THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Duke University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/seminolesofflori01 moor 
 
Photograph by E. W. Histcd. 
 
 HOKE-TI-CHEE. LITTLE GIRL WITH THE BRIGHT EYES 
 
THE SEMINOLES 
 
 OF 
 
 FLORIDA 
 
 MINNIE MOO RE-WILLSON 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 MOFFAT, YARD AND COMPANY 
 
 1910 
 
Copyright 1896, 1910 by 
 MINNIE MOORE-WILLSON 
 
<n o, 2) 
 
 TO 
 
 MRS. ELIZABETH STAUFFER-MOORE 
 
 IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HER SYMPATHY AND 
 PHILANTHROPIC INTEREST IN BEHALF OF THiS BRAVE 
 AND HEROIC REMNANT OF THE ABORIGINAL AMERI- 
 CANS, THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA, THIS BOOK IS 
 AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 
 
 By the Author. 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 When most of the Seminoles were moved from 
 Florida to Indian Territory, a few score of them 
 were unwilling to go. Of these who remained, the 
 decendants, ten years ago, numbered about six hun- 
 dred. An effort was made at that time to buy for 
 this band the land on which they lived and a few 
 hundred dollars was given for that purpose. 
 
 In the study of this fragment in their singular sur- 
 roundings as portrayed in the pages of this book, one 
 gets, as it were, a glimpse of their camp-fire life, a 
 view of their sun-bleached wigwams and an insight 
 into the character of these proud but homeless people. 
 
 Not much apparently can be done for this home- 
 keeping remnant of the Florida aborigines, but it is 
 help and a protection to them that their continuing 
 presence in Florida and the conditions of their life 
 there should be known to the rest of the Americans 
 and especially to those who go to Florida or are 
 concerned with the development of that State. 
 
 To diffuse this helpful knowledge and give these 
 Indains such protection as may come from it, is the 
 aim of the present book. 
 
 Edward S. Martin. 
 New, York, Nov. 9, 1909. 
 
EDITOR’S NOTE. 
 
 In this enlarged and illustrated edition of “ The 
 Seminoles of Florida,” the demand for which seems 
 to come insistently from every hand, the author 
 wishes to acknowledge the courtesy and great kind- 
 ness of Mr. C. B. Reynolds and Mr. E. W. Histed 
 for their assistance in its illustrations. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Facts of the Earlier Days i 
 
 Origin of Troubles 6 
 
 Efforts at Indian Removal n 
 
 The Massacre of General Thompson and of Dades’ Forces is 
 
 A Dishonored Treaty 19 
 
 As-se-ho-lar, The Rising Sun, or Osceola 21 
 
 Osceola’s Capture 26 
 
 The Hidden War Camp 30 
 
 Wild Cat and General Worth 33 
 
 Indian Warfare 38 
 
 “Dat Seminole Treaty Dinner” ......... 41 
 
 PART SECOND.' 
 
 The Present Condition and Attitude of the Seminoles . 53 
 National Indian Association, Its Work and Its Results, 
 
 Episcopal Mission 65 
 
 The Friends of the Florida Seminoles ....... 68 
 
 Our Duty to These Wards of the Nation 76 
 
 Chieftain Tallahassee 79 
 
 Increasing 84 
 
 Appearance and Dress 87 
 
 Independence and Honor 90 
 
 The Seminole’s Unwritten Verdict of the White Race . 93 
 
 Endurance and Feasts 95 
 
 The Hunting Dance 100 
 
 Slavery 106 
 
 Hannah 107 
 
 Unwritten Laws 108 
 
 Gens and Marriage ............. 114 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Beauty and Music 116 
 
 Relationship to the Aztecs and Eastern Tribes . . .118 
 
 Seminoles at Home — The Everglades 126 
 
 Alligator Hunting 139 
 
 Bear Hunting with the Seminoles 142 
 
 Captain Tom Tiger (Mic-co-Tus-te-nug-ge) 148 
 
 Nancy Osceola 154 
 
 Billy Bowlegs 155 
 
 Religion 162 
 
 Bought Back 168 
 
 Mounds 169 
 
 Picture Writing 171 
 
 Medicine 172 
 
 Abiding Words of Beauty 174 
 
 Conclusion 179 
 
 PART THIRD. 
 
 Introduction to Vocabulary 185 
 
 Words Regarding Persons 187 
 
 Parts of Body 188 
 
 Dress and Ornaments 190 
 
 Dwellings, Implements, etc 192 
 
 Food 196 
 
 Colors 197 
 
 Numerals 197 
 
 Divisions of Time 198 
 
 Animals, Parts of Body, etc 200 
 
 Birds 201 
 
 Fish and Reptiles 202 
 
 Insects 203 
 
 Plants 204 
 
 The Firmament, Physical Phenomena, etc 205 
 
 Kinship 206 
 
 Verbs, Phrases, Sentences 207 
 
 Indian Names of Some Present Seminoles 210 
 
 Rhythmical Names of Some Florida Rivers and Towns . 212 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Hoke-ti-chee, “ Little Girl with the Bright 
 
 Eyes ” . Frontispiece 
 
 Florida Indians Carrying Their Crops to the 
 
 Storehouse 6 
 
 An Indian Retreat During the Seminole War . . .16 
 
 Micanopy 20 
 
 One of the Last Seminole Battle Grounds .... 24 
 
 Osceola 30 
 
 Martha Jane, “ Bandanna Mammy 42 
 
 A Seminole Dwelling 60 
 
 A Seminole Camp-fire •. . . . 70 
 
 Chieftain Tallahassee 76 
 
 A Seminole Group of the Tallahassee Band ... 86 
 
 Chief Tallahassee, Martha Tiger, She Yo 
 
 Hee, Tommy Hill and Milakee w ... 90 
 
 Billy Bowlegs and Tommy Doctor 98 
 
 Hannah, The Only Remaining Slave of the 
 
 Seminoles . 108 
 
 A Picturesque Group . . .■ > -. .. ,« t ., . 114 
 
 An Enchanting Study of the Younger Genera- 
 tion 122 
 
 Seminoles on the Miami River 130 
 
 Tiger Tail 140 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Indian Mode of Hunting Alligators in Flor- 
 ida l 144 
 
 Captain Tom Tiger . 148 
 
 The Indian’s Hunting Ground 150 
 
 A Section of a San Grass Swamp 156 
 
 Billy Bowlegs and Doctor Tiger . ...... 160 
 
 Hi- a-tee, Captain Tom Tiger, Ho-ti-yee and 
 
 “ Little Tiger ” . 164 
 
 Dr. Jimmie Tustanogee with His two Wives 
 
 and the Children 168 
 
 Billy Buster, Tommy Hill, Tallahassee and 
 
 Charlie Peacock 172 
 
 The Wild Heron in Domestication . . . .. . .176 
 The White Plumed Egret in a Florida Yard t . . .180 
 
PREFACE 
 
 That there is yet a tribe, or tribes of Indians in 
 Florida is a fact unknown to a large part of the 
 people of this country; there are even students of 
 history who have scarcely known it. These people, 
 driven, about seventy or more years ago, into the 
 dreary Everglades of that Southern Peninsular, have 
 kept themselves secluded from the ever encroaching 
 white population of the State. Only occasionally 
 would a very small number visit a town or a city to 
 engage in traffic. They have had no faith in the white 
 man, or the white man’s government. They have 
 aimed to be peaceful, but have, with inveterate pur- 
 pose, abstained from intercourse with any of the 
 agencies of our government. My friends, Mr. and 
 Mrs. J. M. Willson, Jr., of Kissimmee, Floride, 
 have found their way to a large degree of confidence 
 in the hearts of this people. They have learned 
 something of their history, and have studied their 
 manner of life, their character and habits. 
 
 Mr. Willson has been allowed, and invited to go 
 with some of their men on familiar hunting expedi- 
 tions. He has seen them in the swamps, in their 
 homes, and in their general life environments. He 
 has been admitted to their confidence and friendship. 
 He has consequently become deeply interested in 
 
PREFACE 
 
 them. Mrs. Willson also has become acquainted 
 with some of their chief personages. Both have 
 learned to sympathize with these Indians in their 
 hardships and in their treatment at the hands of the 
 white race. 
 
 Mrs. Willson began to write about them and her 
 writing has grown into a book; and she has been en- 
 couraged to give this book to the world, in the hope 
 that the attention of good people may be drawn to- 
 ward them, and that at least a true interest may be 
 awakened in their moral and material well-being. 
 They are truly an interesting people, living, although 
 secluded, almost at our doors. 
 
 Mrs. Willson has written earnestly, enthusiastic- 
 ally, and lovingly regarding them, and it is to be 
 hoped that a new interest may soon be taken in them 
 both by the churches and the government, and that 
 they may soon enter upon new realizations, and be 
 encouraged to place a confidence in the white race to 
 which, until quite recently, they have been utter 
 strangers. 
 
 Mr. Willson has prepared the vocabulary. The 
 words and phrases here given have been gathered by 
 him in the course of ten or fifteen years of friendly 
 intercourse with members of the tribe. They have 
 assisted him in getting the true Indian or Seminole 
 word and in finding its signification. Old Chief Talla- 
 hassee has been especially and kindly helpful; so has 
 Chief Tom Tiger. This vocabulary of this peculiar 
 Indian tribe, though not complete, ought to prove 
 helpful to those who are interested in the languages 
 
PREFACE 
 
 of the people who roamed the forests of this great 
 land before it became the home and the domain of 
 those who now live and rule in it. 
 
 This book, in its first part, gives some account of 
 the earlier years of the Seminole history. In the 
 second part the reader is introduced to the later and 
 present state of things and facts regarding them. 
 
 In the third part is found the vocabulary — a num- 
 ber of Seminole words, phrases and names, with their 
 interpretation into our own tongue. 
 
 This little book is given to the world in the hope 
 „ that it will be found both interesting and valuable to 
 many readers. 
 
 R. Braden Moore. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 PART FIRST 
 Facts of Earlier Days 
 
 The history of the American Indian is a very 
 Iliad of tragedy. From the day Columbus made the 
 first footprints of the European in the damp sands of 
 Cat Island, the story of the original owners of fair 
 America has been full of melancholy, and fills with 
 its dark pages every day of a quartet of centuries. 
 
 Columbus describes the innocent happiness of these 
 people. “ They were no wild savages, but very gen- 
 tle and courteous,” he says, “ without knowing what 
 evil is, without stealing, without killing.” They 
 gave to him a new world for Castile and Leon, while 
 in exchange he gave to them “ some glass beads and 
 little red caps.” The tragedy of the new world be- 
 gan when we find this same admiral writing to the 
 Spanish majesties that he would be able to furnish 
 them with gold, cotton, spices, and slaves — “ slaves ! 
 as many as their Highnesses shall command to be 
 shipped”; and thus, this land, a paradise of almost 
 primeval loveliness, was transformed into a land of 
 cruel bondage, desolation and death. 
 
 History scarcely records an instance when hospital- 
 
 I 
 
2 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 ity was not extended by the red man to our first ex- 
 plorers. Swift canoes shot out from the shaded 
 shores, filled with men clad in gorgeous mantles, and, 
 in broken accents, their greeting was “Welcome!” 
 “ Come, see the people from Heaven,” they cried, 
 but were soon destined to believe they were from a 
 very different region. 
 
 From old Spanish accounts we conclude that the 
 Indian population of De Soto’s time was very large, 
 and that the natives were in a higher state of civil- 
 ization than at any later period; that their speech, 
 though brief, was chaste, unaffected, and evinced a 
 generous sentiment. Cortez found the Aztecs and 
 their dependencies challenging comparison with the 
 proudest nations of the world, and in their barbarous 
 magnificence rivaling the splendors of the Orient. 
 Advanced in the arts, dwelling in cities, and living 
 under a well-organized government, they were happy 
 in their position and circumstances. 
 
 Who were the barbarians of the early history of 
 America, our Mayflower ancestors, or the Red 
 Men of the forest? 
 
 With a careful study of the early records, the ques- 
 tion answers itself. 
 
 Four hundred years ago Indian warfare began. 
 Shall it continue until we exterminate the race? 
 When it is, alas, too late, the American people will 
 awaken to the fact that the preservation of the In- 
 dian race will be a theme that will stir the very heart 
 of the Nation. 
 
 Shall Justice blush as the future historian pens the 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 3 
 
 account of the vanished Indian and our treatment 
 of his race? Will Patriotism hang her head in 
 shame and confusion as the pen portrays the history 
 of the red heroes, who gave up their lives for their 
 home and liberty? 
 
 Since that sunny day in May, 1539, when De Soto, 
 amid the salutes of artillery, the music of trumpets, 
 the cheers of thousands of Castilians, sailed into 
 Tampa Bay, Florida, has been the scene of stirring 
 events — with the Aborigines forming a tragical 
 background. 
 
 Marching across the flower-bedecked country with 
 his gallant men of Spain, with his cavalry, with 
 fleet greyhounds and furious bloodhounds to turn 
 loose upon the savages, also handcuffs, chains and 
 collars to secure them, with priests, workmen and 
 provisions, this proud adventurer reached the present 
 site of Tallahassee. Here, in this vicinity, they 
 came upon a fruitful land, thickly populated. 
 
 Ever pressing onward for the gold that was sup- 
 posed to abound in this new land, one village after 
 another was passed, when provisions and welcome 
 were furnished by the Laziques. 
 
 On, on, the proud and haughty Spaniards 
 marched, until they reached the province of Cofaqui. 
 Here the splendor of the reception would amaze us, 
 even to-day. The chieftain and the people gave up 
 their village for the Spanish quarters, moving to 
 another town for the occasion. The following day 
 the chief returned, offering De Soto 8,000 armed In- 
 dians, with maize, dried fruits and meat for the 
 
4 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 journey, 4,000 to act as defenders, 4,000 as 
 burden bearers, to escort the Spaniards through a 
 wilderness of several days’ journey. Such were the 
 proud and generous people the Caucasians found in 
 America. 
 
 The haughty Castilian continued his march till he 
 reached the banks of the Mississippi, where he halted 
 and sent his carrier to the chief on the opposite shore, 
 with the usual message, that he was the “ Offspring 
 of the Sunne, and required submission and a visit 
 from the chief.” But the chieftain sent back a re- 
 ply, both magnanimous and proud, that if he were 
 “ the Childe of the Sunne, if he would drie up the 
 River, he would believe him ; that he was wont to visit 
 none; therefore, if he desired to see him he would 
 come thither, that if he came in peace he would re- 
 ceive him in special good will, and if in Warre in 
 like manner he would attend him in the Towne where 
 he was and for him or any other he would not 
 shrinke one foot backe.” 
 
 Old history says this haughty repulse aggravated 
 the illness of De Soto, “ because he was not able to 
 passe presently to the River and seeke him, to see if 
 he could abate that Pride of his.” 
 
 Notwithstanding the hospitable treatment shown 
 by the natives to the newcomers, the Castilians de- 
 stroyed them by the thousands: One explorer after 
 another wrote of these friendly people in the new 
 land. “ They are very liberal,” says the narrator, 
 “ for they give what they have.” Sir Ralph Lane 
 describes the welcome by the natives, who came with 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 5 
 
 “ Tobacco, Corne and furs and kindly gestures to be 
 friends with the strange white men,” etc., etc., but 
 adds, “ the Indians stole a Silver Cup, wherefore we 
 burnt their Towne and spoylt their Corne,” etc., etc. 
 
 The time will soon be over for the study of the 
 Aborigines of America. We have in 250 years 
 wasted them from uncounted numbers to a scattering 
 population of only about 275,000, while in the same 
 length of time a cargo of dusky slaves from the 
 African shores have become a people of millions, 
 slaves no longer, but protected citizens. In the red- 
 skin, whom we have dispossessed of his native rights, 
 we recognize no equality; yet the descendant of the 
 barbarous black, whose tribe on the Golden Coast 
 still trembles before a fetish, may now sit at the desk 
 of Clay or Calhoun. Truly the tangled threads of 
 modern morals are hard to unravel. 
 
 The first explorers made captives of the Indians, 
 and carried them in irons to Spain, where they were 
 sold as slaves to the Spanish grandees. Two hun- 
 dred years later the people of Carolina sought to 
 enslave those among them. The red men rebelled 
 at the subjection, and in order to escape bondage, 
 began to make their way to the “ Indian country,” 
 the present site of Georgia. African bondsmen soon 
 followed the example of the Indian captives, and in 
 time continued their journey to Florida. 
 
 In the attempts to recapture runaway slaves , is 
 based the primeval cause of the Seminole wars. 
 
6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 ORIGIN OF TROUBLES. 
 
 The history of the Seminoles of Florida begins 
 with their separation from the Creeks of Georgia as 
 early as 1750, the name Seminole, in Indian dia- 
 lect meaning wild wanderers or runaways. Sea- 
 coffee, their leader, conducted them to the territory 
 of Florida, then under Spanish colonial policy. 
 Here, they sought the protection of Spanish laws, 
 refused in all after times to be represented in Creek 
 councils, elected their own chiefs, and became, in all 
 respects, a separate tribe. 
 
 To-day the Seminoles of Florida are only a frail 
 remnant of that powerful tribe of Osceola’s day. 
 Their history presents a character, a power, and a 
 romance that impels respect and an acknowledgment 
 of their superiority. Of the private life of the Sem- 
 nole less is known, perhaps, than of any other band 
 in the United States. His life has been one long 
 struggle for a resting-place; he has fought for home, 
 happy hunting grounds and the burial place of his 
 fathers. At present we can only see a race whose 
 destiny says extinction. 
 
 The wilds of Florida became a home for these 
 Indians as well as for the fugitive negro slaves of the 
 Southern States. The Indian and the negro refugee, 
 settling in the same sections, became friendly, and in 
 time some of their people intermarried. The same 
 American spirit that refused to submit to “ Taxation 
 without Representation,” was strong in the breast of 
 the Seminole, and Florida, belonging to Spain, af- 
 
FLORIDA INDIANS CARRYING TIIEIR CROPS TO THE STOREHOUSES 
 

 
 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 7 
 
 forded him a retreat for his independent pursuits. 
 Subject only to the Spanish crown, the exiles found a 
 home safe from the inexorable slave catchers. The 
 Seminoles were now enjoying liberty, and a social 
 solitude, and refused to make a treaty with the colo- 
 nial government, or with the Creeks from whom 
 they had separated. One demand after another was 
 made upon the Spanish government at St. Augustine 
 for the return of the fugitives, which was always 
 rejected. African slaves continued to flee from 
 their masters to find refuge with the exiles and the 
 Indians. They were eagerly received, and kindly 
 treated, and soon admitted to a footing of equality. 
 The growing demand for slaves in the southern colo- 
 nies now made the outlook serious, and from the 
 attempts to compel the return of the negroes grew 
 the first hostilities. 
 
 One of the first communications ever sent to Con- 
 gress after it met was by the Georgia colony, stating 
 that “ a large number of continental troops would be 
 required to prevent the slaves from deserting their 
 masters.” But, in that momentous year of 177 6, 
 Congress had more important duties on hand, and it 
 was not until 1790 that a treaty was entered into be- 
 tween the Creeks and the United States. In this 
 treaty, the Creeks, now at enmity with the Seminoles, 
 agreed to restore the slaves of the Georgia planters 
 who had taken refuge among them. The Seminoles 
 refused to recognize the treaty; they were no 
 longer a part of the Creeks, they resided in Florida 
 and considered themselves subject only to the crown 
 
8 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 of Spain. One can readily believe that the Spanish 
 authorities encouraged their independence. Legally 
 the exiles had become a free people. 
 
 The Creeks now found themselves utterly unable 
 to comply with their treaty. The planters of Geor- 
 gia began to press the Government for the return of 
 their fugitive slaves. Secretary Knox, foreseeing the 
 difficulty of recovering runaway slaves, wrote to 
 the President advising that the Georgia people be 
 paid by the Government for the loss of their bond- 
 men. The message was tabled, and until 1810 the 
 Seminoles and negroes lived in comparative peace. 
 
 The people of Georgia, now seeing the only appar- 
 ent way to obtain possession of their slaves would be 
 by the annexation of Florida, began to petition for 
 this, but the United States, feeling less interest in 
 slave catching than did the State of Georgia, manipu- 
 lated affairs so slowly that Georgia determined to 
 redress her own grievances, entered Florida and be- 
 gan hostilities. The United States was too much 
 occupied with the war with Great Britian to take 
 cognizance of Indian troubles in a Spanish province, 
 hence the Georgia intruders met with defeat. For a 
 short time after these hostilities ceased the Seminoles 
 and their allies enjoyed prosperity, cultivated their 
 fields, told their traditions and sang their rude lays 
 around their peaceful camp fires. Seventy-five years 
 had passed since their ancestors had found a home in 
 Florida, and it was hard for them to understand the 
 claims of the southern planters. 
 
 The year 1 8 1 6 found the Seminoles at peace with 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 9 
 
 the white race. In a district inhabited by many of 
 the Indians on the Appalachicola river was Blount’s 
 Fort. 
 
 The fort, although Spanish property, was reported 
 as an “ asylum for runaway negroes.” General 
 Jackson, now in military command, ordered the 
 “ blowing up of the fort, and the return of the ne- 
 groes to their rightful owners.” The exiles know- 
 ing little of scientific warfare believed themselves safe 
 in this retreat; and when in 1816 an expedition un- 
 der Colonel Duncan L. Clinch was planned, the hap- 
 less Indians and negroes unknowingly rushed into the 
 very jaws of death. A shot from a gunboat ex- 
 ploded the magazines and destroyed the garrison. 
 History records that of 334 souls in the fort, 270 
 were instantly killed! The groans of the wounded 
 and dying, the savage war whoops of the Indians in- 
 spired the most fiendish revenge in the hearts of those 
 who escaped, and marks the beginning of the First 
 Seminole War. 
 
 Savage vengeance was now on fire, and “ Blount’s 
 Fort ” became the magnetic war cry of the Seminole 
 chiefs as they urged their warriors to retaliation. 
 This barbarous sacrifice of innocent women and chil- 
 dren conducted by a Christian nation against a help- 
 less race, and for no other cause than that their 
 ancestors, one hundred years before, had been born in 
 slavery, marks a period of cruelty, one of the most 
 wanton in the history of our nation. 
 
 The inhuman way in which the massacre was con- 
 ducted was never published at large, nor does the 
 
10 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 War Department have any record of the taking of 
 Blount’s Fort, as is shown by the following: 
 
 An examination of the records of this Department has 
 been made, but no information bearing upon the subject of 
 the taking of Blount’s Fort, Florida, in the year 1816, has 
 been found of record. 
 
 By authority of the Secretary of War, 
 
 F. C. Ainsworth, 
 
 Colonel, U. S. Army, Chief of Office, 
 
 Washington, July 25, 1895. 
 
 History does not dwell on the cruel treatment the 
 Indians received from the United States authorities 
 during the Seminole Wars, yet pages of our National 
 Library are devoted to the barbarity of the Sem- 
 inoles. There are two sides to every question, and 
 it is only what the Indian does to the white man that 
 is published, and not what the white man does to the 
 Indian. 
 
 The facts show that instead of seeking to injure 
 the people of the United States, the Seminoles were, 
 and have been, only anxious to be free from all con- 
 tact with our government. In no official correspond- 
 ence is there any reference made to acts of hostility 
 by the Indians, prior to the massacre at Blount’s 
 Fort. 
 
 But Floridians, who had urged the war with the 
 hope of seizing and enslaving the maroons of the 
 interior, now saw their own plantations laid waste, 
 villages abandoned to the enemy, and families suffer- 
 ing for bread. The war had been commenced for 
 
THE SE MINGLES OF FLORIDA n 
 
 an ignoble purpose, to re-enslave fellow-men, and 
 taught that every violation of justice is followed 
 by appropriate penalties. 
 
 Few of the people of the United States knew the 
 true cause of the war, nor the real inwardness of the 
 purposes of those in command, as history and official 
 documents show that affairs were in the hands of the 
 Executive rather than in those of Congress. The 
 first war was in itself an act of hostility to the King 
 of Spain; yet nothing was gained by our government 
 except possession of part of the fugitives. Military 
 forces could not pursue the Indians into the fastnesses 
 of the Everglades, and after two years of bloodshed 
 and expenditure of thousands of dollars, peace was in 
 a manner restored, and the army was withdrawn 
 without any treaty being signed. 
 
 EFFORTS AT INDIAN REMOVAL. 
 
 The Indians had set the American government 
 at defiance. The slaves of Southern States con- 
 tinued to run away, taking refuge with the exiles and 
 Seminoles; the slave-holders of Georgia became more 
 clamorous than ever. The Spanish crown could not 
 protect herself from the invasion of the Americans 
 when in pursuit of runaway negroes. She had seen 
 her own subjects massacred, her forts destroyed or 
 captured, and her rights as a nation insulted by an 
 American army. In 1819, by a combination of force 
 and negotiation, Florida was purchased from Spain 
 for $5,000,000. 
 
12 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Thus the Seminoles were brought under the do- 
 minion they so much dreaded. Slave-holders once 
 more petitioned to the United States for aid in the 
 capture of their escaped property. The United 
 States, foiled in their treaty with the Creeks, now 
 recognized the Seminoles as a distinct tribe, and in- 
 vited their chiefs to meet our commissioners and 
 negotiate a treaty. The Seminoles agreed in this 
 treaty to take certain reservations assigned to them, 
 the United States covenanting to take the Florida 
 Indians under her care and to afford them protection 
 against all persons whatsoever, and to restrain and 
 prevent all white persons from hunting, settling or 
 otherwise intruding upon said lands. 
 
 By this treaty all their cultivated lands were given 
 up to the whites, and the Seminoles retired to the in- 
 terior. Once more this long persecuted people found 
 refuge, but it was only for a short time. The value 
 of slaves in States North caused slave catchers with 
 chains and bloodhounds to enter Florida. They 
 seized the slaves of the Indians, stole their horses and 
 cattle and depredated their property. With such a 
 violation of the treaty, renewed hostilities were in- 
 evitable. 
 
 The Indians petitioned for redress, but received 
 none. Affairs grew worse until 1828, when the idea 
 of emigration for the Indians was submitted to the 
 chiefs. After much persuasion, a few of the tribal 
 leaders were induced to visit the Western country. 
 They found the climate cold, and a land where 
 “ snow covers the ground, and frosts chill the bodies 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 13 
 
 of men,” and on general principles, Arkansas a delu- 
 sion and a snare. The chiefs had been told they 
 might go and see for themselves, but they were not 
 obliged to move unless they liked the land. In their 
 speech to the Commissioner they said: “We are 
 not willing to go. If our tongues say * yes,’ our 
 hearts cry ‘ no.’ You would send us among bad In- 
 dians, with whom we could never be at rest. Even 
 our horses were stolen by the Pawnees, and we were 
 obliged to carry our packs on our backs. We are 
 not hungry for other lands; we are happy here. 
 If we are torn from these forests our heartstrings 
 will snap.” Notwithstanding the opposition to a 
 treaty, by a system of coercion a part of the chiefs 
 were induced to sign, and fifteen undoubted Sem- 
 inole cross-marks were affixed to the paper. This 
 was not enough, according to Indian laws, to compel 
 emigration. The stipulations read, “ Prepare to 
 emigrate West, and join the Creeks.” There was 
 no agreement that their negroes should accompany 
 them, and they refused to move. To expect a tribe 
 which had lived at enmity with the Creeks since their 
 separation in 1750 to emigrate and live with them 
 was but to put weapons into their hands, and did not 
 coincide with the ideas of the Seminoles. 
 
 The United States prepared to execute; not a 
 redskin was ready, and troops were sent. The In- 
 dians began immediately to gather their crops, re- 
 move the squaws and pickaninnies to places of safety, 
 secure war equipments — in short, prepare for battle. 
 It was a question of wonderment many times 
 
14 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 among the officers how the Indians procured their 
 ammunition in such quantities, and how they kept 
 from actual starvation. Hidden as they were in their 
 strong fortresses — the fastnesses of the swamps — . 
 many believed that they would be starved out, and 
 would either stand a fair field fight or sue for peace. 
 An old Florida settler who carried his rifle through 
 seven years of Indian warfare explains the mystery. 
 He says: “The Indians had been gathering pow- 
 der and lead for years, ever since the time Chief 
 Neamathla made his treaty with General Jackson. 
 Besides, Cuban fishing smacks were always bringing 
 it in, and trading with the redskins for hides and furs. 
 As for provisions, they had their ‘ Koontie ’ flour, 
 the acorn of the live oak, which is fair eating when 
 roasted, and the cabbage of the palmetto tree. For 
 meat, the woods were full of it. Deer and bear 
 were abundant, to say nothing of small game, such 
 as wild turkey, turtle and squirrel.” The Seminoles 
 at this time, 1834, owned, perhaps, two hundred 
 slaves, their people had intermarried with the ma- 
 roons, and in fighting for these allies they were fight- 
 ing for blood and kin. To remove the Indians and 
 not the negroes was a difficult thing to do. The 
 Seminoles, now pressed by the United States troops, 
 committed depredations upon the whites; bloody 
 tragedies occurred, and the horrors of the second 
 Seminole War were chronicled throughout the land. 
 
iTHE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 15 
 
 THE MASSACRE OF GENERAL THOMPSON AND OF 
 DADES’ FORCES. 
 
 It was now that the young and daring warrior, 
 Osceola, came into prominence. He had recently 
 married the daughter of an Indian chief, but whose 
 mother was the descendant of a fugitive slave. By 
 slave-holding laws, the child follows the condition of 
 the mother, and Osceola’s wife was called an African 
 slave. The young warrior, in company with his 
 wife, visited the trading post of Fort King for the 
 purpose of buying supplies. While there the young 
 wife was seized and carried off in chains. Osceola 
 became wild with grief and rage, and no knight of 
 cavalier days ever showed more valor than did this 
 Spartan Indian in the attempts to recapture his wife. 
 For this he was arrested by order of General Thomp- 
 son and put in irons. With the cunning of the In- 
 dian, Osceola affected penitence and was released; 
 but revenge was uppermost in his soul. The war 
 might succeed or fail for all he cared; to avenge 
 the capture of his wife was his every thought. For 
 weeks he secreted himself, watching an opportu- 
 nity to murder General Thompson and his friends. 
 No influence could dissuade him from his bloody 
 purpose. Discovering General Thompson and Lieu- 
 tenant Smith taking a walk one day, Osceola, yelling 
 the war cry sprang like a mountain cat from his 
 hiding-place and murdered both men. 
 
 His work of vengeance was now complete, and 
 almost as wild as a Scandinavian Saga was the fight 
 
1 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 he now gave our generals for nearly two years. 
 
 While Osceola lay in wait for General Thompson, 
 plans were being completed which resulted in the 
 Dade Massacre. 
 
 The enmity of the Indian is proverbial, and when 
 we reflect that for fifty years the persecutions by the 
 whites had been “ talked ” in their camps, that the 
 massacre of Blount’s Fort was still unavenged, that 
 ■within memory fathers and mothers had been torn, 
 moaning and groaning from their midst, to be sold 
 into bondage, with their savage natures all on fire 
 for retaliation, no vengeance was too terrible. 
 
 Hostilities around Fort King, now the present site 
 of Ocala, becoming severe, General Clinch ordered 
 the troops under Major Dade, then stationed at 
 Fort Brooke (Tampa), to march to his assistance. 
 Neither officers nor soldiers were acquainted with the 
 route, and a negro guide was detailed to lead 
 them. This unique character was Louis Pacheo, a 
 negro slave belonging to an old Spanish family, then 
 living near Fort Brooke. The slave was well ac- 
 quainted with the Indians, spoke the Seminole tongue 
 fluently. He was reported by his master, as faithful, 
 intelligent and trustworthy, and was perfectly famil- 
 iar with the route to Fort King. 
 
 The affair of Dades’ Massacre is without a parallel 
 in the history of Indian warfare. Of the no souls, 
 who, with flying flags and sounding bugles merrily 
 responded to General Clinch’s order, but two lived 
 to describe in after years the tragic scenes. One was 
 
AN INDIAN RETREAT DURING THE SEMINOLE WAR 
 

THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 17 
 
 Private Clark, of the 2nd Artillery, who, wounded 
 and sick crawled on his hands and knees a distance 
 of sixty miles to Fort Brooke. The other was Louis 
 Pacheo, the only person of the command who escaped 
 without a wound. 
 
 The assault was made shortly after the troops 
 crossed the Withlacoochee river, in a broad expanse 
 of open pine woods, with here and there clumps of 
 palmettoes and tall wire-grass. The Indians are 
 supposed to have out-numbered the command, two to 
 one, and at a given signal, as the troops marched 
 gayly along, a volley of shot was poured into their 
 number. The “ gallant Dade ” was the first to fall, 
 pierced by a ball from Micanopy’s musket, who was 
 the King of the Seminole nation. A breastwork was 
 attempted by the soldiers, but only served as a re- 
 treat for a short time; the hot missiles from the 
 Indians soon laid the last man motionless, and the 
 slaughter was at an end. 
 
 On February 20, 1836, almost two months after 
 the massacre, the dead bodies of the officers and sol- 
 diers were found just as they had fallen on that fatal 
 day. History is corroborated by old settlers, who 
 say “ that the dead were in no way pillaged; articles 
 the most esteemed by savages were untouched, their 
 watches were found in their pockets, and money, in 
 silver and gold, was left to decay with its owner — 
 a lesson to all the world — a testimony that the In- 
 dians were not fighting for plunder! The arms and 
 ammunition were all that had been taken, except the 
 
1 8 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1 
 
 uniform coat of Major Dade.” Their motive was 
 higher and purer ; they were fighting for their rights, 
 their homes, their very existence. 
 
 What became of the negro guide? History re- 
 cords that Louis, knowing the time and place at 
 which the attack was to be made, separated himself 
 from the troops. As soon as the fire commenced, he 
 joined the Indians and negroes, and lent his efforts in 
 carrying forth the work of death. An account 
 printed over forty years ago describes the character 
 of the negro Louis. It reads as follows: 
 
 “ The life of the slave Louis is perhaps the most romantic 
 of any man now living. Bom and reared a slave, he found 
 time to cultivate his intellect — was fond of reading; and 
 while gentlemen in the House of Representatives were en- 
 gaged in discussing the value of his bones and sinews, he 
 could probably speak and write more languages with ease 
 and facility than any member of that body. In revenge 
 for the oppression to which he was subjected, he conceived 
 the purpose of sacrificing a regiment of white men, who 
 were engaged in the support of slavery. This object effected, 
 he asserted his own natural right to freedom, joined his 
 brethren, and made bloody war upon the enemies of liberty. 
 For two years he was the steady companion of Coacoochee, 
 or, as he was afterwards called, ‘ Wild Cat,’ who subse- 
 quently became the most warlike chief in Florida. They 
 traversed the forests of that territory together, wading 
 through swamps and everglades, groping their way through 
 hommocks, and gliding over prairies. For two years they 
 stood shoulder to shoulder in every battle; shared their vic- 
 tories and defeats together; and, when General Jessup had 
 pledged the faith of the nation that all Indians who would 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 19 
 
 surrender should be protected in the enjoyment of their 
 slaves, Wild Cat appeared at headquarters, followed by 
 Louis, whom he claimed as his property, under slaveholding 
 law, as he said he had captured him at the time of Dade’s 
 defeat.” 
 
 Following Louis Pacheo’s career, we find him 
 sharing the fortunes of Wild Cat in the Indian Ter- 
 ritory. Subsequently, Wild Cat, with a few follow- 
 ers, Louis among the number, emigrated to Mexico. 
 Fifty-seven years passed from the date of the Dade 
 massacre, when Louis Pacheo, venerable and de- 
 crepit, once more appeared on Florida soil. The old 
 negro, longing for the scenes of his youth, returned to 
 end his days in the hospitable home of his “ old 
 missus.” In his confession, he claims to be innocent 
 of the charge of betraying the troops, and asserts 
 that he was forced into remaining with the Indians. 
 The vagaries of a childish mind may account for his 
 diversion from well-established history. The old 
 slave lived for three years after his return to Florida, 
 and died in January, 1895, at the age of 95 years. 
 
 A DISHONORED TREATY. 
 
 The tragic news of the Dade Massacre convinced 
 the United States that war had commenced in real 
 earnest. From this time on, skirmish after skirmish 
 ensued, bloody murders were committed by the red- 
 skins, thousands of dollars were being expended by 
 our government, and the white population of Florida 
 was in a suffering condition. The Indians were not 
 
20 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 suffering for food. The chameleon-like character of 
 the war prevented any certainty of success. General 
 Jessup, considerably chagrined, wrote to Washington 
 for permission to resign both the glory and baton of 
 his command. 
 
 There could scarcely arise a more painful theme, 
 or one presenting a stranger variety of aspects, as it 
 whirled scathing and bloodily along, than did the 
 Indian War. Yet it is a remarkable fact that no 
 Seminole warrior had ever surrendered, even to supe- 
 rior numbers. Our military forces had learned what 
 a hydra-headed monster the war really was, and at- 
 tempts were again made to induce emigration. The 
 horrors of the Dade Massacre and of Fort King had 
 reached the world. General Jessup sought negotia- 
 tions, but found the same difficulties to encounter as 
 before, viz. : that the chiefs would not enter into an 
 agreement that did not guarantee equal rights to 
 their allies as to the Indians. Official documents 
 show that General Jessup agreed that “ the Seminoles 
 and their allies who come in and emigrate West, 
 shall be secure in their lives and property; that their 
 negroes, their bona fide property, shall accompany 
 them West, and that their cattle and ponies shall be 
 paid for by the United States.” The Indians, under 
 these terms, now prepared to emigrate. History 
 records that even Osceola avowed his intention to 
 accompany them. Every preparation was made to 
 emigrate, and a tract of land near Tampa was se- 
 lected on which to gather their people. Hundreds 
 of Indians and negroes encamped there. Vessels 
 
Courtesy of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 
 
 MICANOPEE HE WAS THE KING OF THE NATION 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 21 
 
 were anchored to transport them to their new homes. 
 Peace was apparent everywhere, and the war declared 
 at an end. At this point a new difficulty arose. 
 Slave-holders became indignant at the stipulations of 
 the treaty, and once more commenced to seize ne- 
 groes. The Seminoles, thinking themselves betrayed, 
 with clear conceptions of justice, fled to their former 
 fastnesses in the interior, and once more determined 
 to defend their liberty. 
 
 In the violation of the treaty, to use General Jes- 
 sup’s words, all was lost! 
 
 All the vengeance of the Indian was again aroused, 
 and the wild Seminole war-cry, “Yohoehee! yohoe- 
 hee,” again broke through the woods. 
 
 AS-SE-HE-HO-LAR, THE RISING SUN, OR OSCEOLA. 
 
 The fame of Osceola now reached the farthermost 
 corner of the land. His name, signifying Rising 
 Sun , 1 seemed prophetic, and he became at once the 
 warrior of the Ocklawaha, the hero of the Semi- 
 noles. The youngest of the chiefs, he possessed a 
 magnetism that Cyrus might have envied, and in a 
 manner truly majestic led his warriors where he chose. 
 
 In the personal reminiscences of an old Florida 
 settler, in describing Osceola, he says, “ I con- 
 sider him one of the greatest men this country ever 
 
 1 Catlin and others give “ the black drink ” as the significa- 
 tion of Osceola, or Asseola, from the man’s capacity for that 
 drink. Asseola was doubtless the original and true name. But 
 “Asse” or “hasse,” in the present Seminole tongue, means “the 
 sun.” This, with the affix “ ola,” or “ he-ho-lar,” would mean 
 “the rising sun” rather than “the black drink.” 
 
