Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-07-22
NO. s.
THE DADE MASSACRE

THE DADE MASSACRE.
Inc Boston Post publishes tho following inter.
.s.,hs account OF the massacre Of Mai Dsde,s Dc.
. . III Florida, IN Decen.he. Lees, s.:.n
~ 49,. ss ups ., Ransom CLARK, the only survivor
OF mat dreadful action, who is now in Rnston
Our detachment, consisting of one hurdrea .ra
ssNentseh men, under the command of Mai. Dads.
started from Fort Brook, Tampa Bay. on she ~
OF december, and arrived at the scene Of .eiio,,
ABOUT eight O'Clock OH the morning Of the 28th IL
was on the edge of the pond, three miles from The
po' " mere we mad oiyouacked in the night prsvi-
Gus. ne pond was surrounded by tall erasa hrrath
and small trees. A moment before We were mr.
|prised, MAJOR Dade said 10 us---sW have now rot
through all danger; keep up good heart, and when
we get to For, King, III give you three tiays ftr
4 Christmas. ~
At this time we were in a path or trail. ON thu
border Of the pond, and the first notice We reee;ved
lot the presence OF the enemy, was the i,charse ,.f
rifle BY their Chief, as signal to commence tina
attack The pond was OH our right, aud the Indi.
ans were scattereR iouIlt, ssa.;~i-.J., o., our
left, in the rear, and in misunderstanding NJ the
two points tothe edge of the pond but LEAVING 4,
opening for our entrance the path, and similar
opening on the other extremity of the egrsss Of ,,r
adj vance guard, which was permitted to pass thro,
without being fired on, and Of course unconscio,,s
lof the ambuscade through which they had marched.
Al the time OF the attack, this guard was about n
lowing i'll column two deep. The Chief,s ride
was followed by general discharge from his msw,
and Maj Dade, Capt. Frazer, and Lieut., NUDGE
toge hsfwth seve al non-comm ssonsd officers aud
privates were brought down by the first vollev..-
Our rear guard had six pounder which, az soo, a
possible, was hauled up, and brought to bear upon
the ground occupied by the unseen enomy sscreted
among the grass, brush, and trees. The Discharge
OF the cannon checked, and made them fall back
Tor about half AT hour About twelve of Us nd.
vanced, and brought III our wounded and the arms
leaving the dead. Among the wounded was II.
Nudge, who was speeches.. We set him Up a-
gains, tree, and he was found there two months
after, when Gen. Gaines sent a detachment to bu.
ny the bodies of our soldiers All hands then com.
menced throwing up small triangular breastwork
of logs, but just as we had raised it about two feet
the Indians returned and renewed the sngaxemant.
A part of oui troops fought within the breawwo.k.
and part outside. l remained outside until Re.
ccivad bali in my right arm, and another in nv
temple, which came out at the top of my head.
next received shot in my thigh, which brought
me down on my side, and then got into the bress,
work. We gave thcm fory.nne discharges from
the Cannon, and while loading for the fiitieth the
last shot we had, our match went out. The Indi.
ans chiefly lcvelled at the men who worked the
cannon. III the meantime the main body Of our
troops kept up general fire with musketIy.
The loss Of the enemy mus, have been yerv
great, because we never fired until we fixed ON our
men; but the cannon was necessarily fred &C
random, as only two or three Indians appeared TO-
gather. When the firing commenced. the advanc.
ed guards wheeled, and, in returning to the main
body, were edttrely cut up. The battle lasted till
about four i'll the afternoon, and was about the
las, who handled gun while laying on INV
side. AT tho close received shot in my riShe
shoulder, which passed into my lungs; the blood
gushed out oil my mouth III stream, aud, dSop.
| ping my musket, i rolled over OH my face. The
Indians then entered the breast work, but found not
one man 10 defend it. They secuted the arms, am
munllion, and the cannon, ami despatched such Of
our fallen soldiers as they supposed to be alive.--
Inc y negroes then came in 10 strip the dead.
had by this time somewhat revived, and q negro
obser' ed that was not dead, took up musket AND
shot me in the top of the shoulder, and the hall
came out at my back. After firing, he said,--
There, d--n yon, take that He then stripped
me OF every thing but my shirt.
The enemy then disappeared to the LEFT oil tho
pond, and through weakness and apprehension I
remained still, till about nine O'Clock at night. I
then commenced crawling on my knees and left
hand. AS Twas crawling over the dead, put my
hand OH one man who was warm and Timber. ]
reused him up aud found il was Dc Coufcy, "A
Englishman, and the Of British officer, resi-.
dent il Canada. told him il was best for u u
attempt to traye as the danger appeared to b OVER
and we might fall in with some assistance. A. he
was only wounded in the side aud arm, he conld
walk little. We got along as well as we could
that night, continued till~next day noon.
when on rising ground, we, observed an Indian
ahead, OH horse back, loading his rife. We 1.
greed that he should go OH one side Of the road,
and OF the other. The Indian took after Do
Courcy, aud heard tho discharge of his rids.-.-5
This gave me time 10 crawl into hammock, and
hide away. The Indian soon returned, with nj;
arms and legs covered with blood. having, no doul-
according to custom, cut Dc Courcey to pscss, 81
ter bringing him down with his rife. The Ind -.
came riding through the brush in pursuit Of n
and approached within ten feet, bu. gave up &
search. then resumed my route back ~ FSIv
Brooke, crawled and limped through the niahsss
forenoons, and slept in the brush during do
die Of the day, with 40 other nourishnseMt tnkys
cold water. Igotto Fort BEooke on the evening.
Of tho filth day; and in hvs months afterwards wes
discharged as pensioner, at sight dollars per
month. The doctor aasribuies nv mol tlyins ofmv
wounds to the circumstances that blsd eood an.
and did not panakc Of any solid food during he
five first days. Z 1sl
Two other soldiers, by the names Of Thomas
and Sprague, also came in afterwards Although
badly wounded, they assembled a tree, and thus ..
capped the enemy on the evening Of tho bsttis----
They joined another expeditions, two months aftsr,
but before their wounds had healed, and they soon
died of them.
LAKE SuPERIox. This magnificent sxpanse o.
fresh water, the largest perhaps in the world sno e
such unriyalled transparency, is said tobs MING
up. twill not, however, be in our day Or sens..
ton, a consolation which we arc ab,ndansly dis
posed to lay much TO heart. The thousand streams
which are daily pouring their sand ana swespane
their drift timber and stones into tls misny fesct
voir, will find il no easy task 70 l Up oa.,n
mi h,.,a Az one HUNDRED and sixty one-whils In
circumference Is nbout ono thousand one hundnd
miles and is depth nrns hundred fathorn:.n 4