The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-02-08

next morning for this place, where arrived on the
3ist and sent forward the wounded The next day 10
Tampa Bay, with the Fourth and Sixth iaiaary
the former 10 halt at Fort Fraser, remaining here
myself with the First In orderto make preparations
for taking the hed az ain soon rs my hcISss can
b. recruited, most Of which have been sent TO Tampa
and Sny supplies In suhicieat stsse Of lorwardhess
te1nsiify the measure,
In speaking OF the CON aaAd, can only say, the
so far the regular troops are concerned, no one
could have been more eshc,enIly sustained .nsn
have been from the commencement oil the campaign
and am certain thai they will always b. willing
and ready 10 discharge any duiythal may be assign
To Lieutenant Colonel Davenport and the officers
and soldiers OF the First Infantry, feel under many
obligations for the manner IN which they have, on
ali occasions, discharged their duty, and although
held in reserve and brought into battle untnear
is close Il eYinced by lis eagerneSs 10 engage and
the promplneSs and good order with which they
entered the hammock, when the order was given for
them to do so, is the best evidence that they would
have sustained their own characters as we'll as that
of the regiment, had Il been their fortune 10 have
bsen placed in the hottest of the blue.
The Fourth Infantry, under their gallant leader,
Lieutenant Colonel Foster, was among the first To
gain the hammock, and maintained this position, as
well as driving portion Of the enemy before him,
until he arrived on the borders of Lake Okee-Cho-
kee, which was in their rear and continued the pur-
suit until near night Lieutenant Colonel Foster,
who was favoraby noticed for his gaantry and good
conduct in nearly all the engagements on the Naga-
"a frontier during the late war with Great Britain,
engagements with The Indians in this Territory
never acted conspicuous part than in the &C.
ton of the 18th u; he speaks in the highest terms
ofthe conduct Of Brevet Maior Graham, his second
in command as also the officers and soldiers of the
Fourth Infantry, who were engaged in the action
Captain Allen, with his two mounted companies of
the Fourth Infantry, sustained his usual character
for promptness and efficiency. Lieutenant Hooper
Of the Fourth Regiment was wounded through The
arm, bat continued on the field, at the head OF his
company, until the termination Of the bltlle.
am notsuihcien,iy master of words 10 express my
admiration OF the gallanry and steadiness OF the o
GERS and soldiers OF the Sixth Regiment OF Infantry
was their fortune TO bear the brun Of the battle
The report ofthe killed and wounded, which accom-
panies this, is more conclusive evidence of their me-
rits than any thing can say. After five companies
OF this regiment against which the enemy directed
the most deadly fire. nearly cut up, their being
only four men LETT unnIured in one OF them; and
every officer and orderly sergeant Those companies
with one exception, were either killed or wounded,
Captain Noel, with the remaining two companies,
his own company r." and Crossman's B" com
manded by Second Lieutenant Woods, which was
the le Of the regiment, formed on the right of the
Fourth Infantry, entered the hammock with that re-
ginen, and continued the fight and the pursuit until
us termination IL is due to Captain Andrews and
Lieutenant Walker to say, they commanded two Of
the first companies mentioned above and they CONT
nued 10 direct them un il they were both severely
wounded and carried from the field; the latter re-
ceiving three separate bills.
The Missouri Volunteers under the command OF
Colonel Gentry and Morgan's Spies, who formed
the first line and, of course the first engaged
acted as WELL or even better than troops of that de-
scrip,ion generally do; they received and returned
the enemys fire with spirit for time when they
broke and retired, with the exception Of Capt Gillian
and a few OF his company, and Lieutenant Blakey
also with a few men, who joined the regulars and
acled with them, until after the close of the battle
bainot until they had suffered severely The com.
handing officer OF the Volunteers Colonel Gentry
being MORALLY wounded while leading on his men
and encouraging them to enter the hammock and
come 10 close quarters with the enemy his SON. an
interesting youth l8 10 years of age sergeant ma
Ior OF the regiment, was severely wounded at the
Captain Childs, Lieuenants Rogers and Flanagan
Of Genlry's regiment Acting Major Sconce, and
Lieuten lnts Hase and Cord IN of the Spies, were
wounded while encouraging theirmen to discharge
of their duty
The Volunteers and Spies having, as before stat
ed fallen back TO the Baggage, could not again be
formed and brought up TO the hammock in any thing
like order; but number of them crossed indi-
vidually, and aided in conveying the wounded across
the swamp to the hammock, among whom were
Captain Cnrd and several other officers, whose
names do not now recoect
To my personal staff consisting of First Lieue-
nant J. M. Hill ofthe Second, and First Lieutenant
Geo H. Griffin of the Sixth Infantry, the latter aid
de-camp TO Major General Gaines and volunteer
in Florida from his staff, feel under the greatest
obligations for the promptness and efficiency with
which they have sustained me throughout the cam
paign, and more particularly fortheir good conduct
and the alacrity with which they aided me and
conveyed my orders during the action OF the 25th
ullimo
Captain Taylor, Commssary Of Subsistence, who
was ordered to join General Jesup at Tampa Bay
as chief Of the Subsistence Department, andwho was
ordered by him 10 remain with this column until
he General Jesup, joined il; although no command
was assigned Captain Taylor he greatly exer,ed
himself in trying to rally and bring back the voun-
teers into action well dscharging other impor-
tant duties which were assigned him during the
action.
Myself, as well as all who witnessed the attention
and ability displayed by Surgeon Satterlee medical
director on this side the peninsula assisted by As
sistant surgeons McLaren and Simpson, of the me-
dical staff OF the army, and Drs Hannah and Cooke
of the Missouri volunteers, in ministering 10 the
wounded as well as their uniform kindness to them
on all occasions, can never to be referred to by
me but with the most pleasing and grateful recoec
tons.
The Quartermasters Department, under the d-
rection Of that efficient officer Major Brant and his
assistant, Lieutenant Rabbit have done every thing
that could be accomplished 10 throw forward from
Tampa Bay, and keep up supplies Of provisions, TO-
rage, DC. with the limited means at their disposal
Assistant Commssaries Lieutenants Harrison sta
toned at Fort Gardner, and Mcclure, at FortFra-
ser, have fully met my expectations in discharge of
the various duties connected with their department
as well as those assigned them in the Quarermasers
Department.
The column in six weeks penetrated one hundred
and hily miles into the enemy'S country opened
roads, and constructed bridges and causeways when
necessary on the greater portion of the route, esta-
biShed Two dep0is. and the necessary defences for
the same, and finally beat the enemy in his strongest
position. The results OF which movement and bat
lie have been the capture of thirty ofthe hoses the
coming in and Surrenderng of more than one bun-
ared and htty Indians and negroes, mostly the for
mer, including the Chiefs Ou-la-too-chee Tus-ta-
nu5-gee, and other principal men, the capturinp and
driving out of the country six hundred head of cat
tie, upwards of one hundred head of horses besides
oDtalhihg thorough knowledge of the country