22 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 produced. He was a great man, and a curious one, 
 too; but few people know him well enough to appre- 
 ciate his worth. I was raised within ten miles of 
 his home, and it was he who gave me my first lessons 
 in woodcraft. He was a brave and generous foe, 
 and always protected women and children. An act 
 of kindness was never forgotten by him. Osceola 
 had received a favor from one of the officers who led 
 the battle of the Withlacoochee. Observing him in 
 the front ranks, he instantly gave orders that this 
 man should be spared, but every other officer should 
 be cut down. Osceola’s father was an English 
 trader named Powell, and his mother the daughter 
 of a chief known as Sallie Marie, a woman very 
 small in stature, and with high cheekbones. Osceola 
 lacked this peculiarity, and was one of the finest- 
 looking men I ever saw. His carriage was erect and 
 lofty, his motion quick, and he had an air of hauteur 
 in his countenance which arose from his elevated 
 pride of soul. His winning smile and wonderful 
 eyes drew from an army officer these glowing words 
 of admiration, “ But the eye, that herald of the 
 Soul, was in itself constituted to command. Under 
 excitement it flashed firm and stern resolve; when in 
 smiling it warmed the very heart of the beholder 
 with its beams of kindness. I tell you, he was a 
 great man; education would have made him the equal 
 of Napoleon. He hated slavery as only such a na- 
 ture as his could hate. He was Indian to the heart, 
 and proud of his ancestry. He had too much white 
 blood in him to yield to the cowardly offers of the 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 23 
 
 government, and had he not been captured, the Semi- 
 nole War would have been a more lasting one than 
 it was. I could talk all day about Osceola,” re- 
 marked the old Captain, as he drew a sigh. “ Did 
 the Indians take scalps, Captain?” “Take scalps? 
 Well, yes, if Osceola wasn’t around. He was too 
 much of a white man to allow it himself.” 
 
 The admixture of Caucasian blood stimulated the 
 ambition of Osceola’s Indian nature; his education, 
 together with the teachings of nature, made him 
 able to cope with the most learned. Living until he 
 was almost twelve years of age in the Creek con- 
 federacy of Georgia, his youthful mind received deep 
 and lasting impressions from Tecumseh’s teachings. 
 To these teachings, as well as the blood he inherited 
 from his Spartan ancestors was due, no doubt, his 
 supremacy in the Seminole War. In the manner in 
 which he led the Seminoles may be seen the influence 
 of the great Shawnee. 1 Osceola’s power was in his 
 strong personal magnetism; he swayed his warriors 
 with a look; a shout of command produced an 
 electric effect upon all. He was a hero among his 
 people, he was feared and dreaded by our officers. 
 In this day, as we study his life and character, we 
 must recognize in the young Seminole fighter the 
 greatest of chiefs, the boldest of warriors. In an 
 old Greek fable, a man seeks to prove the superiority 
 of his race by reading to a lion accounts of various 
 
 1 As a glimpse into Indian character, it is worth recalling that 
 Tecumseh, the Shawnee Chief, rose to the distinction of a Briga- 
 dier General in the British Army under King George III, in the 
 [War of 1813. 
 
24 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 battles between men and beasts, to which the lion 
 replied, “ Ah, had we written that book other tales 
 would have been told.” In the case of the Indian 
 chieftain no such records exist, yet even from the 
 testimony of his enemies we must know Osceola. 
 
 Interviewing old settlers who well remember 
 events of those stirring times, one finds the heroic 
 part of Osceola’s character to have been not over- 
 drawn in history. The Seminole chief, Charles 
 Omatla, was an ally of the whites, and was attacked 
 and murdered by Osceola’s warriors. On his body 
 was found gold, which Osceola forbade his men to 
 touch, but with his own hands he threw the gold 
 himself as far as he could hurl it, saying, “ it is the 
 price of the red man’s blood.” 
 
 Osceola’s pride was majestic; he was imperious, 
 full of honor, but with the quickness of the Indian 
 he noted the path to popular favor. His power was 
 recognized by the officers. “ Talk after talk,” with 
 the Indians was the order of the times. It was at 
 one of these meetings that Osceola in the presence 
 of the commissioners attracted attention by saying, 
 “ This is the only treaty I will ever make with the 
 whites,” at the same time drawing his knife and 
 striking it into the table before him. The cause of 
 this outburst was that the stipulations of the treaty 
 guaranteed no protection to the allies. He was ar- 
 rested for his insolence, but was released on a com- 
 promise. His vengeance became more terrible than 
 ever, and in defiance “ Yohoehee ” echoed through 
 the woods and “ war to the knife ” was resumed. 
 
ONE OF THE LAST SEMINOLE BATTLE GROUNDS 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 25 
 
 It was now that the daring chief made the bold and 
 well-conducted assault against the fort at Micanopy. 
 A short time after, this savage hero performed a 
 piece of strategy before unheard of in the annals of 
 war. Surrounded by two armies of equal strength 
 with his own, he carried away his warriors without 
 leaving a trace of his retreat. That host of Indian 
 braves melted out of sight as if by magic, and our 
 disappointed generals could not but agree that a dis- 
 ciplined army was not adapted to the work of sur- 
 prising Indians. They were learning to recognize 
 the character of the men our nation had to deal with. 
 
 The Indian method is to decoy by a broad plain 
 trail, then at a certain distance the foremost of the 
 band makes a high, long step, leaves the trail and, 
 alighting on the tip of his toe, carefully smoothes 
 out the brushed blades behind him. The rest of the 
 band go on a few yards farther and make their exit 
 the same way, and so on till the end is reached. 
 Many times our troops made long night marches to 
 find — what? Nothing but a few smouldering 
 camp fires. 
 
 The war raged on in defiance of the power of a 
 mighty nation, a nation that had said to old King 
 George, “ attend to your own affairs ” and he 
 obeyed. 
 
 What shall we say of the capture of the great 
 Indian chief. Is not the seizure of Osceola Amer- 
 ica’s blackest chapter? Was Osceola treacherous? 
 The United States failed to observe even one im- 
 portant article of the three treaties made with the 
 
2 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Seminoles. Was Osceola a savage? It is not denied 
 that he protected women and children when he could. 
 It is not denied that the soldiers of the United States 
 shot down women and children, destroyed all dwell- 
 ings, crops and fruit trees they could reach. 
 
 osceola's capture. 
 
 After months of warfare, a conference among the 
 Indians with a view to a treaty of peace was held. 
 An Indian chief was sent to the American quarters. 
 
 Picture, if you will, an American camp, in the 
 wooded wilds of Florida, and peer beyond the con- 
 fines of the magnolia and the palms and you see a 
 single Seminole chieftan, heralding his white flag. 
 He approaches our General, the representative of 
 proud and free America, and presents him with a* 
 white plume plucked from the egret, with a message 
 from Osceola, with these words, “ the path shall 
 be white and safe from the great white chieftain’s 
 camp to the lodge of Osceola.” 
 
 General Hernandez immediately despatched Coa- 
 coochee with a pipe of peace, kindly messages and 
 presents. 
 
 What was the result? Osceola, in company with 
 Wild Cat and other chiefs, accepted the truce and, 
 under the sacred emblem of the white flag, met Gen- 
 eral Hernandez on October 21, 1837 at St. Augus- 
 tine. 
 
 With that grave dignity characteristic of the red 
 man, dressed in costume becoming their station, 
 with as courtly a bearing as ever graced Kings, 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 27 
 
 heralding their white flags they approached the place 
 of meeting. 
 
 History verifies the Seminole account of this blot 
 on our nation that, as the officers approached, they 
 asked of Osceola : “ Are you prepared to deliver up 
 the negroes taken from the citizens? Why have you 
 not surrendered them as promised by your chief 
 Cohadjo? ” 
 
 According to history, this promise had been made 
 by a sub-chief and without the consent of the tribe. 
 A signal, preconcerted, was at this moment given 
 and armed soldiers rushed in and made prisoners of 
 the chiefs. 
 
 An account of this violated honor, recently given by 
 the venerable John S. Masters, of St. Augustine, 
 Florida, is opportune at this point. The old soldier 
 in speaking of the affair said, “ I was one of the 
 party sent out to meet Osceola when he was coming 
 to St. Augustine under a flag of truce.” “ Did you 
 honor that truce?” was asked. “ Did we? No sir; 
 no sooner was he safe within our lines than the 
 order to seize him, kill if necessary, was given, and 
 one of the soldiers knocked him down with the butt 
 of his musket. He was then bound and we brought 
 him to Fort Marion and he was put in the dungeon. 
 We were all outraged by the cowardly way he was 
 betrayed into being captured.” 
 
 At this violation of the sanctity of the white flag 
 our officers wrote: “The end justifies the means; 
 they have made fools of us too often.” 
 
 The foul means used to capture the young Semin- 
 
28 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 ole leader was not blessed by victory, as a continu- 
 ance of the bloody war for five years proved that the 
 God of justice was not wholly on the white man’s 
 side. The stain on our national honor will last as 
 long as we have a history. Osceola with the other 
 chiefs was confined for a short time in St. Augus- 
 tine, but the daring savage was too valuable a prize 
 to trust on Florida territory, and he was taken to 
 Fort Moultrie where he died January 30, 1838, at 
 the age of thirty-four years. 
 
 It is related that Osceola on being questioned as 
 to why he did not make his escape, as did some of 
 the other chiefs from Fort Marion, replied, “ I 
 have done nothing to be ashamed of; it is for those 
 to feel shame who entrapped me.” Chas. H. Coe, 
 in his Red Patriots says, “ If the painter of the world- 
 famed picture, Christ before Pilate, should seek in 
 American history a subject worthy of his brush, we 
 should commend to him, Osceola, before General 
 Jessup. Osceola, the despised Seminole, a cap- 
 tive and in chains; Jessup, in all the pomp and 
 circumstances of an American Major-General; Osce- 
 ola, who had “ done nothing to be ashamed of,” 
 calmly confronting his captor, who cowers under the 
 steady gaze of a brave and honorable man! ” 
 
 But such is the Irony of Fate. Osceola, the free 
 son of the forest, fettered by the chains of Injustice, 
 was destined to eat out his heart in a musty dun- 
 geon. 
 
 Thoroughly and thrillingly dramatic was the death 
 scene of the noble Osceola as given by Dr. Weedon 
 
THE SE MINGLES OF FLORIDA 29 
 
 his attending surgeon. Confinement no doubt hast- 
 ened his death, and his proud spirit sank under the 
 doom of prison life. He seemed to feel the ap- 
 proach of death, and about half an hour before the 
 summons came he signified by signs — he could not 
 speak — that he wished to see the chiefs and offi- 
 cers of the post. Making known that he wished his 
 full dress, which he wore in time of war, it was 
 brought him, and rising from his bed he dressed 
 himself in the insignia of a chief. Exhausted by 
 these efforts the swelling heart of the tempest-tossed 
 frame subsided into stillest melancholy. With the 
 death sweat already upon his brow, Osceola lay 
 down a few minutes to recover his strength. Then, 
 rising as before, with gloom dispelled, and a face 
 agleam with smiles, the young warrior reached forth 
 his hand and in dead silence bade each and all the offi- 
 cers and chiefs a last farewell. By his couch knelt 
 his two wives and his little children. With the 
 same oppressive silence he tenderly shook hands with 
 these loved ones. Then signifying his wish to be 
 lowered on his bed, with slow hand he drew from his 
 war belt his scalping knife which he firmly grasped 
 in his right hand, laying it across the other on his 
 breast. In another moment he smiled away his last 
 breath, without a struggle or a groan. In that 
 death chamber there was not one tearless eye. 
 Friends and foes alike wept over the dying chief. 
 Osdeola died as he lived — a hero among men. 
 
 OSCEOLA — PATRIOT AND WARRIOR, 
 DIED, JAN. 30, — 1838. 
 
30 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Such is the inscription, that marks the grave of the 
 hero of the Seminoles. 
 
 Even at this writing, it is a melancholy satisfaction 
 to know that the great Indian leader was buried with 
 the honor and respect due so worthy a foe. 
 
 A detachment of the United States troops followed 
 by the medical men and many private citizens, to- 
 gether with all the chiefs, and warriors, women and 
 children of the garrison in a body, escorted the re- 
 mains to the grave, which was located near the en- 
 trance to Fort Moultrie, Charleston Harbor. A 
 military salute was fired over the grave and as the 
 sound reverberated over the dark waters of the bay, 
 Justice and Patriotism, must have pointed with fin- 
 gers of scorn to our great Nation, yet with tender 
 pity, said “ Osceola — the Rising Sun, may the 
 Great Spirit avenge you, keep you, love you and 
 cherish you, — the Defender of your country.” 
 
 THE HIDDEN WAR CAMP. 
 
 Wild Cat and Cohadjo were allowed to remain 
 in old Fort Marion the prison at St. Augustine, 
 Florida. Wild Cat feigned sickness and was per- 
 mitted, under guard, to go to the woods to obtain 
 some roots; with these he reduced his size until 
 he was able to crawl through an aperture that ad- 
 mitted light into the cell. Letting himself down by 
 ropes made of the bedding, a distance of fifty feet, 
 he made his escape, joined his tribe and once more 
 rallied his forces against our army. Latter day 
 
Courtesy of the Bureau of American Ethnology. 
 
 OSCEOLA 
 
 A copy from Catlin’s painting. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 31 
 
 critics have questioned the correctness of this bit of 
 written history. Last winter, during the height of 
 the season, the Ponce de Leon guests enjoyed a 
 unique entertainment. A wealthy tourist made a 
 wager of one hundred dollars that “ Wild Cat never 
 could have made his escape through the little win- 
 dow in the old castle.” Sergeant Brown accepted 
 the wager and himself performed the feat, to the 
 great delight of the excited spectators. 
 
 Our soldiers fighting in an unexplored wilderness, 
 along the dark borders of swamp and morass, crawl- 
 , ing many times on hands and kness through the 
 tangled matted underbrush, fighting these children of 
 the forest who knew every inch of their ground could 
 hope for little less than defeat. Even General 
 Jessup in writing to the President said: “ We are at- 
 tempting to remove the Indians when they are not in 
 the way of the white settlers, and when the greater 
 portion of the country is an unexplored wilderness, 
 of the interior of which we are as ignorant as of the 
 interior of China.” 
 
 By way of illustrating the enormity of the task the 
 government had in subduing the Seminoles, it is only 
 necessary to describe one of the many Indian strong- 
 holds in the swamps of Florida. About ten miles 
 from Kissimmee, west by south, is a cypress swamp 
 made by the junction of the Davenport, Reedy and 
 Bonnett creeks. It is an acquatic jungle, full of fallen 
 trees, brush, vines and tangled undergrowth, all dark- 
 ened by the dense shadows of the tall cypress trees. 
 The surface is covered with water, which, from ap- 
 
32 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1 
 
 pearance may be any depth, from six inches to six 
 feet; this infested with alligators and moccasins 
 would have been an unsurmountable barrier to the 
 white troops. 
 
 A few years ago when the Seminoles yet fre- 
 quented this section for trading purposes old settlers 
 have seen them coming from the swamp carrying bags 
 of oranges. Interrogations received no answers and 
 white settlers year after year searched for the tra- 
 ditional orange grove, but without success. 
 
 So difficult to penetrate and so dangerous to ex- 
 plore is the swamp that is was not until fifty years 
 after the Indians had left their island home that a 
 venturesome hunter, during a very dry season, acci- 
 dentally discovered the old Seminole camp. The In- 
 dian mound, the broken pottery and the long hunted 
 for sweet orange grove were proofs of the old camp. 
 The majestic orange trees laden with golden fruit 
 were an incentive to further research. With a sur- 
 veyor working his way, as guided by the point of the 
 compass, this wonderland was explored, and proved 
 to be a complete chain of small hommocks or islands 
 running through from one side of the swamp to the 
 other; the topography of the marsh being such that 
 a skirmish could take place on one side of the jungle 
 and an hour later, by means of the secret route 
 through the swamp, the Indians could be ready for an 
 attack on the other side, while for the troops to reach 
 the same point, by following the only road known to 
 them, it would have required nearly a day’s march- 
 ing. The Indian trail is lost in the almost impene- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 33 
 
 trable jungle; but the tomahawk blazes are perfectly 
 discernible. The Seminoles held the key to these 
 mysterious islands and in the heart of the great 
 swamps they lived free from any danger of surprise. 
 This retreat must have been a grand rendezvous for 
 them, as its geographical position was almost central 
 between the principal forts. Lying between Fort 
 Brooke (Tampa) and Fort King (Ocala), within 
 a distance of thirty miles from the scene of the Dade 
 massacre, about forty miles from Fort Mellon, the 
 present site of Sanford, the camp could have been 
 reached in a few hours by Indian runners after spy- 
 ing the movements of the troops at any of the forts. 
 The old government road, over which the soldiers 
 passed in going from Fort Brooke to Fort Mellon, 
 passes so close to the old Indian camping ground 
 that all travel could have been watched by the keen- 
 eyed warriors. 
 
 WILD CAT AND GENERAL WORTH. 
 
 At this period of our national history we are un- 
 able to picture or appreciate the condition of those 
 slave days, when all blacks of Southern States were 
 regarded as the property of the whites. The fear, 
 the torture, the grief suffered by the negroes and half 
 breeds, who had been a people with the Seminoles al- 
 most one hundred years, is beyond our conception. 
 When Indian husbands were separated from wives, 
 selected from the exiles, when children were torn 
 from their homes and carried to slavery, the venge- 
 
34 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 ance of these persecuted people was constantly 
 alive. Persons of disreputable character — gam- 
 blers, horse thieves — were employed as slave catch- 
 ers and showed no mercy to the helpless victim. 
 
 After the violation of the treaty at Tampa, and 
 the capture of Osceola and Wild Cat, under the 
 sacred truce of the white flag, Wild Cat became a i 
 most daring enemy to the troops, and kept his war- 
 riors inspired to the most savage hostilities. 
 
 General Scott was now placed in command of the 
 army, yet the same harassing marches continued, and 
 it was not until seven generals had been defeated at 
 the game of Indian warfare by the wily chieftains 
 that any sign of success was apparent. 
 
 Our government, discouraged at being unable to 
 conquer the Indians or protect the white settlers, 
 again negotiated for peace, but using a more power- 
 ful weapon than in former years, that of moral 
 suasion. Executive documents show that, all 
 through the war, artifice and bad faith were practiced 
 upon the Indians. The government was astonished 
 that a few Indians and their negro allies could defy 
 United States troops. All efforts had failed, even 
 to the horrible policy of employing bloodhounds. 
 To-day we shudder at the barbarity of such an act, 
 but official documents show how much the subject was 
 discussed by Congress and war authorities. A 
 schooner was dispatched to Cuba and returned with 
 thirty-five bloodhounds — costing the Government 
 one hundred and fifty dollars apiece. They were 
 speedily put upon the scent of Indian scouting parties, 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 35 
 
 but proved utterly inefficient. The public believed 
 the hounds were to trail Indians, but reports show 
 their use was to capture negro slaves. The Semi- 
 noles were a species of game to which Cuban hounds 
 were unaccustomed and they refused to form ac- 
 quaintance with the new and strange objects. The 
 Indians had a secret peculiarly their own of throwing 
 the dogs off the scent, and the experiment, to close 
 the war thus, proved a failure and served no other 
 purpose than to reflect dishonor on our nation. 
 
 Wild Cat, after his escape from prison, was a ter- 
 rible and unrelenting foe. Occupying with light 
 canoes the miry, shallow creeks, and matted brakes 
 upon their border, he was unapproachable. A flag 
 was sent him by General Worth, but, remembering 
 well another flag which had meant betrayal, capture 
 and chains, the daring hero fired upon it and refused 
 to meet the general. In the summer of 1841, Gen- 
 eral Worth’s command captured the little daughter 
 of Wild Cat and held her for ransom. The little 
 girl, — his only child — was the idol of the old war- 
 rior’s heart. On learning of her capture, Wild Cat 
 relented, and, once more guarded by the white flag, 
 was conveyed to General Worth’s camp. History 
 gives an interesting acount of the old chief’s ap- 
 proach. His little daughter, on seeing him, ran to 
 meet him, presenting him with musket balls and 
 powder, which she had in some way obtained from 
 the soldiers. So much overcome was the fearless 
 savage on meeting his child that the dignified bear- 
 
36 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 ing so carefully practiced by all Indians gave way 
 to the most tender emotions. 
 
 The moral suasion, the humanity of General 
 Worth made a friend of Wild Cat, and he yielded to 
 the stipulations. 
 
 The speech of the old chieftain, because it breathes 
 the same sentiment of the Seminoles of to-day, we 
 give below. Addressing General Worth, he said: 
 
 “ The whites dealt unjustly with me. I came 
 to them when they deceived me. I loved the land 
 I was upon. My body is made of its sands. The 
 Great Spirit gave me legs to walk over it, eyes to see 
 it, hands to aid myself, a head with which I think. 
 The sun which shines warm and bright brings forth 
 our crops, and the moon brings back spirits of our 
 warriors, our fathers, our wives, and our children. 
 The white man comes, he grows pale and sickly; why 
 can we not live in peace? They steal our horses and 
 cattle, cheat us and take our lands. They may shoot 
 us, chain our hands and feet, but the red man’s heart 
 will be free. I have come to you in peace, and have 
 taken you by the hand. I will sleep in your camp, 
 though your soldiers stand around me thick as pine 
 trees. I am done. When we know each other bet- 
 ter, I will say more.” 
 
 Through the gentleness and humanity of the “ gal- 
 lant Worth,” Wild Cat at this meeting agreed to 
 emigrate with his people. He was permitted to leave 
 the camp for this purpose. By some contradictory 
 order, while on his way to his warriors, he was cap- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 37 
 
 tured by one of our commands, put in chains and 
 transported to New Orleans. 
 
 When General Worth learned of this violation of 
 his pledge he felt the honor of our country had 
 again been betrayed, and acting on his own discre- 
 tion sent a trusty officer to New Orleans for the re- 
 turn of Wild Cat. General Worth by this act not 
 only showed the nobility of his own character, but 
 proved that the savage heart can be touched with 
 kindness and is always keenly alive to honor and 
 faithful pledges. Moreover the justice of the act 
 had much to do with the successful turning of the 
 war. 
 
 When the ship which brought the chief reached 
 Tampa General Worth was there to meet it and 
 publicly apologized to the brave old warrior for the 
 mistake that had been made. Our gallant com- 
 mander had proven his humane heart, although at 
 expense- of both time and money. Through the 
 policy of General Worth, the whole character of the 
 war was changed. On the 31st of July, 1841, Wild 
 Cat’s entire band was encamped at Tampa, ready to 
 be transported to their new homes. 
 
 The original idea of re-enslaving the fugitives was 
 abandoned. General Worth and Wild Cat now be- 
 came the most ardent friends, the general consult- 
 ing with the famous chieftain until every arrange- 
 ment for the removal was perfected. Seeing a chief 
 of such prominence yield to emigration, band after 
 band gave up the fight and joined their friends at 
 Tampa. From the time of Wild Cat’s removal in 
 
38 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 the fall of 1841, until August, 1843, small bands of 
 Indians continued to emigrate. General Worth now 
 advised the withdrawal of the troops. A few small 
 bands throughout the State refused to move, signed 
 terms of peace, however, by which they were to con- 
 fine themselves “ to the southern portion of the 
 Peninsula and abstain from all acts of aggression 
 upon their white neighbors.” As vessel after vessel 
 anchored in Tampa Bay to carry these wronged and 
 persecuted people to their distant homes, the cruelty 
 of the undertaking was apparent to the most callous 
 heart. With lingering looks the Seminoles saw the 
 loved scenes of their childhood fade away. The 
 wails and anguish of those heart-broken people, as the 
 ships left the shores, touched the hearts of the most 
 hardened sailor. They were leaving the graves of 
 their fathers, their happy hunting grounds, beautiful 
 flowery Florida. But it is the destiny of the Indian. 
 Among that band there was not one voluntary exile. 
 Poets and artists picture the gloom, the breaking 
 hearts of the French leaving Acadia; at a later day 
 the same sad scenes were witnessed on the Florida 
 coast, but it was not until years after that a philan- 
 thropist gave to the world an intimation of the melan- 
 choly picture of these poor struggling, long hunted 
 Seminoles leaving the shores of their native lands. 
 
 INDIAN WARFARE. 
 
 There is something intensely sad in the history 
 of the Indians who were left in Florida at the close 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 39 
 
 of the “ seven years’ war.” Keeping faith with their 
 promise to abstain from all aggression on their white 
 neighbors, retiring to the uninhabited marshes of 
 the Southern Peninsula, they lived happy and con- 
 tented for thirteen years. Then came reports of 
 outbreaks and the United States again opened mili- 
 tary tactics with the resolve to drive this brave 
 and liberty loving remnant from their last foothold 
 on Florida soil. 
 
 According to the most authentic reports, the 
 trouble was brought on by some white engineers en- 
 camped near the border of the Big Cypress. It was 
 in the year 1855 and the United States was making 
 a general survey of Florida. Old Billy Bowlegs, 
 recognized as the head of his tribe, and living at 
 peace with all the world, had a fine garden in this 
 swamp and in it were some magnificent banana 
 plants, which were the delight of the old Indian’s 
 heart. 
 
 As the old warrior visited his garden early one 
 morning, he discovered some ruthless hand had 
 ruined his garden. They were deliberately cut and 
 torn to pieces. Going to the engineers’ camp, he ac- 
 cused the men of the outrage, when they insolently 
 admitted it, refusing to make amends, and saying that 
 they wanted to “see old Billy cut up.” And they 
 did! 
 
 The government paid for it to the extent of sev- 
 eral thousand dollars, a number of lives and add- 
 ing another dark page in the history of our Nation. 
 
 No white man would have submitted to the out- 
 
40 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 rage, neither did the famous Chief. Summoning his 
 braves early the next morning, the war cry “ Yo- 
 ho-ee-hee,” was heard and Lieutenant Hartsuff and 
 his men were fired upon, some of them being 
 wounded. 
 
 Like a flash of electricity the news encircled Flor- 
 ida, and Billy Bowlegs became the target of many old 
 muskets. 
 
 Then came the clamor of white settlers for the re- 
 moval of the “ savages ” and white guerrillas dressed 
 and painted as Indians went about the country rob- 
 bing and murdering mail and express riders, driv- 
 ing off stock, burning houses and committing other 
 lawless deeds. Old inhabitants tell of these depre- 
 dations. But there was a reason for such cowardly 
 acts. The Government at Washington was perplexed 
 and, not grasping the fact that the raids were perpe- 
 trated by white men, disguised as Indians, believing 
 that military forces could do nothing towards break- 
 ing up the warfare, designed the plan of offering the 
 sum of $100 to $500 for living Indians delivered at 
 Fort Brooke (Tampa) or at Fort Myers. After 
 Govermental hunting for three years, the white 
 guerrillas still busy with their malicious depredations, 
 Old Billy Bowlegs, with his band of one hundred and 
 fifty persons, was induced to emigrate, but they went 
 with sore unwillingiess, silent or weeping towards the 
 land of the setting sun, driven before the power of 
 the white man, a group of broken-hearted exiles. 
 
Dat Seminole Treaty Dinner 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 41 
 
 INTERLUDE 
 
 DAT SEMINOLE TREATY DINNER. 
 
 The author begs the indulgence of the reader in 
 giving the following dialect story of that historic 
 Treaty Dinner, when our gallant American General 
 Worth made peace terms with the Indians in 1842. 
 
 The treaty was signed at Fort King, now the pres- 
 ent site of . Ocala, Florida, and as one listens to the 
 story of that eventful day, a story complete in its 
 setting as told by our old Bandanna Mammy, the 
 hearts throbs and the pulse grows quicker — so vivid 
 is the recital. 
 
 As the tale is related a most picturesque scene 
 comes before the mind, the garrison with its stack 
 of arms, dusky warriors mingling with American 
 soldiery, glittering sunshine and singing birds, tables 
 spread under the great live oaks, joy on every 
 countenance — the end of the Seven Years’ War. 
 Because this old ante-bellum slave is a bright link, 
 forging as it were, those olden days of warfare with 
 the present, a few words of her individuality must 
 interest. 
 
 Martha Jane, for so she was christened full ninety- 
 five years ago when, a little shining black pickaninny, 
 her birth was announced to the mistress of the old 
 Carter plantation, is the true type of the old time 
 loyal, quaintly courteous Bandanna Mammy of ante- 
 bellum days. Leaving Richmond about 1839, she 
 
42 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 was brought to Florida with a shipload of slaves. 
 Since that time her life has been a rugged and an 
 eventful one — a servant for the wealthy, nursing 
 the sick, sold again and again, hired out, and, since 
 freedom, working for her daily bread. 
 
 This white haired relic of Old Virginia is worthy 
 a place in the pages of history. She is old, decrepit 
 and poor, the muscles of her once powerful arms 
 are shrunken and her hands gnarled with the labor 
 of years, but she has a memory as keen as when al- 
 most 80 years ago she watched the “ stars fall ” 
 from the upper windows of the Old Swan Hotel in 
 Richmond. She has kept pace with many points in 
 history, particularly of the wars of the country. 
 
 As the old dame — a study in ebony — rocks back 
 and forth in the creaking split-bottom chair, memory 
 runs back to the imperial days of Virginia when the 
 cavalier was supreme, and she the pampered nurse 
 girl of the little mistress. She says, “ Oh, dem was 
 dream days. I hab nebber seed any days like ’em 
 since. De mounfulest day I ebber seed was when 
 dey took me from my mistress, for the sky was a 
 drippin’ tears and de wind was a groanin’.” 
 
 “ No, honey, dey ain’t stories ’bout dem Seminole 
 war days, dey is de Lord’s blessed truf, what ole 
 Marthy see wif dese same ole eyes. 
 
 “Oh, dem wuz high times! I reckeimember dat 
 Krismas day jest like hit wuz yisterday; the sun wuz 
 a shinin’ an’ de birds a singin’ (you see, de mokin’ 
 birds didn’t sing while dat cruel war wuz a goin’ on) 
 an’ ebbery body wuz a laughin’ an’ a talkin’ an’ de 
 
MARTHA JANE, " BANDANNA MAMMY ” 
 
 who cooked the Treaty dinner for General Worth in 1842. Now living in 
 
 Kissimmee. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 43 
 
 white ladies wuz a coquettin’ wif de sojers an’ dem 
 Indians wuz as thick as hops an a laughin’ an’ a jab- 
 berin’ too. 
 
 “ When Colonel Worth see dem long tables settin’ 
 under the big live oaks an’ see dem beeves an’ mut- 
 tons an’ turkeys an’ deer we cooked, he jest natchelly 
 laughed an’ say, ‘ Clar ter goodness, what kin’ o’ 
 Krismas doin’s is dis’ ; an’ how dem sojers an’ In- 
 dians did eat. 
 
 “ How come I ter cook de treaty dinner? 
 
 “ Well, I wuz livin’ out on ole Marse Watter- 
 son’ plantation, ’bout four miles from Fort King, 
 dats to Ocala, now, you know, an’ Jim, dat wuz 
 Colonel Worth’s servant, he ride out on dat big white 
 horse o’ de Colonel’s an’ say ‘ Colonel Worth want 
 Marthy Jane ter cook de treaty dinner; ’ so me an’ 
 Diana Pyles an’ Lucinda Pyles cook dat dinner. 
 
 “ Oh, Lordy, what scufflin’ roun’ an’ jumpin’ like 
 chickens wif der heads off as we do dat day. 
 
 “ All de sojers’ guns an’ de Indians’ guns, too, 
 wuz stacked in dat garrison, an’ when de night come, 
 dey make big camp fires an’ de white folks dance an’ 
 de Indians wuz a dancin’ too, wif dem ole coutre 
 (terrapin) shells a strapped ’roun’ der legs. 
 
 “Tell you ’bout Colonel Worth? He wuz de 
 gem’men ob all dat crowd; he wuz de nobles’ lookin’ 
 man an’ so kind an’ easy; de United States nebber 
 would hab conquered dem Seminoles if dey had not 
 induced Colonel Worth ter come down an’ argufy 
 wif dem. Him an’ old Captain Holmes wuz de mos’ 
 like our folks ob any ob dem big generals. 
 
44 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 “ Arter dey had all eat, an’ eat dem fine wituals 
 we cook, den dey hab de speech makin’; oh, dat wuz 
 high ’stronomy talk! 
 
 “ I reckelmember jest like hit wuz to-day, me an’ 
 Diana Pyles wuz a standin’ right inside de garrison 
 an’ dat noble-lookin’ Colonel Worth wuz talkin’ kind 
 an’ persuadin’ like ter dem savages an’ axin’ dem all 
 ter come up an’ sign de treaty. 
 
 “ You see dat treaty wuz foh dem ter quit fightin’ 
 an’ go ter Arkansas. 
 
 “ All dem chiefs walk up but two. Oh, Lordy 
 mercy I kin jest see dat Sam Jones yit standin’ close 
 ’side Colonel Worth. He wuz sut’n’ty a big Indian 
 an’ could talk English good as we alls white folks. 
 
 “ He jest look at de Colonel pizen like an’ I smell 
 de trouble den, an’ he up an’ say, ‘ My mother died 
 heah, my father died heah, an’ be demned I die heah; 
 yo-ho-ee, hee-ee ! ’ 
 
 “ How dat Indian could gib dat war whoop; an’ 
 he walk right ober yonder ter dat big stack ob guns 
 an’ take his rifle an’ ebbery Indian ob his band fol- 
 low’ ’m an’ dey walk out ob dat garrison as easy as 
 a cat arter a mouse. 
 
 “ Colonel Worth did look so peaked, but twan’t 
 no use, foh he couldn’t stop dese chiefs; he hab gib 
 dem the promise dat if dey would all come in he 
 would treat ’em all right. 
 
 “ Dem wuz cruel days,” and old Martha Jane 
 quivered with indignation as she brought her fat hand 
 down upon her knee. “ But hit wasn’t de Indians’ 
 fault. No man what hab a gun is gwine ter let 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 45 
 
 somebody steal the cattle an’ horses, an’ dat jest what 
 de white people do ter de Seminoles. 
 
 “ Lord a mercy, I hab seed Paynes’ Prairie cov- 
 ered wif de cattle an’ horses dat ’longed ter de In- 
 dians, an’ de white raspcallions would carry ’em off 
 a hundred at a time. Umph! I heah ’em brag how 
 dey carry off de Indians’ horses. Ole Thorpe Rob- 
 erts he wuz a ole fief. He would say, ‘We make 
 many a good haul ob dem savages’ cattle, ten ob us 
 come in at onct an’ drive off a thousan’ head.’ 
 
 “ Yes, Mistis, dat ole Seminole war make a heap 
 o’ white folks rich in Florida. 
 
 “ Oh, Lord hab mercy on all dem souls. Dey 
 wuz hard times, times o’ misery, chile, but de Indians 
 wuzn’t ter blame. God make ’em an’ dey hab ter 
 hab a place ter stay, jest same as we alls white folks. 
 
 “ De white people bring all dat ’struction on der 
 own heads foh dey commence dat war. I see hit wif 
 my own eyes; I see ’em kill de Indians’ slaves. You 
 see de Seminoles hab slaves jest de same as white 
 folks, an’ some ob der niggers wuz as fine-lookin’ 
 black men as you ebber ’spect ter see in Ole Vir- 
 ginia. 
 
 “ When de Indians would come ’roun’ ter esquire 
 ’bout der cattle de white rapscallions (an’ a heap o’ 
 dem wuz dem low down nigger traders too) dem 
 white men would up an’ shoot de Indians. 
 
 “ Lordy chile, when I gits ter ruminatin’ ’bout dem 
 days I sees de longes’ line o’ haunts whats obtained in 
 dis world o’ sin an’ sorrow.” 
 
 I laid down my tablet and looked up ; the old worn- 
 
4 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 an’s lip was quivering from suppressed emotion. 
 Passing over the tragic she began again. 
 
 “ No, chile, ’xcusin’ ob de truf, de United States 
 nebber whipped de Seminoles; she whipped dem Brit- 
 ishers when George Washington wuz de captain, an’ 
 de Mexicans, den she tuck a little ’xcursion ’cross ter 
 Cuba an’ whipped dem Spaniards; but she nebber 
 whipped the Seminoles. Umph; where wuz de In- 
 dians when de sojers wuz all shinin’ in dem new uni- 
 forms an’ der ammunition all packed up? Dem sav- 
 ages wuz all gone, hidin’ in dem hammocks an’ 
 swamps what wuz so thick wif trees an’ bushes dat a 
 black snake could skacely wiggle through. 
 
 “ De sojers would go marchin’ ’long an’ way up in 
 de tops ob some ob dem big trees some ob dem sly ole 
 Indian scouts would be sittin’ wifout any clothes on, 
 a watchin’ an’ a laughin’ at de sojers.” 
 
 “ You want ter heah ’bout dat battle o’ Micanopy? 
 
 “ De Seminoles didn’t hab no battles like dem Brit- 
 ishers in George Washington times; no chile, but dey 
 hab scrummages an’ kill de white people jest like dey 
 wuz black birds,” and the old negress, seemingly 
 oblivious to the fact that cruel time has bowed her 
 frame and dimmed the once bright eye, lives over 
 again the story of those days so long ago, when she 
 was the pampared slave of the old aristocracy. 
 
 “ How come I ter see dat big fight, I b’longed ter 
 Marster Mundane; de Mundane fambly wuz power- 
 ful rich and owned the big hotel where the officers 
 wuz stayin’. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 47 
 
 “ Der warn’t no Indians ’roun’ der jest den, an’ 
 ebbery thing wuz peaceful an’ quiet, an’ I heah de 
 sojers a jokin’ an’ sayin’ day wuz jest a spendin’ de 
 winter in de Sunny South an’ de Governmen’ wuz 
 payin’ de grub bills. 
 
 “ I reckelmember jest like I am tellin’ you ter day, 
 I wuz standin’ on dat big piazza ’side o’ Missus; 
 you know I wuz riz up ter be ’roun’ white folks, foh 
 I wuz alius so peart dat my ole Missus in Virginia 
 would call me in ter de parlor ter show me off ter de 
 white ladies. 
 
 “ Well, honey, dis mornin’ de sojers wuz a cleanin’ 
 der guns an’ laughin’ an’ dey ax Mistis, ‘ How many 
 deer you want foh dinner?’ Den anudder likely 
 young sojer would say, ‘ How many turkeys you want, 
 Mistress Mundane? ’ an’ den dey went off a whistlin’ 
 an’ a singin’ ; but oh, my God, what lamentations der 
 wuz dat same night. 
 
 “ Twan’t long will I heah, bang — bang — bang, 
 an’ I says ter myself, Marthy Jane, too many deer, 
 too many wild turkey, sound ter me like Indian 
 shootin’; ’spect dem rapscallions sneak up on de so- 
 jers, an’ dis black chile gwine ter see foh herself. I 
 jest slipped out o’ de house an’ kachunk! kachunk! 
 I went down that big lane as fas’ as a horse can trot 
 till I come ter de prairie an’ den I dumb in ter a big 
 oak tree, den de nex’ thing I do I wrap dat gray moss 
 ’roun’ me so dem debbils couldn’t see me. 
 
 “ How dem Indians did shoot ! If dat sight didn’t 
 beat de lan’ ! Zipp — zipp — bang — bang, an’ 
 ebbery time dey shoot dey yell like debbils, yo-ho-e- 
 
48 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 hee-eee bang, den fall on de groun’ an’ load dat mus- 
 ket, stan’ up an’ shoot again; de sojers a droppin’ 
 ebbery time a Indian shoot. 
 
 “ De sojers wuz so skeered dey couldn’t load der 
 guns when de Indians would gib dat Satan screech. 
 
 “ An’ den de poor sojers jest dropped guns an’ run 
 in ter de lake an’ de woods an’ dem savages would go 
 an’ take de guns an’ de ammunition often de dead 
 bodies an’ den go runnin’ like a deer. 
 
 “ Lord a mercy, hit seems ter me I heah de wind 
 blowin’ ghosts an’ de sperits ob de brave gem’men 
 what wuz killed on dat field ebbery time I talks ’bout 
 dat day. 
 
