the war continued—peace declared.
general jessup assumes command of the army—number of troops in the field—his advantages—his energetic policy—orders crawford to the withlacoochee—capture of fifty two women and children—they are held as plunder by the creeks—wild cat and louis attack fort mellon—severe battle—allies retire with their dead and wounded—death of captain mellon—our loss in killed and wounded—caulfield’s expedition to a-ha-popka lake—capture of nine women and children—expedition to big cypress swamp—capture of twenty-five women and children—general jessup seeks negotiation—abram and alligator meet him preparatory to a more general council—several chiefs agree upon terms of capitulation—difficulty in regard to exiles—jessup yields—express stipulation for their safety—indians and exile come into tampa bay—are registered for emigration—general jessup discharges militia and volunteers—transports prepared—he declares the war at an end, and asks to be relieved from active duty.
on the eighth of december, 1836, major general jessup joined general call at volusi, and relieved that officer from the further command of the army in florida. he had now eight thousand troops in the field well provided in all the material of war. they were in fine spirits, and he was in all respects prepared to push the campaign with energy. he had all the advantages which experience of the previous campaign had furnished, and endeavored to profit by it. he was careful to order no large body of troops, nor any artillery, into the uninhabited portions of the country. he employed only light troops for such purposes. his first attention was directed to the settlements of exiles on the withlacoochee who had up to that time defied our army. they had been the object of frequent attacks, and the scene of as frequent defeats. he directed a battalion of mounted men under major crawford, accompanied by two battalions of creek indians, to make a sudden descent upon those villages. but the allies had removed their provisions, and most of the people had abandoned the settlements. a few only were left. the warriors fled to the swamps; and the troops seized and secured fifty-two women and children. these were the first prisoners captured during the war; and general jessup made a formal report of this important victory. it was a victory over defenseless women and helpless children, obtained by the aid of creek indians, who claimed both women and children as plunder under their contract. but this victory stimulated the allies to strike in retaliation for the injury thus inflicted upon non-combatants.
1837.
fort mellon, on the south side of a small body of water called lake monroe, some thirty miles west of the atlantic, was supposed by the allies to be in a weak condition, and they determined to surprise it. preparatory to this, however, they sent spies to examine and report the condition of the troops at that station. their report being favorable, “wild cat,” acting in conjunction with louis, the slave of pacheco, who, it will be recollected, concerted the massacre of major dade, made their arrangements for an assault. with a force of two hundred and fifty warriors the allies invested this fort, which they supposed to be garrisoned by not more than one hundred men. unfortunately for the assailants, however, other troops arrived after the indian spies had left the vicinity of the fort, and the allied forces unexpectedly met superior numbers protected by defenses which are always regarded as safe against savage foes. the attack was made with great determination, and continued for three hours, when the assailants retired without leaving either dead or wounded upon the field.
lieutenant colonel faning commanded our troops, numbering some three hundred men. a steamboat was lying in the lake, near the fort, having a field-piece on board. this was also brought to bear upon the left wing of the allied forces, so as to completely drive them from that part of the field.
captain mellon, who had entered the military service of the united states in 1812, fell early in the action. midshipman mclaughlin and seventeen others were wounded; some of them mortally.
it may well be doubted, whether history furnishes an instance in which savage troops have beset a superior number of disciplined forces in a fortified position with such daring and obstinacy as that which was manifested at fort mellon.
there was a small settlement of exiles and indians upon the south side of a-ha-popka lake, situated about the twenty-eighth degree of north latitude, and nearly equi-distant between the atlantic and the gulf of mexico. on the twenty-second of january, lieutenant colonel caulfield with his regiment was ordered to visit that settlement, attended by the creek indians. a sub-chief of the seminoles, named osuchee, with his band of warriors, hastened to the defense of their friends, as soon as they ascertained the object of our troops; but they were unable to resist the large force under caulfield. osuchee and three warriors were killed; and nine exiles, all of them women and children, were taken prisoners.
all the disposable forces under general jessup were now put into active employ. with the main body of the army he penetrated far into the indian territory. his report, dated at fort armstrong, february seventh, after stating the commencement of his march, says, “on approaching the thla-pac-hatchee, on the morning of the twenty-seventh ultimo, the numerous herds of cattle feeding on the prairies, and the numerous recent trails in various directions, indicated the presence of the enemy.” he goes on to say: “on the twenty-eighth, the army moved forward, and occupied a strong position on ‘ta-hop-ka-liga’ lake, where several hundred head of cattle were obtained.” these immense herds of cattle show to some extent the means of subsistence which the allies possessed. the commander of our army, however, proceeds to state that “the enemy was found on the hatchee-lustee, in and near the great cypress swamp, and gallantly attacked. lieutenant chambers of the alabama volunteers, by a rapid charge, succeeded in capturing the horses and baggage of the enemy, with twenty-five indians and negroes, principally women and children.” this language was novel in the military reports of our officers. a charge made by a body of armed troops upon horses, women and children, is termed by the commanding general “gallant.”
