HOSTILITIES CONTINUED.
General Harrison assumes the duties of Chief Executive--Much
expected of him--His sudden death--His successor--Political
feeling--General Armistead retires--Is succeeded by General
Worth--Instructions to General Worth--He discharges all unnecessary
employees--Halec Tustenuggee--General Worth's attempt to capture
him--Wild Cat--His character and adventures--General Worth sends
message to him--He and some companions come in--His manner and
bearing--Meets his daughter--Interesting scene--Is seized by
Colonel Childs--Placed in irons and sent to New Orleans--General
Worth orders his return--Meets him at Tampa Bay--Arrangements--Wild
Cat sends messengers to his friends--Sympathy for him--Chief
Micco--He brings in his people--Wild Cat's band comes in--He is
released from his irons--Meets his friends--His wife and
child--General Jessup's policy as to Exiles--Consults Wild
Cat--Hospetarche and Tiger-tail--Otulke comes in--Hospetarche is
suspicious--Wild Cat brings him in--Army suffers from
sickness--General change of policy from that adopted at the
commencement of the War--Army reduced--Wild Cat visits
Tiger-tail--Singular adventure--Embarkation of Emigrants--Parting
scene between Wild Cat and General Worth--The Emigrants reach Fort
Gibson and join their friends--Wild Cat's position in his new home.
[Sidenote: 1841.]
On the fourth of March, General Harrison was inaugurated President of
the United States. Much was expected of him in regard to the war. The
Whigs had condemned it throughout the Presidential struggle, and it was
anticipated that he would bring it to a successful and honorable
termination; but before he even entered upon the consideration of this
subject, he was called from this to another sphere of existence, and was
succeeded by the then Vice President, John Tyler, of Virginia. Nor is it
easy to see what great reform General Harrison could have effected in
regard to this war, had he lived to complete his term of service. The
policy of so directing the energies of the Federal Government as to
support the interests of slavery, had long existed; he was not expected
to make any substantial changes in that respect. But whatever may have
been his designs, he had no opportunity to carry them into effect; and
Mr. Tyler, after coming into office, soon ceased to enjoy the confidence
of the Whig party, who generally declared themselves no longer
responsible for his acts.
The new Administration soon identified itself with this war by the
following order:
"ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE,
_Washington City_, May 19, 1841."
"SIR: Brigadier General Armistead, being about to relinquish the
command of the Florida Army, as you will see by the instructions
communicated to him of this date, of which a copy is herewith
enclosed; as the officer next in rank, you will relieve him and
assume the command accordingly.
"I am directed, by the Secretary of War, to advise you of the
earnest desire of the Department to terminate, as speedily as
possible, the protracted hostilities in Florida, and to cause the
most perfect protection and security to be given to the frontiers,
and to those citizens who may be disposed to penetrate the country,
for lawful purposes of trade or settlement. For the attainment of
these important objects, you are considered as being clothed with
all the powers of a commander in the field, under the laws and
regulations of the army.
"It is expected the troops under your command will be kept in a
perfect state of discipline, and that you make such disposition of
them as to be in readiness to meet any contingency that may all for
active and energetic movements, the execution of which is left
entirely at your own discretion.
"If you should deem it indispensable for the protection of the
frontier, the President directs that you make a requisition upon
the Governor of Florida for militia, not exceeding one regiment,
which, if called out, you will cause to be mustered into the
service of the United States, in the manner prescribed by the
regulations, for any period authorized by the constitution and
laws.
"The Secretary of War, placing, as he does, entire confidence in
your ability and patriotism, desires me to say, that every possible
aid and support will be afforded to enable you to bring to a close
this protracted and most embarrassing war."
"As the commander of Florida, you will exercise a sound discretion
in the use of the means placed at your disposal; and while these
should be employed with the greatest efficiency, the Secretary of
War directs that you will, consistently with the primary object in
view, diminish, in a spirit of sound economy, all unnecessary
drains upon the Treasury, by discharging all persons employed in a
civil capacity whose services you shall not deem indispensable to
the duties of your command, and by regulating and reducing as far
as practicable all other expenses, in accordance with the just
expectations of the Government and the country.
"I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) R. JONES, _Adjutant General_.
Col. J. W. WORTH,
8th Infantry, Tampa, Florida."
General Worth now applied himself, with commendable zeal, to the work
assigned him. His first object was to discharge all employees not
necessary to the operations of the army, and in every department to
curtail the expenditures as far as possible; thereby rendering the war
unprofitable to those who had been seeking to prolong it. Early in June
he issued the following order:
"HEAD QUARTERS, ARMY OF THE SOUTH,}
No. 1.] _Fort King_, June 8, 1841. }
"I. Hereafter no expenditures of money will be made on account of
barracks-quarters, or other buildings at temporary posts, except
for such slight covering as may be indispensably necessary for the
protection of the sick and security of the public stores, without
previous reference to, and authority obtained from, head-quarters.
