The Exiles of Florida / or, The crimes committed by our government against the Maroons, who fled from South Carolina and other slave states, seeking protection under Spanish laws.

by Joshua R. Giddings

“WAR DEPARTMENT, December 20, 1839.

“SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the twenty-seventh instant, inquiring into the truth of the assertion made by the public papers, that the Government had determined to use blood-hounds in the war against the Florida Indians; and beg to assure you it will give me great pleasure to give you all the information on this subject in possession of the Department.

“From the time I first entered upon the duties of the War Department, I continued to receive letters from officers commanding in Florida, as well as from the most enlightened citizens in that Territory, urging the employment of blood-hounds as the most efficient means of terminating the atrocities daily perpetrated by the Indians on the settlers in that Territory. To these proposals no answer was given, until in the month of August, 1838, while at the Virginia Springs, there was referred to me, from the Department, a letter, addressed to the Adjutant General by the officer commanding the forces in Florida (General Taylor), to the following effect:

“Head Quarters Army of the South,}
Fort Brooke, July 28, 1838. }

“SIR: I have the honor to inclose you a communication this moment received, on the subject of procuring blood-hounds from the Island of Cuba to aid the army in its operations against the hostiles in Florida. I am decidedly in favor of the measure, and beg leave to urge it as the only means of ridding the country of the Indians, who are now broken up into small parties that take shelter in swamps and hommocks, making it impossible for us to follow or overtake them without the aid of such auxiliaries. Should this measure meet the approbation of the Department, and the necessary authority be granted, I will open a correspondence with Mr. Evertson on the subject, through Major Hunt, Assistant Quarter Master at Savannah, and will authorize him, if it can be done on reasonable terms, to employ a few dogs with persons who understand their management.

“I wish it distinctly understood, that my object in employing dogs is only to ascertain where the Indians can be found, not to worry them.

“I have the honor to be, sir,
Your obedient servant,
Z. TAYLOR,
Brev. Brig. Gen. U. S. A. Commanding.

General R. JONES,
Washington, D. C.”

“On this letter I indorsed the following decision, which was communicated to General Taylor: ‘I have always been of opinion that dogs ought to be employed in this warfare to protect the army from surprises and ambuscades, and to track the Indian to his lurking place; but supposed if the General believed them to be necessary, he would not hesitate to take measures to secure them. The cold-blooded and inhuman murders lately perpetrated upon helpless women and children by these ruthless savages, render it expedient that every possible means should be resorted to, in order to protect the people of Florida, and to enable the United States forces to follow and capture or destroy the savage and unrelenting foe. General Taylor is therefore authorized to procure such number of dogs as he may judge necessary: it being expressly understood that they are to be employed to track and discover the Indians, not to worry or destroy them.’

“This is the only action or correspondence, on the part of the Department, that has ever taken place in relation to the matter. The General took no measures to carry into effect his own recommendation, and this Department has never since renewed the subject. I continue, however, to entertain the opinion expressed in the above decision. I do not believe that description of dog, called the blood-hound, necessary to prevent surprise or track the Indian murderer; but still I think that every cabin, every military post, and every detachment, should be attended by dogs. That precaution might have saved Dade’s command from massacre, and by giving timely warning have prevented many of the cruel murders which have been committed by the Indians in middle Florida. The only successful pursuit of Indian murderers that I know of, was, on a late occasion, when the pursuers were aided by the sagacity of their dogs. These savages had approached a cabin of peaceful and industrious settlers so stealthily, that the first notice of their presence was given by a volley from their rifles, thrust between the logs of the house; and the work of death was finished by tomahawking the women, after tearing from them their infant children, and dashing their brains out against the door posts.