Part 1

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A

CORRECT AND AUTHENTIC

NARRATIVE

OF THE

INDIAN WAR IN FLORIDA,

WITH A

DESCRIPTION

OF

MAJ. DADE’S MASSACRE,

AND AN

ACCOUNT OF THE EXTREME SUFFERING,

FOR WANT OF PROVISIONS, OF THE ARMY--HAVING BEEN OBLIGED TO EAT HORSES’ AND DOGS’ FLESH, &c. &c.

BY CAPT. JAMES BARR.

NEW YORK:

J. NARINE, PRINTER, 11 WALL ST.

1836.

NARRATIVE

OF THE

SEMINOLE WAR IN FLORIDA.

In the beginning of January, 1836, the inhabitants of New Orleans received tidings from Florida of a very alarming and distressing nature. An able and brave, but unscrupulous chieftain, named Powell, had been for some time suspected of harboring designs to prevent the removal of the Seminole Indians, beyond the Mississippi, according to treaty. For this or some such cause, Powell was arrested and thrown into double irons, at Fort King, by General Thompson, the Indian agent. He was soon released: the head chief of the tribe, Attemottely, (I know not if I spell his name properly) pledging himself that Powell should raise no disturbances. Powell repaid him with the blackest ingratitude: he was no sooner free from his confinement, than he with a party of his warriors, killed Attemottely, who was in favor of fulfilling the terms of the treaty, and thus obtained for himself the consequence he now enjoys in the nation. Soon after this, Dalton, the carrier of the mail from Tampa Bay to Fort King, was murdered, and his body found in the woods a few miles from Fort Brooke. Next came the murder of the Indian agent, General Thompson, and several of the officers of Fort King. This was soon followed by the massacre of Major Dade’s command, and the engagement of General Clinch, on the Ouithlacouchy. The houses of the inhabitants were also burned, their plantations destroyed, their property plundered, and they themselves, were, in many instances murdered. On receipt of these tidings, the citizens of New Orleans held a meeting, at which it was unanimously resolved to raise a regiment in defence of their suffering friends in Florida.

Gen. Persifor F. Smith volunteered his services as Colonel, and Mr. Lawson, as Lieut. Colonel: the latter gentleman, the head physician of the United States, has since proved that the profession of arms is not inconsistent with the duties of a follower of Æsculapius. The enlistment was commenced on the 24th January, and a body of seven hundred men was quickly raised. The citizens, with their usual liberality and patriotism, supplied the troops with comfortable quarters, till the 3d of February. Each intervening day the regiment was inspected in the Custom House yard: on the 2nd February the troops received their uniform, blankets and other necessaries, and on the 3rd were mustered in the Barrack yard. Louisiana had done her part--she had raised a fine and as was afterwards proved, an effective body of men. They received their arms, colors and bounty, thirty dollars (the wages were ten dollars per month) and marched, some that evening, others next morning, to the rail road, where we found the cars in readiness and were soon embarked on Lake Ponchartrain. Two steamboats, the Watchman and Merchant were chartered to transport us to Tampa Bay, and the David Brown proceeded to the same point, via the Balise. The Watchman reached Pensacola on the 6th without any adventure except being detained a few hours on a mud bank. We took in wood and again put off, but the evening looked very dirty and the vessel was any thing but a good sea boat. Our captain accordingly determined not to go to sea, and lay too, close to the Fort, which is a few miles below the town. Here we had comfortable quarters for the night, and next morning again embarked. We arrived at Tampa Bay, on the 9th, and landed on the 10th. The Merchant had been in a day before us, and the David Brown arrived the day after. Here was a scene well calculated to rouse the spirits of the lukewarm, (if any such were among us). Almost every house in this beautiful spot had been torn down or burnt, and the inhabitants had been compelled to fly for protection to the vessels in the bay. We bivouacked outside the Fort, under the boughs of the live oak trees, which are very numerous; the watch-fires at night--the groups of men lying around them sleeping in their blankets--the stack of arms--the flash reflected from the musket and bayonet of the centinel as he stalked slowly by the fires; the _tout ensemble_ had a very imposing, and in my eyes, a very military aspect. We were twice alarmed on the second night; the first time from the accidental discharge of a musket, and the second time from the mistake of a Dutch centinel; he had been posted on the piquet guard, with orders to hail any thing which should approach and to fire if he received no answer to the third challenge. Minheer Dutchman heard some noise in the bushes and called three times as he had been ordered, “Who goes dere?” no answer, “Den I fire.” He did fire, and in an instant, the bugles rang, the drums rattled, and we were soon in a posture to defend ourselves; but the alarm was groundless, it served only to show that the men were on the alert, it was soon found that a harmless dog had alarmed the sturdy Dutchman. On the 12th, I received the unwelcome intelligence that my company had been selected to remain in the Fort, to guard the sick and baggage, and to my great mortification was compelled to march inside the piquets. But I must describe Fort Brooke. It is situated at the junction of Hillsborough river with Tampa, or rather Hillsborough Bay. The Fort is a triangle, the hypothenuse or base of which rests on the sea, in the apex are two block houses, which command two sides, and are fortified with cannon, on the breeches of which their sorrowing friends have painted the names of Dade, Gardiner and others who fell in the massacre. The base is commanded by a lunetta, and the whole is surrounded by a strong palisade, with sharp stakes on the top, amply supplied with loop holes for the musketry, and port holes for the cannon; outside the palisades, there has been dug a number of wolf traps, with a strong, sharp stake, in the bottom of each on which the enemy must be impaled, if they should succeed in approaching so near us. There are eighty or ninety volunteers, and eighty regulars and marines, in all about one hundred and sixty fighting men left in garrison: the whole under command of Major Sandes, a fine soldier looking gentleman of the regulars.

