County: Butler County, Alabama
This marker tells the story of the Butler Massacre, an 1818 frontier attack near Pine Barren Creek. Captain William Butler was killed during the attack, and Butler County was later named in his honor.
Marker Text
THE BUTLER MASSACRE
On March 20, 1818, Capt. William Butler, Capt. James Saffold, William Gardner, Daniel Shaw and John Hinson left Fort Bibb to meet Col. Sam Dale. They were attacked near Pine Barren Creek by Savannah Jack and his warriors. Gardner and Shaw were shot dead; Butler and Hinson wounded. Saffold and Hinson escaped on horseback to Fort Bibb, but Capt. Butler, thrown from his horse and left on foot, was killed by the Indians. Butler County was named in his honor.
Old Federal Road Project
This stop is part of the Old Federal Road Project, an effort to document the historical markers, communities, crossings, forts, and stories connected to Alabama’s Old Federal Road. The Butler Massacre marker is one of those places where the road’s frontier history comes into sharp focus, connecting Fort Bibb, Pine Barren Creek, Colonel Sam Dale, and the early settlement period of what became Butler County.
YouTube Video
Location
Butler County, Alabama
GPS:Â 31.83869, -86.88302