Shows
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW0121 Master Florida Artist Jackson Walker Depicts Grit and Determination in Seminole Wars
The Forlorn Hope of the Fort King Road and Do Your Best depict the Dade battle of Dec. 28, 1835.
In a previous episode, Florida-born artist Jackson Walker described how he makes his living with careful craftsmanship and a burning desire to paint the best and most historically accurate work of which he is capable. His paintings span the length of Florida history since first European contact.
In this episode, Jackson Walker hones in on his Seminole War collection of paintings. What went through his mind as he gazed a...
2022-08-1154 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW0120 Legendary Artist Jackson Walker Speaks About His Big Canvas Legendary Florida Scenes
The Flower Hunter, naturalist and traveler William Bartram in late 18th century Florida.
Since the 1980’s, native-born and self-taught artist Jackson Walker has gathered subjects from the long saga of Florida history. With thorough research, consulting with historians and experts on any given subject, and with painstaking attention to detail, he renders stories in his traditional realistic style. Jackson Walker pays particular attention to the Seminole Wars (1818-1858) through which his many depictions represent the terrible human cost of those conflicts. However, his interests range wider, leading him to tell Flor...
2022-08-0652 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW100 Foundation President Details Back Story to Convocations, Publishing, and Member Bennies
I invoke host’s privilege this week to invite Steve Rinck, President of the Seminole Wars Foundation, to discuss the many things the Foundation is doing to raise awareness of the Seminole Wars. The Foundation does this by, among other endeavors, publishing printed materials and, yes, digital ones as well online with this podcast.
But the Foundation is much more than that. The not-for-profit Foundation is operated for charitable, educational, and civic purposes. Steve, a retired educator and long-time Seminole Wars living historian and aficionado, informs us of just what the Seminole Wars Foun...
2022-03-1939 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW066 West Florida's 1821 Transfer Ceremony at Pensacola Confirmed US Acquisition, Presaged Enduring Conflict with Diverse Peninsular Tribes
Images courtesy of TwoEgg TV.
We recently podcasted on the 200th anniversary commemoration of the United States taking possession of the Florida territory from Spain. That signing and flag ceremony occurred in St Augustine for East Florida. A week later, Pensacola hosted a similar event for West Florida. Under United States possession, East and West became simply Florida.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wHyDcu4uH0
At sunrise on July 17, 2021 Chief Dan “Sky Horse” Helms, of Santa Rosa Creek Tribe, offered a blessing in Ferdinand Plaza before the...
2021-07-2550 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW064 Historic Florida Militia Commemorates July 10 Florida Bicentennial that Brought Federal Authority, Confrontation to Seminole
On July 10, 1821, the United States of America accepted possession of the Spanish Florida territory in a ceremony at St Augustine. Whatever tranquility the Seminoles enjoyed began to end with this change of ownership. They knew and trusted the Spanish authorities. They liked them because they left the Seminole alone. But these Americans were different. The Seminole had sided with the Spanish in the so-called Patriot War of 1812. Now the patriots were coming to town to run the peninsula. The Spanish days of benign neglect of the Seminoles began to end with this ceremony.
2021-07-0835 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW063 At Charleston Conference, CAMP Historians Pay Homage at Osceola's Grave, Tour Fort Moultrie Seminole Prisoner Holding CellsDr. Wesley Moody, a member of the Council on America’s Military Past or CAMP, joins us to discuss the historical ties between Charleston and the Florida Territory during the Seminole Wars.
The City of Charleston may be in South Carolina, not in Florida, but it retains strong historical ties to the U.S. Government’s Indian Removal Campaign. Fort Moultrie served as a holding area for Seminole awaiting passage to the Oklahoma Territory. The Army detained the famous Seminole warrior Osceola there. He is buried just outside its gates.
Respectful grave marker for...
2021-07-0121 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW062 Fort Sumter Union Civil War Commander Battled Seminole at Loxahatchee in 1830s
In April 1861, following a steady barrage of artillery that left him unable to resupply his garrison, the commander of the Union outpost of Fort Sumter, in Charleston’s harbor, surrendered his command to the new Confederates States of America. Some argue that the actions of U.S. Army Major Robert Anderson, an old Seminole War hand, may have sealed the fate unfavorably for the new CSA. While he ordered his men to return cannon fire to the onshore batteries, he specifically prohibited shelling of the heart of Charleston, with all the loss of civilian life and structural de...