The army marched on the 13th, under command of General Gaines, of the United States army. Each man was supplied with ten days provisions. There were two battalions, one commanded by Lieut. Colonel Lawson, the other by Major Marks. The regulars, about four hundred in number, were led by Colonel Twiggs, Major Montfort, and other United States officers. They marched in high spirits and seemed eager for a brush with the enemy.

I should have mentioned that on the morning previous to our arrival, the friendly Indians had had a skirmish with the hostiles, in which two of the friendly tribe were wounded, and one named Old John was missing. This skirmish took place within four miles of Fort Brooke. We found two Indians prisoners within the piquets: they had been taken in a manner which might well grace even the romantic days of ancient chivalry. A fine looking young Indian, named Yellow Hair, asked in marriage the daughter of Black Dirt, a friendly chieftain. The old man declared that none, save a warrior, need pretend to his daughter, and desired Yellow Hair if he wished to prove himself one, to go into the woods and make prisoners of three hostile Seminoles. Yellow Hair accordingly dashed into the forests, and at three different times brought in a prisoner. Two of them we found chained in the Fort; the third was killed by a centinel, on the morning of our arrival, in a desperate attempt to escape. He was a large, fierce looking man. His head has been secured and submitted to skilful craneologists. Yellow Hair of course married his black haired damsel, and a few days after, set out at the head of a party of his countrymen to act as scout to General Gaines.

When the army had marched, we were a good deal employed in drilling at the small and great guns. Seventeen men were detached from my company for the artillery, and all lamented their inactive life, while their companions were ranging the wild woods in search of the foe.

23d.--On this day we had a melancholy duty to perform, viz:--the burial of one of the Louisiana volunteers; and on the day following we buried two friendly Indians. One of the Indians died a natural death, the other had been missing since the last skirmish with the hostile tribe, on the 8th inst. He was discovered on the 22d, by some hunters about six miles from Fort Brooke, with two bullet holes in his body. He died a warrior’s death, and received a warrior’s burial. When the body was laid in the coffin, one of his tribe placed a small bag beside it, containing his tobacco, ammunition, and other little articles which they suppose needful on the journey to the “pleasant hunting grounds.” The coffin was borne by the volunteers, preceded by the band, playing the dead march, and the guard appointed to fire over the grave; the officers of the garrison, with Major Sandes, the commander followed, and the sad procession was closed by a few men and several women of the tribe. The party halted beneath the flag staff; the flag was lowered half mast high, the union-jack was flung over the bier, the band struck up and we moved along to his “narrow resting place.” I could not help observing the control which the Indians possess over their emotions, and for which they are so remarkable. The men, indeed, are perfect stoics, but the poor women could not resist the voice of nature. Some of them (perhaps his wife and daughter) shed many and bitter tears, and when the coffin was lowered into the grave, pressed forward to take a last look at what had been so dear to them, and sobbed loudly and bitterly. When they had indulged their grief for a short time, they were gently removed from the grave, the guard fired three volleys over the body of the deceased warrior, the band struck up a merry tune and the party dispersed, forgetting most of them, that there had ever been such a being as old Indian _John_.

26th--Received two hundred and sixty volunteers from St. Marks, under the gallant Major Reed. He was too independent to place himself under United States officers, but encamped on the other side of the river Hillsborough.

29th--Buried another Louisiana volunteer, named Gray. On his arrival at Tampa Bay, he had become extremely ill, and was left behind on the sick list, when General Gaines marched; soon after, his malady turned to madness, which was, I fear, confirmed by the treatment he received. Instead of being properly attended to, he was chained by the leg, outside the Fort, with nothing whatever to shade him from the burning sun. He was kept in this state several days; he was at length admitted into the hospital, but it was too late; he died soon after. Poor fellow! He perished far from his friends and home, the victim of the grossest negligence and brutality. Such conduct in the medical department should not be _overlooked_.

