The Indians inhabiting the Everglades before the Seminole war had been
driven there from the adjacent islands by conquest. They did not belong
to this tribe. They spoke Spanish, and many of them had been baptized in
Havana. Their pursuits were quite different--they fished and followed
the sea as a means of support, having never been ten miles from the
shore. No account has ever been written by modern explorers in that
region which gives the reader as correct an idea of the topography of
the country as the one given by the engineer who accompanied Colonel
Harney, Jan. 1, 1841. Those who visit there now and return, appear to
have a commingling of scenery--the flowers, the grass, and water, all
being blended, the quantity of each not designated. This grass-water
country is said to be like no other place in the world--a sea of water
filled with grass and green trees, that can only be approached by
canoes, which must be pulled through the mud and saw-grass, and then
paddled when the water is of sufficient depth, with a black soil of
measureless extent.
The following interesting extracts will enable us to form an idea of the
energy and enterprise required during the Seminole war to penetrate the
fastness of a country where the foes intrenched themselves, and from
which they made sallies upon the unwary more to be dreaded than any
disease which visited them. The expedition was conducted by Colonel W.
S. Harney. His forces were distributed in four or five large canoes,
carrying from six to ten men each; the greater number went in boats made
for the purpose, containing five men each. Orders were given that every
man should be provided with twenty days' rations, sixty rounds of ball
and cartridge, with the necessary blankets, etc. The most perfect
silence was to be observed by all; orders communicated by
signal-whistles, with which the officers were supplied; the boats moving
in single file, twenty paces apart, every man ready to drop his paddle
and seize his gun at a moment's notice. The dragoons were armed with
Colt's repeating rifles, and, being under command of Colonel Harney,
formed a well-tried band of experienced Indian-fighters. Half an hour
after sunset, and during a shower of rain, the command left Fort Dallas,
which is situated on the bay at the mouth of Indian River, eight miles
above Kev Biscayne--Colonel Harney in advance, with Mico as guide, and
negro John as interpreter, the army next, and the navy in the rear.
After passing up the bay seven miles, they entered the mouth of Little
River, a tortuous and extremely rapid outlet from the Everglades, where
they struggled against the current until after midnight, when they
reached their first resting-place--the site of an old plantation--where
they landed.
_January 2._--The guide says that by not starting from here until toward
night, we will reach Chitto--Tustenuggee's Island--an hour or two before
daybreak to-morrow; we therefore retained our position as much as
possible in the grass and thickets until 4 P.M., when we started, but in
reversed order--the colonel in advance, the navy next, and the army in
the rear. After passing up a few miles of swift rapids, we entered the
Everglades at sunset, and, skirting along a projecting elbow of the pine
barren for two miles, lay concealed behind the point of it until quite
dark. We then moved forward swiftly and noiselessly, at one time
following the course of serpentine channels opening out occasionally
into beautiful lagoons, at another forcing our way through barriers of
saw-grass. After several hours of hard paddling, we came in sight of
Chitto's Island, when the signal was passed "to close up." Moving
cautiously, we took our positions around the island, and lay in anxious
expectation of the signal to move up and effect a landing. An
advance-guard, having been sent in to reconnoiter, after some time
reported that the enemy had left the island, and, in a tone of bitter
disappointment, the colonel gave the word, "Move up and land; the
Indians have escaped."
_January 3._--Chitto--Tustenuggee's, or Snake Warrior's Island--is a
most beautiful spot, containing from eighteen to twenty acres; the soil
is extremely rich, and about two feet deep, with a basis of rotten
limestone. The center is cleared, but the circumference is well
protected by immense live-oak and wild fig-trees, with an almost
impenetrable thicket of wild mangroves. There are two towns, two
dancing-grounds, and one council-lodge, on this island. With the
exception of the dancing-ground and a small patch of fine Cuba tobacco,
the whole clearing is overrun with pumpkin, squash, and melon vines,
with occasionally Lima beans in great luxuriance, and of a most
excellent quality. The Indians have been gone at least two weeks, having
left behind them all useless articles, such as war-dance masks,
supernumerary baskets, kettles, fishing-spears, etc. At 11 o'clock the
colonel dispatched a small force to reconnoiter Tuconee's Island, which
lies about three miles west of us. They returned at 4 P.M., reporting
recent signs of a woman and child. The only trophies they obtained were
some ears of green corn and a few stalks of sugar-cane.
_January 4._--Started this morning for Sam Jones's Island. He is said to
hold a strong position, having seventy warriors with him; the only fear
entertained by officers or men is that he may have left the island and
gone to Big Cypress. After paddling until 3 P.M., we reached a small
cluster of trees, from the tops of which the guide said that Sam Jones's
camp was visible; he was accordingly sent aloft to make an observation,
and soon pronounced the place deserted. This information changed the
colonel's programme, and, instead of waiting until night should conceal
his movements, he advanced immediately toward the island; however, not
omitting to send out flanking parties, and an advance-guard to
reconnoiter. Before sunset we had all landed, and were enjoying our
biscuit and bacon, in the midst of an Indian village.