2021-06-2559 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW059 College History Professor Illuminates Seminole War Research Hurdles, Faddish Academic Theories, and Joy of Discovery
Following three weeks of how-to research methods from Chris Kimball, Seminole War historian and author, we bring an academic into our fold to discuss the view from inside the proverbial ivory tower. Professors battle over arcane academic theories but to do history right, this week's guest says one still must do basic gumshoe detective work to find out what happened and, possibly, why. The great news for researchers is that the Seminole Wars were well documented in writing from the highest levels of government down to the foot soldier or pioneer. Materials are available, even if they are...
2021-06-0532 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW058 Central Florida National Cemetery Honors Veterans on Seminole Wars Hallowed GroundIn this short second-part discussion, Doug Gardner of the Florida National Cemetery chats about that cemetery and its central location within the battle space of the Second Seminole War. Guest Doug Gardner is a Vietnam veteran. He heads FNC’s monument committee and serves on the Joint Veterans Support Committee. Doug is executive vice president of Flags of Fallen Vets Inc, for Florida. No Seminole Wars veterans are interred there -- a headstone memorializes Creek Indian David Moniac whose remains are thought to be in St Augustine with Major Dade's fallen men. However, as our fellow guest Chris Kimball ha...
2021-05-2807 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW057 Seminole Wars Panels Available for Proposed Freedom Memorial Plaza at Bushnell's Florida National Cemetery
We devote our next two episodes to honoring veterans who fell in battle and veterans for whom we memorialize.
In Bushnell, a national cemetery provides an honored abode to deceased American veterans. It is located in the heart of where were waged the first battles of the Second Seminole War
Ironically, Florida National Cemetery at Bushnell, or FNC, contains no Seminole Wars veterans. Only one marker – a headstone – honors Seminole War service. That marker belongs to Creek Indian and Alabama native David Moniac, the first native American graduate of the U...
2021-05-2421 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW056 Unpolished yet Glimmering Gems of Knowledge Await Intrepid Seminole War Scholars
This week is the pay off for our time learning about how to research. Chris Kimball has explained how one can search for knowledge on the internet and at libraries. He's talked about how he takes that knowledge and uses it to tell a fuller story of the Second Seminole War. This week, Chris Kimball shares the anecedotes and curious stories about players in the Seminole War -- people and stories he countered in his research.
In this episode, listeners will hear about Osceola and the fate of his head and hi...
2021-05-1553 min
Ancestral FindingsCharles M. Schulz: An American Peanut This American icon cartoonist embraced the countries of his heritage but became a controversial figure for animation and Christianity in over 75 countries. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/charles-m-schulz-american-peanut/ Click Here to listen to the weekly podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast Weekly Giveaways: https://ancestralfindings.com/drawing Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Hard To Find Surnames: https://ancestralfindings.com/surnames Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.twitter.com/ancestralstuff Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/donation #FamilyTreeSoftware #AncestralFindings #SeminoleWars
2021-05-1206 minAncestral FindingsHow to Select the Right Family Tree SoftwareAre you starting out in genealogy and need to get a family tree software program? There are many kinds. Here's how to make sure you get the right one for you… Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/how-to-select-the-right-family-tree-software/ Click Here to listen to the weekly podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast Weekly Giveaways: https://ancestralfindings.com/drawing Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Hard To Find Surnames: https://ancestralfindings.com/surnames Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.twitter.com/ancestralstuff Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings...
2021-05-1004 minAncestral FindingsTracing Your Pennsylvania AncestorsDo you need help getting started researching your Pennsylvania ancestors? Here are some resources both online and offline to get you started on your research. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/pennsylvania/ Click Here to listen to the weekly podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast Weekly Giveaways: https://ancestralfindings.com/drawing Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Hard To Find Surnames: https://ancestralfindings.com/surnames Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https://www.instagram.com/ancestralfindings https://www.twitter.com/ancestralstuff Support Ancestral Findings: https://ancestralfindings.com/donation #Florida #AncestralFindings #SeminoleWars
2021-05-0706 minAncestral FindingsThe Seminole Wars: A Brief History of the Settlement of FloridaThe Seminole Wars played an important part in the American settlement of Florida. These wars were three wars fought in Florida between the Seminole Nation (the name for a diverse group of Native Americans and African Americans who settled in Florida in the early 1800s) and the United States. Podcast Show Notes: https://ancestralfindings.com/the-seminole-wars-a-brief-history-of-the-settlement-of-florida/ Click Here to listen to the weekly podcast: https://ancestralfindings.com/podcast Weekly Giveaways: https://ancestralfindings.com/drawing Genealogy eBooks: https://ancestralfindings.com/ebooks Hard To Find Surnames: https://ancestralfindings.com/surnames Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AncestralFindings https...