"II. All safe-guards or passports granted to Indians prior to this
date, are hereby revoked. Any Indian presenting himself at any
post, will be seized and held in strict confinement, except when
commanding officers may, in the exercise of sound discretion, deem
it advisable to send out an individual runner to communicate with
others.
"III. When the garrisons are not too much reduced by sickness,
detachments will be sent out as often as once in seven days, or
more frequently if circumstances indicate a necessity, to scour and
examine in all directions to the distance of eight or ten miles.
"IV. All restraints heretofore imposed upon district commanders, in
respect to offensive field operations, are hereby revoked; on the
contrary, the utmost activity and enterprise is enjoined. District
commanders will give instructions to commanders of posts
accordingly.
"V. Brief reports of the operations carried on under the foregoing
orders, setting forth the strength of the detachments, and by whom
commanded, with such observations as may be deemed useful or
interesting to the service, will be made to district commanders on
the 10th, 20th, and last of every month, by whom they will be
transmitted to these head-quarters.
"By order of Colonel WORTH:
(Signed) G. WRIGHT,
_Capt. 8th Infantry, and A. A. A. General_."
Halec Tustenuggee was regarded as the most active and vindictive of the
hostile chiefs. Among his followers were some forty Indian warriors and
ten or twelve Exiles capable of bearing arms. They and their families,
numbering in all some two hundred souls, were supposed to be somewhere
in the neighborhood of Lake "Fonee-Safakee," among the extensive swamps
and hommocks of that region. Some few of this band had surrendered and
gone West. Among those who came in to Fort Jupiter for the purpose of
emigrating, were several Exiles who had been born in that region, and
had ever been connected with this small tribe. Some of those who had
previously surrendered, were retained as guides and interpreters, with
the expectation that they might be made useful in persuading their
friends to emigrate also. It was thought very desirable to capture this
band, if possible; and guides, and interpreters, and scouts were sent in
every direction, where it was supposed they might be discovered, in
order to open a communication with them. At length it was reported that
a trail had been discovered leading to one of their favorite haunts,
where it was believed they might be found.
We cannot better exhibit the dangers which constantly beset the Exiles
who remained hostile, or the vigilance with which they and their friends
watched for their own safety, than by giving a short account of Colonel
Worth's expedition for the capture of this small party, which we copy
from Sprague's History of the Florida War. Says that author:
"The negro guides, recently of the band, represented it as his favorite
resort from its seclusion, where he held his green corn dances and
councils. Measures were at once adopted to follow it up. Colonel Worth,
with one hundred men of the 2d Infantry, accompanied by Lieutenant
Colonel Riley and Major Plympton, together with Captain B. L. Beall's
company 2d Dragoons, and forty men of the 8th Infantry, in command of
First Lieutenant J. H. Harvil, moved from Fort King for Fort McClure or
Warm Spring; thence, under the guidance of Indian negroes, to the
neighborhood of the lake. At midnight, on the night of the tenth, the
swamp was reached; the troops having marched forty-four miles. To
surprise the Indian camp just at break of day, was the only chance of
success. The guides represented it to be on the opposite side of the
swamp, five or six miles through. The horses were picketed, and the
baggage left with a small guard on the margin of the swamp. The soldier
carried only a musket and his ammunition; the officers a rifle or sword.
Quietly and resolutely the command moved, confident of success. The
water became colder and deeper at every step; halts were frequently
made to extricate the officers and soldiers from the mud. The night was
dark, which added to the dismal gloomy shadows of a cypress swamp. The
command could only follow by the splashing of water, and the calm but
firm intonations of the word of command. The negroes in advance,
followed closely by the most hardy and active, guided these two hundred
men to what was believed to be the stronghold of the enemy. Every hour
and step confirmed this conviction. The advance reached the opposite
side just before the break of day. Anxiously they awaited and greeted
every officer and soldier as he emerged from the swamp, covered with mud
and water. Day broke; when silently the command was given--'Fall in!'
Eleven officers and thirty-five privates were present. Occasionally a
straggler would arrive, and report those in the rear as coming. The
Indian huts, by the gray dawn of morning (twenty-four in number), could
be discerned through the scrub, which separated the white and red man,
three hundred yards distant. At this hour the Indian around his camp
fire feels secure. From the number of huts, and their location, they
outnumbered the assailants. To await the arrival of the entire force,
the day would be far advanced; and discovery was a total defeat. It was
determined with the number present to make a vigorous assault, and, if
outnumbered, to rely upon those in the rear. Each man reprimed his
musket, and cautiously, on his hands and knees, worked his way through
the dense undergrowth to within a few yards of the cluster of huts and
temporary sheds. Not a word was uttered. Eagerly each man grasped his
musket, anxious for the first whoop, when he would be rewarded for his
toil. A musket was discharged to arouse the inmates, and meet them on
their retreat. It sent back its dull heavy reverberation, causing
disappointment and chagrin. Not a human being occupied the huts, or was
upon the ground."
Large fields of corn were before them; they had been carefully
cultivated, and gave incontestable proof that the allies had just left.
