The Death of Jesse Suttle and other attacks sparked the removal of Indians in Alabama

This is an excerpt from a book The History of Coosa County, Alabama written by Rev. George E. Brewer before 1922. Please consider the time period when it was written. 

Jesse Suttle bought property from an Indian

Jesse Suttle bought a piece of land of an Indian, Pothleehole, in 1835, and settled on it. When he paid the purchase money the government required the money to be paid to the Indians in the presence of the government agent. So the money was paid the Indian.

Suttle refused to return land

The Indian was drunk. On sobering, his money was gone. Being without money or land he demanded one or the other again, but Suttle refused as he had paid. It is said that it was not unusual for Indians to be made drunk when in the possession of money, and to be relieved of it by unscrupulous white men. They were wronged in other ways by many of the whites.

Oakachoy Creek Covered Bridge, Coosa County, Alabama

Treaty terms violated

There was also a good deal of talk of removing them to the Indian Territory in violation of the terms of the treaty. All this had stirred the Indians up, until there was strong apprehension of them rising up to massacre the whites. Some understanding was had among the whites as to what was to be done, and certain rendezvous had been agreed upon in case of hostilities. This Indian, incensed at his loss, felt like inflicting vengeance somewhere, and so Suttle was on the land that had been his, and did not know who had gotten his money, decided he would revenge himself on Suttle.

Suttle shot to death

Suttle had not yet built a house, but lived in the two Indian cabins on the place. On the 16th of May, Suttle was cleaning out a good spring near the cabins, and his wife was with him. While so engaged the Indian slipped near, and shot Suttle to death at the feet of his wife. She took her granddaughter, Matilda Howard, who lived with her, and ran to her son-in-law, George Johnson’s house.

He and neighbor, Howard Johnson, took their families and the widow with all haste to Nixburg, to Solomon Robbins’ house, the place agreed upon as a rendezvous for this section.

Solomon Robbins Tombstone

(from Findagrave.com by Lonewalker)

News spread rapidly

They scattered the news as they went. The news spread rapidly, and consternation seized upon the settlers, and the families of the whites were rapidly concentrated at Robbins’. His house was the shelter for the women and children, while fortifications were hurried by the men. M. L. Bulger’s wife, while on the way to refuge, was so injured by the horse running away, that she died from the injuries. For two days there was constant dread of attack.

Findagrave.com photo of tombstone

Suttle buried at Nixburg

For two days Suttle’s body lay where it had fallen, by then matters had quieted and a party went and brought the body to Nixburg, and it was buried in what is now the cemetery, the first grave opened in it.

Nixburg Cemetery

Suttle incident and others led to Indian removal

The killing of Suttle in Coosa, wth one or two other in the newly settled country, together with exciting, alarming , and exaggerated reports from different places, led to the removal by governmental authority of the bulk of the Indians to the Territory, in the summer of 1836.

Nixburg United Methodist Church Cemetery ( Jesse Suttles is buried here)

Photo from Find A Grave.com

Suttle was the father of two Judges

Very many of those people named were members of two strong churches of Shiloh and Fish Pond.

Jesse Suttle was the father of Judge Isaac Suttle of Coosa, of Judge John W. Suttle of Bibb, William Suttle, and Mrs. George Johnson, Mrs. William Howard, and Mrs. Stephen B. Ray.

SOURCE

1. Excerpt from The History of Coosa County, Alabama by Rev. George E. Brewer (1832-1922)

Check out these books by Alabama Author Donna R. Causey

FreeHearts: A Novel of Colonial America (Tapestry of Love) (Volume 3) Inspired by true events, Col. John Washington (ancestor of President George Washington), Randall Revell, Tom Cottingham, Edmund Beauchamp ward off Indian attacks and conquer the wilds of Maryland’s Eastern shore in 17th century colonial America in this historical novel.