Litchfield enquirer., 1846-03-05
DADE'S BATTLE GROUND.

r. ii /s,a .f By.
DADE'S BATTLE GROUND.
Tampa Bay. Florida. Dec. 26, 1876
al noon, l was on the Dscene OF Dade'.
Massacre. A large pit on one side of the
road With q stake u each end. indicates
the spot. 10 this the men that fsll ~
that sad occasion, were inferred. Two
pits on the opposite side Of the road Were
the graves Of the officers. The remains
OF all were q few years since, removed n
the Mausoleum Of st. Augustine. Alone
In the wilderness on the fatal sput. I
examined the ground, and the trees in
which cannon and rnushest shot are zee 10
be seen; unused upon the ireachery OF
the red man. assUAth wrong done 20 his
vanished race. There is generally q W.
~ erroneous impression concerning this
Battle ground. 1t is supposed to be sur
rounded bya dense hammock, and one of
of the most favorable spots for an ansbus.
cade. This IL not the case. Il 10 cover.
ed by the ordinary pine growth. and 10
apparently q spot little suited for ambush.
Ia selecting 1t. however, the Indians dis.
played unusual sagacity. Mai. Dade,
"setA sssO VOt1bStOuV VI OtJ0 UUUOFGO 8u0
ten officers aud nnen marched from Tam
pa Bay, about the 18th of December,
1885. The Indians were known to be
lurking ia that vicinity. The scrubs
and hammocks on the route were bat.
with Crepe and muskct shot, discharged
by his men, to dislodge the TOE that might
be lurking in them. An advance guard
and flankers were kept out. anc every
necessary caution was observed. Many
a spot between Tampa and the scene Of
conflict, favorable for ambush, was pass.
I'd safely. The Hillsborougb, the Great
and Little Outhlacaotche rivers were
crossed, and the command entered an o.
pen, dwarf pine region. The unwearied
vigilance that had hitherto been ubser.
we'd, was nowsOmewhat abated. For
miles beyond the Little Outhlacoochee
they eRcamped on the night Of the 9Th
December, 1886, ut d round pond on the
south side Of the road. The Indians who
had dogged the dOomed band from the
pickess ct Tampa. now got in advance.
Three miles beyond ehis pond, on the
same side of the road. about one hundred
yards from it. there 10 Q prairie Of consid.
cradle extent, bordered on ito south. west.
err side by hammock. This prairie Is
always covered with high grass. and In
wet seasons is partially submerged. The
water finds an outlet by gully Whlch
crosses the road forming curve on the
opposite side, with liz coIicaviiy towards
It, and then runs OF In different airec.
ton into the pine woods. The margin of
the prairie, lear the road, and the gully,
fringed also with high grass, thus formed
a seni-circle, intersected by the road. In
this grass, on both sides Of the road, the
savageG secreted themselves. 5ie. s,lt
Maj. Dade not conceiving Aankers 1e-
cessary in country open on every side,
did not send them out on resuming the
march next morning. With Captaia
Frazer by his side both little dreaming Of
a surprise, he marched ut the head of
his advance guard. They were within
Me fatal seni.circle, and at the same id.
slant a thousand rifles biased upon, theme
and the hitherto silent forest ruag with
the demoniac war WhOop If o. many
sayages. Mai. Dade, Dis cos,uanici,.
Lieut.. Nudge, and the whole of the
guard fell at the first Gre. The main bodv.
some two or three hundred yards in tiie
rear. ruehed forward, unIinbseed their
guns, and opened. q furious discharge up.
on the enemy. Unable TO withstand this
desperate attack, the savage retreatcd
to the great Wahoo swamp that frOWns
on the left. atthe distance Of two miles.-..
The survivors now set about throwing up
breast work oflogs. The savaaes held
council 10 the Wahoo. at which il was
determined to renew the attack before
the troops could fortify themselves. They
now glided from the swamp, and from
tree to tree, until they had eneircled the
soldiers and their uncoH1pleted breast.
work. Now commenced the deadly fire
that cxterminated the band. As their
victims FELL the savages sprang from tree
to tree. diminishing the circle. The
whites. trusting too much in their cannon,
discharged it necessarily, though fruit.
iessly, among the trees. The savages
had nearly closed upon them. The on
GERS and men in that deadly coulter. dis,
played bravery worthy ola bHtter field.
All the whites had fallen but one. Lieut..
Bassinger, Of the ID Artillery he, with
a gallantTy unsurpassed, stood by his can .
non, loaded and fred II himself and
when the last shot was expend rechar-
gcd and fred his ramrOd Ut the savaRes.
IA sUs1e Ouss stV" otbuS0. HIM. 0VJU UtB 80ts
liant spirit took its flight. The Indians
were awed BY his heroism, and have
since said that they killed him with 70.
tuctAnce. His nasne should live with
those Of SOnness and Jasper. No sooner,
had he fisllsn, than they, sprung UPON the
lOge Of the ksesssasask. and Nrei Ao,vn
upon the striving wounded. and soon The
crack Of the rifle ceased. II 10 said that
Cor some unknown cause, the sl1dia0s
never wouId revisit the scene Of massa- |
ere. The, diL NOT eveH plumber their
victims, and their bodies lay for months |
afterwards on the battle flulds withaut |
their clothes, watches. or money being |
Il is thought that two soliieIs |
survived this day; one. named Clark 90.
vcrely wounded during the conflict. YEAS
passed over by the Indians at the eloae
as dead. Three days aftef. no dragged |
his manglcd body TO the gate ofTampa.
a distance Of 60 miles. He hera uttered
a cry to the sensinci. and fell sensciess +, |
the earth. The excitement Of danger
that had sustained him on his weary