Weaving through the Pines

The longleaf pine tree stands tall and majestic throughout the Gulf Coast. However, it almost became extinct due to overharvesting. A few weeks ago, I traveled to Fort Mims in Stockton, Alabama, and I saw a few of these beauties that, according to their size, could have been saplings when the massacre happened inside the walls of that sacred place. I wrapped my arms around the trunk. With my gator-sized arms, there was no way I could reach around the diameter of this two-hundred-plus-year-old tree. I wanted to feel it. I tried to listen and magically hear its history: the fire, the war whoops, the screams of terror. This sapling was there. Of course, I know that this is impossible. But I still needed to try.

The base of longleaf pine at Fort Mims, Stockton, AL

I'm writing my next novel. It is about the tragedy of the Creek Indian War of 1813-14, which began on August 30, 1813, with the massacre of the people inside Fort Mims. Delving into who was there, why it happened, the era's culture, what caused the trouble, and the resolution of the war bequeathed to me a love and desire to know even more about these people.

It all began in 2016 when I saw a movie and realized I needed to research and tell a story I had learned about in Mrs. Linda Dunn's fourth-grade Alabama history.

The blockhouse at Fort Mims in Stockton, Alabama

Researching this story made me desire to know everything. Most important for me is to tell the truth from all sides, not just the side written in our history books. The story of the Muscogee and why the Red Sticks took up their war club must be told so that everyone will also know the whole story.

I'm excited to share my adventures: trudging through the underbrush, snapping photos, and trying to make a video someone can understand. I hope you understand.

Send me your thoughts and suggestions. I'd love to hear from you.