The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-07-31

1
| make some provision for a memorial
| monument at the new Dade Massacre
park which has been purchased by
| the state. Congressman Herbert Drane
! recently told the story of the massacre,
| now almost forgotten, and copy of
the congressman's story as he told it
| to the house. has been received here.
Col. Drane's story is one of the most
interesting bits of Florida history. 1t
follows:
1.-THE year 1885 found the Seminole
Indians of Florida in disturbed condi-
| ton; few of the chiefs only being
favorably disposed to remove to the
country west OF the Mississippi as the
treaty Of Payne's Landing had OBJ
I Hgated them to do.
There had been numerous confer
ences and talks between General
| Wiley Thompson, the Indian agent, at
| Fort King, near the present site of
! the city Of Ocala, and the agent had
reported to the Washington authori-
ties from time to time of the inn
pending difficulties. The Indians
claimed that the first treaty, made at
Camp Moultrie, near st. Augustine
should control their affairs and the
administration at Washington held for
a strict construction of the treaty of
Payne's Landing made at later date.
Jaekson's Stand.
! "At this time President Andrew
jackson took a firm stand in the con-
troversy, and in a message, dated Feb
ruary 16, 1896, directed to the chiefs
and warriors of the Seminole Indians
! in Florida, used the following ex-
pressions:
| "'You know me, and you know !
would not deceive nor advise you to
| do anything that was unjust or in
| furious. l tell you that you must GO
and that you will go. You have sold
your country. You have not piece of
land as large as a blanket to sit down
upon.
| "Those stern words were communi-
Gated to the Indians at councils held
at Fort King in March and April 1885
and the situation was fully explained
to the principal chiefs and warriors by
General Thompson, the agent; General
Duncan L. Clinch, then in command
in Florida, and experienced army of
| ficers.
During the summer of 1885 but few
Indians came to Fort King and the
parleys with the Indians having been
prolonged it was decided that removal
would be deferred until the beginning
/ of 1886. From time to time General
Thompson and others had advised that
small forces at Fort King and at Fort
Brooke, Tampa Bay, would be insult
lficient and recommended reinforce
4 aE y.11
of the post at Fort King.
"Orders We're given in due time for
| detaehments of the First and Second
Artillery, and Fourth Infantry, to
move from Key West via Tampa Bay
Ito Fort King. This command was
given to Major Francis L. Dade.
From Fort Brooke, on Tampa Bay
there was a trail of road known as
the Fort King road; the distance be-
tween the two posts was about one
4 hundred miles and over the larger
streams had been placed crude bridges
Late in December, 1885, Major Dade
and his troops began their march from
Fort Brooke, and for several days
nothing was heard from the command
Early in January there came to Fort
Brooke a private soldier named Daniel
F. Clarke, bearing severe wounds, weak
| from the loss Of blood, and the great
hardships he had endured, and barely
alive. as he had crawled almost the
entire distance from the scene of one
of the most bloody massacres in the
history of the American army.
CONSERVATION at Fort Brooke.
Clarke was one of the survivors of
1.-THE command consisting of one hun
Idred and two privates and non com
Imissioned officers. and eight officers
that had left Fort Brooke on Deem
i Der "a, 1885.
1.-THE news of the massacre brought
| bv Clarke created CONSERVATION in the
small garrison at Fort Brooke, and
steps were taken to protect the post
against attack by the savages. A sail
ling vessel was about to depart for
Mobile. and news of the destruction OF
Dade's command was sent to Wash
ington and to the larger cities and
towns along the gulf coast.
"The news of this astounding attack
/ reused the authorities at Washington
| to the seriousness of the situation. For
/ the first time in the history of our
army. almost an entire command of
| trained soldiers had been exterminated
| in a daylight attack. Later came news
that on the day of the Dade attack,
| Osceola and a small band had at Fort
King ambushed General Thompson
| and his aide, Lieutenant Smith, as they
were taking a stroll near the agency
building. The sava,ges then looted the
suffers store for ammunition, liquor
and stores, and departed south along
| the trail to join Micanopy, Alligator,
and the band that had earlier in the
day wiped out the command Of Major
Dade.
Major Dade, the commanding Of
ficer OF the Inflated detachment, was a
veteran of the war Of 1872, brave
and cautious soldier, and was to some
extent aware OF the unsettled condi-
ton of the country through which he
had to pass. His detachment Travelled