The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-04-30
TELLS OF MANY
HAZARDS DURING
INDIAN FIGHTING
MAJOR IN UNITED STATES
MARINE CORPS GIVES DE-
SCRIPTIVE ACCOUNT OF
BATTLES IN FLORIDA
Especial 80 The CItIzenD

w AS1IIN0 1ON, April 0O.-
One doesn't need to read about
the exploits of Buffalo Bill, Gen.
eral Custer, Bill Hickock, nor any
of the famous scouts who blazed
the trails across the west for ad-
vancing cicvilization, to get the
true story of Indian fighting.
Perhaps no man has ever had
told the story in more fascinat-
ing narrative than has Major c.
. H. Metcalf, USING, writing in
the Marine Corps Gazette of Feb
ru&ry, 1886.
Authentic records of the Sem
mole wars in Florida, throughout
all Of which the U. S. Marines had
an important part, will reveal
just as much danger, hardship,
daring, and valorous service as
any recorded west of the Mis-
sissippi.
! The U. S. army, assisted for
the first time by the Marines,
started fighting the Seminole In
dams in Florida in 1885. Such
commanding officers as Winfield
Scott, Andrew Jackson, General
! Clinch, and several others led
these expeditions. The difficulties
never were solved, except tenn
porarily.
| = First Campaign
| The government launched its
first campaign from Tampa bay.
i The Indians wee concentrated in
the middle Of the Florida penin-
sula; perhaps about where Gaines
vile now is located. During the
following several years o. fight
i ing and ambushing, these forces
were shifted here and there back
and forth across the state to manv
bloody scenes Of combat. It
finally required the combined
forces of regular u. S. troops.
Marines, naval forces and volun-
teers to capture Osceola, the fiery
fury whose insolence kept him in
arms but who never was SUBJ
dued. Osceola's burning hatred
so stirred the Seminole warriors
J they time and again turned with
slaughtering vengeance and up
set plans to move the tribe from
the southeast into western reser-
vat;ons. The Seminole Indians
were so stubborn. 50 elusive, and
so uncomfortable they were al
most extinguished. but they never
were removed. :nd their deci-
mated ranks at the end Of the
long years of warrine were left
to roam the Everglades wilder
ness.
Under Protection
Tallahassee, Pensacola, Apala-
chicola, and dozens of interior
outposts were many times under
the protecting wing Of the fight
| ing Marines during the bloody
Seminole war. True to tradition.
the Marines were the advancing
scouts who blazed the way for
the regulars. They pushed into
the impenetrable places, built
temporary shelters and supply de-
! pots. and then defended these out
posts until other forces could be
brought up, when again the Ma
rines would push forward explore
a river, drag q swamp, or take a
village, and fight their way until
achievements came These scat
tered. but bloody. expeditions
went on by the hundreds fer years
while Uncle Sam wrested the
Florida peninsula from the saw
age and made it safe for the white
man.
The Indians were not the only
enemies the Marines faced IN
Florida. Disease was dreaded as
much as the Seminoles, and ac-
counted for almost as many
casualties. Some OF the greatest
difficulties experienced. IN con-
trast 70 the bloody fighting when
fighting did occur. was in loeat-
ing the enemy in a country void
of roads and food supply.