During the Creek Indian War of 1813-14, part of the War of 1812 with England, numerous figures prominent in American history crossed what would become Clay County. Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston traveled through the future county as they moved between forts along the Coosa River and battle sites on Hillabee, Emuckfaw, and Enitachopko creeks and the Tallapoosa River. Jackson and his troops spent a total of 18 days and traveled more than 230 miles within the future county's borders, using routes such as the McIntosh Trail in what is now central Clay County, the Chapman Road in the southern part of the county, and numerous Creek Indian trails during the war's campaigns. Traveling with Jackson were Indian allies from the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Creek White Stick tribes, including Pushmataha, Sequoyah, Timpooche Barnard, Selocta, and William McIntosh. After the surrender treaty of Fort Jackson in August 1814 reduced Creek lands by 22.5 million acres and left the Creeks with only 5.2 million acres, the future Clay County lay near the center of the reduced Creek Confederacy. Important Creek trails passed through the area, and Creek towns there included the mother town of Hillabee near Pinckneyville and its satellite villages of Enitachopko at Bluff Springs, Lanudshi Apala at Millerville, Echoise Ligua north of Hackneyville, and Oktasassi south of Hackneyville. At Hillabee stood Scotsman Robert Grierson's trading post and factory, where President George Washington's invitation letter to Creek leaders was delivered to Chief Alexander McGillivray in 1790, leading to America's initial contact and treaty with the Alabama Creeks. Other noted Red Stick Creeks, including William Weatherford, Menawa, Peter McQueen, and Opithle Yahola, also had important ties to the area.