26 - Brouiard Legacy WINDING DOWN THE in SOUTHEAST FLORIDA by Joe Knetsch The summer of 1841 was hot and war and was under heavy pressure cause, absence ofmental & physi­ brutal. For the first time in the his­ to do so. He also felt that putting the cal excitement, heavy food in ex­ tory of the Second Seminole War troops in the field would lessen the cess, & greater facilities for (1835-1842), United States Army negative effects of garrison duty, as inordinate indulgence. forces under the command of Colo­ he noted to Adjutant General of the It would also have the benefit of nel William Jenkins Worth, had con­ Army, Roger Jones: placing the enemy on notice that no ducted a summer campaign against It stands thus then; there is season would be safe; that the Army an evasive Indian foe. All previous much & distressing sickness and would and could capture and kill at campaigns were conducted during deaths, (people die every where) any season. Carrying the war into the cooler, dryer periods between late but the burden of the afflictions the enemy's territory during the fall and late spring. No one, not even grows outofgarrison service: The "sickly" season would disorient the the intrepid United States Deputy Surveyors, ventured into the swamps of Florida during the "sickly" season, For most of their cumulative four-year history, the three succes­ when the tepid airs of the "miasma" sive military posts in the New River area, designated Fort Lauderdale, rose from the wet ground to kill and served as launching points for expeditions into the Everglades with the incapacitate those who ventured in­ expectation ofcapturing the elusive Seminoles. These expeditions, which land from the coasts. The insuffer­ began shortly after Major William Lauderdale arrived on New River in able summer of1841 was no different the springof1838, continued until the closing months ofthe war. In "Wind­ in that respect. ing Down the War in Southeast Florida," Joe Knetsch analyzes the final Colonel Worth was well aware of major campaign launched from Fort Lauderdale and other points along the effects of the weather upon his the lower east coast in the fall and winter of1841. In addition he provides troops. But, discounting prevailing a look at the background and personalities ofthe officers involved in the medical theories and the advice ofhis campaign. own medical corps, this protege of One ofBroward Legacy's mostprolific contributors, Dr. Joe Knetsch General Winfield Scott ordered his is a former Broward County Historical Commissioner currently living in troops into the fields. He did this be­ Tallahassee, where he serves as historian for the Florida Department of cause he felt it necessary to end the Environmental Protection. Spring / Summer 2000 - 27 the Corps of Artillery. After the war he remained in New York and re­ ceived his promotion to first lieuten­ ant in 1818. Eight years later, he was promoted to captain while on garri­ son duty at Fort Washington, Mary­ land. After an extended tour of duty on the Maine frontier, the Massachu­ setts-born captain was rushed to Florida in early 1836, in time to par­ ticipate in the defense of Fort Drane in northern Marion County. For this action he received the rank ofbrevet major. With the exception of a short tour in the recruiting service, he spent almost the entire period of the Second Seminole War in Florida's heat, swamps and wet prairies." Vinton had noted Childs' "good fortune" in hunting the Seminoles and their allies during the summer campaign, but his success was accom­ plished with great strain and persis­ tent pursuit. Under direct orders from General Walker Armistead, then commanding in Florida, Childs had been the officer responsible for the capture of Coacoochee, his brother, and the brother of King Philip, all under a flag of truce. For Colonel William Jenkins Worth (courtesy of U.S. Army). this act Childs received some con­ demnation in the national press, al­ Seminoles and add to the destruction fer some relaxation" in his usual zeal though most Floridians rejoiced at oftheir crops. It would, in the opin­ for campaigning. As he prepared to the news." Childs failed to capture ion of Colonel Worth, sh orten the move southward, in late fall of 1841, the rest of the band at that time, most war.' Ending the war was something he could only reflect that he had the fleeing into the adjacent Everglades. his more ill ustrious predecessors had good fortune to be serving under Bre­ The major then ordered portions of not been able to do. Therefore, the vet Major Thomas Childs, a man the Third Artillery, which he com­ health costs to the troops would be