_January 5._--Sam Jones's possessions consist of a group of several
islands, differing in size and separated by narrow sluices. Upon the
largest of these, which is about one hundred and fifty yards in width
and half a mile in length, are three villages and dancing-grounds, the
general features being the same as Chitto's Island, but the soil sandy.
There are no villages on the other islands, but they have been cleared
in the center and planted with pumpkins, melons, and corn, which were
all destroyed. Our greatest annoyance at this place was the immense
number of fleas, cockroaches, and musquitoes. Every thing you
touched--even the ground--was alive with the former, which, with the
musquitoes, attacked our persons, while the roaches luxuriated on our
provisions. The whole group of islands, called Army and Navy Group, is
nearly a mile and a half in length, and presented no recent signs of
Indians.
_January 6._--At 8 A.M. passed over three miles to the Pine Keys, and
scoured the whole extent; returned at night, hungry and fatigued, to Sam
Jones's camp. Started early the next morning for the Prophet's Island,
which, according to Mico, is two suns from there. At 11 A.M. stopped and
destroyed a flourishing crop of young corn. At 3 P.M. came to another
small island uncleared: upon sending John up a tree to look out, he
reported two Indians in canoes, two miles distant, approaching us.
Orders were given to lie close, as they were evidently coming to the
island. In a few minutes John reported they had seen us, and were going
back. The colonel gave chase, but, finding there was not water enough
for his large canoe, transferred the guide to Captain McLaughlin's boat,
and directed him to move on in pursuit--the light-boats of the artillery
to accompany the captain and his command. The colonel, with the large
canoes, returned to the island, and sent up a lookout, who reported the
Indians not visible, but our boats still going at speed, and rapidly
nearing a small island about three miles distant. Colonel H., becoming
impatient, and feeling confident that he could find a passage across
without any guide, left for the other island, and reached it just as
some of the advance boats flushed a party consisting of four warriors,
five squaws, and two children; each warrior had a separate canoe,
containing his family and worldly possessions. They left the boats to
the care of the women, and took to the grass-water, loading and firing
as they ran. Three of the warriors were soon shot, three squaws and one
child taken, and the other drowned by its mother to prevent its cries
leading to her detection. Night approaching, one warrior and two squaws,
favored by the darkness, escaped. Only one soldier was slightly wounded
in this enterprise. Early this morning Colonel H. sent out a small force
to follow the trail of the other warrior, and endeavor, if possible, to
take him alive, as he had ascertained from the squaws it was Chia, one
of the best guides in the whole Territory. After following the trail
five miles, they came up with a squaw (Chia's wife), and took her; a few
yards farther beyond, on hearing a rustling in the grass, several of the
men leaped into the water, when one of the marines, in the act of
springing from the boat, was shot in the side by the Indian, who ran a
few paces, reloading his rifle, and, as Sergeant Searles, of the Third
Artillery, rushed toward him, he turned and fired at only five paces,
wounding the sergeant mortally, who, however, did not retreat. Chia then
struck at him with his rifle; but, blinded and fainting as he was, from
loss of blood, he quickly rallied for a last effort, and threw himself
upon the Indian's neck, crying, "I have him!" Chia then drew his knife,
and was about to stab his captor, when a soldier arrested his murderous
hand. After securing the captive, the sergeant was lifted into a canoe
and brought back to the island, where his wounds were examined and
dressed by the medical officer. The ball was found to have passed
through the right arm, entered the right side, breaking a rib, opening
the right lung, and passing into the liver.
_January 9._--Last night we were obliged to sleep in our boats, and, in
addition to this discomfort, it rained hard, with a cold south wind all
night. Chia says that Sam Jones, on hearing of Colonel Harney's first
expedition, had sent over to the Seminoles for powder and lead, saying
that he would go into the Big Cypress, where, if pursued, he would fight
until death. Chia and his party were going to join him, and he (with a
gallows in prospective, should he prove false) promises faithfully to
guide us thither. In consequence of this information we returned to Sam
Jones's Island, which we reached at noon.
_January 10._--The description given of Sam Jones's present position is
such as would intimidate almost anybody from attempting to dislodge them
but Colonel Harney. At 8 A.M. we started for the head-waters of New
River, which we reached at sunset, and passed down the stream to Fort
Lauderdale, where we arrived at midnight.
_January 11._--Having disposed of the wounded men and female prisoners,
we left Lauderdale at sunset, and ascended the New River, entering the
Everglades by the right-hand branch, an hour before sunrise.
