A Bit of History
Osceola
1837
In July of 1837,
Colonel Zachary Taylor at the age of 53, was directed to take charge of
the troops in Florida. Just two years prior, Zachary Taylor’s daughter Sarah
Knox or “Knoxie” married Jeferson Davis but then died three months later
from Malaria. Zachor Taylor would become the 12th president of the United
States in 1849 and Jeferson Davis later became the president of the
Confederacy during the civil war.
But, in June the treaty fell apart when chiefs Micanopy, Jumper and Cloud, with their families were “carried off” by a band of about two hundred warriors led by Osceola. Osceola had ordered that no white man was to be harmed in the raid. At first Micanopy refused to go saying that he had signed the treaty, but they told him his blood would be spilled if he refused. It was said that Micanopy, “threw his bosom open and told them to kill him and do it quickly.” But they forced him on his horse and took him away.
General Jesup, who had been put in charge of the Indian removal was not happy about the situation and said he thought it impossible to get all the Indians out of Florida without exterminating them, but he doubted public opinion would support extermination.
Engraving depicting General Hernandez seizing Osceola as a prisoner, 1837.
In October Osceola informed the government that he was ready for a conference and as evidence of his good intentions, sent the General a beaded peace pipe. Osceola proposed that General Hernandez come to his camp without military escort to talk. General Jessup directed Hernandez to take an escort strong enough to defend against a surprise attack. General Hernandez, accordingly, rode into Osceola’s camp with an escort of two hundred mounted men where they found Osceola standing under a white flag indicating he understood the meeting was a truce, not a surrender. With Osceola was ninety-five people, including twelve chiefs and seventy-one warriors. A speaker for the Seminoles said that chiefs Micanopy, Cloud and Jumper all had measles and would come later. General Hernandez presented a list of seven question that were prepared by General Jessup. After the Chiefs provided their answers to the questions, General Jessup considered them unsatisfactory and ordered his troops to seize the Seminoles. Under threat of being shot down by the superior numbers of the white men’s troops, Osceola and his party surrendered and were marched off to Fort Marion in St. Augustine. Osceola, who appeared to be ill, was supplied with a horse for the journey. By the end of November there were 88 Seminole warriors, 32 women, and 15 children imprisoned at Fort Marion. Also arriving the fort were Osceola’s family including his two wives, sister, two of his children and several warriors.