 “ Yes, Mistis, dat scrummage wuz called de battle 
 ob Payne’s Prairie. When de Colonel found out de 
 Indians killed so many ob de sojers, he tore roun’ like 
 a wild bear an’ clar ’foh de Almighty dat he wuz 
 gwine ter sen’ off an’ fetch de whole United States 
 troops ter come down an’ kill ebbery Indian in Flor- 
 ida. 
 
 “ But what good wuz all dat big talk; dey hab two 
 regimen’s stayin’ der den, and ’foh dey could git outen 
 de garrison de sly ole Indians wuz all gone an’ didn’t 
 leave a track behin’ dem, nuther. 
 
 “ Dem wuz days ob ’struction, ter be shure ! but 
 dey mought ha’ knowed dat war wuz a cornin’, kase 
 Daddy Charles see dem divisions in Virginia an’ tell 
 de white people great ’struction ob war wuz a cornin’, 
 he tell dem dat hit gwine ter wrestle wif a foreign 
 country, an’ den ’sides de divisions, de wild pigeons 
 come an’ dey wuz so thick you couldn’t see de trees 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 49 
 
 and de slaves kill ’em wlf der hoe handles in de corn 
 field. 
 
 “ Yes, dat big Seminole war did come,” said 
 Martha Jane triumphantly, “ jest like dat ole saint 
 o’ black man tole de people. 
 
 “ I ain’t nebber seed no lonesomer place like dat 
 Payne’s Prairie from dat day ter dis arter dey hab 
 dat skirmishin’. 
 
 “ I see de folks lyin’ on de grass an’ de tall grass 
 blowin’ backards and forrerds, but dem sojers nebber 
 move. Den de men come an’ carry ’em ter de hos- 
 pital. I shrouded so many dat night dat I got har- 
 dened jest like a dog wifout a soul. 
 
 “ Colonel Whisler, he wuz a Yankee man, he sayd, 
 ‘ Marthy Jane, you orter hab been a man, you is so 
 nervy.’ Dat why I can’t eat hominy ter dis day, I 
 make so many poultices endurin’ ob de war ter draw 
 out de bullets; dey didn’t hab dem pizen balls o’ 
 Satan like dey do in dese regenerate days since sur- 
 render. 
 
 “ Arter dem scanlous time, Colonel Worth an’ 
 Colonel Whisler ’cided dat dey mus’ go ter Fort 
 Myers to see how dem scrummagers wuz goin’ on 
 down dat way. 
 
 “ De headquarter men ’low dey mighty nigh per- 
 ish’d foh sumptin’ good ter eat an’ tell ole Mistis 
 dey ’bliged ter hab me go ’long ter do de cookin’. 
 Colonel Whisler wuz one ob dese kind o’ captains 
 what want his coffee hot an’ all de victuals on de 
 jump. 
 
 “ Dem wuz high camp-meetin’ times all de way. 
 
'50 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 In dem days de game wuz powerful plentiful, an’ 
 dem victuals I cooked wuz a plum sight; deer, wild 
 turkey an’ ducks wuz a flyin’ wherebber der wuz a 
 pond o’ water. Um-um-m, didn’t I cook ’em de fine 
 victuals. 
 
 “ Colonel Worth ’cided dey couldn’t kill de Indians 
 so he say he would jest campaign along an’ destroy 
 all der crops an’ burn der houses ; he ’lowed dat wuz 
 better dan shootin’ dem ; an’ oh Lordy, didn’t we eat 
 de corn an’ watermelons dem Indians raise. 
 
 “ We march an’ we stop, an’ we march an’ we 
 stop, till hit wuz de Lord’s blessin’ dat we hab so 
 many horses an’ wagons. 
 
 “ Oh, dem long wagon trains, wif sojers betwixt, 
 sojers in front an’ sojers behind. 
 
 “ You see, de officers hab der wives along an’ some 
 mighty fine white ladies what wuz a visitin’ at de 
 garrison. Dem wuz shure camp-meetin’ days. 
 
 “ Ole Billy Daniels an’ old man Strafford, dey wuz 
 along too ; dey wuz ole men den. I ’spect dey both 
 dead afoh now.” 
 
 “ I wuzn’t anyways skeery, but we sut’n’ty wuz a 
 long way from ole Mistress, mighty nigh two hun- 
 dred miles. 
 
 “ Arter all dat camp-meetin’ frolickin’ Colonel 
 Worth ’cided he would come back ter Fort King an’ 
 leave de sojers ter keep on destroyin’ at Fort Myers. 
 
 “ Billy Daniels wuz obliged to ’scort us back, kase 
 he is de man what drawed de map of Florida an’ put 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 51 
 
 all de lakes an’ islan’s in foh Colonel Worth. He 
 couldn’t read, nuther write, but he could ’cite de 
 Seminole language like he hab book learnin’ ; he wuz 
 de interpreter foh Colonel Worth too. 
 
 “ Hit sut’n’ty wuz scrumagen’ times arter me an’ 
 Diana Pyles cooked dat treaty dinner foh Colonel 
 Worth. 
 
 “ Mos’ generally de troops went a troopin’ north, 
 but dey lef ’ some ob de sassiest white men I ebber 
 see top o’ earth ter guard de State; low down white 
 rapscallions. 
 
 “ You see, hit wuz dis away, terrectly dey fin’ out 
 de Indians wuz all gone south dey make up dat dey 
 bes’ skeer our people so de United States would keep 
 payin’ dem government money. 
 
 “ No, Mistis, hit wuzn’t de Indians dat did de 
 skirmishin,’ hit wuz de white rapscallions what wuz 
 hankerin’ foh dem government rations. 
 
 “ Our people wuz rich den wif de big sugar planta- 
 tions an’ cotton fields an’ a heap o’ slaves an’ cattle 
 an’ horses; our folks didn’t want no war, but hit wuz 
 de poor white people dat rousted ’roun’ at night an’ 
 kill de cattle an’ put moccasins on der ole foots, what 
 look as rough as alligators’ hides, den dey go an’ 
 make tracks all roun’ like a hundred Indians been a 
 spyin’. Hit sholy did skeer our people, but twan’t 
 de Seminoles, kase de Indian is a debbil, but he ain’t 
 gwine ter stay ’roun’ Fort King when he done prom- 
 ise Colonel Worth he gwine go ’way. 
 
 “ Dem white men keep up dat debbilment till de 
 
5 2 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 United States find out ’bout hit, an’ she say if dey 
 any moh o’ dat meanness foun’ out dat dey will 
 hang ebbery rapscallion what prowlin’ ’roun’ we alls 
 white folks houses.” 
 
PART II 
 
 The Florida Seminoles of To-day 
 
PART SECOND 
 
 The Present Condition and Attitude of the 
 Seminoles 
 
 To-day the Seminoles of Florida are a beggared 
 and spectral type of a once powerful race. And in 
 their swamp homes we find these brown-skinned peo- 
 ple, living in the primeval customs of their fathers, 
 little changed from the Indians De Soto found in the 
 “ Land of Flowers,” or Columbus upon the little 
 island upon which he landed the weary and anxious 
 cargo of the frail Pinta, and of whom he wrote to his 
 Queen, “ Because they showed much kindliness for 
 us, and because I know they would be more easily 
 made Christians through love than fear, I gave to 
 them some glass beads for their necks, some red caps 
 with which they were so delighted and entirely ours, 
 it was a marvel to see.” 
 
 Thus we have dispossessed the original owners of 
 as goodly a land as the sun ever shone upon, a land 
 that cost us nothing but the beads of the early adven- 
 turers and the bullets of their successors, a race, 
 savages ’tis true, but heroes many of them, and proud 
 and courtly as their conquerors. 
 
 The American people expend thousands of dollars 
 annually in scientific research for antiquities and 
 many more thousands are spent by the antiquarian 
 
 53 
 
54 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 for the preservation of the relics and ancient records. 
 The North American Indian is fast vanishing from 
 the continent. Are not the Seminoles of Florida, 
 the descendants of the old monarchs, this race around 
 which shadowy romance hovers, as worthy of preser- 
 vation as the inanimate treasures of ancient Egypt? 
 Are there no Rameses in American history? In the 
 old turbaned tribe of Florida, we have a remnant of 
 the most picturesque, deserving and moral of all the 
 Aborigines of America, and they belong to a type 
 that is everywhere else extinct. Are they not worth 
 preserving and protecting to a point worthy the 
 proud and historic name of Seminole? 
 
 Secure in the mysterious marshes, these Indians 
 present an eloquent picture of a helpless wandering 
 tribe. 
 
 At the close of the war, a few bands of the Indians 
 refused to submit to banishment and, concealing 
 themselves in the fastnesses of the Everglades, made 
 their removal an impossibility. This part of the 
 tribe, according to their traditions, belonged orig- 
 inally to the Aztec race and for this reason they 
 claim a preeminence over all the tribes of Aborigines 
 of America. 
 
 Though defeated in war, they never submitted to 
 the Government of the United States, and hence re- 
 gard themselves as more valiant in defense, more de- 
 termined in purpose than that part of the tribe which 
 succumbed to emigration to the Indian Territory; 
 in fact, the old chieftains say of the Indians who emi- 
 grated, “ Arkansas Indians, cowards and traitors.” 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 55 
 
 So to-day the Seminoles of Florida occupy a unique 
 position with respect to the United States Govern- 
 ment, as, being unconquered and unsubdued, having 
 no legal existence nor allegiance to our Nation; in 
 short, so far as the United States is concerned offi- 
 cially, there are no Indians in Florida. 
 
 The tribe to-day numbers about 600 souls, living 
 at peace with all mankind, independent, but suspici- 
 ous of Washington officials, only asking to be let 
 alone, a homeless people in a free land, ever push- 
 ing on before the insatiable cupidity of the white man. 
 
 An inexorable decree has forced the Florida In- 
 dian into the most desolate lands of Florida. Where 
 they once trod as masters they now fear to place foot. 
 We cannot be unmoved by the thought that here are 
 the tattered and poverty stricken handfuls of a tribe 
 of warriors that held at bay a strong government for 
 half a century, a tribe that counted their cattle, 
 their lands and their slaves in magnificent propor- 
 tions. At the present time, to avoid complications 
 with the South Florida cattle herders none of the race 
 are permitted to own cattle. There is a certain 
 pathos in the Indian’s story of his relation to the 
 white race, which arrests our attention and compels 
 sympathy. But, it is destiny! What of the future? 
 Touch any point in the red man’s history, where you 
 will, or how you will, and the helpless savage always 
 gets the worst of it. 
 
 There is no use in muck-raking about it. We are 
 leisurely taking our time at finishing the extermina- 
 tion of the original American. Whether or not the 
 
S6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 future historian chronicles this as a century of dis- 
 honor, the fact remains that, since he could not with- 
 stand the white faces, the Indian will go — pass out 
 of existence. 
 
 We judge the Indian too harshly. It is hard to 
 give up old traditions, especially if the adherence to 
 them means a life of ease. We are all in the pursuit 
 of that which will make us happy. 
 
 The story is the old one of merciless extinction of 
 the lower race before the higher. It is a story of 
 the “ survival of the fittest.” The Florida Indian 
 can go no further. An old anecdote is brought to 
 light which illustrates the Indian’s own view of the 
 case. The famous Seneca chief, Red Jacket, once 
 met a government agent, and after pleasant greetings 
 they both sat down on a log, when Red Jacket asked 
 the agent to “ move along.” The agent did so and 
 the chief followed. This was done several times, 
 the agent humoring the whim of the old chief, until 
 he had reached the end of the log, when the same re- 
 quest, “ move along ” was repeated. “ Why, 
 man,” angrily replied the agent, “ I can’t move along 
 further without getting off the log into the mud.” 
 “Ugh! Just so white man want Indian to move 
 along — move along; can’t go no further, yet he say 
 move along.” And so with the Seminole to-day. 
 The clearings they have made in the forests and the 
 only homes they have ever known have been bought 
 from the State by speculators and they are compelled 
 to “ move along.” The history of the western In- 
 dian as he sells or surrenders the heart of his great 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 57 
 
 reservation proves that the white man will have his 
 way. The broken treaties of the past the Seminole 
 has not forgotten. The old chiefs are as proud as 
 the most imperious king. They regard these lands 
 as their own, and cannot understand the Govern- 
 ment’s claim. They say “ What right has the big 
 white chief at Washington to give to us what is al- 
 ready ours — the lands of our fathers? ” The white 
 man who receives any confidence from the Florida 
 Indian must indeed possess great magnetism, for the 
 Seminole is suspicious of every overture and will mis- 
 lead his questioner on all occasions. And while the 
 white man is studying “ poor Lo,” “ poor Lo ” is 
 similarly engaged in studying him, and continually 
 revolving in his suspicious mind, “ what can pale face 
 want from the Indian anyway? ” 
 
 The chiefs have taught the young braves all about 
 the outrages perpetrated upon their tribe by unscru- 
 pulous agents during the wars; and while the Indians 
 themselves in many cases practiced cruelty, it was 
 always in retaliation for some grevious wrong of 
 anterior date. History records case after case of 
 robberies and enormities committed on the Seminoles 
 previous to the war and during its progress. Mican- 
 opy requested a lawyer to draw a form of writing 
 for him which soon after proved to be a conveyance 
 of a valuable tract of land! Afterwards the war- 
 whoop and the deadly hand of Micanopy was heard 
 and felt among the swamps and prairies. Micanopy 
 was one of the most powerful, as well as one of the 
 wealthiest Seminole chieftains. His estate, a mile 
 
58 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 square, he ceded to the United States. Of the dis- 
 position of his slaves — he had eighty — nothing 
 is said. 
 
 In connection with the portrait of Micanopy as 
 used in this volume, this bit of almost forgotten his- 
 tory is worth mention. When the famous Indian 
 portrait painter, Catlin, was commissioned by the 
 War Department to paint the most prominent chiefs 
 then in captivity at Fort Moultrie, Micanopy, as 
 chief of the Nation, was first approached, but posi- 
 tively refused to be painted. After much persua- 
 sion, he at last consented, saying, “ If you make a 
 fair likeness of my legs,” which he had very taste- 
 fully dressed in a handsome pair of red leggins, 
 “ you may paint Micanopy for the Great Father,” 
 “ upon which, I at once began,” says Catlin, “ as he 
 sat cross legged, by painting them upon the lower 
 part of the canvas, leaving room for the body and 
 head above.” 
 
 When the chief saw every line and curve brought 
 out on the canvas he smiled his approval, and the 
 work proceeded, to the delight of both artist and 
 subject. 
 
 In the mutual relations between the whites and the 
 Indians it requires no skilled advocate to show on 
 which side must lie the wrongs unrepaired and una- 
 venged. Without doubt the Indian has always been 
 the victim. One thing is certain, the Indian chiefs, 
 when fairly dealt with, have always evinced an ear- 
 nest desire to make just terms. Ever since the Cau- 
 casian landed on the shores of America, a white man 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 59 
 
 with a gun has been watching the Indian. Four cen- 
 turies have gone and with them a record of broken 
 treaties and violated pledges. The records of the 
 Indian Bureau support the statement that, before the 
 first half of the present century had passed, we had 
 broken seven solemn treaties with the Creeks, eleven 
 with the Cherokees; the Chickasaws and Choctaws 
 suffered too, saying nothing of smaller tribes. His- 
 tory reveals how well the Delawares fought for us in 
 the Revolutionary War. They were brave “ allies,” 
 fighting out of loyalty to the “ Alliance,” and inspired 
 by the promised reward, viz. : “ The territorial 
 
 right to a State as large as Pennsylvania and a right 
 to representation in our Congress.” But where are 
 the Delawares to-day? One remove after another 
 was made until we find only a remnant existing — 
 some with the Cherokees, and a few with the Wichita 
 agency. 
 
 A great deal has been written about the Florida 
 Indian which is not in accordance with facts. There 
 are many obstacles in the way of an intimate ac- 
 quaintance with their customs and home life. Living 
 as they do in the almost inaccessible morasses, their 
 contact with civilization has been regulated by their 
 own volition. Visitors, traders and government 
 agents have been denied their confidence, and it is 
 only on their visits to settlements for the purpose of 
 trading that they meet the white man. At such times 
 the Seminole is on the alert, ever suspicious, and to 
 the numerous interrogations applied to him by the 
 inquisitive stranger, his answer is an indifferent 
 
'6o THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 “ Me don’t know.” When questions become of a 
 personal character, touching upon subjects sacred to a 
 Seminole, he quietly walks away, leaving his ques- 
 tioner wondering. 
 
 The Seminoles live to themselves, shun all intimacy 
 with the Caucasian, and their personal appearance is 
 therefore almost unknown to Americans. The 
 greater part of the tribe seldom, if ever, leave their 
 marshy homes. To reach their camps uninhabitable 
 wilds must be traversed and sometimes miles of mud 
 and water waded, then perhaps only to find the 
 camp deserted. For, while the Seminole has reg- 
 ular settlements, at various times during the year the 
 entire camp will assemble at some point where game 
 is abundant and a “ big hunt ” will occupy a few 
 weeks. Again syrup boiling will be the festival all 
 will join in; at another time a large quantity of 
 koonti (wild cassava) will be made into flour. At 
 these gatherings the tribe or families occupy tem- 
 porary dwellings called lodges. 
 
 The innate dislike of the Seminole toward 
 strangers is his hardest prejudice to overcome; yet he 
 is hospitable when he convinces himself that the vis- 
 itor is no Government agent, nor come for any mer- 
 cenary motive. The person who is fortunate enough 
 to reach their hunting grounds, secure their confi- 
 dence, observe their weird home life, and their 
 childish untutored ways, meets with an attractive 
 spectacle of romance and may study these aborigines 
 in their primeval customs. For to-day, with the 
 exception of the chiefs and a few of the adventur- 
 
SEMINOLE DWELLING 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 6 1 
 
 some warriors, they know nothing of the innovations 
 of the last half century. So strong are they in their 
 resolution to hold no intercourse with our nation, that 
 neither bribery nor cajolery will have any effect upon 
 them. A few years ago an effort was made by the 
 authorities of the Sub-Tropical Exposition at Jack- 
 sonville, Florida, to secure a few of the Seminole 
 braves for exhibition. After many proffered bribes, 
 the young warriors with the adventurous spirit of 
 youth consented to go to the “ big city.” A council 
 was held and the chiefs said “ halwuk (it is bad) ; 
 if you go you never come back.” The council of the 
 chie'fs is always respected and the young braves re- 
 mained with their fathers. 
 
 The life of the Seminole has been without any aid 
 or instruction from the white man. He has adopted 
 a few of the implements, weapons and utensils of 
 civilization; but in no other way has he imitated his 
 pale-faced brother. In the natural course of evolu- 
 tion he has made some progress; he has not de- 
 generated. 
 
 Government reports show an annual appropriation 
 of almost $7,000,000 for the Indian service; yet the 
 Florida Indian has not received any part of it, and 
 without it he has shown a prosperous condition. 
 The Smithsonian report, in comparing this interest- 
 ing people with the native white settlers, says “ that 
 success in agriculture and domestic industries is not 
 to be attributed wholly to the favorable character of 
 the climate and soil; for, surrounded by the same 
 conditions, many white men are lazy and improvi- 
 
6 2 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 dent, while the Seminoles are industrious and frugal.” 
 
 President Cleveland in his message for 1895 P er * 
 tinently says, “ In these days, when white agricultur- 
 ists and stock raisers of experience and intelligence 
 find their lot a hard one, we ought not to expect In- 
 dians to support themselves on lands usually allotted 
 to them. 
 
 Years later, while the late lamented ex-President 
 was fishing in New River at the edge of the Ever- 
 glades, he said, “ This country was made for the 
 Seminoles and they should be permitted to live here 
 undisturbed forever.” 
 
 Yet in Florida, we find the red race not only self- 
 sustaining, but refusing any aid from our Govern- 
 ment. Twenty years ago the Government appro- 
 priated $6,000, “ to enable the Seminoles of Florida 
 to obtain homesteads upon the public lands, and to 
 establish themselves thereon.” A few of the Indians 
 consented to accept; but the agent, on investigation, 
 found that the lands which the Indians desired had 
 passed into State or Improvement Companies. To- 
 day the Seminole is embittered; and, having been 
 driven from one reservation to another, he refuses to 
 exchange “ Indian’s good lands for white man’s bad 
 lands,” and in the bitterness of his conquered spirit, 
 takes his dusky tribe to the dark shadows of the cy- 
 press swamps, where no pale-faced Government offi- 
 cer dare disturb him. Again Congress tacked an 
 item to the appropriation act, giving $7,000 “ for the 
 support of the Seminoles of Florida, for the erection 
 and furnishing of a school for teachers and the fur- 
 
,THE SEMINOLES OE FLORIDA 63 
 
 nishing of seeds and implements for agricultural pur- 
 poses.” In the winter of 1889, an agent inspired 
 with confidence in himself, and with the hope of 
 manipulating a $12,000 appropriation, came to 
 Florida by appointment from Washington to renew 
 the effort “ to find suitable lands upon which to settle 
 the Indians, and to furnish the seat of an educational 
 establishment.” Securing an interpreter the agent 
 visited the Indian camp. A council of chiefs lis- 
 tened quietly to his overtures, but with the same 
 proud spirit of Osceola’s day, they refused firmly to 
 accept any aid from a Government which they regard 
 as having stolen from them the lands of their fathers. 
 As the agent dwelt on the presents the red men of 
 Florida should receive from the big white chief, 
 Tiger Tail, a worthy descendant of the invulnerable 
 Tustenuggee, replied, “ You came from Great Chief? 
 You say that Great Chief give Indian plow, wagon, 
 hoe?” Then pointing in the direction of a small 
 settlement of shiftless whites, he added, “ He poor 
 man, give ’em him. Indian no want ’em.” Deliv- 
 ering his speech with the spirit of an old Norse King, 
 the chief strode majestically away, leaving the agent 
 no nearer the fulfillment of his trust. 
 
 An Indian Agency was established, however, in 
 Florida in 1892, located east of Fort Myers, and 
 about thirty-five miles from the nearest Seminole 
 camp. It was supported by a yearly appropriation 
 of $6,000, the appropriation act reading, “ For the 
 support, civilization and instruction of the Seminole 
 Indians in Florida $6,000, one-half of which sum 
 
6 4 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 may be expended at the discretion of the Secretary 
 of Interior in procuring permanent homes for said 
 Indians.” 
 
 The Government built a saw mill, and attempted 
 a school, but the Indians, according to the statement 
 of Col. C. C. Duncan, U. S. Indian Inspector at 
 that time, refused to send their children to the school 
 or to work at the saw mill. Many white traders who 
 purchase hides, plumes and furs from the Indians, 
 tell them that the establishment of an agency is for 
 the purpose of rounding them up and sending them 
 west. These Indians have been cheated and baffled 
 so often by knaves, who go among them for that pur- 
 pose, that they imagine all whites to be of the same 
 character, and cannot tell whether a “ talk ” comes 
 from their great white father at Washington, or 
 whether some imposter be imposing upon them for 
 his own gains; hence, the Seminole never removed his 
 cloak of suspicion. Little progress was made and 
 the work of the agency as a government institution 
 was abandoned. 
 
 Once or twice it has been tried to locate the Semi- 
 noles, but when the chiefs examined the land, they 
 found it “ ho-lo-wa-gus ” (no good) and they re- 
 fused the offer. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 65 
 
 NATIONAL INDIAN ASSOCIATION 
 Its Work and its Results 
 
 When the National Indian Association first or- 
 ganized, like many innovations in humanitarian work, 
 it met with rebuffs and criticisms, and not until after 
 five years of petitioning to Congress, newspaper 
 recognition and the circulation of leaflets, did the 
 splendid body receive legal recognition and protec- 
 tion for the United States Indians. With this much 
 accomplished, the work became easier and plans to 
 evangelize the Indians of the United States were in- 
 stituted. 
 
 It became the duty of the Association to gather 
 money for the work, establish stations, one by one, 
 finance the expense of building mission cottages and 
 chapels, and then when established, give the station, 
 with all its property, to whichever of the denomina- 
 tional boards should ask for it. 
 
 The work has been one of the noblest of pioneer 
 mission labor, for its activities are directed to Amer- 
 ica’s original owners, whose God-given inheritance 
 should never be questioned by any patriot, whether 
 he be Christian or moralist. 
 
 In 1891, this organization entered Florida and the 
 Seminole Indians received recognition and the first 
 ray of Christian light pierced the dark camps of the 
 Everglade Indians. 
 
 While the missionary in charge found the work 
 
66 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 difficult and results were not flattering, still, the seeds 
 were sown that have brought later and better results, 
 and in 1893 the Mission was transferred to the 
 Episcopal Church of the South Florida Diocese. 
 
 During the period of the National Organization’s 
 stay in Florida, Congressional agitation of the sub- 
 ject of Seminole lands was aired by deeply interested 
 friends and pauseless workers, and resulted in the 
 voting of 800,000 acres of land by the Florida Legis- 
 lature as a home for the Seminoles, a gift needing ac- 
 tion on the part of Congress to make it a sure and 
 permanent home for this long-neglected people. But 
 this action alas !' was never taken. 1 
 
 In giving the Florida Station over to the Episcopal 
 Church, the National Indian Association made no 
 mistake, for through the untiring efforts of the Rt. 
 Rev. William Crane Gray of the South Florida dio- 
 cese, the mission has each year been getting better 
 results. The Station has been named Im-mo-ka-lee 
 (home), and is situated about thirty-five miles from 
 Fort Myers. Forty miles farther is a hospital, called 
 Glade Cross; here an immense white cross has been 
 erected at the entrance to the glades. 
 
 The present arrangement, under the charge of the 
 estimable Rev. Irenaeus Trout, seems to be solving 
 
 1 Since the above writing, the Department of the Interior has 
 investigated the status of the swamp land and the Government 
 has guaranteed against purchase 23,000 acres of land to be held 
 in trust for the Indians. Only a small part of it is arable, but 
 when all else is wrested from these Indians, they may retire in 
 safety to this land. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 67 
 
 the mission question better than any former plan. 
 The mission owns a store where the Indians may 
 buy or sell; the missionary in charge may meet and 
 converse personally with the Indians; he wins their 
 friendship and is able by degrees to instill religious 
 thoughts into them. The Rev. Mr. Trout is work- 
 ing along industrial lines, and says, “ We must fit 
 these Seminoles by education and Christianity to meet 
 the coming conditions, and teach them to become self- 
 supporting by industrial pursuits and now is the time 
 to do it” 
 
 The work proposed is to erect suitable houses for 
 the residence of the missionary and his family with 
 sufficient room to entertain visiting Indians when in 
 over night and a barrack or rest room for laborers 
 employed in clearing land and working crops. 
 
 Of the work and Mission, Dr. Gray says: 
 
 To Bishops, Clergy and Laity of 
 The American Church, Greeting: 
 
 I desire to commend most heartily my well-beloved in the 
 Lord, Rev. Irenasus Trout, Missionary to the Seminole 
 Indians in Southern Florida. I believe that God has in a 
 marvelous way designated him as the very man to go for- 
 ward with the work in which he has already been signally 
 blessed, viz: th^.t of leading the Seminoles into the Kingdom 
 of our Lord T esus Christ. We are now at the very crisis 
 of opportunity. 
 
 Hear him and help him. Here is a cry, not from Europe, 
 Asia or Africa, but from the Everglades, in your own 
 Florida: “Come and help us!” A thousand prayers ac- 
 company him from this Missionary District. 
 
68 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 God gives you the privilege of helping this poor Seminole 
 remnant into the kingdom. 
 
 Faithfully, 
 
 For Christ and the Church, 
 
 (Seal) Wm. Crane Gray, 
 
 Bishop of Southern Fla. 
 
 The Cathedral Church 
 Of St. Luke, 
 
 Orlando, Fla., Jan. 15, 1909. 
 
 THE FRIENDS OF THE FLORIDA SEMINOLES. 
 
 A few years ago great interest was manifested in 
 these Florida wards, when a Society called “ The 
 Friends of the Florida Seminoles ” was organized at 
 Kissimmee, Fla., with the Rev. William Crane Gray, 
 Bishop of the South Florida Episcopal Church, Presi- 
 dent; Rev. D. A. Dodge, Vice-president; Mr. James 
 M. Willson, Jr., Secretary, and State Senator C. A. 
 Carson, Treasurer. Other officers (trustees) were 
 the late George W. Wilson, Editor-in-chief of the 
 Florida Times-Union; Hon. J. R. Parrott, President 
 of the Florida East Coast Railroad Co., and Capt. 
 F. M. Hendry, Fort Myers, Fla. 
 
 This body, assisted by the active interest and 
 sympathy of Gov. W. D. Bloxam, Mr. P. A. Van 
 Agnew, and Mr. Kirk Munroe, made it possible for 
 the Society to accomplish its State-wide results, num- 
 bering among its members philanthropic people from 
 Maine to California. 
 
 The object of this society was to enlist the sym- 
 pathy of the American people for these homeless 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 69 
 
 people and to strenuously oppose the removal of the 
 Seminoles from the State against their consent. No 
 really true American, whether he be an Indian sym- 
 pathizer or not, can feel any but sympathy for the 
 Florida Seminole if he understand the true status of 
 his condition, and when the Society of the Friends 
 of the Florida Seminoles was established, a great 
 wave of sympathy was felt all over the country and 
 requests for membership came in from all ranks, 
 the highest circles of finance, from social leaders, 
 educational centers and government officials. It was 
 recognized an honor to belong to the organization. 
 
 The membership list is still open and the Society 
 earnestly appeals to the people of America to take a 
 friendly interest in the future fate of this forlorn rem- 
 nant, who are one of Florida’s most native posses- 
 sions, and to aid in securing for them permanent 
 homes in the unsettled portions of the State before it 
 is too late. 
 
 The interest and work of the Society was greatly 
 aided through the editorial columns of Harper’s 
 Weekly, when Edward S. Martin made an appeal in 
 behalf of that band of Seminoles known as the Cow 
 Creeks. The object was to purchase a tract of land 
 on which was located about seventy-five Indians. 
 They had lived here for thirty years, cultivating part 
 of the land and using the rest as a range for their 
 hogs, but as they had no legal title to the land, they 
 were at the mercy of squatters who coveted them. 
 About four hundred dollars were raised, but when 
 the attempt was made to locate these Indians, cow- 
 
70 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 boys and land-grabbers had alarmed them, by telling 
 them that the Government was getting ready to 
 round them up and take them West, and like fright- 
 ened deer they left their homes and retired again to 
 the swamp fastnesses. 
 
 The Society purchased some fields upon which the 
 Indians were camping with Harper’s fund — the re- 
 mainder of the funds being held in trust for its orig- 
 inal purpose. The Society secured great public senti- 
 ment in their favor, and hoped to obtain lands 
 through legislation. Centuries of wrong from hands 
 too powerful to be resisted have taught these red 
 Americans the patience of despair. 
 
 Amid the blessings of Chrisitanity, the Seminole 
 is an outcast from sympathy and an alien to hope, yet 
 he has never ceased to be manly. While we protect 
 the deer and the alligator, the quail and the fish, shall 
 we leave our brother in bronze a prey to the lawless 
 and a helpless victim of every loafer? 
 
 The only way to protect these wards of Florida is 
 to buy a reservation, and hold it in trust for them — 
 forever. 
 
 Even at this writing, that trackless waste of saw- 
 grass and water with its scattering islands and la- 
 goons, constitutes the great political question among 
 Florida people — the drainage of the Everglades. 
 
 We cannot but admire the proud and independent 
 spirit of the Seminole as he rufuses, in firm but Indian- 
 like measures, the proffered liberality of a Govern- 
 ment which he believes has wronged him. And, 
 from his high pinnacle of pride, he certainly bears the 
 
A SEMINOLE CAMP-FIRE 
 The Indian mode of making a fire. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 71 
 
 distinction of being the only American who has been 
 found unwilling to share the spoils of the nation. 
 So he says, “ We have listened to the great father at 
 Washington. The Great Spirit wishes no change in 
 his red children. If you teach our children the 
 knowledge of the white people, they will cease to be 
 Indians. To know how to read and write is very 
 good for white men, but very bad for red men. 
 Long time ago, some of our fathers wrote upon a lit- 
 tle piece of paper without the nation knowing any- 
 thing about it. When the agent called the Indians 
 together he told them the little paper was a treaty 
 which their brethren had made with the great father 
 at Washington, and lo ! they found that their brethren 
 by knowing how to write, had sold their lands and the 
 graves of their fathers to the white race. Tell our 
 great father at Washington that we want no schools, 
 neither books, for reading and writing makes very 
 bad Indians. We are satisfied. Let us alone.” 
 After this speech delivered in the native tongue, the 
 council breaks up, and the proud Seminole betakes 
 himself to the Everglades. The Seminole is dis- 
 posed to make a child’s bargain with the big white 
 chief : “ You let me alone, and I will let you alone.” 
 
 Photographs of the Carlisle Indian boys have been 
 used to illustrate the improvement which follows edu- 
 cation; but the Seminole youth turns away with dis- 
 dain, as he notes the closely shaven head and the 
 American dress, and says, “ Indian no want books, 
 make ’em white man, white man mean heap lie too 
 much.” With a gesture faithful to the Indian, he 
 
72 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 refers to the “ long time ago, Seminoles had lands, 
 cattle, slaves; white man steal ’em.” This statement 
 of the Indians is corroborated by the old white set- 
 tlers of to-day, who fought the Indians. They tell 
 that General Jessup’s army, on coming to the great 
 cattle country of South Florida, began a systematic 
 slaughter of all the cattle found. A body of soldiers, 
 too large to fear an attack, would round up a herd 
 of the Indian’s cattle and sitting on their horses, shoot 
 them all down. Up to this time the Indians were 
 regular stock dealers, their customers being the Cu- 
 bans and Minorcans. General Jessup’s report of his 
 march into the “ Indian country,” says, “ On the 28th 
 (January, 1837), the army moved forward and oc- 
 cupied a strong position on ‘ Ta-hop-ka-li-ga ’ Lake, 
 where several hundred head of cattle were obtained.” 
 
 The tribe to-day are taught by the chiefs to regard 
 the whites, in general, as lacking in honor and courage, 
 weak and insignificant, or in Seminole dialect, “ white 
 man — ho-lo-wa-gus” (no good). This is easily 
 understood when we consider the strong attachment 
 an Indian bears to his native hunting grounds; and 
 when the memory runs back to the time when our 
 Government banished their friends and relatives to 
 the unknown wilds of the West, and they went silent 
 and weeping toward the setting sun. Their bitterness 
 is consistent with their ideas of injustices practiced 
 upon them. 
 
 History, romance and poetry have held up the 
 characteristics of the red man to our gaze from 
 childhood. And while treachery may be a distin- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 73 
 
 guishing feature of the Indian nature, yet the lowest 
 one of them has some conception of honor when 
 fairly approached. History shows that all through 
 the Seminole war, misrepresentations and dishonor- 
 able schemes were practiced against them by the 
 whites. Almost universal sympathy goes out to this 
 remnant of people who fought so bravely and so 
 persistently for the land of their birth, for their 
 homes, for the burial place of their kindred. As 
 their traditions tell them of the oppression their peo- 
 ple suffered as they wandered in the wilderness thrice 
 forty years, w T ho can tell the secret of their hearts? 
 To do this, it would be necessary to become, for the 
 time, an Indian, to put ourselves in his place — and 
 what white man has ever done this? Ask the waters 
 of Tohopeliga, or the winds that waft across Okee- 
 chobee. To the elements are whispered the heart 
 throbs of these red fawns of the forest. The present 
 Florida Indians are descendants of that invincible 
 tribe who were never conquered by the force of arms. 
 Refusing in 1842 to accompany their people to the 
 mysterious West, they ceased to exist save for them- 
 selves. Finding refuge in the almost inaccessible 
 Everglades, they were for a time almost lost to the 
 historian. They have no legal existence, and hence 
 no rights that a white man is bound, by law, to re- 
 spect. There are no Indian troubles in Florida at 
 present, but every few months a cry comes from hun- 
 gry land-grabbers, or from trappers and hunters, that 
 the Seminoles are killing off the deer and plume birds. 
 The changing conditions in the lower peninsular 
 
74 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 country will eventually lead up to difficulties; and 
 “Where shall we locate the Indians?” becomes a 
 serious problem. 
 
 The Florida Times-Union editorially says: 
 
 All the murderous, cut-throat, unkempt and squalid In- 
 dians in the United States whom the Government fears are 
 provided with reservations and such luxuries as they never 
 before had in their lives, but the Seminoles of Florida, the 
 finest specimens of Indian manhood in this country, clean in 
 body, pure in morals, and as brave as the lion that roams the 
 desert, with whom so many treaties have been wantonly 
 broken, are being driven farther and farther into the Ever- 
 glades and their hunting grounds confiscated to the land 
 grabbers. Is this justice? 
 
 Should the whites drive off the Seminoles, and thus 
 approve their greed for land by taking the posses- 
 sions the Indians now occupy, what good would it do 
 them? Internal improvement companies, by their 
 franchises, would sooner or later take the blood- 
 stained acres from them. Let settlers in Florida, or 
 in any part of the country, turn over their accounts 
 and see how many acres have been credited to them, 
 either from the State or from the general Govern- 
 ment, without the equivalent of homesteading or for 
 cash. The “ Western ” style of disposing of the 
 Indian’s inheritance must not be followed in fair 
 Florida. It seems hard that these natives who ask 
 no aid of our nation, should be forced to the wall 
 by the march of civilization. To the Western In- 
 dians, under the protection of the Government, and 
 supplied in a large measure by the taxes which civil- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 75 
 
 ization pays, pages are devoted by philanthropists for 
 the betterment of their condition. The rights of the 
 Seminoles of Florida should be defended. The day 
 is not far distant when they must be made to go to 
 the reservation in Arkansas or to lands set apart for 
 them in Florida. To remove them from their trop- 
 ical homes to the chilling blasts of the Indian Terri- 
 tory would be an act of cruelty and wholly unneces- 
 sary. Those of us who have enjoyed life in this land 
 of the palm, this land of the balmy air and life-giving 
 sunshine, reveling in the eternal bloom of the flowers 
 and the ceaseless song of the birds, can well picture 
 the struggle it would cost the patient Seminole to be 
 forced to a cold western land. No, fair Florida, the 
 ancestors of these proud people were forced to the 
 country of the setting sun silent and dejected. But, 
 with the spirit of Osceola, if they must perish, it will 
 be here — here upon the land of their birth, upon the 
 graves of their kindred. The lands they now occupy 
 are of little value to the white race and might be 
 made a safe reserve for them — forever. Cowboys 
 who hunt upon the Okeechobee plains, say the In- 
 dians are peaceably disposed and friendly, and have 
 never yet disturbed or threatened. They are certainly 
 not foot-sore for the warpath and are fearful of 
 doing anything to arouse the whites. “ Indian no 
 fight,” is the answer to the questioner. They have 
 sense enough to know that if war should come again 
 it would mean extermination for them ; and their love 
 for the “ Flower Land ” is so deep that the thought 
 of exile would cost a struggle they dare not attempt. 
 
7 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Yet, feeble remnant that they are, with the same 
 heroic blood coursing their veins that inspired their 
 ancestors and made them almost invulnerable, the 
 present Seminole would choose to die rather than 
 submit to removal. And in their swampy fastnesses, 
 they could maintain a contest that would cost us 
 thousands of dollars and many precious lives. 
 
 OUR DUTY TO THESE WARDS OF THE NATION. 
 
 Under the present status the Seminoles are pros- 
 perous, happy and contented. But the vanguard of 
 civilization is marching on, and thinking, friendly 
 minds must solve the question of the protection for 
 this remnant of a tribe we have dispossessed of their 
 natural rights. Dwellers of every land, from Scan- 
 dinavia to the Congo have a Christian welcome to 
 our shores. The slums of Europe pour in upon us 
 to fill our almshouses and to be supported by our 
 taxes. We have during the past quarter century con- 
 tributed more than $50,000,000 to the education of 
 the freedmen, yet except in individual cases, the im- 
 provement is scarcely noticable. 
 
