A correct and authentic narrative of the Indian war in Florida / with a description of Maj. Dade's massacre, and an account of the extreme suffering, for want of provision, of the army—having been obliged to eat horses' and dogs' flesh, &c, &c.

by Captain James Barr

On the night of the 26th, one of the carts which had dropped a few miles behind was attacked and robbed by the Indians, who killed one negro, and cut his throat from ear to ear. Another colored man brought in the news, barely escaping with his life. His horse was wounded, and a bullet had passed through the skirt of his coat.

28th.—They reached Camp Izard and fired the field piece, as a signal for Gen. Eustace and Colonel Lindsay: it was not answered by either, but was soon responded to by the Indians’ rifles from the opposite bank of the river, giving notice that their “voice was still for war.” An encampment was formed, and preparations made for constructing a bridge; the work was continued through the night. In the morning orders were issued for a march. The Ouithlacouchy, here thirty-five yards wide, was crossed, the troops and waggons passing over in two flat boats, built by Gen. Clinch for the purpose, at Fort Drane, and drawn to the river on wheels. The Louisiana Volunteers with a small party of Regulars, were the first to cross the river. A breastwork was constructed without any molestation from the Indians. In the evening they fired on the rear while crossing the river; but the two field pieces, which were placed on the banks to cover the passage, were quickly brought to bear on them, and soon sent them to the right about. They continued, however, to fire a few dropping shots from a considerable distance, which did no mischief. On the 30th, the army reached the Black Swamp, the great hiding place of the Savages, and no place could be better chosen for such a purpose. It is nearly twelve miles square, and is full of ponds, rivers and hammocks. A halt was ordered, and a detail of three hundred men, was left to guard the baggage. The main body advanced into the Swamp, in pursuit of the enemy, who had been already seen. They had not marched far, when they gave chase to two Indians, and pressed them so hard, that they were forced to throw away their packs, and escape with their rifles only. The troops marched six miles into the Swamp, carrying with them nothing except one day’s rations. They surrounded and scoured the hammocks on the way, and encamped towards evening. Soon after, several Indians were observed at a short distance from the camp, making signs for some of our people to go out and talk with them. The Interpreter and a few friendly Indians were sent for the purpose. The enemy begged a peace, requesting General Scott to remain quiet for a few days, until the return of Powell from the Gulf of Mexico. The General would not listen to the proposal, but marched the next morning (31st,) and attacked them in their hammock, whilst preparing breakfast. They fled precipitately, abandoning their provisions, which were speedily devoured by the almost starving troops. The pursuit was continued, firing occasionally as the Indians appeared crossing from one hammock to another, until at length after wading a pond three feet deep, the army came to a hammock thicker than the rest, where the enemy had halted, thinking themselves more secure, and from which they poured a well directed volley on our men. The fire was answered from the whole battalion. The regulars were ordered to charge into the hammock, hut evinced very little willingness to obey. The order was then given to the Louisiana Volunteers; they rushed in like so many wolves, disregarding every obstacle, and pursued the enemy to the banks of the river, following them by the blood which had flowed in streams. No Indians were seen on the banks, and the Volunteers returned to the main body, at the recall of the bugle. This skirmish cost them four men killed and many wounded. The enemy’s loss was not known, as they are very careful in carrying off their dead and wounded. The usual signal gun was fired by the baggage guard, and was answered by General Eustace and Colonel Lindsay, at a great distance. The main body returned to the baggage, carrying with them their dead and wounded. The dead were buried on the same day with the honours of war.

April 1st.—Provisions being nearly out, General Scott ordered a march towards Fort Brooke, along the borders of the Swamp, burning and destroying all the Villages on the way. On the morning of the 2d, they made an early start, and at 10 o’clock, left three hundred and fifty men, composed of the Georgia Volunteers, to build and garrison a Fort, called Fort Cooper. They were supplied with one six pounder, and nineteen days’ provisions. This post was afterwards attacked fifteen days successively, and sustained but little loss. The General made a forced march, and at night occupied the vacant breastwork built by Colonel Lindsay a few days before.

3d.—The advanced Guard, the Georgia Volunteer Cavalry, discovered some Indians in a prairie, and instead of attacking them, returned and applied for the assistance of the Louisiana Volunteers, which gave them (the Louisiana Volunteers) the trouble of charging through a large hammock, without the satisfaction of seeing a single Indian.

