from the “Haul-over,” near two hundred miles above the fort, down to Jupiter Inlet, about fifty miles below, and in the many streams which emptied therein.  Many such expeditions were made during that winter, with more or less success, in which we succeeded in picking up small parties of men, women, and children.  On one occasion, near the “Haul-over,” when I was not present, the expedition was more successful.  It struck a party of nearly fifty Indians, killed several warriors, and captured others.  In this expedition my classmate, lieutenant Van Vliet, who was an excellent shot, killed a warrior who was running at full speed among trees, and one of the sergeants of our company (Broderick) was said to have dispatched three warriors, and it was reported that he took the scalp of one and brought it in to the fort as a trophy.  Broderick was so elated that, on reaching the post, he had to celebrate his victory by a big drunk.

There was at the time a poor, weakly soldier of our company whose wife cooked for our mess.  She was somewhat of a flirt, and rather fond of admiration.  Sergeant Broderick was attracted to her, and hung around the mess-house more than the husband fancied; so he reported the matter to Lieutenant Taylor, who reproved Broderick for his behavior.  A few days afterward the husband again appealed to his commanding officer (Taylor), who exclaimed:  “Haven’t you got a musket?  Can’t you defend your own family?” Very soon after a shot was heard down by the mess-house, and it transpired that the husband had actually shot Broderick, inflicting a wound which proved mortal.  The law and army regulations required that the man should be sent to the nearest civil court, which was at St. Augustine; accordingly, the prisoner and necessary witnesses were sent up by the next monthly steamer.  Among the latter were lieutenant Taylor and the pilot Ashlock.

After they had been gone about a month, the sentinel on the roof-top of our quarters reported the smoke of a steamer approaching the bar, and, as I was acting quartermaster, I took a boat and pulled down to get the mail.  I reached the log-but in which the pilots lived, and saw them start with their boat across the bar, board the steamer, and then return.  Ashlock was at his old post at the steering-oar, with two ladies, who soon came to the landing, having passed through a very heavy surf, and I was presented to one as Mrs. Ashlock, and the other as her sister, a very pretty little Minorcan girl of about fourteen years of age.  Mrs. Ashlock herself was probably eighteen or twenty years old, and a very handsome woman.  I was hurriedly informed that the murder trial was in progress at St. Augustine; that Ashlock had given his testimony, and had availed himself of the chance to take a wife to share with him the solitude of his desolate hut on the beach at Indian River.  He had brought ashore his wife, her sister, and their chests, with the mail, and had orders to return immediately