The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-07

!
the command consisting of one hun
dred and two privates and non-com-
missioned officers, and eight officers
that had left Fort Brooke on Deem
Der "a, 1885.
THE news &C ~ -''-.'-r" ''- '-.'-'''.'
Iby Clarke created CONSERVATION in TIN
small garrison at Fort Brooke. and
steps were taken to protect the post
against attack by the savagcs. A
/ sailing vessel was about to depart for
Mobile, and news of the distinctions
of Dade's command was sent e.
/ Washington and to the larger cities
and towns along tho gulf coast.
THE news of this astonishing at
tack reused the authorities at Wash
/ ington to the seriousness of the stu
alton For the first time in the his
tory of our army, almost an cntir,
command of trained soldiers mad herM
eXtcrmnatcd in daylight attack
Later came news that on the day
the Dade attack. Osccoa and q ama
band had at Fort King ambushcd c.
eral Thompson and his aide. Lirutcn
ant Smith, as they were taking a
Stroll near the agency building. The
savages then looted the suffers store
for ammunition, liquor and stores, anu
departed south along the trail to ioir
I MicanOpy. Alligator, and the band
that had earlier in the day wiped OK
the command of Major Dadc.
Major Dade, the commanding OF
licer of the Inflated detachment, WI
a veteran of the war of 1872 Il brave
and cautious soldier and was to some
extent aware Of til" unsettled c)ndi
ton of the country through which H.
had to pass His detachment trav
eled with oxen as The principal means
of transport Of supplies and stores.
and necessarily the progress of the
command was slow He was pOvid-
I'd with one piece of artillery, SiX-
FOUNDER, and this WAS draWl ny 0Xal.
From the account of the battle given
/ by Clarke, it appears that Major
! Dadc moved slowly and with caution
along the military road. traces of
which may be seen to this day, and
until he bad crossed the forks Ui tl.t
! Withlacooch2c river. he had sent
scouts ahead and IT night mad an
cntrcnchCd camp, or cut trees for
brca5tworks, ard uacl all rosFiblc
prccaution" against . night attack.
Dade's Breakfast Pond
"The evening before the attack he
had crossed his last river. and had on
campcd for the night near Il @nal'
pond about four miles below or souiif
of the point of attack. On the morn-
ing Of the 2Sth he assembled his com
mand near the pond. which is now
known as Dadc'S Breakfast Pend. and
addressed them. stating that the mos;
dangerous part of their journey ha9
| been passed, and that they were near
ing their destination and by niGntra!
would probably reach Fori King.
con previous days he had advances
with flankcrs and an advance guard
! but ON the morning of the 2Sth day g
DcCcmbcr having passed thc thcE
Gwamps and the morning being some
what chilly. his vigilance was relaxed
and the command proceeded with a
small advance guard. the ncn wear
! ing their overcoats buttoncd, anG
their ammunition boxes under the
| outer garments. Major Dadc and
Captain Fraser closely followed The
advance guard, and the mca in dop
/ bic file followed.
About four miles north of the IN
! night camp, and while in the CpcI
woods and just west Of a small pond
and at Il point where the grass wa
tall and there were many clumps
saw palmetto, the Indians, one IL
bred and eighty in number. besides a
large number OF their negro slave
! and retainers, had concealed them.
selves in the gras sand in the palmct'
toes. The command was slowly pro
crossing along the trail, at this point
where the attack WAS, according (;
! the methods OF Indian warfare. rot Il
1 he expected The cold quiet morning
was suddenly startled by shrill war
whoOp uttered by the chief jumper
followed by single shot fred by
Micanopy and then Immediately Il
sheet of fire from the concealed in
dams poured into the startled sol
diers. More than half of the com
mand went down at the first vollcy
Tho aim of the Indians was well nigl
/ perfect. and the attack had been care
fully planned, and discussed by the
7 chiefs.
Captain Fraser
| Observation-Disclosures or AlilGa
tor, in MS narrative of the battle, says
/ that after the first voll2y, tho soldier:
were rallied by the few remaining of
hcers, and that the field piece waG
loaded and fired several times, bu'
the Indians soon shot down The al
tillcry men and the gun was silenccd
He says that one officer, a little man
was very brave man, that he drew
his sword and swore great oaths and
made every effort to rally his sol
diers. From all accounts this office!
was Captain Fraser. as it appears
/ that Major Dade was killed during the
first vollcy from the Indians. The
soldiers took refuge behind trees and
fought to the last. The firing contin-
ued for some time, and then the In
dians retired short distance to re
plensh their ammunition. An Indian
coming up said that there were a few
white men left, and that they had
thrown up a breastwork of logs. The
savagcs returned to the ground, and
placed the survivors under severe