The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-11-23
AN INTERESTING LETTER

Iy received from an OLD timer anu IN
old friend what is to him an interest
ing letter. and may prove so to 9th,
ers.
The letter was not intended for pub
location, but we take the liberty OF,
making few extracts from 1t.
The writer says:
Il read about your bond fire. in q
late issue of the Banner with a great
deal of pleasure, and think it was
beautiful idea-the laying on the fire
of pieces of wood commemorative OF I
past historical events-but l want to
correct you in your account of what
your father did.
81 am quite sure that he was not
at Fort King at the time Colonel
Thompson and Lieutenant Constantine
Smith were assassinated by Osceola
and his followers. That occurrence
and the massacre of Major Dade the
next day brought on the Indian war,
which lasted for number OF years.
Later on in the war there was a
battle in the 'Wahoo' hammock. This
hammock lies mile or two west of
Bushnell, and two or three miles
north of Istachatta, on the Withlacoo-i
chez river I think it is about two
miles wide from north TO south, and
about three miles long, east and west.
81 am quite sure that your father
was in this battle, and as reinforce
ments were needed volunteers were
called for to go down the Withlacoo-l
chez river in a rowboat to Fort Clinch,
which was lower down the river near
Horns Bridge or at least that is
what it was called in my boyhood :
days. think it is now called Stokes :
Ferry.
Your father, and | think one or :
two others, volunteered to go on this
hazardous trip, for at that time the :
whole country was swarming with :
hostile Indians, and especially in the
swamps bordering on this river. They .
rowed down the river with muffled
oars to Fort Clinch and procured the
necessary reinforcements.
There is public road from Pana-I
soffkee to Brooksville via IstachattaI :
that passed through the 'Wahoo' ham, :
mock I have often gone that way to
and from Brooksville. This road was
there at the time of the battle. There
was large tree standing on the east
side of the road that leaned across the
road; at that time the foliage was
thick. An Indian got UP this tree di-
rectly over the road and killed and :
wounded several soldiers before he
was discovered. I am sure that this :
tree is still living
After telling the branch of service
his only son is in, he says: S
Il wish l could go to the front in t
his place, and let him remain at home c
with the wife and three kiddies II s
would gladly do it, for am like Roose- S
welt: | think it is an honor to fight in @
this war, and any true, patriotic man
should be glad to have the opportuni- t
ty to do so. Could / recall twenty-five {
or thirty years Of my life | certainly t
would be in it. I can't see how any t
true man will try to shirk his duty tol A
his country in this hour of her greatI b
need, and l am glad that my son is II
not Stacker il
I'm the beginning of the United d
States entering the war l said then
that the war would last for at least d
three years longer, and maybe five
years; that this country would have I
to send over at least five million men,
and maybe more. and that it would
cost us one hundred billion dollars.
was laughed at for saying this, but I
am of the same opinion still. I hope,
however, that | am mistaken, but
can see no end to the war in sight
L only nope TO live to see the end and
that it will be a glorious victory for
the United States and our allies.
"The pope's peace note was most
and will proIong the war
at least a year. in that it will draw
the Catholics of Germany and Austria
Hungary more closely to their govern
ments in the war for their respective
governments will claim to their Cath.
Ole subjects that they were willing to
accept the pope's terms and end the
war, but their enemies rejected his
peace proposals"