 Men and women are sacrificing their lives for the 
 heathen of other lands. Is not the Seminole, this 
 remnant of a long-persecuted people, as worthy of 
 consideration as the oppressed Cuban or the half- 
 naked Filipino? 
 
 Christianity is donating millions of money to this 
 end, while our own “ wards,” too many of them, are 
 yet living in the dark superstitions of their fathers. 
 
Photograph by E. IV. His ted. 
 
 CHIEFTAIN TALLAHASSEE, WITH HIS WHITE FRIEND, THE 
 LATE L. A. WILLSON 
 
 “ The very history of the tribe is carved in poor Tallahassee’s face. He 
 is the incarnation of ‘ The Man without a Country.’ ” 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 77 
 
 It is possible it will take time and patience before 
 any shining results are apparent. Not until confi- 
 dence is restored will the embittered Seminole yield 
 to the overtures of our Government. In an educa- 
 tional sense the older Indians will not be benefited, 
 except through the influence of their children. The 
 logic of events demands absorption of this people 
 into our National life, not as Indians, but as Ameri- 
 can citizens; and the sooner they can be induced to 
 accept lands from the Government, and education 
 for the youth, the sooner will the civilization of 
 the Seminole cease to be a theory. The permanent 
 duty of the hour is to prepare the rising genera- 
 tion for the new order of events that must come. 
 Because these bands of the Seminoles are prouder, 
 more invincible than the old Saxons, because they 
 are savages, yet heroes many of them, all the good 
 of life should not be withheld from them. It has 
 taken years of labor to obtain the shining of even 
 the few rays of light that relieve the gloom of the 
 heathen countries of the Orient. It would be un- 
 reasonable to expect the offspring of savages to at- 
 tain in a short time to anything like the thrift of a 
 Nation like ours. Yet, with a few years of humane 
 treatment, unviolated pledges, with Christian and 
 patriotic examples set before them, this little band of 
 Florida Indians would become worthy representa- 
 tives of this fair land. 
 
 Were any future danger to threaten the United 
 States, the Seminoles would be found to be brave 
 allies. The pledge to General Worth by this 
 
78 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 remnant of hostiles, who, in 1842, refused to emi- 
 grate with the rest of their tribe, temporarily agree- 
 ing “ to confine themselves to certain limits and 
 abstain from all aggressions upon their white neigh- 
 bors,” seems to be held sacred by their descendants. 
 The question was put to Billy Bowlegs, one of the 
 most intelligent of the present Indians, as to what 
 his people would do were the whites to encroach, 
 and take the clearings of his tribe are now occupy- 
 ing, “ Would Indian fight? ” The young brave re- 
 plied with downcast face, “ Indian no fight, Indian 
 no kill, Indian go.” Pursuing the subject further, 
 “ but, Billy, by and by, may be one year, five years, 
 may be, white man go, take all your land, take 
 Okeechobee, then where will Indians go?” With 
 the same bowed head, the answer came low and soft, 
 “ Me don’t know — Indian go.” Then to test his 
 idea of an ally, the question was asked, “ What would 
 Seminole Indians do, Billy, if the Spaniards from 
 across the big salt water would come to fight the 
 white people of Florida? ” Quickly and with spirit 
 came the answer, “ Indians help white man to fight.” 
 Unless action be taken, there will come a time, when, 
 leaving no trace behind them, the Seminole shall 
 pass out of the world. He shall go, like the 
 mist. 
 
 We cannot undo the past, but the future is in 
 the hands of the people. In Canada there are over 
 100,000 Indians. They are called the Indian sub- 
 jects of His Majesty; all held amenable to the law 
 and protected by it. Statistics show that on one side 
 
T HE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 79 
 
 of the line the nation has spent millions of money 
 in Indian wars, while on the other, with the same 
 greedy Anglo-Saxon race, not one dollar has been 
 spent, and there has never been a massacre. 
 
 The caustic remark that the only good Indian is 
 a dead Indian might apply to the savage Apache; 
 but when one has studied the home life of the 
 Seminoles, observed their domestic felicity, from 
 which many white men might take example, noted 
 their peaceful, contented character, he can only see 
 in them an attractive race, and worthy the proud 
 lineage they claim. Surely if ever the strong were 
 bound to aid the weak, we are bound to help them, 
 to treat them as human beings, possessed of human 
 rights, and deserving the protection of American 
 law. This without doubt, they will be willing to ac- 
 cept, when our nation by kind, courteous and honor- 
 able means secures their lost confidence; and when 
 our National Christianity shall take measures to make 
 our land for them a home where they may dwell in 
 peace and safty. 
 
 CHIEF TALLAHASSEE. 
 
 Almost four hundred years have passed since that 
 fair April day when Ponce de Leon anchored on the 
 verdant shores of Florida. Since the Spanish cava- 
 lier planted the silken flag of Spain upon her soil, 
 Florida has been surrounded by a halo of romance 
 and tragedy. Between the time of her discovery 
 and to-day, what marvelous scenes have been wit- 
 
80 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 nessed upon her fair plains and along the borders 
 of her wild, dark rivers. 
 
 The ancient race who greeted the old Castilian 
 has vanished and, save in the little band of Seminoles 
 secreted in the mysterious and weird wilderness of 
 the Everglades, no trace of the red man is visible. 
 A description of a type of this fragment of a people 
 will enable the reader to form a better conception 
 of the tribe as a whole; and no name is more worthy 
 to place in these pages than that of Tallahassee. 
 
 The old chieftain in appearance is noble and intel- 
 lectual, and there is that in his look and bearing which 
 at once pronounces him something more than the 
 mere leader of a savage tribe. While his silvered 
 head marks the cycle of many years, in his attire 
 of scarlet and white, embraced by the traditional 
 brightly beaded sash, he exhibits a dignified and 
 patriarchial bearing. His countenance, while indeed 
 mellowed with the cares of four-score years and ten, 
 is kindly, and shows a conquered spirit. The linea- 
 ments of noble features are traceable in the broad 
 forehead, the firm, thin lips, and eyes that might 
 pierce the rays of the sun. Tallahassee shows no re- 
 sentment to the whites, yet he believes that they have 
 treated the Indian badly. 
 
 It may seem strange to talk of gentlemanliness in 
 an untutored savage, but the demeanor of this Sem- 
 inole chief must dignify any family in the land. But 
 that facel Heaven forbid that any native of free 
 America should wear so sad, almost heartbroken an 
 expression as that which seams poor Tallahassee’s 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 81 
 
 face. No child could look upon it without being im- 
 pressed by its mournful pathos. The very history of 
 the tribe is carved there. 
 
 When Osceola, with his compatriots, went on the 
 war-path, Tallahassee was a small boy, and re- 
 members well when his father and a few companions 
 were surrounded and killed by the soldiers near Tal- 
 lahassee, the capital of the State. Chipco, the chief 
 of the tribe, was Tallahassee’s uncle; he escaped 
 from the soldiers, and made his way to the Ever- 
 glades where he lived to be nearly one hundred years 
 old. Rosa, the sister of Tallahassee, became his 
 squaw. They were childless, and at Chipco’s death, 
 Tallahassee inherited the title, but as a reward for 
 bravery displayed in saving his life on two occasions, 
 Chipco had made him chief years before he died. 
 
 There is no trace of a revengeful spirit in either 
 word or manner when Tallahassee speaks of his 
 father’s tragic death, but with the stoicism of a 
 philosopher, he seems to have accepted it as one of 
 the cruel fortunes of war, and has nobly “ buried 
 the tomahawk.” Tallahassee is no stern warrior 
 with blood-stained hands, but wears worthily the 
 dignities of his ancestral station, and in many ways 
 might be imitated with profit by his more cultured 
 pale-faced brother. He is a true type of the “ noble 
 red man,” and in any other walk of life would have 
 risen to eminence. Of all the Seminoles, Tallahassee 
 is the most friendly to the whites. With the inborn 
 courtesy that is native to all true greatness, this un- 
 tutored Indian will welcome you to his wigwam 
 
82 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 and with royal grace dispense the hospitalities at his 
 command. Few enter his presence, and none leave 
 it without this mental tribute to his high character. 
 The old chief is treated with care and consideration, 
 and a homage is paid to him by the younger members 
 of the tribe. Among the Seminoles, when a member 
 of the tribe becomes too old for usefulness or self- 
 help, it becomes the duty of the young men to con- 
 tribute their share to his support. They are taught 
 to do this more as an honor than as a burden. 
 
 As the years pass, more pathetic grows the life of 
 the hereditary chieftain. 
 
 A few years ago, after numerous invitations, Tal- 
 lahassee was persuaded to leave his swamp home to 
 make a visit to the home of the writer. The old 
 patriarch was accompanied by Billy Bowlegs, who 
 showed the tenderest care for him. With one horse 
 between them they traveled from the Everglades to 
 Bassinger, the terminus of the steamboat line to Kis- 
 simmee. Then they boarded the steamer Roseada, ar- 
 riving at Kissimmee after two days’ river travel. 
 They attracted much attention and were the recipients 
 of many small presents from sympathetic friends. 
 They were both in full costume, the old chief wear- 
 ing the regalia of his rank, sashes of bead work and 
 red beaded leggins. On reaching the home of their 
 host, they immediately began unpacking the bundle 
 they carried, which indicated they had been preparing 
 for many moons back for this eventful visit. Nu- 
 merous garments, new and fanciful, were carefully 
 withdrawn. The next morning being the Sabbath, 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 83 
 
 they dressed with greatest care for the Sunday School 
 and church services, which they enjoyed to the fullest. 
 Knowing the famous chieftain would attend service, 
 the church was crowded and at the close of the 
 services parents with their children crowded around 
 the old chieftain eager to shake hands with him; 
 and with a pleasant beam of gratitude in his eyes, 
 he received these greetings of the white friends. 
 
 It is a pleasing fact that Tallahassee, a savage and 
 the representative of an almost destitute people, re- 
 ceived a homage and as kindly a greeting as was 
 ever accorded to any visitor to the little city of Kis- 
 simmee. However adverse a man may be to the 
 Florida Indian in general, if he looks into the history 
 of the Seminoles of Florida, he not only becomes 
 friendly, but eager to see justice meted out to them. 
 
 As Tallahassee bade “ good-bye,” he said, “ Me 
 no more come- to Kissimmee City — old too much.” 
 He had come as an ambassador of his tribe to tell 
 his white friends the history of his race, and as 
 memory went back to the olden days of bloodshed 
 and accounts of home after home wrested from his 
 people, he trembled with suppressed emotion. An- 
 guish, interblended with the mournful pathos of his 
 face, made a picture too sad to look upon. It was 
 a period of agonizing struggle for this gallant, but 
 conquered Seminole. 
 
 Sad and prophetic were his farewell words, for 
 a short time after he reached his swamp home, he 
 was taken with violent pains in his head, and as Billy 
 Bowlegs reported it, “ Pain three days — pain go, 
 
84 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 — Tallahassee blind ojus ” (heap). The old chief- 
 tain, though totally blind and physically helpless, rules 
 his band with the same stoic will of days long ago, 
 when he carried them to the wilderness and wrenched 
 them from the white man’s bullets and Uncle Sam’s 
 bloodhounds. 1 
 
 INCREASING. 
 
 It is generally believed that the Seminoles are dy- 
 ing off, and can last but a few years longer. On the 
 contrary, they have large families of strong, healthy 
 children, and the past ten years has shown a marked 
 increase in their number. The strict law allowing 
 no persons of like gens to marry is a reason why the 
 tribe does not multiply still more rapidly. There 
 are instances where eligible young men find great 
 difficulty in getting wives because of the strictness 
 governing the gens or consanguinity law. One chief 
 has two daughters who find the same trouble in 
 getting married because the men of their choice are 
 too closely connected to them. Thus, a member of 
 the Deer clan may not marry into the same clan, no 
 difference how far removed the relationship may 
 be. Relationship on the father’s side is not guarded 
 against so strenuously, as the gens is all counted 
 through the mother. Very often the law of mar- 
 riage causes strange alliances — young men twenty 
 
 1 Since the above writing, word has been received from the 
 Indian camp as follows: “Hungry Land, Fla., Tallahassee, 
 big sleep, one Moon.’’ 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 85 
 
 years of age having old women for wives. From the 
 best obtainable resources, there were in the year 
 1859, only one hundred and twelve Indians left in 
 Florida. In 1880, by actual count, as reported by 
 the Smithsonian Institute, the Seminoles of Florida 
 numbered two hundred and eight. According to 
 date gotten from the Indians themselves the tribe 
 to-day numbers nearly six hundred. Of this num- 
 ber a great proportion are young children, or in the 
 language of the chief as he made a numerical cal- 
 culation of the members of the different families — 
 “heap pikcanannies, pikcaninnies ojus” (plenty). 
 The Seminoles are divided into four bands, who live 
 in groups apart; each independent of the other, but 
 in friendly relation. They are the Miami Indians, 
 the Big Cypress band, the Talla-hassees and the 
 Okeechobees. Since the death of Woxo-mic-co 
 (Great Chief) five years ago, no one has been elected 
 to fill his place, and it is doubtful if his office will 
 ever be filled. 
 
 No event in the history of the Seminole tribe since 
 the closing of the war has been more tragic than the 
 slaughter of eight of the band, by the hand of Jim 
 Jumper, a half-breed belonging to the tribe. The 
 killing occurred in February, 1891. According to 
 the Indians, the negro had bought some bad whiskey 
 from a white trader, and it made him “ crazy too 
 much in his head ” — doubtless delirium tremens. 
 With his Winchester in his hand he started out. 
 The first victim was his faithful squaw who hap- 
 pened to be close by. Rushing forward and through 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 87 
 
 entire band moving away to escape the visitations of 
 the spirits of the murdered ones. 
 
 On the death of Woxo-mic-co, four candidates for 
 the position of Big Chief appeared, but five years 
 have passed and yet no chief has been elected. In 
 the old chieftain’s death the last vestige of Seminole 
 war spirit is obliterated. Nowhere in their history 
 is their determination to live at peace with their 
 white neighbors more conclusively proven than in the 
 abolition of the office of Great Chief, “ Big Chief ” 
 and war councils, in their minds, being inseparable. 
 
 The authority of the sub-chiefs, who are leaders 
 of the different bands, is purely personal; they can- 
 not decree punishment — a jury or council alone can 
 do this. The government is not harsh, and there 
 is as much freedom as could be possible in these 
 forest homes. 
 
 APPEARANCE AND DRESS. 
 
 In personal appearance, many a Seminole brave 
 might be taken as a type of physical excellence. He 
 is bright copper in color, is over six feet in height, 
 his carriage is self-reliant, deliberate and strong. 
 His step has all the lightness and elasticity that na- 
 ture and practice can combine to produce, as lithe 
 and soft as the tread of a tiger. The Yale, the 
 Harvard or the Oxford student with years of train- 
 ing in the athletic school, would be but a novice in 
 the art of grace, suppleness and mode of walking, 
 
88 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 as compared with this son of the forest. His 
 features are regular, his eyes jet black and vigilant, 
 always on the alert; his nose is straight but slightly 
 broadened, his mouth firm as a stoic’s. The hair 
 is cut close to the head, except the traditional scalp- 
 lock of his fathers, which is plaited and generally 
 concealed under the large turban that adorns his 
 head. 
 
 The dress of the Seminole chief consists of a 
 tunic embraced by a bright sash, close fitting leggins 
 of deer-skin, which are embellished with delicately 
 cut thongs of the same material, that hang in grace- 
 ful lines from the waist to the ankle, where they meet 
 the moccasin. The moccasin is also made of deer- 
 skin, and covers a foot shapely and smaller than that 
 of the average white man. A picturesque feature 
 of the dress is the turban. Oriental in its effect, it 
 has become the emblem of the race. It is worn 
 almost constantly; and is made impromptu from 
 shawls or collossal handkerchiefs wrapped round and 
 round the head and then secured in shape by a band, 
 often made of beaten silver which encircles the whole 
 with brilliant effect. With young braves the more im- 
 portant the occasion, the more enormous the turban. 
 Another characteristic of the dress is the number of 
 handkerchiefs worn, knotted loosely about the neck. 
 Regardless of the • temperature, the Indian adorns 
 himself with six, eight or perhaps a dozen of bright 
 bandannas, exhibiting great pride in the number he 
 possesses. A belt made of buckskin completes the 
 costume. From this are suspended a hunting knife. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 89 
 
 a revolver, a pouch in which is carried the ammuni- 
 tion and small articles necessary for the chase. 
 
 The physique of the women will compare favor- 
 ably with that of the men. They are healthy and 
 robust, and among the younger members some 
 comely well-featured women are found. The dress 
 of the squaw is very simple, consisting of a straight, 
 full skirt, made long enough to hide the feet. The 
 upper part of the dress is a long sleeve, loose-fitting 
 waist, which fails to meet the waist band of the skirt 
 by about two inches; this oddly fashioned garment 
 is cut large enough in the neck to be put on or taken 
 off over the head. A large collar, fashioned after 
 the collarettes worn by the fashionables of the season 
 of 1896, completes the toilet. A Seminole woman 
 wears no head-dress of any description. Even when 
 visiting the white settlements they go with their heads 
 uncovered. Neither do they wear moccasins, at home 
 or abroad, in winter or in summer. They are 
 always bare-footed. 
 
 Vanity and coquetry are inborn in the female 
 character. The Seminole maiden whose life has 
 been spent among the swamps “ far from the 
 madding crowd ” and fashion’s emporium, still 
 practices the arts of her pale faced sister. She af- 
 fects the bang and the psyche knot with as much 
 ease as the New York belle, and with such metro- 
 politan airs soon captivates her forest lover. The 
 same passionate desire for gold and jewels, ever up- 
 permost in the heart of the civilized white woman, be 
 she peasant or queen, shows itself in the Seminole 
 
90 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 squaw. Silver breast-plates, made from quarters 
 and half dollars, beaten into various designs, add to 
 their personal adornment on festal occasions. What 
 the turban is to the brave, such is the necklace of 
 of beads to the woman. It is her chief glory and 
 is worn constantly. Her ambition seems to be to 
 gather as many strings of these highly colored beads 
 about the neck as she can carry, often burdening her- 
 self with several pounds. Even the wee tots are 
 adorned with small strings of the much prized neck- 
 lace. 
 
 Many years ago, when the Indians were encamped 
 on the Kissimmee River, Chief Tallahassee with two 
 or three of the squaws visited Kissimmee. Being 
 taken into a room to see a newly-born babe, he di- 
 rected a squaw to take from her neck a string of 
 beads and put it around the neck of the “ little white 
 pappoose.” This was done as an act of greatest 
 honor, to show the Indian’s appreciation of hospitali- 
 ties received at this house. 
 
 INDEPENDENCE AND HONOR. 
 
 To-day as we meet the Seminole “ at home,” we 
 find the wigwam made of palmetto leaves and the 
 skins of wild animals; the floor of this structure is 
 made of split logs and elevated about two feet above 
 the ground. A few of the Indians have in late 
 years built board houses, but the roof is made of 
 palmetto thatch. Here, surrounded by the gloom 
 and weirdness of the Everglades, miles from white 
 
CHIEF TALLAHASSEE MARTHA TICER SHE YO HEE TOMMY HILL MILAK.EE 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 91 
 
 man’s habitation, the baying of the alligator, the 
 hooting of the great horn owl, and the croaking of 
 the heron are the only sounds to be heard. Truly 
 the picture is one of melancholy and profound dreari- 
 ness. But here we find the aborigines contented 
 because they are out of the white man’s power. 
 Here they hold their councils, here around the 
 camp fires the traditions of the old turbaned tribe 
 are taught to the youths; here, too, they follow the 
 same customs of the race of one hundred and fifty 
 years ago. Here is instilled into the youth the story 
 .. of the perfidies practiced upon their fathers by the 
 white man; and as the children listen to the glories 
 of Osceola, and the tragic ending of their hero, the 
 spirit of conservatism is engendered, and with swell- 
 ing hearts they go on, on, resolute in their determina- 
 tion to avoid disaster, by keeping aloof from the 
 white man. Although far from the influence of 
 civilization, knowledge has come to these people 
 naturally which we have painfully acquired by books. 
 Driven to these Florida jungles after a seven years’ 
 bloody war, here the Seminole, thrown absolutely 
 upon his own resources, has continued to dwell. He 
 has accepted no aid, his people have increased, and 
 in a manner have prospered. No alms-houses are 
 supported for their benefit. This independent In- 
 dian does not increase the expense of the jail nor the 
 penitentiary; he is no starving Indian who must be 
 fed at the expense of the Government. In these 
 red sons of the forest we meet the original ‘ s real 
 Indian,” unchanged by contact with the white man. 
 
92 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 The visitor to the “ Wild West,” who complains that 
 “ the Indians do not look like the Indians of fifty 
 years ago,” would have little ground for his com- 
 plaint were he to visit the Seminoles in their marshy 
 fastnesses. Florida can boast of one of the few 
 tribes of “ real Indians ” in the United States. The 
 present Seminole must be credited with a high sense 
 of honor; and he can keep a pledge as well as did 
 Massasoit. A few years ago, during a teriffic coast 
 storm some Indian braves asked shelter of a Florida 
 settler. The Indians were received and entertained 
 until the weather settled. On leaving, the chief 
 sweeping his hand toward the broad Savannah, said, 
 “Captain, hunt deer?” The answer was “Some- 
 times.” “ Indian no hunt Captain’s deer,” was the 
 rejoinder. Very little in itself, but it meant much, 
 for since that time there has not been an Indian 
 hunter within miles of the place. 
 
 Famed in song and story is the pledge of the old 
 turbaned tribe of the Seminoles. Not more worthy 
 are they of commemoration than their descendants 
 of to-day. A few months ago, Billy Bowlegs and 
 Tommy Doctor paid an unexpected visit to Kissim- 
 mee. They walked from their camp at Okeechobee 
 Marsh, a distance of one hundred and twenty-five 
 miles to tell their white friend that “ Indians no lie.” 
 This was all. They apparently had no other business 
 in town, and after a few hours’ visit left as quietly as 
 they had come. Their mission was completed, their 
 white brother believed them, their honor was clear; 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 93 
 
 they could now dance at the Green Corn Dance with 
 merry hearts. 
 
 A few months prior to this, these Indians had 
 promised their white friend to act as guide on a bear 
 hunt in the Everglades. All arrangements had been 
 made for the hunt, except to fix the time and place 
 of meeting. This was to be done through a white 
 settler. Later, plans for the hunt were perfected, 
 and word was sent to the Indian village. Accord- 
 ing to their promise the Indians came to the settler’s 
 home on the day specified, but found that the white 
 man had left his house early in the morning with 
 no message as to how or where the Indians should 
 follow. The Indians, not knowing which way to 
 go to find the party, could do nothing but return to 
 their camp — a distance of forty or fifty miles. 
 Subsequent developments proved that the white man 
 wished to act as guide, and thereby earn for himself 
 the remuneration he expected the Indians would re- 
 ceive. 
 
 the seminole’s unwritten verdict of the 
 
 WHITE RACE. 
 
 “ Es-ta-had-kee, ho-lo-wa-gus, lox-ee-o-jus ” 
 
 (White man no good, lie too much.) 
 
 In some mysterious way, the Seminole’s conception 
 of the Decalogue neither to lie, nor steal, nor cheat, 
 is the foundation stone upon which he builds his 
 character, principle and honor, for it is taught to 
 
94 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 the race, from the cradle to the grave, to the 
 swinging papoose on its mother’s shoulders, all 
 through life, till the Great Spirit calls to the Happy- 
 Hunting Grounds. Let the reader stop and con- 
 sider that here is a community of hundreds, living 
 in open palmetto camps. No locks, no doors, no 
 courts, and no officers to keep the law; a people, who 
 for generations have lived, pure in morals, with no 
 thieving, no trespassing, and no profanity (for the 
 Seminole has no oath in his language). With his 
 conception of the Deity, he reverences the name of 
 the Great Spirit, and “ Thou shalt not take the name 
 of the Lord thy God in vain,” he venerates, as did 
 the Hebrews in the days of Moses. What would 
 be the result if an equal number of the negro race 
 were left under the same conditions for two genera- 
 tion? Nay, what would be the history of six hun- 
 dred whites forced to live for even twenty-five years 
 like the Seminoles? 
 
 With the Seminole’s power to condense into a 
 single phrase, he crystalizes his verdict of the white 
 man into the above forcible expression. In pa- 
 thetic, but terse language, it tells of generations of 
 wrong treatment at the hands of the white brother; 
 sharp practices and broken treaties, and misrepre- 
 sentations are all included in the general summing up. 
 
 From his oral lexicon, he has chosen these few 
 words, which reveal the throbbing inner soul of 
 these red children of the forests. 
 
 No pages, no volumes, no libraries are required to 
 chronicle his experience. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 95 
 
 Be it remembered that all history of the relation 
 of the two races has been written by the white his- 
 torian, but were the Indian to write the story, the 
 other side of the picture would be shown. The com- 
 plaints of the white man are carried, as it were, on 
 the wings of the wind, while that of the poor Indian 
 is drowned in the tempest. 
 
 With a stoicism born of generations of training, 
 the Seminole shows no ill-will, no resentment, and the 
 harshest criticism he ever makes against his white 
 conquerors and victorious brothers is this phrase, 
 “ Es-ta-had kee, ho-lo-wag-us, etc.” And whether in 
 vindication of some offense, or given as a simple 
 opinion, his pent-up feelings find expression in this 
 one forcible epithet, and seems to be the missile he 
 hurls at the white man. 
 
 The average American with his standard of 
 morals calloused by dealings in the business and 
 social world, smiles at the Seminole’s verdict of his 
 character and with indifferent shrug, jocularly re- 
 peats it as being only — the opinion of an Indian. 
 
 But, measured by the Indian’s conception of honor, 
 how small we must appear to the Seminole patriot, 
 for, from his unwritten code of ethics, to one who 
 knows the well grounded Indian character, his 
 estimate of white manhood means more than is ap- 
 parent underneath his calm exterior. 
 
 ENDURANCE AND FEASTS. 
 
 When one sees the great moral strength of the 
 Seminoles, notes the wonderful physical endurance 
 
9 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 of which they are capable, observes the fearless, 
 haughty courage they display, he cannot but be sur- 
 prised that the Florida wars were not more disas- 
 trous than they were, or that any of the Seminoles 
 ever yielded to removal. To test their endurance 
 the old chiefs have been known to take a live coal 
 from the camp fire, place it on the wrist and without 
 an emotion let it burn until the heat was exhausted. 
 Tustenuggee would remove the cool ember and 
 quietly reach down and put a fresh one in its place. 
 This old chief, so famous in history, never yielded 
 to removal, and lived till a few years ago with his 
 tribe in the Everglades. The goal of the Seminole 
 is to learn to endure and to achieve. To this end 
 is every Seminole boy educated, and different modes 
 of developing the powers of endurance are employed. 
 Carrying a deer for a long distance without fatigue, 
 walking or running for many miles, jumping, 
 wrestling, poling a canoe, etc., are some of the prac- 
 tical modes. The Spartan spirit is supreme in the 
 minds of the tribe, and the youth are taught that 
 no merit is greater than that of bearing pain with- 
 out complaint. At the annual feast of the Green 
 Corn Dance the young Indians of a certain age are 
 initiated into the rights of warriors, and are subjected 
 to trying ordeals. They must pass through the “ In- 
 sha-pit,” which means the cutting of the legs till the 
 blood flows, and other cruel arts, after which the In- 
 dian boy is pronounced a warrior, ready for the battle 
 of life, whatever the Great Spirit decrees. It is the 
 strict adherence to the teachings of their ancestors 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 97 
 
 that makes the present generation the brave and 
 proud people that they are. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, the Seminoles celebrate 
 a Christmas — “ All same white man’s Kismas,” is 
 their reply when questioned concerning the celebra- 
 tion. This is the great feast day of the Shot-cay- 
 taw,” (Green Corn Dance) and occurs each year 
 about the first of July, and is the time for assembling 
 the whole band. 
 
 The ceremony is largely under the control of the 
 Medicine Men, who are important personages among 
 all bands, and act as advisers, as priests and as doc- 
 tors. In the authority of the Medicine Man one 
 recognizes a similarity to the priests of the Ancient 
 East as well as the doctrines laid down by the Aztecs. 
 The festivals observed by the Florida Indians show 
 teachings centuries old — blending the peculiarities 
 of different races — the carnival of the Romans, 
 with the Jewish feasts of Moses’s day, and the mys- 
 tic link of the Aztec jubilee. 
 
 The Feast of the Shot-cay-taw has many similari- 
 ties to the historical records of the National Festival 
 of the Aztecs. The feast is for sorrowing, rejoic- 
 ing and purifying. This is the beginning of the 
 New Year when, following the traditions of ancient 
 people, old fires are allowed to go out, not a spark 
 is allowed to remain. New fire is produced arti- 
 ficially; this is the Sacred Fire and must be made 
 with the flint rock of their ancestors. The new fire 
 is presented from one tribe to another, and is re- 
 ceived as a token of friendship. Then they as- 
 
98 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 semble around the fires singing and dancing. Grati- 
 tude is expressed to the Great Spirit, if the year has 
 been abundant. If death has overtaken the tribe 
 mournful strains expressive of pity and supplica- 
 tion are invoked. This custom was borrowed from 
 the ancient tribes who worshipped the sun. The 
 Medicine Men arrange the date for the Green Corn 
 Dance, which is governed by a certain phase of the 
 moon, and runners are sent from band to band to 
 announce the time. 
 
 The ceremony preceding the dance permits all 
 men who have evaded the laws to be reinstated by 
 indulging in certain trying ordeals. The transgres- 
 sors appear a short time before the dance. They 
 are placed in a closed skin tent where a large hot 
 stone lies on the fire. The famous “ Black Drink ” 
 of Osceola’s time is administered, water is poured 
 on the stone, and the culprits are shut up in this suf- 
 focating heat. If they pass the ordeal, they are 
 forgiven and allowed to join in the feasting and 
 dancing when it occurs. This same “ Black Drink ” 
 which is a nauseating medicine from herbs, is taken 
 by all the tribe on the first day of the dance. This 
 cleanses the system and enables them to “ eat, drink, 
 and be merry ” to the fullest extent. 
 
 At this great re-union, old friendships are revived, 
 courtships take a prominent part, and plans are 
 formulated for hunting expeditions, syrup boilings 
 and “ Koonti ” gatherings. Members of one settle- 
 ment will agree to meet certain members of another 
 family at a certain point on a fixed day of the moon. 
 
BILLY BOWLEGS AND TOMMY DOCTOR 
 
 They walked one hundred and twenty-five miles to tell their white 
 friend, 4 Indian no lie.’ ” 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 99 
 
 There will be no broken pledges — no disappoint- 
 ments. The Seminole promises nothing to his people 
 that he will not fulfill. 
 
 One of the most picturesque games enjoyed by the 
 Indians during this festival is the dancing around 
 the festal pole. On the night of the full moon, 
 they dance from sunset until sunrise. It is very in- 
 teresting to see the harmony in running around the 
 circle. As the women throw the ball at the pole 
 in the center, the men catch it in their bags that 
 are made around bent sticks, which have bows each 
 about four inches in diameter, with a cross at the 
 lower side. 
 
 When the dancing is over, the circle about the 
 pole is perfectly symmetrical, and about ten inches 
 deep, made by the running and dancing. 
 
 An exciting feature of the dance is the racing for 
 a wife. A level course is laid off and the race be- 
 gins. The dusky lover selects the maiden for whom 
 he would strive, because he must catch her before he 
 may court her. The Indian girl is his equal, and 
 often his superior in fleetness, and need not be 
 caught unless she so wishes. But, like her civilized 
 sister, she generally encourages the pursuit until 
 she is tired, and then gracefully yields on the home- 
 ward stretch. However, should she win the race 
 the young lover need have no further aspirations in 
 that direction. He may be saved the embarrassment 
 of future humiliation. 
 
ioo THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 THE HUNTING DANCE. 
 
 But the Hunting Dance ! What memories of cen- 
 turies past are kept alive by this brown-skinned race, 
 as they observe the ancient feast of an aboriginal 
 people. 
 
 With an invitation from the old chieftain, Talla- 
 hassee, who is patriarch of the tribe, to attend the 
 Hunting Dance or Harvest Feast, the temptation was 
 too great to resist. This festival occurs only in 
 cycles — once ever}' four years — and the character 
 of its observance is known to but few, if any, white 
 people. The Indian camps are so inaccessible that 
 it takes nerve and muscle to reach them ; but knowing 
 that the entire band of Indians would be on hand 
 in gala spirits and gorgeous attire, and knowing, too, 
 that it was an opportunity that might come but once 
 in a lifetime, the question of “ to go or not to go,” 
 was soon settled, and preparations for the irksome 
 journey were under way. 
 
 By train ride of one hundred and sixty miles we 
 reached a little Florida hamlet, where a teamster 
 with a creaking wagon and a pair of lean, cadaver- 
 ous-looking horses were secured. Then followed a 
 drive of thirty miles through ponds, swamps, 
 prairie flats, slush and water; with sand-flies whirring 
 and buzzing in our ears as they seemed to offer their 
 orchestral escort through the dismal funeral Alla- 
 pata flats. The journey was nearing its end. The 
 sun, shining with a July fierceness, glinted the wig- 
 wams of the Seminoles. Tired and hungry we ap- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA ioi 
 
 proached the village. Here the signs of the festival 
 were everywhere apparent. With the inborn 
 courtesy, that is ever present with these untutored 
 Seminoles in the presence of a friend, they met us 
 with royal grace. A wigwam was placed at our dis- 
 posal, out baggage was unloaded, and in a quiet and 
 unobtrusive manner a fine saddle of venison was pre- 
 sented. 
 
 The Indians were bubbling over with excitement, 
 for it was a time of rejoicing — a carnival, when 
 men, women and children all joined in the merriment. 
 
 As our visit always means presents for the Indians, 
 expectant faces from the little toddling children, as 
 well as from the older members of the camp, re- 
 minded us that it was time to distribute tobacco, 
 pipes, red handkerchiefs, trinkets for the women, 
 candy and nuts for the little ones. 
 
 Happiness pervaded the Everglade village. The 
 older Indians, with the exception of the old chief, 
 played like children, keeping the joyous revelry up 
 from hour to hour. 
 
 The afternoon of our arrival was devoted to a 
 ball game. An aboriginal ball game! Certainly 
 played by a code of rules more than one hundred 
 and fifty years old, where no curved balls nor Yale 
 coaching had entered, but where swelled and echoed 
 the glad free trump of joy as the game went on with 
 scientific strokes and measured tread, with now and 
 then a “ rush ” as the ball missed its target and 
 bounded out of its circle. Both men and women 
 participated in the game, the women being as adept 
 
i02 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 as the men. The game is unique, and might be 
 practised with much pleasure by our American boys. 
 
 Within a circle whose circumference is about thirty 
 feet is erected a pole, which serves as a goal. The 
 players take sides, or in country school parlance, 
 “ choose up.” The object of the game is to strike 
 the pole with the ball, which is knocked with a 
 racket or stick, which is made of hickory, with a 
 netted pocket made of deer thongs. 
 
 The ball is tossed up and caught in the netted 
 pocket, and then hurled at the pole. The opposing 
 side endeavor to prevent the ball from touching the 
 post. Sometimes the ball strikes the ground away 
 beyond the line of play, and then a scamper for it 
 is a moment of great excitement. Men, women and 
 children make a rush for the ball, the victor having 
 the next play. A scorekeeper stands by the pole, 
 keeping a record of the play. 
 
 As the twilight falls the players end the game 
 and the feast begins. The edibles are distributed 
 into three parts, the men taking their portion and go- 
 ing to a selected spot, the women likewise to a point 
 designated for them, and the children to a third lo- 
 cation. This peculiar arrangement is not indulged 
 in at any other time, but has some ancient signifi- 
 cance and is followed at this festival. 
 
 When the feast is over, which consisted of the 
 fruits of the chase and the best products of the little 
 palmetto-fenced gardens, the band assembled for the 
 grand hunting dance. Campfires burned all around 
 the dancing square, and as the dusky forms emerged 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 103 
 
 from the shadows of the great live oaks, clad as 
 they were in most fantastic attire, the scene was most 
 picturesque. 
 
 Women, men and children gathered at the council 
 lodge. Yards and yards of brightly-colored ribbons 
 floated from the head, neck and shoulders of the 
 women, with beads of various hues and many pounds 
 in quantity around their necks, while beaten silver 
 ornaments fastened on their waists added to the deco- 
 ration. The men, likewise, were in brilliant coats 
 and enormous turbans, with leggins gracefully 
 adorned with the fringe of the doe skin, with moc- 
 casins fresh and new. Nor had the children been 
 neglected, for, with swirling ribbons and bright red 
 dresses that reached to their slim ankles, they came 
 bubbling with joy and laughter, ready to take their 
 places in the dance circle. 
 
 Now the dancers are ready. In the centre of the 
 square the fire, the Sacred Fire, flashes and flickers. 
 At each corner of the square stands a pole. The 
 leader, who on this occasion is Chief Bill Stewart, 
 waits at the door of the lodge. He starts a weird 
 melody, and the band locks hands, marking time as 
 they make up the chant. The chief leads off the 
 entire band in the procession, making as picturesque 
 a figure as was ever witnessed in a New York cotil- 
 lion. 
 
 With the reader’s permission to digress — per- 
 tinent at this point is the ironical comment of an 
 editorial writer in one of the great dailies, when he 
 says, “ Fancy Lo in a stove pipe hat.” We have 
 
104 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 seen him and he makes a good-looking native Ameri- 
 can. As he approached, the splendid form of Billy 
 Doctor was recognized in stove pipe hat, full evening 
 broadcloth suit, with white cravat, low cut waistcoat, 
 and satin lined “ spike tail ” coat. The entire out- 
 fit was possibly the gift of some Palm Beach tourist. 
 To Billy’s credit, he only wore the costume for fan- 
 tastic effect. 
 
 If the reader will follow the lines of the accom- 
 panying diagram, tracing from left, he will see that 
 the long line of dancers, as they pass around the 
 poles, appears to be coming and going, sometimes 
 three and four abreast, but all in such symmetrical 
 motion that the dance is very beautiful, coupled with 
 
 COUNCIL 
 
 HOUSE 
 
 THE HUNTING DANCE. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 105 
 
 the grace and modesty of innocence, with an ac- 
 companiment of singing strangely sweet. 
 
 The various dances of these people show how close 
 they live to nature. As they move to the rhythmical 
 cadence of the owl song, we hear “ Waugh-ho-ooo- 
 whoo whoo,” of the great horned owl; then the 
 penewa, or wild turkey dance, with its notes of the 
 gobbling bird; and so on with many others. 
 
 A feature of the dance, and one that might be 
 commended, is that those who dance must work or 
 hunt. Each morning of the festival every member 
 of the camp, down to the wee child, must hunt, 
 leaving the camp by daybreak and hunting till twelve 
 o’clock noon. The men hunt large game; the boys 
 go for rabbits, birds and squirrels; while the women 
 hunt the hogs and dig potatoes, and the very small 
 children “ hunt ” water, and bring in sticks of wood. 
 To their white friends, they said, “ Dance to-night? ” 
 This was intended for an invitation, and was an honor 
 rarely accorded; but with the stern, unwritten law 
 before them, they explained, “ White friends must 
 hunt, hunt, hunt. All same Indian. No hunt, no 
 dance.” 
 
 Another picturesque game is the dancing around 
 the festal pole. In this dance, the women enter from 
 one side, and the men from another. Around the 
 ankles of the women are strapped clusters of shells of 
 the highland terrapin, partly filled with pebbles; these 
 shells are concealed by the long dress skirt, and as 
 they dance, singing the long-cadenced song of their 
 fathers, they make melodious music. A remarkable 
 
io 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 feature in the perfection of the dance is that as the 
 women move off not a sound is heard, that bunch 
 of shells is as silent as the tomb; and yet it would 
 be practically impossible for one to move the shells 
 by hand without causing them to rattle. 
 
