Dec. 28, 1835. Date doesn't ring a bell? That's no surprise. Like much of Florida's history it has been lost to obscurity. However the events of Dec. 28, 1835 would kick off the longest, costliest Indian war in American history. In fact, it would be the longest war of any kind for the United States until the Vietnam war 120 years later.
Due to increased tensions between the native Seminoles and the US government over attempts to relocate the Seminole to the Indian territories out west, a column of 107 men under the command of Brvt. Maj. Francis L. Dade had been dispatched from Ft. Brook (Tampa) to reinforce Ft. King in present day Ocala, The morning of the 28th dawned cold and rainy. As the troops made their way through the pine flatwoods along the Ft King road in present day Bushnell. Suddenly a war whoop from Jumper and shot from Micanopy's rifle rang out. Maj. Dade was unhorsed by the shot, and died almost instantly. This was the signal to aprx. 180 Seminole warriors to begin an assault that would last nearly eight hours. Half of Dade's command were wiped out in the opening vollies of the ambush alone. In the end, only three US soilders would survive the attack (one would be killed during his attempt to return to Ft King). Many of the men would die in the hastily built log breastworks meant to protect them. This would be the opening conflict of a war that would rage for nearly seven more years costing the lives of countless US troops, and pushing a nearly decimated Seminole population deep into the Everglades.
You can still walk the very road where this tragic event took place today. Now housed in the beautiful confines of the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, you can visit the very place where America's longest indian war started. I encourage you to take the time to come out and learn about another part of Florida's forgotten history.
Due to increased tensions between the native Seminoles and the US government over attempts to relocate the Seminole to the Indian territories out west, a column of 107 men under the command of Brvt. Maj. Francis L. Dade had been dispatched from Ft. Brook (Tampa) to reinforce Ft. King in present day Ocala, The morning of the 28th dawned cold and rainy. As the troops made their way through the pine flatwoods along the Ft King road in present day Bushnell. Suddenly a war whoop from Jumper and shot from Micanopy's rifle rang out. Maj. Dade was unhorsed by the shot, and died almost instantly. This was the signal to aprx. 180 Seminole warriors to begin an assault that would last nearly eight hours. Half of Dade's command were wiped out in the opening vollies of the ambush alone. In the end, only three US soilders would survive the attack (one would be killed during his attempt to return to Ft King). Many of the men would die in the hastily built log breastworks meant to protect them. This would be the opening conflict of a war that would rage for nearly seven more years costing the lives of countless US troops, and pushing a nearly decimated Seminole population deep into the Everglades.
You can still walk the very road where this tragic event took place today. Now housed in the beautiful confines of the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, you can visit the very place where America's longest indian war started. I encourage you to take the time to come out and learn about another part of Florida's forgotten history.