Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-05-17

pieola,a, April 30, 1886. {
SIR: For the information of the War Depa sment,
have the honor to report my arrival here yeslefoay.
NV last report was dated Tampa Bay the !2lH ara
18th instant The right wing aud the centre OF IBIS ar
my moved from that place on the I!ln' rs o'a aiso 'e
South Carolina mounted regiment. The foot Of The same
wing (he lefty had remained encampeo LOT Twelve uoys
about is miles from Tampa the Fort King road ana
the Florida battalion commenced its embarkaon tor the
mouth of the Wilhlacoochee the lith le!t iamPa
the Same day. and Joined The foot Of The elt wing WIN
which marched to Fort Alabama, on the Hilsooronsh-
| Here on the next day were rejoned oy the south
Carolina mounted regiment, from its expedition to The
head Of Peas creek, where no Indians ana no recent
trails were found Col Goodwin, the commander, now
ever discovered and burnt an extensive town 90 e e'
| bank of that stream. =. ,r.,,
On IN. 2O,h the left wing pnssed the big "i.flac"o
cnee where found the centre engaged in construct
ing defence for its baggage tram preparatory 10 entr'
ing md securing the forks Of the Whlucoochees whilst
the left wing advancing by the core and the eit Oank
| of the main river.
continued to march with the left wing riH The scene
of Dades massacre Pclaklckaa and the upper crossing
of the Ockawaa. On the nlgh OF the I'D, our camp
was fired upon by party Of six eight OF The enemy
| One man aud two horses were slightly wounded al
daylight detachment Of horse was put IN pursuit OF lhe
enemy but at the end Of acw miles the trail was ost
between Of those alnGlocks, s"anps ahu PohoS,
| which everywhere abound
Another small party of the enemy was met on the
morning Of the 2lth, and which might have been cu' OH
from The nearest haminock, but Tor false movement
made by the company of horse constituting the advance
ruard The horses aid packs OF the party were capufeo
but after hating, and securing succession OF nam
mocks which were, far practicable, surrounded oy
the horse we found ourselves cuded by every Indian
mention these notifying incidents to show The cha
racter Of the enemy and the nature OF the country Inc
foot broke ammocks where goat eouiu not pche-
t.ae and The horse rapidly took up The positions assign
cd but the enemy all such cases, conrl'ed 10 cscaPe
by sccre, qes which afterwards but rarely De
found
When al the distance Of twenty-five miles, took an
oftwo mounted companies: anu procseueu TO O.
lusia on the 2I,h. Finding there the United States
steamer the EsScyonS, embarked IN her, and with
guurd Of only seventeen determined to penetrate,
by the ST Johns, the southern part OF the peninsula aS
far as practicable Colonel GadSden, Captain Canted:
and Lieutenant Johnston accompanied me- 10 note the
course and depth Of the river together WIN the genera
topography Of the country. We found no difficulty III
uasse up to the head Of Lake Monroe and might have
carried to that point draft of ght or Dine eet of wafer
The distance assembled is two hundred miles from the
mouth of the river, and sixty from SouSa. we louhc
the river beyond the lake nearly as bold as below" anu
if we could have crossed the bar al the entrance we CO
not doub! that might have gone flty or seventy miles
further towards Cape FIorda but unfortunately our
boat drew more than four feet, and we only ioune tour
Oh The bar. ,
oh.cts was anxious to discover whether lie ihd'ahs
had any settlements the upper part OF the river 10
find Out the place Of conceal.nent for Their women ch
and negroes; to give TO the we'll disposed Tue
latter opportunity OF communicating WIN US ~ oo
serve trails and crossings and particularly to Ind good
pont as far in the interior practicable Tor inc csaos
ing of new post before the !ecommencemen 81 active
operations on our part. ouch point we iouhu aoout
EIGHT miles below Lake Monroe, the east bank. "A
.adinu trail passes through il. Here we took the terry
canoe in ascending ane here on returning sharp hFe
was thrown in upon By party OF ten or hl'ceh IN
dians who lay concealed in high grass on the west SIDE
But tor their nidty, they might have killed the four
officers who standing exposed on The bow OF tie
boat they fired from distance Of three hundred yards
B1radcr. General Eustis arrived with the body Of the
I Vain the
left there under Major Gates had been sharply attacked
on the l4h By perhaps eighty Indians Two OF Our men,
who happened be outside, were killed, and possibly
| Inc enemy lost as many; but no sorue was made.