the next day one of the prisoners was directed to return to the two principal chiefs, abraham, with whom the reader is already acquainted, and alligator, who commanded the indians, with a message of peace, desiring them to meet the commanding general in council.
abraham was, perhaps, the most experienced and best informed chief in the allied forces. he had lived at micanopy; and his familiar acquaintance with the treaty of payne’s landing, and the supplemental treaty entered into at the west, qualified him to exert a powerful influence with the exiles.[90] the indians, also, appear to have held him in the highest respect.
alligator was an active warrior and chief. he was a bold leader; but was supposed to be much under the influence of micanopy, a chief somewhat advanced in years, said to be very corpulent, and too indolent to be otherwise than pacific in his desires. it is related of him, that he was actually carried, by the younger and more enthusiastic warriors, into battle on one occasion, in the early part of the war. it is not unlikely that both abraham and alligator were influenced in some degree by micanopy to visit general jessup, and make arrangements to hold a conference with him, at fort dade, on the eighteenth of february.
lieut. colonel henderson, of the united states marines, serving on land, also made a very successful excursion into the indian country, with a pretty large force of mounted men and friendly indians. in his report, he states the capture “of twenty-three negroes, young and old; over a hundred ponies, with packs on about fifty of them; together with all their clothes, blankets, and other baggage.” in this expedition, his loss was two men killed and five wounded.
on the first of march, the troops under the command of major general jessup had captured one hundred and nine women and children of the exiles, and some fifteen belonging to the indians. the fortunes of war now bore hard upon those friendless and persecuted people; but not a warrior had fallen into the hands of our troops. it is a remarkable fact, that in all the conflicts which had occurred, no seminole indian nor negro warrior had surrendered, even to superior numbers. they had fought gallantly, they had died freely; but they preferred death to that slavery which they knew would follow a surrender.
general jessup now ordered the cessation of hostilities, in the hope of getting the indian and negro chiefs to assemble in council, in order to negotiate for their emigration west. after his interview with abraham and alligator, he appears to have felt confident of success. the exiles and indians also began to feel that it would soon be necessary for them to plant corn, potatoes and pumpkins, for their support during the coming season. every effort was made by general jessup to acquaint the different chiefs with this arrangement, and to induce them to come in, or send by some sub-chief or warrior an expression of their willingness to emigrate to the western country.
agreeably to these arrangements, a few of their principal men met general jessup at fort dade, near the withlacoochee, on the sixth of march. only five chiefs were present, either in person or by proxy. the principal chiefs in attendance were halatoochie and jumper.
but the former difficulty was again encountered, at the very commencement of the negotiation. the indians would enter upon no arrangement that did not guarantee to the exiles equal protection and safety as it did to the indians. such stipulation would constitute an abandonment of the objects for which the war had been commenced and prosecuted; but, after sixteen months occupied in hostilities, and the expenditure of much blood and treasure, this question lay directly across the path of peace. but the indians were firm. not one of the exiles, except abraham, now dared trust himself within the power of our troops; yet abraham’s influence was powerful with the indians.
general jessup yielded. the articles of capitulation were drawn up and considered. the fifth reads as follows:—“major general jessup, in behalf of the united states, agrees that the seminoles and their allies, who come in and emigrate west, shall be secure in their lives and property; that their negroes, their bona fide property, shall also accompany them west;[91] and that their cattle and ponies shall be paid for by the united states.”
the language of this article could not be misunderstood. the black men then residing with the indians, in the indian country, who were acting with them, and fighting our troops by the side of the seminoles, were their “allies:” and to show that the capitulation was not a surrender of property, they were careful to have the compact expressly state, that their own “negroes, their bona fide property” (for many seminoles owned slaves), should accompany them; and that their cattle and ponies, which would become the property of the captors by virtue of an ordinary surrender, under their ideas of warfare, were to be paid for by the united states. there was no room left for cavil or dispute on these points;[92] nor could it be supposed that abraham, with his experience and shrewdness, would leave such an important point doubtful.
under these articles, the exiles were to enjoy that security for which they had contended during a century and a half. it was for this that their ancestors left south carolina, georgia, alabama and florida; to attain it, they were willing to leave the graves of their fathers—the country in which they had lived during many generations. abraham now entered upon the work of inducing all his brethren, both indians and negroes, to go to the western country, where they could be free from persecutions.
those willing to emigrate, were to assemble within a district of ten miles square, marked out for that purpose, near tampa bay. many of the indian chiefs visited that station; spoke encouragingly of the prospect; that the whole nation would emigrate at no distant day. even osceola, the most inveterate of all the seminole chiefs, visited fort mellon, avowing his intention to emigrate; while abraham made report of a like feeling among the exiles. twenty-six vessels, employed to transport the emigrants to new orleans, were anchored in tampa bay. hundreds of indians and negroes had reached the camp assigned to the emigrants, near “fort brooke.” their names were duly registered; they drew their rations, and made every preparation to go west.
general jessup announced the war at an end, dismissed the militia and volunteers, and asked of the department leave to retire from active duty.