March 5th--Alabama volunteers arrived, and the day after another company from Louisiana; the whole amounting to twelve hundred men, was commanded by Colonel Lindsay.

9 h--News was brought in early in the night, that a party of the enemy was driving away cattle in the neighborhood. Major Reed crossed the river with his command, at midnight, and was fired on, happily without effect, by our piquet guard, who knew nothing of his movements. About six o’clock, A. M. he came up with a small party of Indians, fast asleep. Their dogs quickly roused them, and they themselves, when they saw the white skins rushing on, threw away their rifles, blankets, and other incumbrances, and jumped into a river close by, where four or five of them were shot. Major Reed returned at twelve o’clock, bringing with him a number of mess pans and spades, also several ponies and blankets which they had left behind in their haste. He reported that there was a large quantity of camp kettles, spades, &c., on the ground. A party was immediately sent for them with a team and brought them in before night. They had been buried by General Gaines army sometime before, and were discovered and dug up by the Indians. We christened this skirmish the battle of the Messpans.

13th--Buried a volunteer from Alabama, a fine young man. Colonel Lindsay refused to allow him a glass of wine, from the sutler’s store, though ordered by the doctor, a few hours before his death. This was carrying his ideas of temperance a little too far. We also buried one of the friendly Indians, who had been killed in a drunken fray the day before. The camp of the friendly tribe is on the other side of the river. Two Spaniards have been for some time supplying them with liquor, and they have been more than a week in a state of beastly intoxication. I paid them a visit yesterday, and saw among other curiosities a fine young squaw with her nose and ears cropped off. I inquired the reason of an old white lady, who lived close by, and learned that it is a summary mode of proceeding with those errant damsels, who are convicted of being too philanthropic.

An Indian chief who had gone out with General Gaines, arrived to day, bringing news from the army, and on the day following Black Dirt also arrived. The latter chief, though now the firm friend, was at one time the inveterate enemy of the whites. I have been informed that he once fought hand to hand with General Jackson, and was left for dead by the hero of New Orleans. He wears a turban composed of five handkerchiefs, and declares that each handkerchief shall cost Powell one hundred dollars. I should have mentioned that Powell has set a price on his head, offering five hundred dollars to any one who shall carry it to him.

15th--Colonel Lindsay’s command, amounting to one thousand two hundred men, including Major Reed’s party, marched before breakfast. Early in the morning some of the volunteers cropped the tail and mane of the Colonel’s horse, and burned the Colonel himself in effigy. His whole army was enraged with him, for forbidding the Sutler to sell them a glass of liquor of any kind. His horse (which he had previously selected, from a large number,) he was forced to exchange with one of his officers amid the hooting and groaning of the troops. A party of marines from the frigate Constellation, eighty in number, accompanied him as a life guard.

16th--Buried two volunteers, one from Tuscaloosa, the other from Louisiana, and on the following day another from Alabama. We have a great number of sick in the Fort. Among them is one of the men who escaped the massacre of Major Dade’s command. His account of the affair is this:

