Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1893-07-13
AssToRYS OF EVERGLADES.
Recalled by the Transfer of Billy
Bowlegs's Last Refuge to
IS Private Owners.

Bowlegs,s Last Refuge TO \
Private Owners.
Atlanta Journal
Up tosa few years ago all that
was known Of that vast inland see
The southern border Of Gsosgla
called the Okeseno nokee swamb was
thai. it had once been the strong
hold Of sBilly Bowlegs. Even
those who had heard the euphonl-
sous name IA often enough to form
some idea as to the topograph OF
the swamp received an entirely
erroneous impression Of its
character. They regarded it as g
{ mere waste of malarial waters,
ike the Everglades Of Florida Or
the Dismal swamp Of Virginia.
Within the past two years
I however, the invasion Of capital
into the recesses Of its cypress
and magnolia groves has revealed
a wealth of natural resources un-
surpassed, and shown that instead
Of being an impenetrable swamp,
the okesenokee isa gleat inland
sea Of very much the same type IN
the quality of its 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 q
regiment Of soldiers, his purpose
being to- induce the Seminole
chiefs to sign a treaty relinqulsh-
ing their possessions to the Gov
ernment. He pitched his tent
in the heart of the swamp, and
invited the Indian ehieftains to
a conference at which they were
to sign the papers ceding the land
tothe United States. The chief
of-the Seminoles at that time was
a halfbreed named Smith-a man
of strikingly handsome ap-
pearance over six feet in height
and as straight as an arrow. This
leader, together with two OF his
sub-chiefs was standing in Gen,
Clinch's tent listening to the read
ing of the deed which took away
their. lands, ,oh.At the conclusion OF
the reading the two sub-ceiefs who
could neither read nor write
made their marks Turning to
Smith, who stood in contemplating
mood, gazig with fixed eyes upon
the papers before them, Gen
Clinch asked:
aYou can write your name
sm1th?n
eyes," he replied. quickly, but
this is one time when I intend tc
make my mark:
Quick as thought, the powerful
half breed whipped out q long
Keen knife aud lightning-like
buried /: it to the shilt 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. S
The soldiers about Gen. 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 completely
surrounded by band of at least
5000 Indian braves ready to ..obey
their chiefs command. Smith did
not order the massacre of the COM
pany but without as much as
harming a hair of the head of
Gen. Clinch or any of his soldiers
marched them to the edge of the
swamp and in parting said:
"Now. Gen. Clinch, you and
your soldiers may go, butt warn
you that if ever a white man
places his foot upon our lands
again he had better beware Of the.
Seminoles."
AS Gen. Clinch marched his
men away the Inian braves
enthusiastically crowded about
th cir great chief, aud raising him
high upontheir shoulders, cried
out in a mighty chorns, s. sOsceola
Osceala 70 which means athe rising
sum-" This was the beginning of
the Seminole war, and it was IN
this way the half-breed chiettain
received the name by which he is
known to history.
The end of.his career is familiar
to all. The manner in which he