Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-14
THE CAPTURE OF OSCEOLA.


view of placing in their true light the incidents
connected with a transaction in which he was
personally and prominently an actor avails
himself Of the occasion thus offered to present
In the subjoined paper, a narrative of that in
teresting event in the history of the " Florida
war"
Statement by Major General Je,up,
A matter has been recently brought into dis
eussion with which my name was connected
some twenty years ago, and though explained
at the time, seems not even now to be we'll un-
derstood. 1t has been published in a neighbor-
ing print, on the authority of distinguished
professional and public man, that the Seminole
Indian warrior OsceOla, who, by the murder Of
Gen. Thompson and by other atrocities, began
the Seminole war "icaS captured by treacherv
and fraud" and that tchen dying IN his
hopeless eaptipifY has BIttsrsst regret Ipa, that
hStOry tco1fld deprIUe htm of the honor of
sciHHiHg the battle of Wtthiaeo0ehse. Had
the gentleman who penned the paragraph re-
ferred to Ia part of which is quoted aboye) been
better acquainted with the details of the trans
action, he would have been aware that the late
Gen. Clinch won the battle OF WithIacoochee,
and that there il some doubt whether Osceola
was IN the battle at all. With that portion of
the story, however, 1 have no further concern
than desire TO vindcate the truth of history
and the reputation Of a departed friend
=, But the other part of the story, containing
the charge that Osceola " was captureH Bp
treGehsry and fraud, concerns me alone and
n true, would not only be dsmning to me, but
be stain upon the character of the country
Tor all time to come; for when in command of
the Southern army in 1881, l, as the represent
atlve OF the Government, ordered the seizure
and retention Of that warrior
Osceola had come into Fort Peyton, few
miles from st. Augustine, not on my invitation
nor that o. any other officer but he WITH his
warriors had accompanied a messenger OF EN-
athls, tking Philip the principal chief of all
the Seminole bands on and near the river ST.
Johns, who bad been captured some time be-
fore, and who had been allowed to communi-
cate with his people On his assurance that they
or the greater part of them, would come in and
accompany him to the West. Osceola, no
doubt, intended to return should he fail In the
object that really brought him in which was to
capture the place and release the prisoners.
In conference which | held with the Semi.
mole chiefs, at their own request but few
weeks before, had assured them that would
hold no further conference with them except
10 receive from them the notice of their readi-
ness to fulfill their obligations under the treaty
at Payne's Landing, and of their capitulation
with me at Fort Dade but assured them
that when prepared to fulfill those obligations
would receive them and provide for their re-
moval to the new country assigned to them
west OF the Mississippi; and if any separate
parties or bands should decide to come in be-
fore the body Of the nation were ready to move
would receive and protect them.
Ihe chiefs expressed some apprehension that
IN coming to me they might be attacked by nv
scouting parties and their people be scattered
To Oenable them to Join me without a apoer Of at
tack from those parties, L provided them with
quantity Of white cotton cloth to be used as
flags IN communicating with any Of those par
ties they might fall in with and with NV out
posts ; but the 1ags were TO be used for no 9TH
er purpose And the chiefs were distinctly and
positively told that none of them nor their peO-
la in uaip h,.f
main When Philips messenger, his son Goa
cOOchee, left st. Augustine TO communicate
with his people on the St Johns there were
but lew troops at the post On meeting with
Osceols he informed him that he could with n
hundred warriors, take the place and release
his father. Warriors enough arrived to have
taken the place had the force not been in
creased; but, before they came in, had thrown
IN large reinforcements 1 had become sc-
4uainted With their designs through Indian
negroes, some OF whom remained with the In
dians and possessed the confidence of the chiefs
but whom L had in constant pay, and from
whom L received Information Of all that took
place or was about to take place among them
When OseeOla found there was no chance of
taking ST. Augustine, nor of releasing the nr,s-
oners, lie determined To return, az [ was in
formed by the Indian negroes about him. But
he, with all who accompanied him, had come
In with the distinct understanding that they
we're not TO return. He was a prisoner who
had violated his parole; he bad killed one of
my messengers III time of truce when going
under the sanetity Of a flag with message Ia
chiefs IN his neighbOrhOOd and he would have
killed second messenger but for the energetic
Interference of Appiacca, (Sam Jones, the
AIccasuky chief now in Florida, who inter-
posed, saved him, aud sent him back to me at
Tampa Bay; he had also violated the last
truce made by me with the chiefs. BY either
one Of these acts he had forfeited his life by
the laws and usages of war as recognized by
civilized nations
Hal L allowed myself to be triaed with. and
my solemn assurances to the chiefs that none
were to come in but TO remain to be falsfed
should have received, "a L would have de-
served, their scOrn and contempt Ii was nv
duty to the country TO detain them, and / d.
rected that all should be secured and detained
In the closing report Of the operations of the
army under my command dated the 9th July.
fs5o, which WAS called for by resolution of
the senste, and printed by order of that BODY,
aud thus became part of the documentary
history OF the country, L stated all the facts in
regard To the detention of OsceOla which could
then be disclosed without compromising per-
sons In the Indian country, and under
Indian control, and embarrassing nv sue
cessor in command; but facts were then given
sufficient to the complete understanding Of the
merits Of the case For the truth of that re-
port was then, as am now both officially
and personally responsible. The prominent
facts OF the report were stated by Col. Benton
In speech IN the Senate ard Ly Jude Under
wood in the House without contradiction.
livery one who has read the Articles of War is
aware that my commission was pledged for the
truth OF my report in all il. parts. was here
ready to meet any investigation either before
Congress or before court of my peers but
my report have reason to know, was salts
factory to the Government as believe it was
to every fair minded and honest man in the
cJuntry who read it at the time.
Osceola had by his repeated violations Of the
asages OF war forfeited his life, partic ulary by
his attempt to use a dag for hostile purposes at
81 Augustine, which made him a spy as well
by the laws OF nations, as by our own Articles
Of War. Whether he should be punished as a
spywas at the time merely question of policy
with me could have convicted him ; but to
have done so should have lost the service, 81
all who would have testified against him, as
not one OF them could have returned to the In
49,. H.. =.