Beadle's Pocket Novels No. 60: Merciless Matt

About this issue

This dime novel by Captain Charles Howard, published by Beadle and Adams in October 1876, recounts the historical massacre at Fort Mimms (August 30, 1813) and its aftermath. Matthew Dean returns from Tennessee to discover the fort destroyed and his wife, two sons, and daughter Myra killed by Creek warriors. A dying settler, Zeke Hartman, confirms the deaths before expiring. Dean buries his family and swears a blood oath to become a relentless avenger of all Creek warriors, vowing "vengeance" with religious solemnity. Chapter Two contextualizes the massacre within the Creek War, explaining how the Shawnee leader Tecumseh inspired the Creeks to rebellion against American settlers, and how Fort Mimms's destruction prompted General Andrew Jackson's military response. The narrative suggests Dean will become a mysterious figure of retribution among the Indian territories.