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ALVMNVS BOOK FYND 
 

 THE 
 
 EARLY DAYS AND REMEMBRANCES 
 
 OP 
 
 OCEOLA NIKKANOCHEE, 
 
 PRINCE OF ECONCHATTI. 
 
London Printed by A. Drew, 17, Portugal Street, Lincoln s Inn.- 
 

 EE, PHIiSfCE OF EONHATTI 
 
 Ayoun^ SejxuTiole Indiaix 
 SON or ECO NO H ATT I -Ml CO, KING OF THE RED HILLS. 
 
 Published IjyHatchard & Son , Rccadill-. 
 
A NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 EARLY DAYS AND REMEMBRANCES 
 
 OF 
 
 OCEOLA NIKKANOCHEE, 
 
 PRINCE OF ECONCHATTI, 
 
 A YOUNG SEMINOLE INDIAN; SON OF ECONCHATTI-MICO, 
 KING OF THE RED HILLS, IN FLORIDA; 
 
 WITH 
 
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF HIS NATION, AND HIS RENOWNED UNCLE, 
 OCEOLA, AND HIS PARENTS : 
 
 AND 
 AMUSING TALES, ILLUSTRATIVE OF INDIAN LIFE IN FLORIDA. 
 
 " This child, who parentless, is therefore mine." 
 
 BYRON, 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIS GUARDIAN. 
 
 LONDON : 
 HATCHARD AND SON, PICCADILLY, 
 
 AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS IN LONDON. 
 
 1841. 
 
TO THE 
 
 HONOURABLE THE COMMITTEE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 protection 
 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 THE benevolent designs of your 
 Society in behalf of the untaught children of the 
 wilderness, are in themselves sufficient to insure some 
 attention to this Book, more particularly when I assert 
 that it has been written exclusively for the benefit of 
 one who claims a high rank among his people, and 
 who is in every way deserving the kind attention he 
 daily experiences from the most distinguished cha 
 racters of this country. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 As a production, I hesitate to submit it to the 
 perusal of gentlemen as famous for their literary 
 attainments as for their philanthropy ; but as a work 
 penned for the motive already specified, as well as of 
 bringing this high-born Child of Nature into the notice 
 of that grade of society to which he undoubtedly 
 belongs by birth and parentage, I fearlessly venture to 
 dedicate to you my very humble effort. 
 
 With a high sense of admiration for your noble 
 exertions to relieve the sufferings, and at the same 
 time to enlighten the minds, of the Aborigines of all 
 nations, and with an earnest prayer to the great Giver 
 of life and reason that he may be pleased to crown 
 your undertakings with success, 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 GENTLEMEN, 
 
 With much respect, 
 
 Your devoted Servant, 
 THE AUTHOE. 
 
PREFACE, 
 
 IN compiling the following Narrative, I had no inten 
 tion of bringing it before the public, my object was to 
 record all the events relating to the life and capture of 
 my protegee with which I was acquainted ; as much as 
 I could obtain from himself, and from the report of 
 the soldiers by whom he was taken ; in order, that in 
 the event of my death, the manuscript might inform 
 him of his origin and history, and at the same time 
 remind him of one who loved him with the fondness of 
 a father. In compliance, however, with the urgent 
 requests of many who take a warm interest in behalf 
 of this young nobleman for such he may in truth be 
 called and whose opinions and wishes I am bound to 
 treat with respect, I am induced to publish it. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 To write the Biography of one in years, as dic 
 tated by himself, whose memory is rife with all the 
 incidents of his existence since the first dawnings of 
 memory and of one who probably possesses the 
 advantages of education; or the life of some emi 
 nent character, whose history may be gleaned, in a 
 great measure, from publications, which have ever 
 elucidated the most trifling act or circumstance con 
 nected with his private or public career thus leaving 
 the Historian little more than the trouble of com 
 piling what is already known to the greater propor 
 tion of an intelligent community, may not be tasks 
 of difficulty ; but, to undertake the narration of 
 events of one, not more than nine or ten years old ; 
 the most romantic and interesting of which have 
 happened previous to the tender age of six or seven, 
 and one who has, until that early time of his life, 
 passed his days in a vast wilderness whose intellects 
 have scarcely been allowed to expand beyond the pale 
 
 of instinct peculiar to all creatures in savage life 
 
 is an undertaking fraught with embarrassment : yet, 
 in this I am sustained by the purity and innocence 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 of my young protegee ; whose regard for truth is as 
 remarkable as his brilliancy of conception, and clear 
 ness of expression. 
 
 More than three years have elapsed since Almighty 
 Providence first consigned this interesting Orphan to 
 my protection, and amply do I think myself rewarded 
 for any attention and kindness my humble means 
 have enabled me to bestow upon him, in the solace of 
 having wrested one so amiable and helpless from 
 ignorance, famine, toil, and wretchedness to become, 
 I trust, in future years, an ornament to civilized 
 society, and a useful member in the community of 
 intellectual life. 
 
 It is not, however, without some diffidence that I 
 submit my humble production to the ordeal of the 
 press. Yet it would ill become me to shrink from my 
 duty to the child of my adoption, and withhold what I 
 hope and trust may be for his benefit, from a dread of 
 displeasing the refined judgment of the critic, or of 
 incurring the censures of the enemies of benevolence. 
 I am not without the hope, also, that this little book 
 may assist in exciting the attention of Englishmen to 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 the sufferings of a most interesting part of the human 
 family, hitherto strangely overlooked ; and that the 
 Boy himself may eventually become the instrument of 
 diffusing Christianity and peace among the remnants 
 of his race, the only means of saving the RED MAN 
 from utter extinction. 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
 GROSVENOR STREET, 
 April, 1841, 
 
OF THE 
 
 SEMINOLE INDIANS 
 
 " Man, only, mars kind nature s plan, 
 And turns the fierce pursuit on man." 
 
 SIR WALTER SCOTT. 
 
 THE Seminoles appear to be a mixed tribe, 
 having sprung chiefly from the wandering 
 Creeks and Muscogulgees, who formerly fled 
 the persecutions of the western districts ; they 
 also formed alliances in Florida with the 
 Appalachees, Yemassees, and others. In pro 
 cess of time this newly formed tribe increased 
 in numbers, and settled on the banks of the 
 Chattahoochee and Coaeta rivers, not far from 
 
 the approaching encroachments of what are 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 called civiziled men, or whites; unhappily, 
 among this class there are never wanting indi 
 viduals, who, from interested motives, are always 
 ready to foment wars and disputes between the 
 neighbouring Indian tribes. 
 
 Without doubt too, they themselves possess 
 the same laudable incitements to war which 
 stimulate their more enlightened brethren 
 ambition, jealousy, revenge, love of conquest or 
 gain. From some or other of these causes the 
 Appalachees were induced to take up arms 
 against this new, but now formidable tribe, the 
 Seminoles ; at this time the latter held possession 
 of the settlements on the rivers Suwanney, 
 Mikkasukey, and Talahassee, while colonies 
 sprang up in other quarters, forming nations 
 equally independent, and almost as formidable 
 as their neighbours. 
 
 The Seminole Indians have retained all the 
 daring spirit and fortitude peculiar to their wild 
 
progenitors. In the battle-field their prowess 
 has ever been acknowledged by their white 
 enemies; arid like all brave people, much may 
 be said of their forbearance, previous to the 
 commencement of hostilities ; and of their gra 
 titude, even in war, to those from whom they 
 had formerly received kindness. 
 
 It is true that Indians have, in common with 
 other nations, their peculiar failings ; but I do 
 not hesitate to aver, that they rarely commit a 
 single act which comes within their code of 
 crimes, but at the instigation of civilized men ; 
 either through base example, or by the intro 
 duction of that poison of the mind and body, 
 ARDENT SPIRITS. 
 
 Formerly an Indian s word could be taken 
 with confidence, even for his return within a 
 given time, to undergo the sentence of death 
 the great Regulus could have done no more 
 and to this day such instances of romantic 
 
 B 
 
4 
 
 honour and fortitude in these uneducated sons 
 of the forest, are by no means rare. 
 
 They are ferocious and relentless in battle, at 
 times it must be confessed, sparing neither age 
 nor sex ; but they are early taught to estimate 
 every act of carnage towards their foes as a 
 virtue; and the very scalps produced at their 
 council fires, are there viewed as commendable 
 and honourable trophies; and are greeted by 
 them with as much respect as captured flags 
 and banners, when exhibited at the cities of 
 Washington or London. It must be borne in 
 mind, that the scalp is taken only after the 
 death of the vanquished, as a proof of the 
 success of the conqueror, and a warrior is esti 
 mated according to the number he possesses. 
 
 With regard to scalping, to which the Indians 
 attach not the least ideas of cruelty, or even 
 impropriety, with deep sorrow 1 avow it is not 
 unfrequently practised by the whites, who can 
 
have no plea for such an act and under cir 
 cumstances too, which cannot fail of exciting 
 our strongest disgust. Portions of skin have 
 been cut from the bodies of Indians, and hung 
 up in the houses of white men, as proofs of 
 prowess portions of the same have been con 
 verted into razor-strops; and I once shrunk 
 with horror not at the sight of a scalp, but 
 that such a trophy should have been exhibited by 
 the hand of a beautiful and highly-accomplished 
 girl, in a drawing room, who triumphantly 
 boasted that her brother had severed it from the 
 head of an Indian enemy ! ! 
 
 It is hardly necessary to say that Indians are 
 as susceptible of kindness as they are revengeful 
 of injuries; my intimate acquaintance with 
 them, has inspired me with a high respect for 
 their social and domestic character. I will 
 mention one or two instances in their favour, 
 out of many : At Dade s battle, one hundred 
 
and twelve, out of one hundred and fourteen 
 of the white soldiers, under the command of 
 Major Dade, were killed. One of the survivors 
 was about being despatched by a Seminole, 
 when, after the Indian had refused the soldier s 
 proffered money, he recollected that he had 
 recently assisted him in fitting a handle to his 
 axe : even this simple act of civility was remem 
 bered by the red man, and proved the means of 
 saving the life of an enemy. 
 
 Another instance of gratitude in Indian life, 
 of a more prominent character, came under my 
 personal observation. Previous to the war, 
 many of the Seminole Tribe were in the habit 
 of visiting me, at my plantation, on the banks 
 of the river St. John. Among my red friends, 
 were two sub-chiefs, who, with their wives and 
 children, were invariably treated with that 
 urbanity and kindness, due to their station and 
 respectable deportment. 
 
These worthy people generally came accom 
 panied by others of the tribe, who never failed 
 to bring with them some token of gratitude for 
 the attention shewn them by my wife and 
 myself; such as presents of venison, wild turkey, 
 &c. It was not long subsequent to this good 
 understanding that the war took place, and the 
 consequent burning and destruction of property. 
 The whole neighbourhood fled from the terrible 
 vengeance of the maltreated Indians, and I, 
 with others, deemed it better to abandon my 
 property, fearing the incursion of some of the 
 tribe, who might not have been aware of my 
 friendly feeling towards them. 
 
 Not long after the departure of myself and 
 family, two extensive establishments, one within 
 a quarter of a mile, and the other not more than 
 one mile from my residence, were burned to the 
 ground by Indians. Yet, although they came 
 to my house, and cooked food at my hearth, 
 
8 
 
 they injured nothing. Five years have elapsed 
 since that period, and to this day my property 
 has suffered but by the common ravages of time 
 upon unoccupied buildings ; and I feel assured 
 I could have continued to live in safety in my 
 "sweet retirement" to the present moment, but 
 from the risk of strange Indians, whose wives 
 or children had fallen sacrifices to the unsparing 
 hands of the white dwellers upon the Indian 
 frontier. 
 
 Englishmen have hitherto known little or 
 nothing of these people ; but in defiance of all 
 prejudices against what are called savages- 
 people differing so widely in their customs and 
 political institutions from ourselves (which, be 
 it remembered, are well and wisely adapted to 
 their mode of life) my own experience leads me 
 to the conclusion, that viewing vice and crime, 
 as felt and acknowledged by each race if I am 
 not greatly mistaken, infinitely less will be 
 
9 
 
 found connected with that state of existence 
 which we are apt to look upon as inferior. 
 
 With regard to America generally, I do not 
 mean to imply that the feeling of prejudice 
 against Indians, extends throughout the United 
 States; on the contrary, I feel assured that 
 young Oceola would have been as warmly 
 received in New York or Boston, as he has been 
 in London. 
 
 The accounts of all travellers who have visited 
 Indians in their native wilds, as well as the 
 histories by the first discoverers in America, 
 unite in proving that the Almighty Creator of 
 us all, has endowed his red children with moral 
 and physical qualities of the highest order of 
 excellence ; their intelligence also is remarkable. 
 It is melancholy to contemplate their wasting, 
 to use their own language, "like snow before 
 the sun." They seem only to require proper 
 means, to recover that state of happiness they 
 
10 
 
 possessed when unmolested and uncontaminated 
 by the white man. 
 
 Before the "Armed Boot" supplanted the 
 Moccassin on the shores of America, their s 
 appears to have been a "golden age" un 
 restrained by laws of any denomination, their 
 actions were guided solely by the dictates of 
 virtue crime was then unknown and when 
 the bonds of society were in the least violated, 
 to have merited the contempt of a high-souled, 
 chivalric people, was sufficient punishment for 
 the offender; and such is the state of society, as 
 it at present exists among those tribes who 
 dwell near the base of the Rocky Mountains, 
 who have not yet come under the pale of 
 civilization. 
 
 Mr. Catlin, in his interesting lectures upon 
 "the manners and customs of the North 
 American Indians," describes the primitive 
 tribes as ignorant of vice of any description ; he 
 
11 
 
 dwelt many years among them, and declares, 
 that during the whole period he was universally 
 treated with hospitality and kindness that 
 they never stole from him to the value of a 
 shilling; but that on his parting with them, 
 they loaded him with presents, and consigned 
 him to the care of the " Great Spirit." 
 
 My fancy is always fired, and my imagination 
 kindles, as I dwell upon the wrongs and sorrows 
 of these people. 
 
 Notwithstanding the vices which have been 
 introduced among the Seminoles, there is some 
 thing in the erect and manly form in the 
 proud bearing and confident demeanour, and in 
 the graceful movements of the males, which 
 impresses the eye of the beholder, and seems to 
 remind him that they are the legitimate pro 
 prietors of the soil, from which their more 
 enlightened neighbours are endeavouring to 
 eject them. 
 
A cursory glance at the policy pursued by 
 the American Government, and by individuals 
 towards the aborigines of this country, will 
 convince the most indifferent observer that 
 they have been unjustly used, and basely 
 calumniated. 
 
 Some apology may be found for the present 
 generations in Florida, in the circumstance, that 
 they or their immediate ancestors have suffered 
 much in their struggles and desperate encounters 
 with them, while preparing for themselves a 
 home in the wilderness ; and it is natural that 
 they should feel risings of indignation against 
 a race of men, with whom they have been 
 almost constantly at war ; since, at such times, 
 men are not accustomed to regard the justice 
 or injustice of the origin of their quarrels, but 
 throw the burden of blame upon their enemies. 
 
 But when a few more centuries shall have 
 passed away when the tales of cruelty practised 
 
13 
 
 upon present and former generations shall have 
 become mitigated and softened by the lapse of 
 time when the present excited feelings shall 
 have subsided, and when distance from the scene 
 shall have mellowed down the light reflected 
 from the funeral pyres, erected by the Red Man 
 for their civilized encroachers then will pos 
 terity view them in their true light, and future 
 ages, instead of wondering at their "inhuman 
 barbarities," will be more surprised that one of 
 them continued an ally of the whites, or that 
 one magnanimous or generous deed was ever 
 extended towards the intruders on their soil. 
 
 If the Indians were cruel posterity will see 
 that they were cruelly provoked by those claim 
 ing to be Christians ; If they were revengeful 
 that they only followed the example of the 
 white man, who not only indulged in the same 
 unhallowed passions, but who added avarice, 
 rapine, and debauchery to their list of crimes. 
 
14 
 
 If the Red Man retaliated injuries, the provoca 
 tion had been tenfold on the part of the whites ; 
 who pursued them on their own soil, and through 
 their native forests, with all the rapacity with 
 which the half famished wolf pursues his prey. 
 
 1 know of no objects that have a higher claim 
 upon the sympathies of the world, than the 
 remnants of these, once formidable tribes, 
 scattered over the broad surface of America; 
 now fast disappearing before the onward march 
 of emigration and civilization. How striking 
 the contrast ! These men, lords of the soil 
 they once held undisputed as their birthright, 
 where they roamed in all the majesty of 
 uncultivated, yet, noble human natureare now 
 become objects of oppression and extermination. 
 
 We shudder when we call to mind, tales to 
 which we listened in early boyhood, of Indian 
 cruelties ; but can our riper years find no pal 
 liation ? Read the language of the Red Man, 
 
15 
 
 and then say if his cruelties were ever commen 
 surate with the ingratitude of the whites. "We 
 took you by the hand " say they, " and bade you 
 welcome to sit down by our side, and live with 
 us as brothers but how did you requite our 
 kindness ? You at first asked only a little of our 
 land we gave it you requested more it was 
 given, but not satisfied with this, you would 
 monopolize the game of our forest you seized 
 upon all our most pleasant places, and drove us 
 from the hunting and burial grounds of our 
 sires!" 
 
 Their language is emphatically true; although 
 by the laws of nations, the discoverers of this 
 Continent claimed a right to take possession and 
 plant colonies in the, then, wilds of America ; 
 they were cruelly unjust to seize upon the places 
 which had been to the Indians the homes of 
 their ancestors, and had descended to themselves. 
 As they slowly and sullenly retired from "their 
 
16 
 
 pleasant places," the whites pressed hard upon 
 them, and ever since the day they first granted 
 them a " little land," they have been following 
 their retreating footsteps, like the advancing 
 billows of an angry ocean. 
 
 When we reproach the Indians with in 
 humanity in their mode of warfare do we 
 reflect that they are but uncivilized men, that 
 their ideas of right are rendered sacred by practice 
 and tradition, handed down from time imme 
 morial? If civilized nations rise as one man, 
 when their rights are invaded or their territories 
 encroached upon ; is it matter of surprise that 
 untaught Indians turn their tomahawks against 
 the whites, when they endeavour to deprive 
 them of that which they regarded as most sacred 
 and dear? 
 
 As for cruelty, you will in vain search for 
 examples among the traditions and annals of the 
 past, to exceed those imposed upon the Red Man 
 
17 
 
 by the Whites, or to which their Indian allies 
 have been instigated and encouraged; through 
 which means, they sought to rid themselves of 
 the odium of barbarity. 
 
 In reading of the rise and fall of civilized 
 nations, with all the attendant wrongs and 
 oppressions, our indignation becomes excited. 
 Yet a relation of the wrongs and usurpations of 
 civilized men over the confiding Indians of 
 America, is a relation far more replete with 
 cruelty they have not only been deprived of 
 their rights, but have been degraded in soul and 
 body, and now, alas ! are fading away, forgotten, 
 to their graves, or, if perchance remembered 
 only to be stigmatized as "brutal savages." 
 
 It may be necessary, before we give an account 
 of the family of the young Prince, to observe, 
 that no name is ever bestowed by Indians, upon 
 a young Iste-Chatti, or Red Child, without 
 some particular meaning attached to it ; which 
 
18 
 
 name, is often changed in after years, to one 
 corresponding better to the age or circum 
 stances of maturity ; thus an infant may be 
 called Green-bush, from its having first drawn 
 breath beneath that verdant screen of nature. 
 Another will be named Oceola, Rising Sun 
 Hutte-chumba, Evening-Star Nathle-oce, 
 Setting Moon according to the time of its 
 birth. And when arrived at u Man s Estate," 
 in consequence of some peculiarity or physical 
 structure, he will be spoken of as, Ulwe, 
 tall Chatqua, small Saputhatkee, light; or 
 by some act of heroism, either with a human 
 enemy or one no less ferocious, he may be 
 invested with a more formidable appellation, 
 as, Catsha, tiger Yaha, wolf Halputta, alli 
 gator, &c. 
 
 The meaning of Nikkanochee, the name con 
 ferred upon the subject of this narrative by his 
 Indian relations, I have hitherto been unable 
 
19 
 
 to discover. Oceola and Econchatti, I have 
 added to his given name, that he may bear in 
 remembrance, he is nephew and son of two of 
 the most noble and distinguished Chiefs, the 
 Floridas perhaps ever yet produced. 
 
20 
 
 THE CHIEF OCEOLA. 
 
 " The steady brain, the sinewy limb, 
 To leap, to climb, to dive, to swim; 
 The iron frame, inured to bear 
 Each dire inclemency of air." 
 
 SIB WALTER SCOTT. 
 
 "Brief, brave, and glorious was his young career." 
 
 BYBON, 
 
 From the preceding account of the Seminole 
 Indians, my reader will be in some measure 
 prepared for the introduction of a character of 
 the greatest renown in Florida ; of whom, both 
 as a man and as a warrior, but one opinion is 
 entertained by his friends and his enemies. 
 Conspicuous among his own nation for his 
 courage and his bodily strength, he rendered 
 himself no less the terror of the pale-faces 
 during war, than he was universally known to 
 
M 
 
 " ** "* * * * * 
 
 CE OLA cKe CELEBRATED CHIEF of tLe SEMLNOLE S , 
 UNCLE TO PRINCE ECONCHATTI. 
 
 Jubhskei "by -Baf chard. * 
 
21 
 
 have been generous and kind, previous to the 
 commencement of hostilities he was a husband 
 and a father, but all that is known of his family, 
 subsequent to his death, is, that they, with 
 other Indian prisoners, underwent the sentence 
 of banishment to the " Far West." 
 
 It is gratifying to know, that at present at 
 least, a scion from so noble a stock has been 
 saved from the ruthless destroyers of himself 
 and his tribe; the boy whom I have been the 
 happy means of preserving, being the son of 
 Oceola s sister. 
 
 It has frequently been asserted in the United 
 States of America, that Oceola, the great 
 Master Spirit of the Seminoles, was of mixed 
 blood. Some have declared him to be half 
 Spanish others that his father was an English 
 man, named Powel another has given the 
 honor of his being, to a Scotchman, whilst some 
 have asserted that he received an education at 
 
22 
 
 the Military College at West Point, in the State 
 of New York, and consequently that he was 
 thoroughly conversant with the English lan 
 guage. The tribe from which this renowned 
 Chief sprang, has heen as freely discussed ; some 
 have attributed his birth to the Creek nation 
 others to the Mikkasookies, and a few to the 
 Cherokees. 
 
 From the warm interest I have at all times 
 taken in matters concerning Indians, I have 
 been induced to investigate cautiously, their 
 manners, customs and history. The former, are 
 open to any observing character, who will be at 
 the pains of visiting them in their abodes, when 
 not engaged in war. When at peace, they are 
 kind and hospitable, and are willing to impart 
 any information to the curious traveller. Their 
 history is but little known, owing to the few 
 intelligent whites, who are sufficiently acquaint 
 ed with their language. Yet, almost every one, 
 
23 
 
 who has in any manner, associated with Indians, 
 pretends to a knowledge of their general charac 
 ter, and is proud to be considered a good 
 authority. 
 
 Judging from all I have been enabled to learn 
 of the Chief Oceola from other Indians, and 
 from respectable white men, who knew him 
 from childhood, he was undoubtedly, a tho 
 rough-bred Seminole. I am borne out in this 
 opinion by Mr. Catlin, who is probably, better 
 acquainted with the physical, as well as moral 
 structure of these people, than any other white 
 man living ; he painted an excellent likeness of 
 this celebrated warrior, only four days previous 
 to his death, in a prison at Charleston, South 
 Carolina: which picture, stands conspicuous 
 amidst hundreds of other portraits of Indians, 
 in the elaborate collection, now exhibiting at 
 the Egyptian Hall. Mr. Catlin, of course, had 
 as fair an opportunity of forming a judgment, 
 
24 
 
 by the countenance of Oceola, as most men ; he 
 informs me, that his general appearance, and 
 character, was that of a thorough-bred wild 
 Indian, and that he did not seem, even to com 
 prehend the English language. 
 
 But little became known to the white inhabi 
 tants of America, of the valorous spirit of 
 Oceola, until the commencement of the unhappy 
 Seminolee war, previous to which, when only a 
 youth, he had distinguished himself among his 
 own people, in some severe battles with the 
 neighbouring tribes. 
 
 In the intermediate space of time, he seems 
 to have led the wandering, careless life of a 
 hunter, when his only opportunities of signal 
 izing himself, were in his perilous encounters 
 with the prowling monsters of the forest, to 
 which he often proved a mortal enemy. 
 
