General Scott eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 339 pages of information about General Scott.

General Scott eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 339 pages of information about General Scott.
attached a rope to a tree on the opposite shore and planted the flag of his command.  The whole command was passed over, but the rear division was fired upon by the Indians, who were quickly repulsed by the six-pounders.  On the morning of March 30th a party of Indians was encountered, charged upon, and routed, and the same party were next day met and driven into the swamp.  The column proceeded on its march and arrived at Tampa Bay on April 5th.  They here learned that Colonel Lindsay had preceded them one day, being obliged to return for necessary subsistence.

It will be remembered that the center, being under Colonel Lindsay, took position at Camp Broadnax, near Chicuchatty, on March 28th.  They were fired on by the Indians, but succeeded in driving them off.  As his supplies had run short and the original plan of the campaign had been defeated, Colonel Lindsay returned with his command to Fort Brooke, arriving there April 4th.  When Colonel Lindsay reached Fort Alabama, near the Hillsboro River, he learned that the post had been attacked on the morning of March 27th by three or four hundred Indians, who surrounded the breastwork and continued the attack for two hours, when they were repulsed with a loss of fifteen.  The garrison lost one man killed and two wounded.  General Eustis, for the same reasons which moved Colonel Lindsay, marched on April 2d from Pilaklakaha and encamped about sixteen miles from Fort Brooke, reporting to General Scott.

The whole army being now concentrated at or near Fort Brooke, the plan for a new campaign was discussed.  They had found but small parties of the Indians in the cove or swamp region, and it was thought that they had gone to the southern part of the Florida peninsula and concealed themselves in the Everglades.

General Scott ordered Colonel Smith, of the Louisiana volunteers, to proceed by water to Charlotte Harbor and move north, while Colonel Goodwyn, with the South Carolina mounted men, was ordered to the lake at the head of Pease’s Creek for the purpose of driving the Indians down.  Having destroyed a large unoccupied Indian village on the left bank of that stream, and finding no Indians, the command returned to Hillsboro River and joined the left wing.

The Louisiana troops left Fort Brooke on April 10th and arrived at Pease’s Creek on the 17th.  They moved forward at once, but the weather was oppressive and the men were broken down by previous marches; many of them being destitute of shoes and other clothing, it was found necessary to return to camp.  Out of over seven hundred Louisiana troops who had volunteered in January and entered the field the beginning of the next month, but one hundred and thirty were now left fit for duty.  With these, however, and a small detachment of marines from the United States vessels in that vicinity, Colonel Smith determined to proceed.  He embarked with one half of his command in canoes, the others proceeding by land.  Meeting no Indians, he returned to Fort Brooke on April 27th, when the Louisiana troops were ordered to New Orleans to be mustered out of service.  Colonel Smith proceeded to St. Mark’s and reported to General Scott.

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General Scott from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.