Ohio: Nelson Barrere, Joseph Cable, Alfred P. Edgerton, J. M. Gaylord, Alex. Harper, Wm. F. Hunter, John Johnson, Eben Newton, Edson B. Olds, Charles Sweetzer—10.
Indiana: Samuel Brenton, John G. Davis, Graham N. Fitch, Thomas A. Hendricks, Daniel Mace—5.
Illinois: Wyllis Allen, R. S. Molony—2.
Wisconsin: James D. Doty, Solomon Durkee, Ben. C. Eastman—3.
These fifty-two members, with Mr. Cobb, of Alabama, made up the entire opposition to the bill in the House of Representatives. In the Senate there was very little opposition to its passage; and after thirteen years, the people of the United States paid for the slaves whom Watson bought on speculation, but of whom he failed to obtain possession. The Northern advocates of the bill justified their support of it more generally upon the principle, that our officers sent the negroes West, and thereby rendered it difficult, if not impossible, for Watson to obtain possession of them; and they insisted that, in refunding to Watson his money, they did not pay him for human flesh, but for the money he had paid out at the instance of federal officers. This vote closed the controversy in regard to General Jessup’s contract, to give the Creek warriors such plunder as they might capture from the enemy.
CHAPTER XVIII.
FURTHER DIFFICULTIES IN PROSECUTING THE WAR.
Emigrants under Captain Morrison—Feeling among the Regular Troops—They detest the practice of catching Negroes—Another party Emigrate—Still further Emigration—Situation of the Exiles—Deep depravity of the Administration—General McComb’s Treaty—His general order—Peace cheers the Nation—Citizens of Florida return to their homes—Administration congratulates its friends—More murders perpetrated—Planters flee to villages for protection—Massacre of Colonel Harney’s party—Indians seized at Fort Mellon—Exiles refuse to participate in those massacres—They would make no Treaty—Administration paralyzed—Report of Secretary of War—Its character—Barbarous sentiments of Governor Reid—Resolution of Legislature of Florida in favor of employing blood-hounds—Original object in obtaining them—The effort proves a failure—General Taylor retires from command of Army—Is succeeded by General Armistead.
We now resume our chronological narration of events connected with the Exiles of Florida, during the year 1838.
On the fourteenth of June, Captain Morrison arrived at New Orleans from Tampa Bay in charge of some three hundred Indians and thirty negroes, on their way to the West; he having been assigned to that particular duty. These Indians and Exiles had most of them come to Fort Jupiter by advice of the Cherokees, and surrendered under the capitulation of March, 1837. At the time they reached New Orleans, Lieutenant Reynolds was absent with his first emigrating party; and the thirty-one negroes left at New Orleans were at that time in the hands of the Sheriff. Captain Morrison felt it his duty to hasten the emigration of those whom he had in charge, and on the sixteenth, he left that city with his prisoners for the Indian Country without waiting the return of Lieutenant Reynolds. On reaching Fort Gibson, he delivered them over to the officer acting as Seminole Agent for the Western Country, and they soon rejoined their friends who were located on the Cherokee lands.
It may not be improper to state, that, in several of our recent chapters, we have quoted from official documents pretty freely, for the reason that many living statesmen, as well as many who have passed to their final rest, were deeply involved in those transactions, and we desired to make them speak for themselves as far as the documents would enable us to do so. But as we have narrated most of the scenes involving individuals in transactions of such deep moral turpitude, we hope to be more brief in our future history.