 It was not until the latter end of the year 
 3835. that the energies of Oceola were roused 
 
25 
 
 into full vigor. At this time an effort was 
 made by the Pseudo-Americans the whites, 
 to expatriate the true lords of the soil, from the 
 homes of their fathers, and send them away to 
 the " far west ;* where thousands had already 
 perished by change of climate, grief, or dissen- 
 tions with the different tribes, who had been 
 mercilessly huddled together by treacherous 
 mock treaties, on lands insufficient in extent 
 and quality, to supply game and other neces 
 saries, on which, they had hitherto depended 
 in the more congenial climes of the South; 
 consequently wars ensued among themselves, 
 which, with the aid of whiskey, plentifully 
 supplied by their Christian neighbours, soon 
 reduced their numbers. 
 
 In December, 1835, a meeting or "Talk," 
 as it is expressed by Indians, was held at Camp 
 King, at which two hundred and fifty red 
 warriors assembled, met by a battalion of white 
 
soldiers, under command of General Clinch, who 
 was accompanied by several other officers of 
 distinction. 
 
 A council of Indians, held in their native 
 wilds, upon the green carpet of nature, under 
 the broad canopy of heaven, is, to a reflecting 
 mind, a spectacle replete with solemnity and 
 interest. The wide expanding, densely-foliaged 
 oak, from whose thousand branches, hang in the 
 beauty of neglected nature, in festoons and 
 strips of many feet, the moss, peculiar to the 
 southern States of North America the stately 
 pine the sturdy hickory and the splendid 
 magnolia all lend their aid to blend in the coup 
 d ceil, a fitting place for purpose deep. 
 
 In scenes similar to this, the chiefs and elders 
 meet to determine the course to be adopted in 
 all cases of emergency ; here the small remnant 
 of a powerful and warlike tribe, met to decide 
 upon peace or war, in which millions of civilized 
 
27 
 
 men, with all the arts and implements of battle, 
 were pitted against a few hundreds of poor 
 persecuted Indians. 
 
 On one side of the conclave alluded to, sat in 
 purse-proud state, General Wiley Thompson, 
 one of those subtle minions of power, who are 
 appointed by Congress, as agents from the 
 United States, to treat with Indians for purchase 
 or exchange of lands ; at the same time he is 
 expected to protect the tribe, he thus becomes 
 attached to, from wrongs and oppressions of the 
 neighbouring whites, and report to the go 
 vernment a true and impartial statement of the 
 negociation he is empowered to conduct. 
 
 This appointment would be considered, by 
 one unacquainted with the general character of 
 Indian agents, a post of some respectability, and 
 so it may be, when occupied by honest men ; 
 but in this instance, General Thompson opened 
 a shop, for the purpose of trading with the 
 
28 
 
 aborigines, from which he issued Whiskey, 
 Tomahawks, Spears, Gunpowder, and Rifles; 
 thus providing in the first place, an incentive to 
 their no less deadly weapons ; in exchange for 
 Otter-skins, Deer-skins, and Cattle-hides ; arti 
 cles easily conveyed to a northern market, by 
 which he accumulated considerable wealth. 
 
 Independently of this villainous mode of traffic, 
 wherein the Seminoles were invariably cheated, 
 he employed many in laborious occupations, a 
 neglect of which, insured them severe chastise 
 ment, summarily executed, by twisted strips of 
 hide, applied to the bare skin, whilst the poor 
 victim of oppression was bound to a tree. But 
 the day of vengeance was at hand : the very 
 Rifle which Thompson had gratuitously pre 
 sented to Oceola, with a view to conciliate him 
 for cruelties inflicted upon his fellows, was the 
 weapon, by which he expiated his manifold sins 
 against this generous people. 
 
29 
 
 After a preliminary address from General 
 Clinch, seconded by General Thompson, setting 
 forth the advantages of the treaty they wished 
 to enforce, and to which some of the Indian 
 Chiefs replied in their beautiful figurative 
 language ; a deed of contract, binding the Semi- 
 noles to give up their lands in Florida, to the 
 United States government, in exchange for 
 others in a distant country, was placed upon the 
 table, and application made to the principal 
 warriors, to attach their + thereunto. An 
 imbecile old Chief, called Enematkla, was the 
 first to declare himself a traitor to his tribe, by 
 affixing his sign-manual ; he was followed by 
 a few others of inferior grade, until it was sub 
 mitted to Oceola, who, with all the pride of 
 offended dignity thus offered to himself and his 
 countrymen, with indignation sparkling in his 
 eye, and a contemptuous curl of the lip, drew 
 from his bosom a dagger, and with a countenance 
 
30 
 
 that seemed to strike terror into all by whom he 
 was opposed, he hurled the trusty steel with such 
 force into the hateful document, that it passed 
 fairly through the table exclaiming at the same 
 
 time, " THERE IS MY MARK ! ! " 
 
 " All was so quick that it might seem, 
 " A flash of lightning, or a dream." 
 
 General Clinch thought this a clincher; Wiley 
 Thompson looked more wily, and all the sur 
 rounding white men grew whiter ; each stood 
 aghast in astonishment, as the undaunted young 
 hero firmly gripped the handle of his deeply 
 buried weapon, and bade defiance to all the 
 fully armed warriors, by whom he was encircled. 
 
 For this novel mode of signing with a steel pen, 
 by which matters were so speedily brought to a 
 point 9 Oceola was immediately seized upon, and 
 so tightly bound to a tree, that the cords by 
 which he was confined, cut deeply into the flesh ; 
 
31 
 
 evidences of which were clearly exhibited when 
 Mr. Catlin painted his likeness, two years sub 
 sequent to this disgraceful transaction. After 
 being half suspended in this torturing position 
 forty-eight hours, he was released to undergo 
 the full penalty of his temerity : iron fetters now 
 usurped the place of ropes, and solitary confine 
 ment was added to his overflowing cup of misery ! 
 but nought at this time, could subdue the 
 indomitable spirit of this high-souled Chief; he 
 spurned their shackles, as he had defied their 
 hempen bonds, and in all probability would 
 have perished, rather than have yielded to such 
 inhuman oppression ; but he reflected that the 
 fate of his tribe depended, in a great measure, 
 upon his presence among them. This feeling 
 of affection for his country, and his kindred, 
 alone induced him to feign contrition for the 
 alleged offence he had offered to the heads of a 
 people calling themselves Christians. 
 
32 
 
 In full confidence, that the cruelties inflicted 
 upon Oceola, would operate as a warning to 
 others of his tribe, he was liberated. It 
 was not likely, that a soul sufficiently daring 
 to have acted as he had done, could readily 
 forgive the indignities so recently heaped upon 
 him : no sooner was the captive free, than, with 
 his companions in arms, who waited anxiously 
 to receive him, he caused the deep forest to re 
 echo the well known WAR-WHOOP, as a signal for 
 hostilities. 
 
 Enamatkla was forthwith shot as a traitor, and 
 General Wiley Thompson, with five others who 
 had the misfortune to be with him at the time, 
 fell before their unerring rifles. Oceola first 
 despatching Thompson, with the rifle I before 
 stated he had offered as a present, to conciliate 
 his determined enemy. 
 
 Oceola now sent a negro to General Clinch, 
 to inform him that he possessed 150 barrels of 
 
33 
 
 gunpowder, which should all be consumed 
 before his people could be conquered, and that 
 he would lead the cheating * pale-faces a dance 
 of five years, for their insolence towards himself 
 and his warriors. 
 
 Although the brave Oceola did not live to 
 see his prediction fulfilled, of leading the "pale 
 faces a dance of five years," yet true enough, 
 this little band of warriors have maintained 
 their ground for the time specified ; at the loss 
 of upwards of eighteen hundred men, and an 
 expense of more than six millions sterling to 
 the United States. In the battle of Ouithla- 
 coochee, Oceola was known to have fought with 
 desperate valour. At the same time that the 
 woods resounded with peals of musketry, and 
 the fierce, sharp cracks of the Indian rifles, 
 accompanied by appalling war-whoops ; his voice 
 was distinctly heard, calling to his warriors 
 
 D 
 
"Take away the wounded, never mind the 
 dead!" 
 
 At Dade s battle, as it is denominated by the 
 Americans, one hundred and twelve of the 
 whites were killed by Indians, only two escaping 
 out of one hundred and fourteen. These soldiers, 
 commanded by Major Dade, were marching, 
 fully armed, attended by a six-pounder cannon 
 drawn by oxen, and a waggon containing arms 
 and ammunition, through the heart of an 
 enemy s country. Yet the killing of these 
 men by the Seminoles, is stigmatized as a 
 Horrible Massacre, and the memory of Dade 
 revered as a martyr. At the same time, unarmed 
 Red Men, with their wives and children, were 
 daily slaughtered these were Glorious Achieve 
 ments ! 
 
 When the remains of Major Dade and his 
 soldiers were discovered by the Americans, 
 many days after this unfortunate circumstance. 
 
35 
 
 it was remarked, that not a single article of 
 value was taken from the bodies watches and 
 valuable rings were found upon the officers, 
 unmolested. The savage spurns to rob the 
 dead ! How many of these ornaments would 
 have remained upon the bodies of Indians, 
 under similar circumstances ? 
 
 During a series of battles, in which the whites 
 were invariably repulsed, Oceola signalized 
 himself for good generalship and courage, and 
 if, at. any time he had recourse to stratagem, he 
 was fully authorized in so doing, by the frequent 
 treacherous attempts, made by his enemies, to 
 entrap him. 
 
 On the 6th of October, 1836, the garrison at 
 Fort Drane was so reduced for provisions, having 
 been besieged for a length of time by the 
 Indians, that the white troops were glad to hold 
 a parley with Oceola, and invited him, through 
 Captain Hitchcock, with a flag of truce, to 
 
36 
 
 approach the fort In full confidence he came, 
 attended by three hundred warriors ; when he 
 informed the Captain that he knew the soldiers 
 were in a desperate state, bordering upon star 
 vation, and that, at that moment, they were 
 subsisting upon the flesh of horses and dogs ; at 
 the same time, he generously offered his enemies 
 an ox and some brandy. 
 
 During this conference, General Clinch ap 
 peared with a strong reinforcement, and made 
 an essay to capture the generous Oceola and his 
 warriors, in defiance of the flag of truce, which 
 he must have seen, as he was near enough to 
 fire upon the Indians. 
 
 The liberty of this heroic young warrior was 
 not of long endurance one year more, and his 
 brilliant career closed forever! October 20th, 
 1837, was a day appointed for Oceola to meet 
 General Hernandez, with a view to form some 
 arrangement, by which this unjust war might 
 
.37 
 
 be brought to a close. Accordingly, Oceola 
 again appeared under a flag of truce, when, as 
 is briefly described in a Florida newspaper 
 " General Jessup so arranged the soldiers under 
 command of General Hernandez ; that, at a 
 preconcerted signal, the ivholc of Oceola s band 
 should be surrounded ; which ruse de guerre was 
 performed to admiration; when the crest-fallen 
 hero of the Seminoles and his partizans laid 
 down their rifles." This statement is false the 
 Indians had not laid down their rifles, but had, 
 according to agreement with General Hernandez, 
 placed them against a lree> and as soon as the 
 white troops showed themselves, they were 
 immediately seized upon, leaving the Indians 
 defenceless. 
 
 Thus fell into the hands of their treacherous 
 enemies, the renowned, the brave, the good 
 Oceola, with upwards of eighty of his principal 
 
38 
 
 warriors, together with his wife and son (a 
 young boy) and two other Indian women. 
 
 tl The eagle-plumes droop o er his piercing eyes, 
 The fire of youth was there ; 
 The fire of youth still brightened the look, 
 But their lustre was dimm d by despair. * 
 
 M. A. w. 
 
 Never was a more disgraceful piece of villainy 
 perpetrated in a civilized land the Americans 
 have no plea, by which they can justify such a 
 violation of the law of nations. As they had, 
 throughout the war, and on all previous occasions, 
 acknowledged the Seminoles as an independent 
 people, by forming treaties with them, and 
 receiving their chiefs as ambassadors, the govern 
 ment of the United States could not have 
 considered them as rebels. 
 
 Poor Oceola! with his wife and child, and 
 his brave followers, was confined but a short 
 time in the fort at St. Augustine, in East Florida ; 
 
39 
 
 when, for the better security of the victims, 
 the government ordered their removal to Sul 
 livan s Island, near Charleston, and there in a 
 dungeon the spirit of Oceola fled for ever ! 
 
 There was a touching commentary on woman s 
 worth, displayed in the dying hour of the 
 Seminole Chieftain. The stern warrior, who 
 had passed through life without having, in 
 appearance, done aught to win the imperishable 
 love of devoted woman, yet expired with his 
 head pillowed on a female bosom. 
 
 Cold as the heart of the savage is supposed to 
 be, in regard to the social and domestic feelings, 
 the death-couch of Oceola yields triumphant 
 evidence of the Indian s submission to the sway 
 of the affections. 
 
 A captive, and to add to the bitterness of 
 imprisonment, treacherously captured smarting 
 under a sense of his nation s many wrongs 
 feeling, that with his death was lost the sole 
 
40 
 
 chance for the deliverance of his people, from 
 the avaricious power of the white man. It may 
 well be conceived, that the soul of the Chief was 
 filled with emotion, and that he had but few 
 feelings to spare, in exercises of the love and 
 sympathies of life. 
 
 But the power of woman mastered the keen re 
 membrances of the Indian s manifold grievances, 
 and the voice of his faithful wife, as she wiped 
 from his brow the death damps, fell gratefully 
 and soothingly upon the ebbing senses of the 
 captive. 
 
 In witnessing the entire devotion, and patient 
 love of his too wretched wife, the Indian forgot 
 his injuries, and the indomitable spirit, so often 
 flashing in the van of battle, passed away, with 
 a murmur of love to her, the companion of his 
 freedom, and the sharer of his prison ! 
 
41 
 
 DIRGE BY SEMINOLE WARRIORS. 
 
 Signed LESLIE. 
 
 Go to thy rest, 
 
 Not where the green and tall magnolias bow, 
 Slowly and solemnly their lofty crests 
 Above the violet grass we lay thee now ! 
 
 Not where the pine 
 
 With dreary sighing answered back thy tread, 
 
 When forest dwellers made beneath its shrine, 
 
 The ancient places of their silent dead, 
 
 Not where the stream 
 
 Beneath the arching wild vine, whispers low, 
 With spirit- voices when the sun s last beam 
 Falls, where it bathes the warrior s dust we go. 
 
 To thy dark bed 
 
 We would not, that their music s wail should come, 
 Nor see them bend the plumed and glittering head, 
 In stately mourning to the deep-toned drum. 
 
 They mock us well, 
 
 With banner waving, and that hollow sound, 
 Long pealing from the battlements, to tell 
 That thou, our brave, hast ransom found. 
 
Why should they grieve, 
 
 E en while their pale blood curdles to the heart, 
 Beside thy grave, that thou their bonds canst leave, 
 And to our fathers hunting fields depart ?* 
 
 We do not weep 
 
 The Red Man hath no tear to shed for thee, 
 Smiling, we gaze upon the dreamless sleep, 
 The fortress broken, and the captive free. 
 
 Hither we bring, 
 
 Ere yet this earth on thy cold brow we lay, 
 Thy Boy, for one wild moment here to cling, 
 In love s first sorrow, to those lips of clay. 
 
 Bend low and near, 
 
 Nor sigh, or moan must break our Chief s repose 
 Yet, Boy on thy young heart be written here, 
 A deep and burning memory of his foes ! 
 
 We ask not fame, 
 
 We call not vengeance for the faith we gave ; 
 Trace in the language of your land his name, 
 And show your sons the SEMINOLE S GRAVE. 
 
 * Indians believe that if they are brave and good in this 
 world, they will be rewarded in the next by being placed in 
 excellent hunting grounds. 
 
43 
 
 The sympathy of the Americans for the death 
 of Oceola ran so high, that they buried him 
 with military honours due to a general; and, 
 with a tardy appreciation of his character, indi 
 cative more of a puling sentimentality, than a 
 love of justice, or admiration of his worth, they 
 exalt their victim into a hero of romance. 
 
 Oceola was interred at Fort Moultrie, near 
 Charleston ; over his grave is a handsome mar 
 ble monument, on which is inscribed 
 
 OCEOLA. 
 
 I cannot take leave of this melancholy part of 
 the narrative, without laying before my readers 
 another beautiful piece of poetry, written by 
 Alfred Street, an American ; which, like the 
 last, is full of fire, and breathes a manly and 
 generous feeling towards the departed hero. 
 
PART I. 
 
 The rich blue sky is o er, 
 
 Around are the tall green trees, 
 And the jessamine s breath from the everglade 
 
 Is borne on the wandering breeze. 
 On the mingled grass and flowers 
 
 Is a fierce and threat ning form, 
 That looks like an eagle when pluming his wing 
 
 To brave the gathering storm. 
 
 His rifle within his grasp 
 
 The bright plume o er his head 
 His features are clothed with a warrior s pride, 
 
 And he moves with a monarch s tread. 
 He bends his listening ear, 
 
 He peers through the tangled screen, 
 And he smiles with joy, as the flash of steel 
 
 Through the everglade s grass is seen. 
 
One wave of his stalwart arm, 
 
 Wild forms around him stand, 
 And his eye glares bright with triumphant light, 
 
 As he looks at his swarthy band. 
 Nearer the bayonets gleam 
 
 At the edge of the * hammock now, 
 The pale- face ranks are rallying, 
 
 But they seek in vain the foe. 
 
 They see in that lovely scene 
 
 But the humming-bird o er the flowers, 
 And the glittering wing of the paroquet 
 
 In the cool and fragrant bowers. 
 But hark! from the cypress shade, 
 
 From the bay-tree s glossy leaves, 
 And the nooks where the vine from bough to bough, 
 
 Its serpentine festoon weaves ; 
 
 The loud, shrill warwhoops burst 
 
 On the soft and sleeping air, 
 And quick, bright darts of surrounding death 
 
 Are fearfully glancing there. 
 The eagle with fierce delight 
 
 Abroad has his pinions cast, 
 And he shrinks as he bathes in the crimson rain, 
 
 And sweeps through the whizzing blast. 
 
 * A hammock, or hummock, is a dense wood with thick jungle or 
 under-brush. 
 
46 
 
 The battle-storm is o er 
 
 The hammock is reeking red 
 But who looks there with victorious smile, 
 
 On the heaps of the pale-face dead ? 
 Tis a tribe s young warrior Chief ! 
 
 The deeds of whose vengeful flame, 
 Have filled the ear of a mighty land 
 
 With the terror of his name. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 In a dark and dungeon room 
 
 Is stretched a mighty form, 
 And it shakes in its dreadful agony, 
 
 Like a leaf in the autumn storm. 
 No pillar d palmetto hangs 
 
 Its tuft in the clear, bright air; 
 But a sorrowing group, and the narrow wall, 
 
 And a smouldering hearth are there. 
 
 The white froth on his lip, 
 
 His trembling, gasping breath, 
 And the hollow rattle in his throat, 
 
 Proclaim the conqueror death. 
 Tis the proud, victorious Chief, 
 
 Who smiled mid the pale-face slain ; 
 Tis the eagle that swept through the whizzing blast, 
 
 And bathed in the crimson rain. 
 
For his own green forest home, 
 
 He had struggled long and well ; 
 But the soul that had breasted a nation s arms 
 
 At the touch of a fetter, fell. 
 He had worn wild freedom s crown 
 
 On his bright, unconquered brow, 
 Since he first saw the light of his beautiful skies : 
 
 It was gone for ever now ! 
 
 But still, in his last dread hour, 
 
 Did not bright visions come ! 
 Bright visions that shed a golden gleam 
 
 On the darkness of his doom ? 
 They calm d his throbbing pulse, 
 
 And they hung on his muttering breath ; 
 The spray thrown up from life s frenzied flood 
 
 Plunging on to the gulf of death. 
 
 The close walls shrunk away ; 
 
 Above was the stainless sky, 
 And the lakes, with their floating isles of flowers, 
 
 Spread glittering to his eye. 
 O er his hut the live-oak spread 
 
 Its branching, gigantic shade, 
 With its dots of leaves, and its robes of moss, 
 
 Broad, blackening on the glade. 
 
48 
 
 But a sterner sight is round, 
 
 Battle s wild torrent is there, 
 The tomahawk gleams, and the red blood streams, 
 
 And the war-whoops rend the air. 
 At the head of his faithful band, 
 
 He peals forth his terrible cry, 
 As he fiercely leaps mid the slaughtered heaps 
 
 Of the foe, that but fought to die. 
 
 One gasp and the eye is glazed, 
 And still is the stiffening clay ; 
 
 The eagle soul of the Chief had passed 
 On the battle s flood away ! 
 
CAPTAIN GRAHAM AND NATHLEOCEE. 
 
 " What is country name fame fortune* 
 When all powerful love steps in, 
 And wages war against them ?" 
 
 I digress so far from the course of my nar 
 rative, as to introduce two personages, who may 
 appear very much in the characters of a hero 
 and heroine of romance ; still, the circumstances 
 of which I am about to speak, are facts, related 
 to me by one intimately acquainted with 
 Captain Graham, and by whom the following 
 interesting tale was communicated. 
 
 John Graham, about three years previous to 
 
 the Seminole war, arrived in St. Augustine, a 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 Lieutenant in a regiment of dragoons, where 
 many a fair "southerner" sighed for the tall, 
 athletic, yet graceful form of the fair-haired 
 Officer, whose highly-polished manners corres 
 ponded well with his manly beauty ; but the 
 heart of young Graham was not to be taken by 
 all the combined allurements of beauty, wealth, 
 or high accomplishments. In vain they whirled 
 the giddy mazes of the dance, or tried the more 
 fascinating charms of music he withstood the 
 siege of a hundred gazelle eyes yet remained 
 firm and unsubdued, until ordered to the frontier 
 encampment, on the Indian boundary line. 
 
 Here, in the wilds of nature, Graham felt a 
 passion for the charms of perfect freedom in 
 sylvan life. He remembered many tales in the 
 romantic history of Scotland, the land of his 
 forefathers, of clans headed by Chiefs of his own 
 name, and compared their rude character with 
 the Indians, with whom he was now destined 
 
51 
 
 to hold frequent intercourse ; he was surprised 
 to find a striking similarity in dress, and many 
 of their manners and customs, to those of the 
 ancient Highlanders. 
 
 He sought their society, and soon selected a 
 young Chief, at this time of no great notoriety, 
 as his friend, and almost constant companion. 
 This bold and hardy warrior, then about the 
 same age as himself, was no other than Oceola, 
 whose subsequent deeds of valour and military 
 discretion, astonished, and at the same time, 
 struck admiration into the hearts of his enemies. 
 
 These young heroes soon established a friend 
 ship of no ordinary character their hearts 
 became as thoroughly amalgamated, as welded 
 gold and silver together they followed the 
 chase, and many were " the hair- breadth scapes " 
 and toils endured by these singularly contrasted 
 specimens of civilized refinement, and rude, yet 
 haughty grandeur of savage life. 
 
52 
 
 Than Graham, a more perfect specimen of 
 manly beauty chivalric bearing and gentle 
 manly deportment, could seldom be realized 
 few maidens could have resisted the soft blan 
 dishments of his addresses. 
 
 Oceola was tall, and of a spare habit his 
 limbs were well proportioned, and his complexion 
 of the olive-red peculiar to his tribe his features 
 were not decidedly handsome, yet on scruti 
 nizing his face, there was nothing with which 
 one could be dissatisfied his teeth were regular 
 his nose rather Grecian than otherwise but 
 the eye! * that herald of the soul" was, in 
 itself, constituted to command; when under 
 excitement, it flashed fury and stern resolve- 
 but when aiding its alluring ally, the well- 
 formed mouth, in a smile it warmed the very 
 heart of its beholder with its beams of kindness. 
 
 It was on one of those glowing evenings of 
 the sunny south, when the clouds are gilded in 
 
53 
 
 splendour, to await the departing god of light 
 after a hard day s toil, in pursuit of a tiger, 
 which at last fell wounded by the rifle of 
 Graham, and was finally despatched by the 
 tomahawk of his swarthy friend, that the young 
 officer first experienced the witchery of love, 
 
 Wearied and feverish from excitement, in a 
 climate to which his system had scarcely yet 
 become reconciled, he gladly accepted the prof 
 fered hammock of netted grass, suspended by 
 Nathleocee, Oceola s niece, beneath the umbra 
 geous, wide-spreading branches of a large oak 
 tree, from whose limbs hung the graceful, yet 
 melancholy looking moss at times in festoons, 
 at others, falling in perpendicular masses, to the 
 length of eight or ten feet ; forming a drapery, 
 infinitely surpassing, in beauty and splendour, 
 all the richest and most elaborate works of art 
 
 In this simple, yet ingeniously constructed 
 aerial couch, the young hunter reposed his wenry 
 
54 
 
 limbs, whilst Nathleocee watched his disturbed 
 sleep, and amused her busy fancy with bis 
 delirious mutterings, in a language she could 
 not comprehend ; whilst she carefully, with a 
 fan made from the feathers of the pinnawaw, or 
 wild turkey, brushed away the intrusive mos 
 quitoes, or the no less annoying sand flies. 
 