Before the arrival of Eusts, had planned an expedi-
lion TO Snrug Garden, consisting OF two companies OF
horse that had escorted me, anu sixty volunteers Oh Tue
yarrson The detachment returned without discovering
any recent signs OF The enemy:
n tho volunteers of the left wing marched under Col
Goodwin on the morning Of the 2otl for ST. Augustine
ria Tornoka &c. Brgadicr. Generals Eusus ana BULL
both being much lndisposed, came Down the river WIN
me- The regulars left 10 garrison ousla ana 10
suncrintend the vacuation of the post which had ai-
ready became extreme sIcky Many cases OF malignant
bilious fever had occurred; which, in the opinion OF some
of the physicians threatened The approach lhe yeo"
fever l5y the aid of boats, The Sunee and the Is
savons the evacuation may be completed III week Col
Good yn and the regiments OF volunteers may De
expected to reach ST. Augustine, with the baggage tai
in four days from this Time ne VIII PURSUE any es "
dian trail he may cross. ~.
have had rs vet no report from Brig Gen. Cllnch.
learn, however, unoficially that he reached Fort
Drane on the 2Gih without finding IN his march any par
~ Of The enemy exceeding 10 or ~; .
From Col Smith, who, with the LOUISIANA volunteers,
went on an expedition up the Peas creek via Charlotte
Harbor nothing had been heard when eit tampa Day.
mav receive his report via ST. Marks and Tallahassee
in ten or twelve days One from Maj Reed, who COM
manded the expedition up the Whlacoochee, (fron It's
nou,hl may be expected in the same time, and also
third from Col Lindsay. On the receipt OF all lese re-.
ports shall be able form pretty accurate opinion OF
- I'D IN mi n
which must be recommended at q better season, and
with very different means On slde far, nothing
of importance has been achieved
am more than ever persuaded that the whole force
or the enemy including the negroes, does not exceed
twelve hundred fighting 1t probably something
less OF that force equally confident that not hVe
hundred have any time, since the commencement OF
hosilies, been brought within the same zen mics
In all our operations within the last thirty days, we have
not found party Of than perhaps one hundred ana
thirty but parties Of from ten TO thirty nave oeen en-
counercd almost everywhere. NO lnoah ~o'nah cma
or negro the trace Of onc has Dseh seen IN tha'
lin. Those non combalants it has been evident to US
all have been removed beyond the theatre Of our opera
tons They were doubt. even while Inc Parey was
going on with Gen. Gaines on the 'i hlaG"' norins
off 10 the Southeast beyond Peas creek and Lake Top
Lii, and in ha, almost inaccessible region they are
now concealed That Officer it is sad caused fowe!i
and his Chiefs to he Informed, by way Oh INDUCING the
"a ,rroe 70 accep. the Wthlacoochce as temporary
hopod,rv that arge armies were approaching, winch
would fill I'D The Indian country, OF crush every Ihng
in the way The willy chiefs rrohed by Inc lnforma-
linn: sent off their families, and dispersed their warriors
ao small parties: In this way rows Expects 10 MAKE
good his theat, viz that he 70s" pf0'H "e ra' "'se
years. o ,orer,dsd that M, ,oss
than 5000 regular troops ore Indispensable 24Oo foot
I'D ,hou, GOO horses: the country TO be secured and &C.
omnicd requires that number. have particular de-
SIRE to conduct the operations Of the forces That
is a duty which shall neither solicit nor decline.
OF The 5000 good troops mot volunees Ave hundred
m he necessary garrison five posts for the deposit Of
supplies say one the ST. Johns, miles below Lake
the Pong Creek Il railes nhaYe !