Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-10-12
THE DADE MASSACRE.
A short sketch of the Life of the
Only Survivor.

was born in the year 1900 on nv masters
plantation, about thirty miles west of st.
Augustine aud about fifteen miles northwest
Of Picolata, Fla.
In 1921 my master, Francis Philip Fstio,
sent me with the mail to Amelia Island, In
which Thomas Lorente, who then com
manded, was recalled from further prosecu-
tioD of the war, and the Spanish claims in
Florida relinquished to the United States
Government.
In 1924 was caused to runaway by the
action of my Young master, Lewis FatIo,
but was found at the Spanish fisheries on
the Gulf coast, taken to Tampa, and at nv
own request sold to Colonel Brooks, who
was the officer In command at that place. I
was afterwards sold to Colonel Clinch. by
him to Major Mcintosh, and by him to An
tone, who carried me to Sara Sofa Bay,
where he died soon after.
In 1885 and 1886, still living at Sara Sofa
with my masters widow, she employed me
to Major Dade at thirty dollars a month, as
guide from Tampa to Fort King-Major
Dade assuring me there was no hostility on
the part of the Indians.
think Major Dade did me wrong, for he
always sent me ahead to places of probable
danger to examine, although Captain Fra
zer told him in my presence that he was en-
dangerfng my life to considerable extent.
boro bridge, about seven miles above
Tampa, where l found the bridge burnt,
COW killed and cut open, and other signs of
Indian hostility. He also sent me ahead at
the Withlacoochee, where found the bridge
burnt and Indian signs, etc. The morning
after crossing the Withlacoochee, and the
morning before the massacre, Major Dade
said:
'Louis, have concluded not to send you
to Philsthlacaha this morning Tthe remain
der in a loud voice, intended for Captain
FraZierl, but will send you into Fort King
tomorrow, though"
At 10 o'clock, while 1 was with the ad-
vance guard, Captain Frazier and I turned
aside to examine an old gray horse we
found by the road, and finding it worthless,
had returned to the road, and had nearly
overtaken the advance guard when heard
single rife shot, and looked back to see IL
some one was shooting game, but just IN
time to see Major Dsde fall Just in front Of
me, shot In the breast. Although this was
a perfectly open country, and had just
looked carefully for Indians ahead, the
country was now filed with large numbers
of them on our left, coming for us with
the war-hoop. Immediately threw
| down my gun and lay down behind
could speak the Seminole
language, begged each one for my life, as
they levelled their guns at me, and they
were not few, telling them was a slave
and was doing as / was hidden, etc. Finally
Jumper, chief in command, interfered and
ordered, as we'll as he then could, that l
should not be shot; and even after this, one
Indian was determined to kill me, but for
tuns'ely another Indian got his rifle ball
| stuck in his gun, and ran, when the other
| Indians seeing this one run, became
| frightened and all ran, when Jumper again
took me and put me under guard. This
same Indian, though, still assured me that
when he came back he would kill me yet,
| but luckily for me, he was shot by the
whits
The battle lasted from about 10 O'Clock in
tho morning until nearly sunset They never
carried me near the battle ground, but from
what could Learn, they thought they killf
all the whites. They let me keep nv gun
that evening, none Of them seeming to no.
tee me. l sat by the road, intending TO
leave as soon as dark, and to return to
| Tampa, but very late an Indian came along
| and carried me to q negro cabin, an Indian
slave, and father of AUNT Hetty, who is with
me now. The negroes made me quite at
home, but | learned very soon that was
| supposed to have news important to the
whites, and, being a guide, would probably
| be shot at any time; and the Indians them
| selves told me often that / would not live
long II | misbehaved, which kept me in
| constant dread as long as l was with them.
| aud even after | was in the Indian nation,
for while there one tried to stab me.
Several nights after the battle, Osceola
returned from an expedition against the
| whites, and overheard me talking from the
| next room, and called to me: "Do you say
Jumper saved your life ?" And answered
eyes" When he replied: "No human be
ing has power to save you. You are q lucky
lfrvo1 g. T.
claim to save no one," and pointed above
with both hands. He then, to prove his
theory, gave an account OF his expedition,
stating that he had tried to save the life Of
storekeeper Rodgers, but his men killed him
by shooting under them and between their
legs. He also said they had killed General
Thompsor, but no attempt was made to
save him.
Once stole a canoe from them at the
head OF Peace creek, and travelled in It by
night to the mouth of the same, where |
was recsptured and brought back, and
would probably have suffered at their
| hands had not affairs of war interested
| them more deeply then.
In about two years after Dade's massacre
was sent to Tampa with the Indians, and,
by order Of Msjor-General Jessup In COM
maud there, was sent with them to the In
| dian nation, a short distance above the
| junction of the Arkansas and Grande rivers.
around Fort Gibson, commanded by General
ArbUckle.
On the wharf at New Orleans, while on
our way, l asked Captain Runnels, the
agent on Indian affairs, whether was being
sent as Indian property, and he said: "No;
you, Romeo and Primus 1.-TWO other negroes
in nv condition) do the best you can; you
are free"
lived with them there until 1s49, when /
was purchased of the Indians by Marcellus
Duval, the agent there on Indian affairs, for
| fifty dollars, as also were Aunty Hetty and
about thirty others. He moved to Van
Buren, Arkansas, where he kept US until
| 1852, when / was carried with the others to
within five miles of where we now live, and
have been in this neighborhOod ever since.
LEWIS FATIO