American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-09-18
From the New Orleans Detail
IE LATE CAPTAIN PAGE
BY OFFICER OF THE ARMY.

BY OFFICER OF THE ARMY.
/ The death of Capt. John Page, late of the
th Regiment of U. S. Infantry, on the steam
oat Missouri, has been announced in almost
lr the newspapers of the United States, but
lstce to his memory requires that at least a
rief account of his public services and private
rtues should be given to his country, to
hose service his youth and manhood were
evoted, and finally upon whose altar he offer
ID his life.
Capt. Page entered the army as Second
Lieutenant in the old 9Th Regiment of Infan.
&ry on the l 9Th of February, l8lS-was pro-
noted to the grade of First Lieutenant on the
st January, lSl9-and received the full COM
Mission of Captain in the line on the 30th Of
n prl, 1881.
He was for many years actively employed in
be Subsistence Department in Florida, and for
long period also filled the post of Assistant
Quarter Master, being the active officer of that
department in the original establishment Of
ort Brooke, Tampa Bay, in 1928.
In August, 1882, he was appointed, by the
irec.ion of President Jackson, emigating and
isbursing agent in the removal of the Choc-
aw Indians to the country West of the Missis-
pp river, assigned as the future homes of the
1arious Indian tribes, and was entrusted sue
,essively with the emigration of the Creeks,
Cherokees and Chickasaws.
The policy of removing the Indian tribes
rom contact with the whites, was deemed es-
;ential to the internal peace ofthe States with
whose limits they resided and it was deli
cate and difficult task, even after the Indians
had pledged themselves by treaty with the &C.
neral government TO emigrate, to execute.
Their attachment to their native woods, next
20 revenge the strongest feeling in an Indians
preast-the distrust with which they looked
upon the whites-ther faithlessness in the OBJ
servance Of treaty ipulations-had to be neu-
rallied and combatted. The zeal, intel-
gence, and fidelity of Capt. Page, after incre-
1ible labor on his part, accomplished the object
without bloodshed.
During his employment on this duty he dis
bursed millions Of public money with the most
scrupulous regard to the faith of the govern
ment and justice to the Indians. He enjoyed
| TO the fullest extent the confidence of the De-
partment in his connexion with the Indian
tribes, and by the Indians themselves was be-
loved.
On the breaking out of llostities in Florida,
Capt. Page was in Washington, and being
pressed by Gen. Scott TO accompany him on
his staff, was, at an early day, engaged in the
long and sanguinary contest with the Semi
mole Indians He served in Florida at differ
ent periods during the continuance of the war
with untiring zeal. In l84l, Mr.. Poinsett,
then Secretary of War, despairihg of closing
the war in Florida by the usual process ofhos-
tile operations, determined to try the friendly
offices of delegation Of the emigrated Semi
noles, and, with this view, selected Capt. Page,
from his knowledge of Indian character, and
consequent fitness for the enterprise, to proceed
to the Seminole country, West of Fort Gibson,
and prevail upon as many of the most inauen-
entail of the nation as in his judgment might
be necessary, to aid in the pacificatlon of their
hostile brethren He succeeded; and with his
friendly delegation repaired to the seat Of war
and reported to Gen. Armistead. With this
delegation he operated, and, in a very short
time, brought about the surrender Of several
hundred of the Indians
He left Florida in May, lS4l, with General
Armstead, but returned early in the fall of the
same wear and remained in the field, on duty
with his regiment, until the termination of the
war by Gen. Worth, in 1912 His regiment
was then relieved from duty in Florida, and he
accompanied it to Jefferson Barracks, Mo,
where he was permitted TO repose for time
blessed with the society of his wife and chill
dren. But this period of happiness was brief
and the last he enjoyed on earth. In May
ls44, his regiment was ordered to Natchi
toches, La, being an element Of the force des