Captain James Barr

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Lieutenant E. P. Smith, of Captain Williams’ company of Louisiana Volunteers, received three wounds; this officer, and two non-commissioned officers and soldiers of other companies of this Regiment, evinced their gallantry by their good conduct, as well as by their honourable wounds. The General is convinced, that he has never commanded a finer corps; its chiefs would do honour to any service. The officers of the medical department, meet the approbation of the General, for the attention and skilful manner in which their duties were discharged. ”

“ On the morning of the 2d March the enemy commenced a dropping fire from small parties, which obliged our men to keep within the breastwork, as the ammunition was nearly exhausted, and they could not afford to throw away a single shot. At night the Indians lit large fires around the camp and kept a strict look out. This game continued eight days. The troops were totally destitute of provisions, during the last four days, and were forced to subsist on horses, dogs and roots; the rations even of these, were so small, that some of the men cleaned the very guts and devoured them ”

“ The last bullet from a musket entered his shoulder and passed out through his back, rendering him completely hors de combat. The fire soon after ceased; all inside the breastwork were either killed or severely wounded. The Indians broke in, and, strange to say, neither scalped the dead nor abused the wounded. They contented themselves with pillaging all of their arms, ammunition and provisions. When they had quit the field, a body of negroes fifty or sixty in number, came up on horseback, entered the enclosure, and commenced hacking and cutting the wounded, in a most savage manner. ”

“ 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. ”

“ On the same day (27th) fourteen miles from Fort Brooke, the army seven or eight hundred in number, was attacked by the Indians from a hammock. The regulars complain that the Alabama troops were not as willing to charge the hammocks as their old friends from Louisiana. Some of them acted like brave men, but the greater part hung back and lost the most favorable opportunity yet presented, of paying the Indians for old scores. The regulars charged the hammock and beat them off. The loss on our side was five killed and fourteen or fifteen wounded. Major Sandes had his horse shot under him. ”

“ The horse meat was accordingly eaten by officers and men, until the enemy was beaten, and sued for peace, when a timely supply of subsistence arrived, escorted by the brave Georgians, Floridians and Regulars, under General Clinch, at the moment the pacific proposals of the enemy were being answered; and the Indians were fired on by the General’s light troops, before he could be notified of the object of their being so near the camp. ”

“ There are eighty or ninety volunteers, and eighty regulars and marines, in all about one hundred and sixty fighting men left in garrison: the whole under command of Major Sandes, a fine soldier looking gentleman of the regulars.
The army marched on the 13th, under command of General Gaines, of the United States army. Each man was supplied with ten days provisions. There were two battalions, one commanded by Lieut. Colonel Lawson, the other by Major Marks. The regulars, about four hundred in number, were led by Colonel Twiggs, Major Montfort, and other United States officers. ”

“ The troops marched six miles into the Swamp, carrying with them nothing except one day’s rations. They surrounded and{20} 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. ”

“ Their fire was warmly answered for three quarters of an hour, when the bugles sounded a retreat from the banks of the river. One man was killed on our side and six wounded; the loss of the enemy is not known. A breastwork was thrown up, during the night, round that of General Clinch.{16} Next morning the troops marched down the river, in search of a fording place, in order to cross over and come at close quarters, with the enemy. The advanced guard reached the bank and received an unexpected volley while attempting to sound the stream. ”

“ One of the Indians died a natural death, the other had been missing since the last skirmish with the hostile tribe, on the 8th inst. He was discovered on the 22d, by some hunters about six miles from Fort Brooke, with two bullet holes in his body. He died a warrior’s death, and received a warrior’s burial. When the body was laid in the coffin, one of his tribe placed a small bag beside it, containing his tobacco, ammunition, and other little articles which they suppose needful on the journey to the “pleasant hunting grounds.” ”

“ 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 ”

“ The troops remained a few days longer in this encampment, which was called Camp Izard, from the death of the Major, and subsequently Camp Misery, from the sufferings of the people. At the expiration of a few days they marched with Clinch’s command to Fort Drane where they halted several days, recruiting after their fatigues. The post occupied by the regulars was called Camp Twiggs, that held by the volunteers Camp Smith. The men complain heavily of the commissary who had the conscience to sell them their own biscuit at the exhorbitant price of ten dollars per barrel. ”

“ Clinch where he was wounded in the hip and had his horse shot under him. Had all the officers been like him, the manes of Major Dades’ murdered Soldiers might have been long since satisfied. The report of Gen Scott’s cannon on the Ouithlacouchy were heard by Colonel Lindsay’s army, and Major Reed advised an immediate advance to his assistance, but the Colonel’s timidity or imbecility would not allow it, in consequence of which the gallant Major declared he would neither camp with him, march with him, nor follow him, and he kept his word. ”

“ They crossed the Ouithlacouchy, on the 19th, and spent the night round Major Dade’s last camp; on the morning of the 20th, they marched on, and soon reached the scene of his unfortunate massacre. Here a spectacle never to be forgotten, was presented to their eyes; the bodies of{15} more than one hundred men lay within and around the breastwork, shot, most of them, through the head, many gashed and brutally mangled; they appeared not to have been disturbed since the battle, or rather the massacre ”

“ General Scott also had a few men killed and several wounded. The names of the killed as far as I can ascertain, are, Roame, Bilson, Robinson, of Captain Edwards’ company Louisiana Volunteers, and one Regular; there were several wounded, some of them have since died. The country is now in the hands of the savages, with the exception of Fort Brooke, Fort King and Fort Drane. Forts Cooper and Alabama, have been evacuated, and the Georgian and Alabamian Volunteers have returned home. The Indian may exult in his exploits, and dance round the scalps of his victims, until the approach of winter ”

“ The General made a forced march, and at night occupied the vacant breastwork built by Colonel Lindsay a few days before.{21}
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. ”

“ Louisiana had done her part—she had raised a fine and as was afterwards proved, an effective body of men. They received their arms, colors and bounty, thirty dollars (the wages were ten dollars per month) and marched, some that evening, others next morning, to the rail road, where we found the cars in readiness and were soon embarked on Lake Ponchartrain. Two steamboats, the Watchman and Merchant were chartered to transport us to Tampa Bay, and the David Brown proceeded to the same point, via the Balise. ”

“ Another contrived to conceal himself behind a tree, within one hundred yards of the Fort, and fired a few shots, but he soon{14} attracted the notice of all eyes, and whenever his arm or any part of his clothing appeared, more bullets whistled by him, than would have let out the lives of half his tribe. ”

“ The troops of this Fort will march to-morrow morning, and Commandants of Corps are directed to inspect their respective commands, and report the condition of their companies by 4 o’clock this afternoon.
2. Brevet Major R. M. Sandes’ fourth Infantry will remain in command of Fort Brooke. All the Regulars not able to march, together with one hundred and fifty men and a suitable number of Officers, to be detailed by Colonel Smith from his Regiment, will also remain. Assistant Surgeon Heistell will determine what men of the sick are unable to march. ”

“ The Regiment will be inspected at 12 o’clock to day, when every company will be prepared to march in the morning. Each man is to have forty rounds of ammunition, and ten days’ rations, five of which are to be carried in the knapsacks. ”