The Peace River starts in Polk County until it runs into Charlotte Bay. For a long time the Seminoles lived along this river.

Polk County was where Peter McQueen fled into Florida, and one of the last sites of his village.

Peter McQueen was the son of a Scotsman and a prominent Creek mother, and was one of the most vocal anti-removal leaders. His sister was Osceola's grandmother. McQueen's group was originally Tallassee (Muskogee) Indians from central Alabama, near Tuskegee and Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1813, McQueen and several of his group were returning from Pensacola with supplies, including 1000 lbs. of gunpowder. This is actually not much, when you considered that the Indians used powder for hunting and obtaining deerskin for trade; the source of their economic livelihood. The Americans attacked the supply train in Alabama at Burnt Corn Creek, northeast of Mobile. McQueen's band fled, but returned later and was able to recapture their supplies. Most of the Americans were from Fort Mims northeast of Mobile, so the Creek Indians demanded revenge. This led to the events of the massacre at Fort Mims, one of the worst massacres in U.S. history.

Andrew Jackson soon came down from Tennessee, and ended the year-long Creek civil war with the battle of Horseshoe Bend, where he killed over 800 Creek Red Stick warriors. This was the worst ever defeats of Indians by the United States, and it is said that not more then 10 Red Stick warriors survived the battle. Jackson never gave much credit to his Cherokee allies, who helped turn the tide of the battle in Jackson's favor.

McQueen was not inside the village at Horseshoe Bend. He had feared for the safety of his people early on, and moved them a few miles away. It is said that McQueen was captured by Jackson's forces, but he escaped. McQueen's band fled to Florida.

Osceola was about 10 years old at the time and went to Florida with his mother. Osceola was called Billy (William) Powell by the white men.

In 1818 Jackson came into Florida to attack all Indian villages that he could find, in a campaign known as the First Seminole War. McQueen was one of the reasons for Jackson's invasion, who Jackson was looking to hang. Billy Powell (Osceola) and his mother were prisoners captured by William MacIntosh's Creek Indian force at the Econfina River before the battle at Suwannee. (12 April 1818.) They were released when they promised to bring in talk to McQueen about surrendering. They eventually went down to where McQueen had moved to along Peas Creek (Peace River), at the town of Talakchopco.

The town of Talakchopco was on the Peace River until 1836. Not far was the town of Chief Oponay, who fled from Suwannee Old Town after Jackson had destroyed it. Oponay had a big plantation.

The Seminoles along the Peace River fared better than the Seminoles in north Florida, and were not subject to raids from Georgia, like the Alachua Seminoles had to endure. They raised cattle and took it to Charlotte Harbor, and were very wealthy from their trading, farming, and cattle raising.

Peter McQueen is said to have been living around Cape Florida at the time of his death in the 1820's. In less than 20 years, his band had lived all the way between central Alabama to Cape Florida (at the southeast corner of Florida.) We know that Osceola was at Talakchopco for a short time in 1818, but we know little of what happened the next few years. We are not sure where Osceola lived between 1818 and the early 1830's, but by 1832 we know that he was living near Fort King in Marion County.

Once the Second Seminole War began in late 1835, the Seminoles fled to the unexplored area of Florida, far from the Army outposts. Osceola's family is said to have returned to the Peace River area, possibly to Talakchopco. Osceola was in north Florida leading the Seminole warriors in some spectacular battles. We now know of Osceola's secret village in the Cove of the Withlacoochee, and it is more probable that his family could have been there.

In April 1836, Colonel Robert Goodwyn, commanding the South Carolina Volunteers, left Fort Brooke to attack Seminole villages along the Peace River. The term of enlistment for the volunteers was almost over, and the Army was desperate for a successful attack against the Seminoles while the troops were still employed. They were so eager to attack the Seminoles that they mistakenly attacked another camp of South Carolina volunteers soon after leaving Fort Brooke. Colonel Goodwyn's command had so many problems during the campaign, that by the time they reached Talakchopco on 16 April 1836, the Seminoles had already fled. The soldiers burned Talakchopco and another nearby town, and left for Fort Alabama (later Fort Foster) on the Hillsborough River. Another exhibition of Louisiana volunteers came up the Peace River from Charlotte Harbor, but turned around after even less success against the Seminoles.

This area saw some major action during the Second and Third Seminole Wars. During the Second Seminole War, Forts Carroll, Cummings, Fraser, Gardner, and Camp McCall were established. In the Indian scare of 1850, and the Third Seminole War, more military posts were activated, like Fort Clinch, Arbuckle, and Hooker. Fort Blount later became the town of Bartow. Fort Davenport, where the town of Davenport gets its name. Fort Meade was located at the town of the same name, named after George Meade who later became famous during the Civil War.

On 16 June 1856, there was a major battle between the Seminoles and Florida militia forces near Fort Meade. There is a monument at a local park to remember this event, known as the battle of Tillis Farm. This was the last major, organized battle of the Third Seminole War.

During 1856 most of the settlers living around the Peace River in this area fled to Fort Meade for protection. One settler who did not, and stayed at his homestead, was Willoughby Tillis. Tillis has the distinction of being with the Spring Grove Guards at the first battle of the Second Seminole War (Black Point), and being involved in the last major battle of the Third Seminole War. On June 14, 1856, the Tillis farm was attacked by Seminoles early in the morning when Mrs. Tillis went outside to milk the cows. The family defended themselves, but was trapped in their house, while two boys who escaped brought the militia from Fort Meade. The Seminoles were unable to get to the house, and killed about a dozen horses on the farm instead. When the militia arrived, the commanding officer and two soldiers were killed. At least one Indian was killed, and he was later found to be an important local chief.

The next day a militia force left Fort Meade to chase after the Seminoles, which were believed to have been joined by a much larger force. The next day on June 16, 1856, the militia found the Seminoles on the Peace River. They charged the Indians, and a fierce battle erupted along the riverbank. Five soldiers were killed, and they estimated at least 20 Seminoles killed. (But the Seminoles claim only four killed, with only 12 warriors in that battle.) Chief Oscen Tustenugge was among those killed. The soldiers captured many supplies that the Seminoles had captured in raids further up north.

There were problems for the militia that were revealed in these skirmishes. When signs of Indians were found, Captain William Hooker was more interested in rounding up his cattle for sale instead of protecting the settlers. In fact, most of the militia was not at their post at Fort Meade, but out in the countryside on private business.

I haven't visited this one yet, so if anyone has a report about it, please let me know.
Exhibits include a Paleo-Indian gallery, and a Seminole War display.

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© 1998, 2002, 2007 Chris Kimball
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