Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-11-22

land county, in which he stated that
Osceola, the great Indian chlettaih
who so valiantly lead the Seminoles'
of Florida, in their war against the
whites was born on Lake Waccama"'
in this county
We told Col. McNeal he must De
mistaken. and that Osceola was
Florida Indian. But Col. McNeal III
sisted that he was correct, ana MI
Powell OF Vineland, substantiated hlnl'
1ast week in a conversation with
Mr. r. X. Council. of Wananlsh'
.o,,.r located on Lake Waccamaw, the
subject was brought up. he saiu 'ii9
statement of these gentlemen was uh-
deniably correct; that Osceoia was
eitbar horn in Columbus county, OF
hi. ,pother gave birth to him very
shortly after the United states SI nay
,,,oreS the Seminole tribe, to WnlcIl
che belonged. from this section. ne ne
immersion is that Osceola was ciiIu ~
at the time of the removal Oh lIe -, -
S;onc Mr. Council states that sew
eral different tribes lnhaDlteu Tins s4ote
tion. but he cannot posltlNely So So
which side of the lake the Semlnoles
occunied AS history states. Osceola
Was half-breed. his father pelns one @
of the leading white men OF tnal uaS
~ orr comfy. So OSceola lnnerlteu
the brain and valor of the White race, race
blended with the craft and Stratesy
characteristic of the Indian. He va
undeniably the greatest oIsdLlHet 1I
ole between the whites and aDorlslless
9roduced. History comedies thls' anu
tbe government has a heroic statute
of OSceola moulded of wax on eNhlni-
tjon in Washington city. Even WIN
tbn har cimetar, a white family need
NOT blush at the thought OF one Vi
their ancestors being respohslole ioi
the existence of this famous cnleIIal!i, =,
and that the same blood flows IN thei[
veins.
osceoIa's Vindictive Mother.
The Indians were violently Opposed
70 quitting the graves OF thelr hlilut Is, {"
and friends, and doubtless osceo!a ~
herited resentment against the "hi'e
race from his vindictive mother WHO WHO
had q double cause for grievance
against the Pale Faces. O.
ANYWAY. before he reached his ma
ioritv Osceola became leader among
the Seminole Indians OF tlorlua, anu anu
when the government decided 10 asaiii
remove them, this time west Oh tHe ne
Mississippi river, they broke OUT i''
open revolt. ..eo,oo5 b,, q
number Of runaway negroes, ana tak-
ING refuge in the impenetrapIe lasI,
neSSas of the Florida Everglades, ola
defiance to Uncle sam. o..
The hereditary chief of these Semi
noIes was named Bill Bowlegs, ana
being an old Indian, doubtless also
came from our county. But the uasIi- u
ing and gallant young Osceola SCOT,
,,1,Iontad him in the confidence ana
affection of the Indians and became
their accepted leader. o,,o
The first deed of daring by Osceola
was the massacre of Major Daue anu anu
some 200 of his soldiers. not man
being left alive to tell the story Oh az, az
tack. These troops were thought an
necessary to suppress the Semlnole
mnrising and so they marched with
hammers flying into the Indian coun-
trv and at night pitched their camp
in what we believe is now PascO
county. And in such contempt ana
tho commander of these troops holu
the red skins that when they pltcheu
camp that night. the usual preCau-
tions were neglected, and the soldiers
went to sleep guarded by le"
drowsy sentinels
The Massacre.
But from the time the troops IN
vaded his territory, Osceola, with d
hand of his chosen warriors, had, from
the dense forests and swamps, follow
ed the march of these troops, ana
watched their every movement. so
that night. while Major Dade and his
command were wrapped in slumper'
Osceola and his band rushed as a
whirlwind upon their enemy camp
and a horrible scene of slaughter en-
sued. The Indians neither asked nor
gave quarter. the Whlte SoIuiSls t,oi,. o
ing killed and Scalped, and their
arms and even clothing carried away.
or the entire command, only one
badly wounded soldier escaped to car
~ the news of the surprise and mas
sacre. The victorious Indians, now
with arms and accourterments 10
make war in earne st. hid themselves
in the dense swamps the tdlngs OF
the victory bringing all the waVerine
Indians into Osceola'S band, who de-
cIared war to the knife against the
whites.
In the history of the Seminole war,
this attack and victory is spoken OF as
The Dade Massacre But IT was an
open. and from the Indian standpoint.
legitimate warfare, not more crUel
nor uncivilized than when Gen. w. T.
sherman stuck torch to the undefend-
ed CITY of Columbia, :. c., after It's
surrender, and he knew the war tC
be practically over and left thousands
of women and children without 1000
or shelter. OSceOla and his Indians
had declared war against the UmteG
States. in defense of their homes anu
the cncroachment of the whites, who
we're commanded to move still furth-
er toward the setting sun. and into q
strange and unknown land. With the
at that time, bitter feeling existing be-
tween the whites and Indians. mac
Major Dade surprised a sleeping bano
of Indians doubtless the same bloody
scene would have been enacted.
Such terror did this night attacR
and slaughter strike into the whites
that for some time the bodies of these
soldiers were left exposed To the birds
of prey and wild beasts upon the for
est battlefield. Afterwards the scat
tered bones were collected and carried
to st. Augustine. Fla. and inferred
in a single grave within the UnlteI
States barracks. y monument o.
blocks of rough stone was erected
over this mound. with appropriate
inscription recounting the story o.
their death. When the editor of tht
NewS-Reportcr last visited that an
cient and historic city. he inspected
this monument. little thinking. at tina
time his lot would be cast Wlthn
few miles of the spot where the rea
half-brced red skin hero of tina
bloody scene first saw the lignt. anC
that we would look upon white meI
i'm whose veins the blood of tina
martyred and heroic warrior courses
And while the name of this same
highly honored and prominent famii!
il withheld we will state that thel
conspicuous valor in the great war be
tween the states show that OSceol;
inherited his valor and milital!
proweSs from one hardy old pionee
10 whom he owed his paternity. WI
to whom he owed his patrenity. VII
liam the COnQucror. Alexander Hamll
ton and other men whose names vii
ever live i'm history, like unto OSceola
were illcgitimatcs.
Justice to Osceola.
Now that the Indians the one tim
srl. owners of this great land AM