Jasper
Senior Member
I've hunted in Jasper Co. for years and have sometimes wondered where this creek's name came from..........thought some may find this interesting.
Murder Creek History
<http://themonticellonews.com/clients/themonticellonews/5-27-2009-2-16-38-PM-8183343.jpg>
J.S. "Chick" Wilson 28.MAY.09
Murder Creek is the name of a large creek in Jasper County. Old plats, maps and deed records dating back into the 1700s show Murder Creek as a main waterway in our county. It seems that every old map you study shows Murder Creek forming in the northeastern part of the county just south of Farrar.
It then grows larger as it meanders southeast through the county crossing Post Road at the old Ludie Kelly store, Hwy. 83 just southwest of Shady Dale and then crosses Hwy. 16 near the Putnam line and then into the Oconee or Lake Sinclair. It forms one of the largest watershed areas of the county and is open for future development.
Many stories have been told as to how the creek got its name and most are different. Here is probably the true history of how it got its name as noted in Indian Affairs, Vol 1, pp 19-20, Ala/Ga Indian History. If you have a better and more accurate story let me know.
In about 1788 a bloody transaction occurred in our area. The Creeks were active upon the Georgia frontier, engaged in the settlement of Oconee lands; they reduced the town of Greensboro to ashes including the Courthouse. They also carried to the Creek Nation white captives as well as much plunder.
A Colonel McGillivry formed an acquaintance with many royalists and among them, Colonel Kirkland of South Carolina. They all later met at a house upon the Coosa River in 1788, with his son, his nephew and several other gentlemen.
They were on their way to Pensacola, where they intended to procure passports, and settle in the Spanish province of Louisiana. When they left, McGillivry sent his servant to guide them to Pensacola. The presence of the servant would assure the Indians that they were friends, for it was dangerous to travel in this area without the Chieftain’s protection.
The Colonel and his party had much silver in their saddlebags. When they arrived within a mile of this large creek that flows into the Conecuh(Oconee?), they met a pack horse party, about sunset, going up to the Indian nation. They had been to Pensacola on a trading expedition.
The party consisted of a Hillabee Indian, who had murdered so many men that he was called the “Man-slayer,” a white man who had fled from the states for the crime of murder, and on account of his ferocity the Indians called him “Cat,” along with Bob a bloodthirsty Negro.
By night the Colonel and his men were settled in and out of sight and the scoundrels camped across the creek near the trading trail. As soon as the Colonel’s party went to sleep with their saddlebags, full of silver, under their heads and their guns against a tree, the wretches from the other side of the creek slipped in and seized all the guns and killed all of them, dividing the booty.
The group then proceeded to the Creek Nation, and when the horrid affair became known, Colonel McGillivray sent persons in pursuit of them and captured Cat but the others escaped. Milford was directed to convey the scoundrel to the spot where he had shed the blood of these men and there to hang him, until he was dead.
Upon the journey Milford secured him in temporary stocks with notched pine logs. Reaching the creek where Kirkland and his party were murdered, Cat was suspended to the limb of a tree of which was still stained with the blood of the unfortunates. While he was hanging, the Frenchman stopped his motions with a pistol ball. Such is the origin of the name “Murder Creek.”
This seems like a logical story so now when we see the signs on the bridges over “Murder Creek” we know where it got its name.
Murder Creek History
<http://themonticellonews.com/clients/themonticellonews/5-27-2009-2-16-38-PM-8183343.jpg>
J.S. "Chick" Wilson 28.MAY.09
Murder Creek is the name of a large creek in Jasper County. Old plats, maps and deed records dating back into the 1700s show Murder Creek as a main waterway in our county. It seems that every old map you study shows Murder Creek forming in the northeastern part of the county just south of Farrar.
It then grows larger as it meanders southeast through the county crossing Post Road at the old Ludie Kelly store, Hwy. 83 just southwest of Shady Dale and then crosses Hwy. 16 near the Putnam line and then into the Oconee or Lake Sinclair. It forms one of the largest watershed areas of the county and is open for future development.
Many stories have been told as to how the creek got its name and most are different. Here is probably the true history of how it got its name as noted in Indian Affairs, Vol 1, pp 19-20, Ala/Ga Indian History. If you have a better and more accurate story let me know.
In about 1788 a bloody transaction occurred in our area. The Creeks were active upon the Georgia frontier, engaged in the settlement of Oconee lands; they reduced the town of Greensboro to ashes including the Courthouse. They also carried to the Creek Nation white captives as well as much plunder.
A Colonel McGillivry formed an acquaintance with many royalists and among them, Colonel Kirkland of South Carolina. They all later met at a house upon the Coosa River in 1788, with his son, his nephew and several other gentlemen.
They were on their way to Pensacola, where they intended to procure passports, and settle in the Spanish province of Louisiana. When they left, McGillivry sent his servant to guide them to Pensacola. The presence of the servant would assure the Indians that they were friends, for it was dangerous to travel in this area without the Chieftain’s protection.
The Colonel and his party had much silver in their saddlebags. When they arrived within a mile of this large creek that flows into the Conecuh(Oconee?), they met a pack horse party, about sunset, going up to the Indian nation. They had been to Pensacola on a trading expedition.
The party consisted of a Hillabee Indian, who had murdered so many men that he was called the “Man-slayer,” a white man who had fled from the states for the crime of murder, and on account of his ferocity the Indians called him “Cat,” along with Bob a bloodthirsty Negro.
By night the Colonel and his men were settled in and out of sight and the scoundrels camped across the creek near the trading trail. As soon as the Colonel’s party went to sleep with their saddlebags, full of silver, under their heads and their guns against a tree, the wretches from the other side of the creek slipped in and seized all the guns and killed all of them, dividing the booty.
The group then proceeded to the Creek Nation, and when the horrid affair became known, Colonel McGillivray sent persons in pursuit of them and captured Cat but the others escaped. Milford was directed to convey the scoundrel to the spot where he had shed the blood of these men and there to hang him, until he was dead.
Upon the journey Milford secured him in temporary stocks with notched pine logs. Reaching the creek where Kirkland and his party were murdered, Cat was suspended to the limb of a tree of which was still stained with the blood of the unfortunates. While he was hanging, the Frenchman stopped his motions with a pistol ball. Such is the origin of the name “Murder Creek.”
This seems like a logical story so now when we see the signs on the bridges over “Murder Creek” we know where it got its name.
