Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-06-28
FLORIDA REGION OF BATTLES
AND ROMANCE is BECOMING
AGRICULTURAL LAND.
SCENE OF DADE's MASSACRE
Story Of West Pointer and His III
Fated Expedition Against Chief
osceoIa and His Band Of Seminole
Indians.
BY EDWARD 8. CLARK

~ ~ SA"ucos-1ioo poOA reclaimed LOT az
ricultural purposes. The word is that
one day the Wildness of the Everglades
and the romance connected Herewith
entirely 9Vill have departed.
Congress has discussed the Ever
glades from various angles on several
occasions. Some years ago several de-
partmental officials were put under half
way suspicion of not being altogether
straightforward in their dealings in
connection with certain projects for
retaining the lands, but this was a
long time in the past
1t is long way from the Everglades
to. West Point, but at the beginning Of
what is known at the academy as "Flir-
tatlon Walk, a tree-embowered path
way dedicated in way to Cupid, there
| stands monument to Mai. Francis L.
Dade, a West Pointer who was killed
IN the Everglades when he was leader
OF an expedition against Osceola and
his Seminoles. Some years ago Rep
resentative Sparkman Of Florida asked
for a government appropriation Of S5,-
1 OOO to erect a memorial to Dade some
where near the scene of the battle in
which the major and most of his COM
mand lost their lives. The govern
ment of the United States has the rec
ord of what is known as the 'Dade
massacre and it is interesting read
ing today nearly century after the
tragedy.
Major Dade led an expedition into
the Everglades against Osceola and his
band. A soldier with a drop of Indian
blood in his veins was chosen by Dade
as guide. The man led the command
straight to an ambush, which was dis
covered fortunately just in time to
save Dade and his men, from an
Inhalation.
Escaped Trap, Died in Another.
There was drumhead court-martial,
and the guide was sentenced to be shot
at sunrise. His last request was grant
ed. He removed from his person the
uniform Of the United States army and
put on leggings and hunting shirt of
deer skin. He painted his face and
said that he was ready to die, and as
/ the shots Of the execution squad were
fired his voice rang with the death
song Of the Seminole tribe.
Major Dade and his command es-
capped death on the day Of the guides
treachery only to meet it later in the
fastness of the Everglades. With one
company Of the famous old Fourth in
fantry and with the men of the two
light batteries of artillery, Dade
marched into the Everglades where the
country was comparatively open, to
give battle to Seminole chief named
Micanopy. The guide of this expedi-
ton was negro named Lewis, and
like the former guide, he was traitor.
Lewis had sent word to Micanopy, tell
ing the Seminoles the trail by which
he was to lead the whites.
Major Dade and his command
reached a glade skirted by palmettos.
The troops were in open order, march
ing carelessly along. Behind every
palmetto, prone and silent, lay Semi
nole The Indians outnumbered the
soldiers three to one, and from right
to left by a previous understanding the
braves had selected and covered with
/ their rifles the men they were to kill.
The firing distance was less than
40 yards when Micanopy shouted a
signal and every Indian rifle spoke.
One-half of the unsuspectng troopers
fell at the first discharge Dade and
Captains Gardner and Frazier were
killed by the first volley. Lieut.. j. /.
Reals was shot through both arms, but
he aided in rallying the survivors,.
One Survivor of Massacre.
The soldiers had light field piece
with them, and by the use of canister
they scattered the savages, and after
ward they managed to build a barri-
cade Of logs. The Seminoles circled to
the rear and picked off the whites one
by one. When the last man had fallen
the Indians closed in and despoiled the
dead. One man, sorely wounded,
/ awoke to consciousness after the Semi
noles had left and found himself the
sole survivor Of three companies of
regulars. He managed to reach Fort
King with the story Of the Everglade
fight that has passed into history as
] "Dade's massacre.
There is another story Of the Ever
glades which still occasionally is told
IN army circles in Washington. AS the
story runs it was on the edge of the
Jungle country that Osceola, the Semi
mole. when asked to sign a treaty with
the whites by which the Indians land
was to be given up drew his knife,
stuck it's blade through the document
of transfer and said:
"There is my signature"
Osceola fed after this act of de-
fiance, and it was from the Everglades
that he directed the warfare against
the soldiers of the United States army.
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