This place had been the temporary residence of a strong force; but
their patrols had discovered the approach of our troops, and
communicated information to the party in time to enable them, with their
wives and children, to escape from danger.
The officers and soldiers looked about a while with wonder, and then
commenced the work of destroying the cabins and crops, which being
effected, they retraced their steps to head-quarters, fully satisfied
that a disciplined army was not adapted to the work of surprising
Indians and Exiles.
Perhaps no act or policy of General Worth contributed so much to the
favorable prosecution of the war, as his treatment of Coacoochee, or
Wild Cat, as he was more recently called. This extraordinary personage
became conspicuous in 1841. During the entire war he deeply sympathized
with the Exiles--was always attended by some of his more dusky friends,
in whose welfare he took a deep interest; nor has he yet forsaken them.
Even at the time of writing this narrative, he is supposed to be with
them; and a short notice of some of his more than romantic experience in
this war may interest the reader in the fortunes of a man who may yet
fill a large space in the history of our country.
He was the son of King Philip, a Seminole chief of some reputation. He
is now (1857) about fifty years of age; five feet eight inches in
height; well proportioned; exhibiting the most perfect symmetry in his
physical form. His eye is dark, full and expressive; and his countenance
youthful and pleasing. His voice is clear, soft and musical; his speech
fluent; his gestures rapid and violent. His views are always ingenious
and clearly expressed; and he never fails to infuse all his measures
with spirit, and to exert a controlling influence over his followers. He
was born near Ahapopka Lake, where he resided at the commencement of the
Florida War; but soon after sought a more secure retreat in the large
swamps, near Fort Mellon and Lake "Okechobee." His band at that time
numbered some two hundred souls, among whom were several families of
Exiles. In these sable warriors he is said to have reposed much
confidence. He accompanied them at the massacre of Major Dade and his
battalion in December, 1835. Here he formed his acquaintance with Lewis
Pacheco, who acted as guide to Major Dade. Lewis is said to have
attended him, and to have shared in every battle in which Wild Cat
participated, until the capitulation of 1837. After that capitulation
had been agreed to, he visited General Jessup's camp with the apparent
intention of emigrating West. He brought in some of his friends, among
whom was Lewis Pacheco, whom he claimed as his slave, and declared that
he had captured him at Dade's massacre. Lewis, being a negro, was placed
within the stockade at Tampa Bay, but Wild Cat of course went among his
friends in the vicinity. When he found that General Jessup was violating
the articles of capitulation, and delivering over to slavery those
Exiles who were claimed by the people of Florida, instead of securing
them in their lives and property, for which the faith of the nation had
been pledged, he became indignant, and insisted that every Indian and
Exile who was enjoying his liberty, should leave the encampment where
they were receiving food and raiment from the United States, and flee to
their own homes. Micanopy, one of the most wealthy and influential
chiefs, refused, and expressed his determination to emigrate. Wild Cat
and Osceola (Powell), two young and daring chiefs, came to the tent of
Micanopy, at midnight, and compelled him, at the peril of his life, to
leave and flee to the Indian country. He did so, and with him every
Indian and Exile, who was outside the stockade at Tampa Bay, made their
escape.
At the battle of Fort Mellon, on the eighth of February, 1837, he is
said to have commanded two hundred warriors, many of whom were Exiles.
He was at the battle of "Okechobee," on the twenty-fifth of December,
1837; the severest battle ever fought in Florida. Nearly all his
warriors were with him. He was posted on the left of the Indian line,
occupying the hommock, when General Taylor approached. He declared that
not an Indian gave way until the charge of Colonel Foster, although he
said the fire of our men "sent a stream of bullets among his warriors."
He stated the whole loss of the allied forces in that memorable
conflict to be thirteen killed and nineteen wounded, being less than
one-fourth of General Taylor's loss.
His father (King Philip) being imprisoned at St. Augustine in 1838,
naturally felt desirous that his son should go with him to the Western
Country, where he knew he must emigrate. He sent out a confidential
friend with a message to Wild Cat, inviting him to come and see him.
General Jessup also sent assurances of his perfect safety, if he wished
to come and visit his father. The messenger found him, and faithfully
delivered the message which his father sent. There were also other
Indians and Exiles going to Fort Peyton, under the peaceful invitation
and assurance of safety which General Jessup sent them. Wild Cat left
his band; and, arrayed in his best robes, bearing a white flag, went
with them and was betrayed, through the agency of General Hernandez,
into the power of General Jessup, as we have heretofore shown. He was
imprisoned in the castle at St. Augustine with his friend Talmas-Hadjo.
Accustomed to roam in the forests at will, and enjoy the free air of
Heaven, this confinement bore down their spirits and affected their
physical health. He and his friend Talmas-Hadjo made their escape, an
account of which was given in a former chapter.
His father remained with the other prisoners--was sent to Charleston;
and subsequently died on his passage to Fort Gibson in 1837, with the
first party of emigrants under Lieut. Reynolds.
