Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-02-13

frea. and lying concealed during tho day. a. cer-
tain poiuis wiero il was probable Indians would
rass.
Having failed in discovering Indians by scout
ing''nights, and being satisfe1 by a stay OF nearly
two days id The water near Jupiter, that Indians
no longer even yisited the vicinity. | closely ex-
amined the CO.'S, and main land ON my return
and am confideniiihat the Indians seen at Gilbefts
Bar cana from st Lucie.
On ny regaIning This post, I forthwith made
preparation for a more extended scout to the
| North, for the purpose of routing the Indians
supposed TO be In The vicinity of Cape CaaasefaI
| ppd Merriu's Island, and on the 4th inst started
with AZ men in seven boats, accompanied ny
Lieutenants Taylor, Steploe aud Van Vliet, to
getler with Assistant Surgeon SiDons who
promptly volunteered for duty in the line, as wen
as to &c. in his official capacity, plotted by
Mcssrs Ashlock snd Bayard, both VI whom were
of essential service.
On the I'd day, discovered q large field on the
coast side, and opposite tie southern end OF Mer-
ritts Island, cultivated last year, and preparation
made for another crop tho coming spring. nefe |
took the passage between The coast and island.
wholly unknown to any one on board, examIn'
ing the shore where o landing could be effected
without discovering my signs ofIudians until The
9TH day, when we came upon a camp OF several
palmetto houses and one board house, situated IN
| o hammock, several miles TO the North Of The
cape ard fields under cultivation 10 the amount Of
seven acres,a large crib of ssvera! hundred pump
kins, signs of q horse, and evidently an Inhabited
camp within a week. and the residence OF a large
party for many years. / burned the buildings.
destroyed the vegetables, md proceeded up the
coast about 0 miles, when ! came TO another lata-
ly Inhabited camp and signs Of cultivation. and
| the same horse track seen the day before, and the
signs Judged TO be from six TO seven days DID,
On the 5uh morning, soon after starting, rowing
with nufled oars aud in a fog close to the shore,
| discovered two canoes iii a creek loading into All
Island at the head Of Merritt's Island, landed and
! fading atrail, pursued It for a half a mile; when
we surprised a camp. capturing m Indian woman
and Guild, a negro by the na rno Of Friday, his wife
and two children; he says he he'ongs TO Maxy
Deli, Esq, and was taken with his family some
four years siIee hetween Black Creek aud New
manssiile.
From the negro I learned ! was on the trail of
the party whose village | had destroyed the day
bcfo'e-,hat they had been gone five or six days,
part of ihom by land and part Of them by water,
on a fishing excursion 10 Mosquito Lagoon
or to the Countic Ground and Orange Groves in
shc Big swamp. Having destroyed a quantity
of corn aud vegetables Ut the place, | proceeded
% and arrived at the Haulover at 10 o'clock at
night, discovered DO signs OF Indians until 2 o.
clock in The morning, when the horse whose signs
we had seen for the last three days came to The
place where wo lay concealed. Having secured
him, | took his trail at day light with q party of
81 soldiers, leaving Lieut. Van Vli.s and II men
TO guard the prisoners aud hoats. Al 0 O'Clock
We came upoa a party Of 81 men, women aud
children. just embatking 10 return 10 their late res
idence. lIThey took to the water With as many Of
theit boats assthey could easllyreach. We followed
some wading. other in canoes which had been
lett and finally succeeded in capturing all their
boats but one, not however, without a stou. resis-
lance by one boat pursuid by Lieut. Taylor and
two soldier; one warrior keeping up as tea1y fire,
while the other, with the women, propelled the
boat, the warriors were at last shot, and in the
course ofiwo hours we fonnd ourselves in possess
sion Of Z boais, "a prisoners, 2 dead warriors
aud one woman and child accidentally killed.
The prisoners were 8 warriors, 2 boys, IL and
Is years Of age, 7 women and IL children.
Learning from negro Friday, that a creek lea
ding from the st Johns, about 10 miles from In
dian River, and Z from Fort McNed, resided three
warriors 2 women and 2 children, | dclertpiucd
to visit them: and on the 9TH day dropped down
about 7 miles from the Hsuiovei and 10 the scuih-
ern termination fthe Big swamp, and AT ~ M
despatched Lieu,s. Taylor and Van Vliet with 20
men, and Friday for a guide. AT 2 o'clock, A. NJ,
Lieut.. Taylor returned with two women and two
children prisoners, leaving one dead warrior on
the field, destroying two splendid caroes, and
burning their canp-hasing marched through
and ponds upwards Of 2 miles. | could
learn Of no other party Of lndiaus, and my boats
being encountered with prisoners, and the men ex-
hausted, from excessive labor, | determined to re-
turn, and arrived at this port last evening, after an
absence of ten days-having rowed upwards of
$50 miles, and secuted on land so more.
To attempt to speak Of individual officers and
soldiers, when all lent the entire energies of their
fniads and bodies to the successful accomplish
mept of The object in view, would be inviduous.-
Each and every ind. idual endured priyaiipns and
fatigue without a murmur, worthy of a more glo-
,ious csuse and more lasting honor.
REHABILITATION.
Warriors. Women. Children. Total.
Killed. 8 5
Prisoners, 3 10 II 80