 After a few hours repose, Captain Graham 
 awoke refreshed, and turning his still half-closed 
 eyes, they rested upon a face of beauty, of so 
 peculiar a character, and in such perfect accord 
 ance with his own romantic disposition, that his 
 very soul felt suddenly a thrill he had never 
 hitherto experienced. Beside him stood, in 
 blushing modesty, a perfect child of nature 
 her dazzling black eyes flashing fire, under an 
 excitement entirely new to her unsophisticated 
 and primitive constitution she felt abashed, 
 yet knew not why whilst Gaaham drank deep 
 and largely at the first spring of love, and 
 
55 
 
 dwelt with rapture upon the perfect symmetry 
 of her form, as she leaned against the huge 
 trunk of the oak under whicli he had slept. 
 
 " Her raven hair, half wreathed, descended, 
 And o er her face like shadows blended, 
 Half veiling charms of fairer hue, 
 Than ever forest daughter knew. 
 Such looks ne er decked the fairest child ; 
 Ne er bloomed such cheeks in forest wild." 
 
 Nathleocee possessed not only a face of love 
 liness, but a form, which might vie in beauty of 
 proportion with the most exquisite productions 
 of the Roman or Grecian sculptor. 
 
 Her costume was such as would shock the 
 refined modesty of the more intellectual class of 
 white females, but nature knows no shame but 
 that of sin, and assuredly, if virtue consists in 
 purity of thought, sentiment, or action this 
 artless girl was pure as the fountain which daily 
 reflected her unrivalled charms. 
 
56 
 
 The upper part of her form, according to the 
 custom of her tribe, was left uncovered her 
 long black hair floated to the winds, unbraided, 
 over her finely proportioned shoulders and as 
 the zephyrs caught the unconfined tresses, they 
 would play upon a bust, Venus herself might 
 have proudly owned. Her head was surmounted 
 by a tuft of feathers, plucked from the wings 
 of the snow-white Oartolo, or virgin crane ; 
 interspersed with those of the gaudy crimson 
 flamingo the whole confined by pearls of value, 
 collected among the islands at the southern 
 extremity of the peninsula of Florida 
 
 She wore a skirt of chassee, or fawn s skin, of 
 the softest texture, which was embroidered with 
 minute sea shells, interspersed with pearls of 
 rare beauty and extraordinary magnitude, and 
 further ornamented with strips of ermine skins, 
 and a variety of feathers of the richest hue. 
 This Hukkasykee, as it is denominated in the 
 
57 
 
 Seminole language, extended from her waist 
 to a little below her knees. 
 
 Her beautifully formed legs were encased in 
 Uphetaikas, also made of chassee, ornamented at 
 the outsides by a double row of beads a pair of 
 prettily worked Mocassins, or Indian shoes, 
 made to correspond with other portions of her 
 dress, completed the attire of the Chieftain s niece. 
 
 Nathleocee was the orphan daughter of a 
 neighbouring King, who had been killed in 
 battle ; from infancy she had been reared and 
 cherished by her uncle, with all the fond affection 
 which a noble-minded man feels for a lovely 
 object looking up to him for protection. She 
 was scarcely seventeen when Graham became 
 enamoured of her extraordinary sylvan charms. 
 With all the natural grace and dignity of one 
 born free as the bounding fawn of the wilderness, 
 she combined the retiring modesty, and feminine 
 timidity of a girl just blushing into womanhood 
 
58 
 
 there was, withal, an arch playfulness, which 
 caused the heart of many a young Seminole 
 warrior to bound with rapture, when her piercing 
 black eyes chanced to rest upon him. 
 
 Although she loved her " Hadke-tustenuggee," 
 or white warrior, as Captain Graham was called 
 throughout the Seminole nation, still she con 
 ceived it a degradation to be allied to an Iste- 
 hadke, or white man ; but at length yielded to 
 his continued importunities, and they were 
 married, according to the forms and ceremonies 
 of the Seminole Indians. 
 
 Three successive seasons produced as many 
 offspring to gladden the hearts of the affectionate 
 parents then came a withering blight upon 
 their hopes of future happiness the fond wife 
 was destined to be separated by the rude hand 
 of war, from her husband, and the father, from 
 his children. 
 
59 
 
 Hostilities were about to commence, and 
 Graham was ordered by Oceola to quit the 
 Indian dominions, with a threat, that should he 
 again appear among them until the war with 
 the whites had terminated, he would assuredly 
 put him to death ; it being customary on these 
 occasions, for an Indian to sacrifice his dearest 
 friend with his own hand, if found arrayed 
 against the tribe to which he belongs. But, as 
 a manifestation of his regard for his former friend 
 and companion, on taking an affectionate leave of 
 Graham, he pulled a white plume from his own 
 head dress, and placed it in the military helmet 
 of the young officer, telling him to wear it 
 whenever he came into battle with the Seminoles, 
 at the same time assuring him that he would 
 give orders throughout the nation, that this 
 insignia should be his protection ! 
 
 The white warrior could not so easily control 
 his affections, and in spite of the mandate of 
 
60 
 
 Oceola, he again ventured into the vicinity of 
 the wigwam which contained his wife and 
 children. It was not long before an opportunity 
 was afforded him of beholding her he loved. 
 Nathleocee was on her way to visit the bank of 
 a clear stream, beside which, under the shade of 
 a wide-spreading magnolia, whose perfumes 
 seemed like holy incense to their loves, the 
 young couple had first exchanged their vows 
 of pure affection. 
 
 No sooner had her keen eye discerned the 
 tall, manly figure of her husband, than she 
 prostrated herself upon the earth, hiding her 
 beauteous face within her hands, and the most 
 endearing entreaties could not extort from her 
 a single word or look. 
 
 The rigid rules of obedience to her guardian, 
 and honour to her tribe, forbade her to bestow 
 upon Graham the smallest sign of love or recog 
 nition. Sooner would she have sacrificed her 
 
61 
 
 children and herself, than have gratified, by a 
 single glance, the man who was sole lord of her 
 affections. 
 
 Finding Nathleocee inexorable to all his im 
 passioned entreaties, Graham left her to join his 
 regiment ; soon after which he was seen in the 
 hottest of the fight at the battle of Ouithla- 
 coochee, with the white plume waving in his 
 helmet but amidst such a shower of rifle balls 
 and arrows, we are not surprised that he was 
 unintentionally wounded, although not severely. 
 Soon after this engagement he retired from the 
 army, disdaining to draw his sword against a 
 people he could not but love, and with whom he 
 strongly sympathized, for their manifold wrongs 
 and oppressions. 
 
 This unhappy princess, with her children, 
 was subsequently taken prisoner, and confined 
 in the fort of St. Augustine, while her husband 
 was on a visit to his friends in New York. 
 
62 
 
 From St. Augustine, this desolate family was 
 removed, with other Indian captives, and trans 
 ported to the " far west/ there, probably, to 
 perish, either by grief, change of climate, or 
 starvation. 
 
63 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PARENTS 
 
 OF 
 
 PRINCE ECONCHATTI 
 
 " Hail, king ! for so thou art." 
 
 SHAKSPERE. 
 
 ECONCHATTI-MICO. 
 
 Little more is known by white people of 
 Econchatti, the father of the young prince, than 
 that he was, previous to the war, King of the 
 Red-hills, in the Seminole country ; he does not 
 appear ever to have much distinguished himself 
 as a warrior ; as at this time, so important to the 
 interests of the Florida Indians, he gave up the 
 command of his braves to his youthful and 
 
64 
 
 aspiring brother in law, Oceola ; in this step 
 manifesting much discernment and good sense 
 still it must be acknowledged, that with Indians, 
 so much discretion and prudence prevail in war, 
 that not much is known to their enemies of 
 their government, either civil or military, until 
 the Tomahawk is buried, and the Calumet of 
 peace has been reciprocally smoked by both 
 contending parties. 
 
 It seems, however, common enough among 
 them for the command to be assumed, during 
 war, by that chief who has had the greatest 
 opportunities of signalizing himself, and who, 
 in general, on the return of peace, retires to his 
 post ; resuming, with the rest of the young men, 
 their habits of submission to the representatives 
 of the families of the hereditary sovereigns ; 
 who, over the whole North American continent, 
 are held in the greatest respect. 
 
65 
 
 We are informed, by a copy of the corres 
 pondence between Horatio S. Dexter, Esq., 
 agent for the Seminole Indians, and Captain 
 Bell, of the United States army, and acting 
 Governor of Florida, that as early as 1821, 
 immediately after the cession of the territory 
 from the Spanish government to the United 
 States of America, Econchatti was then a King 
 of a Seminole tribe; he is therefore always 
 called Econchatti- Mico the word mico signi 
 fying King or High chief. Vide Appendix. 
 
 At that time he resided with his sub-chiefs 
 and warriors on the banks of the Chattahoochee 
 river, where he possessed large private property, 
 in land, slaves, horses, and horned cattle. At 
 this place, it is presumed, the subject of the 
 present narrative was born, who is nephew to the 
 renowned Oceola Econchatti having married 
 Oceola s sister. 
 
70 
 
 The wealth of Econchatti-Mico was a sufficient 
 inducement for a party of neighbouring white 
 ruffians to arm themselves, and without any 
 previous declaration of hostilities, to rush sud 
 denly into his dominions, when after killing one 
 of his sub-chiefs, they forcibly took possession of 
 the whole of his property. This may be con 
 sidered as a trifling provocation on the part of 
 the whites, but it is one only among thousands 
 of a similar kind, which they have practised 
 towards a people whom they stigmatize as 
 
 REVENGEFUL." 
 
67 
 
 OF PRINCE ECONCHATTTS MOTHER. 
 
 " A death-like sleep, 
 A gentle wafting to immortal life." 
 
 MILTON. 
 
 A faint gleam of recollection of his mother at 
 times flashes across the memory of this unso 
 phisticated boy he now brings to the vision of 
 his mind the scene of her dying and her death. 
 
 The loss of the maternal parent is in every 
 grade of life more keenly felt in childhood s 
 years, than that of the father ; yet how much 
 more poignant must have been the sorrow of 
 this Indian child, whose hardy and stern sire, 
 although possessing all the natural feelings of a 
 parent or a husband, deems it unworthy his 
 dignity to descend to the domestic cares of 
 either ; but whose stalwart arm is ever ready to 
 
 defend her, the elect of his choice, or his off- 
 
68 
 
 spring his only hope for future years on 
 whom he depends to convey to succeeding 
 generations the fire and courage of his nature, 
 and, perchance, through the same channel, by 
 traditionary tales, to ages yet to come, the 
 achievements of his heroic daring. 
 
 Sad and lonely then must have been the posi 
 tion of this young boy, whose mother breathed 
 her last sigh in the wigwam, with no other 
 attendant to administer to her dying wants than 
 this feeble nurse of probably five years old. 
 
 Cold was now that bosom on which he had 
 lately nestled for warmth and comfort ! 
 
 Oceola says that the death of his mother took 
 place previous to the breaking out of the war ; 
 he has not a clear remembrance of her, and the 
 life he subsequently led was sufficient to replace 
 the memory of his infantile years with more 
 exciting events ; he thinks his mother had been 
 confined at home for some time she had been 
 
69 
 
 bled in the temple, but the wound did not heal 
 his father came frequently, and sat with her, 
 with which she was pleased ; but on the morn 
 ing of the day on which she died, he did not see 
 his father as usual ; probably he had gone away 
 upon some military embassy, and as the other 
 women were not present, it is not unlikely the 
 families were already removed away into the 
 interior of the country, to be more secure from 
 the dangers of an impending war. 
 
 As soon as he observed his mother had ceased 
 to breathe, he became frightened, and ran to the 
 top of a hill ; here he saw two Indians, who 
 came immediately with him, and occupied 
 themselves in examining carefully the extremi 
 ties of a rope extended between two trees ; they 
 then went into the house, and he rambled away 
 to a distance on his return the men were gone, 
 and the body of his mother was removed he 
 
70 
 
 saw her no more. As he has no recollection of 
 her in health, it is to be presumed she had been 
 for some time an invalid. 
 
 The cord was doubtless designed to lash the 
 body, being part of their ceremony in burial, 
 which is thus performed. As soon as Indians 
 are convinced of the death of one of their people, 
 they place the arms close to the sides the 
 hands are bent up to the shoulders, and the 
 knees are forced up to the chin.* In this position 
 the body, after having been dressed in its best 
 garments, is bound tightly round by a cord made 
 of twisted strips of cattle-hide ; it is then buried, 
 if convenient, in some cavern, or it is carefully 
 deposited in a hollow tree, and with it are placed 
 
 * There is a body of a South American Indian in the 
 Museum of the College of Surgeons in London, discovered 
 in this posture in the sand erroneously supposed to have 
 been buried alive by an earthquake. 
 
71 
 
 all the ornaments, articles of war or dress belong 
 ing to the deceased the places of sepulture 
 are concealed, at times, with matchless skill. 
 
 The property of a deceased person is considered 
 too sacred for the use of survivors all their 
 earthenware utensils, and other household pro 
 perty are broken up and destroyed, so that the 
 ground in the vicinity of old Indian towns, is 
 literally strewed with fragments of pottery, &c. 
 
 How revolting then to their notions, must be 
 our disputes respecting the property of our dead 
 friends, or the instances which more frequently 
 come to their knowledge, of soldiers robbing 
 the bodies of their own comrades, as well as of 
 their enemies. 
 
 After a battle, the slain are collected in one 
 spot, and a large mound of earth is heaped over 
 them some of these Indian mounds, as they 
 are called, are very large ; there is one I observed 
 
72 
 
 on the road from St. Augustine to Tomaka, 
 which must have covered two acres of ground. 
 Barrows of this kind are numerous over the 
 whole American continent ; showing a similarity 
 of habits, in this respect, as well as in many 
 others, between the Indians and the aborigines 
 of Great Britain. 
 
YAHCHILANEE AND ALLAHA. 
 
 " Sounded at once the bow, and swiftly flies 
 The feathered death, and hisses through the skies." 
 
 DBYDEN. 
 
 Whilst upon the subject of Indian burials, 
 I will take this opportunity of relating the 
 ceremony, as more fully explained to me by the 
 amiable daughter of Mr. Dexter, whose name is 
 mentioned in the appendix the young lady was 
 witness to the rite she very pleasingly described. 
 The unfortunate subject was a beautiful young 
 Princess of the Euchee tribe, who previous to 
 her marriage with a young sub-chief of the 
 Seminoles, was absolutely persecuted by the 
 addresses of a warrior of her own tribe but 
 
74 
 
 the impassioned Euchee was rejected, and in 
 the bitterness of jealousy, he swore revenge. 
 
 Eleven moons of uninterrupted happiness had 
 glided rapidly away, and Allaha (the orange) had 
 become the mother of a boy the idol of his 
 father, whom she loved with the devotion of 
 woman s first and only love, and they were 
 happy. 
 
 One evening as the fond mother was playing 
 with her infant, which was suspended in a Wyya 
 (a curiously constructed crib in which infants 
 are placed, specimens of which may be seen in 
 Catlin s exhibition) from a branch of a large oak 
 tree beneath which her husband was listlessly 
 swinging in his grass hammock an unknown 
 Indian, who had been lurking throughout the 
 day in a dense wood near by, was seen, just as 
 the last rays of twilight died away, to rise from 
 a mossy couch, and creep along in a half bent 
 posture to the edge of the thicket near the 
 
75 
 
 Wigwam, and in an instant the fond mother fell 
 mortally wounded at the feet of her husband 
 an arrow had pierced her side, and before many 
 minutes Allaha was a corpse. 
 
 The bold Yahchilanee, (war eagle) with a tear 
 less eye, and a countenance expressive of the 
 most intense anguish, leaned over his dying 
 wife, uttering audibly at intervals " lepust, 
 lepust ! " the breath is going, the breath is 
 going ! while an old crone of the tribe held 
 the infant boy over the dying mother, to re 
 ceive her parting spirit ; which is supposed to 
 linger for a time with the offspring, and im 
 part instructions, which are to exert an influ 
 ence upon its future destiny. 
 
 When it became evident that life was extinct, 
 those around began to place the body in as com 
 pact a manner as possible, in the mode already 
 described ; it was then enveloped in a blanket 
 and placed in a sitting posture. The fire in 
 
76 
 
 and around the Wigwam was extinguished, and 
 all blankets, utensils, ornaments, &c. were col 
 lected together two Indians then passed a pole 
 through the upper part of the blanket contain 
 ing the body, and marched off to a distance 
 followed by the husband and friends. 
 
 Having selected a place for encampment, fires 
 were again kindled and now commenced the 
 ceremonies preliminary to burying the dead. 
 A feast was held for three days the body 
 placed in the open air handsomely attired, 
 and a large fire encircled it, which was kept 
 up until the expiration of the feast, when the 
 body was removed for burial. As no such ready- 
 made cemetery as a hollow tree was convenient, 
 the friends proceeded to construct a mausoleum 
 of young pine trees laid upon each other, form 
 ing a hollow square of sufficient height to 
 receive the body in a sitting posture into 
 which the remains of Allaha were deposited ; 
 
77 
 
 together with all her cooking utensils, bed 
 ding, beads, belts, and bracelets; besides a 
 supply of poultry and provisions and finally 
 a little negress was decapitated and placed be 
 side her mistress as an attendant across the 
 Big-Prairie, until she should arrive in the hunt 
 ing grounds of the GREAT SPIRIT. A few 
 Indian girls, who had followed the train, 
 plucked wild flowers, and strewed them around 
 the corpse fit emblems of her own fragile and 
 short-lived existence ! Lastly, the tomb was 
 covered with earth. 
 
 Now commenced the wailing and lamenta 
 tion for the dead tearing of hair, with every 
 gesticulation of the agony of extreme sorrow: 
 not so with the sad and silent mourner the 
 widower ; 
 
 " No sigh nor moan escaped his quivering lips 
 But the look of woe unutterable 
 Extremity of earthly woe was there." 
 
78 
 
 More than a year elapsed before the mur 
 derer fell under the knife of Yahchilanee who 
 never rested until satiated by the blood of the 
 destroyer of his wife. 
 
 The Indian widower unbinds his hair, allow 
 ing it to float loose, and divests himself of every 
 ornament for the space of three moons ; during 
 which time he appears sullen and gloomy, and 
 enters on the chase only when the imperious 
 demands of hunger impel him. 
 
 Of the private character of Econchatti-Mico, 
 or of his wife, 1 have had no means of obtaining 
 any intelligence beyond what little their child is 
 able to communicate ; he remembers his father 
 occasionally playing with, and caressing, him, at 
 times taking him on his knee, or carrying him on 
 his back ; and at night, in their open-air encamp 
 ments, covering him with the same bear-skin. 
 He can also recollect, that during the sickness 
 of his mother, his father came frequently and 
 
79 
 
 sat with her; manifesting, as far as his young 
 memory serves, the ordinary feelings of a father 
 and a husband ; which, I venture to state, are 
 quite as strong, if not more so, among those 
 denominated "savages," than among their de 
 stroyers, or even the really civilized Europeans. 
 I can by no means arrive at any certainty 
 with respect to the death of Econchatti-Mico ; 
 it has been said that he was killed in battle, 
 and again, that he died while a prisoner in the 
 Fort of St. Augustine. 
 
80 
 
 PRINCE ECONCHATTI FIRST CAPTURED. 
 
 " Thou hast, by tyranny, these many years, 
 Wasted our country, slain our citizens, 
 And sent our sons and husbands captive." 
 
 SHAKSPEARE. 
 
 This event could not long have preceded the 
 second time when young Oceola was taken pri 
 soner, as the Seminole war did not commence 
 until November, 1835, and he was again in the 
 hands of his enemies, in August the following 
 year; thus making it evident that this persecuted 
 child became twice a prisoner of war within the 
 space of a few months. 
 
 In relating this circumstance, he can only 
 recall to his memory that the Indians had halted 
 
81 
 
 in the Pine-forest for the night, and the follow 
 ing morning the war-men were obliged to leave 
 their squaws and children to continue their 
 journey unprotected, to their place of destina 
 tion ; they travelled alone for two or three 
 days, when they were suddenly surrounded by 
 soldiers on horseback, and taken prisoners. 
 
 The frantic mothers, with their children, were 
 now driven, like a herd of cattle, to the nearest 
 encampment of the Whites, and there placed 
 upon baggage- waggons, to pursue their march 
 towards the civilized districts of East Florida. 
 They were several days travelling in this man 
 ner, sleeping at night under the broad face of 
 Heaven, with a guard of soldiers placed over 
 them. 
 
 On the road, Oceola saw many ruins of 
 houses, recently destroyed by fire : the whole 
 district of country showed evidences of the 
 devastating effect of war. 
 
82 
 
 Rations of flour were issued for the Indian 
 women and children, which they converted into 
 cakes by placing them upon the coals of their 
 fire. The young adventurer goes on to state 
 that, whilst crossing a wide shallow stream, over 
 which he was carried on the back of an Indian 
 woman who had had the charge of him since the 
 death of his mother, he observed a white man 
 on the opposite bank making frequent threat 
 ening signs with a whip ; menacing the women 
 with a view to quell a sudden loud and garru 
 lous impulse, which seemed to have seized 
 them. They kept up constant noises and 
 splashings in the water as they crossed, for 
 the express purpose of being discovered by 
 their friends, which the whites were, of course, 
 anxious to prevent. 
 
 At length they arrived at the skirts of a vil 
 lage inhabited by white people, where they saw 
 more soldiers : the prisoners bivouaced in the 
 
vicinity the guard remaining at a short dis 
 tance. During the night, two Indian women, 
 a little girl, and Oceola, took advantage of an 
 unguarded moment, and effected their escape 
 under the mantle of darkness. They walked the 
 whole of that night, and continued on their 
 retreat for two or three days resting occasion 
 ally in the dense hammocks, and subsisting 
 during the time on water melons and Indian 
 corn. They at last arrived at a place where 
 they had encamped previous to their being cap 
 tured ; here they had the good fortune to meet 
 the war-men with whom, they spent the night 
 around a cheerful fire, regaling themselves plen 
 tifully till they had satisfied their hunger. 
 
 We may picture to ourselves the wildness of 
 this scene and who can do otherwise than 
 sympathize with these people on the raptures 
 of their reunion after their unexpected escape 
 from captivity ? the result of which would, 
 
84 
 
 otherwise, have been either death or expatriation 
 for many hundred miles, to a severe climate, 
 and destined probably never again to meet 
 those they held dear on earth. 
 
 It may be said, that human beings, in savage 
 life, cannot possess in so high a degree, the 
 enjoyments maintained by intellectual refine 
 ment ; but, 1 contend they are more highly 
 endued with the love of offspring than a great 
 portion of civilized society. 
 
 Although an Indian woman has been known 
 to stifle her child, that its cries might not 
 betray a body of her people to an unsparing 
 enemy, this apparently revolting and unna 
 tural circumstance, does not detract from her 
 feeling as a mother ; it appears to me an act 
 of extraordinary heroism, evincing a power of 
 mind, unknown since the days of ancient 
 Sparta, or of Rome. Let me ask would an 
 Indian mother allow the fountain of life to the 
 
85 
 
 infant to dry up, and consign her child to the 
 care of a stranger, that she might be the better 
 enabled to revel in dissipation and luxury or 
 drown or strangle her offspring to hide her 
 own shame ? Never ! ! Yet such occurrences 
 are daily witnessed in civilized society. 
 
FIGHT FOR A HOG. 
 
 " You have brought your hogs to a fine market" 
 
 SPECTATOR. 
 
 Oceola remembers an engagement with soldiers, 
 when Econchatti-Mieo, with a party of Indians, 
 had halted near one of the military encampments 
 of the whites and one of his men made free 
 to help himself to a hog belonging, it is pre 
 sumed, to the enemy. As they were quartering 
 the prize they were suddenly charged by ca 
 valry, and a smart contest ensued, in which the 
 soldiers were repulsed leaving, for the use of 
 their victorious foes all their horses, but taking 
 away with them their wounded comrades. 
 
87 
 
 At the onset, all the women and children 
 hurried away as rapidly as possible. Oceola 
 was so near the scene of action that he distinctly 
 heard a musket ball pass across his breast, 
 the sound of which he knew by its peculiar 
 zing. The horses appear to have fallen into 
 their hands very opportunely the worn-out 
 squaws, with their young ones, were forthwith 
 mounted as well as the men ; Oceola s father, 
 he observes, caught "a first-rate one/ on which 
 he rode away with his son en croupe. 
 