Wild Cat now became one of the most active warriors in Florida. With his
followers, he repaired to the Okefenoke Swamp, and, encamping in its
fastnesses, sallied forth, as occasion permitted, and spread death and
devastation in the southern settlements of Georgia. From thence he
returned south, and committed constant depredations both east and west
of the St. John's. In 1840, his daughter, an interesting girl of twelve
years of age, fell into the hands of our troops, in a skirmish near Fort
Mellon. This was regarded as a most fortunate circumstance, as it would
be likely to procure an interview with the father. Micco, a sub-chief
and friend of Wild Cat, was dispatched with a white flag, on which were
drawn clasped hands in token of friendship, with a pipe and tobacco. He
found Wild Cat, and delivered the message of the Commanding General,
requesting an interview. Wild Cat agreed to come in, and gave Micco a
bundle of eight sticks, denoting the days which would elapse before he
appeared in camp. Micco returned, and made his report.
On the fifth of March, Wild Cat was announced as approaching the
American camp with seven of his trusty companions. He came boldly within
the line of sentinels, dressed in the most fantastic manner. He and his
party had shortly before killed a company of strolling theatrical
performers, near St. Augustine, and, having possessed themselves of the
wardrobe which their victims had with them, he now decorated himself and
followers in the most grotesque style. He approached the tent of General
Worth, calm and self-possessed, and shook hands with the officers. He
addressed the Commanding General in fluent and dignified language,
saying, he had received the talk and white flag sent him; that, in
pursuance of the invitation, he had come to visit the American camp with
peaceful intentions; that, relying upon the good faith of the officer in
command, he had entrusted himself to their power, in order to promote
the designs of peace which had been tendered him. The dignity of his
manner, the gracefulness of his gestures, the musical intonations of his
voice, the blandness of his countenance, won the sympathy, and commanded
the attention, of all around him.
At this moment his little daughter escaped from the tent, where it was
intended she should remain until General Worth should feel that the
proper time had arrived for him to present her to her father. With the
feelings and habits of her race, she presented him musket balls and
powder, which she had by some means obtained and secreted until his
arrival. On seeing his child, he could no longer command that dignity of
bearing so much the pride of every Indian chief. His self-possession
gave way to parental emotions; the feelings of the father gushed forth;
he averted his face and wept.
Having recovered his self-possession, he addressed Colonel Worth,
saying, "The whites dealt unjustly by me. I came to them, when they
deceived me. I loved the land I was upon; my body is made of its sands.
The Great Spirit gave me legs to walk over it; eyes to see it; hands to
aid myself; a head with which I think. The sun, which shines warm and
bright, brings forth our crops; and the moon brings back the spirits of
our warriors, our fathers, our wives and children. The white man comes;
he grows pale and sickly; why can we not live in peace? They steal our
horses and cattle, cheat us, and take our lands. They may shoot us--may
chain our hands and feet; _but the red man's heart will be free_. I have
come to you in peace, and have taken you all by the hand. I will sleep
in your camp, though your soldiers stand around me thick as pine trees.
I am done: when we know each other better, I will say more."
General Worth assured him of the good faith with which he should be
treated; that the feelings which he had expressed were honorable to him
and to his people; that the emotions manifested on seeing his child,
were highly creditable to him as a father; assured him that his child
should not be separated from him; that the American officers and
soldiers highly respected the parental affection which he had exhibited.
He then entered upon a consultation with him concerning the best mode of
obtaining a peace.
Wild Cat spoke with great sincerity; frankly stated the condition and
feelings of this people; stated the friendly attachment between the
Exiles and Indians; said that they would not consent to be separated;
that nothing could be done until their annual assemblage in June, to
feast on the green corn; that, hard as the fate was, he would consent to
emigrate, and would use his influence to induce his friends to do so.
After remaining four days in camp, he and his companions left,
accompanied by his little daughter, whom he presented to her mother on
reaching his own encampment.
Prompt to his engagement with General Worth, he returned on the tenth
day after his departure. He stated that he could do nothing until June;
but expressed his desire to see General Armistead, the former commander,
who was yet at Tampa Bay. With that officer he also made arrangements to
do whatever was in his power to induce his friends to emigrate.
There appears no good evidence on which to doubt the sincerity of Wild
Cat; yet it appears that General Armistead, before leaving Florida,
ordered Colonel Childs, commanding at Fort Pearce, to seize Wild Cat, if
he should come within his power, with such followers as should attend
him, and send them to Tampa Bay for emigration. General Armistead
retired to Washington soon after issuing this order, leaving General
Worth in command.
On the twenty-first of May, Wild Cat and his brother, together with an
uncle, a brother of his father King Philip, and twelve other Indians and
three Exiles, came into Fort Pearce, where Colonel Childs was in
command. Wild Cat and his friends had reposed perfect confidence in the
honor and good faith of General Worth. He had been betrayed by General
Hernandez, acting under General Jessup's orders; had been imprisoned,
and suffered much; but from the manner and bearing of General Worth, he
had been led to repose the most implicit confidence in his sincerity.