_January 12._--After allowing the men two hours' rest, we moved to a
group of keys, lying between the expanse of the Everglades and the edge
of the Big Cypress. It was here that Chia expected to find the main body
of the enemy; but, upon examination of the signs, he pronounced that
they had gone on to Okee-cho-bee. With a heart full of disappointment,
Colonel Harney found his schemes thwarted by the cowardice of the
Indians, who had fled panic-stricken upon hearing of Chai-kai-kee's
fate, and deserted their inaccessible retreats. At noon the navy left
us, taking with them Mico and negro John as guides across the
Everglades, in the direction of the first expedition. After dinner we
bore away for Lauderdale, and, aided by the swift current of New River,
reached our destination at 8 P.M.
_January 13._--Colonel Harney this morning started with twenty men to
search for a reported passage from the New River into the Hillsboro
Inlet; the low stage of the water proving an insurmountable obstacle, he
returned at sundown, giving orders to prepare for moving homeward
to-morrow.
_January 15._--At early dawn the canoes were hauled over from the beach
into the bay, when, in passing down it, we reached Fort Dallas at noon.
The Pay-hai-o-kee (grass-water, or Everglades) comprises a large portion
of Southern Florida, lying south of the twenty-seventh degree of
latitude, and separated from the Atlantic, or Gulf of Mexico, by a pine
barren, varying in width from five to twenty or more miles. There are a
number of outlets on the eastern, or Atlantic coast, while on the
western, or Gulf coast, there is only one, now named after its first
navigator, Harney River. The appearance presented upon entering the
Everglades is that of an immense prairie, stretching farther than the
eye can reach, covered by thick saw-grass, rising six feet above the
surface of the water, which it conceals--the monotony varied by numerous
snake-like channels and verdant islands, scattered few and far
between--the average depth of water over the whole extent being from two
to four feet. The channels vary in width from ten to twenty feet above
the usual water-level, though, no doubt, in very wet seasons
occasionally overflowed--the water all being clear and wholesome--and
even where no current was perceptible there was no appearance of
stagnation.
The results of this expedition, although apparently not very brilliant,
have only been surpassed in usefulness by those of the first Everglade
expedition, undertaken and prosecuted with such untiring energy and
eminent success by Colonel Harney. The knowledge acquired of the nature
of the country, the localities of the lands, and strength of the
positions, occupied by two of the most formidable chiefs, is of itself
ample reward for the privations and sufferings necessarily encountered
during a movement in open boats, with no tents, a limited supply of
blankets and provisions, exposed to the sun by day and the dew at night,
to the drenching rain and chilly blast, but rarely allowed the luxury of
fires, and eating food which it required a strong appetite to relish.
The Everglades extend from the head of the St. John's, on the north, to
within ten or fifteen miles of Cape Florida, on the south. This land is
believed to be twenty or thirty feet above the level of tide-water, and
is susceptible of being rendered perfectly dry by deepening and widening
the various outlets or rivers that flow through it, from the lakes to
the sea. The lakes near the center of the Everglades are deep and
navigable, connecting with one another throughout the entire distance.
The tropical region of the peninsula reaches from Cape Florida about two
hundred miles north. The soil of the country has been pronounced by all
explorers very rich, it being only covered with water in the rainy
season. When the resources of this tropical region are utilized, the
importance of Florida can hardly be appreciated too highly. Besides the
growth of cultured fruits, the Manilla hemp is one of the indigenous
products of the soil; the Indians used it in making ropes and mats, and
formerly supplied the Spaniards with halters, lines, and bed-cords, at
cheap rates--it was called grass-rope. The cotton-plant found here is
the same as that raised on plantations, differing only in the smallness
of the leaf and pod, length and fineness of the fibers--it produces two
or three years without being replanted.
_January_, 1841.--Colonel Harney has been on two expeditions in the
Everglades; captured thirty-nine Indians; pressed into service a slave,
formerly the property of Doctor Cruise, as a guide, he having been in
the hands of the enemy. He conducted the colonel to a camp where the
Indians were assembled, who fought, but were soon overpowered, when
Colonel Harney hung ten of the warriors, Chekika among the number, who
led the attack on Indian Key.
_St. Augustine_, January, 1841.--An ovation was given to General Harney,
after his return from the Everglade expedition, when the St. Augustine
Market-house was brilliantly illumined. A large transparency bore the
inscriptions, "Lieutenant-colonel W. S. Harney, Everglades!" "No more
Treaties!" "Remember Caloosahatchee!" "War to the Rope!" with the device
of an Indian suspended from a tree. A band of music played in the plaza,
cannon were fired, together with many other loud demonstrations of joy
at the prospect of peace.