88 
 
 ECONCHATTI-MICO WOUNDED, 
 
 " I am faint, my gashes cry for help." 
 
 SHAKSPEKE. 
 
 Our young Prince states, that the day on 
 which his father was wounded, and on the 
 previous one, they had endured much fatigue ; 
 marching through thick swamps and the inter 
 minable pine forests and the greater part of 
 the preceding night had been spent in a retreat 
 from their enemies. 
 
 We may here figure to ourselves the distress 
 of these poor fugitives, keeping in view the 
 party, consisting in a great measure of houseless 
 women and children, who knew no refuge or 
 
89 
 
 shelter frequently wanting fire and food, and 
 chased by a merciless enemy, like herds of the 
 wilderness, from one extremity to the other of 
 a forest covering an area of fifty thousand miles. 
 
 Our youthful narrator speaks of his having 
 been carried, on the back of his father, a great 
 part of the w r ay, until they halted towards 
 evening in a dense thicket, so shaded that the 
 sun could not penetrate. 
 
 The women and children were exhausted by 
 the fatigues of the day s march, and now hoped 
 for some respite from pain and toil a cheerful 
 fire was ignited, and they had begun to prepare 
 refreshments of dried meat and Coontee (a 
 flour prepared from a wild root of the woods). 
 In the midst of this miserable attempt to relieve 
 the cravings of hunger, they were again sur 
 prised by an alarm bloodhounds both biped 
 and quadruped were again upon their tracks 
 
 " Now all was hurry, and hot haste," 
 
90 
 
 The blazing fire that seemed cheerfully to smile 
 upon their afflictions, was speedily extinguished, 
 and a few blankets which sometimes screened 
 them from the fury of the elements, when sus 
 pended upon sticks, at others forming their only 
 beds from damp and cold, were rapidly rolled 
 up ready for a retreat, While the women were 
 thus occupied, Nikkanochee remembers his 
 father lifting him in his arms, that he might, 
 even when so young, become accustomed to 
 danger he pointed out to him the steady 
 approach of an enemy, whose muskets and 
 bayonets gleamed in the brilliant golden hues 
 of the setting sun. After having stedfastly sur 
 veyed the phalanx of his foes, the boy was 
 ordered by his father to rejoin the women and 
 children, who had secreted themselves far in the 
 tangled screens of the swampy hammock, while 
 the warriors were left to defend them against 
 the combined assaults of men and dogs; the 
 
91 
 
 latter Oceola describes as having been very 
 annoying. Vide Appendix. 
 
 The whites were repulsed with a loss of some 
 killed and wounded. When this skirmish was 
 ended and the soldiers had yielded to the In 
 dians, the proud privilege their forefathers 
 boasted the right of possession of the land 
 they lived on, Oceola discovered his heroic 
 father laying upon the earth, pale and faint 
 from loss of blood a musket ball had passed 
 through his wrist ; of this touching scene, the 
 boy gave a clear description in the most artless 
 garb of truth. 
 
 Far less secure were these unhappy fugitives 
 than the wild beasts of the forest the chase of 
 which ceases with the declining orb of day ; but 
 the native Red man, the true, the hereditary 
 lord of the soil, who never slays but in self- 
 defence, or to avenge the death of a friend or 
 relative to whom God hath given dominion 
 
92 
 
 over the beasts of the field and forest to sup 
 ply his wants is persecuted, goaded, robbed, 
 hunted, and at length destroyed, to make room 
 for the innovations of civilized men ; with 
 whom, alas ! too often, come rapine, debauchery, 
 and "all the ills that flesh is heir to," in the 
 walks of luxury and refinement. 
 
 After this action, in which Econchatti and 
 several others were wounded, the Indians spent 
 an anxious night in the hammock, and early in 
 the morning, under dread of a reinforcement to 
 the strength of their enemies, they again fled in 
 search of safety for the women and children. 
 
 It starts the tear of pity to reflect upon the 
 cruel persecutions of these unhappy people, in 
 their struggle for freedom and their rights. 
 They retreated through the dreary pine forests 
 and muddy swamps and marshes, selecting those 
 routes which would the most readily embarrass 
 their pursuers. Oceola was at times carried 
 
93 
 
 upon the back of his father, who swam thus 
 with his child over deep, broad, and rapid 
 rivers, stemming the waters with one hand 
 at other times, he says, he was whipped by his 
 uncle Oceola, for not walking fast enough to 
 keep pace with the fugitive party. 
 
 After a weary march of two nights and a 
 day, they again selected a resting-place near the 
 edge of a hammock, and had kindled a cheerful 
 fire around which, some had stretched them 
 selves, whilst others were occupied in preparing 
 a repast of wild turkey and deer, which had, 
 during their journey, yielded to that silent 
 messenger of death the arrow. 
 
 A short respite to their toils and troubles was 
 allowed by their enemies. No sooner had they 
 tasted the blessings of rest, with the comfort of 
 a blazing fire-side, than they were once more 
 startled by the plashing of horses, and the noise 
 of soldiers crossing a river near their unshel- 
 
94 
 
 tered encampment. The Indians now cautiously- 
 extinguished their fire, and remained quiet, 
 until their foes had passed without having 
 discovered them ; they then renewed their fire 
 and their fare watching throughout the night 
 in dread of an attack. 
 
 Oceola remembers that his father s arm was 
 bound up, and placed in a sling, after the man 
 ner in use amongst us which was still carried 
 in a sling on the day of his own capture ; on 
 this occasion it was, that he saw his father for 
 the last time. 
 
 The history of the young Prince now becomes 
 peculiarly interesting. We have no right to 
 expect much to excite our wonder, or even our 
 admiration, in the adventures of a child, as dic 
 tated by himself, previous to the age of six 
 years but when we reflect, that the sufferings 
 and privations of this poor boy, hunted like a 
 fawn, must have endured through a war in 
 
95 
 
 which ten thousand disciplined troops, aided 
 by ferocious BLOODHOUNDS, were continually 
 upon the track of his persecuted tribe not 
 numbering two thousand warriors, whose almost 
 only safety was in continued retreat through 
 deep morasses, and almost impenetrable ham 
 mocks, or dense woods bereft of their homes, 
 and at times wanting the common sustenance 
 of nature ; our warmest sympathies are roused 
 in his behalf. 
 
 Not only are our feelings of commiseration 
 confined to him, but they are widely diffused 
 for the whole of his persecuted race. 
 
 The preceding pages show that a considerable 
 portion of the life of this interesting child before 
 his second captivity, formed a succession of 
 events peculiarly harrassing ; consequently we 
 are not surprised that he appeared emaciated, 
 feeble, and dejected, when he again fell into the 
 hands of his enemies. 
 
96 
 
 It is manifest to every reflecting mind that 
 his steps were here directed by an all-wise Pro 
 vidence, who, in goodness and mercy, selected 
 him from his unhappy tribe, to become, I trust, 
 in future years, the means of conveying such 
 information to his own people as may ultimately 
 reconcile them to the new life they are undoubt 
 edly destined to endure; for, there can be no 
 scruple in saying, that these people, who once 
 numbered upwards of a million, but now re 
 duced to a few hundreds must, ere long, 
 submit to the dominion of stronger powers ; 
 however unjust the assumption of rights of 
 conquest may be. 
 
97 
 
 OCEOLA NIKKANOCHEE, 
 PRINCE OF ECONCHATTI, RECAPTURED, 
 
 " The tear down childhood s cheek that flows 
 Is like the dewdrop on the rose ; 
 When next the summer s breeze comes by, 
 And waves the bush the flower is dry." 
 
 On the morning of the 26th of August, 1836, 
 a little Indian Boy was brought a prisoner to 
 Col. Warren, Commandant at the Military 
 Station at Newnansville, having been captured 
 on the preceding evening by soldiers, some 
 miles from that place. The child seemed to be 
 five or six years old ; he was emaciated, and his 
 general appearance indicated extreme suffering ; 
 he spoke not and for at least three weeks he 
 
 maintained nearly a perfect silence he was 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 apparently brooding over what he felt was a 
 heavy misfortune, and was evidently well aware 
 that he was in the hands of those whom he 
 knew to be his enemies he looked cautiously 
 and quickly around him whenever a sound 
 reached his ears. The most trifling movement 
 of those about him did not escape his notice 
 he manifested an extreme apprehension of 
 danger, and it was thought that he was 
 perpetually on the watch for an opportunity 
 to escape. 
 
 Whatever passed in his infant brain, it was 
 quite clear that he did not contemplate starva 
 tion, as he ate the bread and milk which was 
 given him, accepting it however, with indif 
 ference or shyness, and again relapsing into his 
 state of sadness when his meal was finished ; 
 he was never heard to sob, cry, nor moan, but 
 generally sat on the floor crosslegged motionless 
 and thoughtful, and appeared overwhelmed with 
 
99 
 
 a melancholy, which, in one so young, was 
 touching to witness. 
 
 The report of his capture was as follows. 
 On the 25th of August, 1836, a scouting party 
 of five soldiers set out from Newnansville to 
 scour the surrounding country, and look out for 
 signs of Indians. Early in the morning they 
 disturbed several who were helping themselves 
 to some sweet potatoes, in a fenced field 
 belonging to a deserted residence: the Indians 
 took the alarm time enough to leap over the 
 fence and make their escape, retreating over a 
 small stream into the forest, through which the 
 soldiers followed the trails of one or two a short 
 distance ; they then deemed it prudent to return, 
 not knowing the strength of the enemy, and 
 again made their way into one of the military 
 roads lately made in Florida, where they soon 
 fell upon the tracks of footsteps of an Indian 
 
 child, rendered distinct by rain which had 
 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 recently fallen ; these they determined to pur 
 sue, considering it tolerably certain that they 
 would be led thereby to one of the encamp 
 ments of the tribe. 
 
 The soldiers declared that they followed 
 this child from the rising to the setting of the 
 sun, and were convinced that they must have 
 traversed a distance not less than forty miles. 
 
 It may seem incredible in this country that a 
 child so young could possibly walk thus far in 
 the time specified, yet I cannot for a moment 
 doubt it ; such a feat is by no means uncommon 
 in Florida little negroes of a similar age will 
 often accompany their parents on foot from 
 Jacksonville to St. Augustine, and reach the 
 end of their journey in a day ; these places are 
 about the same distance from each other. 
 
 Towards nightfall they came in sight of the 
 little wanderer, he having in fact lost his way. 
 With that quickness of hearing which charac- 
 
101 
 
 terizes all creatures in a wild state, he seemed 
 to be aware of the approach of his pursuers, for 
 they saw him bounding like a fawn to seek the 
 covert of the bushes, and there they found him 
 concealed in the high grass. 
 
 On being seized he uttered a scream of terror, 
 expecting instant death; but he soon smiled 
 through his fast falling tears, and in an im 
 ploring attitude held up a peach in his little 
 hand, which he seemed to offer as a ransom for 
 his life ! He was immediately placed on horse 
 back behind one of the soldiers, and it was quite 
 dark before they reached Newnansville, where he 
 was taken in charge by one of them for the 
 night, who fed the poor little famished prisoner 
 with a bowl of milk, and gave him a blanket, 
 in which he wrapped himself after the Indian 
 fashion, and lying down before the fire was soon 
 asleep. 
 
 I now feel ashamed to mention a fact which 
 
102 
 
 will startle my readers but were 1 not to do 
 so, I should not only fail in doing justice to one 
 of the soldiers, whose conduct on this occasion 
 does him honour, but should leave a very incor 
 rect impression, as to the nature of the warfare 
 carried on against these hapless Indians, besides 
 passing over a circumstance of great interest in 
 the eventful life of the boy. 
 
 Will it be believed that a dispute arose among 
 the soldiers, as to the propriety of at once 
 destroying their little captive? the majority 
 deeming it right to sacrifice every Indian, 
 whether man, woman, or child! At length 
 JAMES SHIELDS, to his renown be it mentioned, 
 succeeded in preventing the perpetration of this 
 horrid barbarity, and it is owing to his resolute 
 interference, and to that alone, that the poor 
 little fellow was brought into Newnansville 
 ALIVE ! ! 
 
 Oh ! ye happy parents of this highly enviable 
 
103 
 
 country ! compare the lot of your own blessed 
 offspring, with that of this Indian Child at an 
 age which by you is considered one of nearly 
 perfect enjoyment when their little wants and 
 wishes are studied and provided for with the 
 most anxious solicitude when nothing which 
 can contribute to their health or welfare is for a 
 moment neglected when instructors begin to 
 be provided, and the early buddings of intellect 
 are watched for and observed with rapture 
 indescribable whose joy is your own, and who 
 in fact constitute almost your second and dearer 
 existences : at the same age this Indian Child 
 was a wanderer in a wild and desolate country, 
 amidst interminable forests beset by dangers 
 beyond the assistance of his father or kin 
 dred, and going he knew not whither! 
 But the hand of PROVIDENCE led him in 
 safety through the wilderness, and we can 
 
104 
 
 now listen to his own artless and truthful 
 tale of this eventful day of his early life. 
 
 Oceola well remembers the greater part of 
 what happened to him when he was captured, 
 and that only have I determined to write, and 
 as nearly as possible in his own words. 
 
105 
 
 PRINCE ECONCHATTI S NARRATION. 
 
 He says that he, with his father and some 
 more Indians were travelling, and came to a 
 house which was deserted in the garden be 
 longing to which some sweet potatoes were 
 growing : he had been carried on the back 
 of a man, as were some other children, who 
 let him down outside the fence, and then 
 clambered with the other men into the "potatoe 
 patch;" they had none of them, that he knew, 
 tasted food that morning; he himself had not. 
 
 Almost immediately they were alarmed by 
 soldiers, and the Indians quickly returned over 
 the fence, when Oceola saw his father beckon 
 ing him to come on, but the white people 
 
106 
 
 came so quickly, that he was obliged to join 
 the rest in their flight. 
 
 There was a rivulet which the Indians all 
 leaped, and in endeavouring to follow them he 
 partly gained the opposite bank, but fell back 
 into it he got up and reached the other side, 
 when he tripped against a vine root and again 
 fell; on getting up and running forward he 
 could see none of his companions, except an old 
 Indian, who did not appear to see him they had 
 all, according to their custom, dispersed in 
 different directions. 
 
 It may appear to those unacquainted with 
 Indian life, cruel for a father to abandon his 
 child under such circumstances, at the risk of his 
 falling into the hands of an unfeeling enemy ; 
 but Indian children are early taught the habits 
 of all wild creatures, and in case of surprise know 
 how to secrete themselves in the bushes or high 
 grass, or in the hollow of a tree, and in places 
 
107 
 
 where few whites would suspect their being 
 concealed ; whilst the parents and warriors take 
 measures for their own safety, and at the 
 same time by attacking or drawing off their 
 enemies from the place, secure that of their 
 children. The child thus hidden lies as still as 
 a partridge, till the danger being over, the father 
 or mother repair to the spot, and by a peculiar 
 call or cry, which is adopted by each family, he 
 starts up and they become re-united. 
 
 The child continued his flight ; he remembers 
 
 passing an old house, and came into the road 
 
 he was not yet frightened, as he fancied he 
 
 was following his people, in consequence of 
 
 observing an old coffee-pot with something 
 
 green in it placed on a log, and which he had 
 
 seen in an Indian woman s hand in the early 
 
 part of the day. This is another of their means 
 
 of directing stragglers in their flight dropping 
 
 unimportant articles, breaking down small twigs 
 
108 
 
 from the bushes as they pass, and pointing them 
 in the proper direction, with many other signs, 
 known only to themselves. 
 
 He continued along the road, and saw the 
 tracks of baggage waggons and picked up a 
 musket ball ; after this he saw no signs of the 
 way his people had gone, and then he says 
 he "began not to like it much;" he soon after 
 came in sight of a small village or settlement of 
 the whites, whereupon he struck out of the 
 road, and skulked along at some distance behind 
 the bushes, so as to keep himself out of sight 
 the place, like all others in the neighbourhood, 
 was deserted he obtained the road again, and 
 late in the afternoon came to another deserted 
 house, adjoining which was a peach-orchard. 
 
 Having had no breakfast, nor eaten nor drunk 
 during the whole day, he went in and satisfied 
 his hunger with peaches ; he took a few away 
 with him, placing them in the front part of his 
 
109 
 
 dress. It was getting dusk when he left the 
 peach-orchard, and had not gone far before 
 he heard a noise looking round him he 
 saw soldiers at a distance; he then ran 
 with all his might the soldiers gallopped 
 after him; he soon saw they were getting 
 too near, therefore struck off the road, and 
 hid himself in the grass; he saw some of 
 the men come up and stop near his hiding- 
 place, but one of them, it seems, had marked 
 him, and rode directly to the place of his 
 concealment, and calling out to the other men, 
 leaped from his horse and took him by the 
 arm. Oceola then began to cry, thinking 
 he was going to be killed, at the same time 
 he offered one of his peaches, hoping that 
 might save his life. 
 
 The soldier took it and smiled, then returned 
 it to him, and taking him up in his arms, 
 
110 
 
 mounted his horse and placed him behind him, 
 and then they went on. 
 
 The men talked nearly all the way until 
 they reached Newnansville, when it was quite 
 dark the soldiers took him to a house, and 
 gave him a bowl of milk and a blanket, then 
 went up stairs to bed; he drank the milk, 
 feeling very hungry, and then wrapped himself 
 up in the blanket before a good fire and went 
 to sleep. 
 
 Although awake early on the following 
 morning, he did not move till the soldier came 
 down stairs, when he was taken by the hand 
 and led into the guard-room- here he saw 
 Col. Warren for the first time, who consigned 
 him to the care of James Shields ; at his house 
 he had no food given to him until dinner time, 
 when he had some bread and other food. 
 Shields treated him with great kindness, and 
 never trusted him out of his sight he made 
 
Ill 
 
 him sleep on a little moss bed, in the same 
 room with him. 
 
 For breakfast he had bread and butter, but 
 the butter he disliked, and scraped it off with 
 his fingers. 
 
 A day or two after his arrival in Newnans- 
 ville, he witnessed the funerals of two soldiers ; 
 sights, which he unhesitatingly says gave him 
 great pleasure. Child as he then was, he had 
 already imbibed a strong hatred to all white 
 people, but of course to soldiers in particular 
 the persecutors and slayers of his race ! 
 
 In a few days he was elated by a discovery 
 that the place was surrounded by Indians, 
 when he felt great hopes of obtaining his 
 deliverance, and restoration to his friends ; he 
 knew this by the noise and stir by Col. 
 Warren buckling on his sword, and the soldiers 
 arming themselves ; he did not know that any 
 one was killed, he heard no guns fired, and 
 
thinks the Indians went away again without 
 attempting anything. 
 
 It is not at all improbable that some of the 
 Indians with their ordinary precaution, had, in 
 their turn, tracked the soldiers and the child, 
 until he was taken prisoner by them ; and that 
 the anxious father returned upon the back trail 
 as far as Newnansville, and then, aided by an 
 increased number of warriors, surrounded the 
 place with the intention of effecting the young 
 Prince s deliverance. But the poor boy s hopes 
 were doomed to disappointment, for at this 
 juncture, a reinforcement of troops arrived, and 
 but just in time to save the whole garrison from 
 the scalping knives of the outraged Seminoles ; 
 this, although he knew it not, was the cause 
 of the dispersion of the Indians, without their 
 making any attempt at his rescue. 
 
 It was well known to the officers in New 
 nansville that the Chief Oceola at the time 
 
113 
 
 commanded in person, and they now surmised 
 that their prisoner was one of too important 
 a character to be allowed to remain among 
 them ; consequently, soon after this event he 
 was removed under a guard (but still in the 
 immediate charge of James Shields) to the 
 private residence of Col. Warren, at Jackson 
 ville ; a town many miles beyond the Indian 
 frontier. Instead of sending Oceola a prisoner 
 to head-quarters, Col. Warren, with commend 
 able kindness and generosity, removed him 
 with his family to his country residence, where 
 he passed about a year, and here placed him 
 with his own children, with whom he ate, 
 drank, played, and slept Although the child 
 of their enemies, he soon engaged the affections 
 and kindly feelings of the Colonel s whole es 
 tablishment. It not unfrequently occurred, that 
 when boyish dissensions arose, and complaints 
 were brought to him by his own children of 
 
114 
 
 the infringement of the young Indian on the 
 rules of play, he would be but little inclined to 
 take their part, but admonish them to be more 
 kind and conciliatory to the little captive. 
 
 For the convenience of the reader I will now 
 interrupt the thread of the narrative. The 
 child is passing his time in an estimable family, 
 where we will for the present leave him, and 
 revert to the earlier part of his existence. 
 Doubtless much curiosity is felt to know how 
 he passed the first few years of infantile life, 
 previous to his being taken prisoner, from the 
 insight it may afford into the domestic habits of 
 the Indians what were his amusements, and 
 those of other children of his tribe his recollec 
 tions of his parents and relations, and of events 
 which took place during, what we call, "the 
 happy days of childhood." This part of my 
 undertaking must, however, for obvious reasons, 
 be but imperfectly accomplished, but it shall 
 be attempted. 
 
115 
 
 PRINCE ECONCHATTTS REMEMBRANCES 
 OF HIS EARLY DAYS. 
 
 " Sometimes forgotten things, long cast behind, 
 Rush forward in the brain and come to mind." 
 
 SHAKSPEA.RE. 
 
 It need hardly be said that the childish years 
 of Oceola were passed not in the lap of comfort 
 and security, but in an almost constant struggle 
 with dangers and privations ; or in endeavours 
 to elude the pursuit of his white enemies ; to 
 effect which, his tribe was kept in a perpetual 
 state of watchfulness. 
 
 Previous to this state of life, which com 
 menced with the outbreaking of the war ; his 
 remembrances of the days he spent in the wil 
 derness, must of course be very limited and 
 
116 
 
 unimportant ; still we cannot but feel an interest 
 in almost every circumstance connected with 
 this child of a noble Chief the ruler of a warlike 
 people. 
 
 Before the epoch alluded to, he spent his 
 days with other boys in rambles about the forest 
 in the vicinity of his home. The older boys 
 would avail themselves of the dark nights to go 
 into the hammocks, with torches made of split 
 resinous pine wood, to seek among the low 
 branches of trees for the opossums, which when 
 discovered, they knocked on the head with 
 sticks this, and the amusement of shooting 
 the racoon by day with bows and arrows, af 
 forded them much delight. 
 
 His ordinary food consisted of roasted turkey 
 or meat, chiefly Echa or deer s flesh, and Saufkee 
 or Indian corn bruised in a mortar and boiled, 
 called by the Americans homminy. The mortar 
 was a block of wood hollowed out ; the pestle 
 
117 
 
 of which was formed of a piece of hard wood 
 about three feet long, heavy and large at each 
 end the pot in which the food was cooked 
 was made of clay, shaped by the hand and dried 
 in the sun, and then baked in the fire ; these 
 utensils are always ornamented with indenta 
 tions and marks. They eat their food out of 
 gourds with wooden spoons. Sometimes squirrels 
 were skinned and roasted, at other times they 
 were rolled and tied up like a ball and put into 
 the ashes, and skinned when they were suffici 
 ently cooked. Their thirst was generally 
 quenched at the limpid stream, in large leaves, 
 so twisted as to make a cup. 
 
 When not encamped, or in a house, Oceola 
 usually slept on the ground, under trees in the 
 woods ; generally with some kind of covering, 
 as a deer-skin, bear-skin, or blanket. 
 
 He was once, by some accidental circum- 
 
118 
 
 stance, lost in the woods, and after rambling 
 nearly the whole day in search of his father s 
 encampment, he saw at a distance the smoke 
 curling above the trees ; even this cheering 
 sight did not induce him to run at once to the 
 spot from whence it came, but he cautiously 
 reconnoitred about until he heard his own 
 tongue, and felt well assured he had not mis 
 taken the camp of an enemy for his own. He 
 found his friends engaged over their evening 
 meal, consisting of a dish of fried potatoes, in 
 which he partook with the avidity of a boy 
 who had fasted the whole day. 
 
119 
 
 MASK DANCE. 
 
 The only juvenile sports of which he has a 
 clear recollection, and which he witnessed when 
 too young to join in them, are the Ball-play 
 (described in another chapter) and one called 
 the "Mask Dance:" his recital of the latter 
 amusing ceremony, is distinct enough to enahle 
 him to give a tolerable description of it. 
 
 It is begun by the smaller boys, whose faces are 
 covered with masks made of the bark of the 
 cypress tree, in which holes are cut for them to see 
 through ; these grotesque screens to their merry 
 faces, are raised high above the head, but do 
 not descend below the chin. 
 
