page_title: Second Seminole War
section_title: General Scott's campaign
hierarchical_section_title: Second Seminole War / General Scott's campaign
caption_attribution_description: English: Downloaded from http://memory.loc.gov/ TITLE: Burning of the town Pilak-li-ka-ha by Gen. Eustis CALL NUMBER: PGA - Gray &amp; James--Burning ... (A size) [P&amp;P] REPRODUCTION NUMBER: LC-USZC4-2727 (color film copy transparency) LC-USZ62-22901 (b&amp;w film copy neg.) RIGHTS INFORMATION: No known restrictions on publication. MEDIUM: 1 print&#160;: lithograph, hand-colored. CREATED/PUBLISHED: [Charleston, S.C.&#160;: T.F. Gray and James, 1837] CREATOR: Gray &amp; James. NOTES: No. 8 in set of 8 "Views of Florida." The State Library and Archives of Florida cites as "Lithographs of events in the Semonole War in Florida in 1835. Issued by T.F. Gray and James of Charleston, S.C., in 1837."
context_page_description: The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Seminoles and the United States, part of a series of conflicts called the Seminole Wars. The Second Seminole War, often referred to as the Seminole War, is regarded as "the longest and most costly of the Indian conflicts of the United States."
context_section_description: General Scott had begun assembling men and supplies for a grand campaign against the Seminoles. Three columns, totaling 5,000 men, were to converge on the Cove of the Withlacoochee, trapping the Seminoles with a force large enough to defeat them. Scott would accompany one column, under the command of General Clinch, moving south from Fort Drane. A second column, under Brig. Gen. Abraham Eustis, would travel southwest from Volusia, a town on the St. Johns River. The third wing, under the command of Col. William Lindsay, would move north from Fort Brooke. The plan was for the three columns to arrive at the Cove simultaneously so as to prevent the Seminoles from escaping. Eustis and Lindsay were supposed to be in place on March 25, so that Clinch's column could drive the Seminoles into them.
  On the way from St. Augustine to Volusia to take up his starting position, Gen. Eustis found Pilaklikaha, or Palatlakaha (Palatka, Florida), also known as Abraham's Town. Abraham had been a member of the Corps of Colonial Marines and was present at, and taken into custody, at the Battle of Negro Fort In custody only a short time, he was a Black Seminole leader, and interpreter for the Seminoles, who played a critical role during the Second Seminole War.Eustis burned the town before moving on to Volusia.
  All three columns were delayed. Eustis was two days late departing Volusia because of an attack by the Seminoles. Clinch's and Lindsay's columns only reached their positions on March 28. Because of problems crossing through uncharted territory, Eustis's column did not arrive until March 30. Clinch crossed the Withlacoochee on March 29 to attack the Seminoles in the Cove, but found the villages deserted. Eustis's column did fight a skirmish with some Seminoles before reaching its assigned position, but the whole action had killed or captured only a few Seminoles. On March 31 all three commanders, running low on supplies, headed for Fort Brooke. The failure of the expedition to effectively engage the Seminoles was seen as a defeat, and was blamed on insufficient time for planning and an inhospitable climate.
caption: Gen. Eustis burned Pilaklikaha, or Abraham's Town, on his way to join Gen. Scott's campaign.
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