Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-04-03

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Kendrick told mo that at this time
Osceola was only % years Of age He
contends that the Indian has been mis-
represented; that, instead 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 disposition
to the whites, Mr.. Kendrick says that at
ter 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 at
tempt 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
communication between Fort King and
Tampa, on the Gulf coast He was a
man greatly loved by Osceola, as they
had often been on the hunt together.
Osceola attempted to evade the contest,
even to the extent of arousing the sus-
picion of his loyalty to the tribe. When
he ordered the attack on the detachment
commanded by Major Dade, in the COM
mencement 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 civil warfare was the fact that
when the last United States soldier was
shot down, as none proposed to surren
der, the carnage ceased, and not soldier
was scalped, and it is fact also undis-
puted that several days after the engage
ment when detachment from Fort
King went to the battle field 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 bottle field
in cur recent civil war? It is said tina:
Osceola became alarmed at the close OF
the battle and retreated rapidly, but it is
on record that he did not leave the battle
geld until he disposed of all the nipple
ments of war and transportation, sinking
the wagons and cannon carriages in a
quicksand lake near the battle field, SO
that if they had time for this work they
certainly had time to scalp and rifle the
pockets of the dead on the battle field.
Mr.. Kendrick affirms that the capture
of Osceola under the white flag and his
incarceration in prison at Sullivan's
island will ever remain dark spot OF
the escutcheon of the United States. AT
ter his capture Osceola said to his captors
that he had during the war in Florida
tried to conduct it on the principles Of
civilized warfare. He said that he had
never made war upon women and chill.
dren, but said: ''Now you have made
me prisoner, I advise you to look ont
for the safety Of your women and chill.
dren."-Jacksonuille { Fza.) Cor. Pitts
burgh Commercial.