Creek chief gives account of the Battle of New Orleans

Fanciful drawing of the capture of the Prophet Francis in 1818

Louisiana is commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans this weekend (1/8-1/11), with yesterday marking the bicentennial of Andrew Jackson's stunning victory. 

Over the next couple of days I will share some little known bits of history associated with the battle that I think you might fight to be of interest. Be sure to watch for them on the main page at http://southernhistory.blogspot.com.

While much has been written about the significance of the monumental battle, few historians have done more than note that a delegation of Seminole and Red Stick Creek chiefs and warriors were among those that observed the fighting from behind the British lines.

Lt. Col. Edward Nicolls, Royal Marines
He accompanied the chiefs and warriors at New Orleans.

The Royal Navy had transported the American Indians to New Orleans from the Apalachicola River in Florida, believing that it would impress upon them the might of the King's forces if they could view firsthand the expected destruction of Jackson's army and the capture of the city. Things did not go as anticipated, with the British suffering more than 3,200 casualties compared to only 19 by Jackson's army (yes, that's 19). Please click here to learn more.

Among the Florida chiefs and warriors watching the battle were the Seminole leaders Cappachimico and Hopoi Micco of Miccasukee and the Red Stick Creek prophet, Josiah Francis. Several other chiefs and warriors were also there.  While he never specified which of these individuals spoke with him about the battle, U.S. Agent for Indian Affairs Benjamin Hawkins described a conversation with one of them in a letter to Governor Peter Early of Georgia:

Living history demonstrators Christopher Kimbell (L) and
Lionel Young (R) represent the Prophet Francis and Col.
Bennjamin Hawins at a recent marker unveiling.

An Indian I know a “Red Stick” chief sent me word he was with the British in their battles against Jackson. “They were beaten in every battle by night and by day. Their large Vessels could not come near the land, they sent their troops in barges who were attacked as they were landing, and at night after landing. He saw the decisive battle on the 8th. The Americans had double ditches which were not discovered til they got up to the first, the first who attempted to storm the works were driven back with great loss. A second attempt was made, which met a similar fate, when the Commander in Chief went forward with his best troops, who met with a greater loss, he was killed and the next in command. The ground appeared to him covered with dead wounded and the British had many wounded who retreated in action or were carried off. - Col. Benjamin Hawkins to Gov. Peter Early, February 12, 1815.

The British brought the stunned chiefs and warriors back to the Apalachicola River after the battle. They had witnessed a slaughter even greater than the one Jackson had inflicted on their own countrymen at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Alabama.

They remained loyal to the British during the months following the Battle of New Orleans, but with less enthusiasm than before. 

Please click here to learn more about the Battle of New Orleans: http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/neworleansbattle.html.

Dade Battlefield Historic State Park - Bushnell, Florida

Although it was small compared to some of the massive engagements of the Civil War, the battle fought on this ground on December 28, 1835, was one of the most significant in American history.

Dade's Battle (often called Dade's Massacre) was the first major battle of what would prove to be the longest and most expensive Indian war in American history. It was the antebellum era's "Little Bighorn."

The battle took place when Seminole warriors led by Micanopy, Jumper and Alligator attacked a column of 108 U.S. troops led by Major Francis Dade as it moved up the old Fort King Road from Fort Brooke on Tampa Bay to Fort King (modern Ocala) in the central part of the Florida peninsula. Although some skirmishing and other incidents had already taken place, open war had not yet erupted between the Seminoles and the United States.

The situation, however, was very tense. Government officials were trying to force the Seminoles to relocate to new lands west of the Mississippi, but hundreds of Native American chiefs and warriors were violently opposed to the proposal. Dade's command was marching to Fort King as part of a planned move to assemble a large military force in Florida to force the issue if necessary.

Dade knew there was a possibility of attack, but his column passed through heavy swamps and wilderness area without detecting any sign of Native American warriors. On the 28th of December, the soldiers emerged into fairly open pine country and breathed sighs of relief that they had passed the most likely points for attack. The day was cold, so they even wore their heavy coats over their weapons.

