Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-03-11
oScEOLA.
"Reminiscences Of the Famous Chief Of the
Seminole Indians.

william honOrlck, OF CnlS CITY, Is
sixty-two years of age, and was born
and raised in Florida. His birthplace
was on the Suwanee river, within mile
of where the great Indian chief Osceola
was born and lived He contends that
the great chief whipped for years the
United States Government in every bat
tie he fought during the Florida Indian
war. He regards Osceola as the equal.
if not the superior, of Napoleon. or any
other of the great Generals of his day,
in strategy and prowess.
He was half-breed His father was
a man from Georgia by the name of
Powell. The great chief was known by
the name of Powell until the day of the
meeting at Fort King for the purpose of
signing the treaty with Thompson, the
United States Commissioner. to trans
fer their lands and move to Indian Ter
ritory. When the great Chief. or King,
of the tribe had signed the treaty, fol-
lowed by all the subjects. Powell was
asked to affix his name. as he was re-
garded as sub-chief. or an Indian of
distinction, for his prowess in the hunt.
as well AS his bravery and influence
with the tribe and ris fine personal APP
.pearance. When called by the Com
missioner Powell stepped forward, took
tho pen. threw If to the, ground. drew
his hunting knife and plunged it into
the heart of the greet chief of the ma
ton. and then, turning in the twinkling
of an eve, buried it in the heart of the
United States Commissioner.
The sub-chiefs were As greatly sur
priSed at Osceola's act as were the
United States authorities present. Pow
ell had taken the precaution to have in
striking distance several hundred of the
bravest warriors of the tribe, who, upon
a signal, made their appearance. and as
he walked out of the tent in which the
treaty was being signed he mutilated it
with the same knife that he had taken
the lives of the two principal actors in
projecting the treaty. His braves met
him and subsequently declared him OS-
ceola, the great chief of the Scminoles
Kendrick told me that at this time
Osceola was only twenty-five years of
age. He contends that the Indian has
always been misrepresented; that, in
stead of being the savage beast he has
always been represented to be, he was
always kind to his prisoners. and pre-
vented to the extent he could the scalp
ing and mutilatiOn of the dead and the
making of war on women and children.
As an evidence of his friendly DISPOSE
ton to the whites. Mr.. Kendrick says
that after he had aSSassinated the two
principal actors in the signing of the
treaty he would not permit his warriors
to modest the garrison of United States
troops, who Were wholly in his power,
but said to them on his departure:
''Leave me and my people to the wilds
of my country. and you will never have
to complain of OsceOla and his people;
but, if you attempt to hunt us down and
capture us by force. we will fight you to
the bitter end
Another evidence of the humanity of
Osceola was shown in the massacre of
Major Dade and his command. Dade
was sent with detachment from Fort
King against the Indians, and to open
between Fort King and
Tampa, on the Gulf coast He was IA
man greatly loved by Osccola, as they
had often been on the hunt together.
Osceola attempted to cvade the contest,
even to the extent of arousing the s,lspi-
cion of his loyalty to the tribe. When
he ordered the attack on the detachment
by Ma jOr Dade. in the COM
of the battle. he raised his
gun and said to one of his chiefs:
81 am now going to kill one of my
best friends. and a man | love"
At the crack of his rifle Major Dade
fell dead and OSceOla threw down his
gun and never fired another shot during
the remainder of the engagement
Another evidence of his disposition to
conduct a civilized warfare was the fact
that when the last United States soldier
was shot down, rs none proposed to sur
render, the carnage ceased, and not a
soldier was sealped. and it is also fact
undisputed that several days after the
when 4 detachment from
Fort King went to the battlefield
to bury the dead. not a body had been
mutilated, and. further. that $4,000 in
gold and silver was removed from the
pockets of the dead. Where will one
find like occurrence on any battlefield
in our recent civil war? 1t is said that
Osceola became alarmed at the close of
the battle and retreated rapidly. but it is
on record that he did not leave the
battlefield until he disposed of all the
implements of war and transportation,
sinking the wagons and cannon-car-
riages in quicksand lake near the
battlefield. so that if they had time for
this work they certainly had time to
scalp and rifle the pockets of the dead on
the battlefield.
Mr.. Kcndrick afirmS that the capture
of Osceola under the white flag and his
Incarceration in prison at Sullivan's
Island will ever remain dark spot on
the escutcheon Of the United States.
After his capture Osceola said to his
captors that he had during the war in
Florida tried to conduct it on the prin-
ciples of civilized warfare. He said
that he had never made war upon women
and children, but said: .'Now you have
made me prisoner, advise you to
look out for the safety of your women
and children. Jacksonville (Fld.) Cor.
Pittsburgh Commercial.