Metadata
Title
David E. Hale to Sarah Josepha Hale
Date
1830/1839-04-10
April 10, [1830s]
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-182
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Fort Brooke Tampa Bay
April 10th
My dear Mother
Did you ever expect to
receive a letter from this out of the way
place? If you look on the map, you will
find that I am in the south-west part
of Florida, cut off from all civilized folks. (the
only communication being at rare intervals with
N. Orleans). I wrote to you at Fort Doane (a hundred
miles north-east from this place about the centre)
of Florida.) Since [DE: that] then we crossed the Withlacolher [Withlacoochee] and marched to this place and a very [?] march
it proved. The rear-guard (in which I was) were fired
upon by the Indians at night after the main body
had crossed. The balls passed within a few feet of me
and whistled over our heads. (the first music of the kind I ever heard) We rushed back from
the river to a breast work of logs, returned the fire
& discharged a six pounder loaded with grape in the
direction of the flash of their rifles which silenced
them. After waiting their attack for half an hour
our small body of about one hundred proceeded to cross, was again
[ED: following text appears running along left side of page]
The Other two forces before we met here have been attacked - had about 20 killed - wounded. The Indians
lost two [DE: chifes] chiefs and about 20 [common?] men. [?] dragoons were dismounted as they could not cross on horseback
[ED: sketch of locations of Indians, troops, swamps, etc.]
fired upon but as our commdg officer did not think it
necessary or possible to pursue the enemy in the dark, we finally
went over & joined the main-body. We could not see
them, but from the first volley, it was supposed that
about 50 fired on us. None of our party were injured
In fact, firing at night is almost useless, as a
man cannot see the end of his musket to take aim.
We then pursued an Indian trail for [DE: ?] a day, (discovered by
the friendly Indians, twenty of whole we had with us. We
[came?] up with the enemy about sunset, at the edge of a large
prairie, after wading through ponds, swamps, [etc.] A few of the
foremost Indians advanced from the woods at the opposite side and
threw down their rifles & opened their arms (inviting a conference)
our interpreter rode forward with a white flag and was told
they would hold one with us the next morning, the Indian
custom being never to hold a "talk" in the afternoon.
Gen. Scott did not put much faith in them, but concluded
to camp within a mile of them that night. The next [DE: ?]
[morning] at sunrise we moved in two columns on the right
and left, skirting the prairie. The right column being nearest
them, was expected to receive the white flag from the Indians.
Instead of that, we of the left column, heard first the yell of
[?] savages three times repeated (as is their custom on commencing
[?] fight) then the crack of a rifle, then a whole volley,
[DE: ?] in a minute after the rolling discharge of the
[musketry?] commenced echoing through the arches of the
[brest?,] the charge of the [900?] regulars and volunteers, the hurrahs of
the men; again the Indian yell & volley of rifles
whose sound is very different from that of a musket.
It was grand, sublime. We could see men advancing
through the smoke, the Indians [DE: ?] running back from
tree to tree, they rallied but once, then broke, keeping
up the firing between. In the mean time we advancing
in columns on the left of a [?] were saluted in the same
way, the balls whistled, we formed line, charged, fired two
volleys and found ourselves up to the middle of a bog of [sand?]
an water, the thick brush before us prevented our seeing
but a few Indians. The six pounder fired four [DE: and?]
rounds of grape which drove the Indians out of the [DE: hummock?]
hummock (as a thick grove of trees is called here) we moved
forward through the [DE: the] most horrid cypress [swamp]
I ever saw. On getting through, the Indians had fled
and joined the body which was attacked by the right
column as we could see by their 'trail.' That column was
then a mile ahead of us, chasing the Indians at the full
run. They met again, fought, and drove the Indians
across the river. They swam it We were then recalled and the pursuit
was abandoned as useless, by the General. The skirmish lasted
from seven till [DE: ?] two o'clock, We [DE: lost] had four killed
& eleven wounded. The Indian loss was not known as
it is their practice to drag off their killed & wounded. We found
the [DE: on] one dead body & pools of blood among the grass &
palmettos. It was a new and painful sight to me to see
men shot through the head rolling - gasping in the agonies
of death. The first poor fellow we passed was a dragoon shot
through the body, half stripped by the surgeon who was examining
the wound (he died the next day). [DE: ?] I did not see the men in [our?]
collumn [column] which were [DE: ?] shot as they were carried to the rear [DE: ?] We
then put the killed & wounded in biers made of canvas on
mens shoulders back to camp. We have seen no Indians
since. The other two armies under Gen. Eustis & Col. Lindsay
are making about 4000 or 5000 men.
[ED: postmark]
NEW ORLEANS
APR
24
La.
Mrs. S.J. Hale
Boston
Mass.
We march in a few days for the [Withlacoochee] to fight the Indians
said to be assembled there. If we get their women & children we
shall end the war in a month but the general belief is that
the volunteers will return home & we (the regulars) will stay
all summer & resume the war next fall. You must not
then expect to see me till next Spring. A hard case!
