Jefferson County

Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton County

Jefferson County

The Narvaez exhibition visited the Apalachee town of Ivitachuco.

Large Mound near Lake Miccosukee.
From State of Florida Archives

The Spanish created a mission chain in the panhandle to minister the Catholic Faith to the Apalachees. There were a number of them in this area. A native uprising in 1647 destroyed the missions, but they were rebuilt and finally destroyed by Governor Moore of South Carolina in 1704. The San Miquel de Asile Mission Site was one of these missions that lasted from 1607 to 1704. The Indians that lived around it were Yustaga Indians. Other missions ministering to the Apalachee Indians were the San Joseph de Ocuya Mission and the San Juan de Aspalaga Mission.

The Seminoles settled in the south part of the county but were driven out during the Second Seminole War. During the war, they raided the plantations in the area.

Second Seminole War Forts: Fort Clarke, Gamble, and Ocilla.

HISTORIC QUOTE:

This portion of a letter written by Indian Agent Wiley Thompson in 1835 explains why all the Indians in Florida are referred to as Seminoles, even if they are Muskogee, Miccosukee, Yuchi, or others. At that time Thompson considered all the Indians in Florida as Seminoles, no matter what their ethnic origin. This is why today that all Indians in Florida may be referred to as Seminole, even though the correct tribe would be Miccosuki, Muskogee or Creek.

"The word Seminole means runaway or broken off. Hence Seminole is a distinctive appellation, applicable to all the Indians in the Territory of Florida, as all of them run away, or broke off, from the Creek or Nuiscoge [Muskogee] nation. The treaties made with the Seminole Indians embrace all the Indians within the Territory, except some bands on the Apalachicola river, who were provided for by a separate article in the Camp Moultrie treaty; and, subsequently, by treaties entered into immediately between these bands and the United States."

From "U.S. Congress (24th Congress, 2d Session), January 23, 1837; Report from the Secretary of War, In Compliance with Resolution of the Senate of the 14th and 18th Instant, Transmitting Copies of Correspondence Relative to the Campaign in Florida."

Madison County

Second Seminole War forts in the area: Fort Noel and Jackson.

Famous Seminole leader John Hicks (Tuko-See-Mathla) had his town near modern day Hickstown until he was forced to leave because of encroaching white settlers.

John Hicks or Tuko-see-mathla (1776?-1833)
McKenney-Hall Portrait

John Hicks was a very influential Seminole leader; much more than Micanopy. Hick's sons remarked in 1837 that if he had lived, then the war would not have happened.

By 1826 Governor Duval was not happy with Neamathla, who had been so conciliatory to the Americans at the Treaty of Moultrie Creek, but due to the poor treatment he received among the local settlers, he had a change of heart. The governor demanded him to remove his people from the reservation in north Florida and to move down south to the reservation in central Florida. When Neamathla did not move, Duval rode into Neamathla's camp and confronted 300 angry and armed warriors. Duval "fired" Neamathla as head chief of the Seminoles and arranged for a new election at Fort King. Neamathla had enough of being moved around and lied to in Florida, so he moved his town and people back to Alabama.

NeaMathla
McKenney-Hall Portrait

In August 1826, John Hicks was elected as "The Chief of the Three Nations", or "Chief of the Seminoles, Micasukies, and Tallahassees." Micanopy was leading the Seminole delegation, but did not win the election. Hicks was the "Micasuki" candidate. It seems that the government took a large role in the elections to make sure that the candidate that they wanted was elected. Lieutenant George McCall remarked how Micanopy was not of strong character, and easily influenced by anti-removal forces like his "Minister of State", Jumper.

There was a big ceremony after the election of John Hicks at Fort King. Over 2000 Indians attended with much fanfare. A big dance was held in Hicks' honor. One of the reasons that Hicks may have had the most support of the Seminoles is because of the influence of Sam Jones, whom Hicks often represented in council.

Soon after his election as head chief, even John Hicks was complaining about the U.S.'s treatment of the Seminoles in Florida. In 1826 a Seminole delegation with Hicks, Neamathla, Abraham, and four other leaders went to Washington to speak their complaints to President John Quincy Adams. They demanded that the Big Swamp area be added to the reservation in Central Florida. (An area that was near Ocala.) His people had suffered much moving into central Florida, and there was not enough good land to grow the crops that they needed. The Seminoles also wanted the return of blacks that had been taken away from them by slave catchers. They claimed that white plantation owners had stolen their livestock with no compensation given to the Seminoles.

In 1829 Andrew Jackson became President, and actively pushed the Indian Removal Act through congress. The government now wanted to remove all the eastern tribes to Arkansas Territory west of the Mississippi River. John Hicks was with a Seminole delegation that visited the land in Arkansas territory in late 1832 and early 1833. The Seminoles said that they only agreed to the see that land, but were not obligated to move. The government said that they had signed the Treaty of Fort Gibson, agreeing to remove from Florida. Charges were that Indian Agent John Phagan had coerced and forced the Indians to sign the treaty after getting them drunk. Phagan was removed from office for charges of mismanagement soon after.

Around December 1833 John Hicks died. The Americans looked to Micanopy for leadership of the Seminoles, but never had another chief who had the Florida Indians united under him.

HISTORIC QUOTE:

"In the morning, Tuko-see-mathla [also known as John Hicks] came to the Agent's quarters dressed in the most sumptuous habiliments you can imagine. His frock, or coat, was of the finest quality, and adorned with a quantity of silver ornaments around his neck, arms, and wrists, with a gorgeous head-dress of colored shawls. His bearing was that of a chief indeed. He was attended by his lictors with their maces; and while I was present, sent a party to inflict punishment upon some offenders who had a short time before committed a gross violation of the laws of the nation, or rather of those in force in the tribe to which they had before belonged."

By George A. McCall in "Letters from the Frontiers." He is describing a visit by John Hicks, Chief of the Seminoles, to the Indian Agency in Florida in 1826.

Click here for more information on John Hicks!

Hamilton County

White Springs has long been known as a famous healing spot. A local legend says that the Indians believed the spring was sacred and had healing powers. Tourists in the 19th and 20th centuries promoted the same belief. "Fort Number 21" was here during the Second Seminole War.

There are stories of old Indian mounds and locations of Seminole villages in the county. Unfortunately, not much has been studied about the Suwannee River.

During the Second Seminole War, Chief Tiger Tail lived in the area. He raided many homesteads in the area.

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