Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-04-15

We copv from the Cube the following Letter, al
dressed to Of the Representatives. IN IRON
Alubama by Major Hitchcock, one OF the stah oIhceh
80 Four DAAxE, March II, 1896.
Sin: The following statement Of facts IN relation te
the recent movement of troops from LOUISIANA uhae'
the immediate command of Ma General Gasnes you
may rely upon, and, II you lhInA proper 'hay use o'
the information OF The Public.
General Gaines left his permanent headquarters OIL
Memphis. (Tennrsscr,) on tour o inSpecuoh, aho Dr.
rived at New Orleans about the 10Th o! January, "he!e
he heard for the frs! time, OF serious disturbances IN
Florida and particularly Of the melancholy massacre oil
Mai,r Dude and his command, which occufrra on t'e
2$,h of December. He immediately conrIaHscatsd vi! ~
the Governor OF Lrusiaua, AID requested li'' to cali
upon aud hold readiness body OF volunteers "' ser.
vice in subdunr the Seminole lntlars. ana procreued
10 Pensacola u solicit the cooprall"n OF the naval toIc
on that Laun At Pensacola he found his WISHES had
been anticipated, Coim"dnrrs Dallas and Bolton, and
Captain Webb, having already directed their attention
towards TAMPA Bay, and u!!rr nlrts of Florida, Will
| Their they had ordered marrS and munitions Of VA
The G.Irrai on his way 10 lcnSaco!a, feeling called
upon 10 take the most prompt anu ecIsP" measures |"
sustain the military post !!hn his Command and Sc
The peace Of c iron;r Issued hi orders 10 Lieut.
Colonel lwilgs 10 receive into s"rycc eight cn'Parlrs
Of the volunteers requested Of hc Go.crunr OF LuuISa.
na and together with The regular farce at baton Rouge,
New Orleans, and Other stations III the immediate Wei
nifty Of New Orleans, 10 hold himself IN readiness Tor
nnYrtnrui 10 Tampa Bay. The whole force amounted
to about 100 men. including about 100 v"unteers.-
This order WIS dated at Mobile The 18th Of january.
The General visited Pensacola slated, and then pro-
cccdcd New Orleans where lie arrived about the 2U:!
lie organized ana rqulpcd his force and moved on The
9Th of February, in three steamboats,. he reached
Tampa Bay The Eth and on Tie lh took the held IN
the rncnys country. 1t was first designed to search
FIR and dr!ca! body of indians reported u have been
recently in the ueIuUUrNIUd Of Fult brooke, SAID 10
have been in JatlI. only day two before the arrival
of The General, with the friendly lndians. According
IT, the General mac lcd in casterIy direction upon
The A!aia river, but n the end vi to days. having "und
Two or ;krcc rLs o lurnps and other vegetables, as
also udler. stacks not destroyed by the enemy, II was
readily concluded lie could not have been IN That vic
nifty in any considerable force, aud the General directed
his march towards Fort King lie had taken ten day
utions only but had reason to suppose that large sup
ply of stores Fort King, the Quarrrnaser hnv-
ing shown him an oiicia letter from the Quarrrnnsc7-
General advising him that l3UAUO ratnns had been
ordered that post. The letter ia led the 2lst oi
January.
| The march was continued 10 For King. passing on
the 20tl of February the battle-ground of the gallant
band OF umde. Ma nr Dade. The 2ot!i OF Decen
| Der, where inferred the bodies ns IU6 heroes No
language DO Justice to the scrnr. The remains OF
our mutatcd brothers in arms found where they
had fallen at their posts, the very position Of Lire I'D
vanccd guard being clearly Indicated. Our troops
marched 10 solemn music around the Little brrasiworks
which had Lce hastily rorn up. and w!;ec The last "i
the party were destroyed; each individual lying al inc
breastw0rks. where, hey ond doubt he tr IN the exc
culiun Of his daty We continued our n'arch snort
distance that day and, The =! ii /" celebrate the
birth Of linn Who first IN WIZ, hIss III peace an"
first in The hearts OF his counirymen, we arrived al
Fart KIM and gave agreeable surprise TO one com
cany ut artillery the garrison nt that past, which, from
its isolated and exposed situation had been reported IN
the presses of the country having been assaulted ana
DESTROYED by tho indians. The garrison had, Indeed,
been exposed; but wus well prepared give the enemy
4 warm reception. The guard on the approach Of Cen
Gaircs laradrd and the customary hon"rs paid in
due iurn bu: where the hearts OF all at that mo.
ncnt The writer Of tins con!csscs he tnrnra ASIDE
| 70 wipe away tear.