 The children becoming thoroughly enlivened 
 
120 
 
 by dancing round a fire the war-men, as Oceola 
 always terms the fighting characters, and larger 
 boys approach, with their faces also covered in 
 the same manner they seat themselves at a 
 distance and watch the antics of the juveniles, 
 till they themselves are constrained to join the 
 boys and much fun ensues. Here may be wit 
 nessed the noble warrior, like the famous 
 Roman emperor Aurelius, throwing off his 
 dignity, and happy in partaking the amuse 
 ments of his children here is the wild Indian 
 the lordly nobleman of nature, rioting in the 
 affectionate feelings of a father, and relaxing 
 his distant bearing and dignified demeanour ; 
 the remainder of the tribe sitting round, spec 
 tators of a scene, which, from associations or 
 incidents unknown to us, doubtless affords all 
 parties the highest enjoyment ; inasmuch as 
 these festivities commencing as darkness sets 
 in, do not finish till day -break. 
 
121 
 
 In the midst of this joyous assemblage rushes 
 on a sudden from the bushes, a man terrifically 
 decorated, holding in his hand a branch of some 
 weed an immediate yell of pretended alarm 
 breaks forth from the athletic adults, and the 
 really dismayed youngsters scamper off in every 
 direction. 
 
 The phantom of the forest jumping through 
 the fire, seizes any boy whom he can catch, and 
 tickles him till his mask falls off; after leaping 
 a few times through the fire, he retires to the 
 bushes. The boys return, and each by dancing, 
 and dreading a renewal of the tickling, is ex 
 cited to the highest pitch of wariness and acti 
 vity, increased by the apprehension of the reap 
 pearance of the " Hulwagus" When a few 
 more of the youths have been caught and 
 unmasked their part is finished, and the dances 
 of the war-men succeed, and Hulwagus con 
 tinues to play his pranks among them. 
 
122 
 
 Those of the tribe who choose to continue, 
 witness displays of personal strength on the 
 part of the youthful warriors, to which the 
 gymnastic exercises of ancient Greece were 
 mere child s play ; the festival concludes by a 
 substantial breakfast of roasted venison. 
 
 This sport seems calculated to harden the 
 nerves of the young Indians, and to accustom 
 them to sudden surprises from their enemies; 
 in which the tactics of Indian warfare chiefly 
 consist. 
 
 These and other amusements suited to child 
 hood, were however but rarely indulged in 
 after the war began the fatigue consequent 
 upon a hard day s march, in which the children 
 were compelled to partake, though often carried 
 upon the backs of their parents, inclined them 
 to little else than to food and sleep. An in 
 genious and rational operation was usually per 
 formed, when the long travel of the day was 
 
123 
 
 likely to occasion stiffness, and thus impede 
 their journey on the succeeding one; to this 
 operation, when thought requisite, both old and 
 young were compelled to submit. Oceola has 
 often undergone it, and says he did not think it 
 very painful ; it consists in scarifying the legs 
 and ankles with sharp fish-bones, till the blood 
 flows in sufficient quantity to afford relief, and 
 to prevent both swelling and stiffness it seems 
 to be an established custom, and is doubtless 
 an effectual one. 
 
 On the return of Colonel Warren with his 
 family to Jacksonville, the little Indian accom 
 panied them, and again became my frequent 
 visitor ; the interest I had previouly felt for 
 him was revived with increased force. He had 
 now acquired a sufficient knowledge of English 
 
 to make himself tolerably well understood ; his 
 
 % 
 
 health had greatly improved, and he had grown 
 a pretty and interesting child : although he had 
 
124 
 
 become communicative with his young com 
 panions, he was, with older persons, still shy 
 and reserved ; and no one had yet succeeded in 
 eliciting from him his own name, or that of his 
 parents ; or could induce him to say anything 
 relating to his family or tribe subjects on which 
 he was always silent. Entertaining, as my 
 reader has already been informed, a strong feel 
 ing of regard for the Indian character, my sym 
 pathies for the little captive became daily more 
 strongly excited ; as I fancied I observed in 
 him the dawning of the good qualities peculiar 
 to his race ; and reflected, that notwithstanding 
 the kind treatment he now received, he would 
 eventually be claimed as a prisoner of war, and 
 undergo the fate which many of his exiled tribe 
 had already suffered. 
 
 His peculiar situation at length determined 
 me, if possible, to constitute myself his guardian ; 
 and Colonel Warren being on the point of 
 
125 
 
 making an important change in his own family, 
 gave me an opportunity of preferring my re 
 quest : it was willingly granted, and this friend 
 less child accordingly came under my immediate 
 protection on the 31st of October, 1837. 
 
 This change, separating him from his young 
 companions, caused him to relapse into his former 
 taciturnity, observable in him when he was first 
 captured his fear of strangers was very great, 
 and of the white country people, or Crackers, as 
 they are there called, he had a particular dread ; 
 no sooner did he apprehend their arrival than he 
 instantly flew to some place of concealment. 
 
 That he should have displayed such an aver 
 sion cannot be wondered at, as he knew they 
 had frequently expressed a threat to kill him 
 the first opportunity that offered with safety 
 to themselves; among whom the destruction 
 of an Indian, however small, would have been 
 a satisfactory achievement. 
 
126 
 
 I now sent him to a school, with the children 
 of several respectable families in the neighbour 
 hood, kept by a lady of conciliatory manners 
 and superior understanding. For several days 
 no perceptible change took place ; he returned 
 home regularly, and would quietly squat him 
 self on the floor by the side of his adopted 
 mother, not noticing any kind greeting or 
 marked attention. He would join the family 
 at meals, signifying his acceptance of what was 
 offered by a nod of his head a shake of which 
 denoted his refusal. He gave a marked prefer 
 ence to vegetable and farinaceous food of the 
 simplest kind, and objected to all stimulating 
 condiments. Malt liquor, wine, and spirits he 
 decidedly refused, but of lemonade or sweetened 
 water he partook freely on sweets in general 
 he delighted to feast abundantly. 
 
 It was truly pleasing to watch the early bud 
 dings of his infant mind, and to observe his 
 
127 
 
 gradual approach towards the habits of civilized 
 life. At night he willingly came to the side of his 
 foster-parent, who taught him on his knees, to 
 offer up his first prayer to his Heavenly Father. 
 It was long before he could repeat by heart the 
 LORD S PRAYER but seemed desirous to please 
 in his efforts to pronounce the words clearly 
 and with precision. 
 
 Miss D was earnestly requested to exert 
 
 the influence she maintained as governess, to 
 learn from the child the names of himself and 
 family, in which she succeeded as far as that of 
 himself and his father he whispered his own 
 name with extreme caution it was Nikkano- 
 chee. When he divulged this first secret, he 
 looked round timidly to discover if any one 
 noticed him Miss D immediately com 
 mitted it to paper, and without his cognizance 
 handed it to my wife. 
 
128 
 
 Elated with her success, she urged him to 
 disclose the name of his father. To show the 
 extraordinary discretion of one so young, he 
 now tells me he gave her, and others, the name 
 of another Indian, that his father might not be 
 discovered, and it was some time after this that 
 he told us who his father really was, which we 
 then understood to be Conchatti, 
 
 His reserve gradually abated, and by degrees 
 he made known to us a portion of his early his 
 tory. Among other subjects of inquiry, I will 
 name one which threw further light upon his 
 family connections. He came home one day 
 from school in tears ; and complained that Miss 
 
 D had whipped him, and on being asked 
 
 if he had ever been whipped whilst with his 
 tribe, he replied "Yes;" his uncle had once 
 punished him with small switches to make him 
 walk faster, when probably retreating from their 
 
129 
 
 enemies, and on being questioned what was 
 the name of his uncle, in an instant he answered 
 Oceola. 
 
 The relationship between Oceola and his 
 father was afterwards satisfactorily explained to 
 me by Captain John Graham, of the United 
 States army ; who lived several years on the 
 Indian frontier, and was intimate with Oceola, 
 whose niece he married, and by whom he had 
 a family. Dining at the house of Judge Reid 
 at St. Augustine, who is now governor of 
 Florida, on the 1st of August, 1838, a conver 
 sation was started between Mrs. Reid and my 
 self respecting the little Indian boy, with regard 
 to whom she had always manifested a warm 
 interest; some pleasant bantering ensued on 
 my venturing to express a supposition that he 
 was nephew of the great Oceola : Captain Gra 
 ham, who was present, inquired the name of 
 
 the boy s father, a lady having jokingly re- 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 marked that the child must be, also, a relation 
 of his. I told him that his father s name was 
 Conchatti ; when to the surprise of Mrs. Reid, 
 and my own peculiar gratification, he said that 
 Econchatti, (or as he was more generally called, 
 Econchatti-Mico,) married the sister of Oceola, 
 and that consequently the boy s statement must 
 be correct All were now convinced that the 
 little Indian was in reality the nephew of Oceola. 
 
 This information was subsequently confirmed 
 by Dr. Simmons of St. Augustine, than whom 
 perhaps no man in Florida is better informed 
 in all relating to the Seminoles and their lan 
 guage : he was well acquainted both with Oceola 
 and Econchatti, and explained to me the mean 
 ing of the name of the latter. 
 
 Econchatti- Mico, he informed me, was his 
 official name; that he was always thus called 
 by his tribe in their "talk "with the whites; 
 his name being thus written in all treaties made 
 
131 
 
 between them and the Indians ; extracts from 
 some of these documents proving which, will be 
 found in the Appendix. That he was king of 
 a tribe of Indians inhabiting a district of country 
 called the " Red Hills," as his name implies 
 "Econ," meaning hill or hills Chatti, red 
 Mico or Micco, King. 
 
 After staying at the town of Jacksonville 
 about a year, I purchased an estate near the 
 mouth of the St. John s river, to which with 
 my protegee I removed, and there we remained 
 until May 31st, 1840. Here he had full op 
 portunities of indulging his taste for the wilder 
 accomplishments of hunting and fishing, pre 
 ferring then, naturally enough, to all else we 
 endeavoured to teach him. His courage was 
 remarkable; undauntedly he would climb the 
 highest trees to rouse the racoon from his lair 
 of sticks and dried leaves, and soon became per- 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 feet in loading a double-barrelled gun, which 
 he as readily fired when permitted to do so. 
 
 At this time, he was supposed to be not more 
 than eight years of age, but, on every occasion 
 manifested the hardihood and freedom from 
 fear peculiar to his race. At one time, I watched 
 both with pleasure and anxiety his manoeuvres 
 with an alligator not less than twelve feet long, 
 with which he was playfully amusing himself: 
 he had thrown aside his dress, as was his custom 
 in hot weather, whilst fishing on the bank of 
 the St. John s river. The huge amphibious 
 monster moved stealthily along at the water s 
 edge, and the boy would now and then wait 
 within a few feet of his greedy foe and as it 
 advanced he would feign fear and retreat a few 
 paces ; then again watch quietly the approach 
 of the hideous creature, poising a small spear 
 which he always carried with him when seeking 
 for fish. At length, knowing the habits of 
 
133 
 
 these animals, I perceived the alligator in right 
 earnest preparing for his deadly attack ; I there 
 fore sprang forward and saved the boy from the 
 impending danger; my presence alarmed the 
 alligator, when, without making a ripple on 
 the surface, it sank to the bottom of the river. 
 
 I interrogated the boy as to his intentions 
 had the alligator molested him ; he replied 
 with perfect confidence and unconcern, * ; / 
 would have hit him right in the eye" suiting 
 with his spear, the action to the word. This 
 weapon he would use with wonderful precision 
 and skill. The eyes of soles, when their bodies 
 are covered by mud, are visible to none but a 
 keen and practised observer : these fish I have 
 seen him strike accurately with his spear, and 
 raise them triumphantly in the air. 
 
 In reference to the alligators mode of attack, 
 I may mention that on shore they sometimes 
 attempt to seize with the mouth, but more 
 
134 
 
 generally trip up their prey with the tail ; the 
 victim is then dragged into the water and held 
 beneath by the mouth alone until dead ; it is 
 afterwards devoured ashore. A hearty meal 
 lasts them for several days; and previous to 
 burying themselves in the mud for the winter 
 months, they swallow a large piece of wood, or 
 some other hard substance, to keep the stomach 
 distended until the following spring. 
 
 Oceola soon became an expert swimmer, and 
 could paddle my small canoe with great dex 
 terity, His endurance of fatigue in the woods 
 was surprising ; often when loitering after a 
 walk of about twenty miles, he has laughed at 
 my weariness, whilst he himself was fresh 
 and active. 
 
135 
 
 ANECDOTES AND PECULIARITIES OF 
 INDIANS. 
 
 It is generally believed that Indians are not 
 easily roused from their dignified and serious 
 deportment, unless excited by anger ; and that 
 they are not readily fascinated by the charms 
 of woman ; but if the following be a correct 
 statement, of which there can be no doubt, as 
 the scene was witnessed by hundreds then I 
 say, they are susceptible in an eminent degree 
 of the witchery of female beauty, heightened 
 by the powers of dramatic art. In this instance 
 at least, their gallantry could not be surpassed 
 by the most refined gentleman in Europe. 
 
136 
 
 A SCENE at the THEATRE in WASHINGTON. 
 
 FROM AN AMERICAN PAPER. 
 
 It was a novel and exciting spectacle at the 
 Theatre, on the occasion of Miss NELSON S 
 benefit. The boxes and the parquette were filled. 
 On the left of the stage sat a delegation of 
 Indian Chiefs, representing the Sioux, loways, 
 Sacs, and Foxes, of the Missouri river. With 
 a single exception, not one of them had ever 
 before visited the settlements of his white 
 brethren. Before them, in the parquette, they 
 beheld a crowd of civilized men, mingled with 
 whom were the kindred of some of them, the 
 Sioux from the Falls of St. Anthony ; part of 
 these dressed in the military coats, with epau 
 lettes, and hats, with silver bands, and 
 
137 
 
 others in the new blankets and leggings they 
 had that day received as a present from their 
 Great Father* In the boxes was an array of 
 females, looking with strange interest on these 
 sons of the forest. But the attraction for the 
 party on the left of the stage was the agile and 
 fairy figure of the Mountain Sylph. As she 
 descended, and her feet touched lightly the 
 stage, their cries mingled witli the plaudits of 
 their white brethren. As she moved from 
 place to place, appearing and vanishing with a 
 rapidity that reminded them of the fleetness of 
 the deer in their native hunting grounds, their 
 interest became more intense. One of them, 
 Pa-la-ne-a-pa-pi (the man struck by a Rickaree) 
 a young chief of the Yanctons, suddenly rose, 
 and threw at her feet the splendid war-cap, 
 composed of feathers of the war-eagle, which 
 he had often worn in bloody conflicts with the 
 
 * The President. 
 
J38 
 
 enemies of his people. Most gracefully did 
 the Sylph receive the offering, and appended it 
 to her own rich costume. 
 
 A few moments passed, and an aged Sac 
 Chief, Po-ko-na (the plume) who, during a long 
 life has been distinguished for his friendship 
 for the Americans, especially in the war of 
 1812, moved by a sudden impulse, made to her 
 an oblation of his own war-cap, To-ka-ca (the 
 man that inflicted the first wound) a celebrated 
 brave of the Yanctons, almost immediately 
 afterwards presented her with a splendid robe 
 of the skins of the white wolf, which he had 
 worn only at the more imposing ceremonies of 
 his tribe. A buffalo robe, richly ornamented, 
 was next the gift of Ha-sa-za (the forked horn) 
 the second chief of the Yanctons. And Mou- 
 ka-ush-ka, (the trembling earth) a young brave 
 of rank, of the same tribe, bestowed another 
 robe, of similar fabric and workmanship. At 
 
139 
 
 the presentation of his gift, each of these Chiefs 
 and warriors addressed to the Sylph some 
 words of compliment ; the last declaring that 
 he made his offering " to the Beauty of Wash 
 ington." With grateful ease she expressed her 
 regret that she could not speak to them in 
 their native language, and thank them for their 
 splendid donations ; and she requested the 
 interpreter to tell them that she should ever 
 regard them as friends and brethren. Then, 
 advancing to the box, she presented to each a 
 beautiful ostrich plume, which they immediately 
 placed upon their head-dresses. At the close, 
 as she was ascending, she spread over her brow 
 the splendid war-cap of eagle feathers, producing 
 a most magical effect. 
 
 It would be vain to attempt to convey to 
 those who were not present, an idea of the 
 impression created by such an unwonted and 
 unexpected exhibition of interest and admira- 
 
140 
 
 tion by these untutored men, who, for the first 
 time, witnessed what they must have deemed 
 a more than human exhibition of power. And 
 well may the sylph felicitate herself upon 
 having kindled so vividly their susceptibilities, 
 and obtained from them such costly tokens of 
 their admiration. 
 
141 
 
 INDIAN DOCTORS IN FLORIDA. 
 
 The practice of the Seminole " Faculty," is 
 confined exclusively to roots and herbs of 
 which an endless variety abound in the pine- 
 woods and swamps of Florida. Steaming, and 
 bleeding, also enter largely into their modus 
 operandL The former is effected by the steam 
 of water, in which herbs have been boiled ; the 
 patient, after having undergone this operation, 
 is well soused with cold water. Phlebotomy is 
 performed by a piece of broken glass bottle or a 
 fish bone. Enchanted water is another remedy 
 used by this superstitious people a small 
 quantity from some limpid spring is placed in 
 a gourd, and a particular kind of root chipped 
 into it ; the doctor then blows upon it, utter- 
 
142 
 
 ing some unintelligible words, when the holy 
 water is fit for use. 
 
 When an individual of the tribe is taken 
 sick, and has called in medical aid, the doctor 
 never leaves the patient until a change for the 
 better is observed, or the spirit departs for the 
 unknown land of the dead. He is perfectly 
 devoted to the invalid, administering all his 
 potions with his own hands and, that the 
 friends may not suspect him of mal-practice in 
 case of death, he himself takes a dose similar 
 to the one administered no matter how often, 
 or how nauseous it be he swigs it down each 
 time he prescribes for his patient ; and if his 
 applications do not effect a cure, no charge is 
 made. 
 
 If the Legislatures of all civilized communi 
 ties would enact a law to the same effect in 
 relation to doctors id est, to take their own 
 potions as often as they administered them, 
 many valuable lives might be spared. 
 
143 
 
 AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 Dancing is, with the Seminoles, as it is with 
 all wild nations, a favorite amusement ; no 
 undertaking of importance can be commenced 
 or terminated by them without a dance. Dan 
 cing comprises a part of their religious devo 
 tionsthe sprightly time of marriage hailing 
 the new-born child to the more solemn cere 
 mony of death ; preparing for battle or the 
 execution of a prisoner or a criminal ; the first 
 fruit-offering to the Great Spirit going to, and 
 returning from the chase all are attended by 
 a dance ! 
 
 The names of some of their dances sound 
 unmusical and harsh to ears refined; as, the 
 
144 
 
 Wolf the Bear the Panther Alligator, &c. 
 Of all their dances, the War dance, and the 
 Green-Corn dance, are the most imposing and 
 amusing. 
 
 In performing those named after different 
 objects of the chase, they dress themselves in 
 the skins of the creature they wish to represent, 
 carefully covering their own head with that part 
 of the skin they then commence by imitating 
 the movements, rampant et couchant with 
 bellowing, roaring, or growling, as the case 
 requires dancing round in a circle their feet 
 keeping time to any of the aforesaid accompa 
 niments, aided by a sort of tambourine, beaten 
 with a stick. 
 
 This movement requires a great deal of mus 
 cular exertion, and is continued, without 
 intermission, for a long time probably half 
 the same kind of exertion would completely 
 
145 
 
 prostrate the strength of the most athletic 
 white man. 
 
 At the conclusion of the dance a loud whoop 
 ing is commenced, and they generally break 
 away upon a run in pursuit of one another. 
 
 THE WAR DANCE. This ceremony is strictly 
 prohibited in times of peace, and is punishable 
 by death, unless consent of the King be obtained. 
 Many travellers in Florida have pretended to 
 give a description of the War dance, but I have 
 the authority of the oldest residents in the country 
 who have lived years with the Seminoles, and who 
 spoke their language fluently that they never, 
 although at frequent entreaties, could induce 
 them to perform it ; and I, myself, have re 
 peatedly urged individual Indians to favor me 
 with the war-whoop, but could never succeed 
 during peace ; but, after the commencement of 
 hostilities, they were liberal to an unpleasant 
 
146 
 
 degree, without the ceremony of being "called 
 upon." 
 
 Mr. Catlin, in his Tableaux Vivants IndiennesS 
 gives a most animated, and, I have no doubt, a 
 correct representation of this thrilling ceremony. 
 He lived eight years among the wildest 
 tribes, who were at war with each other; con 
 sequently, where a white man had probably 
 never before been seen, he was considered neu 
 tral, or identified with the party he happened 
 to be residing with ; therefore, he has had 
 better opportunities of witnessing the War- 
 dance, and their other ceremonies, than any 
 other white man. As any attempt I might 
 make to convey a comprehension of this fete 
 could not possibly approach near to reality, I 
 strongly urge my reader to visit the Egyptian 
 Hall, where there is much to gratify the curious 
 both in the representations and costumes 
 and also in the splendid collection of Indian 
 curiosities and paintings. 
 
147 
 
 THE GREEN-CORN DANCE is an annual 
 festival ; it occurs at the return of every season, 
 when the maize or Indian corn has so far ad 
 vanced as to be fit for boiling or roasting, which 
 is probably a month or six weeks before it is 
 thoroughly hard ripe. At this time, the whole 
 nation meet at one particular spot for a grand 
 and joyous fete and to which, in times of 
 peace, the pale-faced neighbours are invited. 
 
 This festival is supposed by many to have 
 some analogy with the purification of the ancient 
 Jews. It seems here to have for its design, 
 purification as much as any other object for 
 the ceremonies anterior to the dance commence 
 by medicine and bleeding. A large vessel of 
 medicated liquid, called the black drink, is pre 
 pared, of which every individual of the tribes 
 (for all are present) is compelled to partake no 
 one is exempt no apology received all must 
 
 L 2 
 
148 
 
 swallow it down, until they sicken and reel 
 under its nauseating influence. 
 
 It is a powerful cathartic, which cleanses the 
 system, and is supposed to be a promoter of 
 health for the ensuing year. During this ope 
 ration, blood-letting is also performed, as if to 
 expel everything detrimental from the system ; 
 after which, ablutions complete the cleansing 
 part of the ceremony. During this time all 
 fires are extinguished and now commences the 
 offering to the GREAT SPIRIT : a fresh fire is 
 produced by rubbing together two pieces of 
 wood, which is attended with great exertion 
 before ignition is effected ; then a large pot, 
 filled with green corn, is placed upon the fire 
 this is then burnt as an offering ; after which, 
 commences the boiling and roasting for the 
 company. 
 
 There can be no doubt that the reason why 
 Indians take the "black drink is, that they 
 
149 
 
 think the system requires this annual refresh- 
 ment -and, by way of enforcing this opinion 
 upon the tribes, their doctors, magicians, or 
 lawgivers for all these professions are exercised 
 by the same individual, have converted it into 
 a religious ceremony. 
 
 Another design is, to make these days of 
 rejoicing, that the seasons again give promise of 
 being fruitful that the FATHER OF BREATH 
 has smiled upon the fruits of the earth, and that 
 the genial influence of his servant, the Sun, is 
 hastening them on to perfection. This is their 
 rude way of offering the tribute of grateful 
 hearts for His beneficence, and invoking His 
 aid and blessing on the future. 
 
 During these days of hilarity there is an 
 interchange of good feeling, and the cultivation 
 of social affections among themselves ; the lines 
 of distinction among the various tribes, which 
 are at all other times strictly observed, are here 
 
150 
 
 merged, and they meet and mingle like a band 
 of brothers. On this occasion, if any one, who, 
 during the past year, has committed a crime 
 no matter how heinous, unless it be murder 
 can contrive to skulk unobserved into the ring, 
 while the ceremony is going on, no questions 
 are asked, and he is at once restored to his 
 former rank, and begins the new era as much 
 respected as any of his tribe. 
 
 There is no Indian ceremony that tends so 
 much to soften their stern nature as the Green- 
 Corn dance. The young Sanhops or Braves, 
 with their squaws, enter heart and soul into the 
 sports of the time while the old warriors, with 
 their wives, look on in placid enjoyment and 
 when any great feat of agility is performed, 
 they signify their admiration by grunting out, 
 " Matto, matto!" which ejaculation is com 
 monly used to express thanks it seems equally 
 applicable to praise. 
 
151 
 
 The Green-Corn festivals are also attended 
 by games of ball. The BALL PLAY is performed 
 by the young men, with a kind of spoon with 
 a long handle, the bowl of which is coarsely 
 wickered the ball is thrown and caught in 
 these instruments with much dexterity. Foot 
 ball is also a favorite amusement. 
 
