Florida Historical Quarterly (ISSN 0015-4113) Is Published Quarterly by the Flor- Ida Historical Society, University of South Florida, 4202 E
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COVER The railway depot at Tallahassee. Sketch by Francis de Castelnau, in Vues et Souvenirs: de l'Amerique du Nord (1842). Illustration courtesy Florida Photographic Collection, Florida State Archives. The Volume LXXIII, Number 4 April 1995 The Florida Historical Quarterly (ISSN 0015-4113) is published quarterly by the Flor- ida Historical Society, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, and is printed by E.O. Painter Printing Co., DeLeon Springs, FL. Second- class postage paid at Tampa, FL, and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Florida Historical Quarterly, P.O. Box 290197, Tampa, FL 33687-0197 Copyright 1995 by the Florida Historical Society, Tampa, Florida. THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Samuel Proctor, Acting Editor Mark I. Greenberg, Assistant Editor EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Raymond O. Arsenault, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg William S. Coker, University of West Florida David R. Colburn, University of Florida James B. Crooks, University of North Florida Kathleen Deagan, University of Florida Wayne Flynt, Auburn University Michael V. Gannon, University of Florida Maxine D. Jones, Florida State University Harry A. Kersey, Jr., Florida Atlantic University Jane Landers, Vanderbilt University Eugene Lyon, Flagler College John K. Mahon, University of Florida Raymond A. Mohl, Florida Atlantic University Gary R. Mormino, University of South Florida Theda Perdue, University of Kentucky Gerald E. Poyo, St. Mary’s University Joe M. Richardson, Florida State University William W. Rogers, Florida State University Daniel L. Schafer, University of North Florida Correspondence concerning contribution, books for review, and all editorial matters should be addressed to the Editor, Florida Historical Quarterly, Box 14045, University Station, Gainesville, FL 32604-2045. The Quarterly is interested in articles and documents pertaining to the history of Florida. Sources, style, footnote form, originality of material and interpretation, clarity of thought, and interest of readers are considered. All copy, including foot- notes, should be double spaced. Footnotes are to be numbered consecutively in the text and assembled at the end of the article. Particular attention should be given to following the footnote style of the Quarterly. THE AUTHOR SHOULD SUBMIT AN ORIGINAL AND A PHOTOCOPY RETAINING A COPY FOR SECURITY. The Florida Historical Society and the editor of the Florida Historical Quarterly accept no responsibility for statements made or opinions held by authors. The Quarterly reviews books dealing with all aspects of Florida history. Books to be reviewed should be sent to the editor together with price and information on how they may be ordered. Table of Contents SESQUICENTENNIAL PREFACE 417 THE FLORIDA CRISIS OF 1826-1827 AND THE SECOND SEMINOLE WAR Canter Brown, Jr. 419 FROM A TERRITORIAL TO A STATE JUDICIARY: FLORIDA’S ANTEBELLUM COURTS AND JUDGES James M. Denham 443 EDWARD M. WANTON AND THE SETTLING OF MICANOPY Frank Marotti, Jr. 456 THE FLORIDA DIARIES OF DANIEL H. WIGGINS, 1836-1841 David J. Coles 478 BOOK REVIEWS . 498 BOOK NOTES . ... 532 HISTORY NEWS . 537 INDEX TO VOLUME LXXIII . 542 BOOK REVIEWS A NATURALIST IN FLORIDA: A CELEBRATION OF EDEN, by Archie Carr, edited by Mar- jorie Harris Carr reviewed by Morton D. Winsberg PIONEER COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY: THE BURGERT BROTHERS, TAMPA, FLORIDA, by Robert E. Snyder and Jack B. Moore reviewed by Nick Natanson REMOVAL AFTERSHOCK: THE SEMINOLES’ STRUGGLES TO SURVIVE IN THE WEST, 1836- 1866, by Jane F. Lancaster reviewed by James Covington LETTERS OF DELEGATES To CONGRESS, 1774-1789: VOLUME 21, OCTOBER 1, 1783- OCTOBER 31, 1784, edited by Paul H. Smith and Ronald M. Gephart reviewed by Robert M. Calhoon LUMBEE INDIAN HISTORIES: RACE, ETHNICITY, AND INDIAN IDENTITY IN THE SOUTH- ERN UNITED STATES, by Gerald M. Sider reviewed by Theda Perdue JOHN C. CALHOUN: A BIOGRAPHY, by Irving H. Bartlett reviewed by John M. Belohlavek THE ABOLITIONIST SISTERHOOD: WOMEN’S POLITICAL CULTURE IN ANTEBELLUM AMERICA, edited by Jean Fagan Yellin and John C. Van Horne reviewed by Shirley A. Leckie THE EDUCATION OF THE SOUTHERN BELLE: HIGHER EDUCATION AND STUDENT SO- CIALIZATION IN THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH, by Christie Anne Farnham reviewed by Daniel Kilbride GOSPEL OF DISUNION: RELIGION AND SEPARATISM IN THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH, by Mitchell Snay reviewed by Daniel W. Stowell WHAT THEY FOUGHT FOR, 1861-1865, by James M. McPherson reviewed by Stan Deaton NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST: A BIOGRAPHY, by Jack Hurst reviewed by Douglass L. Whitehead HIGH SEAS CONFEDERATE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN NEWLAND MAFFITT, by Royce Shingleton reviewed by Zack