THE TRIBE OF REUBEN Seminole, Calusa,Muskogee,Creek Indian descent are part of the 12 tribes Final

THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED THE SEMINOLES HAD TO BE SURROUNDED BY A RING OF SMALL WOODEN FORTS WHERE U.S. TROOPS COULD OPERATE IN PROTECTING A REGION.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FORT MYERS, FORT MEADE, AND FORT PIERCE WERE STARTED AS FORTS IN THE SEMINOLE WARS. EVENTUALLY FORT BROOKE IN TAMPA BAY WAS SUBJECT TO INCREASED PROTECTION AS MANY SEMINOLES SLIPPED AWAY JUST MINUTES BEFORE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TO OKLAHOMA.Eventually, Seminoles were kept on Egmont Key to assure their safe removal.

Federal troops adopted a strategy of crisscrossing the interior by boat and foot driving the Seminoles into open country. The major weakness of the Seminoles was their women and children could not move around like the warrior units so the U. S. Government adopted a policy of hunting down, uprooting, and capturing the Indian villages.

The Capture of Osceola A Prison Cell in Saint Augustine

In 1837 Osceola was captured under a flag of truce and delivered to General Thomas Jesup, a Southerner in charge of the Indian war strategy. Osceola refused to accept any Oklahoma agreement so he was transported to Four Moultrie's prison outside Charleston, South Carolina, where the great Seminole warrior died of throat inflammation. Even in death, Osceola was attacked as soldiers beheaded his body before burial.

SEMINOLE WAR IN THE SWAMPS

THE SURVIVING SEMINOLES WERE DRIVEN SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE EVERGLADES.They were used to adjusting their way of life, even some of their cultural activities just to survive.

Some Seminoles had married the last remaining Calusa and adopted an economy of hunting and fishing in the swamps.

THE THIRD SEMINOLE WAR

In 1841, when North Florida was booming with settlers, SOUTH FLORIDA WAS STILL A WAR ZONE. CONGRESS APPROPRIATED MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO CAPTURE BY BRIBE OR BULLET THE SURVIVING INDIANS.

The Indian Council, headed by Holatta-Micco (BILLY BOWLEGS) was determined to defend the Biscayne holdings. The Third Artillery under Major Childs and Lt. John McLaughlin began to crisscross the swamps with the intent of destroying anything that would help the Seminoles. By 1842 Indians had been captured by this strategy.

Billy Bowlegs of the Third Seminole War Andrew Jackson

FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR REWARDS FOR BRAVES, $250 FOR WOMEN, AND $100 FOR CHILDREN WERE OFFERED TO WHITE BOUNTY HUNTERS. INDIANS COULD RECEIVE THE SAME REWARDS FOR GIVING UP.

THE SEMINOLES REJECTED THE FINANCIAL REWARDS AND BEGAN THEIR GUERRILLA WARFARE. A BAND OF FORTY OKLAHOMA SEMINOLES COULD NOT CONVINCE THE INDIANS TO SURRENDER.

Billy Bowlegs rejected bribes of $5,000 plus $100 per surrendered Indian, but when his granddaughter was seized, he was forced to surrender. On May 4, 1858, the last of the famous Seminole warriors met the soldiers at Billy's Creek and was sent forever from Florida. A handful of Seminoles remained in the Everglades, but fighting ended.
THE SEMINOLES HAD DELAYED FLORIDA STATEHOOD FOR THIRTY YEARS. ***THEY NEVER SURRENDERED,*** each person allowed to decide whether to accept a treaty. Now the frontier was ready for settlement and only the Civil War would delay the potential growth of this last frontier.

References:

The King James 1611 version Bible

Merriam Webster's Dictionary

Lost Tribes and Promised Land by Ronald Sanders

History of The American Indians by James Adair

Map of Seminole Wars in Florida



#WakeUpReuben

Comments DisabledThe author has disabled comments for this blog.