2021-05-0504 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW054 Author and Historian Shares Techniques to Research the Seminole Wars from Home
The internet and on-site library visits helped John and Mary Lou Missall research their book on the life of an officer who served in the Second Seminole War. Chris Kimball promoted that book on his Youtube Channel.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led civil authorities to close down many facilities as a public health measure. One of the casualties has been libraries. How do you conduct research when the facilities with the research information are closed?
In the first of several episodes, author and historian Chris Kimball, author of books on the battles of the Se...
2021-05-0220 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW053 Seminole Frustrated Army by Fighting 2SW on Its Terms, not by Military Expectations
Reenactment photo (courtesy)
At times in its history, the US Army has personified the admonition that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. This is especially disconcerting since the US Army has been the architect of its past and yet, as in the case of unconventional conflicts, it has often sought to bury those memories in favor of a pledge never to fight in such ways again. The reality is that the Army does not usually get to choose what type of war it fights; its political leaders choose. The unconventional guerrilla-style...
2021-04-2439 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW052 Military Strategist Examines Evolution of U.S. Army War Preparations on Eve of 2SW
For nearly 250 years and with a few notable exceptions, US Army readiness has swung like a pendulum from woefully inadequate to veritable invincible force in its engagements for war. From the Revolution to the War of 1812, from the Civil War to the Second World War, too often the Army began fighting unprepared and only over time – and at great cost in blood and treasure -- has it righted itself to gain the victory it sought.
The Second Seminole War was little different. The Army entered unprepared for an extended conflict with Florida Indians. Fortunately, the fat...
2021-04-1749 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW051 War as Indian Removal by 'Other Means': Applying Classic Prussian Military Strategist's Insights, Maxims to Second Seminole Conflict
The US Government passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and that political decision led to U.S. military demands that the Seminole relocate to Oklahoma. The US Government accepted that it might require waging war to enforce the removal. The great Prussian military strategist Carl Von Clausewitz anticipated this contingency: "War is the continuation of politics by other means."Clausewitz warned, though, "No one starts a war -- or rather, no one in his sense ought to do so -- without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by the war and how...
2021-04-1042 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW050 Park Focus: Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park Hosts Sites of Second Seminole War Clashes
Living historians and the public have a blast at battle reenactments. Photo by Andrew Foster
Who oversees custodial care for Seminole Wars battlefields? For years, it has been hard to even determine where some battlefields were. Florida's landscape has changed much in 180 years or so, some nature's doing, some not. In Jupiter, concerned citizens banded together to care for two battlefields near them. They formed the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists. The LBP protects and safeguards the Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park, along with the 6,000-year-old prehistoric Native American occupation area contained therein.
Joining us today t...
2021-04-0337 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW049 Irish-Immigrant U.S. Army Private Paddington "Paddy" McCormick Discusses Soldiers' Perspectives at Living History Events
Irish-Immigrant Army Private Paddington McCormik meets us this week along the Dade Battlefield historic trail in Bushnell, Florida. He's at his post, guarding the trail from any potential hostile Seminole incursions. The lot of a private -- and an immigrant one at that, was a miserable one. Paddy explains how he ended up at what he calls "this Godforsaken place", what Soldier life is like -- the rotten pay, the inhuman heat, the dicey rations -- and his hope that if he just keeps his head down, he just might get out of the war alive. Paddy...
2021-03-2740 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW048 Gunpowder Warrior Discusses Seminole Fighters' Perspectives at Living History Events
A Seminole going by the name Gunpowder Warrior spoke with this host along the memorial trail at Dade Battlefield Park in Bushnell, Florida. We engaged in a short colloquy about the reason for the battle, Seminole perceptions during the battle, and where the Seminole went after their victory. Visiting groups on military staff rides often encounter Gunpowder Warrior as they trek along the hallowed ground that we call the Dade Battlefield trail. He stands as a stark reminder that there was another side to the battle, a side different from that of the soldiers who fought and...
