In the early part of this narrative, it has been mentioned that an officer of the United States army gave out the vaunt that he "could march through all the Seminole reserve with only a corporal’s guard at his back." That officer was Major Dade.
It was the destiny of Major Dade to find an opportunity for giving proof of his warlike prowess — though with something more than a corporal’s guard at his back. The result was a sad contrast to the boast he had so thoughtlessly uttered.
To understand this ill-fated enterprise, it is necessary to say a word topographically of the country.
On the west coast of the peninsula of Florida is a bay called "Tampa" — by the Spaniards, "Espiritu Santo." At the head of this bay was erected "Fort Brooke" — a stockade similar to Fort King, and lying about ninety miles from the latter, in a southerly direction. It was another of those military posts established in connection with the Indian reserve — a depot for troops and stores — also an entrepot for such as might arrive from the ports of the Mexican gulf.
About two hundred soldiers were stationed here at the breaking out of hostilities. They were chiefly artillery, with a small detachment of infantry.
Shortly after the fruitless council at Fort King, these troops — or as many of them as could be spared — were ordered by General Clinch to proceed to the latter place, and unite with the main body of the army.
In obedience to these orders, one hundred men with their quota of officers, were set in motion for Fort King. Major Dade commanded the detachment.
On the eve of Christmas, 1835, they had taken the route, marching out from Fort Brooke in high spirits, buoyant with the hope of encountering and winning laurels in a fight with the Indian foe. They flattered themselves that it would be the first conflict of the war, and therefore, that in which the greatest reputation would be gained by the victors. They dreamt not of defeat.
With flags flying gaily, drums rolling merrily, bugles sounding the advance, cannon pealing their farewell salute, and comrades cheering them onwards, the detachment commenced its march — that fatal march from which it was destined never to return.
Just seven days after — on the 31st of December — a man made his appearance at the gates of Fort Brooke, crawling upon his hands and knees. In his tattered attire could scarcely be recognised the uniform of a soldier — a private of Dade’s detachment — for such he was. His clothes were saturated with water from the creeks, and soiled with mud from the swamps. They were covered with dust, and stained with blood. His body was wounded in five places — severe wounds all — one in the right shoulder, one in the right thigh, one near the temple, one in the left arm, and another in the back. He was wan, wasted, emaciated to the condition of a skeleton, and presented the aspect of one. When, in a weak, trembling voice, he announced himself as "Private Clark of the 2nd Artillery," his old comrades had with difficulty identified him.
Shortly after, two others — privates Sprague and Thomas — made their appearance in a similar plight. Their report was similar to that already delivered by Clark: that Major Dade’s command had been attacked by the Indians, cut to pieces, massacred to a man — that they themselves were the sole survivors of that band who had so lately gone forth from the fort in all the pride of confident strength, and the hopeful anticipation of glory.
And their story was true to the letter. Of all the detachment, these three miserable remnants of humanity alone escaped; the others — one hundred and six in all — had met death on the banks of the Amazura. Instead of the laurel, they had found the cypress.
The three who escaped had been struck down and left for dead upon the field. It was only by counterfeiting death, they had succeeded in afterwards crawling from the ground, and making their way back to the fort. Most of this journey Clark performed upon his hands and knees, proceeding at the rate of a mile to the hour, over a distance of more than sixty miles!
Chapter Sixty Six
The Battle-Ground
The affair of Dade’s massacre is without a parallel in the history of Indian warfare. No conflict of a similar kind had ever occurred — at least, none so fatal to the whites engaged in it. In this case they suffered complete annihilation — for, of the three wounded men who had escaped, two of them shortly after died of their wounds.
Nor had the Indians any great advantage over their antagonists, beyond that of superior cunning and strategy.
It was near the banks of the Amazura ("Ouithlacoochee" of the Seminoles), and after crossing that stream, that Major Dade’s party had been attacked. The assault was made in ground comparatively open — a tract of pine-woods, where the trees grew thin and straggling — so that the Indians had in reality no great advantage either from position or intrenchment. Neither has it been proved that they were greatly superior in numbers to the troops they destroyed — not more than two to one; and this proportion in most Indian wars has been considered by their white antagonists as only "fair odds."
Many of the Indians appeared upon the ground mounted; but these remained at a distance from the fire of the musketry; and only those on foot took part in the action. Indeed, their conquest was so soon completed, that the horsemen were not needed. The first fire was so deadly, that Dade’s followers were driven into utter confusion. They were unable to retreat: the mounted Indians had already outflanked them, and cut off their chance of escape.
Dade himself, with most of his officers, fell at the first volley; and the survivors had no choice but fight it out on the ground. A breastwork was attempted — by felling trees, and throwing their trunks into a triangle — but the hot fire from the Indian rifles soon checked the progress of the work; and the parapet never rose even breast-high above the ground. Into this insecure shelter the survivors of the first attack retreated, and there fell rapidly under the well-aimed missiles of their foes. In a short while the last man lay motionless; and the slaughter was at an end.
When the place was afterwards visited by our troops, this triangular inclosure was found, filled with dead bodies — piled upon one another, just as they had fallen — crosswise, lengthways, in every attitude of death!
It was afterwards noised abroad that the Indians had inhumanly tortured the wounded, and horribly mutilated the slain. This was not true. There were no wounded left to be tortured — except the three who escaped — and as for the mutilation, but one or two instances of this occurred — since known to have been the work of runaway negroes actuated by motives of personal revenge.
Some scalps were taken; but this is the well-known custom of Indian warfare; and white men ere now have practised the fashion, while under the frenzied excitement of battle.
I was one of those who afterwards visited the battle-ground on a tour of inspection, ordered by the commander-in-chief; and the official report of that tour is the best testimony as to the behaviour of the victors. It reads as follows:
"Major Dade and his party were destroyed on the morning of the 28th of December, about four miles from their camp of the preceding night. They were advancing in column of route when they were attacked by the enemy, who rose in a swarm out of the cover of long grass and palmettoes. The Indians suddenly appeared close to their files. Muskets were clubbed, knives and bayonets used, and parties clenched in deadly conflict. In the second attack, our own men’s muskets, taken from the dead and wounded, were used against them; a cross-fire cut down a succession of artillerists, when the cannon were taken, the carriages broken and burned, and the guns rolled into a pond. Many negroes were in the field; but no scalps were taken by the Indians. On the other hand, the negroes, with hellish cruelty, pierced the throats of all whose cries or groans shewed that there was still life in them."