 During this time the greatest good feeling 
 exists no bickerings or jealousy are allowed 
 to manifest themselves all join in applauding 
 the warrior who performs the most distinguished 
 feats. The young men here, as in the days of 
 chivalry, glory in their achievements; each 
 enjoys a conviction that his "ladyelove" is 
 made proud by his distinction and thinks 
 himself amply repaid for his laborious exertions 
 by the melting glances of her dark eye. Like 
 the Grecian games, they too serve to develop 
 and strengthen the frame, and render the war- 
 
152 
 
 rior better able to endure the fatigues of the 
 chase, and the toils of war. 
 
 This festival strongly resembles one that was 
 held among the natives of Mexico, as described 
 by Salis, the Spanish historian, who accompa 
 nied the expedition of Cortez to the conquest 
 of that country, The rite described by him, 
 however, was purely a religious one, mingled 
 with a thousand barbarous and superstitious 
 ceremonies. All was performed in a square, at 
 the foot of an immense Temple in the great 
 City of Tenuchtitlan at which time human 
 victims were sacrificed to the Sun. 
 
 The Temple was dedicated to the Sun, and 
 its principal front was towards the east. One 
 large room in this huge building was occupied 
 by the High Priest, around the walls of whose 
 apartment were suspended upon strings the 
 skulls of all who had been dedicated to the great 
 luminary of day, 
 
153 
 
 It would be an interesting task for the inqui 
 sitive scholar to trace out the analogy between 
 the customs of these two species of a common 
 race of people, and their origin, back to the 
 ancient Jews (if from them they originate), and 
 to examine into the causes which have operated 
 to produce the several changes in a common 
 custom and, finally, to modify it from a bar 
 barous rite into a useful and joyous festival. 
 
154 
 
 ETIQUETTE. 
 
 In conversation the Indians never interrupt 
 each other; those who are listening incline their 
 heads, and look upon the ground in an attitude 
 of attention. When one has finished his dis 
 course, he who replies says *che! mar ma 
 watster, meaning very well, and he then com 
 mences, the other listening with the same polite 
 attention. 
 
 The squaws generally, with the exception of 
 the wives of the chiefs, perform all the drudgery. 
 In travelling with their Papooses (children), they 
 carry them in a Wyya, suspended at the back by 
 a broad strap across the forehead. On the top 
 of this convenient contrivance is sometimes 
 
155 
 
 placed a heavy load, surmounted by another 
 child astride, holding on to the hair of the 
 mother s head. 
 
 If the husband and wife hunt in company, 
 which they sometimes do the spouse is loaded 
 first, and sent home and when the men hunt 
 alone, the fruit of the chase is carried home, and 
 thrown down at the door of the wigwam the 
 hostess then performs all the sundry offices of 
 skinning, cleaning, and cooking. 
 
 When an Indian from a neighbouring tribe 
 makes a visit, he calls upon no particular indi 
 vidual, no matter how extensive his acquaintance 
 may be he marches directly to the council 
 house, and seats himself upon a skin on the 
 floor (from which he never rises with the assist 
 ance of hands, but by an easy spring he gracefully 
 erects himself) ; any one seeing him, carries the 
 intelligence to the chief of a stranger s arrival, 
 who repairs thither, and seats himself by the 
 
156 
 
 side of his guest not a word or look is ex 
 changed until food is brought; then, after 
 refreshment, conversation commences, which is 
 never of a scandalous nature. If an Indian 
 thinks himself, or his family, or his friend, 
 injured by another, he disdains to speak of it to 
 a stranger, if he does not resent it himself. 
 
157 
 
 THE 
 
 SEMINOLES OPINION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE HUMAN RACES. 
 
 They believe that the GREAT MASTER OF 
 BREATH, at the creation of the world, formed 
 three men the Red, the White, and the Black ; 
 that he also made, at the same time, three things 
 which were not in existence before, and enclosed 
 them in three separate packages, the contents of 
 which were unknown to the men, and laid them 
 before them to choose. The Red Man, being 
 the favorite of the GREAT SPIRIT, was allowed 
 to make the first selection, and on opening his 
 package, he found it to contain a bow, and 
 quiver filled with arrows. 
 
 The White Man came next, and on examining 
 his, found paper and quills. 
 
158 
 
 The Negro came last ; his package contained 
 an axe and hoe. This is a tradition had from 
 their fathers, who believed the packages em 
 blematical of the future destinies of the races. 
 As for the Mulattoes, they are considered not 
 entitled to country or occupation, and are 
 regarded as the meanest of God s creation. 
 
 When the delegates of this tribe waited upon 
 the secretary of state, some years since, at 
 Washington, an offer was made to establish 
 schools among them. Econchatti-Mico said 
 " No ! The bow and arroivs were given to our 
 people by Ike FATHER, OF LIFE. Our bows are 
 like his bow, and our arrows are like lightning, 
 which strike with death they give us food, and 
 they kill our enemies. Pie sent you paper and 
 quills, to mark down all that passes on earth 
 we hope you will mark the truth upon a straight 
 line. No ! we want no schools my people are 
 content with the bows and arrows." 
 
159 
 
 LAWS. 
 
 Their code of unwritten laws is simple, 
 and adapted to their primitive state of society. 
 It resembles, in many respects, that of the 
 ancient Jews. Life for life an eye for an eye 
 a tooth for a tooth. 
 
 When uncontaminated by civilized man, faith 
 and good fellowship prevail among them, and 
 but few excesses are committed. Polygamy is 
 allowed, but few avail themselves of it, excepting 
 the opulent chiefs. No Indian is allowed to 
 marry, unless he has already evinced industry, 
 and ability to support a family. Chastity, among 
 them, is a prevailing virtue its opposite is ex 
 tremely rare. 
 
 The want of fidelity in either sex is punished 
 
160 
 
 with severity more particularly as regards the 
 women. The frail one, for the first offence, is 
 severely beaten, and then has her ears cut off 
 with an old jagged knife for the second offence, 
 the nose is sacrificed for the third, the upper 
 lip is cut away and for the fourth (which, of 
 course, seldom happens), death. 
 
 This is an injury the men never forgive 
 revenge burns unceasingly in their bosoms, 
 until the blood of the offender has washed away 
 the stain. The males, when injured, take upon 
 themselves the administration of justice. 
 
 A gentleman who resided upon the bank of 
 the river St. John, at the time of the Treaty of 
 Moultrie (1823), invited the Chiefs on their 
 return from the Talk to dine with him. A\\ 
 things in readiness, the dinner was announced, 
 when the guests marched in, in a lordly manner, 
 according to rank, following the gentleman of 
 the house. Each was shown to a seat, which all 
 
161 
 
 immediately occupied excepting a young Chief 
 who had never before dined at the table of a 
 white man he commenced removing all the 
 dishes to the centre of the table, and then leaped 
 with delight upon the festive board, and seated 
 himself cross-legged before his new arrange 
 ment, anticipating, no doubt, a glorious regale. 
 The other guests, perceiving this unrefined 
 movement, one and all cried out " Hilah, hilah, 
 hilah ! " then dragged him from his ungainly 
 position. Order and quiet were soon restored, 
 and the consumption of food was proceeding 
 with as much despatch as may be imagined, 
 considering the unvitiated state of their di 
 gestive organs; when another Indian arrived 
 accompanied by a squaw. 
 
 The lady of the house introduced the newly- 
 arrived guest, and his better half, into the 
 dining hall ; the Indian lady manifested the 
 
 greatest reluctance at entering the room, as the 
 
 M 
 
162 
 
 squaws never take their meals with their hus 
 bands. The interpreter explained the cause of 
 her reluctance he was requested by the white 
 lady to tell Econchatti-Mico that they were 
 ungallant, and should allow their wives to eat at 
 the same table ; and begged him to order his 
 people to make room for the squaw and herself 
 the interpreter did as he was desired. The 
 Chief was silent, the other Indians laughed, but 
 no one moved. The hostess then walked up to 
 the table, and pushing some of the Indians 
 aside, made room for herself and the squaw, and 
 both sat down at the table ; at this the whole 
 party burst into a loud laugh. The lady pro 
 ceeded to help her guest, and urged her to eat, 
 but in vain : at length, finding their custom a 
 fixed one, she left the table. The squaw seemed 
 abashed, and even distressed, by the awkward 
 ness of her situation. Indian women always eat 
 after the men, but they are generally near to 
 
163 
 
 perform such offices as cooling the food by 
 fanning, and brushing off the flies. 
 
 INDIAN MATIY. One of the most touching 
 illustrations of Indian kindness and sympathy 
 for the whites, was exhibited in the case of poor 
 Indian Mary, who was well known to all the 
 planters on the St. John s River. 
 
 Mary, in her early days, had lived much 
 among white families ; she was remarkable for 
 a bluntness of manners, which, to a stranger, 
 appeared disrespectful. This peculiarity was by 
 no means improved by the expression of a coun 
 tenance decidedly ugly her vision was very im 
 perfect, from cataracts in both eyes, and as 
 objects could strike the sight only in an oblique 
 direction, when she was spoken to, her face was 
 turned on one side and her eyes, to catch the 
 figure of the speaker, were considerably dis 
 torted from their natural position, producing a 
 
164 
 
 horrible squint indeed, the expression of 
 Mary s face was anything but prepossessing, 
 and her person was altogether as forbidding as 
 her countenance. 
 
 Yet, with all these ungainly attributes, Mary 
 had an Indian husband a man of no inconsi 
 derable influence among the tribe, and by whom 
 the race was augmented in numbers to the 
 amount of five : she, with her husband and 
 children, were frequently at my house, before 
 the breaking out of hostilities ; and at a time 
 when I had not the remotest suspicion of the 
 stirring scenes that so speedily ensued, in which 
 the husband acted a conspicuous part. 
 
 This warrior, named Yaha-Ematkla-Chupka 
 (leading Wolf), was a Sub-Chief, about thirty 
 years of years ; he usually wore a sort of frock, 
 trimmed at the edges with a border of white 
 cotton, confined to his body by a broad girdle 
 handsomely ornamented with beads, in which 
 
165 
 
 was conspicuously seen a terrific-looking Saphka 
 or scalping-knife -its handle was curiously or 
 namented ; in front of him was suspended a 
 beautifully-beaded Itcha-y-sucha or pouch, in 
 which he carried his flints, balls, tobacco, and 
 other little useful articles ; at his left side hung 
 his carved powder-horn, and on his shoulder 
 was placed his rifle. His neck was encircled 
 by several strings of beads and silver crescents 
 from his ears hung minute sea-shells. His 
 head-dress was of green cloth, the lower part of 
 which was thickly studded with beads, and on 
 the left side was gracefully placed several eagle 
 feathers his nether extremities were enveloped 
 in leather buskins, and his feet shrouded in 
 mocassins. 
 
 The countenance of Yaha-Ematkla-Chupka 
 was harsh : but to analyze each feature, 1 should 
 be disposed to pronounce his face handsome ; a 
 high intellectual forehead a glancing, pene 
 trating, jet black eye nose perfectly Grecian 
 
166 
 
 mouth small, but lips too large to be in keeping 
 with the symmetry of his other features a chin 
 rather sharp hair profuse, and corresponding in 
 colour with his eyes limbs well proportioned 
 of strong muscular power and a gait betraying 
 self-confidence and independence. 
 
 Such is the outline of Mary s husband. There 
 was about him a degree of mind a certain edu 
 cation of thought and feeling, rarely to be met 
 with in his tribe. Unlike many of the Indians 
 on the frontiers of civilized districts, he never 
 indulged in the use of ardent spirits he seemed 
 conscious of its tendency to degrade the man 
 beneath the level of the brute, and appeared to 
 shun contamination. The compressed expres 
 sion of his mouth indicated resolution and firm 
 ness, and often have I endeavoured, in vain, to 
 elicit from him a smile. 
 
 I have attempted at times to solve the mys 
 tery of this Indian s never-smiling face, and to 
 form some conjecture as to the cause of the 
 
167 
 
 thoughtful and determined expression, which 
 seemed to have no moments of relaxation upon 
 his stern countenance. 
 
 Subsequent events have convinced me, that 
 mighty and important thoughts were then 
 working in the deep recesses of his untutored 
 mind. I am now convinced he was ruminating 
 upon the wrongs of his depressed and earth- 
 trampled people the serious injuries they had 
 sustained, and the iniquities to which he saw 
 himself and his tribe exposed, excited in his 
 breast hatred and revenge ; these constantly 
 depressed his spirits gave a colouring to his 
 every thought, and cast a shadow of care over 
 his intellectual brow. 
 
 The elder of this Indian family was Estalika, 
 a girl of about fifteen years of age ; her face 
 beamed with animation her features were not 
 beautifully regular, but the tout ensemble of her 
 countenance was such as the most fastidious in 
 
168 
 
 judgment of female beauty, could not but allow 
 to be fascinating. She was the only one of 
 Mary s children who had not that defect in 
 vision similar to her mother. 
 
 Estalika had the clear olive-red complexion, 
 the snow-white teeth, and the liquid-melting 
 dark gazelle eyes of the beautiful daughters of 
 the sunny clime 
 
 " Where the virgins are soft as the roses they twine," 
 
 She was possessed of the vivacity of the 
 playful fawn which her name implies with a 
 large share of its timidity, combined however 
 with a good degree of firmness ; when rebuked, 
 a crimson blush would suffuse her sweet face 
 but no tears, nor any other childish expressions 
 of sorrow. Her young heart was like highly- 
 polished steel a breath could dim it for one 
 moment, but the next restored its lustre. 
 
 An amiable family on the St. John s, won by 
 
169 
 
 her gentleness of mind, received her into the 
 house, and endeavoured to impart to her the 
 blessings of civilized life ; but her spirit drooped 
 like a caged bird she would often steal away, 
 and wander alone for hours in her native forests, 
 warbling some wild melody in the language of 
 nature. Sometimes she would resort to the 
 river, and launch a little canoe, and paddle along 
 its picturesque banks or into some retired 
 creek, where she would hold communion with 
 the natural beauties of the mysterious world 
 around her ; and, as she saw herself reflected in 
 the dark watery mirror, she would dwell with 
 innocent pride upon the beauty of her own form, 
 or rather the gay costume of civilized life, to 
 which her eye had not been hitherto accustomed. 
 On one occasion, being requested by the lady 
 of the house to fetch some articles for her infant, 
 which Estalika used to nurse, at a single bound 
 she flew through the open window, and returned 
 
170 
 
 in the same manner ; and when requested that 
 she would in future give preference to the door, 
 she replied " Cha ! this way quick door too 
 much far," and in a few moments, much to the 
 amusement of the company, away she flew, like 
 a bird, through the same aperture. 
 
 Nothing could tame this wood-nymph ; in a 
 few days her joyous shouts were heard resounding 
 through the pine forest, in full exuberance of 
 heart; she now roamed unrestrained through 
 their well-known haunts, until she took pos 
 session of her light canoe, in which she paddled 
 up the river many miles, to the wigwams of her 
 tribe. 
 
 Indian Mary had many friends among the 
 white inhabitants of Florida, and no sooner was 
 she apprised that the Chiefs had held a council 
 of war, than, in gratitude for the many kind 
 nesses she had received from the " pale faces," 
 she hastened to inform them of the danger 
 
171 
 
 which awaited them, unless they removed before 
 Christmas. 
 
 This kind-hearted, artless Indian, fell a victim 
 to her indiscreet benevolence, indirectly, through 
 the very individuals she sought to rescue. The 
 whites laughed at her surmises, arid made a 
 public jest of her admonitions, The conse 
 quence was fatal to poor Mary her tribe 
 obtained information of her apparent unfaithful 
 ness, and she died the death of a traitress. 
 
 Estalika was subsequently obliged to endure 
 hardships and privations to which her consti 
 tution was unequal, and which, aided by grief 
 for the loss of her mother, threw her into a 
 decline she was taken, with other female 
 Indians and children, by the whites, and con 
 fined in the fortress at St. Augustine ; where the 
 wild flower that had bloomed in loveliness but 
 a few sunny days, was doomed to perish. She 
 now sleeps with many others of her tribe, 
 
172 
 
 who breathed their last in those loathsome 
 dungeons. 
 
 We have said that a secret sorrow seemed to 
 brood over the mind of Yaha-Ematkla-Chupka ; 
 rugged and stern as seemed the outward man, 
 he possessed all the kind feelings of a father 
 he loved his Estalika to devotion. There was 
 a military officer, of some distinction, but a 
 libertine in heart, who, struck with the beauty 
 of this innocent child of nature, and considering 
 it no difficult task to win her affections, took 
 little pains to conceal his villainous designs ; but 
 Estalika, though an Indian not of the highest 
 cast, had been trained with every virtuous 
 feeling, and she indignantly bade him begone. 
 
 It was something humiliating for this mighty 
 man to be scorned by a low-born savage and he 
 determined to be revenged, and at the same 
 time to prove his power over one he considered 
 so much beneath him ; but the GREAT SPIIUT 
 
173 
 
 watched over the girl, and before Major S- - 
 had time to approach her, she had fled with the 
 speed of the wind to her father s protecting 
 arms, and, amidst sighs and tears, related the 
 story of her escape. 
 
 This circumstance alone would have been 
 sufficient to incite him to revenge, but there 
 were also his nation s many wrongs. The secret 
 workings of his mind had at length approximated 
 to maturity. Although he unquestionably sanc 
 tioned the decree of the Indian council against 
 his wife, he looked forward with hope for the 
 first act, of many since performed, in the 
 bloody tragedy of the Seminole war. Nor was 
 it long before an opportunity was afforded him 
 to revenge the insult offered to his daughter, 
 and to take up arms in defence of his country. 
 
 The war had no sooner commenced than he 
 slew the foul tempter of his child, and heading 
 one of the marauding parties sent out by 
 
174 
 
 Oceola, he has been unremitting in his exertions 
 to devastate the territory ; and his revenge for 
 his suffering people has no doubt been satiated ; 
 and probably the rigid muscles of his swarthy 
 countenance have relaxed into more than one 
 broad-grin of triumph, as he swung the toma 
 hawk around the devoted heads of his ct pale- 
 faced" enemies. 
 
 There is an apology for the Indian the white 
 man cannot plead consanguineous attachment 
 is as strong in one race as the other, and revenge 
 for injuries committed against relatives comprise 
 no inconsiderable portion of the civil and reli 
 gious duty of the former ; while, on the other 
 hand, the religion of the SAVIOUR or MANKIND 
 inculcates forgiveness discountenances revenge, 
 and urges upon us, by the most important 
 considerations, the cultivation of kindly feelings, 
 even towards those who " despitefully use and 
 persecute us." 
 
175 
 
 An Indian is taught from childhood, that if 
 one of his relatives should be killed, whether 
 by accident or design, that the shade of the 
 defunct must be appeased by the blood of the 
 destroyer. Years may elapse, but time, the 
 grand calmer of almost every passion, cannot 
 render this quiescent. 
 
 Many instances are known of individuals 
 who, having slain an Indian, have fled from the 
 vicinity, and returned after an absence of many 
 years ; they lulled themselves into fatal security 
 under the conviction of the circumstances being 
 forgotten ; but no sooner had intelligence of 
 their arrival been communicated to the relatives 
 of the deceased, than the homicides have been 
 sacrificed. 
 
 The Seminoles are an intrepid race, " lofty in 
 heart, in courage fierce, and in war delighting ;" 
 contending for the burial-place of their fathers, 
 and their hunt ing-grounds they are contending 
 
176 
 
 for their own homes and fire-sides a patrimo 
 nial inheritance, transmitted from age to age, 
 through a long line of ancestors ; the blood of 
 whom, in fierce struggles for the same soil, was 
 poured out upon the altar of Liberty for its 
 defence and whose relics yet moulder beneath 
 the mounds thrown up to their memory, to 
 endear and consecrate the land. 
 
 The present generation are still struggling for 
 their birth-rights, and will contest the innova 
 tions of their enemies to the last man. Death 
 has no terrors for the Indian who is taught to 
 believe, that those who fall in battle, contending 
 for the land given to them by the GREAT SPIRIT 
 OF LIFE, ascend directly to HIM, who, at once 
 introduces them to his own beautiful hunting- 
 grounds where are forests blooming in per 
 petual verdure and freshness a sky that is 
 never dimmed by a cloud an air laden with 
 fragrance and where they pass an eternity in 
 
177 
 
 cool shades, beside running brooks ; never to 
 endure the toils of the chase, because the game 
 is sleeping in every nook and dell. 
 
 And they believe, that here also they will 
 mingle with the long, long succession of brave 
 warriors, who have preceded them that they 
 will rejoice for ever with these spiritual exist 
 ences, in perpetual youth and vigour ; knowing 
 neither sickness nor decay. Firmly believing 
 this, as they do, and having every thing to gain 
 by victory, is it not natural to suppose they will 
 fight like gladiators, and if doomed to perish, 
 exult in the last agonies of expiring nature ? 
 
 If the whites are victorious, a grand and des 
 perate tragedy is to be acted ! The Seminoles 
 have declared their determination to fight until 
 the last solitary being of all the red men, who 
 now people the wilderness of Florida, has 
 perished ! 
 
 Ought we to expect that the Indians, who 
 
 N 
 
178 
 
 owned these lands by an undoubted and imme 
 morial right of possession who had ever 
 ranged as freely upon them as the breezes 
 which swept over their flowers, or waved the 
 branches of the stupendous trees should feel 
 no indignation at the continued encroachments 
 of white men ? 
 
 The Americans seem to have forgotten, in 
 their own injuries, and their sympathy for their 
 ancestors, that the Indians are men of human 
 feelings ! and that the ties which bound them 
 to their native soil, were as strong as those 
 which endeared the descendants of the con 
 querors of Troy to the land of Ulysses. 
 
 Though the radience of past glory lingered 
 round the summits of the red man s uncultivated 
 hills though they never had a Parnassus con 
 secrated to the Muses nor a Parthenon lifting 
 its costly and elegant front to the heavens yet, 
 here their fathers had lived here had been the 
 
179 
 
 home of their youth the theatre of their boyish 
 pastimes and sports. The land was hallowed by 
 a thousand tender and fondly cherished associ 
 ations; and here, in the GREAT TEMPLE OF 
 NATURE, amid the vast solitudes of their native 
 forests was the place, where from the fulness of 
 grateful and overflowing hearts, they had poured 
 forth their fervent rejoicings to the GREAT 
 SPIRIT. 
 
 But the work of extermination is still pro 
 gressing they are fast fading away ; a few, 
 comparatively, of the wretched tribes are yet 
 remaining, in testimony that they were ; their 
 squalid, miserable condition, and appearance of 
 degradation (particularly those upon the fron 
 tiers), tell of the light, knowledge, and imma 
 culate blessings which civilization has dispensed 
 to them. The waves of a rapidly increasing 
 population are still booming on, and, ere long, 
 
 they will have settled over them for ever ! 
 
 N 2 
 
180 
 
 Future generations will feel an interest in 
 the achievements and history of the original 
 inhabitants of America, of which we cannot now 
 conceive. Legends of them, which shall have 
 survived the wreck of time, will be sought after 
 with avidity, to be gathered up and preserved 
 as invaluable. Posterity will do justice to their 
 characters, though it may not be done till after 
 the last solitary being of all the numerous tribes, 
 which once covered the face of this vast con 
 tinent, has perished. Yet, justice will be done 
 them ; and the youth, the man of vigour, and 
 the aged, of future generations, will weep and 
 melt as they listen to a recital of the red man s 
 wrongs. 
 
 I have already said, that Oceola preferred the 
 wilder amusements of the woods to domestic 
 life. During the early part of my retirement 
 to my property at St. John s, where I had 
 founded a town of that name, I undertook to 
 
181 
 
 open a road of communication to St. Augustine, 
 upwards of forty miles ; and, being anxious to 
 complete my labor as speedily as possible, I 
 deemed it necessary that I should be continually 
 with the negroes, hired for the purpose of con 
 structing bridges, felling trees, and cutting 
 through dense swamps, &c. I took with me a 
 small tent, for the use of myself and my little 
 protegee ; and, at night, with the overseer and 
 negroes, we formed an encampment in the pine- 
 forest when, witli blazing fires, surrounded by 
 
 * 
 
 merry-grinning black faces, our time passed 
 away pleasantly enough. 
 
 Early in the mornings my little friend would 
 wake, and allow me no more quiet until I arose, 
 which was generally at the first dawn of day ; 
 he would then make the woods re-echo with his 
 joy whooping and yelling, bounding round the 
 pine trees, and exhibiting, in every possible way, 
 the joyous feelings and exuberant spirits of 
 
182 
 
 laughter-loving childhood. He was very fond 
 of accompanying me with my gun and dog, and 
 would sometimes laugh heartily at the unsuc- 
 cessfulness of my sport. 
 