2021-03-2027 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW046 In Seminole Wars, West Point's 1829 Military Academy Graduates Showed Mettle and Officer Corps' Institutionalized Professionalism
Monument to Major Dade and His Command that perished in 1835 is located
on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Although Major
Dade himself did not graduate from West Point, the Academy graduated many
officers who served honorably in the Second and Third Seminole Wars.
Recently, a military historian cast his lens on the West Point Class of 1829. That class featured 11 cadets who later saw service in what was then termed, The Florida War. One 1829 graduate in fact served under Major Dade in 1835, but found himself det...
2021-03-0757 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW045 Dade Battlefield Staff Rides Instruct Present-Day Military Leaders in Challenges of Command When Under Fire in Irregular Conflict
George Webb, a former Florida State park ranger, portrays a trader of the 1830s. He briefs British officers and NCOs from US Central Command on a military staff ride to the Dade Battlefield.
The Dade Battle of December 28, 1835 is considered one of the U.S. Army’s most lopsided defeats. How an Army column could allow itself to be caught so unaware of a hostile adversary in its midst is a question that military professionals still ask to this day. One way to answer that question is through what's called the Military Staff Ride.
...
2021-02-2847 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW044 Living Historian Louie Bear's Heart Demonstrates Seminole Cultural Practices to Teach and Educate on Traditional Ways of Life
For many warrior re-enactors of the Seminole Wars, the smell of gunpowder from a mock battle is sweeter than the aroma of a roasting pig from camp fire barbecue. Smoking gunpowder represents action…and engagement. It represents an adrenalin rush from fighting for your side while hundreds of onlookers watch nearby. And it represents a means to show what is usually only described through the written word in a history book. THIS, they are saying, is how it went down.
Smoking gunpower then is indeed sweeter…for some. But not for Louie Bear’s Heart. He pre...
2021-02-2040 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW042 Matt Griffin Uses Military Reenactment to Bring Alive the Black Seminole Warrior Spirit
First-time visitors to the annual commemoration at the Dade Battlefield in Bushnell, Florida, are sometimes startled to see -- amidst the melee -- a Black Seminole racing his war horse up and down the field of action. Likewise, groups escorted along the Dade Park memorial trail discover this same Black Seminole emerge from a concealed strategic position to converse with them.
The young man portraying the Black Seminole warrior is Matt Griffin. He is a native Floridian who traces his heritage back to the times of forced Indian removal during the Second Seminole War. He...
2021-02-0626 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW041 Waging War Amidst Fear and Anxiety on the Frontier of 1830s Territorial Florida
Painting: The Macon Volunteers by Jackson Walker
Last week, we looked at the terrain, environment, climate and on-the-ground atmosphere for Seminole and Soldiers and Settlers. This week, we look at some of the underlying causes of the war; some the places and incidents where the Second Seminole War was waged; and also the strategic, operations and tactics used to wage the war. Returning again is Dr. Joe Knetsch, author of a number of books and journal articles on the Seminole Wars. His anthology Fear and Anxiety on the Florida Frontier: Articles on the Second Seminole War 1835...
2021-01-3039 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW040 Living in Fear and Anxiety on the Frontier of 1830s Territorial Florida
Painting: The Captive Osceola by Jackson Walker
The 1830 Indian Removal Act aimed to relocate Indian tribes in the southeastern United States to undetermined land across the Mississippi River in the Oklahoma Territory. The tribes affected were the Choctaw, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek – the so-called “four C” tribes -- and the Seminole of Florida. The tragic tale of this unjust trail of tears rips at our collective hearts to this day. When removal efforts came to the Seminole of Florida, some departed voluntarily. But, the majority stood their ground and refused to be moved.
Dr. Joe Knetsch...
2021-01-2345 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW039 Army Victuals: Jerry Morris Takes Measure of Marchers by the Volume of their Vittles[Editor's Note: This is the 11th in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches in just a few days, on Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
Courtesy photo Linda and Jerry Morris at St Francis Barracks, St Augustine, Fla.
In this episode, Jerry Morris discusses his 1830s victuals display and the pamphlet he penned based on it along with his overall research, entitled The Army Move...