Colonel Childs, however, punctilious in his obedience to orders, at once
seized and sent him and his companions in irons to Tampa Bay, where they
were immediately placed on board a transport and sent to New Orleans, en
route for Fort Gibson. The people of Florida heartily approved this
transaction, feeling that the Territory was now rid of one of its most
dangerous foes.
General Worth soon learned the manner in which Wild Cat had been again
seized as a prisoner, in violation of the pledged faith of Government.
Mortified and chagrined, he at once dispatched a faithful officer, with
explicit directions, to bring Wild Cat and his friends back to Florida
at the earliest moment at which he should be able. The officer found
them at New Orleans, and forthwith started with them on his return to
Tampa Bay.
This measure of General Worth, though bold, and in direct opposition to
the popular sentiment of Florida, probably tended as much to the
pacification of that Territory as any movement during the war.
General Worth set out to meet the distinguished chief, and reached Tampa
Bay on the third of July. The next day he went on board the ship, where
he met Wild Cat and his companions; they were yet in irons. As they met
upon the deck, the General took him cordially by the hand; assured him
of his sincere friendship; of the mistake by which he had been arrested;
but assured him, that so great was his renown as a warrior, and such
were the fears which the people entertained of him, that, as commanding
General, he was constrained to hold him a prisoner.
Perhaps nothing so touches the vanity of a savage as an expression of
his greatness; and the consummate policy of General Worth was never more
apparent than in the manner of his treating this savage chief. After
recounting the devastation and death which Wild Cat had scattered
throughout the Territory, he told him, with great emphasis, that he had
the power to put an end to the war. He then told him he was at liberty
to select five of his most trusty friends, and send them to his band
with such a message as would inform them of the precise state of facts,
to name the time necessary to gather his band, and have them at Fort
Brooke; that, if they failed to come in at the appointed time, he and
his followers, who should remain with him, should be _hanged_.
Wild Cat listened with emotion; most of his followers wept. After
General Worth had closed his remarks, he arose, and, with great force of
eloquence and truth, portrayed the wrongs to which he and his friends
had been subjected. He then added, that they had fought the white people
bravely, had killed many, but they were too numerous and too strong for
them to contend with; that they were compelled to submit. Then, in
conclusion, he said he would send out his friends, and do what he could
to induce his band to surrender, for emigration.
While he was speaking, the hour of twelve arrived, and an armed ship
lying in port, opened her ports and commenced firing a national salute,
in honor of the day. Wild Cat stopped, and, turning to General Worth,
inquired the cause. It was explained to him, and he readily contrasted
his own situation and that of his friends, who were sitting around him
in irons, with the condition of the freemen to whom they were prisoners.
After he had concluded his remarks, he gathered around him his friends,
and, having consulted with them, he selected his five messengers, one of
whom was taken from the Exiles, and the other four from the Indians. The
five messengers were brought together, and he addressed them in their
own language, apparently with deep emotion; but when he came to inform
them of the message they were to deliver to his wife and child, the
feelings of the husband and father again overpowered him: he turned
aside and wept; and such was the deep and thrilling interest which
pervaded those around him, that the hardy sailors who had long been
accustomed to danger, and the soldier who had become familiar with death
in its various forms, were melted to tears. The sympathy became general;
and all present seemed to acknowledge the reality of those holy
affections of the human heart which God has implanted deep down in its
core and center. Silence pervaded the whole assemblage. The order was
given by General Worth in a low and solemn voice to remove the fetters
from the limbs of the five messengers. It was done quietly, and all
looked on with interest. After the irons had been taken from their
limbs, and all was prepared for their departure, Wild Cat shook hands
with each as they passed over the side of the ship. To the last he
handed a silk handkerchief and a breast-pin, saying, "give them to my
wife and child."
The time which Wild Cat had voluntarily set for their return, was forty
days. The band was supposed to be on the Kissimee or St. John's River;
and much interest was felt by all in the result. They greatly feared
that delay might take place in finding and communicating with them.
Officers and soldiers participated in the excitement; and the messengers
were instructed by them to inform the commanding officer at that post,
if any great delay should occur.
The success of this mission was regarded as the turning point of the
Florida War, and in its perfect success all felt a deep interest; as it
was believed that his example would be followed by other chiefs of
sufficient influence to bring this long protracted war to a close.
The officers visited Wild Cat and his friends, on board the ship, daily,
and endeavored to cheer them by constantly expressing their confidence
in the fidelity of the messengers. He endeavored to surmount the anxiety
and apprehension which his situation naturally brought to his mind; but
his care-worn countenance and anxious manner showed the corroding
solicitude which he felt.
"Old Micco," the Indian chief who at first induced Wild Cat to come in
to Fort Cummings, was at Tampa Bay at the time the messengers left. He
was aged, but continued active. He had been the confidential friend of
King Philip, the father of Wild Cat, and was now the warm friend of the
son. He volunteered to accompany the messengers, assuring Wild Cat that
he would himself return in ten days with such tidings as he should be
able to gather in that time.
