The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17
OCCEOI X. Stories of the Seminole War Heard as Youth ODAL1LA. M ),

Tn tho battle of okechobe Swamp
 with General Zachary Taylor. on tn,
 upper St. Johns, few men said tha
 they heard Osceola's voice which the,
 knew as he had peculiarly shril
 whoop. The evidence of his presence
 there Is no stronger than that. He was
 however. at the battle of Fort Drair and also at that of Withlacoochet Swamp. While captive he referred
 several times to the Withlacoochee | Swamp affair. and seemed amused thai he had. by cunning arrangement and movements of his men. deceived his opponent General Clinch. He said tha, he made Clinch believe that his war
 riors were many times more numerous 1 than they really were: thus giving him the advantage.
 l After few fights. the Indians broke
 up into small parties and became mur- derers and incendiaries. driven from place to place by the soldiers. Their | crops were destroyed. their towns burned: they dared not hunt much lest l their guns should attract the atten- ton of their pursuers. Consequently
 they were most of the time in state of semi-starvation and distress They would often come in under a flag of truce. renew promises to obey the mandates of the Government. draw ra- tions and vanish without the slightest ioea or keeping their promises.
 JOUR PIPES BROKEN" person standing on the streets of old St. Augustine anywhere between the years lS40 and 1850 would have been apt to meet a tall, dark. gentle man. seemingly between fifty and six ty years of age; cleaniy shaven, iron gray hair and with a long straight nose. He wore a sleek silk hat. high satin stock about his neck. a black well kant GftGf nf buttoned up and boots we'll polished He raised his hat to almost everyone he passed. bending forward a little as he did so. winch induced the habit of leaning forward even when he was not in the act of lowing. He was General Joseph Hernandez-a man of pure Castillian blood. though born, I believe, in St. Augustine. He helA a commis- sion of a Brigadier General in the Vol unteer Army of Florida.
 Sometime in October 1887. General Hernandez. with q detachment of Gen. eral Jessup's Mounted Rifles. rode through the gates of St. Augustine. took a northerly direction for about ten or fifteen miles. A halt was call ed. the soldiers were concealed in a swamp and instructions given them Osceola was known to be near by. but Fl never knew who requested the inter- view wrich was obtained under a flag of truce.
 osceola came forward accompanied by more than seventy of his followers. when Hernandez drew from his pocket a red silk handkerchief, which was his habit to carry, and put 1t to his nose. This was the signal and Jessup's soi- diars rode out from their place of con- cealment. surrounded the two com manders and Osceola was a prisoner. It is said that the chief looked at his warriors and said our pipes are brok- en-" and nothing more. do not know, what he meant by that expression.
 I have sometimes thought that Osceola did not regret his capture. and. In fact. may have compassed 1t. He was pretty well in a state of starva- tion and was also in very feeble state of health. suffering from chronic ryngetis--inflamation of the upper part of the windpipe, of perhaps q tuberculosis origin.
 The moral aspect of his capture has been handled with much harsh criti- cism. by many; but the case has another side than that viewed by peo- pie generally. In war, no doubt. it would have been disgraceful. But there had ceased to be a war. As I have said, the Indians had split up in to small bands They did not fight, but crept upon defenseless men, women and children, robbed them of their goods, murdered them. burned their dwellings and fled to the swamps
 Some seem to think that the method of Osceola's arrest was a gross viola tIon of the laws of conscience as well as those of military ethics; but the strong light of facts served to convince the military men on the spot, as well as others, differently. At all events Generals Hernandez and Jessup may be regarded as life savers of the first magnitude.
 The Indians could not make a crop, for the soldiers, both Regulars and Volunteers, were securing the country. Game became scarce and wild and diff ficult to reach. All the settlers had moved away with their effects. The Indians were kept on the move all the time in small squads with women and children. If they had rations. 1t was a difficult matter to carry along an amount for such a company. The part