 Nothing can ever efface from my memory one 
 Sunday night, when the overseer had left us to 
 visit his friends in St. Augustine. We were, 
 with a dozen negroes, in a part of the forest that 
 had not been visited by as many white people 
 since the country was owned by the Spaniards. 
 Throughout the universe, a wilder spot could 
 not be selected than the " Three Runs ;" over 
 which we had to build bridges and form a 
 causeway of six hundred paces. 
 
 These three black-looking streams meandered 
 through a deep narrow valley, whose whole 
 course formed a morass of thick jungle, shaded 
 by the largest and most magnificent trees in the 
 world. Here was, in stately grandeur, the 
 gigantic live oak, with its thousand robes of 
 
183 
 
 moss the splendid magnolia cedar wild 
 orange hickory ; and here lurked in security, 
 the shy and savage panther the bear and the 
 wolf with snakes of the most venomous des 
 cription and the hideous alligator. 
 
 Our encampment was upon the high ground 
 on the south side of the hammock I have 
 just described, which sheltered us from the 
 bleak north-wind. We had but three tents, 
 two horses, two carts, and several dogs be 
 longing to the negroes. There were three very 
 large fires made of the resinous pine logs, which 
 threw up a glare of light, that gave to the dense 
 woods in our rear a shade as dark as Erebus. 
 About ten o clock the full broad moon threw 
 her silvery beams through the tall stately pines 
 which sighed mournfully to the breeze. Save 
 this melancholy sound, with the dismal hooping 
 of the owl with, now and then the howling 
 wolves at a distance all was still, desolate, 
 and dreary. 
 
184 
 
 At this solemn moment, I reflected upon the 
 condition of the slaves by whom I was sur 
 rounded. Tis true they were then happy as 
 they were the whole time while in my employ 
 I knew that this contentment was solely a relative 
 feeling ; a negro always comforts himself with 
 having got rid of the past -he seldom reflects 
 upon the future ; if there be ever so small a 
 chance of temporary happiness, he readily em 
 braces it without embittering the moment by 
 gloomy forebodings. They did not hear the 
 crack of the * Drivers whip, and they were 
 happy. Under an impression that I might in 
 some measure benefit them by wholesome ad 
 monition, and comfort them by prayer, I ordered 
 them into the open space in the centre of the 
 camp fires, and forming them into a circle, I 
 placed the young Indian on his knees, and 
 desired him to repeat The Lord s Prayer. No 
 sooner had he raised his little plaintive voice to 
 
185 
 
 Heaven, than the negroes followed his example 
 with fervour and devotion. Here was a scene 
 that might have softened the heart of the most 
 obdurate sceptic the sight of this young savage 
 in his native wilds, offering up his orisons to 
 Almighty God, accompanied by slaves even less 
 informed than himself upon the attributes of 
 prayer with the solemn stillness of the wilder 
 ness, combined to make this the most impressive 
 scene I had ever witnessed. 
 
 The prayer ended, I addresed them upon 
 the peculiarity of their position in the human 
 family; and endeavoured to ameliorate their 
 condition by pouring a balm into the iron galls 
 of slavery. I pointed out to them the necessity 
 of obedience to their masters, and to depend 
 upon their own worthiness for comfort and hap 
 piness. I assured them (and with truth) that 
 their wants were fewer than many others of the 
 human race and, although not by the hand of 
 
186 
 
 kindness, they were supplied with all that was 
 absolutely requisite for their subsistence that 
 it was to the interest of their proprietors to keep 
 them in health, for their profits depended upon 
 the negroes physical strength. I advised them 
 to rely upon a just God; and assured them 
 that, by maintaining a virtuous and good life, 
 one day they would find their reward. 
 
 A month passed in this way in the woods, at 
 no little risque of an attack by Indians, who 
 would have been glad to have availed themselves 
 of our guns and horses. 
 
 I once took Oceola into St. Augustine, and 
 showed him the Fort where his uncle and other 
 Indian prisoners had been confined, and where 
 many of them had perished from mephitic air. 
 He was then not more than seven years of age ; 
 yet the sight of the dark frowning battlements, 
 evidently struck a chill into his young heart, 
 
187 
 
 and he dreaded to meet any of the military, 
 In fact, I could not reconcile him to the sight 
 of a soldier. Being under some apprehension 
 that he might be noticed by officers about the 
 garrison, and perhaps claimed as a prisoner, I 
 retreated to the woods early in the morning. 
 As soon as he again breathed the free pure air 
 of the Forest, the buoyancy of his spirit re 
 turned, and he again exhibited his usual mani 
 festations of delight. 
 
188 
 OTTER HUNT. 
 
 " Would ye preserve a num rous finny race- 
 Let your fierce dogs the rav nous otter chase." 
 
 GAY. 
 
 Riding with Oceola through the beautiful 
 woods in the rear of my dwelling in St. John s, 
 my dog drove a large otter across the road just 
 before us in an instant the boy was in pursuit 
 through thick jungle, frequently, much ob 
 structed by briers and other prickly bushes 
 but he wound his way with the celerity of a 
 snake. He had not proceeded far before the 
 animal backed himself against a tree, and 
 showed fight Now, a large otter is an ugly 
 customer for a single dog ; therefore my gallant 
 Boxer/ deeming 
 
 " Discretion the better part of valour" 
 
189 
 
 kept his enemy at bay until the arrival of the 
 young huntsman ; at the sight of whom, the 
 otter made a fresh start now and then resting 
 himself against a tree, grinning defiance at his 
 deadly foe ; until, at last, Boxer drove him into 
 an open field, when it became a running fight ; 
 which gave Oceola an opportunity of aiding his 
 canine companion ; this he did by beating 
 the otter with a stick until he was overpowered. 
 In this encounter, there was considerable risk 
 of his being severely bitten the result of the 
 action was in favor of my boy and the dog. He 
 must have ran at least a mile through the 
 bushes before the animal was killed : he then 
 dragged home the body, weighing 25-lbs., a 
 mile and a half. Returning, he gave a prefer 
 ence to the open fields, which augmented the 
 distance he could only advance a few paces 
 with his load, and then rest : and in this way 
 did he persevere, until he reached home almost 
 
190 
 
 exhausted by fatigue, but highly proud of his 
 achievement. 
 
 This little incident showed a perseverance, 
 courage, and determination of an extraordinary 
 character, in one so young few would have 
 withstood the scratches, the toil, and hunger he 
 endured for a whole day for the sole reward 
 of commendation, or the gratification of the 
 sport. 
 
 The conduct of Oceola so far gained upon 
 my regard, that I fully determined to adopt 
 and cherish him as my own child. His welfare 
 seemed now wholly to depend upon my exer 
 tions. From the jealousy and undisguised hos 
 tility of my white neighbours, I perceived that 
 his safety was endangered, independent of the 
 risk of his being claimed by the authorities and 
 " sent west." Apprehensive of this, we sought 
 for him a secure retreat in the dense woods at 
 the back of my dwelling to which we in- 
 
191 
 
 structed him to retire on the least warning of 
 danger. The approach of a steam-boat on the 
 river, or the landing of strangers, roused our 
 anxiety, when we would despatch him to his 
 place of concealment, with instructions to re 
 main until he heard our preconcerted signal. 
 
 His happiness and future success in life 
 seemed now to depend wholly upon himself 
 here he was an outcast from civilized society, 
 excepting that of my own family his parents 
 or friends either dead or transported upwards 
 of a thousand miles into a strange land whither 
 he would probably be sent, if taken from my 
 protection, without even the power to express 
 his wants having forgotten his vernacular 
 tongue ; and where hundreds of his tribe had 
 already perished, through the effects of change 
 from a low to a higher latitude. 
 
 Under all these disadvantages, without regard 
 to personal interest, I resolved to rescue this 
 
192 
 
 poor child from a prospect of misery and desti 
 tution. Among the whites in Florida it was 
 evident that my protection would not long 
 prove his safeguard ; and most ardently did I 
 long for the security and freedom of my native 
 land. 
 
 My determination to embark for England 
 with my young charge, was soon fixed, and 
 almost as soon executed ; and I joyfully left 
 this blood-stained country on Thursday, the 
 28th of May, 1840, and arrived in Savannah on 
 the following Saturday. 
 
 Youns: Oceola expressed much delight on 
 beholding the cotton ships hitherto he had 
 seen no larger vessels than coasting schooners 
 on the St. John s river. As speedily as possible 
 I placed him on board a ship bound for Liver 
 pool. Here, he did not seem secure from his 
 enemies ; the Captain assured me that he ran 
 considerable risk in receiving him on board, 
 
193 
 
 as he was known to be a young Indian highly 
 connected in the Seminole nation; but an 
 Almighty Providence, who watches the desti 
 nies of the fatherless, has hitherto protected the 
 Orphan Boy. 
 
 On the 4th of June we left the shores of 
 America, and reached Liverpool in safety on 
 Thursday night, the 2nd of July, and landed on 
 the following morning. 
 
 During our passage, Oceola became the dar 
 ling of the sailors, who were delighted with his 
 exploits and agility in climbing the rigging to 
 the tops of the masts, and on landing they 
 parted with him with reluctance. 
 
 Even in Liverpool, the Captain and my fel 
 low-passengers expressed an apprehension that 
 the American Consul would claim the young 
 Prince, and send him back a prisoner to the 
 United States. I laughed at the absurdity of 
 
 such a suggestion relying with implicit confi- 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 dence on the hospitable character of my country 
 men for protection of my boy. He was now 
 (it may truly be said,) in the land of freedom ; 
 where I rejoiced to find myself once more 
 after an absence of twenty years. 
 
 Oceola here met with the kindest attention 
 from the amiable family of Mr. Callan to 
 whom I shall ever feel grateful for their hos 
 pitality, both towards my protegee and myself, 
 during the few days we remained in Liverpool. 
 Strangely enough, a young Son of the American 
 Consul was at the time on a visit to Mr. Callan, 
 and became the constant companion and play 
 mate of Oceola ; and, had the Consul himself 
 been in town, I feel well assured my young 
 friend would have been by him also kindly 
 received. 
 
 Since he has been in London, he has met with 
 the most flattering marks of attention from per 
 sons of rank and respectability. His chief amuse- 
 
195 
 
 ment, during his leisure moments from school, 
 has been to visit Mr. Catlin s exhibition at the 
 Egyptian Hall ; and sometimes I have yielded 
 to the entreaties of himself and his friends, in 
 permitting him to appear in his native costume 
 before the public. My principal motive in so 
 doing has been, that he might retain in his 
 memory the scenes of his childhood, and learn 
 more of the history of his people. I cannot 
 forbear once more reverting to Mr. Catlin and 
 his collection of Indian costumes and curiosi* 
 ties. 
 
 This enterprising artist has undoubtedly un 
 dergone more labour and privation in obtaining 
 a knowledge of this primitive race of men, than 
 any other North American Traveller. Eight of 
 his best years have been devoted to the pursuit 
 of this branch of science ; and he has succeeded 
 in amassing an immense collection of dresses, 
 
 spears, bows and arrows, pipes, scalps a large 
 
 o 2 
 
196 
 
 wigwam, or Indian tent with many hundreds 
 of other curious articles ; besides which, he has 
 taken portraits of upwards of three hundred of 
 the most distinguished Chiefs and painted 
 many beautiful views of American scenery, in 
 parts hitherto unknown to civilized man. 
 
 When we reflect that the tribes of Indians 
 are daily dwindling from the face of the earth, 
 and had not Mr. Catlin rescued so much of 
 their works from oblivion , but few records would 
 now be in existence to hand down to future 
 ages a pictorial history, with such ample testi 
 mony of the manners, customs, nay, even the 
 existence of this noble class of human beings. 
 
 How much, then, does Mr. Catlin merit the 
 gratitude of all civilized nations ! 
 
 I appeal, as an Englishman, to the people of 
 this country, who have always been liberal 
 patrons of the Fine Arts who have always 
 evinced an enthusiastic sympathy for the 
 
197 
 
 Aborigines of all nations if these splendid 
 productions should be permitted to leave Eng 
 land to ornament the Museum of some Foreign 
 nation. 
 
 They are the manufactory of a people who 
 know no arts or sciences, but such as those 
 pointed out by Nature herself to guard them 
 from the inclemencies of the weather to pro 
 vide them with food, and to repel their enemies * 
 manifesting, at the same time, talents of no 
 ordinary character: proving, beyond doubt, 
 their capabilities to attain the highest order of 
 intellectual refinement. 
 
 Ought not then the scientific people of England 
 endeavour to procure these interesting collections 
 as curiosities worthy to rank with those from 
 Pompeii, Palmyra, or with the rarest specimens 
 of Ancient or Modern Artists ? What other 
 evidence will posterity have of the bare exist 
 ence of the Tribes of Western India ! 
 
198 
 
 Already whole tribes have been swept away, 
 and scarcely any other relic left of them save 
 what is now in the keeping of this champion 
 for Indian character and Indian rights. Where 
 are now the Mandans the Mohicans the 
 Yemassees and many other once formidable 
 and numerous tribes f They are gone from the 
 earth, and will, ere long, be effaced from the 
 memory of man ! 
 
 Little more than two centuries have elapsed, 
 since the first permanent settlements were 
 made upon the American wilderness : yet this 
 short period has sufficed to change the character 
 of a continent to produce the entire destruc 
 tion of what were once powerful tribes and, 
 almost, the extermination of a RACE ! ! 
 
 The vices of the whites have penetrated 
 even among some of the tribes of the " far 
 distant West." The subtle poison of the 
 Harpies called Indian Tradershas begun to 
 
J99 
 
 sap the foundations of their original nobleness 
 of character ; and at no distant day of the 
 thousands and tens of thousands who once 
 dwelt within the limits of the United States, 
 only here and there will a wanderer remain. 
 
 As from the short period of two hundred 
 years, we turn back and attempt to gather the 
 customs and traditions of the tribes which 
 dwelt within the limits of New England, an 
 terior to the arrival of the whites we find 
 only scattered fragments, detached and con 
 fused no relic is left of their history or habits; 
 and scarcely anything is known of them, un 
 less that they are gathered to their fathers! 
 
 The tribes on the outskirts of civilization 
 are fast disappearing ; and the period will soon 
 have arrived, when their joys and sorrows will 
 be at an end -when they will be beyond the 
 reach of duplicity and extortion : and, surely, 
 justice demands that some record of their 
 
200 
 
 rude virtues, and unhappy fate, should be traced 
 on the pages of history, or be carefully pre 
 served in the archives of some enlightened 
 nation. 
 
 FINIS, 
 
201 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 We have already said that the Chief, Oceola, was interred in 
 consecrated ground near Charleston; but will it be credited, 
 that with all the display of sympathy for a fallen hero, whose 
 fame has been re-echoed in every village throughout the 
 United States whose name has been conspicuous in all the 
 newspapers of the north, with which was coupled that of his 
 betrayer, General Jessup, whom they loaded with curses dire 
 and deep that, in defiance of all this excitement in favor of 
 Oceola, he was buried headless ! Dr. Weedon, with the 
 knowledge and consent of the officers who had charge of the 
 remains of this brave and distinguished man, so far violated 
 the sacred remains of the dead ; which the foul mercenary 
 had conveyed to New York, there to be exhibited in Peale s 
 museum, with other heads oF New Zealand chiefs. These 
 disgusting peparations, in themselves, were sufficiently dis 
 graceful, without the addition of one, which in life had held 
 millions in defiance. 
 
202 
 
 This outrage upon the feelings and decency of the inha 
 bitants of New York, soon roused their resentment. When it 
 was announced to the public that THE HEAD OF OCEOLA 
 was to be seen at Peale s Museum, in Broadway, a mob 
 collected, and threatened to raze the building to the ground, 
 if this disgusting object were not forthwith removed. It was 
 accordingly taken away by the Doctor, who conveyed it to 
 St. Augustine, in Florida, where finding he could not make 
 a raise upon it, placed it in spirits on the counter of his 
 " drug store," for the gratuitous gratification of poor Oceola s 
 enemies. 
 
 " To what base uses we may return, Horatio." 
 
 Extract of a Letter from CAPT. BELL, to H. S. DEXTER, ESQ. 
 Dated " Volusia, September \8th, 1821. 
 
 " As I am under an engagement to accompany Econchatti- 
 Mico, the King, and all the chiefs and head men to St. 
 Augustine, I shall defer, until my arrival at that place, the 
 substance of their deliberation and " talk," all of which I 
 have noted, as I was certain it would be gratifying to you. 
 
 # # % % 
 
 f( I have not the pleasure of being acquainted with our 
 new Governor, and will thank you to apprise him of the 
 intended visit of the Indians, headed by their Chief or King, 
 
 Econchaiti-Mico." 
 
 * * * * 
 
203 
 
 H. S. DEXTER ^CAPT.BELL. St. Augustine, July 30, 1822. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 " Econchatti, the Seminole King, assisted by his principal 
 Counsellors, met in Council on the 24th of May, at our 
 settlement at Allachua, and delivered to us a* talk/ relating 
 to their present situation and future prospects, &c. &c." 
 
 " On Wednesday, the 20th inst., while a lieutenant and 
 two men were passing between Micanopy and a place called 
 * Black Point/ they were surprised, and fired on by a party 
 of Indians ; the lieutenant and one man wounded, and one 
 killed. Same evening, Lieut. Sanderson, in command of 
 Micanopy, while on a scout with eighteen or twenty men, 
 discovered a fire in the woods, and on going to see from 
 whence it proceeded, was surrounded by about fifty Indians; 
 Lieut. S. and nine men, three BLOOD-HOUNDS and their keeper, 
 killed upon the spot, and four men missing. On Friday, 
 news reached Nevvnansville, that three men were killed 
 between Posts No. 11 and 12. On Thursday, a scout dis 
 covered the trail of about 100 Indians in the Wolf Ham 
 mock/ six miles south of Newnansville." East Florida 
 Advocate. 
 
 "The BLOOD-HOUNDS sent for by Governor Call have 
 arrived at Tallahassee, accompanied by twenty Leashmen, 
 from the Island of Cuba ; we hope soon to hear they are 
 0n the scent of the enemy." St. Augustine News. 
 
204 
 
 The first trial made by these dogs, was upon the trail of 
 one Indian, whom they literally tore in pieces; several 
 women and children were subsequently taken, dreadfully 
 lacerated by the teeth of these ferocious animals. 
 
 In a speech delivered in the House of Representatives of 
 the United States, by Mr. White of Florida, we can readily 
 account for the objections of the Seminole Indians to emigrate 
 to lands on the western side of the Mississippi. When such 
 few of this tribe had agreed to the treaty of their removal, 
 they had not then learned how their neighbours, the 
 Cherokees, had been decoyed from the homes of their 
 fathers. We find in the speech alluded to, as follows : 
 
 " Some five years ago, a treaty had been negotiated with 
 the Cherokees, by which lands were ceded to them on the 
 west of the Mississippi, a territory, as was presumed, beyond 
 the reach of settlement, as it had been beyond the reach of 
 surveys. When the Indians, under this treaty, went to take 
 possession of these lands, they found other settlers upon 
 them, and at the very last Congress an act had passed, 
 giving pre-emption rights to the individuals who had been 
 found there. 
 
 Thus the poor deluded Indians, many hundred miles from 
 their native homes, without the means of returning, were 
 compelled to shift for themselves in the best way they could. 
 Poverty and change of climate soon induced sickness, of 
 which a greater portion perished. 
 
205 
 
 THE TREATY OF MOULTRIE CREEK. 
 
 1824. 
 
 JAMES MONROE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 
 OF AMERICA. 
 
 To all and singular to whom these Presents shall come, 
 greeting. 
 
 WHEREAS a Treaty between the Unites States of America 
 and the Florida Tribes of Indians, was made and concluded 
 on the 18th day of September, 1823, at Camp, on Moultrie 
 Creek, in the Territory of Florida, by Commissioners on the 
 part of the United States, and certain Chiefs and Warriors 
 of the said Tribes, on the part and in behalf of the said Tribes, 
 which Treaty is in the following words, to wit : 
 
 Article 1. The undersigned Chiefs and Warriors, for 
 themselves and their Tribes, have appealed to the humanity, 
 and thrown themselves on, and have promised to continue 
 under the protection of the United States, and of no other 
 
206 
 
 Nation, Power, or Sovereign ; and in consideration of the 
 promises and stipulations hereinafter made, do cede and 
 relinquish all claim or title which they may have to the 
 whole Territory of Florida, with the exception of such dis 
 trict of Country, as shall be herein allotted them. 
 
 Article 2. The Florida Tribes of Indians will hereafter be 
 concentrated and confined to the following Metes and 
 Boundaries; commencing five miles North of Okehumke, 
 running in a direct line to a point, five miles West of 
 Setarky s settlement, on the waters of the Amazura or 
 Ouithlacoochee River, leaving said settlement two miles 
 South of the line, from thence in a direct line to the South 
 end of the Big Hammock, to include Chikkuchatti ; con 
 tinuing on in the same direction for five miles beyond the 
 said Hammock ; provided said point does not approach 
 nearer than fifteen miles the sea Coast of the Gulph of 
 Mexico ; if it does, the said line will terminate at that dis 
 tance from the sea Coast ; thence South twelve miles, thence 
 in a South 30 East direction, until the same shall strike 
 within five miles of the main branch* of the Charlotte River, 
 thence in a due East direction to within twenty miles of the 
 Atlantic Coast; thence North fifteen, West for fifty miles 
 and from this last to the beginning point. 
 
 Article 3. The United States will take the Florida 
 Indians under their care and patronage, and will afford 
 them protection against all persons whatsoever, provided 
 they conform to the Laws of the United States, and refrain 
 
207 
 
 from making War, or giving any insult to any Foreign 
 Nation, without having first obtained the permission and 
 consent of the United States. And, in consideration of the 
 appeal and cession made in the 1st Article of this Treaty, 
 by the aforesaid Chiefs and Warriors, the United States 
 promise to distribute among the Tribes, as soon as concen 
 trated under the direction of their Agent, implements of 
 husbandry, and stocks of cattle and hogs, to the amount of 
 six thousand dollars, and an annual sum of five thousand 
 dollars a year, for twenty successive years to be distributed 
 as the President of the United States shall direct, through 
 the Secretary-of-War, or his Superintendents and Agents of 
 Indian affairs. 
 
 Article 4. The United States promise to guarantee to 
 the said Tribes, the peaceable possession of the district of 
 Country assigned them, reserving the right of opening 
 through it such roads, as may from time to time be deemed 
 necessary, and to restrain and prevent all white persons 
 from hunting, settling, or otherwise intruding upon it. 
 But any Citizen of the United States, being lawfully autho 
 rized for that purpose, shall be permitted to pass and re- 
 pass through said District, and to navigate the waters thereof, 
 without any hindrance, toll, or exaction from said Tribes. 
 
 Article 5. For the purpose of facilitating the removal of 
 said Tribes to the District of country allotted them, and as 
 a compensation for the losses sustained, or the inconveni 
 ences to which they may be exposed by said removal, the 
 
208 
 
 United States will furnish them with rations of corn, meat, 
 and salt, for twelve months, commencing on the 1st day of 
 February next. 
 
 And they further agree to compensate those individuals 
 who have been compelled to abandon improvements on 
 lands not embraced within the limits allotted, to the amount 
 of four thousand five hundred dollars, to be distributed 
 among the sufferers, in a ratio to each, proportional to the 
 value of the improvements abandoned. The United States 
 further agree, to furnish a sum not exceeding two thousand 
 dollars, to be expended by their Agent, to facilitate the 
 transportation of the different Tribes to the point of con 
 centration designated. 
 
 Article 6. -An Agent, Sub-Agent, and Interpreter, shall 
 be appointed to reside within the Indian Boundary afore 
 said, to watch over the interest of said Tribes. And the 
 United States further stipulate, as an evidence of their 
 humane policy towards said tribes who have appealed to 
 their liberality, to allow for the establishment of a School 
 at the Agency, one thousand dollars per r year, for twenty 
 successive years ; and one thousand dollars per year, for 
 the same period, for the support of a Gun and Black-Smith, 
 with the expenses incidental to his shop. 
 
 Article 7. The Chiefs and Warriors aforesaid, for them 
 selves and Tribes, stipulate to be active and vigilant in the 
 preventing the retreating to, or passing through of the 
 district of country assigned them, of any absconding slave, 
 
209 
 
 or fugitives from justice, and further agree to use all neces 
 sary exertions to apprehend and deliver the same to the 
 agent, who shall receive orders to compensate them agreeably 
 to the trouble and expences incurred. 
 
