George Singleton tells of Isaac Heaton's legendary bravery at Ft. Sinquefield in September 1813

Granite marker at Ft. Sinquefield in 1976.

(For decades, local historian and paranormal investigator George “Buster” Singleton published a weekly newspaper column called “Somewhere in Time.” The column below, which was titled “Heaton’s bravery became legend at Ft. Sinquefield” was originally published in the Jan. 22, 1976 edition of The Monroe Journal in Monroeville, Ala.)

During the war with the Creek nation, Ft. Sinquefield was one of the series of forts along the edges of what are now Monroe and Clarke counties.

The forts were erected for the purpose of giving the local citizens a place to group together and protect themselves from the marauding Indians who looted and burned the countryside. In most instances, these forts were manned by a small number of local militia or garrison soldiers.

The soldiers of this area were under the command of Gen. F.L. Claiborne at this time. Gen. Claiborne had too few soldiers to patrol the surrounding area and offer the protection the settlers desired. So, in time of trouble, the settlers would gather at one of the many small forts and unite themselves for the protection of themselves and their families.

Heaton a legend

It was during one of these flare-ups of trouble that Isaac Heaton’s name became a legend along the lowlands of the Alabama River and the adjoining territories. The settlers through this area would long remember that day of Sept. 3, 1813.

It seems that the prophet Francis, a leader of the Creek nation, and a band of 100 Warriors were running roughshod over this area along the river.

This was just three days after the bloody massacre at Ft. Mims, where so many had died at the hands of the Creek warriors. All available soldiers had been sent south toward Ft. Mims to search for the famed “Red Eagle” and his followers.

On Sept. 1, 1813, Francis and his warriors struck at the farm of Abner James, east of Ft. Sinquefield.

Indians struck

James and his neighbor Ransom Kemball had become dissatisfied with things at Ft. Sinquefield and had made their way to the Kemball’s house. Here, Francis and his warriors struck and killed almost all of the two large families. The survivors of the massacre made it back to the fort after great effort.

A detail of men left the fort and went to the Kemball homestead to retrieve the bodies of the slain settlers. After they returned to the fort with the bodies in an ox cart, a pit was dug about 100 yards from the fort’s east gate and the 12 slain settlers were buried in it.

Just as the mass grave was closed and as the saddened people were returning to the safety of the fort, Francis and his band attacked.

Coming up the hill from the south side of the fort, they had hoped to cut off the settlers, coming between them and the gate.

Swinging a whip

As the warriors attacked, Isaac Heaton was returning to the fort from hunting cattle. He saw the attacking Indians dashing for the east gate and realized what they had in mind.

He spurred his horse straight for the war party, swinging a long leather whip over his head and shouting to a large pack of vicious cur dogs that stayed at the fort. The dogs charged the war party as Heaton rode in circles around the Indians, lashing out at them with his long whip.

Heaton and his dogs continued the attack until the settlers reached the safety of the fort’s walls.

As Heaton charged for the gate of the fort and safety, his horse was shot and wounded. He ran the last few yards on foot, and his wounded horse, regaining his feet, staggered in beside his master.

One casualty

Heaton’s coat was riddled with bullet holes, but he escaped without a scratch.

The only casualty was a Mrs. Phillips, who in an advanced state of pregnancy, was caught and scalped by the raiding Indians.

Nothing remains of old Ft. Sinquefield now. Only a small granite marker tells where this gallant man went beyond the realm of courage to face what seemed certain death in exchange for a few precious moments that decided the fate of the fort and the settlers who reached it.

(Singleton, the author of the 1991 book “Of Foxfire and Phantom Soldiers,” passed away at the age of 79 on July 19, 2007. A longtime resident of Monroeville, he was born to Vincent William Singleton and Frances Cornelia Faile Singleton, during a late-night thunderstorm, on Dec. 14, 1927 in Marengo County, graduated from Sweet Water High School in 1946, served as a U.S. Marine paratrooper in the Korean War, worked as a riverboat deckhand, lived for a time among Apache Indians, moved to Monroe County on June 28, 1964 and served as the administrator of the Monroeville National Guard unit from June 28, 1964 to Dec. 14, 1987. He was promoted from the enlisted ranks to warrant officer in May 1972. For years, Singleton’s columns, titled “Monroe County history – Did you know?” and “Somewhere in Time” appeared in The Monroe Journal, and he wrote a lengthy series of articles about Monroe County that appeared in Alabama Life magazine. It’s believed that his first column appeared in the March 25, 1971 edition of The Monroe Journal. He also helped organize the Monroe County Museum and Historical Society and was also a past president of that organization. He is buried in Pineville Cemetery in Monroeville. The column above and all of Singleton’s other columns are available to the public through the microfilm records at the Monroe County Public Library in Monroeville. Singleton’s columns are presented here each week for research and scholarship purposes and as part of an effort to keep his work and memory alive.)