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

Strike for your altars and your lres-
Strike for the green graves OF your
sires-"
Columbus county has cause to De
proud of giving to the world Osceola
and we would like to see erected upon
the shores of Lake WaccamaW mon
ument to his memory. Whlie tne
name and deeds of that great lhulaii
will ever survive, it is due TO oui
country that the place or ms plrth.
the placid and beautiful sheetS Vi
\, ater upon which his ancestors llVed
for generations. and upon the banks
of which Osceola played as child
should he marked for the benefit or
pOSterity.
But to return to that Seminole war.
The massacre of Major Dade and MS
command aroused the whole country
ond to suppress Osceola and his little
hand of warriors, compared with the
wealth and population of our republic
at that time. more energy and money
were eXpended. and more than nun
dred times as much blood shed, as
during the recent war with SPAN !,
and It was then only by the oasest
act of treachery that Osceola was at
last captured and his band or Indians
61SnerSeO.
da from nearly all the states, but they
could not suppress the Seminole up
rising The Indians retreated into that
inn npenetrable fortress the Everglades
-being familiar with its every path
and dry island-and the whites coulu
not follow them.
Osceola proved himself not only a
coura geous soldier but skillful leau-
.er He surprised and defeated the
United States troops at every oppor-
tunity. and victory even perched upon
his banners. .u
q, To send soldiers to Florida was to
send them to defeat and death. FL
nally Col. Jessup was placed IN COM
mand. with instructions to XIII or
capture Osceola and disperse his oand
at any cost. But he met with the
same tactics and defeats as did his
predecessors.
Victim Of Treachery.
At last that gallant officer was gull
tv of an act of the basest treachery
that will ever tarnish his good name,
and remains a blur upon our great
nation. II,
Colonel Jessup. chatting under ms
unsuccessful campaign, and reallZl'ls
that Osceola was the soul and heau vi
that Seminole uprising. sent word py
a cantive Indian to Osceola asking
that he meet him in friendly confer
erce with view of making treaty
Of peace.
Put the willy half-breed was sus-
nicious of the good faith of the whites
and refused to put himself withln the
mower of his enemies without nTst
having sent to him an outline or the
terms of the proposed treaty 10 see see
~ thev would be acceptable TO MS
neople, and n safeguard for Osceola
and the warriors who might accom-,
pany him. pledging that they coulu
return unmolested to their camp
should negotiations for peace ram.
While apologists for COZ. Jessup
bayo endeavored to palliate and eX-
nlain away this act Of treachery, ana
hut brief mention was at that time
made of it in the history of the war
it was an act of which the ruling
mowers at that time were heartily
ashamed-there is no denying the
fact that Osceola's demands We're
complied with and the safe conuuct'
over the signature Of the commander
of the United States forces, sent tnls
Indian.
It is said that even after receiving
this guarantee. Osceola expressed
heSitancy, fearing treacneTy' puI "e'f
at last persuaded to accept.
So gathering around him his CHOSEN
leaders. Osceola went into the camp
of his embittered enemies. But when
there he showed neither doubt nor
tinidity and one reason assigned 1or
violating that safe conduct was the
brazen and defiant bearing of that
bIoodv-handed and savage warrior
Osceola doubtless wanted to show MS
enemies that he was a supplicant 1or
neace but intended to dictate terms
Put his arrest had been decided on
when that message was sent. Wltnoul
preliminaries Osceola and the lndlans
who accompanied on that mission OF
neace. as soon as they appeared IN
the white camp. unarmed and at the
mercy Of their enemies. were surounu-
ed by the troops and taken prisoners
A Broken Heart.
Osceola was confined in irons. and
sent a prisoner to Fort Moultrle' on
Sullivan's Island, at the entrance Oh
the harbor to Charleston. ). {. Ihere
he was kept closely confined IN one
of the dungeons to the fort. IL Is s@aiu @
that Osceola uttered no protest against
the treachery that lead to his capture
He refused to talk. and only replied:
when necessity demanded, in gutteral
monosvllables The short time he was
n prisoner in the fort, he was nelther
defiant nor manifested any resentment
whatever. But his dignified. yea, noble
bearing won respect from all with
whom he came in contact. He ate
| but sparingly and at long Intervals
While holding his head aloft IN the
presence of his guard, when alone IN
| that cell. he sat with dropping head
oil
spondenCy: but at the sound of foot
steps showing approaching visitors,
Osceola was on his feet in flash, and
as erect and straight as an arrow. IL
| is said his eye was keenly penetrating
| and he would look square in your eye
without winking. Few cared to en-
counter that gaze a second time, iol
| il carried that unuttered reproach that
Osceola must have felt toward the
white race.
But it soon became apparent that
the iron of humiliation had entered
the soul of this great Indian chieftaln
| and warrior and that he was slowly
diving from a broken heart. He re-
fused to accept medical attention
| but day by day, grew weaker; slowly
mining away. His thoughts were
doubtless with his betrayed and van.
quished people but he never deigned
| to ask about the war All OF his li1e
lroving the woods a freeman: he must
nave Chafed at having his liberty
contracted to the four walls of thai
prison and guarded by men he de-
Spised and had so often conquered.
After being held prisoner for sew
eral months. one day the tidingS were
given out around Fort MOultrie tha
| Osceola was dying. His end was char
acteriStic of his life. He gave no slgr
that he noted those gathered arounC
the blankets upon which he reposed
if he suffered pain he did not SHOW
III by word. look or movement OF ever
the eve. His spirit took its flight u
the great hunting grounds believed
i'm by the red man as the snutiing o
q candle.
1t is an accepted fact that Osceol;
died from q broken heart.
| No hOnOrS We're paid this dead war
rior. \ grave was eXcaVated in tn
sand within the ramparts of the fort
land there the body Inferred. a plan
marble slab with only the name
l"OsceOla." chiseled thereon. toda,
marks his last resting place. Whel
living in Charleston we never visitet
lSullivan'S Island without stopping a
I,r.- 1.nl.inCy this