Fort Drum, west of Fort Capron, was another fort used to supply troops
searching for Seminoles in the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee area.
A group of soldiers from the fort getting water at a nearby lake were ambushed
and killed by Seminoles.
Okeechobee Battlefield:
"The Battle of Okeechobee" from a 19th century history book. Sometimes it is obvious that the people who do these old sketches know almost nothing of what really happened at the battle.
The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was fought on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day, December 25, 1837. This had the second largest number of casualties in one battle during the war. (First place goes to Dade's Battle in Sumter County.)
In the fall of 1837, many of the important Seminole and Miccosukee leaders were captured by military force or betrayal by whatever means necessary. King Philip and his camp at Mosquito Inlet were captured. Osceola was captured under a flag of truce. Coacoochee was also captured, and Micanopy soon surrendered. Even Jumper gave up at the Kissimmee River. It was believed that a big strike against the Indians fleeing south could soon end the war and round them up for removal from Florida.
In November 1837, after rounding up large number of Florida Indians, the U.S. Army started the largest campaign against the Seminoles in Florida. Besides the large number of regulars and militia soldiers, the Army also brought many Delaware and Shawnee guides from up north.
This campaign involved a large number of Missouri Volunteers. Several months earlier in Washington D.C., President Martin Van Buren and Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton made an agreement to muster up a force from that state. It all started during a discussion, when Van Buren stated that unlike Florida, Missouri was free of Indians. (That was like saying that in World War II, Germany was free of Jews.) Benton said that the Missourians could deal with the renegade Indians better than the Army or anybody else. So on a political promise, a Missouri force was soon mustered under command of Major General Richard Gentry. Gentry took a demotion and was made a colonel so he wouldn't outrank the commanding officer, Colonel Zachary Taylor of the 1st Infantry Regiment. Things didn't go good from the start, and by the time that they reached Tampa, 25 percent of the troops had deserted, and two-thirds of the horses had died. Only 220 men of the Missouri force were left.
Colonel Zachary Taylor commanded the column heading from Tampa, over the Peace River, and down to the Kissimmee River. Forts were established along the way to supply the large command of over 1,000 troops. All they found of the Indians were a few abandoned camps and villages. They had seen signs of large groups of Indians and knew they were on the trail, but the column moved much slower than any Seminoles.
The Seminoles and Miccosukees knew knew of the large troop movements from the very beginning, and were waiting for them. Also amazing is the size of the combined Indians force that was waiting for Taylor. 380 warriors are said to have been at the Battle of Okeechobee; an amazing number when you considered the defeats and removal that they had suffered over the last year. Even among the different groups at the battle, they did not have the same language. They had coordinated a large force and were waiting for days on the shore of Lake Okeechobee to fight Taylor. The Seminole and Miccosukee forces were commanded by the best leaders still in Florida: Alligator, Sam Jones (Arpeika), Coacoochee (Wildcat), and Halleck Tustennuggee. This would be the last time that this large a force of Florida Indians coordinated together.
Zachary Taylor
The Indians set a trap for Taylor's force, and Taylor walked right into it. At a Hammock on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee, the side opposite the lake was burned and cut, making a clear field of fire. Trees were notched to steady fire. The Army troops would have to cross a swampy area three feet deep in water, mud, and sharp sawgrass to reach the Indian position.
Taylor decided to fight them head on, under objections of Colonel Gentry. The Missouri volunteers would lead the attack. Not wanting to be called a coward or disobey orders (crimes worse than death in those days), Gentry followed orders. As Taylor ordered the volunteers to lead, he kept most of his force back. In fact, the offensive force deployed by Taylor was much smaller than the defensive Indian force. Taylor watched from a ridge in the back. As the force approached the Indians, the firing commenced, and heavy casualties resulted. The Missouri forces were decimated. Gentry was mortally wounded. Gentry's son, who served as sergeant major, was shot in the wrist.
The 6th Infantry Regiment followed behind the Missouri forces and also suffered heavy casualties. The 4th Infantry Regiment was behind the 6th, and was tricked by the Seminoles. At one time during the battle, they saw Indians at their side and thought that they were the Delaware guides. They asked them, "Are you Delaware?" And the response was, "Yes, Delaware, Delaware!" But they were the Seminoles or Miccosukees, and the infantry troops ignored them and made a fatal mistake.
The 4th Infantry finally reached and overwhelmed the Indians in the hammock, but the Indians escaped on the other side. The Seminoles said that their casualties were small, which is probably true, seeing how well they planned and conducted the battle. Next Taylor sent in his soldiers from his own regiment, the 1st Infantry; but by this time the battle was over. Later Taylor was accused by the Missourians for not exposing his own regiment to any danger.
Of the soldier's casualties, 26 were killed and 112 wounded, and many of the wounded would die of injuries soon after. The highest number lost were from the Missouri Volunteers. Taylor still showed distaste towards the volunteers and wrote up a bad report that said that they sat in the back and refused to advance. The Missourians were so mad at Taylor in the conduct of the campaign, that they had their state court lead an official investigation. The volunteers complained that Taylor showed total lack of respect and, "treated them like Negroes."
But Taylor had friends in high places and was proclaimed a hero, and the battle called a victory. (They said it was a victory because they chased the Seminoles off their position.) Some victory; what did they really gain? No clear objective was accomplished. After the battle, everybody left, and Lake Okeechobee would be forgotten for many years. Taylor gained more victories during the war with Mexico, and soon after was elected President of the United States. Taylor was one of the few commanding general officers that gained fame during the Second Seminole War, and this battle made him famous.
In April 2006, the state announced purchase of the land where part of the battlefield took place. This will be developed as a future state park, so I have included it as a place to visit. (Not open as a park yet, but hopefully facilities and interpretive displays and paths will be built.)
The location is on Taylor Creek on the northeast shore of Lake Okeechobee (no considering the Hoover Dike that now separates the lake from the battlefield site.) On highway 441 / 98 east, about two miles east of the town of Okeechobee.
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© 1998, 2002, 2006 Chris Kimball
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