The old man, faithful to his engagement, on the tenth day appeared at
Tampa Bay with six warriors and a number of women and children, and
reported that others were on their way. The return of Micco with such
intelligence cheered his followers and friends, and gave to our officers
and soldiers confidence in the entire success of the plan; but the chief
continued to exhibit gloom, and at times he evinced despondency of
spirits.
In the meantime, his people continued to arrive daily, and in less than
thirty days, his entire band were encamped at Tampa Bay. He had
informed General Worth of the precise number of his warriors by
delivering to him a bundle containing one stick for each warrior. On the
last day of July, it was found that the number of warriors, including
Exiles, exactly corresponded with the number of sticks.
When informed that his warriors were all in, he resumed his natural
cheerfulness; his countenance became lighted up with hope and
intelligence; his bearing was lofty and independent. Several officers
went on board to congratulate him. He was warmly greeted. He now,
turning to the officer of the guard, in a tone of confident assurance,
requested that his irons might be removed, and he permitted to address
his warriors, as he said, "like a man." His shackles were taken off; and
he then dressed himself in a manner which he deemed fitting the
occasion. His turban was of crimson silk, from which three ostrich
plumes were gracefully suspended; his breast was covered with glittering
silver ornaments; his many-colored frock was fastened around his waist
by a girdle of red silk, into which was thrust his scalping knife,
enclosed in its appropriate scabbard. Red leggins and ornamented
moccasins completed his attire. He was attended on shore by several
officers, who took seats with him in the boat. As they approached the
shore, and he saw his friends who had gathered at the landing to greet
him, his heart seemed to swell with emotion; but gathering himself for
the occasion he became dignified and haughty in his deportment, and as
he stepped on shore be waived his hand, beckoning them all to stand
back. They impulsively obeyed; and raising his form to its utmost height
he sent forth a shrill war-whoop, which reached every ear in the
vicinity, as the announcement of his freedom. A hearty response at once
came back from every warrior of the band. The crowd simultaneously
opened to the right and left, when, without noticing the presence of any
person, he at once proceeded to the head-quarters, where he met General
Worth, whom he saluted in the most respectful manner. He then turned to
his people and addressed them, stating the arrangement with General
Worth, thanking them for so cheerfully coming to him, declared they
were now at peace with the white people. He then inquired for his wife
and child, who had remained silent spectators of the whole scene. They
at once came forward, and as he saw them, the feelings of the husband
and father again overcame him for an instant; but resuming his lofty
demeanor he mingled again with those faithful and tried followers, who
had so often stood beside him in times of peril.
Such were the fortunes, and such the character, of one of those
chieftains whom the incidents of the Florida War brought into public
notice. He is now introduced to the reader, and will continue to receive
occasional attention until the close of our narrative, and perhaps he
may again appear in the future history of the people to whose trials and
persecutions we are now directing attention.
We have felt this sketch due to the cause of truth, inasmuch as during
the war, and even up to the present day, public newspapers have spoken
of Wild Cat as a cruel and vindictive savage. His efforts in behalf of
freedom have been represented by public officers as crimes, and he has
been held up to the public as an unprincipled brigand. We would judge
him, as we would all others, by his acts.
Wild Cat's band, now convened at Tampa Bay, had been previously
diminished by emigration. It now numbered seventy-eight warriors,
sixty-four women and forty-seven children--making in all one hundred and
eighty-nine souls. We have no official statement of the number of Exiles
who surrendered with this band. We suppose, however, from the warm
interest which Wild Cat always took in behalf of the Exiles, that more
would have flocked to his standard than to those of other chiefs; but we
have no evidence that such was the fact. Probably the Exiles constituted
about one-sixth of the band--that being the proportion of Exiles who
accompanied him to Fort Cummings, and were seized with him by Colonel
Childs. Indeed, we have had no official data by which to determine the
proportion of Exiles who constituted the several parties that
surrendered after General Jessup left the army. No subsequent commander
in Florida appears to have drawn distinctions as to the color of his
prisoners. They were all reported as _Seminoles_, and the term "negro"
occurred only incidentally in their official reports, when speaking of
the class of interpreters and agents who were employed; nor do we find
that General Worth made any effort to send any of his prisoners into
slavery. So far as we are informed, like General Taylor, he treated them
all as _prisoners of war_, entitled to the same rights, the same
respect, and the same attentions, agreeably to the doctrine advanced by
General Gaines at New Orleans.
