Neamathla | |
---|---|
Eneah Emathla | |
Mikasuki (Muscogee/Creek) leader | |
Assumed office 1813 | |
Leader of Red Stick Creeks | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1750s |
Died | 1841 (about 90) Indian Territory (modern Oklahoma) |
Mother tongue | Hitchiti |
Military service | |
Battles/wars | Battle of Uchee Creek |
Neamathla (1750s–1841) was a leader of the Red Stick Creek. His name, in the Hitchiti (or Mikasuki) language, means "fat next to warrior", "fat" being a reference to great courage.[1]: 11 The Hitchiti language had no written form, but modern scholars agree that Eneah Emathla is the "proper" spelling of his name in English; however, there were two other men also named Eneah Emathla, so the modern convention is to use the spelling Neamathla for the leader.[1]: 12
He probably spent his childhood in or near Fowltown (Tutalosi Talofa), on the east bank of the lower Flint River (Georgia), where the Hitchiti were concentrated.[1]: 12 They had supported the British during the American Revolution, although participation by Neamathla is not documented. When the British returned in the War of 1812, he was "among the first chiefs to answer their call".[1]: 13