

Getting there

Daviston is about 90 miles east of Birmingham and 90 miles northwest of Columbus, Georgia. From Birmingham, take I-20 east to US-431 south, then pick up State Route 49 south toward the park. From Montgomery, head northeast on US-231 to Dadeville, then north on SR-49. The nearest commercial airports are Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM) and Columbus (CSG). There is no public transit -- you need a car.

Guide

Things to do

Daviston exists on the map for one reason: Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, site of the decisive battle of the Creek War. The park preserves the battlefield where Andrew Jackson's forces defeated the Red Stick Creek in 1814, reshaping the entire American South. Beyond the park, this is deep rural Alabama -- come for the history, the river, and the quiet.