THE CASE OF OSCEOLA

PRELIMINARY NOTE.-An unjust version of an event created by party feeling is liable to become traditionary in spite of authentic record that contradicts it, especially among those who remember oral better than they do written narrative; and it occurred to me lately, on seeing Osceola the Seminole mentioned in a newspaper, that, even now, many of those who remember his name may still connect it in recollection and belief with a vague story of treacherous capture once extensively circulated. The Seminole war occurred during the administration of President Jackson, and at a time when the party opposed to him were too ready to condemn any measure of his and identify maliciously with his policy any act of his subordinates that could be made to appear censurable. It was owing to this partisan bitterness that the detention of Osceola by Major-General Jesup, then in command of the Army of Florida, was perverted into ant act of bad faith, which, if real, would have been a disgrace to our arms: as it was, the accusation did great injustice to an officer of gallant service and long and honorable record. The following statement was published in one of the Washington papers by Gen. Jesup in January, 1858, when a recent revival of the exploded fiction called on him for a vindication of his good name. So long as a calumny has vitality enough to survive in rumor, a reproduction of the truth is never superfluous; and, as the General's statement of 1858 probably gives a more condensed and clear account of the affair than previous official

reports, I here offer it for republication. Some of the early stories about Osceola's captivity, by way of quickening sympathy, represented him as a chief of high rank, which he was not, though doubtless a man of influence in his tribe sufficient to obtain for him the occasional command of war parties. The Seminoles had among them an order of nobility called the Justennuggies, and no man could become a chief proper unless a member of it. Osceola did not belong to it, though he had a function which was perhaps one of dignity among his people-he being the man who administered the black drink, a beverage made from some plant, and handed round at solemn councils and talks. The rite was probably of sacramental character, and invested Osceola with an office that was priestly rather than servile. The meaning of his name had some reference to this duty. R. M. POTTER.

STATEMENT BY MAJOR GENERAL/ JESUP.-A matter has recently been brought into discussion with which my name was connected some twenty years ago, and, though explained at the time, seems not even now to be well understood. It has been published in a neighboring print, on the authority of a distinguished professional and public man, that the Seminole Indian warrior Osceola, who by the murder of General Thomson and other atrocities began the Seminole war, "was captured by treachery and fraud," and that, "when dying in his hopeless captivity, his bitterest regret was that history would deprive him of the honor of winning the battle of Withlacoochee." Had the gentleman who

penned the paragraph referred to (a part of which is quoted above) been better acquainted with the details of the transaction he would have been aware that the late Gen. Clinch won the battle of Withlacoochee, and that there is some doubt whether Osceola was in the battle at all. With that portion of the story, however, I have no farther concern than to vindicate the truth of history and the reputation of a departed friend.

But the other part of the story containing the charge that Osceola "was captured by treachery and fraud " concerns me alone; and, if true, would not only be damning to me, but be a stain. upon the character of the country for all time to come, for, when in command of the Southern Army in 1837, I, as the representative of the Government, ordered the seizure and retention of that warrior.

Osceola had come into Fort Peyton, a few miles from Saint Augustine, not on my invitation nor that of any other officer; but he, with his warriors, had accompanied a messenger of Emarthia (King Philip), the principal chief of all the Seminole bands on and near the river St. John, who had been captured some time before, and who had been allowed to communicate with his people on the assurance that they or the greater part of them would come in and accompany him to the West. Osceola, no doubt, intended to return, should he fail in the object that really brought him in, which was to capture the place and release the prisoners.

In a conference which I held with the Seminole chiefs, at their own request, but a few weeks before, I had assured

them that I would hold no further conference with them except to receive from them the notice of their readiness to fulfill their obligations under the treaty at Payne's Landing and of their capitulation with me at Fort Dade; but I assured them that, when prepared to fulfill those obligations, I would receive them and provide for their removal to the new country assigned to them west of the Mississippi, and if any separate parties or bands should decide to come in before the body of the nation were ready to move, I would receive and protect them.

The chiefs expressed some apprehension that in coming to me they might be attacked by my scouting parties, and their people be scattered. To enable them to join me without danger of attack from these parties, I provided them with a quantity of white cotton cloth, to be used as flags in communicating with any of those parties they might fall in with, and with my outposts; but the flags were to be used for no other purpose. And the chiefs were distinctly and positively told that none of them nor their people must attempt to come in again but to remain. When Philip's messenger, his son Coacoochee, left Saint Augustine to communicate with his people on the St. John's, there were but few troops at the post. On meeting with Osceola he informed him that he could with an hundred warriors take the place and release his father. Warriors enough arrived to have taken the place had the force not been increased; but, before they came in, I had thrown in large reinforcements. I had become acquainted with their designs through Indian negroes