General Worth appears to have felt authorized to send every Exile who
surrendered, to the Western Country. If any of them were claimed by the
slaveholders of Florida, he directed the proofs of ownership to be taken
and the value of the negro estimated, and then, without waiting for
further contest, the negro was treated as other prisoners, and sent West
with his Seminole friends, leaving the Government to pay for the slave
or not, as the Executive and Congress should determine.[130]
It was this policy which enabled General Worth to conduct the war with
so much greater success than his predecessors. It enabled him to avail
himself of all the influence of Wild Cat, now exerted in favor of
emigration; while General Jessup, by delivering over the Exiles to
slavery, had induced the same chief to exert absolute violence to
prevent emigration.[131]
General Worth, having secured the friendship and coöperation of Wild
Cat, entered into consultation with him as to the best method of
carrying out his plan of peaceful surrender of the Indians and Exiles,
and their emigration West. Those in the eastern part of the Territory,
under Hospetarche and Tiger-tail and Sam Jones, were bitterly opposed to
emigration. They determined, in council, to kill any messenger sent to
them for the purpose of persuading them to surrender, or any one who
should attempt to leave them for the purposes of emigration.
Notwithstanding this determination, some three or four families,
numbering in all about twenty souls, made their escape (Aug. 10), and,
though closely pursued, reached the military post on Pease Creek, and
were sent to Tampa Bay, where they joined Wild Cat's band. Otulke, a
brother of Wild Cat, lived in the vicinity of those people who had
become so indignant, and it was deemed important to inform him of Wild
Cat's determination to go West. The chief had also a younger brother,
now with the band at Tampa Bay, who volunteered to perform the hazardous
duty of carrying a message to Otulke. Much solicitude was felt for his
safety, but he accomplished his mission successfully. Otulke, with some
six warriors and their families, obeyed the call, and came to Tampa Bay
and joined the party destined for emigration.
Otulke also brought a message from Hospetarche, an aged chief, the head
of a small band numbering nearly one hundred souls. He was said to be
eighty-five years of age; but was yet active, and possessed great
energy. He sent a message to Wild Cat that he, too, was coming in to see
him. He was from the "Great Cypress Swamp," whose inhabitants were
regarded as very treacherous, and altogether destitute of integrity.
A few days after Otulke arrived, Hospetarche sent a boy with a white
flag to Tampa Bay, saying, he was old and fatigued, and wanted whisky
and provisions to enable him to reach Fort Brooke. These were sent him;
but the next day another message of the same character was received, and
complied with. This practice continued for five days. And such was the
desperate character of the old chief, that none of the friendly Indians
dared go out to meet him, particularly as they learned that he was
attended only by warriors; they believed he was intent on hostility
rather than peace, and they feared him.
Wild Cat had been absent for some days. When he returned, he ascertained
the situation of Hospetarche, with whom he had long been acquainted. The
next morning he dressed himself in his gayest attire, and, taking his
rifle, mounted his favorite horse, which had been brought to Tampa Bay
by his followers.
The officers who witnessed his departure, declared that the noble animal
exhibited evidence of having recognized his master. No sooner had Wild
Cat mounted, than he began to champ his bit and paw the earth, as if
impatient to bear forth his rider to the hunting grounds. Wild Cat,
sitting upon his spirited horse, shook hands with General Worth and the
other officers, and then dashed into the forest; and before sunset,
returned with his venerable friend, Hospetarche, and eighteen warriors.
After they arrived, they were treated kindly, but placed under a strong
guard. They sent confidential friends however to their homes, who in a
few days returned, bringing with them the women and children of the
whole band. There were now at Tampa Bay nearly three hundred prisoners
ready for emigration, including Exiles, supposed to be about sixty in
number.
While General Worth was thus successful in his efforts to induce the
Indians and their allies peacefully to emigrate, he was pained to
witness the sufferings to which his army were subjected. As an
illustration of the sacrifice which our nation made in this effort to
enslave the Exiles, we would state, that the 1st regiment of Infantry,
under Colonel Miller, came to Florida in 1838, and left in August, 1841.
It numbered some six hundred men, and during the three years of its
residence in Florida, one hundred and thirty-five soldiers and six
commissioned officers died of sickness. This we believe to be nothing
more than the average loss of the troops who served in that war, in
proportion to the time of service. The official reports for July, 1841,
showed two thousand four hundred and twenty-eight men on the sick list,
unfit for duty, being considerably more than one half of the whole army.
A few Indians and Exiles, from various bands, occasionally arrived at
Tampa Bay, and joined the emigrating party. Throughout the different
families, they appeared to believe that General Worth was acting in good
faith. The whole character of the war had undergone a change. It had
originally been commenced and prosecuted for the purpose of reënslaving
Exiles: now that object, so far as they could discover, appeared to have
been given up. Exiles and Indians were treated alike. Wild Cat, their
most active and popular chief, and the leading Exiles with him, were
acting with sincerity in favor of emigration. The war was in fact
suspended, for the adoption of a more pacific policy, which seemed to
promise success.
Tiger-tail was yet inexorable and inveterate. He was said to have
murdered his own sister for proposing to surrender; yet a small party
from his band escaped to Tampa Bay, and were protected. A few other
Indians and Exiles were captured without bloodshed; and such were the
prospects of returning peace, that by the commencement of September,
General Worth informed the War Department that the 3d regiment of
Artillery could be spared from the service in Florida; and that he
hoped, within a month, to discharge the 4th and 5th Infantry, and the 3d
Dragoons.