 There is so much that is elevating and purifying in 
 the conduct of these people that it would be hard to 
 describe the scenes, the love and good humor that 
 flash between the moments of the times spent in the 
 council at the feasts and the dances. 
 
 SLAVERY. 
 
 That slavery existed among the present Seminoles 
 has been a disputed question. That it did is known 
 to a few; but any interference would have been re- 
 ceived as an act of impertinence by the Indians, as 
 well as by the slaves themselves; as was evidenced 
 a few years ago when a tourist meeting Tuste- 
 nuggee’s slave (who was watching his master’s canoe 
 while his master sold some skins) attempted to en- 
 lighten the negro on his true condition. As the chief 
 came back to the canoe, the philanthropist stranger 
 began to explain his mission. The chief, with the 
 ferocity which at once stamped him as a true Tus- 
 tenuggee, ordered the negro to “ go,” which com- 
 mand was instantly obeyed. Then, turning to the 
 stranger, he said, “ White man’s slave free. Injun 
 este lusta (negro) belong to Injun — now you go.” 
 The philanthropist also quickly obeyed. 
 
 Tallahassee’s squaw died about thirty-six years ago, 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 107 
 
 leaving a family of six boys, the youngest one being 
 but a small pickaninny. These boys were cared for 
 by the two negro slaves who spoke only the Seminole 
 language and were perfectly content to do the 
 drudgery for the family. The number of slaves 
 among the remnant left in Florida was small, but 
 they were allied to the Indians and, while treated 
 kindly, they were expected to obey. In the last few 
 years they have all died off with the exception of one 
 old slave, Hannah, in the Tallahassee band. 
 
 HANNAH, THE LAST LIVING SLAVE OF THE SEMI- 
 NOLE INDIANS. 
 
 A character holding a position unparalleled in 
 Uncle Sam’s domain, is Hannah, the negro slave, be- 
 longing to Tallahassee’s family. She is a full- 
 blooded negress, with thick lips, broad flat nose and 
 kinky hair, which is tied in little plaits with the 
 proverbial string of the Southern negro. 
 
 Hannah is the last vestige of Seminole slavery — 
 the one great subject of warfare seventy-five years 
 ago between the Seminoles and the Southern plan- 
 ters, and upon which, truly speaking, was based the 
 “ Seven Years’ War.” Hannah does the work of 
 the family, and, though she is kindly treated, yet a 
 certain contempt is felt for her, for Hannah is an 
 este lust a (a negro) and to the haughty Seminole 
 a negro is the lowest of human creatures. 
 
 The occasion when Hannah’s picture was kodaked 
 is fresh in memory. All preparations were being 
 
io8 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 made for the feast, but Billy Ham, Tallahassee’s 
 son, had not been able to get a deer, and so had pur- 
 chased beef from a market thirty miles away. With 
 pots and kettles in evidence, Hannah was preparing 
 the beef, when the little box-like instrument was 
 gently rested on a rail near by. Hannah’s eye de- 
 tected the object and she turned away, and began 
 busying herself around the boiling kettle on the 
 ground. The camera was adjusted, finger on but- 
 ton ready to snap, and a masked indifference affected, 
 and an animated conversation begun with one of the 
 Indians near by. When Hannah returned to her 
 work about the- table, snap ! went the button, and 
 Hannah’s ebony face and twisted, string-tied locks 
 was photographed on the plate, and proud was the 
 owner to possess so good a likeness of Uncle Sam’s 
 one and only unfreed slave. 
 
 UNWRITTEN LAWS. 
 
 The government among the Seminoles is peculiar, 
 it is remarkable, it is magnificent. There is no ly- 
 ing, no stealing, no murder and yet apparently there 
 is no restraining law. The Seminole has many no- 
 ble traits; he is proverbially truthful. Pertinent was 
 the reply to the hunter when he asked if it was safe 
 to leave his gun in the wigwam. “ Yes,” replied the 
 chief, “ there is not a white man within fifty miles of 
 the place.” 
 
 Reverence, too, is one of his distinguishing fea- 
 tures. His language contains no oath, nor any word 
 
HANNAH, THE ONLY REMAINING SLAVE OF THE 
 SEMINOLES 
 
 In Tallahassee’s camp making sofka for dinner. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 109 
 
 to express disrespect to the Supreme Being. A mis- 
 sionary will receive most respectful attention, for 
 their reverence to God will not permit them to laugh 
 at His messenger. 
 
 If the annals of this heroic band were chronicled, 
 they would say, “ They are prouder than the proud- 
 est Inca, braver than the boldest Saxon knight, fear- 
 less and unrelenting as foes, devoted and unflinching 
 in friendship, and the purity of their morals without 
 a parallel in the history of any other race or tribe on 
 the globe.” 
 
 Anxiously and carefully have we studied their 
 form of Government, knowing that they leave their 
 money, their trinkets and their garments in the open 
 wigwam. With carefully-framed questions we 
 asked of Billy Bowlegs, while on his recent visit to 
 our home, “ Billy, your money, you leave it in your 
 wigwam, you go back, money hi-e-pus (gone), In- 
 dians steal it, then what you do?” He answered, 
 “ Me don’t know.” “ Yes, but, Billy, white man 
 come in my house, my money steal ’em — by-and-by, 
 in jail me put him. Indian, all the same, bad Indian 
 steal. What does Indian do?” Again the answer 
 came, “ Me don’t know.” Making the points 
 plainer, illustrating by the theft of his gun, his pro- 
 visions, showing him that a bad Indian from one of 
 the other settlements might come in his absence and 
 steal his Winchester, with perfect understanding of 
 our meaning, the reply came as before, “ Me don’t 
 know, Indian no take ’em — Indian no steal.” In 
 such a socialistic State, where there is no crime, there 
 
no THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 can be no punishment. Were a crime to be com- 
 mitted, a council of chiefs would meet and decree a 
 punishment, and it would have enough severity to 
 serve as a lesson for all future miscreants. 
 
 The only “ fall from grace ” we have ever known 
 among any of the bands, extending over a period of 
 twenty years’ acquaintance, was in the case of Buster 
 Flint. Old Buster was a large, powerful Indian, 
 but as the braves express it, he was “ ho-lo-wa-gus ” 
 (no good), “lazy too much,” and laid around the 
 settlement as a regular loafer, too indolent to work 
 or hunt; and in consequence was ragged and un- 
 kempt. On one occasion, while our tent was pitched 
 near the palmetto wigwams and the hunters had 
 been absent for the day, on the return a small red 
 napkin was found to be missing. Upon calling 
 Captain Tom Tiger’s attention to the fact, he re- 
 plied, “ Me know,” and very soon the napkin was 
 quietly returned to its place. Old Buster could not 
 resist the bright red cloth and the others knew his 
 weakness. What punishment was meted out to the 
 old Indian was not learned, but certainly enough to 
 terrify him during the remainder of our visit. 
 
 The Seminoles mean to be honest in their dealings 
 with the whites. Occasionally the white man may 
 be deceived when the Indian intends no wrong. As 
 the National Editorial Excursion once made a tour 
 of Florida, the train made a stop at a little trad- 
 ing post on the east coast. Quite a joke was in- 
 nocently played upon the party by Captain Tom 
 Tiger. A few Indians had come into the village 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA m 
 
 to trade at the stores. Captain Tom had brought 
 with him a load of sour oranges which grow wild 
 in the region of his camp. The oranges are beau- 
 tiful to the eye, but oh, how bitter! The merry 
 editors saw the golden fruit and immediately of- 
 fered to purchase. The chief was glad to sell, and 
 only asked one cent apiece for the fruit; but the edi- 
 tors would not take advantage of the Indian’s igno- 
 'rance of the price of oranges, so they paid him 
 tw r enty-five cents per dozen for them. At this the 
 load of oranges was soon disposed of and the chief, 
 with perfect honesty of intention in the transaction, 
 was the proud possessor of about twenty-five dollars. 
 Those of the party who first tasted the fruit said 
 nothing until all the oranges had been bought; then 
 they were told to taste their oranges, and a laugh, 
 long and loud, went up from one end of the car to 
 the other, and as the train rolled away the good- 
 natured but victimized passengers treated Captain 
 Tom Tiger, chief of the Seminoles, to a shower of 
 sour oranges. The Indian was dumbfounded. 
 The wild orange is an article of barter in Florida, 
 but not until the idea dawned upon Tom that the 
 excursionists had mistaken his fruit for the sweet 
 orange did he awaken from his bewilderment, and 
 with earnest nods of the head and impressive ges- 
 tures he soliloquized, “ White man no like Indian’s 
 orange — sour too much. Me tell white man, one 
 orange, one cent. White man tell me one orange, 
 two cents. Indian no cheat white man.” 
 
 The Seminoles look upon the dim past as a lost 
 
1 12 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 paradise in which there was happiness and inno- 
 cence. “ Before the white man came we were men,” 
 says the Indian. Their faith in their forefathers is 
 reverential. They believe they always did what was 
 right. They were kind and true to their friends, but 
 terrible to their enemies. 
 
 The Florida Indians are an industrious people. 
 While the fruits of the chase are their main sup- 
 port, they cultivate the fields, raising vegetables, corn 
 and sugar cane. The men make canoes, which they 
 sell to hunters and trappers. Moccasins, baskets 
 and koonti starch, plumes, smoked skins and venison 
 are among their exports. Complaints are sometimes 
 heard that the Indians are killing off the deer and 
 the alligator, which is very true; but alike are the 
 white men and the negro engaged in the same occu- 
 pation. Before the white race taught the Indian 
 the monetary value of the game of the country, he 
 slew them only for food and clothing. Long cen- 
 turies had he lived on this continent, but the herds of 
 buffalo were not lessened; nor the vast quantities of 
 game driven to the fastnesses of the forest. Till 
 the white trader came to hunt the game as a source 
 of revenue or for ruthless sport, the Indian knew no 
 such motive. 
 
 Like his forefathers, the Seminole is no prohi- 
 bitionist, but enjoys the fire water, as much as did 
 the savage tribe that greeted the good ship, The 
 Half Moon, in the land-locked waters of Manhat- 
 tan, three hundred years ago, and drank the first 
 American toast to the intrepid Henry Hudson. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 113 
 
 Since that first great tipple in New York which 
 ended in such a scene of intoxication, causing the 
 Mohicans to name the island “ the place of the big 
 drunk,” the Indian practices more precaution; and 
 one of their number always remains sober and 
 watches his boozy brother like a hawk. This is the 
 practice of the Seminoles. Before going on a spree, 
 a selection is made of one of the band whose duty it 
 is to stand guard over all weapons and see that no 
 injury is done to any member of the tribe. The 
 “ sprees ” in which they indulge are too infrequent 
 to warrant them being classed as intemperate. It is 
 opportune at this point to say that only under the 
 degrading influence of whiskey, which the white 
 civilization brings to him, does the Seminole ever 
 show any demoralized condition, and the proper 
 official should see to the enforcement of the 
 laws against selling liquor to these child-like peo- 
 ple. 
 
 Only a few of the tribe talk broken English. 
 The chiefs disapprove of it on general principles — 
 for fear they will talk too much. To keep aloof 
 from the white man, and the white man’s ways, is 
 the training of the Seminole youth. Occasionally a 
 few of the tribe leave their marshy homes. These 
 talk sufficiently to do their trading when visiting 
 towns to dispose of their plumes, deer skins, basket 
 work, etc. These products always find ready sale, 
 and when the great day of shopping begins, a 
 “ corner ” in red calico and fancy colored beads is 
 the result. The squaws have control of their own 
 
1 14 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 money, when on a purchasing expedition, a fact 
 which makes them very American. 
 
 The squaws are about as sociable as the half-wild 
 deer that are petted by the guests of the St. Augus- 
 tine hotels. As seen in their camps, clustered to- 
 gether, half-alarmed, half-curious, the side glances 
 from their dark-brown eyes seem to utter a protest 
 against the Government’s eternal “ move on.” A 
 more severely pure-minded people are not to be 
 found on the globe. The women are above re- 
 proach. Were a white man to insult a Seminole 
 woman by word or look it would be well for that 
 man never to appear in the presence of the tribe 
 again. The Seminole girl who would unwisely be- 
 stow her affections would be killed outright by the 
 squaws. In the history of the Everglade Indians 
 only one such case is known and at the birth of the 
 half-breed child the mother was taken to the woods 
 and there hung to a tree by the indignant squaws. 
 The infant was also destroyed. In questioning, as 
 to which of the squaws did the killing, the answer 
 was “ All, every squaw.” On the principle of Amer- 
 ican lynch law each hand helped pull the rope. 
 
 GENS AND MARRIAGE. 
 
 The Seminoles, like other Indian tribes, are classi- 
 fied by gens. This lineage in the Florida tribe is 
 traced through the mother. The child belongs to 
 the clan which the mother represents. The mother 
 exercises absolute ownership, and should a squaw and 
 

 A PICTURESQUE GROUP 
 Seminoles of the Cow Creek band. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 115 
 
 her husband separate for any cause, the children be- 
 long unconditionally to the wife. 
 
 Modesty, as the great ornament of women, is 
 taught to the girls, and as she is about to enter into 
 life there is a moral sublimity in the counsel that 
 teaches her to hold an implicit reverence for her hus- 
 band, but at the same time she becomes a teacher and 
 custodian of her children. One young Indian of our 
 acquaintance is divorced from his squaw. They 
 have one pickaninny now, three years old. Asking 
 the father to give the boy up, and holding out allur- 
 ing inducements, he replied, “ Munks-chay (no), 
 squaw’s pickaninny.” The gens represented in the 
 Seminole tribe to-day are the Otter, the Tiger, the 
 Deer, the Wind, the Bird, the Snake, the Bear, and 
 the Wolf. Other gens are now extinct in Florida. 
 Thus, in asking about the Alligator tribe, the chief 
 replied, “ All gone — long time ago — to Indian 
 Territory.” A young brave dare not marry a girl 
 from his own gens, he must select her from another 
 clan. When asking a chief what he would do were 
 he to want a girl from his own gens for a wife, and 
 the girl should want to marry him, he replied, “ Me 
 no marry her.” The young Indian is shy and bash- 
 ful in his courtships, and having resolved to marry, 
 conceals his first overtures with all the Indian cun- 
 ning. His intention is secretly conveyed to the girl’s 
 parents, and should there be no objection the young 
 woman is at liberty to accept or reject. No Semi- 
 nole girl is forced into a marriage. The lover, with 
 permission to woo, shows some token of affection; a 
 
ii 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 deer is killed, and laid at the door o£ the wigwam. 
 If the present is received the lover is happy. If it 
 remains untouched, he may do as his white brother 
 does, go hang himself, or, as is usual, go seek a more 
 willing fair one. The prospective bride, to show 
 her appreciation of her lover, makes a shirt and pre- 
 sents it to him. No pomp or ceremony is connected 
 with the marriage. The day is set by the parents, 
 the groom goes to the birde’s house, at the setting of 
 the sun. He is now her husband, and at her home, 
 he lives for a period. When the young couple build 
 their own wigwam, they may build it at the camp of 
 the wife’s mother, but not among the husband’s 
 relatives. 
 
 BEAUTY AND MUSIC. 
 
 The Indian has a high sense of beauty in woman, 
 and has been demonstrated on several occasions dur- 
 ing their visits to the different towns. A Seminole 
 chief was taken to the parlor of a hotel, where a new 
 piano was the exciting theme, to see what effect the 
 music would have upon his savage mind. But the 
 fair-hjaired performer absorbed his attention, and 
 with a shrug which showed his appreciation for 
 beauty more than for music, he said, “Ugh! white 
 man’s squaw heap purty! ” 
 
 Music is not a genius with the Seminoles. True, 
 they have some songs which are monotone and 
 rhythmical. They are the hunter’s songs, the camp 
 songs and the lullabys. The war songs which sent 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1 17 
 
 such terror to the hearts of the white settlers in Sem- 
 inole war days they seem to have forgotten. Some 
 of the Indians have natural musical ears, and they 
 are recognized by their people as musical leaders. 
 They have no standard pitch, but start their songs 
 where the natural quality of the voice renders it eas- 
 iest to sing. The pitch of the song depends upon 
 the individual. 
 
 An incident, full of pathos, yet illustrating one of 
 life’s parodies, is recalled. It was occasioned by 
 hearing the music of some old familiar tunes played 
 in a gruesome Everglade home. As the picture re- 
 curs, one sees a savage tribe — a weird camp scene, 
 with its storm-beaten wigwams in the background — 
 and dusky warriors and squaws moving hither and 
 thither in the dim shadows of the camp fire. In the 
 center of the group sat the musician, who was the 
 happy possessor of a “ box of music,” an organette, 
 which he had recently purchased. The melodies of 
 “ Home, Sweet Home,” “ Hail Columbia,” and 
 “ Nearer My God To Thee,” floated out upon the 
 stillness of the night, telling the story of the white 
 man’s inheritance — happy homes, a free Govern- 
 ment and an ennobling religion. To the Seminole 
 the tuneful strains contained no more sentiment than 
 the murmur of the brook: for they are a people 
 without a home, without a country, and without a 
 God in the sense of these songs. 
 
1 1 8 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 RELATIONSHIP TO THE AZTECS AND 
 EASTERN TRIBES 
 
 “ Yah-vey, Yah-vey ” 
 
 To-day, the antiquarian may lay aside his musty 
 parchments of antiquity and in the heart of the Big 
 Everglades study the history of an ancient people 
 through living authors. 
 
 “ Jah-vey — Jah-vey — Yehovah — Yehovah! ” 
 Monotone, yet rhythmical, the brown-faced singers 
 chanted the hymn. Over and over again were the 
 words repeated by the Seminole choir, till the word 
 “ Jah-vey ” mystical with the centuries past, dwelt 
 with the listener. None but a Hebrew scholar 
 would have caught the word with an understanding 
 of its meaning. The occasion was a Fourth of July 
 celebration when the Rt. Rev. Wm. Crane Gray 
 was visiting the Seminole Mission at Im-mo-ka-lee, 
 situated near the western border of the Florida Ever- 
 glades. 
 
 The Indians, full of confidence and kindly feeling, 
 had consented to sign and here appeared the wonder- 
 ful, yes, startling, observation made by Bishop Gray. 
 “ Jah-vey ” is the Hebrew word meaning Jehovah, 
 a word held in such awe by the children of Israel, 
 and as claimed by scholars, too sacred to pass the lips 
 of man, that even its correct pronunciation is un- 
 known. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 119 
 
 To-day in the weird fastnesses of the Everglades, 
 a band of wild Indians chant the name of the Great 
 Jehovah in the Hebrew tongue, a name that is 
 meaningless in its original form to thousands of 
 educated Americans. 
 
 When questioned by Bishop Gray as to the mean- 
 ing of the sacred word, the Indian answered, “ God, 
 white man’s God.” The question now appeals to 
 the scientist, to the antiquarian, and to the theo- 
 logian. From whence came the Seminole’s knowl- 
 edge of the word? 
 
 From its use in the depth of the Everglades, one 
 may work back to the prehistoric ruined temples of 
 Mexico and Yucatan, so similar to those of Egypt; 
 and thus may find in Seminole speech a language link 
 to connect the new world with the old. 
 
 Is this single word as verified by Bishop Gray the 
 keynote to the history and origin of the North 
 American Indian? 
 
 With a close study of the Seminoles of Florida, 
 one finds a subject mystical with the history of cen- 
 turies past. We meet in this old-turbaned tribe a 
 history vague, ’tis true, but as interesting as the data 
 gleaned from the hieroglyphics of Mexico, or Egypt, 
 and why not? 
 
 While the archaeologist delves among the ruins of 
 ancient Egypt, and as he disturbs the inanimate 
 forms of the old Pharoahs, let him pause and like 
 Diogenes of old, shine his lantern in scientific re- 
 search for the American Rameses. Tracing the 
 proud and invincible Florida Seminole through all 
 
i2o THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 his wanderings, from the plains of Mexico, we meet 
 him to-day in the confines of the mysterious and 
 weird Everglades. 
 
 Reaching Florida in 1750, under the name Semi- 
 nole or Wanderers, his history verges into a singu- 
 larly distressing drama and forms a tragical chapter 
 in American history. 
 
 Tracing their lineage, as we may, to the Aztecs of 
 Mexico, the student must find in their usages and 
 customs links that connect their present history with 
 that of the ancient tribes. 
 
 In this remnant, proud as the old Montezumas, 
 may the scientist and antiquarian find a history 
 teeming with interest, while the novelist may revel in 
 story, both real and legendary — the most romantic 
 of Indian life that has ever been written. 
 
 If we accept the Le Plongeon theory of prehis- 
 toric Mexico, as well as Professors Holmes and 
 Seville’s research of Mexican antiquities, we must 
 note the relationship between the early Central 
 American civilization and the Ancient Egyptians; 
 and that the builders of the pyramids and temples of 
 Mexico and Yucatan were closely allied with the 
 architects of the Cheops. 
 
 After the conquest of Mexico by Cortez in 1 5 1 9 — 
 20, the Muskogee Indians left Mexico and gradually 
 traversed the country till in 1620 we find them in 
 Alabama, where they added other bands to their 
 ranks. The British name them Creeks, from the 
 many small streams that traversed the country. 
 
 Thus the great Muskogee tribe of the Mexican 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 121 
 
 Empire vanquished by Cortez became one hundred 
 years later the Creek Confederacy, from which 
 branched the Seminoles. 
 
 It will take no great stretch of fancy to suppose 
 that before the mysterious chain of migration the 
 Aztecs and the early Egyptians were allied. As we 
 study, to-day, the frail remnants of the vanishing 
 Aborigines in the heart of the Everglades, may we 
 not find a coincidence of usages that at least give 
 abundant food for speculation, and the resemblance 
 of the present Seminole to the ancient Egyptian 
 suggests strong points of similitude to that of the old 
 Israelites, and a common origin for the North Amer- 
 ican Indian and the older tribes, whose magnificent 
 wrecks strew the borders of the Nile? 
 
 Prescott in his history of Mexico refers to some 
 traditions of the Aztecs, as bearing a singular re- 
 semblance to those # found in the Scriptures. More 
 or less does one start with surprise and awe as he 
 notes in the Indians of Florida a strict observance of 
 those customs as well as religious beliefs as laid down 
 in the book Leviticus. 
 
 The similarity existing between the ancient Egyp- 
 tian principles and that of the Aztecs is conceded by 
 scholars, and when the Florida Indian follows so 
 closely these old religious rites, with the theory that 
 the Florida Seminoles are traceable to the mighty 
 Aztecs, may we not feel a pride in these red children 
 of the forest homes and while it is yet possible pre- 
 serve this almost forgotten remnant? 
 
 To-day the student may study, in the swamp fast- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 123 
 
 brightly embroidered sash, with its heavily-tasseled 
 belt, made a picturesque attire. 
 
 Not the least startling, after thirty-four centuries, 
 do we find the Seminole observing the rigid laws of 
 health as laid down to the Children of Israel after 
 the Exodus. With reference to the preservation of 
 health, we find in the Scriptures, that those affected 
 by disease were separated from the tribe and as 
 health returned, we read, Leviticus 15: 13, “Then 
 shall he number himself seven days for his cleansing 
 and wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in running 
 water and be clean.” Verse 7, “ And whosoever 
 toucheth the flesh of him shall wash his clothes and 
 be unclean until the evening.” Note the following: 
 On a recent visit to the Seminole camps, and after 
 receiving a warm welcome from the squaws and 
 pickaninnies of former acquaintances, a solitary 
 figure was observed sitting in a small detached wig- 
 wam. Approaching for the purpose of shaking 
 hands, from all sides came gesticulations and dis- 
 senting tones from the squaws, and feeling that the 
 woman was a prisoner or taking some kind of punish- 
 ment, we passed on. During a visit of three days 
 at the camps, the squaw was kept aloof from the 
 band, receiving all necessary attention with the kind- 
 liest spirit, but fulfilling the law of Moses, as re- 
 corded in Leviticus, “ And she shall be apart seven 
 days and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean.” 
 
 The Aztecs made crimes against society capital; 
 among their registered laws, adultery was punish- 
 
124 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1 
 
 able, as with the Jews, by death. The same laws 
 hold good among the Seminoles to-day. 
 
 Marriage laws are held sacred, but divorces are 
 permitted where some incompatibility of temper is 
 found. This is done after the manner of the old 
 Jews — “ out of mercy to the woman.” Either 
 party may marry again, but the marriage must meet 
 with the approval of the leaders of the band. 
 
 Taking up the question of land tenure, one sees 
 the similarity between the Everglade Indians and 
 that of the ancient tribes. 
 
 There tribal organization being a socialistic and 
 communistic order, it is not their policy to encourage 
 individual land holdings. 
 
 Socialism finds its greatest example among the 
 Seminoles and they realize freedom in a greater de- 
 gree than can possibly be found in any community 
 governed by man-made laws. They do not violate 
 any teachings of the tribe and are honorable and up- 
 right in their dealings with one another and equally 
 so with the white people with whom they come in 
 contact. Their law allows of individual occupancy 
 of land and the individual rights are respected, but 
 the Indian is not allowed to acquire title. 
 
 The Seminole, like his Aztec ancestors, shows an 
 honorable contrast to the other tribes of North 
 America, in the treatment of the women. No 
 severe agricultural labor is imposed upon them 
 and the consideration shown them by the men 
 would do credit to a high civilization. Those 
 who know some of the habits of the Florida Indians 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 125 
 
 (Seminoles) are cognizant of the fact that they will 
 not eat the green corn until the second day of the 
 annual feast. 
 
 On a visit to the camps, old chief Tallahassee 
 was invited to join his white friends at dinner, and 
 as he was offered a roasting ear, he said, “ Me not 
 eat green corn, Shot-kay-taw (Green Corn Dance) 
 eat plenty.” Pointing to a small patch of corn from 
 which the ears had been stripped, he said, “ Squaws 
 eat corn plenty, men no eat,” and as we read Leviti- 
 cus, 23: 14, the thought comes: Is the law, though 
 divested of part of its meaning, being fulfilled to-day 
 by a band of wild Indians? 
 
 “ And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched 
 corn, nor green ears, until the self-same day ye 
 brought an offering to the Lord.” 
 
 Another link is a feast day which seems to corre- 
 spond in its rites to the Day of Atonement on old 
 Jewish days. It is of peculiarly solemn character 
 and takes place in cycles. The sacredness attached 
 to the assembling of the band prevents little insight 
 from the outside world. 
 
 With only an oral tradition, with their unwritten 
 but priceless history of an ancient race, with the 
 white man daily encroaching on their last domain, 
 the time for studying this primitive people in their 
 purity will soon be over, and of their customs and 
 usages, where is the (Edipus at this day who shall 
 solve the riddle of their origin? 
 
The Seminoles at Home 
 
126 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLES AT HOME 
 
 The Everglades 
 
 The characteristic of the Seminole is to make his 
 camp In some secluded spot where the white man 
 would least expect to find his habitation. 
 
 The peculiar physical formation of Florida makes 
 this very possible. The Everglade region, which is 
 the immediate environment of the Seminoles, is a 
 watery prairie, with here and there high points of 
 ground, and because land-grabbers, corporations and 
 state officials are already clamoring for these watery 
 wastes, and selling thousands of acres from paper 
 plats, with the land still under water, a more detailed 
 description of the Everglade region would be better 
 appreciated. This vast region contains about 4,000 
 square miles of marsh lands and tropical forests, in- 
 terlaced with thick clustering vines and is the great- 
 est area of unexplored country in the United States. 
 
 The accounts of the interior of the mysterious 
 swamp is to be found only in dim tradition or In- 
 dian legends. 
 
 However fast the door of the swamp may be 
 locked, it opens quickly enough to whomsoever car- 
 ries the key. The Seminole is the true key-bearer 
 and with moccasined foot he enters when and where 
 he will. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 127 
 
 A writer, in a Miami paper, gives the following 
 interesting account of his approach to the Indian 
 camps : 
 
 “ Traveling through this aquatic jungle in a light 
 canoe, the motive power of which is plenty of mus- 
 cle, a broad-blade paddle and a push pole about 
 eighteen feet long, we enter a trackless waste of saw 
 grass and water, with scattering islands and lagoons, 
 channels running in all directions. These channels 
 often terminate in what is called a pocket and then 
 trouble begins, as these pockets are so shallow that 
 a canoe or skiff has to be pulled by rope or pushed 
 by hand through the mud and grass, until deep water 
 is found. All signs fail in the Everglades, as often 
 to go north you will take the other three points of 
 the compass. 
 
 “ There is nothing quite so aggravating,” con- 
 tinues the writer, “ as to get sewed up in one of 
 these pockets, in the open saw grass with deep water 
 in plain view and fine shady trees to welcome you, 
 but tired and disgusted you stand as high as possible 
 in the canoe and see only one chance in a hundred to 
 find the right channel to go through. 
 
 “ There is no use for a compass, and it is a waste 
 of time to think about it. There is a sure thing of 
 going overboard in the mud or going back and start- 
 ing over again. 
 
 “ When the water is high the trouble is not so 
 great, but when it is low, the traveler can lay aside 
 his Bible, quote a chapter from Dante’s Inferno, and 
 plough through the mud until his energy is exhausted 
 
128 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 and wonder if Dante ever heard tell of the Ever- 
 glades.” 
 
 The channels running through these Glades are 
 alive with fish, while the saw grass ponds provide 
 homes for thousands of alligators. The myrtle and 
 cypress clumps are the winter homes of the heron and 
 migratory birds. 
 
 From this vast morass, with an elevated position, 
 and a rare atmosphere, the view that would meet the 
 eye would differ from any other on the globe. Bal- 
 lou says: “A thousand square miles of saw grass 
 would be seen spreading out in the shape of an 
 artist’s palette. Towards the end would be seen a 
 series of little inland lakes, fed by minute rivers. 
 Interblending with the lakes, thousands of islands 
 would be visible, far beyond the saw-grass sea. 
 The flutter of bird life would be like the milky way, 
 and the swarm of insects like a distant sand storm on 
 the Sahara.” 
 
 Bordering the sedgy lagoons, are dense cypress 
 forests, with here and there cabbage palms, Indian 
 rubber and mangroves, while tangled vegetation 
 weaves itself in chaotic style over underbrush and 
 tree. These are the primeval woods of the United 
 States. To be lost in these great marshes means 
 more than death. They are the paradise of the 
 serpent and the alligator. It is said in old slavery 
 days, slaves who ran away to the swamps, were en- 
 tered on the books as dead. 
 
 Except the few points touched upon by adven- 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 129 
 
 turous botanists and hunters, this entire region has 
 remained terra incognita until within the past two or 
 three years, when the subject of drainage has caused 
 deeper and more scientific investigation. These 
 explorers have brought interesting accounts of the 
 great swamp. 
 
 The subject of drainage of this vast aquatic jungle 
 is causing many disputes and many opinions, but 
 under the Legislature of 1897, with the imperturbable 
 Governor Broward in power, the work of drainage 
 was begun. 
 
 Those engaged in the reclamation of this rich soil 
 look upon the enterprise as being one of the most 
 colossal of American ingenuity and one that will 
 made the Okeechobee region the Egypt of America. 
 While it is not the object of the writer to enter into 
 the question of reclamation — still, the thought 
 comes, “ Is it worth while to make this region fit for 
 habitation? ” 
 
 The Florida Everglades Land Company who are 
 carrying on the work of drainage on scientific rules, 
 in the employment of government experts and fol- 
 lowing natural laws, show in their practicable demon- 
 strations, the great benefit the redemption of sub- 
 merged Florida will be, not only to the South, but to 
 the whole country. 
 
 Prof. H. W. Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chem- 
 istry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, says of this 
 great State question of drainage : “ There is possi- 
 
 bly no other body of land in the world, which pre- 
 
X3o THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 sents such remarkable possibilities of development, 
 and with a depth of soil averaging perhaps eight 
 feet, it reaches beyond the limits of prophecy.” 
 
 Then, when enterprise and capital enter the last 
 home of the Seminole, converting the tropical swamp 
 into golden Everglades, may we not pause to ask, 
 “ Is there not room enough for this remnant of a 
 helpless people in the country to which they have 
 been driven.” 
 
 Here in the heart of the Okeechobee country, we 
 find the only remnant of our native American Indian, 
 in his original simplicity, meeting in the hunting- 
 grounds of his ancestors the mighty power of Cap- 
 ital, Industry and the Twentieth Century methods of 
 progress. Shall we wrest from him every vestige of 
 this last foothold in Florida, his last resting-place in 
 his direst necessity? 
 
 The ultimate end of the Seminole should be, to be 
 civilized and Christianized and assimilated into the 
 present status of the American citizen. While to- 
 day reclamation looks a calamity to the interests of 
 the Florida Seminole, it is possible under the direc- 
 tion of an overruling Providence to be made an 
 almoner of benefit. There is at this time plenty of 
 land for both interests. It becomes the duty of the 
 United States Government through its Indian De- 
 partment and the friends of the dependent Seminole, 
 to see to it that land sufficient for their use be left in 
 the Okeechobee country, with Uncle Sam’s sign- 
 board reading, “ Penalty to Tresspassers.” 
 
SEMINOLES ON THE MIAMI RIVER 
 

 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 13 1 
 
 Let us, as a great American jury, pause in our mad 
 scramble for dollars, and consider our brother in red. 
 As we plead for these relics of the warriors of old, 
 we ask, “Why molest them? They are brave, self- 
 supporting and piteously plead to be let alone.” 
 
 Over seventy-five years ago an officer of the 
 Fourth Artillery wrote in a Charleston paper, “ Can 
 any Christian in the Republic pray for the continu- 
 ance of blessings, when he is about to wrest from the 
 unhappy Seminole all that the Great Spirit ever con- 
 ferred upon him ? ” 
 
 On the larger islands of this tropical swamp are 
 found the fertile hommocks, the home of the Semi- 
 nole Indians. Approaching such a home one sees 
 marks of labor; a clearing is made, the wigwams 
 built, sugar cane, sweet potates and squash are grow- 
 ing. Chickens and pigs run about and an air of 
 contentment pervades all. 
 
 A visit to these Indians is still fresh to memory. 
 After an arduous journey, the village is reached. It 
 was the occasion of the Green Corn Dance and prep- 
 arations were going on. The hunters were out for 
 game, the corn was ripening and an air of festivity 
 was all around. 
 
 Dogs barked as the white guests approached, but 
 a commanding Seminole reprimand soon drove them 
 away; pickaninnies came around with timid ad- 
 vances, squaws greeted with handshaking. A wig- 
 wam was built for us by the hospitable hands, and 
 the visitors were assigned to this part of the camp. 
 
132 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 What a world of interest, both romantic and 
 tragic, hangs around the wigwams of a Seminole 
 family ! 
 
 To Tallahassee was assigned the greatest part of 
 the entertaining, and he it was who directed the 
 movements that would add to the pleasure of the 
 guests. 
 
 Without giving thought to it, the team was 
 hitched to a pole that stood in the open. It proved 
 to be the festal pole for the dance, and the spot was 
 sacred for that occasion, but the innate courtesy of 
 the old chief prevented his showing any offense, 
 and in the morning he waved his hand in the direction 
 of the horses and asked, “ Horses, you want ’em 
 there? ” Learning what the pole was for, we were 
 the ones to beg pardon and feel chagrin. Then 
 came the attention to the guests, in showing around 
 the little fields, telling the names and kinship of the 
 various members as they came into camp. This de- 
 volved on Tallahassee, and the honor was two-fold. 
 
 As the shadows fell and the camp fire flickered, 
 the old chief regaled the company with history dat- 
 ing back one hundred and fifty years. The old 
 patriarch and warrior rambled on in low monotone, 
 living over in dreamy reminiscence his hunting days, 
 and with the record of seventy bear, to say nothing 
 of panther, deer ’coon, possum and turkey. How 
 the enthusiasm of the twentieth century hunter was 
 put on fire. 
 
 As the old chief drew closer his tunic, we asked, 
 “Tallahassee, last winter, cold much; Kissimmee 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 133 
 
 City, ice come; what you do?” A young brave 
 spoke up, “ Tallahassee old, get cold heap, blankets 
 put on him and big log fire make.” Then came the 
 jokes as told by one member on another and how 
 these children of the forest would laugh as the tales 
 were recounted. They are children only in mind, but 
 full of discernment and strong in character. 
 
 A present of a picture containing Tallahassee’s 
 picture had been sent to the old chief a year before, 
 and this must now be brought out to show the vis- 
 itors. Spelling and copybooks were the occasion of 
 much comment and much praise from the white 
 friends. The older Indians say, “ Me no write — 
 old too much. Little Tiger make letters by-and-by; 
 write good — keep store.” 
 
 The utensils that hang around the wigwam would 
 do credit to many a white family; they have buckets 
 and pans of agate ware, and well made wagons pur- 
 chased in Jacksonville. 
 
 The hum of the sewing machine was heard in 
 the wigwams, being used equally well by both men 
 and women. 
 
 While the patient Seminole is at the mercy of the 
 white man, and each day becoming more helpless, 
 he is still proud as the old race. 
 
 A purse of ten dollars had been made up for one 
 family where the husband had died, but with the 
 suspicion that the money was from the Government, 
 the older members held a talk with the result: 
 “ Money no take ’em. Squaw no want ’em.” With 
 mouth-watering glances the little ones on the same 
 
134 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 occasion refused candy and cakes; they had been 
 forbidden to accept what the old Indians believed 
 was from Washington — the home of the Big 
 White Chief. (This was at the time the Indians 
 had been alarmed by cowboys telling them the Gov- 
 ernment wanted them for Arkansas.) 
 
 To-day in the forest home of the Seminoles, where 
 yet gleams the council fires, and within a mile of the 
 palmetto thatched camp of the Osceolas, the big 
 dredges groan an accompaniment, as it were, to the 
 echo of the throbbing hearts, the death song, the 
 Recessional, of the Seminole. 
 
 Dynamite blasts shake the very pans and kettles 
 hanging around the wigwams and, while this mon- 
 ster of a machine destroys the only home of the tribe, 
 is the time not ripe for decisive action in the protec- 
 tion of these wards of Florida? 
 
 A visit to the Seminoles’ camp reveals many inter- 
 esting little things which touch the heart and evoke 
 the sympathy of the observer. The affection dis- 
 played by the stern-faced father, when coddling his 
 pappoose, convinces the most skeptical that in the 
 fastnesses of the forest “ The heart of man answers 
 to heart as face to face in water,” whatever the 
 skin it is under. Old Tom Tiger, without question 
 one of the most ferocious-looking of the Seminoles, 
 would take the baby-boy from its tired mother’s arms 
 and softly croon a lullaby, swaying the pappoose 
 backwards and forwards in his great strong arms 
 till the little fellow would fall asleep. 
 
 Another instance of parental affection, as given by 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 135 
 
 the Rev. Clay McCauley in his report on the Semi- 
 noles of Florida to the Bureau of Ethnology, is full 
 of touching interest. While the incident occurred 
 many years ago, and the little boy is now grown to 
 manhood, still it cannot fail to reach the heart of the 
 reader. We give it in the writer’s own words: 
 
 “Tallahassee’s wife had recently died, leaving him with 
 the care of six boys; but the strong Indian had apparently 
 become mother and father to his children. Especially did 
 he throw a tender care about the little one of his household. 
 I have seen the little fellow clambering, just like many a 
 little pale face, over his father’s knees persistently demanding 
 attention, but in no way disturbing the father’s amiability 
 or serenity. One night, as I sat by the camp fire of Talla- 
 hassee’s lodge, I heard muffled moans from the little pal- 
 metto shelter on my right, under which the three smaller 
 boys were bundled up in cotton cloth in deer skins for the 
 night’s sleep. Upon the moans followed immediately the 
 frightened cry of the little boy, waking out of bad dreams, 
 and crying for the mother who could not answer; ‘ I ts-Ki, 
 Its-Ki / (mother, mother) begged the little fellow, strug- 
 gling from under his covering. At once the big Indian 
 grasped his child, hugged him to his breast, pressed the 
 little head to his cheek, consoling him all the while with 
 caressing words, whose meaning I felt, though I could not 
 translate them into English, until the boy, wide awake, 
 laughed with his father and was ready to be again rolled up 
 beside his sleeping brothers.” 
 
