The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-04-28

met Major Thompson at Fort King,
and treaty for all the Indians in
Florida was entered into and signed
by Osceola and his sub chiefs on the
! part of the Indians whereby they
agreed and bound themselves to allow
the government to remove them to
the reservation in the Indian Terri
tory, set apart for the Seminole In
dians. And after the treaty had been
signed and everything all settled, Ma
jor Thompson had Osceola and his
sub chiefs to dine with him. Dinner
was over about shutdown, when Os-
ceola and the other Indians went out
side. and on a signal from Osceola the
Indians rushed into the house and
| murdered Major Thompson and his
| household. Osceola knew that Major
Dade was marching up from Fort
Brook (Tampa) to Fort King. I think
there were 101 men in his command.
After killing Major Thompson early
in the night Osceola hurried on to in
tercept Major Dade. which he did some
forty or fifty miles south of Fort
King, just after daybreak. I have of
ten passed along the road and the
pond where this bloody murder took
place. AT that time tall sawgrass
grew on the margin of the pond The
Indians secreted themselves in the
sawgrass and palmettos that were on
the other side of the road, and they
shot down Major Dade and all his
command, except negro guide, who
was in league with the Indians, and
had arranged with Osceola to betray
Major Dade. All the soldiers were kill
ed, except one and he was shot down,
and, feigning death, was scalped; and
thus, outside of the traitorous negro
guide, this one soldier was the only
one left to tell the tale. Major Dade
had a six-pound cannon, which the
Indians threw into the pond. 1t was
afterwards gotten out and brought to
Ocala, where it would be shot off on
patriotic occasions, until the 4th of
July, 1860, when a lot of rowdy fellows
put in an overcharge of powder and
rammed the muzzle full of wet sand,
and when it was fired it burst in many
pieces.
One of the sub chiefs who signed
the treaty to go west was named
Charley Amathla, who lived at Old
town. some ten or twelve miles west of
Ocala, and he was a good Indian, and |
signed the treaty in good faith, fully |
intending to comply with it's terms. |
Osceola knew this, and he arranged to |
have him murdered on his way home !
that night. There was a trail from |
Fort King to OldtOwn, passing about |
two miles north of Ocala, which Char
ley Amathla had to travel going home. !
Osceola sent another Indian on ahead |
murder him. l think he was buried
at Oldtown, but he may have been
buried on the trail. Montholon Atkin- |
son or John H. Brooks may be able |
to point out the spot where he was
buried Wiley Brooks and Neil Fer
guson afterwards settled at Oldtown.
Charley Amathla did not remain to |
dine with Major Thompson, but after |
the treaty was signed he left for his
home, some twelve or fifteen miles |
from Fort King. and therefore was
not present when Major Thompson's |
household was murdered. This all oc-
Cured in time of peace, but led to war
that only ended when Osceola was
captured through a flag of truce. 1
do not condone the method or means
employed to capture him, but it SEEM
ed the only way to get him He was
as treacherous an Indian as ever lived,
and he only was served with some of
| his own tactics.
JAMES A. HARRIS.