Litchfield enquirer., 1836-02-04

they may yet have greater mass to answer
for, in comparison with which the past was
but drop 10 the bucket.
DISTRESSING NEWS FROM FLORIDA.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IS.
Yesterdays mail bro1s"t "ews by way OF New U .,
leans, i~hich place bad reached by "a!er Of the
ourDriee and massacre, by the Seminole Indians, OF
two whole companies Of United States troops cOnsIs-
ting Of ll2 men, under the commaSd Ut MAJOR DADE'
Major DADE had with his troops from Tam
ga Bay Camp King, TO join Gen. CLINcH, when, on
she morning oC the 2Sh Decemoer, at or 3 o'clock,
being on the third fOHrh day Of heir march. they
were surrounded by large body Of Indians, supposed
10 40 nber from 500 to lO0O and were cut 10 pieces
Only thgee men Of the Il2 escaped badly wounded to
recount the Iamentabe history The bulchery Of their
9ellOw.eoldiers.
Major DADE was shot off his horse on the COM
r,encemeat Of the attack. Captains GARDNER and
FRASER after fell MORALLY wounded, and their
scalps were take" by the eavages. Leotenants BAs-
SINGER, HENDERSON, NUDGE, aRd kEAN, DR.. CAT
LIN, Surgeon TO the detachment. were all sIain.-
Lieutenant BAssINGER was wounded on the o"se',
and discovered by negro in the party OF ea"a-
gee, crawling off TO place Of coHcealment and to".-
Shawked. So little were those troops aware OF their
DANGER that they did not see an Indian unt'' many
shots had been fred. They were caught in an am
hush, and dearly paid the penalty ofinsuficient pre-
Coionei TwlGGs, Of the u s. army, chartered the
steamboat Merchant, aud started with tour companies
Of troops from New Orleans to TAMPA bay. Major
The above massacre took place, the reader will
eee on the 28,h Of Dec. The battle between Gener-
al CLlNcH and the Indians took place the SOih.-
The distance between the two Of action being
not greater than could have been travelled ia the IN
terveRing time there is reaa6n believe that the In
dams whom Geo. CLINcH was engaged with were
those which destroyed the command Of Major DADE
Aejor Beltons official report Of the disastrous r feat
IL. y ~
liant Major Dade, ofthe 5th Regiment of Lnfantry,
sehich occurred on the 28th Dec.
The detachment consisted OF Major Dade's compa-
nv Of Infantry, Capt Frazers company Of the Sd Re-
giment Of Artillery and Capt. Gardeners company Of
the Cd Artillery being GO miles on the line Of march
from Tampa Bay toward Fort King. to form junction
with Gen. Lyach, the WythIiooche. This action
SEEMS three days before the battle where
Gen. Clinch commanded, Of which we have already
given an account.
Ertract.-Now it becomes my melancholy duty to
proceed 10 the catastrophe Of This fatal band, elite
Of energy, patriotism military skill and constant
age. On the 9th, in the afternoon, man Of my COM
pany, John Thomas, aud temporarily transferred to
G. company, I'd Artillery, came in, ard yesterday Pr
Ransom Clark, Of the same company, with 4 wounds,
very severe, and stated that action took place
the 28,L, commencing about ten O'clock; 10 which
every officer fell and nearly every man. The com'-
mand eDirenched every night, and about four miles
from the halt attacked, and received least f.
teen rounds before lohian seen. Major Dade
and his horse both killed the first onset, and
the interpreter "Lous." Lieut. Nudge, ID Artillery
received his mortal wound first fire. and afterwards
received several other wounds. LII Basenger, 81 Ar
tery, was not wounded till after the second attack:
and the latter part Of that, he wounded several
times before he was tOmaIawked. Capt. Gardner,
ID Artillery wounded until the second attack,
and at the last part Of IL. Mr. passenger, after Capt
Gardner was killed, remarked. 90 am the only off,
Ger left, and, boys will do the bes, can" L..
Kean, Sd Artillery, had both arms broken the FIRST
shot, unable Ia act; and was tomahawked the
latter part Of the second attack by negro. It, Hen.
derson had his left broken the first fire. and after
that with musket &, ed eas, thirty forty Shots
DR.. Calm not killed until after the second attack,
nor was he wounded; he placed himself behind the
breast work, and with two double barreIIed guns,
said he had four barrels for them" Capt. Frazer
fell early in the action with the advanced guard as
man Of his company. (B. 81 Artillery who came in
this morning wounded, reports.
On the attack they were in column Of route; and
after receiving a heavy fire from the unseen enemy,
they then up in such a swarm, that the ground
covered, was thought by Light Infantry extension,
showed the Indians betwee" the files. Muskets were
cnbhed, knives and bayoneis were used. and parties
clnched. In the second attack, our own mems mus
kes, from the dead and wounded, used against
them FIRE cut down succession Of artileriss
AT the fence, from which Oriy-nine rounds fred
the were burnt, and the guns sunk in
pond. A dance was held on the ground-many
negroes were j" the field but scalps taken by
the Indians, bot the negroes, with hellish cruelty,
pierced the shroais fall whose lou cries and groans
ehowed the power Of life to lie yet strong. The sur
vvors were preserved by imifang death, excepting
Thomas, who partly slifed, and bought his life
for ak dollars, and in his enemy recognized Indian
whose he had helved few days before at this
post. About 100 Indians we'll mounted, naked
and painted. The last man who came in brought
note from Capt. Frazer, addressed to- Major Mount.
ford, which fastened in cleft stick, and stuck in
creek, as is supposed, the 9th, stating that they
were beset every night and pushing on.
With regard TO the affairs Of this post, have to
state tina, the Schr. Motto, though daily expected has
not vet arrived. The defencee have been some vha,
extended aud etreng the ned-the old Cansonment has
been entirely ahandoned--and anxiously await
ordnance and ordnance stores. The Garrison is
heal,by and have caused 10 embark board Of the
return Transport to New Orleans, several families
iacooche. They are recommended TO the kindness Of
the commanding officer, and have ordered the dis
bursemenl TO he covered by the QuartermasterS De-
pariment. The vessels engaged lor the emigrang
Indians to rendezvous here the 18th inst. have 10
part arrived az and schooner from NJ Orleans with
provisions. making i" all five. We have had no CON-
municatioD with the Florida Head Quarters any
subject connected with the public service here for
near four weeks. On this day the distribution Of pro-
visions under the treaty Under exist
ing order. have 20 far considered myself an Indian
Agent, as TO authorize the issues, and take meas
pres for the security Of the deposit Of provision by
distributing them IN the Transports now anchored in
the bay. This arrangement cannot repor. az COM
pete, but hope succeed without additional
To land those provisions this post where already
80 much public property is irremediaby exposed to
eonaagraiioD !" the event Of an attack, and pro-
sure ito destruction, and perhaps crush all hopes Of
emigration. These proceedings will, trust, be an
proved by the Secretary Of War.
Ia conclusion. beg leave TO remark, that such are
the Indian combinations, that considered prac-
tcable 10 force or keep ope0 communication with
nsaAn