Seminole Warrior Vs Us Soldier: Second Seminole War 1835-42

This engrossing study investigates the tactics, weapons, and combat record of the Seminole warriors and US soldiers who fought three key battles during the epic struggle for control of Florida.

After the refusal of the Seminole people to move west to the Creek Reservation in Mississippi, the US Government sent troops to defeat them and bring Florida under federal control. On December 23, 1835, troops led by Major Francis Langhorne Dade were ambushed and massacred en route to Fort King. Ordered to hunt down the Seminole, a US force led by Colonel Zachary Taylor incurred heavy losses at the battle of Lake Okeechobee (December 25, 1837), but the Seminole warriors were forced to withdraw. At the battle of the Loxahatchee River (January 24, 1838), forces led by Lieutenant Levin Powell encountered a large group of Seminoles and were compelled to retreat. Several days later, US forces engaged the Seminoles, who fought valiantly but were defeated.

During the next four years, fighting continued and increasing numbers of Seminoles were compelled to move west to the Creek reservation. The Second Seminole War was declared over on August 14, 1842, and Florida became a state in the Union on March 3, 1845. In this book, the tactics, weaponry, and combat record of the two sides' fighting men are assessed and compared, notably their roles in three key clashes of the Second Seminole War.