Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1856-02-09
The War In Florida-Letter from Lieu
renant HartsufF

The War in Florida-Letter from Lieu
rsnant Hartsuf.
We find in Michigan papers q letter
from Lieutenant Hartsuff, addressed to his
father. under date Of Fort Myers, Dccem-
Der 80, in which he gives the following
account Of the attack upon himself and
men by the Seminole Indians:
The war was opened by the Indians at
lacking my party. which, being a recon-
notering party, consisted only Of ten men.
| had two wagons, twelve mules, and sew
EN- horses. l had been out fourteen days,
had finished my examination OF the coun-
Try, and was going TO start for this pos, OF,
the morning | was attacked, The attack
was made about day light by between thir.
ty and forty Indians. and they we're OF
more than ten rods off when the first shot
was fired. They were concealed behind
pine trees and palmetto bushes.
The first shot was fired while was get.
ting up, hastily dressed. and, taking my
pistol, 'ooked out from my tent. Every tree
near Inc had an Indian behind 1t, and they
were firing and whooping terribly. /
shot two Of them, aud then left my tent
and ran to the wagons, abou. thirty yards
Oft here found two of my men. The
first fire had stretched five OF nv men on
the ground, and three had most shameful
ly run away. With my two men, both of
whom were wounded, made stard be-
hind the Wagons and fired several times
with rifle and musket. had lust f..
red at, and believe hit, an Indian when
got shot myself The ball went through
my left ATM just above the elbow, and in
TO my side jus. nnder the arm; another
ball hit me in the breast, but struck nv
pistol, which had thrust into my coat.
and did not penetrate. This finished the
fighting. | could neither load nor fire,
ind the two men who were with ne, aud
who behaved most gallantly, could hardly
stand.
All the mules but one were shot, and
two o. the horses killed; the rest were
hltcaed so that it was impossible to get at
them. tolp the men they must make
their escape the best way they could, aud
| endeavored TO do the same, though
confess had no hope OF being ab lie to do
SO, as | could scarcely move. We were
then fifty-fve mics from this post. ran
trst into little "hammock," and having
got through it with considerable difficulty
| came TO little pond filed with grass,
pond-liiles. and alligators, into which
fell, exhausted from loss Of blood and ia
tgue. found the water nearly covered
me, and remained here about two hours,
Tor the first ten minutes the balls flew We.
ry thickly ABOUT me, but none of them hit
me; at the end oil this time two hohrs)
came out, and seeing no Indians, crawl
ed 10 little bunch OF palmetto bushes, and
lay their the rest of the day. Al night
tired to walk again. and managed to get
about half mile. This was as far as
could go; lay here that night the next
day and night, and the next day till night
all the time without food or drink, and I'M
a5le to xalk.
On the evening Of the second day,
found, by tying my hahkerchlef around
my body and twisting it very tightly, |
could walk little. | continued to walk
in this way all night, going about half
mile at a time and then resting. also
found abundance Of water, but nothing to
eat; but did not suffer from hunger. In
the morning had made about eleven
miles; here Law in IA little hammock du.
ring the day, and towards night commen-
eed '.iy difficult and painful march again.
had gone about three miles, and was try
ing TO make short cut to the Fort Myers
road, when saw fire which from its
size l knew to be that Of friends. / final
y got to it, and found two companies that
had been sent our to finl me, aecompani-
ed by doctor. This was on Sunday night
and | was wounded at daylight on Thurs
day morning. My wounds were found to
be in as good a condition as possible, aud
within mouth lshall be entirely WE'LL
Four ofmy men were killed; the rest ali
escaped, but these are wounded; non of
them as severely, however, as myself.
The affair has created the greatest ex-
cltement; volunteers arc being raised, aud
tue whole frontier Is alarmed. Very lit
tie, if anything, Gan be done by the troops
this winter, for want Of numbers and also
preparations for active hostilnies.