Norwich bulletin., 1913-05-09
AMERICAN INDIANS
BILLY RoWLEGs."

4 very small Indian boy with a very long Indian name crouehed behind a grassy knoll in q Florida swamp one day in 1885. With bow as tall as himself he was sending a succession of arrows into 8 group of desperately fighting United States soldiers.
 It was the battle in which brave Major Dade and his little body of troops were wiped out by Osceola' 5 fierce Seminole warriors. Osceola Gas an earlier article of this series told) took actual command of the Seminoles: :: but their sachem was Micanopy an old man. The little boy with the big bow babyhood he was a ferocious, war loving little chap. Most of his time was spent on horseback.
 His efforts to sit astride the broad backs of the native horses and ponies had bent his legs into odd shape. The Indians often nicllnamed each other from some peculiarly of face, figure or action. So the lads real name was
 quickly forgotten and he was known through life as Billy Bowlegs.' Such, at least, was the way the Americans translated his longer Spanish title of 'Guillermito a las piernas corvas."
 A Boy Warrior.
 The Dade battle was the first of BilIy's many fights. In 1t he slew sev- eTal white men and, by reckless cour- age as well as by Seminole cunning he won then a fame that was soon to spread throughout the United States.
 Osceola had wrought terror and desolation from one end of the Semi nole country to the other. When he was treacherously seized while going to 8, conference under a flag of truce, the government thought it would be easy to force his leaderless tribesmen iT1fA 4k1TN.i iec.i< EQ.rf i1n fiy.<c, Osceola had lighted were not to be so easily quenched. For years the con4ict dragged on before the author Iities were able. to ship the sullen SeIhinoleS west, to the reservation laid hout for them. As it was, about $50 of the fiercest refused to go and managed to escape the governments agents by hiding in the Everglades. These re- ioeHious Sefninoles chose Billy Bow legs for their sachem, or head chief. Many years had passed since the Dade fight and Billy had grown to full manhood He was a crack shot, d warrior of marvellous strength and endurance, and had moreover, the faculty of escaping from every tight place in which he chanced to find him. self. This last named quality led his superStitiouS followers to believe Billy had the power to make himself invis- 1ble. \ t one time he secretly led a party oi his braves on a sixty nile march away from their Everglades stronghold to Lake Kissimee, where at daylight he fell upon the fort there and well-nigh carried it by storm be- fore~s the large garrison was fairly awake. Beaten back at last by super ior numbers, he retreated in good or der.
 Captain Clarke. commandant of the fort led a party of soldiers in pursuit of the retreating Indians. This suited Billy Bowlegs perfectly. He en- trenched his men around little hill, and poured forth such galling dead ly fire that the troops were beaten back with heavy loss. Endorsements were hurried to the spot by General Harney, who hoped to catch the Semi holes before they could get back to the safety of the Everglades. But Billy Bowlegis was too clever for him. The whole party had vanished by the came up.
 The war department, angry at the Seminole leaders audacious raids sent a big expedition upder Colonel Loomis to crush him. Loonlis divided his force and attacked the Everglades from many different points. One com pany was so fortunate as to come upon party of Indians who were car rytng their wives and children to a place of safety. Billy Bowlegs was leading the fugitives. The troops gal loped down upon the Indians, shoot ing, slashing and capturing. But when the smoke of the battle cleared away it was found that Billy BoWlegs had eScaped-as usual.
 Force, diplomacy, trickery, bribery were all tried against him in vain Billy copld not be caught.
 At length. little by little his best fol- lowers were killed or imprisoned, and the brave old chief was shorn of all his power. He was obliged for the sake of the Seninoles who remained, to sue for peace. With 165 of his peo pie he was sent to Indian territory But the surrender broke his proud heart. Within few months after his removal from the Everglades he died.