2021-01-1627 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW038: Military Marcher Maps Full 1835 Major Dade Route on Fort King Road and Then Some[Editor's Note: This is the 10th in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King. We launched Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is still open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
Courtesy photo of Jerry Morris holding part of a Gunter's Chain
It wasn't enough for ex-paratrooper Jerry Morris to march 60 miles with Laumer's Legion in 1988, retracing the 1835 route of Major Dade's fateful march to massacre. He wanted to "finish the march" continuing another 40 miles north fr...
2021-01-0924 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW037 A More Detailed Look at how Major Dade Led His Troops to Massacre on Fort King Road[Editor's Note: This is the ninth in a series of podcasts promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King. We launched Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is still open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
"Dade's Battle" Copyright Guy LaBree 1987
U.S. Army Major Francis L. Dade’s movement of a combined artillery and infantry column from Fort Brooke to Fort King is a controversial one, mainly because it ended in disaster. Dade knew such movement could be dangerous but believed the intent...
2021-01-0255 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW036 Major Dade's Column Battles Seminole Ambush on Fort King Military Road 185 Years Ago[Editor's Note: This is the eighth in a series of podcasts promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King. We launched Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is still open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
Dade Battle by Ken Hughes 1974 Miami History Center
Over several episodes, we have alluded to or briefly described the Dade Battle of late December 1835. The time has come to take a deep dive. The Dade Battle, also known as the Dade Massacre, arguably served as the opening shots to th...
2020-12-2544 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW035: Original Laumer's Legionnaire of 1963 recalls 1988 Second Major Dade Commemorative March on Fort King Military Road
Making progress to Dade City (above) (Below) newspaper article with Frank Laumer, Chris Laumer and assorted marchers.
[Editor's Note: This is the seventh in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches in just a few days, on Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
Our guest this week is one of the last remaining survivors of – well, not Maj. Dade’s march of 1835 from Tampa to Ocal...
2020-12-1923 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW034 Doubting Thomas: Did Dade Battle Survivor Truly Trek an Epic Feat of 60 miles Overnight to Break the News to Fort Brooke?[Editor's Note: This is the sixth in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
With military marching, only the first 100 miles are hard.
If you are thinking that our virtual march challenge will be tough to complete at 102.3 miles over 90 days, then consider the case of U.S. Army Pvt. John Thomas, a wounded survivor of the Dade Battle in Bu...
2020-12-1337 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW033 Second Seminole War Historical Hobbyist Jesse Marshall Walks the Walk to Talk the Talk
For their craft, Jesse Marshall and colleague march through the blisters, aches and pains.
Virtual Challenge hikers wear comfortable clothes & shoes and move at their own pace.
[Editor's Note: This is the fifth in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's self-paced virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details. In calculating the toll on ones' feet and muscles from this virtual hike, consider what it would ha...
2020-12-0727 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW032 Frank Laumer and Co. Blaze New Path on an Old Trail in 1963, Retracing Fatal Steps of Major Dade's 1835 March along Fort King Military Road
Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott published a map of central Florida detailing the route of Dade's 1835
march along the Fort King Military Road from Fort Brooke, in Tampa to Fort King in Ocala. The
column never arrived.
[Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.]
In this episode, we present an adaptation of Willi...
2020-11-2848 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW031 Despite Close Call, 3rd Time is Still a Charm for Dade Marchers on 2004 Fort King Road Trek
Editor's Note: This is the third in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.
In modern times, there have been three formal treks commemorating Major Dade’s march from Fort Brooke to catastrophe, near present-day Bushnell. The first was in 1963. The second was in 1988. And a third was in 2004.
In this episode, Ross Lamoreaux returns to the Seminole Wars podcast to des...
2020-11-2229 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW030 On Whim, Ex-Paratrooper, Trucker Joins Laumer's Legion for 1988 March to Dade Battlefield; Remains a Stalwart Sentinel
Editor's Note: This is the second in a series of podcasts over the coming weeks promoting the Seminole Wars Foundation's virtual challenge, The Major Dade Memorial March to Fort King that launches Dec. 22. Registration to join Laumer's Legion is now open. Visit www.seminolewars.us for details.
Jerry C. Morris spotted the innocuously titled newspaper notice by chance in the Nov. 20, 1988 Tampa Tribune-Times: "Historian to Lead Excursion." That historian was the late Frank Laumer and he was recruiting his legion of soldier-reenactors to recreate the march of Major Francis L. Dade's ill-fated column along the...