C. Waters TAINTED BREEZE: THE GREAT HANGING AT GAINESVILLE, TEXAS, 1862, by Richard B. McCaslin reviewed by Michael Fellman THE FULTON BAG AND COTTON MILLS STRIKE OF 1914-1915: ESPIONAGE, LABOR CON- FLICT, AND NEW SOUTH INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS, by Gary M. Fink reviewed by Thomas A. Moore TROPICAL DIASPORA: THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE IN CUBA, by Robert M. Levine reviewed by Leonardo Senkman THE SCHOOLHOUSE DOOR: SEGREGATION’S LAST STAND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALA- BAMA, by E. Culpepper Clark reviewed by Brian Ward RELIGION AND RACE: SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIANS, 1946-1983, by Joel L. Alvis, Jr. reviewed by Andrew S. Chancey THE 1992 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN THE SOUTH: CURRENT PATTERNS OF SOUTHERN PARTY AND ELECTORAL POLITICS, edited by Robert P. Steed, Laurence W. Moreland, and Tod A. Baker reviewed by Richard K. Scher SESQUICENTENNIAL PREFACE President John Tyler, on March 3, 1845, signed the bill admit- ting Florida into the Union as a state. The bill had passed the House of Representatives on February 13 and the Senate on March 1. The twenty-seventh star in the American flag belongs to Florida. This year Florida is celebrating its sesquicentennial with a vari- ety of ceremonies, exhibits, and programs in Washington, Tallahas- see, and throughout Florida. A stamp commemorating the sesquicentennial has been issued, and there will be an exhibit of historical documents and memorabilia at the Library of Congress. United States Senator Connie Mack invited the acting editor of the Florida Historical Quarterly to help prepare the Resolution that saluted Florida on its anniversary. Connie Mack introduced the Congressional Resolution in the Senate on March 2, 1995, and it was adopted unanimously. The following day Senator Bob Graham addressed his colleagues in the Senate about the sesquicentennial commemoration. His remarks were published in the Congressional Record. President Bill Clinton extended his greetings to the citizens of Florida with the following letter written from the Oval Office: For the better part of our nation’s history, Florida has provided a loving home to Americans of every race, belief, and background. From families who have run their businesses generation after genera- tion to retirees who come seeking the warmth of the Florida sun, Florida’s residents uphold the finest tra- ditions of southern hospitality and the highest stan- dards in American values. As you reacquaint yourselves with Florida’s rich his- tory—from the landing of Ponce de Leon to the sign- ing of the statehood bill by President Tyler—I hope that all of you take renewed pride in your state’s unique heritage and in the great possibilities of the future. Best wishes to all for a wonderful anniversary year. The Florida Historical Quarterly dedicates this issue to the cele- bration. The four articles, written by Florida historians, pertain to [417] 418 FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY the important formative years between 1821 and 1845, when the citizens living in Territorial Florida were preparing for statehood. It was a time for chaos, bloodshed, and violence, but it was also a time for change and growth. THE FLORIDA CRISIS OF 1826-1827 AND THE SECOND SEMINOLE WAR by CANTER BROWN, JR. he Second Seminole War comprised the single most signifi- T cant event of Florida’s territorial period. Lasting from Decem- ber 1835 to August 1842, the contest produced results and influ- ences that reverberated through generations. Among other considerations, its violence reached into the fabric of society to ex- acerbate racial, ethnic, and regional divisions and to mark patterns of behavior and race relations. The struggle provided context for the clashes that characterized the drive toward statehood. It wit- nessed the birth and evolution of area Democratic and Whig par- ties. Additionally, the war brought to Florida a bounty of federal government expenditures and internal improvements, while dic- tating the manner and timing of development within much of its territory.1 Scholars and the public have given considerable attention to the Second Seminole War, but numerous questions remain as to the significance of and motivations for key events occurring during the contest. The Dade Massacre of December 28, 1835, and the related murder at Fort King of Indian Agent Wiley Thompson pro- vide examples. Historians often have cited the Tallahassee Creek leader Osceola’s personal animosities toward Thompson. But do such personal motivations help to explain other incidents? The Canter Brown, Jr., is consulting historian and contributing editor, Florida Supreme Court History Project, Tallahassee. The author appreciates the encouragement and suggestions of James M. Denham, Florida Southern Col- lege. 1. The principal works on the Second Seminole War are John K. Mahon, History of the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842 (Gainesville, 1967); John T. Sprague, The Ori- gin,