George Mayfield (1779−1848) was an interpreter and spy for General

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...

during the

Creek War The Creek War (also the Red Stick War or the Creek Civil War) was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within th ...

of 1813–1814. He is most notable for his dual existence between the white and

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

peoples of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

at a pivotal moment in the history of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Early life and capture by the Creek

Mayfield's father, Southerland Mayfield, lived on a

Washington District The Washington District is a Norfolk Southern Railway line in the U.S. state of Virginia that connects Alexandria and Lynchburg. Most of the line was built from 1850 to 1860 by the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, while a small portion in th ...

(modern-day

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

)

homestead Homestead may refer to: *Homestead (building), a farmhouse and its adjacent outbuildings; by extension, it can mean any small cluster of houses * Nguni homestead, a cluster of houses inhabited by a single extended family, typically with a kraal ...

on the frontier between the United States and the

Creek Indian The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern WoodlandsEnglish English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and purportedly contracted a fondness for their mode of life.

Reintroduction into American society

The attack at his father's homestead had left much of Mayfield's family dead, but his mother and sister had survived and resettled in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. Although Mayfield lived contentedly among the Creek, he retained memories and affections for his mother and sister. In 1800, at the age of 21, Mayfield left his adopted people to search out his mother and sister. Upon his return to the Anglo-American settlement, Mayfield found himself heir to an estate that had been left to him after the death of his father 11 years earlier. He ceded almost all of the property to his mother and sisters and kept only 80 acres (324,000 m²) for himself.

Creek War

The United States continued to grow, and the need for new lands was pushing colonists further west, creating pressure in the territory which had long past been settled and regularly hunted by the Creek peoples. The clash of cultures eventually resulted in the Creek War of 1813−1814. Leading

James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...

's war effort was General Andrew Jackson, who parlayed his success in removing the Creek from their ancestral homes into two terms of his own presidency. Owing to his unique knowledge of the

Creek language The Muscogee language (also Muskogee , ), previously referred to by its exonym, Creek, is spoken by Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole people, primarily in the US states of Oklahoma and Florida. Muscogee was historically spoken by various constitu ...

and territory, Mayfield had been recommended to Jackson by the commanding general of the Tennessee troops. He proved to be a valuable asset to General Jackson. He performed as a guide, an interpreter, and a spy. On March 27, 1814, Mayfield was wounded at the

Battle of Horseshoe Bend The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as ''Tohopeka'', ''Cholocco Litabixbee'', or ''The Horseshoe''), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian ...

Later life

In the

Treaty of Fort Jackson The Treaty of Fort Jackson (also known as the Treaty with the Creeks, 1814) was signed on August 9, 1814 at Fort Jackson near Wetumpka, Alabama following the defeat of the Red Stick (Upper Creek) resistance by United States allied forces at ...

which ended the war, the Creek chiefs recognized not only Mayfield's bravery, but also his integrity in his dealings with them during negotiations. As a result, they stipulated that he be granted of the land they forfeited. The U.S. government, however, refused to allow this, which forced Mayfield to petition Congress for the grant. Congress finally complied; however the grant was never enforced by the government. Mayfield died in 1848.

References

*''The Civil and Political History of the State of Tennessee'', Judge John Haywood, 1823 *''Life of Andrew Jackson'', James Parton, 1861

External links

Mayfield Family History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayfield, George American spies People of the Creek War 1779 births 1848 deaths American translators