The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-08-19

II was ot this time that General Gaines,
commanding on the f,ontier of Georgia, making
Fort Scott his head quarters wrote the Secreta-
ry OF War MAY ld) saying, several negroes and
out laws have taken possession Of fort on the
Appolochicola River, in the Territory Of Flori.
da,' he assured the Secretary that he would keep
watch Of them. He charged them with no crime,
impnted to them no hostile acts. He was con-
scous that they had taken possession Of the fort
solely for their own protection but he styled
them negroes, which. in the Language OF that
day among slave-h holders, was regarde as an i'm
putation ofguiIt; or an outlaW was supposed to be
a proper term with which to characterize those
who had fed from bondage, and sworn allegi-
once to another government
The fort which the Extes had taken posses.
sion Of, was more than sixty miles from the bor
der Of the United States, and was only occupied
as a place of defence, and yet, utter much off.
cial correspondence, General Jackson, who then
commanded The southwestern Military District
of the United States, wrote to General Gaines,
saying, " have little doubt Of the fact that this
fort has been established by some villains for
the purpose of rapine and plunder, aud that it
ought to b. blown up, regardless Of the ground
on which it stands, and il your mind shall have
formed the same conclusion, destroy it, and re-
turn the stolen negroes and property to their
rightful owners"
General Gaines did think the fort should be
destroyed, AMI detailed Lieut.. Col Linch, with
his regiment and 500 troops of friendly Tndi-
ans,under Mcintosh their principal chief to carry
out the directions OF General Jackson. This com
mencement of the Seminole War; was at the
time unknown to the people of the United States,
and was undertaken for the purpose of ofblowng up
the fort and return the negroes to their owners
" Histonans,' says the author, have failed
to expose the cause of hostilities, or the bar
barous foray which plunged the nation into that
bloody contest, which cost the people millions
of treasure, AMI the sacrifice of hundreds of hu-
man lives
The expedition was successful-the fort was
blown up, and OF three hundred and thirty four
souls, within the fort two hundred and seventy
were instantly killed. while Of the sixty who re-
mained, only three escaped without injury.
But our space will not premit us to notice
the book as it deserves. AS work of history
it cannot fail TO interest the political student
of our country, and 0s showing the unscrupu-
lous means by which the South has, since the
! Foundation of our Government sought to make
it contribute its money and men, for the sup
port and maintenance of this peculiar inst-
tution," it will teach the people of he Union o
lesson, which, coupled with the more recent at
tempts of our Government, in its efforts to CO.
cree the people of Kansas into submission to
this Slave Oligarchy, cannot fail to be instruct
i've, and Improperly improved, of great advan-
tsge to our country Let those who wish to
inform themselves on this interesting feature of
our history, read the ExILEs OF FLORIDA. l.
possesses all the wild charm of romance but
unlike works of fiction, it stores the mind OF
the attentive reader with facts--useful facts
which muy be studied and pondered with
profit.