[Illustration: Thlocklo Tustenuggee. (Tiger Tail.)]
Wild Cat visited Tiger-tail in his retreat, which was regarded as a most
hazardous undertaking. With six followers he started on a visit to this
barbarous chief. He reached the vicinity of his camp near nightfall, but
deemed it prudent not to approach at that late hour of the day. He and
his friends fearing discovery, bivouacked in a grove, supposing they had
not been noticed by any one. In the darkness of the night, they heard
slight movements near them. Wild Cat suspected it was the wary chief,
preparing to massacre himself and friends. He boldly called out,
announcing his own name, and telling Tiger-tail not to come upon him
like a coward, by stealth, but to speak frankly, or come up boldly to
a personal conflict. Tiger-tail, surprised and astonished at this
course, commenced conversation. Wild Cat, referring to their former
friendship, avowed his desire to renew the attachment; or, if Tiger-tail
insisted on fighting, then he would meet him in a manner becoming a bold
warrior. The ferocity of Tiger-tail gave way. They agreed to meet next
day, when a long consultation was held. The savage chief gave assurances
of his peaceful disposition, and promised to reflect upon the propriety
of emigrating. Wild Cat also sent to other chiefs messages, assuring
them of his intention to emigrate; that his band, and that of
Hospetarche, with individuals from other villages, were at Tampa Bay
with the intention of soon embarking for the Western Country.
Tiger-tail insisted on seeing Alligator, a Seminole chief, who emigrated
in 1837, saying, if Alligator would come back and advise him to go West,
he would comply with such advice. A messenger was accordingly sent West
to bring Alligator to Florida.
In the meantime, Wild Cat declared to General Worth that he desired to
see his own people on their way; and assigned as the reason for such
desire, that Indians were a restless people, and could not be long kept
inactive, with no employment for either body or mind. The advice was
received by General Worth with respect, and he at once gave orders to
prepare for the journey. Transports had been employed, and were then in
waiting. The women and children were engaged in cracking corn, to serve
as food for their journey. Amid all the cares which surrounded him,
General Worth endeavored to make both Indians and Exiles comfortable,
and render them cheerful. They were a wronged and persecuted people,
about to leave their homes, their native country, and go to a distant
region, of which they were ignorant. Driven from the graves of their
fathers, they were about to be separated from scenes which had been
familiar to them from childhood.
Of those who had come in for emigration, fifteen had died. Wild Cat
detailed from his band seven, and Hospetarche detailed ten warriors,
who, with their families, making some eighty souls in all, were to
remain with General Worth for a while in order to exert what influence
they could with their friends in favor of emigrating to the West. The
number who actually embarked was little more than two hundred and fifty,
exclusive of fourteen Mickasukies, who persisted in drawing their
rations, and in all things being separated from the others. Some fifty
Exiles are supposed to have been among those who embarked, and two of
the seventeen families who remained at Tampa Bay were of mixed blood.
The emigrants were all on board the transports, when General Worth and
staff paid them a last visit. The scene was said to be affecting.
Hospetarche, venerable for his years, sat in silence, resting his head
upon his hands, and looking back upon his native land. He appeared
disqualified for holding conversation with any one, and none appeared
willing to disturb his seeming melancholy reflections. The women--both
Exiles and Indians--were weeping and sighing, unrestrained by that
dignity so much cultivated by savages of the other sex. The
warriors--black and red--were solemn and silent. This appeared to give
Wild Cat pain. He stood upon the quarter deck with his sub-chiefs around
him. As General Worth was about to take leave, "I am looking (said Wild
Cat) at the last pine tree of my native land. I am about to leave
Florida for ever; and I can say that I have never done anything to
disgrace the land of my birth. It was my home: I loved it as I loved my
wife and child. To part from it, is like separating from my own kindred.
But I have thrown away the rifle; I have shaken hands with the white
man, and I look to him for protection." He then addressed General Worth,
thanked him for all his kindness and confidence; and on behalf of his
people he expressed a high sense of gratitude for the humanity and
friendship extended to them. Then extending his hand to the General he
bade him farewell. General Worth, in taking leave, expressed the hope
that they would have a pleasant journey, and find themselves happy in
their western homes. They parted; the anchor was hauled up, the sails
hoisted; and the unhappy emigrants soon cast their last lingering look
upon the long-loved scenes of their childhood.
They were hurried on their way as rapidly as wind and steam could propel
the ships in which they embarked. They made a short stay at New Orleans;
and in two weeks from the time they left Tampa Bay, they landed at Fort
Gibson, and were conducted to the settlement made by their brethren who
had previously emigrated. Here Wild Cat found himself in a new sphere.
Respected and beloved by his followers for his gallant bearing; his
undoubted courage; his devotion to the interests of his people; his
truth and justice--distinguished above all others of his tribe by his
warlike exploits, he was qualified and prepared to enter upon the trying
scenes which awaited his future life.