Jesup, Thomas S.; Macomb, Alex. Seminole Indians - Prisoners of War : Letter from the Secretary of War, in reply to A resolution of the House of Representatives of the 21st ultimo, as to whether any Seminole Indians, coming in under a flag of truce, or brought in by Cherokee Indians, acting as mediators, have been made prisoners by General Jesup. Washington: US Congress, 1838. First Edition. [12327]
Removed, no wrapper, 9 x 5 1/2 inches, 14 pp. Good. Pamphlet.
25th Congress, 2nd Session; House of Representatives, War Dept., Doc. No. 327.
A vivid snapshot of activity during the 2nd Seminole War while Major General Thomas S. Jesup was in command of the troops, before General Zachary Taylor replaced him in May of 1838. The letters are from the latter part of 1827 and January, 1838.
This includes the verbatim account of a talk between Brigadier General Hernandez and the Indian chiefs Osinyohola (or Powell) and Coahajo, in October of 1837.
This report consists of printed letters by Major General Thomas S. Jesup and others, on the subject at hand.
An example from Maj. Gen. Jesup: "I have caused Powell, Wild-Cat, Coe-Hajo, John Cawaya, the two Hickses, Tustenuck-kee, Chitto-Yahola, with upwards of seventy Micasukey and Seminole warriors to be seized, and I have them now confined in the fort at this place. Powell, Wild-Cat, and John Cawaya, were the cause of the Seminoles failing to fulfill their treaty. We have here about one hundred and thirteen Indian prisoners, and among them nearly all the war spirits of the nation.
"I shall detach General Hernandez to-morrow, with three or four hundred mounted men, dragoons and volunteers, to Tomoka, and perhaps to Volusia, to attack or capture numerous small parties of Indians and negroes said to be east of the St. John's, preparing coontee, (a species of the arrowroot.) And I shall send, early the next morning, a steamboat with a detachment of the artillery and a company of the 2d infantry to Volusia, for a party of negroes, said to be there or at Spring Garden.
"My prisoners, since I commenced operations in December last, amount to about five hundred, black and red; and about thirty Indians and negroes have been killed, by which more than two hundred rifles have been silenced. And we have guides for every part of the country. I may be deceived, but I think the prospect of closing the war is now flattering."