 Article 8. A Commissioner or Commissioners, with a 
 Surveyor, shall be appointed by the President of the United 
 States, to run and mark (blazing fore and aft the trees) the 
 line, as defined in the second article of this Treaty; who 
 shall be attended by a Chief or Warrior, to be designated by 
 a Council of their own Tribe, and who shall receive, while so 
 employed, a daily compensation of three dollars. 
 
 Article 9. The undersigned Chiefs and Warriors, for them 
 selves and Tribes, having objected to their concentration within 
 the limits described in the second article of this Treaty, under 
 the impression that the said limits did not contain a sufficient 
 quantity of good land for them to subsist on, and for other rea 
 sons It is therefore expressly understood between the United 
 States and the aforesaid Chiefs and Warriors, that should 
 the country embraced in said limits, upon examination by 
 the Indian Agent, and the Commissioner or Commissioners, 
 to be appointed under the eighth article of this Treaty, be 
 by them considered insufficient for the support of the said 
 Indians, then the north line, as defined in the second article 
 of this Treaty, shall be removed so far north as to embrace a 
 sufficient quantity of good, tillable land. 
 
 Article 10. The undersigned Chiefs and Warriors, for 
 
 themselves and Tribes, have expressed to the Commissioners 
 
 P 
 
210 
 
 their unlimited confidence in their agent, Colonel Gad 
 Humphreys, and their interpreter, Stephen Richards ; and 
 as evidence of their gratitude for their services and humane 
 treatment, and brotherly attentions to their wants, request 
 that one mile square, embracing the improvements of Ewe- 
 Mathla, at Tallahassee, (said improvements to be considered 
 as the centre) be conveyed in fee-simple, as a present to 
 Colonel Gad Hamphreys. And they further request, that 
 one mile square at the Ocheesee Bluffs, embracing Stephen 
 Richards field on said Bluffs, be conveyed in fee-simple, as 
 a present to Stephen Richards. The Commissioners accord 
 in sentiment with the undersigned Chiefs and Warriors, and 
 recommend a compliance with their wishes to the President 
 and Senate of the United States; but the disapproval, on 
 the part of the said authorities, of this article, shall in nowise 
 affect the other articles and stipulations concluded on in this 
 Treaty. 
 
 In testimony whereof, the Commissioners, \\ illiam P. 
 Duval, James Gadsden, and Bernard Segui, and the under 
 signed Chiefs and Warriors, have hereunto subscribed their 
 names and affixed their seals. 
 
 Done at the camp on Moultrie Creek, in the Territory of 
 Florida, this 18th day of September, 1823, and of the 
 Independence of the United States, the forty-eighth. 
 William P. Duval Econchatti-Mico 
 
 James Gadsden Nea Mathkla, x his mark 
 
 Bernard Segui Tokose Mathkla 
 
NinneeHomataTustenuggee Lathlon Mathla 
 Miconopy Senufky 
 
 Necosee Apola Alak Hajo 
 
 John Blunt Faheluste Hajo 
 
 Ottemata Octapamico 
 
 Tuskeneka Tustenec Hajo 
 
 Tuske Hajo Okoske Amathla 
 
 Emoteley Ochanee Tustenuggee 
 
 Mulato King Philip 
 
 Chocolohano Charley Amathkla 
 
 Ematlochee John Hassorey 
 
 Wekse Holata Rathead 
 
 Amathla Ho Holata Amathkla 
 
 Holataficico Foschatti-Mico 
 
 Cheficico Hajo 
 
 Signed, sealed, and delivered in presence of George 
 Murray, Secretary to the Commission. 
 
 Gad Humphreys, Indian Agent. 
 
 Stephen Richards, Interpreter. 
 
 Isaac N. Cox. 
 
 I. Irving, Captain 4th Artillery. 
 
 Harvey Brown, Lieutenant 4th Artillery. 
 
 C. D Espinville, Lieutenant 4th Artillery. 
 
 John B. Scott, Lieutenant 4th Artillery. 
 
 William Travers. 
 - Horatio S, Dexter. 
 
Let us examine a little into the merits of this much talked 
 of Treaty, in the United States, for which the Indians are 
 held up to the world as " treacherous villains," in not having 
 conformed to the articles therein mentioned; as having 
 " violated the Treaty." 
 
 Whilst in Florida, I had frequent conferences with Mr. 
 Travers upon the subject of " Treaties," the results of which 
 I shall endeavour to bring to bear upon that of " Moultrie 
 Creek," commencing with 
 
 Article 1. Which specifies that " the undersigned Chiefs 
 and Warriors, for themselves and their Tribes t HAVE APPEAL 
 ED TO THE HUMANITY, and thrown themselves on, and have 
 promised to continue under the protection of the United 
 States, &{c. The Chiefs and Warriors of the Seminole Tribes, 
 would spurn the idea of appealing to the humanity of the 
 United States, under any circumstances ; which has been 
 sufficiently proved during the last five years; during which 
 time, they have shed their blood, drop by drop, and them 
 selves, with their wives and children, have fallen, one by one, 
 into the hands of their enemies the United States; still 
 they have never appealed to their humanity, and happy had 
 it been for them had they remained under the Government of 
 Spain, when their rights were respected they were then free 
 and independent. 
 
 The Spanish Floridians knew the value of these people 
 the markets of St. Augustine, Pensacola, and other towns 
 
213 
 
 in the colony, were well supplied with venison, and all the 
 game the country produced, besides cattle and skins to a 
 considerable amount ; and whenever the Chiefs condescended 
 to visit the governor, they were received with kindness and 
 dismissed with presents ; their wrongs from white men were 
 speedily redressed, and when the Spaniards required their 
 aid in war, they proved valuable allies. 
 
 Article 2. The line of boundary run by the United States 
 was never agreed to on the parts of the Chiefs, generally ; 
 two or three alone were bribed to consent, with whiskey, and 
 presents of rifles and ammunition. 
 
 Article 3. The Seminolee Indians never did, or ever 
 would be, made to conform to the laws of the United States ; 
 upon all occasions, they exercised their own ceremonies, and 
 enforced their own laws upon each other; and their white 
 neighbours knew that the death of one of the tribe, was 
 sure to be succeeded by a reprisal without waiting for the 
 laws of the United States. And as to the bombast of im 
 plements of husbandry, stocks of cattle, to the amount of 
 six thousand dollars a year, the annual sum of five thousand 
 dollars, and the other stipulations, in behalf of the Indians 
 for further particulars enquire of Col. Gad Humphreys, 
 and Major Phagan, the Indian agents. 
 
 I make no doubt, the Government paid part of this 
 money into the hands of the aforesaid agents, who doled it 
 out to the poor Indians, at the rate of two choks (Wd. 
 sterling), per glass of whiskey, ditto for gunpowder both 
 
214 
 
 combustibles were measured in the same vessel, and all 
 other supplies were provided in the same ratio. 
 
 Articles 4 and 5. All gammon. 
 
 Article 6. An agent to watch over the interest of the 
 Indians like a hackney-coachman over the interest of his 
 employer ; so much for master, so much for me so much 
 for me, so much for master. 
 
 Article 7. If the Seminolee Indians had occupied them 
 selves in arresting- white fugitives from justice, they would 
 have had no time to hunt. 
 
 Article 8. A few poor Red-skins, were made to carry the 
 surveyor s chain for which they got flogged, if not suffici 
 ently active. 
 
 Article 9. A mere humbug on the parts of the Commis 
 sioners, to give some appearance of character and justice to 
 
 THE TEE AT Y ! 
 
 Article 10. The perfection of knavery by the agent and 
 interpreter of so glaring a character that the Government 
 would not stand it. 
 
 Now, this precious specimen of American bamboozle, with 
 thirty-two Indian signatures William Travers informed me 
 was actually signed by only six out of the whole, and they 
 were made drunk for that purpose ; the remaining names 
 were filled up by the Commissioners themselves. 
 
 The next Treaty, said to have been made at Payne s 
 Landing, in May, 1832, is of a still more vile character 
 
215 
 
 than the last. That was for taking the whole territory from 
 the Indians, and to send them away to the Arkansaw 
 country. The manner in which that pretended agreement 
 has been resisted, has already been explained. Like the 
 one of 1823, it has been published in America, with the 
 signatures of the principal Chiefs and Warriors most of 
 whom never even saw it ! 
 
216 
 
 CAST OF NIKKANOCHEE s HEAD. 
 
 A very correct cast of this child s head has been taken by 
 Mr. DONOVAN, Principal of the London Phrenological 
 Institution, King William Street, Strand. 
 
 The science, of which Mr. Donovan is a zealous teacher, 
 and an able expounder, practically as well as theoretically, 
 holds " that as the moral and intellectual faculties are 
 exercised, the development of the organs of those faculties 
 will be assisted, and the shape of the upper and frontal 
 regions made to approach nearer to the most perfect type 
 of the human head. 
 
 " By a judicious mode of education, the animal propen 
 sities will be kept in abeyance, and not called into action 
 (as they assuredly would have been) in this case, had the 
 child remained in his native wilds. There, combativeness, 
 secretiveness, and destructiveness, would have been con 
 tinually called into operation ; nay, they would have been 
 looked on as the highest intellectual virtues. 
 
 "Thus, then, education steps in to reverse this decree 
 the animal propensities are not encouraged the moral sen- 
 
217 
 
 timents and intellectual faculties are judiciously exercised ; 
 and, by these means, the contour of the head approaches 
 more and more to that of man, in his most civilized state." 
 
 Mr. Donovan has made notes on this cast, and has 
 kindly suggested some important points relating to educa 
 tion, &c. Previous to the moment I had the gratification 
 of being made acquainted with this learned and benevolent 
 gentleman, I acknowledge myself to have been a sceptic in 
 the science of Phrenology ; but, after having heard the 
 subject so ably and clearly expounded by him, with such 
 striking manifestations of the truth, as regards the effect of 
 the education of thought on the conformation of the human 
 skull, I can no longer withhold my expression of a thorough 
 belief in the system of Phrenology, and do most strenuously 
 recommend those who may wish to perfect themselves in 
 this interesting and highly useful branch of polite learning, 
 to attend to his lectures and discourses. 
 
 Since writing the above, Mr. Donovan has been kind 
 enough to promise that casts of Prince Econchatti s head 
 will be taken from time to time. It will be interesting to 
 observe the effect of education on the conformations of the 
 brain, and the consequent changes in the shape of the 
 head. 
 
 A splendid painting, similar to the frontispiece, has been 
 made of the Young Prince, by Mr. WILKIN which is 
 now in the Exhibition at the Royal Academy, Trafalgar 
 Square. 
 
218 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 Several other combinations were formed at different times 
 by distinguished Indian Chiefs and patriots, to rescue their 
 country from the hands of those whom they regarded as 
 usurpers and intruders. They saw their once unbounded 
 possessions gradually receding from them, their numerous 
 tribes dwindling away, the graves of their fathers overturned 
 by the ploughshare, and their hunting-ground converted into 
 fields of grain, and occupied by men whom they had every 
 reason to look upon as the enemies of their race. Their 
 native courage, and a deep sense of the injury and wrongs 
 under which they suffered, roused them to action, and their 
 vengeance was sometimes terrible ; but their vengeance was 
 unavailing. They have gradually retired before the wave of 
 the white population, yielded up their valuable lands, either 
 by compulsion or persuasion, and buried themselves, from 
 time to time, among the primeval forests and extensive 
 prairies of their country, to be free and uncontaminated by 
 the vices of civilization. But even there they found no 
 security. 
 
219 
 
 The arm of the pale-face, and his arts and liquid fire 
 reached them. " As the tide of our population rolled on," 
 says an eloquent Senator,* " we have added purchase to 
 purchase ; the confiding Indian listened to our professions 
 of friendship. We called him brother, and he believed us. 
 Millions after millions he has yielded to our importunity, 
 until we have acquired more than can be cultivated in 
 centuries, and yet we crave more. We have crowded the 
 tribes upon a few miserable acres on our southern frontier : 
 it is all that is left to them of their once boundless forests, 
 and still, like the horse leech, our insatiable cupidity cries, 
 give give/ This is a true picture of the treatment the 
 aboriginal proprietors of the soil of America have received 
 from their white brethren, since their arrival in this country. 
 To complete the measure of injustice, the government has 
 ordered the removal of all the Indian tribes still lemaining 
 beyond the Mississippi, where they are promised lands in 
 lieu of those they have abandoned. Almost all these tribes 
 have seen that it would be madness to resist the mandate of 
 the government, and have retired to the west of the Mis 
 sissippi. Some noble spirits, however, still hold out, and 
 among these is the distinguished Seminole chief, Oceola. 
 The Seminoles comprehend the remains of many tribes that 
 formerly occupied the territory of Florida, and they are now 
 reduced to a bare handful. The love of their native land 
 
 * Mr. Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey. 
 
220 
 
 burns strongly in their bosoms, and Oceola has gallantly and 
 nobly contended, with his small band, for the country and 
 graves of his fathers. He has withstood the whole military 
 force of the United States for nearly two years, and though 
 captured, is still unconquered. The manner in which he has 
 been taken is dishonorable to our arms, and disgraceful to 
 the nation. He trusts to the honor of the whites, and, with 
 that confidence, throws himself within their power, to nego- 
 ciate for the liberty of one of his countrymen and what is 
 the consequence ? Finding that they cannot conquer him 
 in fair and manly fight, they resort to a breach of faith, and 
 take him prisoner by a superior force, while he is trusting to 
 their honor. A gallant enemy would have said to him- 
 " We have you now in our power, but you have confided in 
 our faith, and we scorn to avail ourselves of our superiority ; 
 retire, and we will meet you in the battle field, and subdue 
 you, if we can. The nation itself, if it possessed the least 
 spirit of gallantry, should feel the deepest mortification at 
 such an act, and at once grant this noble and patriotic 
 Chieftain his liberty, and the right of remaining, with his 
 whole tribe, and their descendants, for ever, in the country 
 for which they have so bravely and manfully contended. 
 But injustice is everywhere. No nation, whatever be the 
 form of its government, or the character of its people, is, or 
 ever has been exempt from it. When men feel power they 
 are apt to forget right the strong will trample upon the 
 weak, and justice will always be more an abstraction than a 
 
reality. Cupidity and injustice will at last triumph, in spite 
 of the efforts of philanthropy and benevolence, and the feeble 
 remnants of a noble but untutored race, will soon be blotted 
 for ever from the face of the world." Washington Paper. 
 
 CAPTURE OF KING PHILIP S SON IN FLORIDA. General 
 Hernandez, of the Florida Militia, succeeded in capturing 
 near Matanzas, Coacoochee (or Wild Cat), King Philip s 
 Son. The St. Augustine Herald of the 28th ult. gives this 
 picturesque account of him : 
 
 " Coacoochee was mounted on a spirited horse, and attired 
 in his native costume he rode into town with a great deal 
 of savage grace and majesty. His head-dress was a plume 
 of white crane feathers and a silver band. He is now con 
 fined in the Fort, with his Father. 
 
 He subsequently made his escape with fifty of his War 
 riors, since which he has not been re-captured. He after 
 wards rode through the streets of St. Augustine in the even 
 ing, in full costume, accompanied by Jive of his Warriors. 
 
 The inhabitants of the Garrison and Fort, were so much 
 astounded that they remained passive until he was fairly 
 into the Pine Forests. [AUTHOR.] 
 
 SURROUNDING THE ENEMY. " In the destruction of Indi 
 ans the other day, during a scout by Capt. Holmes, 7th 
 Infantry, an instance of coolness and bravery occurred, ev 
 
222 
 
 hibiting the material of our own service, and the indomi 
 table courage of the Indian. Capt. Holmes had secreted a 
 portion of his company in such a place as it was probable 
 the enemy might pass, and proceeded onward with the rest 
 of his command, in order to hunt them up. The ambushed 
 party had not lain long in their hiding-place, when a few 
 Indians were seen approaching, unconscious of their near 
 proximity to the white man. On nearing more closely, the 
 anxiety of a recruit being more intense, was with difficulty 
 restrained from breaking up the enemy, and probably de 
 feating the great object in view. At this moment, a deer 
 sprang from its covert, and passing within a few feet of his 
 gun the temptation was too great, and the recruit fired. 
 Alarmed by the report, the enemy ran, and the Sergeant, 
 with his command, mounted their horses and gave pursuit. 
 The Serjeant soon overtook a large and very athletic Indian, 
 and dismounting 1 , deliberately levelled his gun within a few 
 feet of his breast, and pulled the trigger. The gun missed 
 fire ; and the red-skin now levelled his rifle, and lo, the 
 flint refused its duty ! Dashing his musket to the earth, the 
 Sergeant sprang to grapple his enemy, but was felled by the 
 clubbed end of his rifle. Rising, he used the breach of his 
 gun with good effect, but was repeatedly felled by the 
 greater strength of his foe. Victory hanging now in a 
 doubtful posture, he managed while his head was receiving 
 a succession of tremendous blows, to fix his bayonet, and 
 made a charge upon the herculean Seminole. Doubt was 
 
at an end ; the warrior took to his heels, and sought a tree. 
 There dodging a direct thrust of the instrument, he managed 
 to hold the anger of the Sergeant at bay, until the balance 
 of the command came up ; who, disposed to see a fair 
 fight, formed a circle around the combatants. All hope 
 was now cut off; and with a desperate valour he fought: 
 the Sergeant thrusting his bayonet through him, and laying 
 him dead at his feet." -St. Augustine News. 
 
 INDIAN NEWS. Our excellent correspondents at Black 
 Creek have put us in possession of intelligence from Fort 
 King to the 8th inst. which we give as follows : 
 
 " On last Sunday week, Col. Riley ran down an Indian in 
 the Pine Woods, near the Withlacoochee. A day or two 
 afterwards, he surprised an Indian camp, consisting of two 
 warriors, two squaws, and four children ; they killed the 
 two warriors and one squaw, and took the rest prisoners. 
 On Tuesday night last, one of the Indians made his escape, 
 owing to the sentinel going to sleep. One of the guard 
 saw him running, and fired at him, which alarmed the whole 
 camp ; the other sentinels also fired. Capt. Mason was 
 shot dead, either by the Indians, or accidentally by his own 
 men it is supposed that the latter was the case. He was 
 seen running after the Indian, and it is impossible to say 
 who killed him." Florida Paper. 
 
224 
 
 The Morning Herald states that in the West of Ohio, flour 
 is selling at two-and-a-half dollars per barrel, and that in 
 1836-7 it was fourteen dollars per barrel in New York. 
 The Indian war in Florida continues, and it seems to be one 
 of extermination. The civilized whites have resorted to the 
 barbarous practice of hunting down those whom they call 
 savages, with blood-hounds, which have been imported from 
 Cuba for the purpose. The following cool announcements 
 appear in the New York Morning Herald : " The blood 
 hounds, lately received from Cuba, have been subjected to 
 many experiments, the results of which have been very 
 satisfactory. They follow a trail twenty-four hours old with 
 rapidity and accuracy. Some of them are to be employed 
 by the troops now scouring the country, between the mouths 
 of the Wacassassa and Suwannee Rivers, Micanopy. &c." 
 
 THE BLOOD-HOUNDS IN FULL CRY. -" Major Bailey, with 
 a party of dragoons, and six blood-hounds, scented out 
 forty Indians recently in Florida, and killed six of them. 
 Only one dog was killed." 
 
 If the truth could be known, we should probably find that 
 the atrocities occasionally blazoned in the papers, for the 
 purpose of inflaming the public mind, were nothing more, 
 if they really occurred, than measures of retaliation for the 
 perfidy and cruelty of the whites. Some of the States have 
 remonstrated against the employment of blood-hounds, as 
 a barbarous practice, and some memorials have been pre- 
 
225 
 
 sented to Congress. They were referred to the Committee 
 on Military Affairs, which subsequently requested to be dis 
 charged from the consideration of the subject. The inform 
 ation received from the Secretary-at-War stated, that blood 
 hounds had certainly been employed for the purpose of 
 hunting the Indians, but he did not "feel authorized to 
 instruct the authorities of Florida not to employ them, for 
 the reason that they might be used to advantage." 
 
 The news from Florida, in relation to the fugitive Indians 
 in the vicinity of the Choctawhatchee Bay, is by no means 
 satisfactory. A letter to the Editor of the Pensacola Gazette, 
 dated at La Grange, on the 21st ult. gives an account of a 
 fight near Black Creek, between thirty-three whites and a 
 party of Indians in which five of the latter were killed, and 
 a child taken prisoner. Black Creek is about sixteen miles 
 from La Grange. Another murder was committed at the 
 Cow-ford, by the Indians, on the person of a Mr. Law 
 rence. On the 23rd, another fight took place at the Ala- 
 qua Creek, about five miles from La Grange in which 
 twelve Indians were killed, and ten made prisoners. The 
 Pensacola Gazette adds the following paragraph : " It is 
 reported that the Indians killed were all, or nearly all, 
 prisoners ; that there was but one man among the slain 
 the rest were women and children /" 
 
226 
 
 EXTRACT FROM COL. DAILY S REPORT. We encamped 
 together that night, which was the 14th. I discovered 
 considerable signs of Indians in the hammock, and 
 had determined on going in again the next day on foot. 
 On the 15th, in the morning, we went about two miles fell 
 in with Adjutant Norton, and his command of footmen, from 
 whom I learned, that on the previous morning he had, with 
 the blood-hounds, which were very useful, trailed an Indian 
 into the hammock; On arriving in the hammock, found the 
 sign very fresh, and turned the dogs loose. They went 
 about 150 yards came up and caught one of the Indians, 
 and the principal catch-dog was killed. Immediately the 
 men pursued after the other dogs, which were after the 
 Indians, for six or eight miles, but could not come up, in 
 consequence of the thickness of the swamp, &c. j but, 
 judging from the blood on the trail, one of the Indians must 
 have been badly wounded. Near the place where the dog 
 was killed, he came upon an encampment from which the 
 families had just escaped. On learning this the horse 
 men were all dismounted a horse guard was arranged, and 
 the balance of the men were formed into four detachments. 
 I then sent two detachments to my left, and one to my right, 
 and entered the hammock abreast. I had not gone more 
 than a mile into the hammock, when we came suddenly 
 upon a warrior, who was brought down by Capt. Hall, and 
 charging onward, we came upon a large encampment, from 
 which the approach of Adjutant Norton had evidently 
 
227 
 
 driven the families the previous morning, and if any war 
 riors were hanging around, they made off without showing 
 themselves. 
 
 The different detachments passed the day in endeavouring 
 to follow the trails ; but the nature of the grounds being 
 low and swampy, intersected in all directions by ponds 
 communicating with each other by runs of water, 
 through which the Indians travelled, rendered our labour 
 unavailing. 
 
 These two encampments were about two miles south of 
 the Jackson trail, and between the foot-log on the Econ- 
 fonee and Thomas s Old Mills on the Finholloway. They 
 had, I should judge, about twenty acres planted in pump 
 kins and squashes, but no corn that I could find. Crossing 
 the Finholloway, we proceeded to the Esteenhatchee, scout 
 ing the country on both sides the road from Fort Andrews 
 to Fort Frank-Brook, without discovering recent signs of 
 Indians, which may perhaps be attributed to the scarcity of 
 water in that section. 
 
 To the east of Esteenhatchee, near the Coast, I scouted 
 five days with equally poor success. 
 
 On Thursday, the 28th of May, sending part of my com 
 mand westward, I proceeded with the remainder to the 
 pumpkin hammock, in direct line, about six miles east of 
 the rocky ford on the Esteenhatchee, where we, on Friday, 
 the 29th, destroyed several fields of corn and pumpkins, &c. 
 returned to our horses at night, and on the next morn- 
 
228 
 
 ing, Captains Hall and Townsend returned to the fields with 
 fourteen men, to waylay. They started in the hammock at 
 daylight, and at the usual time of leaving camp, I moved 
 off with the horses, say about one and a half miles from the 
 hammock, so as to deceive the Indians if they had dis 
 covered us the day before. On arriving at the fields, they 
 lay in ambush about two hours, but saw no Indians. They 
 then proceeded to follow a trail that was discovered the 
 evening before pursued the trail about two hours came 
 upon a camp surprised and took prisoners ten women and 
 children, and accidentally shot one woman mistaking her 
 for a warrior. The women say the warriors were absent 
 hunting. In re-assembling my command at Fort Andrews 
 on the 3rd of June, I found seventy-one men on the sick 
 report ; and though the well men were ready to continue 
 operations, I judged it more prudent, after twenty-six days 
 of severe labor and exposure, to march them to their sepa 
 rate camps, to repair their health and strength. 
 
 We have, on this scout, broke up four encampments of 
 Indians, which must have contained from 125 to 150, old 
 and young ; and it is reasonable to suppose that we did not 
 find all. 
 
 Drew, Printer, 17, Portugal Street, Lincoln s Inn. 
 
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