The General. Contrary 10 his reasonable expectations
fou:,d sufficient supply Of stores OF any KIND. me
next morning. thu 2d all the loEsrs we!c 81 to Fort
Dfanc % miles northwest, with suitable convoy for 4
supply of provisions. The 2!th brought US al that
cod b. procured, and it ascrrained 10 b: but seven
days rations, which, with tw" Gays supply found at
Fort King, made up all that could be locked lor III That
uuart,r The General had ;hcn decide upon his rSt
| movement 70 remain at Fort King, withou! supplies,
was out Of tie question; 10 proceed iur!cr north, lngh'
cnlarrass the operations &" another officer then ascrr.
tuiurd to be employed at PIcoIaa in preparing force and
supplies to penetrate the enemy country Aer much
and mature dclIberaon. the General decided to move
south again by the battle ground OF General C!nch-
If the eue,y should not h" found the General would
al all events reach supplies at Tampa Bay His move
mcnls would occupy, and perhaps, concentrate the enc
NY and tend greatly give security TO the frontier and
enable ain,s to return to their Deserted plantations
and in safety rcconlmcEce he;r peaceful arocaiiois
which was considered OF very great importance the
operations Lastly, but not the least OF the consdera
| tons we might fad aud beat the enemy.
The General moved from Fort King on The goth o.
February uld on the 2TI at : clock, VIC were on Inc
rJLL bank Of The Wthacnochcc, at The place where
General Clnch crossed the river the 3lst December pre-
ccdinr The troops had advanced from Tampa Day
and to this time te same order OF march has been pre-
served in three coluns right centre and eit respect
iyely about 100 yards distant from each other, with
sronr advanced und guard The baggage being in
the rear the centre Column. In THIS order followed
that we struck the river at hce points, The advanced
guard as the crntre being al the Usual Crossing place
The baggage aud the haG been ordered to halt, II:
the General only designed Examining the crossing place
Up to this time attack annoyaice had been Offer"
Us since We left Tampa Bay, AND but few o. us expected
il at the Withlacouchcc. We were, therefore, many o
u.s. tully exposed while sounding and examining the RI
yer: and our exposure matter ct peculiar remark
when fer the first time, opposite left flank. spirited
lire heard, accompanied by tie enl'rening war gel
of the savage. The fight continued about hal, ar
hour the enemy being the left bank OF The river
when The General ordered the troops to encamp near the
river We lost one killed and eg ht wounded. On the
2s,l we moved down the river about two miles, where
the banks were less covered with thlckct, and the al
vance guard here fired upon, and lLeulenant izaFd
of the s. Dragons mortally wounded. lie Tell, but
partially recovering himself, commanded his men, Will
inc utmost cJnposurc, 10 keep their position ana it
close-a command scarcely less remarkable Than that
the lame ntcd Lawrence: Don give up me sup. Lieu
tenant lzard after five days OF suffering died CD the oil
of March, and was buried the BANKS O. the Hithla
coochce hims,a loss gIea, for The savage foe ever
10 compensate.
Tie ighl was continued the 2olh, with hIte or ne
n,crr,;ss:on from about o'clock until o'clock T. NJ
when we cncanped again. During ih's Pef'ou The D.
diaus kent I'd Il continuous yci except during an inter
val, when they rrtrea!ed for short time We lost this
day. beside Lieut. lard one killed, and Captain sann
Jeis commanding the friendly Indians, and Capt Arm
strong of tie u S schooner Motto both volunteers
onnJ.d the latter slightly. In The evening OF this day
~ ern-nss was sent to Fort Drane TO report to the OIL:
Ger commanding in that quarter, that the eneGiy hae
been found in lorce and 10 recommend an immediate
movement, crossing the "i'!acoochee some distance
| -: nnulh IerminaIe the