David Moniac facts for kids
David Moniac (born December 1802 – died November 21, 1836) was an American military officer. He was the first Native American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1822.
Moniac was a Creek man with some Scottish family history. He was related to important Creek leaders on both sides of his family. He was also the first student from the new state of Alabama to enter West Point.
After graduating in 1822, Moniac left the army. He went back to Alabama to manage his family's land. There, he started a cotton plantation.
In 1836, during the Second Seminole War, Moniac became a captain. He was chosen to lead a group of Creek volunteer soldiers on horseback. He was the only Native American officer among them. Moniac was killed in the Battle of Wahoo Swamp. In the 1990s, his remains were moved to the Florida National Cemetery, a special burial place for military veterans.
Early Life and Education
David A. Moniac was the son of Samuel Moniac, a successful Creek merchant, and Elizabeth Weatherford. Both his parents were of mixed Creek and European heritage. His mother was the sister of the Creek leader William Weatherford. His great-uncle was Alexander McGillivray, another important Creek chief.
The Creek people had a matrilineal kinship system. This means a person's family group (called a clan) and social standing came from their mother's side. So, Moniac was part of his mother's Wind Clan. His maternal uncle would have been very important in his upbringing.
The Moniac family lived in what is now Montgomery County, Alabama, near Pintlala. David's father fought with the U.S. forces in the Creek War. He was allied with the Lower Creek, who had adopted more American customs. They helped defeat the Red Sticks.
After the Creek War, the United States encouraged Creek and other Southeastern tribes to adopt American ways. These tribes became known as the Five Civilized Tribes.
The Treaty of Fort Jackson, which ended the Creek War, included a plan for Creek education. Because his father served in the war, David Moniac was able to get into the U.S. Military Academy in New York in 1817. John Crowell, Alabama's first representative, likely helped him get the appointment.
Before starting at West Point, Moniac studied with a tutor in Washington, D.C. He wanted to prepare for the entrance exam and classes. He repeated one year of college. In 1822, he graduated 39th out of 40 students. These 40 were the ones who finished from an original class of 117.
Moniac served for five months as a Brevet Second Lieutenant in the Sixth Infantry. But he resigned his commission on December 31, 1822. President Madison was encouraging officers to leave the army. This was because Congress had cut the size of the Army in 1821 after the War of 1812 and First Seminole War. West Point was graduating more officers than the Army needed. Moniac returned to Alabama to manage his family's land.
Return to Alabama
Moniac went back to Alabama and settled in Baldwin County. He started a cotton plantation and raised thoroughbred race horses. He married Mary Powell, a Creek woman who was a cousin of the Seminole leader Osceola.
They had children, including a son named David A. Moniac. This son later became the sheriff of Baldwin County. Moniac's descendants continued to live there. Sheriff Moniac is buried in the Old Methodist Church in Daphne, Alabama.
The plantation home, built in the 1830s, was once thought to be the oldest house in Baldwin County. It was located on Gantt Road in Little River, Alabama. However, the home burned down around 2019. Only a few brick pillars remain.
Second Seminole War
Fourteen years after graduating from West Point, the Second Seminole War began in 1836. Moniac was called to serve twice. First, he joined the Alabama militia to help stop an uprising of displaced Creek people. At this time, Native American tribes were being moved to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.
In August 1836, Moniac became a captain of the Creek Mounted Volunteer Regiment. This was a group of Creek warriors who volunteered to fight. White officers, who were on leave from regular army units, led them. Moniac was the only Native American officer in this unit. The regiment patrolled and fought with the Seminole in Florida along the Withlacoochee River. In November, he was promoted to major.
That same month, Territorial Governor Richard K. Call led a force of 2500 soldiers. This force included Moniac and his Creek volunteers, along with Tennessee and Florida militia. They marched from Ft. Drane to the Wahoo Swamp on the Withlacoochee River. Their goal was to find and destroy the stronghold of Seminole Chief Jumper.
In what became known as the Battle of Wahoo Swamp, Call's force attacked about 600 Seminole and African-American warriors. These warriors were defending their families. Deep water blocked the American force. Moniac bravely ran ahead into the water to encourage his men to cross. He was shot and killed by the Seminoles.
General Call stopped the attack after facing heavy fire from the Seminole camp. He was also unsure if the water was safe to cross. The American soldiers who died in this battle were buried near those killed in December 1835 at the nearby Dade's Massacre site. At Dade's Massacre, the Seminole had defeated U.S. Army forces. Later, all the bodies were moved and buried at the St. Augustine National Cemetery.
Honors
- In the 1990s, Major Moniac's remains were moved and reburied in the Florida National Cemetery. This was done to recognize his military service. The new cemetery was built a few miles from the Wahoo Swamp Battlefield.