The Seminoles picked this moment to attack. Half the soldiers fell in their first volley and by the time the smoke cleared, all but four of the soldiers were dead. The four survivors were seriously wounded and crawled away from the battlefield. One was killed the next day, but three made it back to Tampa Bay to tell the story. The Second Seminole War had begun.

To learn more about Dade's Battle and the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, located within easy driving distance of both Orlando and Tampa, please visit our new Dade Battlefield page at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dade.

Osceola - Part Two

Continuing our series on the great Seminole leader Osceola, this vast and beautiful grassland just south of Gainesville, Florida, is Paynes Prairie.

Now a large state park, the prairie was a centerpiece of Seminole country during the years between the First and Second Seminole Wars (1819-1834). Believed to have been named for King Payne, a famed Seminole leader during the War of 1812, the prairie was surrounded by Seminole towns and settlements.

Following the destruction of the North Florida Seminole towns by Andrew Jackson in 1818, the survivors of McQueen's band fled south into this region of Florida. Osceola and his mother were among the refugees and he soon became associated with the groups living around Paynes Prairie.

It was in this area that the warrior grew to manhood, learning from the older members of his band how to hunt, fight and follow the traditional laws of the Creeks and Seminoles. Perhaps because he had spent much of his life as a refugee, he also developed a fierce attachment to the land and a determination to hold it for his people at all costs.

Osceola was not a chief, although he is often given this designation by modern writers. Instead he was a warrior, but because the Creeks and Seminoles recognized individual accomplishments as well as hereditary leadership, he grew to hold great influence among the people that had adopted his band. As such he became a powerful representative and leader for the Seminoles, although he was part of Micanopy's band.

Our series on Osceola will continue.

The Life of Osceola - Seminole Warrior

I've become interested recently in the story of the great Seminole warrior Osceola.

Osceola, of course, was a major leader of Native American forces during the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). He is portrayed before hundreds of thousands of people each year by a mounted rider at Florida State University football games. Although he was not a hereditary chief, he rose to prominence through his ability and intellect.

I've always been curious about this charismatic Native American leader, but my renewed interest was sparked earlier this month while on a visit to Shands Medical Center at the University of Florida in Gainesville. To pass the time while waiting for appointments, I stopped by the visitor center at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to check out the museum exhibits there. Among the displays in the park's excellent little museum was a bronze cast prepared using Osceola's "death mask."

For me it was a moving experience to look at the real face of the man that had such an impact on the history of Florida, the South and the United States. I had only known his appearance before from the famed portrait of Osceola (seen here) painted just a few days before his death by 19th century artist George Catlin.

The painting presents Osceola as he was best known, a brave and talented Seminole warrior that helped his people successfully defy the military might of the United States. The bronze cast, however, was a much more sober reminder of the tragic fate of this remarkable person (I'll show you a photo of it tomorrow).

Over the next few days, I will share the true story of Osceola with you along with some little known facts about his life and death. Be sure to check back!

St. Augustine, Florida - Part Eight

This is a view of the interior of the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.

One of the most noted figures in Florida history was held prisoner here for a time.

On October 21, 1837, the great Seminole leader Osceola was seized by the U.S. Army when he appeared under a white flag for a previously arranged negotiation near St. Augustine. The action remains one of the more deplorable episodes in the history of the U.S. military.

Osceola and several other Seminole leaders were brought here to the Castillo, then called Fort Marion by the U.S. Army, and imprisoned in some of the rooms in the interior of the old fort. Two of the other leaders managed to escape, but Osceola was seriously ill and could not.

Following the escape, he and his family were placed aboard a ship in Matanzas Bay and sent to Fort Moultrie near Charleston, South Carolina. There he died from sickness on January 20, 1838, just three months after he was seized while under the protection of a white flag.

He is buried at Fort Moultrie, far from his Florida home, but his figure remains larger than life in Florida today. Revered by the state's Native American community, Osceola is also the symbol of Florida State University.

Our series on historic St. Augustine, Florida will continue. Until the next post, you can read more by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com and looking for the St. Augustine heading.