 Where the Seminole is hospitable is around the 
 camp fire and the “ Sof-ka ” kettle. “ Hum-bux- 
 chay ” (come eat) is his salutation. The kettle is 
 
136 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 placed in some covenient part of the camp and at the 
 meal hour the members of the household sit around 
 it. A large Sof-ka spoon rests in the pot, and is 
 handed from one to another, each taking a single 
 mouthful. A fastidious taste might shrink from 
 using the large spoon, but to affect such taste would 
 be to offend mine host. Sof-ka is the Seminole 
 standard dish, and is simply a stew made by cooking 
 the meat in a large iron pot, and thickening with 
 meal, grits or vegetable. Sof-ka corresponds in its 
 importance with the Seminole to “ frijoles ” among 
 Mexicans. The Indians observe a regularity in 
 meal hours, yet at most any hour the Sof-ka kettle 
 is ready for those who may come in from the chase 
 enhungered. So plentiful is game that it is a com- 
 mon sight to see a saddle of venison or a wild turkey 
 and perhaps a duck roasting before the fire, and, as 
 appetite prompts, any member of the camp may help 
 help himself to the savory roast. 
 
 The Seminole pickaninnies are healthy, good- 
 natured little toddlers, and show no more savage 
 spirit than do their little pale-faced brothers. They 
 play with bows and arrows, make dolls and play- 
 houses, revel in mud pies, roast the small birds they 
 kill before a “ spit fire,” and play they are roasting 
 wild turkey. They rarely cry, as they are taught 
 from infancy to show no such weakness; they must 
 obey the slightest command of their elders. The 
 little four-year-old is taught to assist in the duties of 
 the camp. He can carry water, gather wood, watch 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 137 
 
 the little pappoose, and learns thus early that he is an 
 important feature in the tribe. 
 
 The boys are allowed to handle no weapons until 
 old enough to use them successfully. When an In- 
 dian boy is taught to use a Winchester and returns 
 from the chase with his first deer, favors are shown 
 him by the elders, tokens are presented and he be- 
 comes for the time the young Nimrod of the tribe. 
 
 Seminole children are on the whole very much 
 like other children, some bright, some good, some 
 perverse, all exceedingly human. With the disci- 
 pline already instilled into their natures, and educa- 
 tion, first for the heart, and then for the mind, added, 
 success would be assured. A Seminole luxury which 
 serves as a target as well as food, is the fruit of the 
 climbing pumpkin vine, which is often seen among 
 the branches of the trees. When wanted a well- 
 directed rifle ball cuts the stem and the pumpkin 
 drops to the ground. This was the sport enjoyed 
 by the troops during the Seminole war. 
 
 The absence of all earthenware is noticeable in a 
 Seminole camp. The Seminoles say, “ Long time 
 ago,” their race made earthen pots, but white man’s 
 kettle “ heap good,” and they have long since ceased 
 to work in clay. All through Florida pieces of pot- 
 tery are found in the sand mounds. In the pine 
 forests where the land is good for cultivation, broken 
 pottery is frequently dug up out of the ground. 
 These forests have grown over this land evidently 
 since it was cultivated by former races. The pottery 
 
138 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 found in parts of Florida, is said by those having 
 made a study of the subject to resemble the Aztec 
 pottery to some extent. 
 
 One of the peculiarities of the Seminole man is 
 the number of shirts and handkerchiefs he wears at 
 one time. An instance is related where a white man 
 in company with Billy Ham went out deer hunting. 
 Emerging suddenly from the thick forest, some deer 
 were observed feeding on the Savannah in front of 
 them. The Indian was dressed in the bright colors 
 of his race, and stealthily slipping back into the 
 shadows of the tree, he began to remove shirt after 
 shirt and untie handkerchiefs from around his neck. 
 As each article was removed, the Indian became less 
 conspicuous. After divesting himself of six or eight 
 shirts and eight or ten handkerchiefs, the Indian and 
 his costume now blended with the surrounding ob- 
 jects. His dusky form was in perfect symphony 
 with the dead leaves and grasses, through which he 
 silently crept toward his prey. The Indian prefers 
 to make sure of his game by creeping upon it. He 
 can advance to within a few feet of a deer. The 
 deer, while feeding, is always on the alert for an 
 enemy. If it sees nothing moving it will not be 
 alarmed. This is where the strategy of the Indian 
 comes in. He stops just before the animal raises 
 its head. The lifting of the head is always preceded 
 by a movement of the tail, hence the cunning Semi- 
 nole watches the tail and knows when to be still. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 139 
 
 ALLIGATOR HUNTING. 
 
 At this point, a detailed account of an alligator 
 hunt with the Seminoles may prove interesting to 
 the huntsman who may scan these pages. 
 
 Some tourists hire the Indians who frequent civili- 
 zation to guide them in hunts, but it is poor Lo’s 
 idea to show the white man his hunting; and he will 
 take him around and around, always keeping out of 
 sight of game, with a cunning that would do credit 
 to a Connecticut Yankee. 
 
 Possessing that talisman, friendship and confidence 
 of the Seminole chiefs, our hunter arranged for his 
 first alligator hunt. To simplify the account of the 
 tenderfoot’s experience, we give it as related to the 
 writer. 
 
 “ Taking the little steamer Roseada at Kissimmee 
 City, a two days’ ride landed us at Bassenger, where 
 I was met by an ox-cart, driven and owned by the 
 Seminoles. A ride of forty miles, slow but sure, 
 took us to the Indian village. Here I was met by 
 dogs, pickaninnies, squaws and braves. With time 
 limited and eager for the hunt for big game, I rested 
 but a few hours and then announced myself read to 
 hi-e-pus (go). 
 
 “ In a cypress canoe, poled by Chief Tom Tiger 
 Tail, we turned our boat toward the interior of the 
 Everglades, and for three days traveled over as 
 wild and weird a land as Stanley ever explored in 
 Darkest Africa. 
 
 “ Poling through water lilies, tall grass and 
 
140 T HE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 overhanging branches, frequently getting stuck in 
 the shallow water and marsh, all gave more zest to 
 the square mile than a hundred hunts in the North 
 could. 
 
 “ Reaching the objective point of our trip, the chief 
 tied up the canoe, and after a hearty repast, we were 
 ready for the alligator hunt. No game laws ob- 
 structed our progress, no sign boards read, ‘ No 
 Trespassing,’ and soon we were equipped for the 
 night’s hunt. 
 
 “ With a bullseye lantern attached to my cap, I took 
 my seat in the bow, while Tiger Tail, standing in the 
 stern, propelled the canoe with long, dextrous strokes. 
 Reaching a deep bayou, where the Seminoles kill 
 hundreds of alligators each year, I was directed to 
 throw the light quietly over the water, and the pres- 
 ence of the saurian would be revealed by the reflec- 
 tion. Silently, slowly, our canoe cleaved the dark 
 waters. Truly, the scene was worthy the pencil of 
 a Dore. A moonless sky, a wild expanse of bleak 
 water, a canoe propelled by a savage, splendid and 
 careless in his unconscious grace, and as silent as the 
 oarsman of the River Styx. Soon the dismal soli- 
 tude was broken by our entrance into the alligator 
 haunt. With stealthy glide through the still, dark 
 water, we were soon aware of being near a very large 
 ’gator — the two balls of fire shining in the darkness 
 told the tale. Without a ripple the Indian glided 
 his canoe within ten feet of the monster, and a shot 
 between the eyes from a .38 Winchester blew the 
 top of his head into small pieces. Before the 
 
TIGER TAIL, A REPRESENTATIVE SEMINOLE 
 In picturesque harmony with the land of the cocoanut. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 141 
 
 reptile could flounder out of reach, the carcass was 
 grabbed and pulled into the canoe by Tom Tiger, 
 and the spinal cord was severed with an axe to pre- 
 vent any future trouble. 
 
 “ At the first approach of our light the alligators 
 gazed at it in the most fatuous manner, allowing 
 the boat to approach within a very close position; 
 but after one of their number had been slain they 
 commenced a vibrating roaring, playing see-saw with 
 their heads and tails and slowly rolling forth their 
 feelings in deep, thundering tones. To me, there 
 seemed to be 500 alligators in that body of black 
 water that night, and each and every one seemed to 
 turn his burning eyes on my little searchlight — 
 and they shone like stars. I could easily tell a 
 big fellow by noticing if his glaring balls were 
 close together or far apart. After killing four or 
 five I called out ‘ Enough ! ’ The picture was 
 growing too gruesome. The quivering mass of 
 reptiles in our canoe made me think longingly of 
 home. ‘ Ungah ’ (all right) from the Indian re- 
 assured me, and the canoe was turned toward camp. 
 During the evening the Indian chief had killed an 
 eleven foot ’gator, and so lifeless did it seem when 
 dragged into the canoe that it was not considered 
 necessary to cut the neck and back. The extraor- 
 dinary vitality of an alligator keeps it from dying 
 for some time, the nerves often living for several 
 hours after the head has been severed. Our canoe 
 was loaded to the water’s edge, with the large saurian 
 in the bottom. Presently a low breathing greeted 
 
142 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 my ears; soon it grew louder, and a faint motion 
 could be felt in the boat. Still I remained passive, 
 the Indian poling through the deep, tortuous stream. 
 I had instinctively drawn my feet up, when the great 
 mouth, which was toward me, opened and began 
 snapping angrily. His body began to writhe and 
 twist and wriggle, which set all the other alligators 
 in motion. The situation was growing critical and 
 dangerous, when Captain Tom, perceiving the 
 trouble, came to the rescue with his axe and none 
 too soon, for the huge saurian began lashing his 
 tail from side to side, and had the Indian been less 
 skillful in handling the canoe we certainly would 
 have been turned overboard. With the hideous 
 cargo silenced, the Indian always cool and nerveless, 
 looked up and with a humorous twinkle in his eye 
 said, ‘White man ’fraid ojus ’ (heap).” 
 
 BEAR HUNTING WITH THE SEMINOLES. 
 
 Under the head of American Sport, the following 
 story of a “ Bear Hunt with the Seminole Indians,” 
 appeared in the columns of the Asian Sporting News- 
 paper of Calcutta, India. 
 
 The story had been accepted from the pen of the 
 writer by Forest and Stream Publishing Company 
 of New York, and because our British hunters of 
 lion and elephant fame had appreciated an Ameri- 
 can hunt sufficient to scissor it (neither giving credit 
 to the author nor to the American journal), the story 
 is here appended: 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 143 
 
 “ Hunting the black bear in Florida is a sport to 
 which few are introduced. This bear is not fierce 
 nor dangerous, but still he is big game, and a 
 bear hunt is always full of incident and excitement. 
 About ten miles from Kissimmee, is a cypress swamp 
 — it is an aquatic jungle full of fallen trees, brush, 
 vines and tangled undergrowth, all darkened by the 
 dense shadows of the tall cypress trees, and full of 
 moccasins and alligators. Running through the 
 swamp is a chain of islands. Here is a field for 
 sportsmen, and here live unmolested a whole colony 
 of the bruin family. Hunters hear their growls, 
 and numerous fresh tracks show where the night 
 marauders have entered the hommock, where they 
 feast on wild honey, huckleberries, the cabbage of 
 the palmetto and the wild orange. They seldom 
 come out to expose themselves during the day, hence 
 they are rarely captured, and in consequence are on 
 the increase. Settlers frequently report depreda- 
 tions on their hogs; but bruin is safe in his swamp 
 home, for without dogs trained to hunting bear, 
 even if he were surprised, he would quickly make his 
 escape into the jungle. 
 
 “ Of all game of the forest bear meat is the favor- 
 ite dish of the Florida Indians; squaws, pickaninnies 
 and dogs revel in it. With this knowledge, it was 
 an easy matter to secure a party of Seminole chiefs 
 and their trained dogs for a bear hunt. The aus- 
 picious day arrived. This picturesque hunting party 
 came striding into Kissimmee as unconscious and 
 statuesque as bronze figures of Mercury. The 
 
144 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 party was led by Chief Tom Tiger, following after 
 in Indian file was old Chief Tallahassee, Doctor 
 Tommy and Little Tiger, while trailing along by 
 their sides were the formidable looking dogs. 
 Dressed in their holiday attire, with new leggins and 
 moccasins, bright calico shirts, a half-dozen red 
 handkerchiefs around their necks, crowned with the 
 immense red turban, the emblem of their race, with 
 knives and cartridges in their belts and Winchesters 
 at their sides, the Indians attracted as much atten- 
 tion as a Presidential party. 
 
 “ If ever men deserved the name of Nimrods, it 
 is these sons of the Everglades. Even Little Tiger, 
 a boy of twelve, with his fine rifle, could put to 
 shame many a skilled marksman. But on to the 
 chase. The souls of the red men seemed to leap 
 into them at the thought of the sport after bear, 
 while the hounds barked gleefully, so with hasty 
 preparations our hunting party started for the Reedy 
 Creek jungle. At this point we will turn the story 
 over to the tenderfoot, that the reader may better 
 follow the chase. 
 
 “ As we reached the hommock, which has been 
 for years a veritable elysium for the bears, the dogs 
 seemed to become possessed of a very spirit of un- 
 rest; soon they struck a trail. ‘ Lo-co-see ojus ’ 
 (bear plenty), exclaimed Captain Tom Tiger, as he 
 observed the numerous cabbage palms with their 
 buds freshly torn out, as well as the conduct of his 
 dogs, and with a word of command to the hounds, 
 he started. The rest of us followed, till we struck 
 
INDIAN MODE OF HUNTING ALLIGATORS IN FLORIDA, AS CONTRASTED 
 WITH THE PRESENT DAY HUNTING 
 
fTHE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 145 
 
 a marsh heavily timbered with cypress, which grew 
 so close that sun’s rays could not reach the earth. 
 It made a dark, damp and dangerous ground to 
 enter. The dogs were now running with broad 
 scent, heads well up and throats wide open. If 
 ever there was a sound sweet to the hunter’s ears, 
 it was the baying of five hounds close on bruins 
 trail. With nerves on a tension we rushed along, 
 with gun carried at ready. On swept the riot. 
 The Indians yelled as only Indians can, and the ten- 
 derfoot brought up the rear. A hunt in a Florida 
 jungle, pulling through soft mud, climbing over logs, 
 pushing through vines, sprawling on hands and 
 knees through the tangled, matted undergrowth, ex- 
 pecting or fearing each step we would strike a moc- 
 casin, are the penalties paid for the romantic, ad- 
 venturous hunt with a Seminole Indian. At last the 
 supreme moment arrived; the leading dog had 
 reached the bear, and soon the five dogs and the 
 bear were having a vigorous rough and tumble 
 fight. We were in good hearing distance, but 
 traveling was very difficult, and our progress was 
 slow. The Indians’ cry, ‘ Yo-ho-ee-hee, Yo-ho-ee- 
 hee ! ’ to the hounds, made them fight furiously, so 
 much so that bruin broke from cover and started on 
 the chase just before we reached shooting distance. 
 Further into the woods the chase led. Soon the 
 sound of the pursuing dogs ceased, much to our sur- 
 prise. We appealed to the nearest Indian for an 
 explanation. ‘ Lo-co-see (bear) climb tree,’ was 
 the brief reply, and later, when we reached the dogs, 
 
146: THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 they were running wildly around on the bank of a 
 dark creek. We were again at a loss to compre- 
 hend the situation, until we were shown by the In- 
 dians a leaning tree, the top of which reached to the 
 further side of the creek, over which bruin had 
 safely passed. ‘ Lo-co-see-hiepus ’ (bear gone). 
 
 “ Three hours’ tramping through the swamp and 
 hot sun had taken all the enthusiasm out of us, and 
 we were ready to play quits, but the stalwart red 
 men had defiance in their faces as they said, ‘ Big 
 lo-co-see; fight heap; Indian kill lo-co-see to-day.’ 
 Away to the left the brown legs of little Tiger Tom 
 could be seen twinkling through the foliage; he had 
 found some fresh tracks of a cub, and in his eager- 
 ness to capture a baby bear he proved a similar na- 
 ture to his little pale-faced brother. But the stern 
 hunters had no time for a cub, and soon started for 
 old bruin, who by this time had crossed the marsh 
 and gotten into a tree on the opposite bank, and by 
 this trickery put the creek behind him. This did 
 not daunt a Seminole Indian. Wading the shallow 
 part of the creek, with water to the armpits, again 
 cooled our ardor, but safety depended on not los- 
 ing sight of the Indians, as we were miles in the 
 swamp, and with no hope of finding our way out 
 without the guidance of our red pilots. At last the 
 bear was driven to a small island and surrounded, 
 the island covered with tall grass and weeds hiding 
 both dogs and bear. The dogs grew furious, and 
 several times forced the bear to stand and fight, and 
 such a battle as it was; the dogs didn’t hesitate to 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 147 
 
 take hold of old bruin, and as a result were badly 
 lacerated from the blows of her powerful paw. We 
 closed in and our game was in a trap. The Indians 
 were in their future heaven; but the tenderfoot was 
 getting very shy of being hugged. Bruin, now find- 
 ing herself cornered, made a break for the open, and 
 as she emerged from the tall grass, with the dogs at 
 her heels, she met the stalwart figure of Tom Tiger. 
 Rising on her hind legs, with open arms, she made 
 one dash for him, when stepping back, in a cool and 
 deliberate manner, he pulled the trigger of his ‘ scat- 
 ter ’ gun and emptied both barrels into the bear’s 
 side. This ended the chase, and a happier set of 
 Indians the world never saw. Immediately they 
 drew their knives and commenced skinning the bear. 
 As the skin adheres very tenaciously it should be 
 taken off at once, as it comes off much easier; besides, 
 it is difficult to scrape away all the fatty tissue after 
 it cools, and wherever any remains it rots the pelt. 
 
 “ The Indians’ method of educating their dogs 
 for hunting bear is well worth knowing. They take 
 the gall of the bear and thoroughly saturate the nos- 
 trils of the young dog. This is excruciating pain to 
 the dogs, and they howl and whine for hours; but it 
 makes ‘ bear dogs ’ out of them, perfect on the trail, 
 and this is the point with the Indian. 
 
 “ The huge carcass of bruin was divided and each 
 Indian carried a load to camp. A fire was soon 
 built, and a huge chunk of bear meat was thrown 
 on the coals. All night long they cooked and ate, 
 the tenderfoot getting into his hammock beneath the 
 
148 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 bough of the oaks. We rested and dreamed — the 
 flicker from the camp-fire, the Indians moving to and 
 fro, the silence occasionally broken by their low, soft 
 voices, and ever and anon in this wakeful slumber 
 came the half-dreaming thought, ‘ Betty and me 
 killed the bear 1 ’ ” 
 
 CHIEF TOM TIGER (MIC-CO TUSTENUGGEE) . 
 
 It is a number of years now, that Tom Tiger, 
 chieftain, reached Kissimmee after a ride of 160 
 miles. Tall, straight and muscular, he proved him- 
 self a worthy descendant of the royal Tustenuggee. 
 Dressed in the regalia of a chief, and mounted on a 
 raw boned horse, he might have been mistaken for 
 a sheik of the Arabian desert. He had come on a 
 friendly visit incidentally, but to tell his white friend 
 his trouble over a horse which had been procured 
 under a fraudulent pretense, by a white trader. 
 The story is a long one, but suffice to say proceed- 
 ings were instituted and with the result that Captain 
 Tom Tiger, Seminole chieftain, was the first Florida 
 Indian that ever stood up in a white man’s court, 
 making, as the spectators remarked, the most impos- 
 ing picture they had ever witnessed. 
 
 The tall, magnificent looking savage, with up- 
 lifted hand, took the oath on the holy Book, with a 
 perfect understanding of its meaning. 
 
 The case was prosecuted by the Society, “ Friends 
 of the Florida Seminoles,” and achieved notority for 
 being the first case in Florida in which a Seminole 
 
CAPT TOM TIGER 
 (Micco Tustenug-gee.) 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 149 
 
 sought the protection of the court. It was told that 
 the State’s Attorney made the most thrilling speech 
 of his life as he pleaded for the barbarian of the 
 swamp. The Indian never swerved under the 
 strongest cross-examination, but told the story 
 simply and direct. The status of the case was this : 
 The white man was to return the horse at the end 
 of two moons, binding the promise by writing. The 
 argument was written on a cartridge box; a terrific 
 rain storm came; the box was soaked in water, and 
 the writing made illegible. Because Tom could not 
 read, he could not make oath as to what was written 
 on the box, the white man testifying he had bought 
 the horse. On this simple technicality the case was 
 lost and the white man escaped the penitentiary. 
 
 Like many of his race, Tom had a love for Wy- 
 o-mee (whiskey), and was not averse to taking it. 
 In speaking of a saloonkeeper he would say, “ Cap- 
 tain, good man, five Indians go in saloon, five 
 drinks give ’im. No money take,” but when Tom 
 was asked to drink no whiskey in Kissimmee, he 
 promised, “ un-gah ” (all right). A day or two 
 after, the white friend stepped out of his office, and 
 looking back saw the tall form of Tom just passing 
 into the saloon — headed by three cowboys. Tom 
 returned to the office, and his friend chided him for 
 going to the saloon. “ Whiskey, me no take ’em, 
 lemonade, me take, cowboys wy-o-mee take.” The 
 white friend’s trust had not been betrayed. 
 
 In this Indian’s visit of a week, many chapters 
 were revealed of the character and home life of this 
 
150 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 tribe. Savages, it is true, but honor, justice and re- 
 ligion shine forth in their tribal life. 
 
 During his absence, the squaws and pickaninnies 
 watched the potato and corn patch, and cared for 
 the hogs, surely worthy tribute to a domestic life. 
 
 In relating a tragedy of the forest, Capt. Tom 
 seemed much affected. The chief, attracted by the 
 cries of young birds, found that a rookery of the 
 beautiful white heron had been completely destroyed 
 by plume hunters, and the grounds strewn with the 
 mutilated bodies of the parent birds. From the tall 
 trees overhead the starving nestlings were spending 
 their waning strength in calling for food. The piti- 
 ful scene touched the heart of the strong red man, and 
 he paused in his journey to find food for the helpless 
 birdlings. In relating the circumstance, the Indian 
 said, “ Little birds, cry, cry, all day. No water, no 
 fish,” till the Indian boys caught minnows and daily 
 climbed the lofty trees and fed and watered the 
 young egrets, a tribute to the savage mind over the 
 cruelty of the civilized and Christianized white man. 
 
 A few years ago, Florida was an ornithological 
 Eden, the winter home of countless thousands of the 
 migratory birds of the North American Continent; 
 but alas, the blood thirsty greed of the Caucasian for 
 gold is shown in the brutal extermination of the 
 plumed egret, and “ the passing of the snowy heron ” 
 is the price of human callousness. The Indian chief 
 probably did not see in the fate of the innocent plume 
 bird, a prophecy of the destiny of the Seminole. 
 
 The same forces are at work to-day to take from 
 
the Indian’s hunting ground 
 
 11 Within a mile of the wigwams, the big dredges clank and groan, an ac- 
 companiment as it were, to the dirge of the recessional Seminoles.” 
 

THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 15 1 
 
 the helpless Seminole his home and happy hunting 
 ground. 
 
 Tom Tiger made his last visit to Kissimmee dur- 
 ing the Spanish-American war, and a touching and 
 pleasing feature of the visit was the meeting between 
 General Fitzhugh Lee and this Chieftain of the Semi- 
 noles. 
 
 The train bearing General Lee and staff stopped 
 at Kissimmee, where crowds of citizens went to wel- 
 come the hero of the Southland. General Lee, 
 dressed in his rank as U. S. general, Chief Tom 
 Tiger in the regalia of a Seminole chieftain. 
 The scene is indelibly impressed upon all who wit- 
 nessed the meeting. The Indian chief with the 
 Stars and Stripes in his hand, was introduced and 
 shook hands with the great American soldier. In 
 hearty tones General Lee responded, “ I am glad 
 to see you, Chief.” 
 
 Tom was told he must “ yell ” when the train 
 came in. He understood and answered, “ Me hol- 
 ler (ojus),” and he did, a genuine Seminole war cry, 
 “ Yo-he-ee-hee — Yo-ho-ee-hee ! ” 
 
 Driven and hunted, homeless and helpless, this In- 
 dian was a strong ally of the United States. “ No 
 fight white man,” meaning the people of the United 
 States, “ shoot Spaniards, ojus ” (heap), was Tom’s 
 reply when the attitude of the two countries was ex- 
 plained to him. 
 
 One by one the older Indians are passing away, 
 and when word was received that Captain Tom Tiger 
 had been killed by a stroke of lightning, the news 
 
152 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 was received with genuine sorrow. In his death, a 
 fair, generous and faithful friend was gone. Cap- 
 tain Tom was building himself a dugout canoe on 
 the edge of the cypress swamp, his family being with 
 him at the time. Seeing an approaching storm, he 
 sent them back to their wigwam. When he did not 
 return, the Indians went to seek him and found his 
 dead body. Other Indians turned the unfinished 
 canoe into a mausoleum, and there rested his remains 
 until an avaricious curio seeker sought it out and 
 robbed it of the body of the chief. Considering the 
 tender respect the Florida Indians have for their 
 dead, and also the superstition that any desecrations 
 of the bones bring dire calamities to the tribe, it is 
 not surprising that this act of vandalism aroused the 
 Seminoles to the highest pitch, and they were stirred 
 as they have not been since the days of the Indian 
 wars. The whites realized that unless they were 
 pacified they were liable to give trouble. 
 
 Two of the leaders of the band visited the au- 
 thorities at Fort Pierce, Florida, and the newspapers 
 of that date give the following account, “ Big 
 Yankee steal bones of Tiger Tom, Indians Big 
 Chief and best friend. Indians all fight. Kill white 
 man ojus, bones no bring back by big white chiefs 
 next moon.” 
 
 The matter was immediately taken up, and in- 
 formation filed by the State Attorney in the Circuit 
 Court against the party, charging him with disturbing 
 the grave of another and having in his possession a 
 dead body. All over the United States the account 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 153 
 
 was taken up by the press and looked upon as a mat- 
 ter of serious importance, as the Smithsonian Institu- 
 tion was credited with being behind the rapacious 
 curio hunter. 
 
 The matter was brought to Mr. J. M. Willson, 
 Jr., recognized as the Seminoles’ best friend among 
 the whites. 
 
 The letter following explains the situation and is 
 herein given: 
 
 SECRETARY RATHBUN’S STATEMENT. 
 
 “Mr. J. M. Willson, Jr., Secretary Society of Friends of 
 
 Seminole Indians, Kissimmee, Fla. 
 
 " Dear Sir : — Replying to your letter of the 24th inst., I 
 
 beg to say that about six weeks ago a Mr. , about whom 
 
 nothing is known here, wrnote to the National Museum and 
 offered to present certain Indian relics which he had ob- 
 tained in Florida, including a skeleton of an Okeechobee 
 (not Seminole) chief. Assuming that these objects were 
 properly acquired by him, he was notified that they would 
 be accepted. No further word or the objects arriving, it 
 has, therefore, been supposed that he disposed of the relics 
 elsewhere. The heading of his letter paper indicates that 
 he is the secretary and general manager of an amusement 
 resort, called Island Park, at Pa., and it is not impossi- 
 
 ble that the relics were taken there. 
 
 “ Although I find that the name of the chief was men- 
 tioned in Mr. ’s letter, the fact that he spoke of him as 
 
 belonging to the extinct Okeechobee tribe entirely misled 
 the Museum authorities who did not associate him with 
 the Seminole Captain Tom Tiger, about whom so much 
 
154 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1 
 
 has lately been printed in the papers until the receipt of your 
 letter to-day. 
 
 “ I cannot express too strongly my abhorrence of the act 
 of Mr. , whose desecration of this grave I consider out- 
 
 rageous and sacrilegious. The man had no connection with 
 this museum or any branch of the Smithsonian Institute, 
 as he seems to have claimed several weeks before he sent 
 in his letter. 
 
 “ You can readily understand, therefore, that the museum 
 will be only too glad to cooperate with your society in 
 securing the return of the remains and of any objects that 
 may have been taken with them from the grave. If they 
 should be received at the museum they will be promptly 
 forwarded to Florida. 
 
 “ I have forwarded your letter to Mr. , at the address 
 
 given in his letter, viz: Box 531, , Pa., and I have also 
 
 written him. 
 
 “ Trusting that this unfortunate matter may soon be satis- 
 factorily adjusted, I am, dear, sir, very respectfully yours, 
 
 “ Rathbun, 
 
 “ Assistant Secretary in charge of National Museum.” 
 
 The bones of the noted Indian were quietly re- 
 stored, and all trouble averted, but of the throbbing 
 hearts of these interesting countrymen of Osceola 
 what shall we say? 
 
 NANCY OSCEOLA. 
 
 A short time ago, the press chronicled the news 
 that the old Seminole squaw, Nancy, living at the 
 Big Cypress camp, was dead. The account stated 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 155 
 
 that Nancy was the widow of the famous chieftain 
 (Osceola), and that she was survived by seven chil- 
 dren. The associated press took up the story and 
 many accepted it as true. 
 
 It is the desire of the writer to say that Osceola’s 
 wives (for he had two) went into captivity and were 
 with him when he died, a captive of the United States 
 Government, and is is safe to suppose they, with his 
 ’ children, were taken with the other Seminole cap- 
 tives to the West. 
 
 Old Nancy was the squaw of a half-brother of 
 Osceola — hence a sister-in-law. A few years ago 
 she consented to have her picture taken amidst a 
 group of her great-great granchildren. Chief Tal- 
 lahassee quickly recognized the picture and said, 
 “ Old too much — eyes no see, blind ojus.” When 
 questioned as to her identity, with the suggestion 
 that she might be Osceola’s widow, Tallahassee 
 showed marked disdain, “ No, no, Osceola, big 
 chief. Squaw no got one in Florida. Old Nancy 
 Osceola’s brother’s squaw.” 
 
 BILLY BOWLEGS (CHO-FEE-HAT-CHO) . 
 
 Several months ago, Cho-fee-hat-cho (Billy Bow- 
 legs) , a warrior of more than usual intelligence, made 
 his long-promised visit to Kissimmee. 
 
 Here, away from his natural surroundings, one 
 could study his Indian characteristics from an un- 
 prejudicial standpoint. 
 
 As a speciman of manhood, he is far above the 
 
156 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 average. Although six feet, two inches tall, he is 
 so symmetrically proportioned that one loses sight of 
 his height. His features are good, his hands and 
 feet remarkably small, his voice soft and low — a 
 characteristic of every Seminole. 
 
 His dress was the holiday attire of the tribe, his 
 tunic or shirt he had made himself, was highly deco- 
 rated with bands of narrow red, — leggins and moc- 
 casins elaborately thonged, and around his neck 
 about a dozen gaily colored handkerchiefs, not worn 
 for warmth, but because it is a Seminole fashion. 
 
 His large turban was embraced by a silver band, 
 made from four silver dollars beaten with the imple- 
 ments which can be found at an Indian village. He 
 wore a gold watch and chain and regulated his time- 
 piece by the railroad clock. Billy is a fantastic 
 dresser, but he is a loyal Seminole and a progressive 
 one, too. He keeps posted on the markets in his 
 own particular line of business. His pockets bulge 
 with letters received from New York and Jackson- 
 ville buyers of skins and otter pelts. He expects no 
 favors, pays for what he receives and keeps a prom- 
 ise, although a year may elapse before he is able to 
 do so. He is often a purchasing agent for members 
 of the band, and in his small way has a mercantile 
 mind, buying four shawls for $1.75 that would re- 
 tail at fifty cents each, he will sell out, with the satis- 
 factory remark, “25 cents me make ’em.” 
 
 Billy ventures beyond the confines of his Ever- 
 glade home, much oftener than any other of the 
 tribe. To the stranger he Is all indifference, answer- 
 
DRAINAGE WAY 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 157 
 
 ing: “ Yes,” “No,” “ Me don’t know,” as it suits 
 him. 
 
 Billy has visited St. Augustine, and has seen the 
 Ponce De Leon Hotel, but explained that “ no get 
 inside.” The season was not “ on,” otherwise the 
 Seminole brave would have been one of the celeb- 
 rities that enter its great portals. New York and 
 Washington do honor to dukes and counts, and this 
 Aboriginal American Knight is no less a Prince of the 
 Everglades. 
 
 He has made several visits to Kissimmee, hence 
 is well known to the white people. At the ringing 
 of the church bells on Sunday morning it was ex- 
 plained to the Indian that they were to call the people 
 to the church, so that the preacher might tell them of 
 the white man’s God. With the inquiry, “ You 
 go ? ” to his host, and receiving an answer in the af- 
 firmative, Billy said, “ Me go too.” 
 
 He was escorted to the chapel and through the 
 long sermon was a model of propriety and con- 
 formed perfectly with the customs of the church. 
 He expressed himself later as liking the music, but 
 remarked that the “ preacher talked too fast.” 
 
 From time to time colored pictures from Sunday 
 School charts have been given or mailed to the In- 
 dians and Billy reports, “ Indians got ’em,” keeping 
 them with their treasures in boxes or trunks. 
 
 Blue backed spelling books had been sent to these 
 Indians, for the spelling book is the Seminole’s ideal 
 in literature, and Billy reported that the books were 
 in good order — and Indian boys, spell “ littly bit.” 
 
158 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Who shall say there is no hope for the civilization 
 of this picturesque tribe? 
 
 Not a hair’s breadth will this Indian diverge from 
 the truth. Even to the simple question as to when 
 he would visit his white friends again, he replied, 
 “ Six moons; me don’t know, maybe ten moons; six 
 moons, me say — no come, white man say, ‘ Billy 
 Bowlegs lock-a-dox ojus!’ (lie too much).” 
 
 Billy is grateful for favors shown him and on 
 his return from a visit always sends some remem- 
 brance. A letter usually accompanies the present, 
 and the following is a unique specimen of his literary 
 ability : 
 
 “ Indian Town, Fla., J. M. Willson, 
 
 Jr., Kissimmee. 
 
 I write you Letter. I send you Big Alli- 
 gator Feet skin. Big Alligator 12 ft. 
 long 4 Li inches. This time Indian no sick 
 All Good Well Ojus. You write to me 
 Letter. Your Friend 
 
 Mr. Billy Bowlegs.” 
 
 In his signature, Billy always uses the prefix, 
 “Mr.” 
 
 At another time on Billy’s return to his Okeecho- 
 bee home, a letter was received which read: 
 
 “ My Good Friend: 
 
 “ Littly white birds me send. Indians 
 all well.” 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 159 
 
 The egrets, snowy white and beautiful as a poem, 
 came in a crate made of green palm stems, with a 
 door fastened by buck skin hinges and buck skin 
 catch, the whole a marvel of neatness and ingenuity. 
 
 The birds were at once given the freedom of the 
 lawn, where they have been a constant surprise, in 
 showing how full of confidence, how charming the 
 wild heron can be made under habits of domestica- 
 tion. They love companionship and at meal time 
 they station themselves like two sentinels, at the din- 
 ing room piazza. Here they stand, with their long 
 necks craning into the door-way, alert and tense, 
 waiting for their beef to be thrown to them. 
 
 These white plumed egrets, with their dark, 
 piercing eyes, their spotless white figures adorned in 
 their bridal veil of long silken plumes, make a picture 
 that an artist may envy. 
 
 It is a pleasing and encouraging fact that on all 
 occasions when the Seminoles visit white settlements 
 they are warmly welcomed by the whites and treated 
 with the utmost respect and many times entertained 
 as one would celebrities. 
 
 The Florida-Times-Union always breaks a lance 
 in favor of the Seminole. During a carnival season 
 in Jacksonville, Billy Bowlegs visited the city, and of 
 his visit an editorial read: 
 
 “ Jacksonville has among her guests this week one of the 
 most representative Indians in America to-day — the highest 
 type of what is known as the savage tribe. . . . Billy 
 
 was a conspicuous figure in last night’s parade; he rode in 
 
160 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 one of the most striking and effective floats of the parade, 
 that of the Florida East Coast R. R. Company. . . . 
 
 This float bore the distinction of conveying the noble figure 
 of this Seminole chief and thus the only one with a member 
 of the real and single strictly American race. Billy Bow- 
 legs is no savage, but a magnificent specimen of physical 
 manhood, with a dignity, a reserve, a keen intelligence and 
 an honest heart — a representative of that forlorn remnant 
 who regard honor with commendable sacredness.” 
 
 Billy visited the Times-Union office, and took the 
 keenest interest in the mechanical equipments for 
 making a newspaper. 
 
 A fac-simile of Billy’s writing appeared in the 
 paper at this time and, a year later, it made an 
 amusing picture to witness Billy’s expression when 
 he was shown the fac-simile; the clipping having 
 been taken from the paper at the time. Very 
 quickly memory came to him and he said, “ Me know ; 
 my name write big paper, Jacksonville.” 
 
 
 Such names as Tom Tiger, Doctor Tommy, Wild 
 Cat and Billy Bowlegs, are white man’s names for 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 161 
 
 the Indians. Each Indian has his Indian name, 
 which is significant of some family or personal char- 
 acteristic, and which contains the root word of the 
 gens to which the Indian belongs. During the In- 
 dian’s visit he expressed a wish to have the Seminole 
 names of a number of his people written down so 
 that he might make a copy and carry home with him. 
 Certainly this young brave could not be called stupid 
 or sluggish. Knowing that the information was 
 sought for the purpose of putting it into a book, so 
 that “ the people could read about the good Indians 
 of Florida,” he showed the greatest interest in the 
 questions, making his answers direct and truth- 
 ful. 
 
 With the patience of a sphinx this Indian 
 answered questions till dark. When asked if he 
 were tired, he answered, “ Tired ojus,” although his 
 native politeness had not permitted him to show any 
 special restlessness at the tedious afternoon’s ques- 
 tioning. An air of deepest solemnity would rest up- 
 on his face until he was assured his meaning was 
 thoroughly understood. During his visit he ex- 
 pressed an eagerness to learn, and followed a copy 
 with remarkable exactness. With the desire to 
 read and write, however, ended all ambition to be 
 like the white man. 
 
 Every effort was made to please so rare a visitor, 
 favors were shown him, in fact he was treated as a 
 most honored guest, yet this son of the forest re- 
 ceived it all with a silent dignity that would have 
 graced a monarch. When he was ready to leave he 
 
1 62 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 quietly arose, remarking, “Me hi-e-pus ” (go), and 
 noiselessly passed out of the house. 
 
 It is a disputed question whether a wild Indian of 
 pure blood has ever been permanently civilized. 
 One of the missionaries of the Osage band once said 
 that “ it took fifteen years to get a blanket off 
 Joseph Pawnee-o-passhee, Chief of the Osage tribe, 
 and it took Joseph just fifteen minutes to get it on 
 him again.” 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 A pretty tradition among the Seminoles is that a 
 beautiful race of Indians, whose women they call the 
 daughters of the sun, reside among the swamps and 
 lakes of the O-kee-fee-ne-kee wilderness and live in 
 uninterrupted felicity upon islands of eternal verdure, 
 feasting upon the luxuries of the islands, but inac- 
 cessible to the approach of human footsteps. 
 
 Unlike the child of Africa, who lives in a world 
 of ghosts and goblins, the Seminole is not supersti- 
 tious. He has his traditions, his mythologies, and 
 on these are based his history. He obeys the Great 
 Spirit, but it is not from any spirit of fear; it is the 
 teaching of his fathers, and becomes the duty of the 
 Indian. The religion of the Seminole has been with- 
 out question the most difficult of all their history to 
 reach. 
 
