"The Unit fought the Creek Indians and served with Andrew Jackson at New Orleans."

The only organized units from Mississippi that is recorded to have fought at New Orleans with Andrew Jackson in the Order of Battle

are...

1. 1st Regiment Mississippi Militia, Colonel Nelson, commanding.

2. Natchez Volunteer Riflemen Regiment, (Mississippi), Captain (Colonel) James C. Wilkins commanding.

3. Hinds's Mississippi Dragoons, Thomas Hinds commanding

If any other Mississippi units were at New Orleans they got there late or were used in reserve. The publications on the Creek War, do not record any 17th Mississippi fighting as a unit in any of the Creek War battles.

Ensign William Witherington either was regulated to a unit that did not particapate in any known engagements or he was assigned to a different unit, other than the 17th Mississippi during the campaigns. During the Battle of New Orleans there was a mopping up campaign, sent by General Jackson against the Creeks east of Pensacola in which little is published.

Major Uriah Blue 39th US Infantry, with a force of 1000 men (including a large portion of John Coffees Tennessee brigade), scoured the coast and drove out the Indians form the swamps of the Escambia and the Choctahatibee in December of 1814, and returned in Jan.-Feb. 1815 to Fort Montgomery. Then they moved to Mobile where Blue's command was put under General James Winchester, to defend that city. What militia or volunteer units that were with him and a narrative of his actions , according to written history, are lost. There were about 2,900 poorly armed men assigned to defend the city of Mobile, the only units published are Blue's men and Colonel Thomas Coulter's Tennessee Militia, your 17th Mississippi may have been one of those not recorded. There were countless outpost and forts with Mississippi militia and volunteers throughout the Mississippi Territory that saw no action and did not make it into history but were there if needed.

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David Upton