The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-13
HARSEYs KAcB FOR LIFE.
The Surprise and Massacre by the SomInoles
in the Everglades-6f Florida.


Ned Buntline. in New York World.
In 1888 when was midshipnan, acting lieu
tenant on board the United States schooner OF
sego, on the Florida coast, he was lieutenant
colonel of the Second United States Dragons,
under Col Twiggs. 1T was the only cavalry
regiment in the war, and Phil hearney Charlie
May and Billy Fulton the father Of Chandos
Fulton, prominent now in your city, were then
in the regiment ! could fiji your columns for
weeks with incidents Of gallantry in which this
regiment the old Third Artillery and the Sixth,
Seventh and Eighth Infantry We're prominent
But TO come back to Harvey He looked every
inch soldier, and be stood six feet three inches
in his boots He was not handsome. He was
stalwart manly, everlnpetuous in word and ac-
ton He and TwigSs swore races. Twiggs gen
orally came out first bests Gen. Harvey,
though retired, is the oldest general in the army.
l could give you 4 hundred stirring incidents Of
which the General will yodeh for as true.
In 1889 he had a post with two companies Of
the Second Dragons on the Caloosaha tchie river
about ten fifteen miles above its Nouth. 1t
enters the Gulf of Mexico at Sanabel island.
The men were mostly in tents. There was a
small stockade Il suffers store and temporary
store house in the eneampment.
In the middle of hot night forget the pre-
else date-the Seminoles, mum herring three or
four hundred, under Arpiaka the Fish Eater, and
Billy Bowlegs surprised the post. Colonel Har
Eey, in consequence of the heat and mosquitoes,
had taken his blanket and left his quarters to
cool breeze swept over the water This alone
saved his life He was awakened 10 the dead of
night by the yells of the Indians the firing of
guns and the shreks of his dying men. The
houses and tents were fired. the soldiers killed
before they could offer resistance-in short, it
WAS a massacre of the soldiers-not an Indian
killed in the whole affair
Harvey, in his shirt and drawers without a
weapon, could only run for lie Capture would
he death by the cruee't torture He down
the river. through dense swamp, the Indian
wells filing the night air and he believing them
close OH his trail For miles he kept on, the
scanty clothes he wore torn all to tatters on the
branches as he plunged through the brush, and
fast as he went he heard a crash behind him.
He was pursued At last, breathless worn out
so he could further he halted and turned
l give his own words to me of what then oc
cured
Il heard the red cusses close onto me-
knew it was death, but thought I'd die game
l squared off cliDched my fists ana shouted.
Come on. you red devils. d-n YOU come OIL
'Howy Saints, is it you KernelP cried one of my
own men, the only man besides me that escaped,
as he halted within my reach was thar mad,
to be so scared by white man. that | knocked
him down on the spot It's fact Then l felt
ashamed of my act, picked him up and told him
! was sorry"
The two then crawled on through the swamp
and got down by daylight to Sanabel island,
swimming across the narrow channel to its
sandy shore. The next day we ran in there for
water III tie OlSpSo anu lOuliu IldtileS anu MS
soldier almost stark naked the beach, both
hungry and thirsty, but thankful for life.
And this is known in Florida history rs
the Massacre on the Caloosahatchie" The
reason of the surprise that there was tenn
porary truce between the Indians and whites.
and feeling no danger, the sentinels were few
and careless After that Harvey planned and
carried out a raid into the everglades, in which
twenty-seven buck Indians were killed or cap
tured-ana all of them hung as soon as in our
hands We captured about thirty squaws and
children, who were held as prisoners till sent
West / was on the raid In it the late General
Ord was shot through the shoulder. He was
then second lieutenant in the Third Artillery
General Sherman, now retired, was first lieu
tenant in the same regiment at the time.