The few may have smiled, but the many wept in tears of blood, and wailed
in sackcloth and ashes, over the long train of evils that followed the
Treaty of Payne's Landing--a compact of which many had never heard until
they began to suffer under the ineffectual attempts to carry it into
execution. What a tale of sorrow could the poor, suffering soldiers
unfold, who had to march through the saw-grass and saw-palmetto, with
their serrated edges, which seized their clothes and flesh as they
passed, marking their pathway with tatters and blood!
In South Florida, bounded on the north by Lake Ogeechubee--the largest
body of water in the State, it being fifty miles in length, and twenty
in width--is a tract of country known as the Everglades, comprising an
area of six hundred miles. Here dwells the remnant of a race of men
which required more time to subdue, and cost the Government more money,
than the Colonial war with Great Britain. They are ruled by chiefs,
according to their ancient patriarchal custom, the royal line being
transmitted from parent to child, as in monarchical governments.
Old and young Tiger Tail are both living now, the senior chief being
almost a century of age. It was his father that built an Indian village
where Tallahassee now stands, and in which place he first saw the light.
Old Tiger Tail murdered his sister, who favored emigration, to which he
was opposed. After going to the West he became much dissatisfied, when
he made his way to the wilds of Mexico, where he intrenched himself in
the natural fastness among the mountains. From this fortress he made
frequent sallies upon the inhabitants, killing when he met resistance,
and carrying away whatever plunder of value he could seize upon. He was
joined by others, who were living as outlaws in their own country, thus
combining the cunning of the Indian with the brigand spirit of the
Mexican, forming an alliance more to be dreaded than the wily movements
of the Chieftain Osceola. He is a battle-scarred warrior, and can relate
with much accuracy every different engagement where he was wounded. He
is friendly with some visitors; has a summer and winter home, where he
camps each season.
The Indians visit Fort Pierce, on the Indian River, as a trading-point,
when they bring buckskins, potatoes, pumpkins, and honey, to sell. The
wild honey brought to market from all parts of the State is a sufficient
proof of its adaptability to the production of that commodity for
settlers to engage in the enterprise of bee-culture. In addition to the
blossoms of annuals and orange-trees, a honey-dew exudes from some of
the trees at certain seasons--the magnolia, poplar, wahoo, and
sweet-gum--from which the bees can gather largely.
Father Dufau recently visited the Everglades as a missionary, but,
meeting with poor encouragement, returned. He does not bring favorable
reports in regard to their mental or spiritual improvement. The Indians
regard the "pale faces" with suspicion and distrust. They have been
duped so often by the whites that their chief forbids the females
speaking to them. They have no forms of religion, but worship the Great
Spirit and planets, wearing devices of the moon. Father Dufau had a pair
of silver ear-rings, made by them, the pendant portion resembling a
crescent. These were formerly owned and worn by Tiger Tail, who sold
them for whisky.
Slaves are still regarded as property with them, the difference in caste
between master and servant not being distinguishable. Polygamy is
becoming unpopular with them now. Tiger Tail has two wives; but the
oldest squaw claims priority, causing the stream of harmony to flow in
divided currents. She says, "Two squaws no good." The soil teems with
verdure all the year, and they live without solicitude, either
temporally or spiritually. In hunting, they require neither guns nor
dogs, but imitate whatever beast or bird they propose to capture, and
when their prey approaches near enough, shoot it with arrows. The water
found in the Everglades is very clear, thus enabling them to fish
without hooks or nets, by shooting the fish, which they do with great
skill.
The men dress in deerskin breeches, wearing calico coats, with long
skirts, and various patterns sewed on them. The squaws are all clothed
like our cracker country females--the younger ones displaying their
fondness for beads by wearing four pounds around their necks. The
funniest of all is how they received that irrational style of having
their hair _banged_ like white girls, and surprises visitors very much.
Some of the younger warriors expressed a desire to be taught to read,
measure, and weigh. They speak little English, but communicate mostly by
signs.
Father Dufau had to walk wherever he went, after leaving Key Biscayne
Bay, his speed at times being accelerated more than was agreeable by
water-moccasins and alligators.
The Everglades still retain their primeval state, guarded with ample
care by towering live-oaks, the majestic grandiflora, and the aromatic
bay, from which the yellow jasmine swings her airy bowers, and where the
polyglot bird trills his joyful notes, the velvet-plumaged paroquet
chatters to his mate, and the red-bird whistles shrill sounds of joy,
while high above all, swinging in mid-air, the golden oriole is
listening from her pendent bower for the first sounds of vitality which
will echo from her nestlings. The foot of man, in his march of progress,
has never penetrated these wilds of natural beauty--a solitude tempered
by sea-breezes, unvisited by wintry winds, where moonbeams sleep on
glassy waters, unmoved by the tempest's roar or the trident of Neptune.