The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-27
oscEoLA AND BILLY sowLEes.
A Story of the Florida Everglades Recalled
by Recent Transfer of Land.

OSCEOLA AND BILLY BOWLEGS.
A Story of the Florida Everglades Recalled
by Recent Transfer of Land.
Up to a few years ago all that was
known of the vast inland sea on the
southern border of Georgia called the
Okefenokee swamp was that it had
once been the stronghold of Chilly
Bowlegs" Even those who had heard
of the euphonious name often enough
to form some idea as to the topography
of the swamp received an entirely erro-
neous impression of it's character.
They regarded it as mere waste of
malarial waters, like the everglades of
Florida or the dismal swamp of Vir-
ginia. Within the past two years,
however, the invasion of capital into
the recesses of its cypress and mag
nolia groves has revealed wealth of
natural resources unsurpassed, and
shown that, instead of being an impen-
etrable swamp, the Okenfenokee is a
great inland sea of very much the
same type in the quality of it's water
as Lake Superior. Away back in the
early days of the century, just prior to
the Seminole war, Gen. Clinch, of
Georgia, marched into Florida and
penetrated the everglades with regi-
ment of soldiers, his purpose being to
induce the Seminole chiefs to sign a
treaty relinquishing their possessions
to the government. He pitched his
tent in the heart of the swamp and in
vited the Indian chieftains to confer
ence at which they Were to sign papers
.<eding the land to the United States.
The chief of the Seminoles at that
time was half-breed named Smith-a
man of strikingly handsome appear
ance, over six feet in height and as
straight as an arrow This leader, to-
gether with two of its sub-chiefs, was
standing in Gen. Clinch's tent listening
to the reading of the deed which took
away their lands. At the conclusion
Of the reading the two sub-chiefs, who
could neither read nor write. made
their marks. Turning to Smith, who
stood in contemplative mood, gazing
with fixed eyes upon the papers before
them, Gen. Clinch, asked:
you can write your name, Smith ?''
Eyes" he replied quickly, but this
is one time when intend to make my
mark"
Quickas thought the powerful half
breed whipped out long, keen knife
and lightning-like buried it to the hi!t
in the heart of one of the sub-chiefs,
then in that of the other, and finally in
the breast of the government agent,
killing the three almost instantly. The
soldiers about General Clinch flew to
arms and were in the act of making
Smith their prisoner when he calmly
called to them to look outside the tent.
Doing SO they found the camp COM
pletely surroun ded by band of at
least 5000 Indian braves ready to obey
their chiefs command. Smith did not
order the massa ere of the company, but
without as much as harming a hair of
the head of General Clinch or any of
his soldiers, marched them to the edge
of the swamp and, in parting, said:
"Now, General Clinch, you and your
soldiers may go, but warn you that if
ever a white man places his foot upon
our lands again he had better beware
of the Seminoles.'
AS General Clinch marched his men
AWAY the Indian braves enthusiastic
cally crowded about their great chief,
and, raising him high upon their shout
ders, cried out in mighty chorus,
"Osceola! Osceola y which means 1.-The
rising sum-" This was the beginning
of the Seminole war, and it was in this
way that the half-breed chieftain re-
ceived the name by which he is known
to history.
!, The end of his career is familiar to
all. The manner in which he was en-
ticed to Washington, where he attract
ed much attention and was the " OBJ
served of all observers" under cover of
flag of truce, and his confinement I'M
til his death in Fort Moultrie, at Charles
ton, are well remembered. Smiths
successor in command of the Seminoles
was Billy Bowlegs. chief of diminu-
tive stature but undaunted courage.
During the war which followed Billy
found refuge in Okefenokee swamp, and
one of the principal islands of this in
land sea now bears his name. Oke-
fenokee swamp was, until 1890, the
property of the State of Georgia. An
act of the legislature, approved in Oc-
tober, 1889, provided for the sale of the
swamp to the highest bidder, the mini
mum price being fixed at twelve and
a-half cents an acre. When the bids
were opened by Governor Gordon on
March 1s, 1890, that offering twenty
six and a-half cents per acre was ac-
eepted.-Atlanta Journal.
Jewels of the Austrian Empress.
The private. jewels of the empress of
Austria are said to be worth between
four million and five million of gulden.