Major Dade set out from Fort Brooke on the 23d December, 1835, for Camp King, distant one hundred and ten miles, at the head of a party consisting of one hundred and ten non-commissioned officers and privates, and six commissioned officers, besides myself; among them was one medical gentleman. They took with them one waggon, drawn by horses, one six pounder, and an ox team; the latter obliged them to travel slowly. They encamped the first night, on the Little Hillsborough, seven miles from the Fort. Next day they crossed the Big Hillsborough, afterwards the Little, and by Ouithlacouchy rivers, and on the night of the 27th, camped near a pond called the Clayhole. Each night they raised a small breastwork round their little camp. The ill fated party breakfasted on the morning of the 28th before sunrise, and pursued their journey; the road lying along the margin of the pond. They reached the extreme end without any interruption. On one side was a large forest of pine trees, on the other was the pond. Some of the party had passed round its head when they were alarmed by the report of a rifle, and immediately after a musket was discharged by one of the soldiers. The party halted, and Mr. Clarke (my informant) looked earnestly at the Major, expecting some command. A volley was here poured on them by their unseen foe; the Major was in the act of turning when he and his horse fell completely perforated with balls. Captain Frazer, Lieutenant Mudge, and the advanced guard fell at the same time. The soldiers were completely taken by surprise; some were so much flustered that they fired in the air, but after a few shots they became cool enough. The six pounder was now brought up and discharged two or three times, when the army fled in all directions. Several hundreds of them were seen collected on a mound, a mile and a half from the scene of action. This gave the troops some breathing time; they commenced throwing up a breastwork, but were not allowed to complete it. In about three quarters of an hour the Indians moved from the knoll, and collected a half a mile off. They then advanced coolly and deliberately to a second attack. Captain Gardiner took the command within the breastwork; the men lay down to load and kept up a constant fire until three o’clock, P. M.; but their ranks were sadly thinned. Captain Gardiner had fallen covered with wounds; Lieutenant Keys had both arms broken; Lieutenant Henderson had his left arm broken, but loaded and fired forty rounds afterwards, and Lieutenant Bassinger was also severely wounded. Mr. Clarke observed Dr. Gatlin, as the Indians advanced to the second attack, posted behind a log, with two double barrelled guns beside him. He heard the doctor say he had four barrels for them. Mr. C. saw no more of him till he was creeping out at night, when he passed by the corpse of the doctor, stripped quite naked. Towards the close of the fight, Mr. C. received a severe wound in the shoulder; he had been previously shot in the thigh, arm and back, and one buckshot had grazed his temple. The last bullet from a musket entered his shoulder and passed out through his back, rendering him completely _hors de combat_. The fire soon after ceased; all inside the breastwork were either killed or severely wounded. The Indians broke in, and, strange to say, neither scalped the dead nor abused the wounded. They contented themselves with pillaging all of their arms, ammunition and provisions. When they had quit the field, a body of negroes fifty or sixty in number, came up on horseback, entered the enclosure, and commenced hacking and cutting the wounded, in a most savage manner. They approached Lieutenant Bassinger, he sprang on his feet and begged them to spare his life, but they knew not the voice of mercy; they struck him down with a tomahawk, cut open his breast and tore out his heart and lungs. They proceeded in the same brutal manner with the rest of the wounded, stripping them all of their clothes. At length they approached Mr. C. and stripped off his jacket, in the pocket of which he had one hundred and twenty dollars; they also took off his hat and boots and felt for his watch. One of the ruffians remarked that he was alive and proposed to drive a bayonet through him but was overruled by one of his comrades, who observed that the wound in his head would certainly kill him, and that they should let him suffer as much pain as possible before death. This saved him. The negroes soon departed laden with plunder. The poor fellow lay on his face for some time; at length he felt a hand on his shoulder, and one of his comrades having ascertained that he was still alive, proposed to him to set out immediately; he refused, stating that it was too soon. The other left him and had not crept many yards when an Indian stepped from behind a log and shot him. A dark cloud and a rain storm came on; this was a moment too favorable to be lost. Mr. C. crept cautiously into the wood and met another comrade attempting his escape; they travelled together. Next morning they perceived an Indian in pursuit, gaining very fast on them. They immediately separated, entering the woods, the one on the right, the other on the left hand. The Indian pursued and killed one, and returned in search of the other, who had concealed himself in some thick palmettoes. He approached so near that he made the bushes rustle over his intended victim; but he soon abandoned the search and returned to the Black Swamp, the home of his people. Mr. Clarke travelled slowly to Fort Brooke, which he reached in three days. The distance from the battle field is sixty five miles. He was forced to creep on his hands and knees nearly two thirds of the way. One of his comrades, named Thomas, had arrived the day before, wounded in the thigh. Another named Sprague, came in the day after, wounded in the arm, and these three were the only survivors of one hundred and seventeen men. A small dog of Captain Gardiner’s also arrived wounded in the neck. Black Dirt had predicted the state of the party previous to its march from Fort Brooke, and advised them not to go; but Major Dade treated the matter lightly; he had no apprehensions, and the event unfortunately proved that the prediction of the Indian was but too correct.

21st.--Colonel Lindsay returned with a part of his command to obtain provisions. He had only been twenty-one miles distant from us on the Big Hillsboro’ River, where he had built a Fort, called Fort Alabama, somewhat similar to Fort Brooke. A few days before, he had dispatched a man named Evans, to Fort King, with letters for the main army, and had promised him a handsome reward, if he should succeed in escaping the vigilence of the enemy. Evans was well mounted, he passed by their main body asleep at night, and soon after fell in with a drove of their ponies; his horse neighed, the Indians’ dogs barked, and they themselves were soon on the _qui vive_--Evans perceived that he was surrounded, and determined to return by the way he came; he accordingly charged back, and was fired on from all sides without injury to himself or horse, though the Indians killed several of their own ponies which were close by.

Colonel Lindsay returned, the day following, to Fort Alabama, whence his intention was to march towards Gen. Gaines’ army.

26th.--A Cutter arrived from St. Marks, with several officers from Gen. Gaines’ army, confirming the accounts we had previously received by the seven days skirmish with the enemy, and the distress of the army for provisions. Gen. Gaines had proceeded to New Orleans.