 The Florida Indians believe in a Supreme Being; 
 in the immortality of the soul ; in the future existence 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 163 
 
 and the resurrection of the dead. Reverence, too, 
 is one of his distinguishing features. His language 
 contains no oath, nor any word to express disrespect 
 to the Great Spirit. A missionary will receive most 
 respectful attention for their reverence to God will 
 not permit them to laugh at His messenger. The 
 Seminole qualifies the Supreme Being as the “ Giver 
 and Taker away of Life.” The Aztec designated, 
 as the “ God by Whom We Live.” 
 
 Their conception of the creation of man is very 
 unique. “ Long time ago, E-shock-e-tom-isee 
 (God) took seeds and scattered them all around 
 in a rich valley bordering a river. By and by, God 
 saw fingers coming out of the ground and great 
 people — heap too many came up from out of the 
 sand. Some went to the river and washed, washed, 
 washed too much; it made them weak and pale; this 
 was the es-ta-chat-tee (white race). Others went 
 to the river and washed not too much, they returned 
 full of courage, strong, heap; this was the es-ta-had- 
 kee (red race). The remainder no wash, lazy too 
 much, es-ta-lus-tee (black man).” 
 
 In an extract taken from an old history printed 
 in London in 177 6, descriptive of the native inhabi- 
 tants of Florida, these people are described as idola- 
 ters, worshipping the sun and moon — the worship 
 consisting of saluting the rising sun, chanting his 
 praise and offering sacrifices to the planet four times 
 a year. They believe that the sun was the parent 
 of life. 
 
1 64 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 Whatever may have been the ancient rites of this 
 race, the present people seem to have outlived all 
 remembrance of them as well as of their early ances- 
 tors themselves. A glimmering of the Christian re- 
 ligion, no doubt instilled into the race more than two 
 hundred years ago by the Franciscan priests, still 
 seems to linger among the descendants of to-day and 
 constitutes their religion largely. These rites they 
 observe as faithfully as they did a century ago; and 
 yet in all that time they have received no further 
 teaching, and have no personal knowledge of the civ- 
 ilizing effects of the gospel of Christ. In the same 
 length of time where would have been the religion 
 of the Caucasian race, without the divine word, and 
 without the influence of men who have devoted their 
 lives to the cause of Christianity? The Seminoles 
 believe in God (E-shock-e-tom-issee) ; that God had 
 a son (E-shock-e-tom-issee-e-po-chee) who came on 
 earth and lived with the Indians “ long time ago to 
 make them good Indians.” 
 
 One is tempted upon an intimate knowledge of this 
 race to wonder whether the Son of Man appeared to 
 the Indain also; could not the Light of the World in 
 some mysterious way have touched the soul of this 
 innocent people ? The more one studies the Seminole, 
 the more one wonders. Christ, according to their 
 traditions, was killed by the “ wicked Spaniards ” 
 when they first came to this continent. Since that 
 time it has been the duty of the medicine men to teach 
 the Indians “ to think with God,” and to impart the 
 Great Spirit’s wishes to his red children. Each tribe 
 
■■ 
 
 HI-E-TEE, CAPTAIN TOM TIGER, HO-TI-YEE, AND “ LITTLE TIGER 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA i6$ 
 
 has two or more medicine men who act as priests as 
 well as doctors. These men are highly honored by 
 the tribe, because they believe them to be directed by 
 the Supreme Being. Just before the festival of the 
 Green Corn Dance the medicine men leave the tribe, 
 and going to a secret spot, there build a lodge. Here 
 they fast for twenty-four hours, after which they take 
 a potion, made of herbs, which causes a deep sleep 
 to come over them. It is now that God appears to 
 them in a dream and tells them how to make the In- 
 dians “ think good,” and how they shall prepare the 
 herbs for medicine. Returning in time to prepare 
 for the great feast they occupy a most prominent posi- 
 tion in the dance circle. The Seminole tradition of 
 Christ’s coming to live with the Indians, is that the 
 Son of God stopped at the most southern point of 
 Florida, at which place he was met by three Indians 
 who carried him around the Southern Peninsula on 
 their shoulders, while he sowed the seeds of the 
 “ koonti ” root, which was God’s gift to the red men. 
 (This koonti is a wild cassava and found only in 
 the extreme southern portion of Florida.) Accord- 
 ing to the legend, the Indians were in a starving con- 
 dition. The ground was parched, no corn grew and 
 the game had all left. During the long time in 
 which the Indians waited for the koonti to grow, 
 God rained down bread “ heap, plenty,” which the 
 Indians gathered and ate. In describing this bread, 
 which came down in the rain each morning, the In- 
 dian illustrated in this wise : “ Littly bread, white 
 
 man’s biscuit all the same, good, every Indian eat 
 
1 66 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 plenty.” The Mosaic account of the manna from 
 heaven is evident in this legend. 
 
 The Seminole believes in a future state, In-li- 
 Ke-ta (heaven or home). To this place do the 
 good Indians go after death. Here they may “ hunt, 
 hunt, hunt, plenty deer, plenty turkey, plenty bear 
 find, and cool water ojus (plenty) all the time. Bad 
 Indians after big sleep hunt, hunt, hunt, hunt deer, 
 turkey, bear — no find ’em, hot water drink all the 
 time.” 
 
 The Indians’ religion, for we may justly call it 
 so, is sacred to him, and it is difficult to get him 
 to reveal his inmost thoughts. His idea of the Bible 
 is vague, because he understands it as the work of 
 man. “ White man got book, him good one day, 
 he steal, cheat next day; book no good. Injun no 
 make book, he no see hunting ground, him no go 
 and come back. Big sleep, no come back, him no lie 
 about it. Me think good Injun find hunting ground 
 all right; me think me find it. White man, big sleep 
 comes, me think no find In-li-Ke-ta (heaven) easy.” 
 
 After death the body of a Seminole is immediately 
 prepared for burial, the corpse being clad in new 
 clothes. When a chief dies one cheek is painted red, 
 the other one is painted black. The rest of the tribe 
 do not have the face painted for burial. It will be 
 recalled that Osceola, with the death struggle already 
 upon him, rose in his bed, and “ with his own hand 
 painted one-half of his face, his neck and his throat, 
 his wrists, the back of his hands and the handle of his 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 167 
 
 knife red, with Vermillion,” the marks of a war 
 chief. 
 
 At sunrise, on the day following a death, the body 
 is carried by two Indian men to the place of inter- 
 ment. The corpse is placed on a base made of logs 
 with the face to the rising sun. If the deceased be 
 a warrior, his rifle and accoutrements are placed by 
 his side, “ that he may be fully armed on his arrival 
 at the happy hunting grounds.” A bottle of Sof-ka 
 is buried with him that he may eat on his long jour- 
 ney. Around the body is built a pen of logs sloping 
 till they close at the top and thickly covered with 
 palmetto leaves. The protection is to prevent the 
 wild beasts from despoiling. With faces now turned 
 reverently to the rising sun, they commend into the 
 keeping of the Great Spirit the bivouac of the dead. 
 The bearers of the dead then make a fire at each end 
 of the grave, and the mourners return to camp, the 
 women loudly wailing and tearing their hair. At the 
 death of a husband the widow must live with dis- 
 heveled hair for one year. Her long black tresses 
 are worn over her face and shoulders, and she pre- 
 sents a forsaken, pitable appearance. At the end of 
 twelve moons her period of mourning is over, and 
 she may again arrange her hair, don her beads, which 
 have been removed during her period of mourning, 
 and may marry again. The husband, on the death 
 of his squaw, may not hunt for four days, and for a 
 period of four moons must appear in mourning, 
 which consists in the removal of his neck handker- 
 
168 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 chiefs, and the laying aside of his turban. When a 
 death occurs in one band or settlement, the news is 
 not communicated to the other bands until such time 
 as it is convenient for a messenger to be sent. 
 
 BROUGHT BACK. 
 
 About fifteen years ago, one young Indian brave, 
 Ko-nip-hat-cho by name, stepped beyond the Seminole 
 law and asked permission to live with a white man at 
 Fort Myers, Florida. He was eagerly received by 
 the gentleman, and was taught much of the English 
 language and civilized mode of living. But for a 
 Seminole to so far forget the teachings of his fathers, 
 as to wish to affiliate with the white race, caused the 
 greatest dissatisfaction in the Indian camps. “ Talk 
 after talk ” was “ made ” by the chiefs as they met 
 in council concerning the actions of this bold young 
 Indian. He was repeatedly warned to return to the 
 tribe. They even threatened to kill him if he re- 
 fused to do so. At length, however, artifice suc- 
 ceeded, where all else had failed. The daughter of 
 Charles Osceola was promised to him for a wife if 
 he would but return to his people and once more don 
 the costume of his race. No Indian girl in all the 
 nation could boast of the beauty of Nan-ces-o-wee ; 
 damask and dark, with features as refined as the 
 Caucasian, a form superb in its symmetry, a step as 
 graceful as the doe’s, a spirit as fearless as the 
 falcon, such is the woman who moved Ko-nip-hat- 
 cho from his foreign alliance. Ko-nip-hat-cho has 
 
JIMMIE TUSTANOGEE WITH HIS TWO WIVES AND THE CHILDREN 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 169 
 
 four children, is contented and happy in his forest 
 home, and with his knowledge is an important person- 
 age among his tribe. His wife is the belle of the 
 Seminole nation. All the Indian braves say, “ Ko- 
 nip-hat-cho’s squaw heap party,” and in their native 
 tongue declare, “ Nan-ces-o-wee most beautiful of 
 all the Seminole squaws.” 
 
 MOUNDS. 
 
 The great number of mounds found in Florida 
 afford attractive study to the lover of scientific re- 
 search. These mounds are of many shapes, heights 
 and areas. They are found in all parts of the State, 
 but are more abundant on or near the coast and 
 along the water courses. Every few months some 
 explorer, armed with shovels, picks and other instru- 
 ments used in excavating mounds, comes before the 
 public and announces new discoveries, based on new 
 theories. The best possible explanation of the source 
 of these mounds is founded on the theory that they 
 are of Indian origin. One scientist has aimed a 
 happy stroke at writers of our antiquities when he 
 says, “ Whoever has time and patience and will use 
 his spade and his eyes together, and restrain his 
 imagination from running riot among mounds, forti- 
 fications, etc., etc., will find very little more than the 
 indications of rude savages, the ancestors of the 
 present race.” No better theories can be advanced 
 than those of Major Powell, who says, “ Remove the 
 Indian element from the problem and we are left 
 
170 THE SEMINOLES jOE FLORIDA 
 
 without a hypothesis.” One of the latest mound 
 excavations in Florida was made by Dr. Moore. A 
 thousand skeletons were unearthed as well as many 
 articles of pottery, and other things considered of 
 great value by the explorer. The height and char- 
 acter of the Florida mounds indicate the different 
 uses for which they were built. These mounds vary 
 from three feet to thirty feet in height, and their 
 areas range from a few square feet to four hundred 
 feet square. The shell mounds which are numerous 
 throughout the peninsula seem to have grown with- 
 out any idea of purpose by the builders, and are 
 merely accumulations of shells and soil. Year after 
 year it was the custom of the tribes to congregate at 
 certain localities for their festivals, and, living on 
 shell fish, the shells in course of time formed vast 
 mounds or elevations. There are a number of 
 small mounds on the outskirts of Kissimmee City. 
 Excavations have been made, and pieces of skeletons, 
 beads, pottery and gold trinkets were exhumed. 
 Other mounds in Florida indicate that they were 
 built for tombs, while others, being composed of 
 strata of sand and other soils, from their height 
 might have been built for outlooks or signal towers. 
 Chroniclers of De Soto’s day describe the manner in 
 which the natives brought the earth to these spots 
 and formed these elevations. The Indians say in 
 Seminole war days these mounds were used to build 
 their signal fires upon. By smoke telegraphy, they 
 communicated war news from one band to another. 
 By this means, with their fleet Indian runners, who 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 17 1 
 
 acted also as spies, the entire tribe was kept informed 
 of the innermost workings of the white army. In ask- 
 ing a chief about the burial mounds, he answered, 
 “ Long time ago heap many people here,” and that 
 their “ ancestors buried their dead in mounds so that 
 other bands coming along might not disturb their 
 bones.” Many times the body would be carried a 
 great distance in order to bury in a sepulchre where 
 rested the bones of their ancestors. “ Now,” said 
 the chief, “ Seminoles no fight, not too many peo- 
 ple; ” and he buries his dead near his camp. 
 
 PICTURE WRITING. 
 
 The Seminoles have no picture writing, nor do 
 their minds in any way run to art. They prefer the 
 rough athletics of forest life, which educates them 
 for the chase and makes them the vigorous and 
 hardy people that they are. They would sooner 
 “ hook ” an alligator than paint the finest picture the 
 brush is capable of producing, and yet there is noth- 
 ing in the white man’s home they enjoy more than 
 studying the pictures of a book. In this way they 
 may be taught much. Through the teaching by pic- 
 tures they have learned the story of Pocahontas, and 
 of William Penn, “ the red man’s brother.” On an 
 occasion the picture of a heathen Zuni god was shown 
 to an Indian and its meaning explained. The effect 
 produced would have done credit to a Christian be- 
 liever. 
 
172 THE SEMINOLES OE FLORIDA' 
 
 MEDICINE. 
 
 The Seminoles have a superstitious faith in the 
 efficacy of certain roots and herbs known to their 
 tribe, the knowledge of which has been handed down 
 from their remote ancestors. The curative property 
 of these plants they never question. A few of the 
 band to-day have carefully concealed about them 
 small pieces of a root, which they call “ hil-lis-waw.” 
 This root was gotten by some of their tribe sixty 
 years ago when their people were encamped at 
 Tampa, and has been carefully treasured ever since, 
 having been handed down from father to son. Their 
 faith in the healing powers of this root is marvelous, 
 their idea being that the smallest possible piece being 
 made into a tea would restore life from death almost. 
 Those fortunate enough to own a small piece the size 
 of a pea are considered to have a great treasure. On 
 testing this root it was found to be a simple plant, 
 the great medicinal qualities of which exist largely in 
 the minds of the Indians. They are ignorant as to 
 what the root is and believe it to be very valuable, 
 saying, “ So much (what one could hold in the 
 palm of his hand) cost $25.” “ Long time ago,” 
 
 says the Seminole, “chief sick heap too much; by- 
 and-by, big sleep come. Medicine man bring hil-lis- 
 waw, fix ’um quick. Chief get well.” 
 
 A late incident occurred, showing the childlike 
 faith of this people. The little son of Ko-nip-pat- 
 cho was taken very ill and when Seminole medicinal 
 efforts failed, the father learned from other Indians 
 
TOMMY HILL CHARLIE PEACOCK 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 173 
 
 that their white friend at Kissimmee City could pro- 
 cure for them the “ hil-lis-waw.” A runner was 
 dispatched from the Everglades to the nearest boat 
 landing (a distance of 160 miles from Kissimmee) 
 where a note could be sent in person. This note was 
 given to the Captain — the Indian waiting for the 
 return of the steamer. The Indians reported after- 
 wards, “ Boy sick ojus, arms cold — feet cold — big 
 sleep come soon — Indian bring medicine from white 
 friend, boy no die.” 
 
 Did not the Great Spirit, Who watches over His 
 children, reward the childlike faith of these In- 
 dians? 
 
 Pais-haw is the name applied to a plant which the 
 Indians regard as an antidote to the rattlesnake bite. 
 Old settlers tell that they have known of Indians al- 
 lowing themselves to be bitten by a rattler on a wager 
 of a silver dollar. The Indians after being bitten 
 would go to the woods, a short distance away, and 
 procure their antidote. Returning they would ap- 
 parently be no worse for the bite. Requesting an 
 Indian to procure some of the roots, he replied, “ No 
 find ’em here — by-and-by me go to Okeechobee 
 swamps, find ’em plenty.” 
 
 A few weeks later there came through the mail a 
 small box full of roots, neatly done up and addressed 
 by the Indian’s own hand, a perfect copy of name and 
 address as he had learned to write it during his visit. 
 
 On sending the roots to the Smithsonian Institute 
 for analysis, the secretary reports that they belong to 
 a species of plant known as Cyperus, and adds, “ This 
 
174 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 is one of the large number of reputed cures for snake- 
 bites, which have become so regarded from the fact 
 that a person who has been bitten has been known to 
 recover after taking the drug.” The use of water 
 enters largely into the materia me die a of the Semi- 
 noles, bathing in cold water being one of their prin- 
 cipal treatments for fevers. During the war with 
 the whites a soldiers’ camp was found deserted; the 
 Indians immediately appropriated the clothing, blan- 
 kets and other things. Very soon the loathsome dis- 
 ease of small-pox broke out among them. Ignorant 
 as to the nature of the malady, they immediately ap- 
 plied their bathing remedy. The result was a fright- 
 ful mortality, few of that band were left to tell the 
 story. In this instance, the Government army gained 
 a victory over their foe without the firing of a gun. 
 
 Florida’s abiding words of beauty the herit- 
 age OF THE ABORIGINAL PATHFINDERS. 
 
 All through Florida the musical softness, peculiar 
 to the Seminole dialect, is sustained in the names of 
 the lakes and rivers. Each having a history descrip- 
 tive of its character, or some incident connected there- 
 with. 
 
 The old names of the chiefs were very euphonious, 
 such as Osceola, Micanopy, Tusteenuggee, Coacoo- 
 chee and Tallahassee. These are being displaced by 
 names adopted by the whites, such as Billy Ham, 
 Tommy John and Billy Buster. Accident, too, seems 
 to have credited the aborigines with words not really 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 175 
 
 their own if it be true that “ Yankee ” is only an 
 attempt made by the Indian to speak the word Eng- 
 lish, and that pappoose is the effort of the natives to 
 say “ baby.” The symphonious cadence of such 
 words as Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Caloosahatchee and 
 Minnehaha has often been noticed. 
 
 Tohope Ke-liga is the name of one of the most 
 beautiful lakes in Florida, its Indian significance 
 meaning “ fort site.” All around the lake are the 
 old hunting grounds of the Indians and memorable 
 points in Seminole war fame. To-day the Okeecho- 
 bee drainage canal connects it with the lakes south, 
 plantations surrounding its shores; the thriving city 
 of Kissimmee is situated on its north side and all trace 
 of the Seminole has vanished. The only memorials 
 he has left are his words firmly embedded in the his- 
 tory of his conquerors. Kissimmee river is said to 
 have taken its name from a romantic episode. A 
 young Spanish grandee in a moment of impulse 
 snatched a kiss from a Seminole girl, and the fright- 
 ened maiden’s childlike plaint to her mother estab- 
 lished the name of the river on whose banks the kiss 
 was stolen — Kiss-him-mee. 
 
 The romance attached to our beautiful Kissimmee 
 river gives it especial interest and we give it only as 
 a traditional meaning. The present Indians cannot 
 give the English rendition, saying, “ Indian long, 
 long time ago named the river,” which is corrob- 
 orated by the Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian In- 
 stitution, as follows: 
 
i 7 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 In reply to your letter I regret to say that it is impossible 
 to give you the meaning of “ Kissimmee.” Several of our 
 ethnologists think the word dates back to the Ais Caloosa, 
 or some other tribe antedating the Seminoles, in which case 
 the meaning will never be known. 
 
 Very respectfully yours, 
 
 W. H. Holmes, 
 Chief. 
 
 So many of the euphonious words abounding in 
 Florida belong to the ancient tribes and were picked 
 up by the Seminoles. 
 
 An interesting bit of information was gotten after 
 much care and questioning from Chief Tallahassee 
 as to the meaning of his name — Tallahassee being 
 only a nickname, or white man’s name for him — 
 his Indian name being Fo-so-wa-los-te-nock-ee, mean- 
 ing chief of the Bird gens or tribe. 
 
 The origin of the name of Florida’s State capital 
 dates back to the days that are but traditions to the 
 Seminole. 
 
 As the Seminole interprets, “ Long, long time 
 ago,” many Indians and houses were on the site where 
 the city of Tallahassee now stands. 
 
 One day, as the tradition goes, all the Indians left. 
 Some time after, some Indians came along, Seminoles 
 presumably, and seeing many houses — but Indians 
 “ hiepus ” (gone), exclaimed, “ Tallahassee ” — “ all 
 gone or deserted.” 
 
 We-la-ka is the Indian name for the St. John river 
 and describes it so graphically that the old Spaniards 
 retrograded when they named the “ river of lakes ” 
 
THE WILD HERON IN DOMESTICATION 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 177 
 
 for their patron saint. Ock-la-wa-ha, “ crooked 
 water,” appropriately describes the most crooked 
 stream in America. Okeechobee, with her vast ex- 
 panse of water and over-hanging mists, in Seminole 
 significance means “ the place of big water.” With- 
 la-coo-chee, so memorable in Seminole war days as 
 the place of Osceola’s strategic movements, is a long 
 but very narrow stream, meaning, in the Seminole 
 tongue, “ Little Big river.” Alachua, “ the big jug 
 without a bottom,” We-Kiva, “ mystery,” and so on 
 all over the Peninsula do we find names preserved 
 which mark the wanderings of the picturesque Aborig- 
 ines. 
 
 The unwritten, but highly poetical, language of the 
 Florida Indians, should be incorporated into school- 
 craft form and preserved with the archives of his- 
 tory for future generations. One who has heard the 
 war shouts, their mythological tales, the words ac- 
 companying their dancing tunes, or listened in the 
 darkness of the night, with breathless wonder to the 
 heart-moving dirges sung by wailing women as they 
 move around the corpse of some dead member, 
 the whole scene lit up by the flickering flames of the 
 lurid camp fire, cannot doubt but that the Florida 
 Indian has a literature, and the white race is to blame 
 for its imperfect knowledge of the unwritten but 
 priceless productions of a savage race. 
 
 The linguistic perfection of the Seminole language, 
 with its fluent, oratorical powers, shows itself in every 
 speech or talk ever made to the white man. 
 
 With linguistic research, the scientist readily finds 
 
r;8 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 that man does not invent language any more than a 
 birds does its twittering or a tree its leaves. It re- 
 quires a whole nation to produce a language. 
 
 Of the world’s famous orators we have our De- 
 mosthenes of the Greek, Cicero of the Roman, Eng- 
 land’s great Gladstone, America with her Calhoun, 
 Clay and Webster; but as yet has the world ever 
 found greater eloquence than in the “ talks ” of the 
 famous Indian chiefs? 
 
 Red Jacket, on the religion of the white man and 
 the red race, is a marvel of eloquence. Then what 
 shall we say of Tecumseh, the great Shawnee, as 
 he delivered his famous talk to General Harrison, or 
 Black Hawk, the captive, in his plea before General 
 Street? 
 
 In dealing with the Seminole language we meet 
 with long words and mammoth expressions. The 
 Seminole greeting, “ Ha-tee-eten-chee-hick-cha-hit-is- 
 chay,” sounds formidable, yet it only means “ Glad 
 to see you.” These, with well-understood Indian 
 phrases, such as “ burying the tomahawk,” “ going 
 on the warpath,” we employ familiarly without a 
 thought of the tribe we have dispossessed. The time 
 for studying the aborigines of America will soon be 
 over. Only remnants of the tribes remain among us. 
 Old myths and customs are being displaced by new 
 ones, and we can truly see that the red man’s inherit- 
 ance is nearing the horizon of its destiny. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 179 
 
 the seminole’s recessional. 
 
 When the last Seminole goes, he will in every sense 
 be the last. He will leave no history; neither monu- 
 ment. His narrow path through the Savannah lasts 
 no longer than the doe’s road to the ford of the 
 stream. His race have had their joys, their triumphs 
 and their defeats, and then been swept into oblivion. 
 
 Like the white plumed egret of the vast forests of 
 the Everglades, he will pass, like the mist. As mem- 
 ories come up, we hear the faint rustle of the leaves 
 and see the dusky forms of those ancient people as 
 they glided through the leaf-carpeted aisles of the 
 forests. We see the happy wigwam homes, gleaming 
 in the red flames of the camp fire and hear the soft 
 lullabies of the crooning mothers; the dusky hero 
 of the chase returns game-laden from the hunt, and, 
 in the picture, framed, as it were, by the boundaries 
 of nature, we see long lines of moving life, the grace- 
 ful forms of thousands of flying creatures, while the 
 song of the forest minstrel hallows the wooded si- 
 lence. It is the land of the Seminole. 
 
 Thou, Florida, with thy laughing waters and sunny 
 skies, art the Seminole’s elysium. Thy spreading 
 palms form the only canopy he desires. To part 
 from thy loved scenes would be like separating from 
 his kindred. No, under the shadows of the live oak 
 and the magnolia has he lived, under their shadows 
 let him die. 
 
 As the patient Seminole, with swelling heart 
 “ moves a little farther, and yet a little farther,” he 
 
i8o THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 goes not willingly, but with a sad heart and a slow 
 step. Micanopy, when told by the officers that he 
 might choose between emigration and death!, an- 
 swered, “ Kill me here then, kill me quickly.” 
 The same spirit is manifested by the Seminole to-day 
 when he says, “ We have never done anything to dis- 
 grace the land of our birth, nor the honor of an In- 
 dian. For fifty years the pledge to our great father 
 has been kept inviolate. Our tongues are not forked 
 and our feet tread not in the white man’s path. We 
 threw away the rifle and grasped hands with the 
 white skin. We know the white man’s power, and 
 though we love peace, we fear not death. We will 
 not leave the land of our birth. The Great Spirit 
 loves his red children, and says to them, “ Your 
 bones must rest with the dust of your fathers.” 
 Brothers, when the pale face came to the shores of 
 our land, our fathers made him a fire from their 
 flint rock to warm by, and gave him hominy to stay 
 his hunger. Brothers, the Seminole wishes no harm 
 to the white race, but his heart heaves and surges as 
 it says, “Let us alone; let us alone. Though you 
 slay us, you shall not move us.” 
 
 “ A kingdom as full of people as hives are of 
 bees,” wrote the first discoverer to King Ferdinand. 
 Where are they now? 
 
 There is something intensely sad in the picture of 
 these sons of the monarchs of that race, who, for 
 centuries held sway on the slopes of the Atlantic. 
 As the Stars and Stripes proudly herald liberty and 
 independence to the comers of all nations, how can 
 
THE WHITE PLUMED EGRET IN a FLORIDA YARD 
 “ In their bridal veil of long silken plumes.” 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 181 
 
 we be unmindful of that “ charity which begins at 
 home?” The panorama of Indian history passes 
 before us, and we see nothing more tragic than the 
 pictures of the wrongs endured by the native Amer- 
 icans. Let us then deal kindly with the tribes we 
 have dispossessed, whose removal to the swamps has 
 made room for our own enlargement. In the per- 
 son of these descendants of a now disinherited race, 
 who with shy, frightened faces still hide in the wilder- 
 ness, we may yet atone in part for the tragedies of 
 the past by making Florida a free, safe and Christian 
 home for this patient and long-persecuted remnant of 
 a once-powerful Indian nation. 
 
 May the almoner of justice, under the guidance of 
 an overruling God, protect and keep and cherish these 
 red children of the forest homes. 
 
PART III 
 Vocabulary 
 
INTRODUCTION TO VOCABULARY 
 
 In presenting the following words, phrases and 
 sentences to the public, we beg to add a few explana- 
 tions. The words have been obtained from the 
 Indians themselves. To collect words from an In- 
 dian requires patience at any time, and in dealing with 
 the Seminoles particularly so. The Florida Indian is 
 suspicious of the white man, and until a confidence 
 was established and a friendship formed, it was impos- 
 sible to obtain any accuracy from him. To secure the 
 words in this work methods were devised, in order to 
 have the Seminole fully understand the collector, 
 as well as to enable the collector to grasp with a 
 certainty the Indian’s meaning. As will be seen by 
 a close study of the vocabulary, the noun does more 
 than simply denote the thing to which it belongs; 
 it also assigns to it some quality or characteristic. 
 As for instance the word elephant. The Indian 
 had never seen an elephant, but on being shown' 
 one in a circus parade, after a careful thinking, he 
 named it, “ e-po-lo-wa-kee ” — “ heap long nose.”' 
 Great latitude is thus permitted in an Indian vocabu- 
 lary. On account of non-intercourse with a civilized 
 race the Seminole language is very pure. Economy 
 in speech is followed, the highest aim of the Indian 
 being to express in a single word both action and ob- 
 ject. Every cluster-word is a description or a defi- 
 
 1851 
 
1 86 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 nition. The study of an unwritten language finds its 
 phonology difficult. In this collection, the words are 
 spelled phonetically; the accent and division into syl- 
 lables are indicated to assist the student to make the 
 correct pronunciation. Not only were these words 
 given in good faith by the Indians with the present 
 use in view, but each succeeding year, as we visited 
 the Glades for a hunt, the various members of the 
 tribe showed decided interest in our note book, as- 
 sisting in revising the words by going over and over 
 again the Seminole meaning and accent. The Semi- 
 nole has a keen sense of humor. As we gathered 
 words and phrases many amusing incidents occurred, 
 always at our expense and to the greatest merriment 
 of the Indians. 
 
 To Tallahassee we are indebted for much of this 
 vocabulary, as well as for many interesting incidents 
 and fragments of the history; yet it was not until the 
 fourth year of acquaintance that the old chief, beside 
 the dying embers of our camp fire at the midnight 
 hour, opened his heart and told the story of his peo- 
 ple, their myths, religion, legends — their heartaches. 
 The night was chilly, the old chief lost in his own 
 earnestness drew his tunic closer about him, yet the 
 writer could not say “ it is late — you are cold.” It 
 was a golden opportunity; a word, the rustle of a 
 branch and the current would have changed. Until 
 daybreak, in his broken English Tallahassee told his 
 story. Never before, nor ever since has such an 
 occasion presented itself. 
 
VOCABULARY 1 
 
 PERSONS 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Es-ta-chat-tee 
 
 Es-ta-had-kee 
 
 Es-ta-lus-tee 
 
 Ho-non-waw 
 
 Hoke-tee 
 
 Ach-o-be-li-tee 
 
 Hoke-tee-li-tee 
 
 Ho-non-wa-mi-nit-ti-tee 
 
 Hoke-tee-ti-mi-nit-ti-tee 
 
 Che-pon-no-shi-tee 
 
 Hoke-ti-chee 
 
 Est-to-chee 
 
 Ho-non-o-chee 
 
 Hoke-to-chee 
 
 Poke-taw 
 
 E-hi-wa-o-chit-ee 
 
 E-hi-was-ko 
 
 E-hi-wa-se-ko 
 
 E-hi-lift-mus-chee 
 
 E-he-see-ko 
 
 E-he-see-ko-hoke-ti-lee . 
 Es-tee-min-nit-tee 
 
 O-pa-na-ki-tee 
 
 Host-cope-e-taw 
 
 Host-cope-e-gost-chee . . 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 . Indian. 
 
 .White man. 
 
 , Negro. 
 
 . Man. 
 
 ■ Woman. 
 
 , Old man. 
 
 Old woman. 
 Young man. 
 Young woman. 
 Boy. 
 
 Girl. 
 
 Infant. 
 
 Male infant. 
 Female infant. 
 Twins. 
 
 Married man. 
 
 Bachelor. 
 
 Widower. 
 
 Widow. 
 
 Old maid. 
 
 The old people. 
 
 A great talker. 
 
 A silent person. 
 Thief. 
 
 Not a thief. 
 
 1 In this vocabulary the words are arranged according to 
 their subject or character, no attention being paid to alphabetical 
 succession. 
 
 I8 7 
 
i88, THE SEMINOLES OE FLORIDA 
 
 PARTS OF THE BODY 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 E-caw 
 
 E-caw-e-see 
 
 E-caw-hos-pee 
 
 Toi-so-faw 
 
 Ka-ho-waw 
 
 E-tox-lo-waw 
 
 Tose-lis-kee 
 
 To-do-no-lup-pa-is-see . 
 Tode-le-wa-hos-pee . . . 
 Tode-le-list-la-hos-pee . 
 
 Hots-cote-es-caw 
 
 E-hots-ko 
 
 Hots-caw-pof-ef-caw . . 
 
 Hots-caw-ko-kee 
 
 E-ho-po 
 
 E-po-fo-nee 
 
 E-po-haw-kee 
 
 E-yan-i-waw 
 
 No-ti-ka-is-see 
 
 E-choke-o-waw 
 
 Choke-hos pon-a-paw . . 
 
 Choke-hos-pee 
 
 E-no-tee-ho-maw 
 
 E-no-tee-lock-ko 
 
 To-los-waw 
 
 E-to-ka-lo-swaw 
 
 Sin-no-ka-nil-caw 
 
 No-ti-caw 
 
 No-ka-pee 
 
 No-quif-pa-tock-ock-naw 
 E-naw-chee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Head. 
 
 Hair. 
 
 Crown of head. 
 Face. 
 
 Forehead. 
 
 Eye. 
 
 Eye lash. 
 
 Eye brow. 
 
 Upper eyelid. 
 Lower eyelid. 
 
 Ear lobe. 
 
 Ear. 
 
 Perforation in ear. 
 Opening of ear. 
 Nose. 
 
 Ridge of nose. 
 Nostril. 
 
 Cheek. 
 
 Beard. 
 
 Mouth. 
 
 Upper lip. 
 
 Lower lip. 
 
 Front teeth. 
 
 Back teeth. 
 Tongue. 
 
 Saliva. 
 
 Throat. 
 
 Chin. 
 
 Neck. 
 
 Adam’s apple. 
 Body. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 189 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 E-faw-chaw 
 
 Fo-lo-taw-pix-taw 
 
 E-claw 
 
 E-claw-fo-nee 
 
 E-hoke-pee 
 
 E-pee-see 
 
 Im-po-loke-cho 
 
 E-ho-cho-waw 
 
 E-shock-paw 
 
 In-clop-pe-claw 
 
 Aw-clos-clin-aw 
 
 Ho-lo-wa-to-tee-ta-gaw 
 
 Sock-pof-o-nee 
 
 Aw-kos-ko-nof-o-nee 
 
 E-ko-chee 
 
 In-tee-ti-pix-tee-e-toke-kee-tay-gaw 
 
 In-tee-ti-pix-tee 
 
 In-ko-faw 
 
 In-tee-ta-pix-tee-e-naw-pa 
 
 In-ka-we-sa-kaw 
 
 Som-kit-kee 
 
 Som-kil-smil-kaw 
 
 In-ka-nock-klo-pa-ho-e-claw .... 
 
 In-ka-ho-klif-claw-such-lo 
 
 In-ka its-ho-chee-wa-chee 
 
 In-hits-kee-in-kose-es-waw 
 
 In-ka-we-sock-ka-e-to-pee 
 
 In-ka-yock-pee 
 
 E-tol-kay 
 
 Chee-hof-ee 
 
 E-tolk-wa-po-la-ko 
 
 Tose-to-po-la-ko 
 
 Chee-host-go-waw 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 . Shoulder. 
 
 .Shoulder blade. 
 
 . Back. 
 
 .Back bone. 
 
 .Breast of man. 
 
 .Breast of woman. 
 .Hip. 
 
 . Navel. 
 
 .Arm. 
 
 .Right arm. 
 
 .Left arm. 
 
 .Arm pits. 
 
 . Right arm above elbow. 
 .Left arm above elbow. 
 . Elbow. 
 
 .Wrist. 
 
 . Hand. 
 
 . Palm of hand. 
 
 .Back of hand. 
 
 .Fingers. 
 
 .Thumb. 
 
 .First finger. 
 
 .Second finger. 
 
 .Third finger. 
 
 .Small finger. 
 
 .Finger nail. 
 
 . Knuckle. 
 
 . Space between knuckles. 
 . Rump. 
 
 .Leg above knee. 
 
 .Knee. 
 
 .Knee pan. 
 
 • Leg below knee. 
 
190 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 E-lim-pock-ko 
 
 .Calf of leg. 
 
 E-lay-toke-to-swaw 
 
 . Ankle. 
 
 E-lit-ta-pix-tee-e-fo-cho-to-kee-not-ee 
 
 . Instep. 
 
 Es-tel-e-po 
 
 .Foot. 
 
 Es-tel-e-ho-faw 
 
 .Sole of foot. 
 
 E-lich-es-caw 
 
 .Heel. 
 
 Es-tel-e-e-sa-caw 
 
 .Toe. 
 
 Es-tel-e-eeds-kee 
 
 .Large toe. 
 
 Es-tel-e-nock-clay-ho-e-claw 
 
 .Second toe. 
 
 E-la-ni-ka-so-swaw 
 
 .Toe nail. 
 
 Chaw-taw 
 
 .Blood. 
 
 Chaw-tee-fo-kaw 
 
 .Vein or artery. 
 
 Istee-e-kol-pee 
 
 .Brain (man). 
 
 E-kol-pee 
 
 .Brain. 
 
 E-ho-sil-waw 
 
 . Bladder. 
 
 E-fee-caw 
 
 . Heart. 
 
 E-pof-caw 
 
 .Around the heart. 
 
 E-to-chee 
 
 . Kidney. 
 
 In-hee-shock-e-taw 
 
 . Lung. 
 
 E-lo-pee 
 
 . Liver. 
 
 Im-pa-shaw 
 
 . Stomach. 
 
 In-ta-law 
 
 .Rib. 
 
 In-ka-shock-a-tee 
 
 . Pulse. 
 
 Es-tel-e-hop-o 
 
 .Foot print. 
 
 Shon-aw-haft-bee 
 
 . Skin. 
 
 Shon-aw-fon-ee 
 
 . Bone. 
 
 Fix-chee-e-la-pots-kee 
 
 . Intestines. 
 
 Cho-pock-e-taw 
 
 .Scalp. 
 
 DRESS AND ORNAMENTS 
 Cap. 
 
 Breech cloth. 
 
 Cot-to-po-kaw 
 E-kof-kaw . . . 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 19 1 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 She-won-nock-e-taw 
 
 Aw-fa-tee-kaw 
 
 Stil-i-pi-kaw 
 
 Som-po-chee 
 
 Ech-e-taw 
 
 Lo-cus-haft-ee-pa-ta-kaw . . . 
 E-cho-haft-ee-pa-ta-kaw 
 
 Cho-see 
 
 Cho-fee-haft-bee 
 
 O-sho-aw-haft-bee 
 
 O-shon-aw-haft-bee 
 
 Co-lo-waw 
 
 Co-lo-waw-la-nee 
 
 Co-lo-wa-lus-tee 
 
 Co-lo-wa-chaw-tee 
 
 Shoke-shot-ta-pix-chee 
 
 Stink-ko-shot-ti-tee-caw 
 
 Cop-a-to-ca-och-aco 
 
 Es-tel-e-pi-e-ca-och-a-co 
 
 E-ca-e-pee 
 
 She-won-nock-e-ta-sa-lof-kaw 
 
 Co-na-waw 
 
 Hi-ef-cof-ka-taw 
 
 Stil-a-pa-won-hee 
 
 Note-tes-chee 
 
 Es-ti-ha-kee 
 
 Osh-aw-kil-caw-e-fa-caw . . . 
 
 Osh-aw-kil-caw 
 
 She-ma-caw 
 
 Shit-ta-kee-caw 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 • Breech cloth belt. 
 
 . Leggins. 
 
 . Moccasins. 
 
 . Basket. 
 
 . Blanket. 
 
 .Bear skin (robe). 
 .Deer skin (robe). 
 .Buck skin or snake skin. 
 
 • Rabbit skin. 
 
 .Beaver skin. 
 
 • Otter skin. 
 
 . Paint. 
 
 • Paint (yellow). 
 
 • Paint (black). 
 
 • Paint (red). 
 
 , Pouch. 
 
 • A ring. 
 
 Bare head. 
 
 Bare foot. 
 
 Naked. 
 
