The Spaniards had created Catholic missions throughout their province by the early 1600s. The Apalachee were farmers and noted warriors. By 1655 there were eight towns, each with a mission. In addition to the Spanish, each town had an Apalachee population of between 6,000–8000. The British with their Creek allies often raided the Apalachee and Spanish towns. In 1703 a British army and hundreds of Creek warriors attacked the territory. The Apalachee were nearly destroyed. The survivors, who numbered about 1400, dispersed. Over time many Apalachee mixed in with other groups, particularly the Creek Confederacy. Others found protection with the French in what is now Alabama and Louisanna. About 300 descendants in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, claim an Apalachee identity today.