Give my love to my brothers & sisters. I am well & hearty
April 10th
My dear Mother
Did you ever expect to
receive a letter from this out of the way
place? If you look on the map, you will
find that I am in the south-west part
of Florida, cut off from all civilized folks. (the
only communication being at rare intervals with
N. Orleans). I wrote to you at Fort Doane (a hundred
miles north-east from this place about the centre)
of Florida.) Since [DE: that] then we crossed the Withlacolher [Withlacoochee] and marched to this place and a very [?] march
it proved. The rear-guard (in which I was) were fired
upon by the Indians at night after the main body
had crossed. The balls passed within a few feet of me
and whistled over our heads. (the first music of the kind I ever heard) We rushed back from
the river to a breast work of logs, returned the fire
& discharged a six pounder loaded with grape in the
direction of the flash of their rifles which silenced
them. After waiting their attack for half an hour
our small body of about one hundred proceeded to cross, was again
[ED: following text appears running along left side of page]
The Other two forces before we met here have been attacked - had about 20 killed - wounded. The Indians
lost two [DE: chifes] chiefs and about 20 [common?] men. [?] dragoons were dismounted as they could not cross on horseback
[ED: sketch of locations of Indians, troops, swamps, etc.]
fired upon but as our commdg officer did not think it
necessary or possible to pursue the enemy in the dark, we finally
went over & joined the main-body. We could not see
them, but from the first volley, it was supposed that
about 50 fired on us. None of our party were injured
In fact, firing at night is almost useless, as a
man cannot see the end of his musket to take aim.
We then pursued an Indian trail for [DE: ?] a day, (discovered by
the friendly Indians, twenty of whole we had with us. We
[came?] up with the enemy about sunset, at the edge of a large
prairie, after wading through ponds, swamps, [etc.] A few of the
foremost Indians advanced from the woods at the opposite side and
threw down their rifles & opened their arms (inviting a conference)
our interpreter rode forward with a white flag and was told
they would hold one with us the next morning, the Indian
custom being never to hold a "talk" in the afternoon.
Gen. Scott did not put much faith in them, but concluded
to camp within a mile of them that night. The next [DE: ?]
[morning] at sunrise we moved in two columns on the right
and left, skirting the prairie. The right column being nearest
them, was expected to receive the white flag from the Indians.
Instead of that, we of the left column, heard first the yell of
[?] savages three times repeated (as is their custom on commencing
[?] fight) then the crack of a rifle, then a whole volley,
[DE: ?] in a minute after the rolling discharge of the
[musketry?] commenced echoing through the arches of the
[brest?,] the charge of the [900?] regulars and volunteers, the hurrahs of
the men; again the Indian yell & volley of rifles
whose sound is very different from that of a musket.
It was grand, sublime. We could see men advancing
through the smoke, the Indians [DE: ?] running back from
tree to tree, they rallied but once, then broke, keeping
up the firing between. In the mean time we advancing
in columns on the left of a [?] were saluted in the same
way, the balls whistled, we formed line, charged, fired two
volleys and found ourselves up to the middle of a bog of [sand?]
an water, the thick brush before us prevented our seeing
but a few Indians. The six pounder fired four [DE: and?]
rounds of grape which drove the Indians out of the [DE: hummock?]
hummock (as a thick grove of trees is called here) we moved
forward through the [DE: the] most horrid cypress [swamp]
I ever saw. On getting through, the Indians had fled
and joined the body which was attacked by the right
column as we could see by their 'trail.' That column was
then a mile ahead of us, chasing the Indians at the full
run. They met again, fought, and drove the Indians
across the river. They swam it We were then recalled and the pursuit
was abandoned as useless, by the General. The skirmish lasted
from seven till [DE: ?] two o'clock, We [DE: lost] had four killed
& eleven wounded. The Indian loss was not known as
it is their practice to drag off their killed & wounded. We found
the [DE: on] one dead body & pools of blood among the grass &
palmettos. It was a new and painful sight to me to see
men shot through the head rolling - gasping in the agonies
of death. The first poor fellow we passed was a dragoon shot
through the body, half stripped by the surgeon who was examining
the wound (he died the next day). [DE: ?] I did not see the men in [our?]
collumn [column] which were [DE: ?] shot as they were carried to the rear [DE: ?] We
then put the killed & wounded in biers made of canvas on
mens shoulders back to camp. We have seen no Indians
since. The other two armies under Gen. Eustis & Col. Lindsay
are making about 4000 or 5000 men.
[ED: postmark]
NEW ORLEANS
APR
24
La.
Mrs. S.J. Hale
Boston
Mass.
We march in a few days for the [Withlacoochee] to fight the Indians
said to be assembled there. If we get their women & children we
shall end the war in a month but the general belief is that
the volunteers will return home & we (the regulars) will stay
all summer & resume the war next fall. You must not
then expect to see me till next Spring. A hard case!
Give my love to my brothers & sisters. I am well & hearty