 Knife belt. 
 
 Beads. 
 
 Shirt. 
 
 Shoes. 
 
 Handkerchief. 
 
 Picture. 
 
 Watch chain. 
 
 Watch. 
 
 Fan. 
 
 Walking cane. 
 
192 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 DWELLINGS, IMPLEMENTS, UTENSILS, ETC. 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Cho-co-ta-ti-yee 
 
 Cho-co-hum-co-see 
 
 E-how-kee 
 
 We-chow-hi-lit 
 
 No-clit 
 
 Tode-caw 
 
 Tock-hot-chee 
 
 Lip-la-it 
 
 Toke-la-waw 
 
 Tock-ees-so 
 
 Eh-cho-chee 
 
 Aw-lock-a-taw-chaw-ho-tee 
 
 Aw-ho-gee 
 
 Pa-ta-caw 
 
 Shot-hote-caw 
 
 Cho-ko 
 
 Ko-lo-kee 
 
 Osh-aw-kil-caw-lock-o 
 
 To-paw 
 
 Cho-ko-no-paw 
 
 Cho-ko-shaw-hose-paw-caw 
 
 Ot-so-caw 
 
 We-wa-ese-pay-lot-caw . . . 
 
 We-wa 
 
 E-pee-lo-faw 
 
 E-con-aw-aw-ho-pa-caw . . . 
 
 See-la-hot-tit-taw 
 
 Tode-ca-e-ho-tee 
 
 We-wa-ho-tee 
 
 Ho-e-so-clope-pa-lock-a-naw 
 
 In-ka-e-to-shi-eets-caw . . . . 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 . . .Village. 
 
 . . .Wigwam. 
 
 . . . Door way. 
 
 . . . Spark. 
 
 . . .Burn. 
 
 . . .Fire. 
 
 ...Fire wood (burning), 
 . . . Blaze. 
 
 . . . Living coals. 
 
 . . . Ashes. 
 
 . . . Smoke. 
 
 . . . My home. 
 
 . . . Door way. 
 
 ...Bed. 
 
 . . . Door. 
 
 . . . House. 
 
 . . . Lamp. 
 
 . . . Clock. 
 
 . . . Floor. 
 
 . . . Ceiling. 
 
 ...Wall. 
 
 . . . Stairway. 
 
 . . . Spring. 
 
 . . .Water. 
 
 . ..Hommock (woods). 
 
 . . .Map. 
 
 . . .Railing. 
 
 . . . Stove. 
 
 . . .Water tank. 
 
 . . . Wash bowl. 
 
 , . .Towel. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 193 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 To-how-how-waw 
 
 So-cose-caw 
 
 Sin-ti-ne-ta-pi-ee-to-caw . . 
 
 Ees-cos-caw 
 
 E-fa-ko-lock-o 
 
 Shot-hit-go-chee 
 
 Tose-to-lese-taw 
 
 T ose-to-lese-ta-pof-na-ehee 
 
 Aw-ta-lit-taw 
 
 E-shaw-ho-tee 
 
 Chot-a-dox-cha-in-che . . . 
 
 Bith-low 
 
 Sar-sho-e-fa-caw 
 
 Whe-ah 
 
 Hi-eets-caw 
 
 Tock-kee-so 
 
 Buch-es-waw 
 
 Polk-ko 
 
 Le-ho-chaw 
 
 Chat-o-lon-ee 
 
 Che-to-ko-lope-lon-ee . . . . 
 
 Sha-teek-e-naw-yaw 
 
 Shot-to 
 
 Hi-lo-chee 
 
 We-wa-sis-ca-taw 
 
 Sto-caw 
 
 E-slof-ka-pee 
 
 E-slof-ka-e-ock-shaw 
 
 E-slof-ka-e-in-fos-kee . . . . 
 
 Sa-lof-ka 
 
 Chum-chaw-cha-lock-ko . . 
 Chum-chaw-ko 
 Shif-fon-waw 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 . .Trunk. 
 
 . . Soap. 
 
 . . Whisk broom. 
 
 . . Comb. 
 
 ..Rope (cable). 
 
 . . Glass tumbler. 
 
 . .Wagon. 
 
 . .Buggy. 
 
 . . Clothes hooks. 
 
 . .Gun cover. 
 
 . . Arrow. 
 
 . . Canoe. 
 
 ..Fish line. 
 
 . .Fish net. 
 
 . .Accordeon. 
 
 . . Ashes. 
 
 ..Ax. 
 
 . . Pottery. 
 
 . . Pot of pottery. 
 
 . .Brass. 
 
 ..Gold. 
 
 . . Silver. 
 
 . . Iron. 
 
 . . Cup. 
 
 . . Dipper. 
 
 . . Bucket. 
 
 . .Knife handle. 
 
 . .Knife point. 
 
 . .Knife edge. 
 
 . . Knife. 
 
 ..Bell. 
 
 . . Small bell. 
 
 ..Awl, 
 
194 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 To-shay-sil-caw 
 
 We-hop-caw . 
 
 To-hi-o-waw 
 
 T o-ho-to-waw 
 
 Ho-tee 
 
 Shaw-toke-e-naw-waw . . . 
 
 To-ko-naw-shaw-tee 
 
 Na-kop-po-chee 
 
 Con-shot-go-ho-ko-lin . . . . 
 
 Chalk 
 
 To-ko-naw-wa-hum-kin . 
 To-ko-naw-wa-cha-kee-birr 
 
 E-sho-gaw 
 
 Ees-how-ees-caw 
 
 Ees-pas-caw 
 
 Chot-to-go-chee 
 
 Op-pee 
 
 Tock-o-take-go-chee 
 
 Im-mi-lay-sha-taw 
 
 Tose-ka-lof-caw 
 
 E-to 
 
 Tock-kin-o-shaw 
 
 Ok-e-fots-chay 
 
 To-hop-kee 
 
 Ho-lo-paw 
 
 Chat-o-ko-cho 
 
 Hi-eets-e-fa-caw 
 
 O-like-a-taw 
 
 To-paw 
 
 Es-ti-ha-kee 
 
 Tol-lo-faw 
 
 Ist-fon-o-kee-taw 
 
 E-skil-caw 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Whang ( for sewing moccasins 
 
 Pillow. 
 
 Valise. 
 
 Powder. 
 
 Powder can. 
 
 Money. 
 
 One cent. 
 
 Ten cents. 
 
 Fifty cents. 
 
 Twenty-five cents. 
 
 One dollar. 
 
 Five dollars. 
 
 File. 
 
 Key. 
 
 Broom. 
 
 Mallet. 
 
 Broomstick. 
 
 Common stick. 
 
 Court plaster. 
 
 Plane. 
 
 Wood. 
 
 Brick. 
 
 Sea shell. 
 
 Fence. 
 
 Walk (pavement). 
 
 Cartridge. 
 
 Guitar string. 
 
 Chair. 
 
 Floor. 
 
 Picture. 
 
 Town. 
 
 Rocking chair. 
 
 Compass. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 1951 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Shock-shaw-e-taw 
 
 Ti-sos-so-chee 
 
 Ees-la-pode-caw 
 
 Ees-ti-no-tee-some-fo-tee-taw 
 
 Shoke-chaw; 
 
 It-to-tee-ish-fo-gaw 
 
 It -to-tee-butch-es-waw 
 
 It-to-tee-in-so-go 
 
 It-to-tee-saw-gaw 
 
 It-to-tee-ock-les-waw 
 
 It-to-tee-she-lot-caw 
 
 It-to-tee-we-waw 
 
 To-fo-ga-leg-a-mee 
 
 To-fo-la-hi-lee 
 
 To-to-lese-pof-a-naw-o-cho-go 
 
 Phon-e-o-hop-ee 
 
 Sho-a-los-ga-taw 
 
 Ko-lo-kee-e-h'o-tee 
 
 Tol-lot-to-chee 
 
 O-pa-tock-o 
 
 E-ho-e-lit-taw 
 
 She-lop-ko-chif-ko-taw 
 
 Ach-aw-kil-caw-lock-o 
 
 E-sho-e-caw 
 
 Hot-cus-waw 
 
 Ta-pate-go-chee 
 
 Ich-chaw 
 
 E-chaw 
 
 To-lo-to-lon-e 
 
 To-hote-to-waw 
 
 Wee-aw 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-chop-ka 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-chee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Dip net 
 Pin. 
 
 Needle. 
 
 Tooth pick. 
 
 Sack. 
 
 Ice saw. 
 
 Ice hatchet. 
 
 Ice house. 
 
 Ice machine. 
 
 Ice moulds. 
 
 Ice tongs. 
 
 Ice water. 
 
 Saw dust. 
 
 Cord wood. 
 
 Railroad car. 
 
 Fishing pole. 
 
 Hammock (to swing). 
 Lantern. 
 
 Brush. 
 
 Saddle. 
 
 Stirrup. 
 
 Spur. 
 
 Clock. 
 
 Hoe. 
 
 Iron kettle. 
 
 Pistol. 
 
 Gun. 
 
 Rifle. 
 
 Cap (percussion). 
 Powder. 
 
 Seine. 
 
 Sword. 
 
 Knife (small). 
 
196 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-fots-kee 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-tof-nee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 Knife (sharp). 
 Knife (dull). 
 
 FOOD 
 
 To-lee-ko 
 
 O-chee-tot-o-la-go-chee 
 
 Tot-o-lo-som-po-chee 
 
 Pish-waw 
 
 O-po-swaw 
 
 Tock-a-la-kee 
 
 Och-chee-lo-wat-kee 
 
 Wa-ka-pish-aw 
 
 Chum-pee 
 
 Y el-la-haw 
 
 Fo-chum-pee 
 
 Ist-sa-tock-ko 
 
 O-ko-to 
 
 Oke-chon-tel-o-ko-nee 
 
 Il-la-haw 
 
 Itch-on-e-haw 
 
 Ho-waw 
 
 E-cho-pish-waw 
 
 Chil-i-hos-waw 
 
 Wa-ka-pish-aw-tock-o-la-kee 
 
 Tol-o-so-caw 
 
 Chos-chee-lock-o 
 
 Chos-chee 
 
 E-po-see-waw 
 
 Fit-chee 
 
 We-len-tel-lo 
 
 Hil-o-cho-waw 
 
 Wa-ka-pish-a-ne-haw . . . . . 
 
 . Oatmeal. 
 
 .Corn bread. 
 
 . Cake. 
 
 . Meat. 
 
 . Soup. 
 
 .Bread (flour). 
 
 .Corn (green). 
 
 .Milk. 
 
 . Honey. 
 
 . Lemonade. 
 
 .Bees and honey. 
 
 . Cauliflower. 
 
 . Radish. 
 
 • Salt. 
 
 . Orange. 
 
 .Tallow. 
 
 .Pepper sauce. 
 
 .Deer meat. 
 
 . Pineapple. 
 
 . Cheese. 
 
 . Cocoanut. 
 
 .Pumpkin (whiteman’s) 
 .Pumpkin (Indian). 
 
 . Gravy. 
 
 . Sausage. 
 
 .Banana. 
 
 .Chewing gum. 
 
 . Butter. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 197 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Wa-ka-pish-e-e-tok-chee . 
 
 Wa-ka-fit-chee 
 
 Suck-a-fit-chee 
 
 Ho-tes-kot-tee-hot-kee . . . 
 
 Whit-lo-ko 
 
 Aw-haw 
 
 Tol-o-la-go-chee 
 
 Aw-hot-to-pox-to-chee . . . 
 
 Cot-lo-chee 
 
 Aw-pis-ta-lake-a-to-me 
 Tock-a-la-kee-chom-paw . , 
 
 Ho-maw 
 
 Pe-kon-o-soch-o-chee 
 
 Tock-a-fon-waw 
 
 Shot-o-lock-o 
 
 Chil-loos-wa 
 
 T ock-a-la-kee-chum-po-chee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 , Sour milk. 
 
 .Sausage (beef). 
 .Sausage (pork). 
 
 . Flour. 
 
 . Oysters. 
 
 .Potato (sweet). 
 
 . Biscuit. 
 
 Potato (Irish). 
 
 , Sardines. 
 
 , Potted ham. 
 
 Ginger cake (large). 
 Pickles. 
 
 Cherries. 
 
 Filbert. 
 
 Apple. 
 
 Grapes. 
 
 Cake (small). 
 
 COLORS 
 
 Lus-tee Black. 
 
 Ho-lot-tee Blue. 
 
 Ho-ko-lon-i-tee Brown. 
 
 Sho-po-ka-hot-ka-chee Grey. 
 
 Pi-e-lon-o-maw Green. 
 
 Chat-tee Red. 
 
 Hot-ka-tee . White. 
 
 Hum-kin 
 Ho-ko-lin 
 Too-chin 
 Os-tin . . 
 
 NUMERALS 
 
 One. 
 
 Two. 
 
 Three. 
 
 Four, 
 
198 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Chaw-kee-bin 
 
 
 A-pa-kin 
 
 
 Ko-lo-pa-kin 
 
 
 Chin-na-pa-kin 
 
 
 Os-ta-pa-kin 
 
 
 Pa-lin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-hum-kin-hum-kin . . . . 
 
 
 Pa-lin-hum-kin-ho-ko-lin . . . . 
 
 
 Pa-lin-hum-kin-too-chin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-hum-kin-os-tin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-ho-ko-lin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-ho-ko-lin-hum-kin .... 
 
 
 Pa-lin-ho-ko-lin-too-chin .... 
 
 
 Pa-lin-too-chin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-os-tin 
 
 
 Pa-Iin-chaw-kee-bin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-a-pa-kin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-ko-la-pa-kin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-chin-na-pa-kin 
 
 
 Pa-lin-os-ta-pa-kin 
 
 
 Chope-kee-hum-kin 
 
 
 Chope-kee-ho-ko-lin 
 
 
 Chope-kee-too-chin-ee 
 
 
 DIVISIONS OF TIME 
 
 Ti-ose-go-chee First moon (August)'. 
 
 Ti-ose-go-lock-o Second moon (September). 
 
 E-ho-lee .Third moon (October). 
 
 Si-lof-slop-ko Fourth moon (November). 
 
 Si-lof-so-kee Fifth moon (December). 
 
 Ho-ti-lee-has-ee Sixth moon (January). 
 
 Ti-sot-to-chee Seventh moon (February). 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 199 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Ti-sot-to-lock-o 
 
 Kee-hos-ee 
 
 Got-so-hos-ee 
 
 Hi-yote-chee 
 
 Hi-yote-lock-o 
 
 Mis-kee-hum-kin 
 
 Ha-lits-chey 
 
 Nit-taw 
 
 Nist-lee 
 
 U-mus-ka-taw 
 
 Pox-son-gay 
 
 Pox-son-gay-lim-pix-son-gay 
 
 A-pox-see-lim-pox-say-nist-lee 
 
 Mo-shon-nit-taw 
 
 A-pox-see 
 
 A-pox-see-lim-pox-say 
 
 Mis-kee-hum-kee 
 
 Mo-shon-mis-kee 
 
 Mis-kee-ho-ko-lin 
 
 Mis-kee-too-chin-aw 
 
 Nit-ti-chow-go-hum-kin 
 Nit-ti-chow-go-ho-ko-lin . . . 
 Nit-ti-chow-go-too-chin-aw . 
 
 Nit-ta-hum-kin 
 
 Nit-ta-ho-ko-lin 
 
 Nit-ta-too-chin-aw 
 
 Nit-ta-os-tin 
 
 Mo-shon-nist-lee 
 
 A-pox-see-nist-lee 
 
 Mo-cho-hos-see 
 
 Hos-see-hum-kee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Eighth moon (March). 
 
 Ninth moon (April). 
 
 Tenth moon (May). 
 
 Eleventh moon (June). 
 
 Twelfth moon (July) 
 
 One year. 
 
 Moon. 
 
 Day. 
 
 Night. 
 
 Dark. 
 
 Yesterday. 
 
 Day before yesterday. 
 
 . . . Day after to-morrow night. 
 
 Today. 
 
 To-morrow. 
 
 Day after to-morrow. 
 
 Next year. 
 
 This year. 
 
 Two years. 
 
 Three years. 
 
 One week. 
 
 Two weeks. 
 
 Three weeks. 
 
 One day. 
 
 Two days. 
 
 Three days. 
 
 Four days. 
 
 To-night. 
 
 To-morrow night. 
 
 This moon. 
 
 Next moon 
 
200 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE ENGLISH 
 
 Osh-aw-kil-hum-kin One o’clock. 
 
 Osh-aw-kil-ho-ko-lin Two o’clock. 
 
 ANIMALS, PARTS OF BODY, ETC. 
 
 Lo-ko-see 
 
 Ko-wat-go-chee 
 
 E-faw 
 
 E-cho 
 
 Chil-la 
 
 E-cho-wa-a-taw . . . . 
 Su-caw-pin-si-law . . . 
 
 E-chos-waw 
 
 Tock-o 
 
 O-shen-aw 
 
 Su-caw-hot-caw . . . . 
 
 Ches-she 
 
 Cho-fee 
 
 Cho-fee-chaw-hot-ee . 
 
 Wood-ko 
 
 Klo-hi-lee 
 
 Klo-hot-go-chee 
 Klo-hi-lee-chaw-tee . . 
 
 Yee-haw 
 
 Kon-kla-po-chee . . . . 
 
 E-cho-yi-pee 
 
 Wa-ka-e-fo-nee 
 
 Fit-chee-law-pots-kee 
 
 Nee-haw 
 
 Wa-ka-haft-bee 
 
 Yi-pee 
 
 Fit-chee-lock-o 
 
 E-hot-chee 
 
 .Bear (black). 
 
 .Cat (wild). 
 
 • Dog. 
 
 . Deer. 
 
 • Fox. 
 
 .Goat (mountain). 
 
 • Hog (wild). 
 .Manatee or sea cow. 
 .Mole. 
 
 .Otter. 
 
 .Opossum. 
 
 .Rat. 
 
 . Rabbit. 
 
 • Rabbit (grey). 
 
 . Raccoon. 
 
 . Squirrel. 
 
 • Squirrel (grey). 
 .Squirrel (red). 
 .Wolf. 
 
 . Chameleon. 
 
 • Antlers. 
 
 -Bone (cow). 
 
 . Entrails. 
 
 .Fat. 
 
 .Hide (cow). 
 
 . Horn. 
 
 . Stomach. 
 
 .Tail. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 201 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 
 E-no-tee 
 
 Teeth. 
 
 E-po-lo-wa-kee 
 
 
 Chil-lock-o 
 
 
 Chil-lock-o-chee 
 
 Colt. 
 
 Chil-lock-o-pi-e-caw 
 
 
 Wal-ka-ho-non-waw 
 
 
 Wal-ka-chee 
 
 Calf. 
 
 Suck-aw 
 
 
 Po-sha-chee 
 
 
 Yep-e-fa-e-caw 
 
 
 E-fa-chee 
 
 Puppy. 
 
 Cho-wa-taw 
 
 
 sWal-ka 
 
 
 BIRDS 
 
 O-so-waw 
 
 O-chot-aw 
 
 Shock-kil— law 
 
 Wa-to-law 
 
 O-shaw-o-waw 
 
 Hi-lo-lo 
 
 Hi-lo-lo-chaw-tee 
 
 Posh-e-ho-we 
 
 Fo-cho 
 
 Hat-tit-e-f on-caw 
 
 Sho-caw 
 
 Sho-ko-chee 
 
 Hos-cho-kee-waw 
 
 Wak-ko-lot-ko 
 
 Wak-ko-lot-ko-o-hi-lot-tee 
 
 Fost-chi-taw 
 
 Hi-lo-lo 
 
 .Bird. 
 
 .Black bird. 
 
 Black bird (red wing). 
 Whooping crane. 
 Crow. 
 
 Curlew. 
 
 Curlew (pink). 
 
 Dove. 
 
 Duck. 
 
 Eagle. 
 
 Hawk. 
 
 Sparrow hawk. 
 
 Fish hawk. 
 
 Heron (great blue). 
 Heron (little blue). 
 Red bird. 
 
 Ibis (white). 
 
202 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE ENGLISH 
 
 Tos-chee Jay (blue). 
 
 Pen-na-waw Turkey. 
 
 We-hot-ko-fo-sho-wo-chee Snipe. 
 
 Eash-pock-a-waw Robin. 
 
 Fost-chi-taw Red bird. 
 
 Sho-lee Vulture. 
 
 Sho-lee-pee-los-pes-ko Vulture (black). 
 
 Chip-ee-lop-law Whippoorwill. 
 
 Fo-a-kee Quail. 
 
 Pen-nit-kee Turkey hen. 
 
 Pen-na-waw-en-to-wee Turkey beard. 
 
 Pen-cha-ho-gaw Turkey cry. 
 
 Pen-ni-chaw Turkey gobbler. 
 
 Fo-shon-nits-kaw Rookery. 
 
 Shee Feathers. 
 
 Lo-cha-e-stow-cha-kee Egg. 
 
 O-cho-ko King fisher. 
 
 Ho-shock-e-a-caw Limkin. 
 
 O-shi-hi-yi Mocking bird. 
 
 E-fo-law Owl (schreech). 
 
 Pot-see-lon-ee Paroquet. 
 
 To-to-lo-chee Chicken. 
 
 O-shot-caw Heron (great white). 
 
 O-shot-co-chee Heron (little white). 
 
 O-pal Owl (eared). 
 
 E-chee-pa-hot-tee Mother Cary’s chicken (Petrel). 
 
 FISH AND REPTILES 
 
 Sar-sho Fish. 
 
 Sar-sho-o-kee-lon-waw Cat fish. 
 
 WEit-lo-ko Oyster. 
 
 Shar-lo Trout. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 203 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Sar-sho-chee 
 
 
 Shup-sho-chee 
 
 
 Al-la-pa-taw 
 
 
 Aw-pa-to-naw 
 
 Frog. 
 
 Chit-ta-mic-co 
 
 
 Chit-ko-la-la-go-chee . 
 
 ^ f Chief of snakes. 
 
 Ko-tee 
 
 
 Chit-ta-lus-tee 
 
 
 Aw-shock-o-law 
 
 
 Ho-lock-waw 
 
 
 Lo-chaw 
 
 
 Chit-ta-lock-a-chee . . . 
 
 
 O-co-la-chit-ta 
 
 
 Skin-cho-caw 
 
 
 Gotch-es-waw 
 
 
 
 INSECTS 
 
 Tock-o-cha-cha-tee . . . 
 
 
 Tock-o-cha-lus-tee . . . 
 
 
 Fo-a 
 
 
 Chil-lock-o-fo-a 
 
 
 Cuff-ko 
 
 Flea. 
 
 Cho-naw 
 
 Fly. 
 
 Scop-o-swaw 
 
 
 A-caw-ko-taw 
 
 
 Chil-lock-o-do-no . . . . 
 
 
 Taw-fo 
 
 
 O-he-aw 
 
 
 Och-klo-klon 
 
 
 U-e-cot-taw 
 
 
 Och-o-klon-we-ahr . . , 
 
 
204 the SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE ENGLISH 
 
 To-ka-tes-kee-at-tee-lo-e-waw Silk worm. 
 
 Soke-so Beetle (black). 
 
 PLANTS 
 
 Lock-e-tum-ba-e-cee Oak leaf. 
 
 Ech-to-fa-la-ha-lee Chip. 
 
 E-to Wood (to burn). 
 
 Cho-lee-saw Pine leaf. 
 
 Im-pock-pock-ee Flower. 
 
 Pi-hee Grass. 
 
 Gatch-ho-ho-e-claw Blackberry. 
 
 Aw-won-aw Willow tree. 
 
 Chit-ta-hum-pe-ta Snake plant. 
 
 Til-e-ko Oats. 
 
 Shot-i-pee Persimmon tree. 
 
 Shot-taw Persimmon. 
 
 Shot-o-nin-kla Persimmon seed. 
 
 Gotch-o Poison vine. 
 
 Aw-shen-lock-o Air plant. 
 
 Aw-shen-waw Moss. 
 
 Shil-o-fo-haw Water lily. 
 
 We-sho Sassafras. 
 
 Tol-o-lock-o Palmetto (cabbage tree). 
 
 Tol-o-chee Palmetto (young cabbage-tree). 
 
 Tol-o-neck-la Palmetto seed. 
 
 She-hop-paw Saw palmetto. 
 
 Aw-shit-ta-taw Gall berries. 
 
 Aw-tock-claw. Weed. 
 
 Chaw-fo-ka-naw Huckleberries. 
 
 Hi-lis-hot-kee Ginseng. 
 
 He-swan-i-hit-caw Quinine. 
 
 Gout-lock-o Cactus. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 205 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 Com-to-lock-o . 
 Ti-fum-bee . . . 
 
 Hee-chee 
 
 O-chee-o-pee . . 
 
 Kee 
 
 Hatch-in-e-haw 
 E-la-hock-o . . . 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Peanut. 
 
 Onion. 
 
 Tobacco. 
 
 Hickory tree. 
 Mulberry tree. 
 
 Cypress tree. 
 
 Shaddock (grapefruit). 
 
 THE FIRMAMENT — PHYSICAL PHENOM- 
 ENA, ETC. 
 
 Go-chee-som-po-lock-o Large star. 
 
 Go-chee-som-pol-e-poch-go-chee Small star. 
 
 Cho-go-lof-caw Seven stars. 
 
 Ho-nit-claw North star. 
 
 Wa-hit-law South star. 
 
 Ho-so-shaw East star. 
 
 Aw-hil-lot-caw West star. 
 
 Ha-shay Sun. 
 
 Hit-to-tee Frost. 
 
 It-to-tee Ice. 
 
 We-wa Water. 
 
 Os-e-caw Rain. 
 
 Ti-nit-kee Thunder. 
 
 Ot-to-e-hot-tit Lightning. 
 
 Go-ti-lee Wind. 
 
 Ha-notch-e-fo-law Whirlwind. 
 
 E-ho-tee Ground. 
 
 O-ti-lee-lock-o Storm. 
 
 Ha-shay-shay-pock-taw-lo-gaw Eclipse of the sun. 
 
 Ho-nit-chaw North. 
 
 Ha-so-saw East. 
 
 Wa-ha-law South. 
 
 Op-a-lock-aw West. 
 
20 6 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 Ha-lits-cha-shay-pock-ta-lo-gaw 
 
 Hi-yi-tee-e-chaw .. . 
 
 E-pof-kee 
 
 Hi-e-ta-ma-es-chee 
 
 Chit-cho 
 
 Ho-lo-chee 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Eclipse of the moon. 
 Morning star. 
 Evening. 
 
 Heat. 
 
 Dew. 
 
 A cloud. 
 
 KINSHIP 
 
 Sop-po-chee My son. 
 
 Chat-hos-tee My daughter. 
 
 Solk-go-chee My father. 
 
 Sots-kee My mother. 
 
 E-chock-o-tee Brother. 
 
 E-cho-see Brother (younger). 
 
 E-la-ha Brother (older). 
 
 Cho-wen-waw Sister. 
 
 Cha-hi-e-waw My wife. 
 
 Squaw Wife. 
 
 Picc-a-nin-ny Child. 
 
 VERBS, PHRASES, SENTENCES 
 
 Ah-ho-chee To plant. 
 
 Tote-ca-taw To whistle. 
 
 E-lo-chaw To date. 
 
 Lop-ko Make haste. 
 
 Ah-mos-chay To give. 
 
 Chim-moc-co-dos-chay Not to give. 
 
 Hum-bi-da-lon-es-chay To feed. 
 
 Yi-es-chay To sell. 
 
 Neich-hi-es-chee Not to buy. 
 
 Hock-ka-eet-kit To cry. 
 
 Op-peel-it To laugh. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 207 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 E-hi-e-kit 
 
 
 Fi-i-it-lot-es-chee 
 
 
 Oh-in-i-it 
 
 
 Clot-la-klip-chay 
 
 
 Sop-pa-lon-es-chay 
 
 
 He-ches-chee 
 
 
 Im-po-hos-chee 
 
 
 Ah-es-chay 
 
 ....Go. 
 
 Hi-e-pus 
 
 
 Chi-yot-chit 
 
 
 Aw-lock-chay 
 
 
 Cha-ho-sit 
 
 
 O-ko-sit 
 
 
 He-chus-chee 
 
 
 Fit-kon-nit 
 
 
 Hal-wuk 
 
 
 Hink-las 
 
 
 Hi-o-e-pus-chay 
 
 
 Hi-op-pee-pox-es-chay 
 
 
 I-wox-chee 
 
 
 Aw-mul-cay 
 
 
 No-chip-os-chay 
 
 
 Clot-la-klip-chay 
 
 
 Sup-pa-lon-es-chay 
 
 
 Chi-ho-ches-chee 
 
 
 Che-ho-shar 
 
 
 E-wa-kee-pa-lon-es-chay 
 
 . .Lie down, but not to sleep. 
 
 Hum-kin-mi-si-e-pit 
 
 
 Ye-hi-e-pa-taw 
 
 
 So-toke-kee-na-aw-aw-mun-chee 
 
 . . . .Give me money. 
 
 Hi-e-pus-chay 
 
 
 Ot-som-ka-tavv 
 
 
 Hi-top-ka-taw 
 
 
208 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 Hock-it 
 
 
 Cho-ho-sit 
 
 
 Chi-yot-chee 
 
 
 E-see-op-cop-e-taw 
 
 
 Chee-yi-chee 
 
 
 Mot-to 
 
 
 Es-tel-e-pi-e-ka-u-cha-ko-ot-e- 
 
 he To put moccasins on. 
 
 Kit-lix-chay 
 
 
 Kit-li-es-chay 
 
 
 Aw-kay-lot-kit 
 
 
 Lop-ko-sin-ot-tos-chay .... 
 
 
 Chee-to-gaw 
 
 
 Scof-gaw 
 
 
 Hum-pux-chay-hum-pee-taw 
 
 
 No-chee-pa-lon-es-chay 
 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-chop-kaw 
 
 
 Sa-lof-ka-chee 
 
 
 A-pok-es-chay 
 
 
 No-chip-os-chay 
 
 
 Che-mo-on-ot-es-chay 
 
 
 I-hoo-es-chay 
 
 
 Ho 
 
 
 Li-kus-chay 
 
 
 Hi-top-cay-ta-li-kus-chay . . 
 
 
 No-chit-pay-lon-es-chay . . . 
 
 
 Its-kee-e-i-chee-tok-naw . . . 
 
 
 In-ka-o-ko-sit 
 
 
 Mi-e-taw 
 
 
 Che-mi-hee 
 
 
 Che-mi-hee-ta-mi-hee-cha-mi- 
 
 -he-taw .Grow very tall. 
 
 Aw-ne-chee-mi-he-taw . . . . 
 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 209 
 
 SEMINOLE 
 
 ENGLISH 
 
 I-ti-it-tot-chi-mi-he-taw-mi-he-taw- 
 
 j»I will grow tall. 
 
 te-hee 1 
 
 Ha-tee-e-tew-chee-hick-chay-hit-es- 
 chay J 
 
 |-Glad to see you. 
 
 E-cho-lid-kit-he-chus-chee 
 
 . I saw deer run. 
 
 E-cho-ti-een-lid-kit-he-chus-chee . . . 
 
 . I saw deer run fast. 
 
 E-cho-lid-kit-smi-hi-ko-in-in-he-chus- 
 
 cllPP! ' 
 
 U saw deer run slow. 
 
 J 
 
 E-cho-yak-op-po-sit 
 
 1 
 
 .Deer walk. 
 
 E-cho-yak-op-po-sit-hi-chus-chee . . . 
 
 , I saw the deer walk. 
 
 E-cho-mo-chon-it-ta-we-wa-ah-kay- ] 
 
 1 To-day I saw a deer go 
 
 lot-kit-o-mi-e-it-i-in-he-chus-chee 
 
 | in the water and swim. 
 
 Il-lich-is-caw 
 
 .Did you kill it? 
 
 Lop-fi-eets-chay 
 
 .Let us hunt. 
 
 Im-po-hitch-caw 
 
 .Do you hear? 
 
 He-chos-kos-chay 
 
 .1 can’t find it. 
 
 To-pa-li-kus-chay 
 
 .Sit on floor (you). 
 
 Pish-wa-chi-us-chee 
 
 .1 want some meat. 
 
 Aw-som-es-chee-aw-pish-waw 
 
 .Pass me the meat. 
 
 Lox-a-dox-chay 
 
 .You lie. 
 
 Is-chay-to-ma-es-chee 
 
 .Wind blew hard. 
 
 He-a-maw 
 
 .Come here. 
 
 Suck-chay 
 
 All gone. 
 
 Aw-pok-es-chay 
 
 All sit down. 
 
 Ha-sha-col-lock-tit 
 
 Sun gone down. 
 
 Ha-shari-sit 
 
 Sun come up. 
 
 T o-ko-naw-yo-ko-dos-chay 
 
 Money, no sell ’em. 
 
 On-e-way 
 
 Me too. 
 
 Un-gaw 
 
 All right. 
 
 Nock-a-tee 
 
 What is it? 
 
 Stom-a-taw 
 
 Which way? 
 
 Aw-lip-ka-shaw 
 
 Good-by. 
 
 Aw-tee-tus-chee 
 
 By-and-by. 
 
2io THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 SEMINOLE ENGLISH 
 
 Ho-lo-wa-gus No good. 
 
 Hi-lip-pit-ka-shaw How are you? 
 
 Som-mus-ka-lar-nee-shaw Good luck. 
 
 Ya-maw This way. 
 
 Hock-es-chee Bird cry. 
 
 Chi-yot-chit Like them. 
 
 Chee Young or small. 
 
 O-fun-net-taw Long time. 
 
 En-cha-mun-chay Well or good. 
 
 Ho-nit-chay Wild. 
 
 Ni-hit-tus-chay Fat. 
 
 Wi-o-kee-tus-chay Poor. 
 
 Es-to-chee-hock-a-effee Baby cry. 
 
 E-yof-kee-hum-pee-taw Supper (before dark). 
 
 E-mots-kee-hum-pee-taw Supper (after dark). 
 
 Kan-yuk-sa-es-ta-chat-tee Florida red men. 
 
 Yo-ho-ee-hee War whoop. 
 
 . .. . . fDay after to-morrow 
 
 Aw-pox-see-lim-pox-say-mst-lee . . . -j ^ 
 
 Stu-es-taw A great deal, or too much. 
 
 Ya-ti-ka-chic-co Great Speaker (Commissioner). 
 
 Munks-chay No. 
 
 Hi-lit-la-ma-es-chay Too hot (fire water). 
 
 Im-e-lo-la-tee-ti-yee Water rough. 
 
 Ko-no-wa-hum-kin-mo-so-nit-ta-wi- ~| I want a string of 
 
 yy-ches-chee J beads to-day. 
 
 Shot-cay-taw Green Corn Dance. 
 
 In-like-e-taw Heaven. 
 
 17 i t ] The Supreme Ruler or 
 
 L-shock-e-tom-e-see k , . 
 
 J the white man s God. 
 
 E-shock-e-tom-e-see-e-po-chee God’s son, Christ. 
 
 His-a-kit-a-mis-i Great Spirit. 
 
 Po-ya-fits-a Indian’s heaven. 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 21 1 
 
 SEMINOLE ENGLISH 
 
 Il-lit Death. 
 
 r , , , .. Good wishes to white 
 
 bom-mus-ka-lar-nee-sha-maw-iin . . . 
 
 man. 
 
 THE INDIAN NAMES OF SOME PRESENT 
 
 SEMINOLES 
 
 Tallahassee Mic-co. 
 
 So-fan-gee Mi-la-kee. 
 
 F i-lan-e-hee T al-la-has-so-wee. 
 
 Las-ches-chee F o-ston-sto-noc-ee-la. 
 
 Ko-i-hat-cho Cal-lo-fo-nee. 
 
 Y ee-ho-lo-chee T ol-lo-see. 
 
 0- mul-la-gee Shon-o-la-kee. 
 
 She-y-o-hee On-nit-chee. 
 
 Sla-shing-to-goth-la-gee I-o-chus-chee. 
 
 Che-e-ho-la Suck-kin-ho-chee. 
 
 Sten-o-la-kee Os-ce-o-la. 
 
 Cho-fee-hat-cho Mat-lo. 
 
 Os-shen-e-ho-la Nan-ces-o-wee. 
 
 Ho-puth-tee-na-gee T al-lem-ee. 
 
 Tin-fai-yai-ki Kat-ca-la-ni. 
 
 Stem-e-o-la-ga Chots-kee. 
 
 Ko-nip-hatch-o Tus-tee-nug-gee. 
 
 She-lock-ee Suc-kin-ho-chee. 
 
 Ta-ses-chee Me-take-ee. 
 
 Fo-so-wa-tos-to-nock-ee Cat-sa-ma-tel-e-kee. 
 
 1- o-chus-chee Fol-lem-mee. 
 
 Hi-e-tee Na-haw. 
 
 Hi-ta-kee Ho-ti-yee. 
 
 Shon-tee F ul-le-he-le-chee. 
 
 Na-gof-tee I-o-la-chee. 
 
 Chick-e-o-hee Sten-e-wah-hee. 
 
 Cli-so-to-kee-ti-ga Chip-co. 
 
212 THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 
 
 RHYTHMICAL NAMES OF SOME FLORIDA 
 LAKES, RIVERS AND TOWNS 
 
 Imprints of the Vanishing Race are indelibly stamped upon 
 the Geography of Florida 
 
 To-hope-ke-li-ga 
 
 Noc-a-tee 
 
 Ko-mo-ka 
 
 As-ta-tu-la 
 
 Wa-hoo 
 
 A-lach-u-a 
 
 Chat-ta-hoo-chee 
 
 We-ki-va 
 
 Chip-po-la 
 
 Ca-loo-sa-hat-chee 
 
 Man-a-tee 
 
 Ock-lo-wa-ha 
 
 Mi-am-ee 
 
 Ock-lock-o-nee 
 
 Ok-a-lo-a-coo-chee 
 
 Choc-ta-what-chee 
 
 Ta-lu-ga 
 
 Hatch-in-a-ha 
 
 Ap-pa-lach-i-cola 
 
 Is-to-po-ga 
 
 Pen-sa-co-la 
 
 Pan-a-soff-kee 
 
 Al-li-ga-tor 
 
 Chu-lu-o-ta 
 
 O-lus-tee 
 
 Im-mo-ka-lee 
 
 Wac-cas-sas-see 
 
 Mus-co-gee 
 
 Ap-pa-lach-ee 
 
 Wa-cis-sa 
 
 O-kee-cho-bee 
 
 O-kee-fe-no-kee 
 
 We-wa-hatch-ka 
 
 Su- wan-nee 
 
 Oc-ta-hatch-ee 
 
 Nar-coos-see 
 
 Pic-o-la-ta 
 
 Kan-yuk-sa 
 
 [s-ta-chat-ta 
 
 Stein-hatch-ee 
 
 In-dian-o-la 
 
 Chu-muck-la 
 
 Tus-ca-wil-la 
 
 Wee-took-ka 
 
 Al-la-pa-ha 
 
 Wa-ku-la 
 
 Wa-bas-so 
 
 La-coo-chee 
 
 Is-to-po-ga-yo-ree 
 
 O-ka-hump-kin 
 
 Pin-co-la 
 
 Wa-kee-na 
 
 Tho-not-os-sas-sa 
 
 My-ak-ka 
 
 Hic-po-chee 
 
 O-ka-lo-a-coo-chee 
 
 Cho-ko-los-kee 
 
 O-ca-la 
 
THE SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA 213 
 
 Mic-co-su-kee 
 Pa-lat-ka 
 W ith-la-coo-chee 
 O-co-ee 
 A-pop-ka 
 
 Ho-mo-sas-sa 
 
 O-ce-o-la 
 
 Tal-la-hass-ee 
 
 Tus-ca-loo-sa 
 
 Mic-an-o-pee 
 
 Kiss-imm-ee 
 
 THE END 
 


*r\