The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-07-04
EVERGLADES ARE
BEING RECLAIMED
FLORIDA REGION OF BATTLES
AND ROMANCE is BECOMING
AGRICULTURAL LAND.
SCENE OF 'DADE'S MASSACRE
Story of West Pointer and His ILL.,
Fsted Expedition Against Chief
osceoIa and His Band of Seminole
Indians.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

Everglades has been reclaimed for ag-
ricultural purposes. The word is that
n day the wildness of the Everglades
and the romance connected Herewith
entirely will haze 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 moi being altogether
straightforward in their dealings in
connection with certain projects for
r%eclaiming the lands. but this was a
long time in the past.
II is a long way from the Everglades
to West Point, but at tie beginning of
what Is known at the academy as Fir
taticn Walk" a tree-embowered path
way dedicated in a way to Cupid. there
stands a monument TO Maj. 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
~ 6ofti app ODi tdAlOii " 3d.
600 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 a century after the
tragedy.
Major Dade led an expedition into
the Everglades against 0sceola and his
band. a soldier with a drop of Indian
blood in his veins was chosen by Dade
as a guide. The man led the command
straight TO an ambush, which was dis
covered fortunately just in time to
ave Dade and his men from an
Inhalation.
Escaped Trap, Died in Another.
There was a 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
sons 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 a Seminole chief named
Micanopy. The guide of this expedi-
ton was a negro named Lewis. and
like the former guide, he was n 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 a Semi
mole. The Indians o-utnumbered 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
10 yards when Micanopy shouted a
signal and every Indian rifle spoke.
One-half of the unsuspeetng troopers
falf -. 4L. = n-f d;=rIprra nj. -
Captains Gardner and Frazier were
killed by the first yolley. Lieut.. ]. /.
Reals was shot through both arms, but
he aided in rallying the survivors,.
One Survivor of Massacre.
The soldiers had IA 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
nv 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 its blade through the document
of transfer and said:
There is my signature"
OsceoIa fled after this act of de-
fance. and it was from the Everglades
that he directed the warfare against
the soldiers of the United States army.
Storehouse of Literature.
Fifty men starting at twenty-one
wears of age at the task or the pleas
IRE. whichever it may be. of reading
the books in the congressional library
MACAULAY
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