Next day, after a fatiguing march, they arrived at Tampa Bay, and camped a few miles from Fort Brooke, on the other side of the river. The men looked very different from the gay, gallant set of fellows who had marched away three months before, their clothes were torn, their shoes worn out, and they themselves were thin and dirty. General Scott gave them the highest praise, and promised to send them home direct from Tampa. 8th.—An order was issued, that my company which had remained in garrison, should return to the Louisiana Volunteers. We immediately crossed the river, and were once more with our regiment. On the morning of the 9th, an Indian prisoner was brought to Fort Brooke by one of the Revenue Cutters. He had been taken in the following manner: some days before a party of seamen, commanded by Lieutenant Powell, had been dispatched from the Sloop of War Vandalia, to Charlotte’s harbour, in consequence of some outrages committed by the Indians in that quarter. The seamen had built a Fort large enough to accommodate themselves and the families of several Spanish fishermen. The Collector of Customs had been murdered a short time before by the Indians, and the Spaniards were much alarmed. The prisoner was the particular object of their terror and aversion. He was known to be a determined fellow, was a suspected accomplice in the Custom house Officer’s murder, and had sworn vengeance against several of the Spaniards. His sister, (a reputed prophetess,) was married to one of them. Lieutenant Powell went with his party to a house at night, and demanded admittance; some one within, shouted Hallo! and immediately after the door was opened, and out rushed three Indians. Two of them were shot down, and three sailors seized the third, but he made a desperate struggle, and succeeded in escaping: the men might have killed him, but the orders were to take him alive. His retreat, a well chosen one, was discovered a few days after:—A tree grew on the outer end of a sand bar, which was covered with water at flood tide; the tree was then a mile from the shore, and the water was scarce a foot deep. The Indian had rigged a very convenient sleeping place for himself, among the boughs, whence he would observe every thing passing around, with very little danger of discovery. He was, however, watched by the Spaniards, who dreaded him, his retreat was reported to Lieutenant Powell, and he himself was seized, whilst asleep, and conducted to Tampa Bay. He reported that there were a considerable number of Indians, besides Negroes, and a large quantity of ammunition, in the neighbourhood of Charlotte’s harbour, and declared his readiness to conduct a party to the spot, stipulating, that he should afterwards recover his freedom. General Smith, immediately volunteered the services of himself and Regiment; his offer was accepted, and on Sunday the 10th, we embarked in the brigantine Calvin and the Schooner Cumberland, for Charlotte’s harbour, distant seventy or eighty miles. We had light winds, and were not landed till the Sunday following. Five days’ rations of provisions were then issued, and orders given for a march on the following day. The men were much dissatisfied: their clothes and shoes were worn out, their feet blistered, and General Scott, having first expressed his perfect satisfaction at their conduct, had promised to them, home direct from Tampa Bay. A statement to this effect was sent in to General Smith, on the evening previous to our march; but was not noticed. Next morning (18th,) we started with five days’ provisions, and marched seven or eight miles. The day was very hot, and the men dropped behind in considerable numbers. We halted at 12 o’clock, and the General gave orders, that all who chose to go forward, should step on in front, and that the others should return to our camping ground, at the embouchure of the Maijaka river. About one hundred and twenty volunteers stepped out, making with the seamen from the Sloop of War Vandalia and the Revenue Cutter, one hundred and sixty men; too small a party to face the enemy; but General Smith was willing to expose his life on this, and indeed all other occasions, and it was our duty to follow. Those who remained behind had every reason to do so: some were unwell, some had no shoes or canteens: they had all undergone much fatigue, and the General told them, it was no disgrace to return. They shared their provisions with us, and wished us success. The bugle sounded forward, and we soon struck the river, where we found a fleet of canoes, waiting to receive our baggage. One half of the party ascended the stream in boats to a convenient camping ground, and the rest marched through the woods towards the same point, with the Indian for a guide; he was strictly watched, although he showed no desire to attempt an escape. The march was longer than we expected, and some of the officers were very impatient with and suspicious of the guide, his language was a mixture of Spanish and Indian, and no one of the party could understand him correctly: the road, too, winded circuitously through the hammocks and along the bayous, with which the banks of the river are indented, and we were forced to march several miles, to gain one in the right direction. About 10 o’clock at night, we came to a hammock which seemed scarce penetrable: the guide said that General Smith with the boats, lay half an hour’s march on the other side; but the officers suspected treachery, and determined to halt. We placed a strict guard over the prisoner, built our fires, and spent the night round them. We started early next morning, and in half an hour’s walk, came on the General’s camping ground, as the Indian had told us the previous night. The whole party here embarked in the canoes, the right under command of Lieutenant Lawson, the left under Captain Ross of the mariners. Our object was supposed to be the burning of an Indian village in the interior. The river was very beautiful, and for the most part deep; there is some excellent land on the banks, and plenty of timber. The Live Oak, Pine, Pickon and Cabbage Trees, are most numerous. It is no wonder that the red men are so unwilling to depart from the land of their fathers. It is a perfect Eden. The woods abound with game, the rivers with fish, and the soil produces almost spontaneously the few articles of food needed by the Indian.

We sailed and rowed many miles up the river, and halted at a pretty spot, called afterwards Live Oak Camp. Here we found evident signs of Indians; the ashes of fire recently extinguished, green hides, two live fowls, which were quickly smoking in the General’s quarters, and several razors and other articles supposed to have been the property of the murdered collector of customs.

20th—Again embarked and rowed a few miles up the stream, but were forced to return on account of the obstructions. We left the boats at Live Oak Camp, with a few men to guard them, shouldered our knapsacks and tramped through the woods. We expected to fall in with some live stock but were disappointed. We marched up the river through the best land we had yet seen, and observed the recent tracks of cattle, horses and dogs. Towards night we fell in with an old Indian encampment close to a brook of excellent water. We built ourselves huts of palmettoes and boughs and slept comfortably in spite of the rain. We called this spot Camp Cowpens, from a large cattle pen close by.

21st—Passed through several large prairies; near one of them we observed the figure of an Indian rudely carved in the bark of a tree. We soon after waded the river nearly four feet deep; the guide followed by the General, leading the way. A halt was called on the other side and the people amused themselves swimming.

A Dutchman who could not swim, contrived to get out of his depth and was seen struggling very hard. He sank several times and at length raised his head and shouted alligator. The river abounds with them. Captain Green of the revenue cutter, Lieutenant Powell and General Smith, who were ashore, jumped in and brought him out alive but nearly exhausted. We saw no Indians or village on that or the following day, and the provisions being out, returned to Live Oak Camp on the morning of the 23d. At a short distance from it the advance guard fired on a deer, while the rear were threading their way through a hammock. We all thought the Philistines were surely upon us, and rushed forward as fast as possible. The deer bounded along the whole line and offered a mark to almost every man, but escaped uninjured.

We had suffered not a little from hunger; our expectation was to return in a day at farthest, to Live Oak Camp; we therefore left most of our provisions with the boats, and felt the want of them severely as we were absent three days.