2020-11-1536 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW029 Virtual March Honors Seminole Wars Combatants
This week guest host Steven Rinck, president of the Seminole Wars Foundation, interviews Patrick Swan about The Major Dade Memorial March, a 103-mile virtual challenge that takes hikers on a virtual footpath along the entire unbroken length of the old Fort King Military Road. Similar to the Inca Trail in Peru and Hadrian’s Wall path in England, entrants “walk” (or run) a renowned route steeped in history. This episode discusses how the Army used the Fort King Military Road, how the Second Seminole War began on this road, why it is important to walk the terrain where f...
2020-11-1155 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW028 Park Spotlight: Dade Battlefield State Park Commemorates Historic Military Event, Hosts Engaging Year-Round Events, Programs
This week we begin a recurring special feature, on state and federal parks with ties to the Seminole Wars.
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, acquired by the State of Florida in 1921 (see full newspaper clipping below), is the second oldest site in the state. It serves as a memorial to the brave men, both soldiers and Seminoles, whose 1835 battle marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War, the longest armed conflict in the first 195 years of American history. Visitors can inspect the recreated breastworks where the last of Dade's men desperately fought off...
2020-11-0123 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW027 Why a SECOND Seminole War? Federal Government's Eminent Domain Land Grab Fueled Removal Demands & Invited Imminent Conflict
There is a short answer to the question, "What started the Second Seminole War?" That’s simple. An ambush. The Florida Seminole Indians attacked a column of American Soldiers by surprise. The Soldiers were marching along the old Fort King Military Road to relieve the garrison at Fort King.
A better question, however, begins with why. Why did the Second Seminole War start? Seminole anger with the US Government. Why were the Seminoles suddenly hostile to the US Government? Because the US Government had unilaterally ended its treaty with the Seminole. Why did the US Go...
2020-10-2530 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW026 War Pressure Forges Lasting Cultural Identity Among Loosely Aligned Seminole Bands
This week we look at how the Second Seminole War forged a distinct lasting cultural identity among the loosely aligned bands of Florida Seminole in the 1830s.
In 1817, two years before the legal transfer of Florida from Spain to the United States, the Seminole Indians numbered as many as 5,000. They were organized into settled towns across North and Central Florida and thriving on an agricultural economy. By the close of hostilities in 1858, those remaining Florida Seminole, who had not died from combat or illness or had been forcibly removed to reservations in the Oklahoma territory, n...
2020-10-1838 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW025 Archaeologists Reconcile Discrepancies, Omissions in Withlacoochee Cove Battle Accounts
Graphic Courtesy Historical Marker Data Base, HMDB.org
The "big bang" battle that began the Second Seminole War in late 1835 comprised the Seminole ambush of a column of US Soldiers marching along the Fort King Road to relieve that under-manned military outpost. Three big battles followed it, all along the banks of Florida’s Withlacoochee River. Rather than achieve a quick, decisive victory over the Seminole, the Army found itself forced to settle in for a long, hard slog in its removal efforts. Many written accounts survive these battles, but they tell only the Army’s si...
2020-10-1236 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW024 Black Seminole Leaders Offered Key Support, Collaboration to Native Resistance
We have discussed the Florida Black Seminole as a group previously and how they allied with the Seminole against the US Government’s Indian removal policy of the 1830s. A number of Florida Black Seminole stood out with distinction and are remembered today in history books. students of the Second Seminole War may recognize these names: Abraham, John Ceasar, and Gopher John, also known as John Horse or John Cavallo.
Returning to the Seminole Wars to elaborate on their contributions is Dr. Anthony E. Dixon, who podcasted with us previously to discuss the Black Seminole as a...
2020-10-0524 min
Seminole Wars AuthoritySW023 Battle Log: A Short Review of the Long Seminole Wars and Noteworthy Events
In Seminole & Creek War Battles and Events, Chris Kimball stitches every single reference to a war, campaign, battle, engagement, skirmish, or ambush into the most comprehensive list of such engagements ever assembled. Although the Seminole Wars had a few well documented big battles, it also encompassed scores of small skirmishes that comprised the bulk of the fighting between soldiers and Seminole. Seminole & Creek War Battles and Events offers a regional perspective lacking in accounts of either just the Seminole Wars or of just the first and second Creek Wars of the American southeast. Most of what he...
2020-09-2845 min