whose fortunes had enjoyed a favor­ manded in East Florida, in pursuit. minimal when compared to lives able turn during the summer cam­ On June 25, 1841, Captain Martin saved by ending the conflict, already paign." Burke received orders to lead his in its sixth year. Brevet Major Thomas Childs was fifty-three men, in boats, from Fort Not every officer stationed in another gritty veteran of the War of Dallas on a "search and destroy" mis­ Florida agreed with Worth. After 1812 who had served many years on sion to the islands ofthe Everglades. campaigning all summer in stifling the northern frontier before his long Burke's force failed to capture any of heat and humidity, and not finding a stint in Florida. He had entered the the enemy, but destroyed numerous single Indian, Captain John Rogers U. S. Military Academy in 1813 and, recently abandoned fields of crops. Vinton had his doubts, especially af­ with the immediate need for trained The mission also provided Worth and ter facing his "enormous sick lists."" officers during the War of 1812, was Childs information that the Semi­ Vinton, a strong-willed, pious veteran graduated after less than one year's noles and their allies were on the of the Florida campaigns, noted the classes. Promoted into the Army as move in the Everglades, in small, loss of troops, the frustrations of a third lieutenant on March 11, 1814, separated parties." For the remain­ camp life , the tensions of daily cam­ he was directly ordered to the der of the summer, troops under paigning and the lack of advance­ Niagara frontier, arriving in time to Childs, in conjunction with the na­ ment as reasons for doubting the participate in the capture of Fort val forces under Lieutenant John T. validity of hunting such an elusive Erie. He also played a role in the McLaughlin of the famous Mosquito enemy during the torrid Florida sum­ Battle of Niagara (July 25,1814) and Fleet, moved constantly across the mers. Service during the summer of was heavily involved in the defense Everglades from posts in southern 1841 had already caused him to "suf- of Fort Erie as a second lieutenant of Florida.' As Worth's aide-de-camp 28 - Broward Legacy (and later son-in-law), Lieutenant John T. Sprague, noted: "The past, however, taught one thing not to be mistaken, though painful and revolt­ ing - that the Indian's ally was the summer season." This ally had to be overcome, along with the enemy's forces, if the war was to be brought to a conclusion. Hence, the need for the expeditions of Burke, McLaughlin and the others. The core of the Third Artillery was stationed with Childs at Fort Pierce as the fall campaign of 1841 began. Using a number of intelli­ gence sources, Childs formulated a plan of attack along the eastern coast south of his position. The major or­ dered Virginia-born Lieutenant Ed­ ward J . Steptoe south with fifty men in eight boats to explore the branches of the "Alleatsokee" River, going as Fanciful view of fighting in the Second Seminole War from John T. far up these forks as possible with the Sprague's book, The Florida War. boats." Within five miles of the head of the "right" branch, the lieutenant found General Eustis' trail, made [Lake Worth]. The southern outlet Captain Burke left Fort Dallas for during the Jesup campaign of 1837­ of this lake was covered in sawgrass Fort Lauderdale, assuming tempo­ 38. Just prior to Steptoe's return, the and impassable for the boats. He es­ rary command there. He reported captain of the steamboat Gaston in­ timated that this lake was fifteen leaving Fort Lauderdale on Septem­ formed Childs that he had observed miles from the actual Hillsboro La­ ber 3 with 119 men and six officers a vessel landing "two barrels of beef' goon as shown on his inaccurate map. in boat companies. Following New which was quickly retrieved by Using his field glasses he espied a River into the Everglades, this com­ twenty Indians on the beach. Cap­ number of small islands in the lake mand soon spotted a new boat trail tain Richard D. A. Wade, Third Ar­ which, upon examination, contained in the sawgrass leading to one of the tillery, had been assigned to scout only one occupation and a corn field. numerous small islands. The Indi­ this area, but he was still in the Ev­ However, on the sea coast side ofthe ans, Burke surmised, had spotted his erglades, near Lake Okeechobee, and lake, the major's force discovered, command and fled into the adjacent not expected to reach the beach "extensive fields of corn, pumpkins, swamp, leaving behind one rifle, two quickly enough to capture this band potatoes, the Indian pea, melons, to­ canoes, a small skiff, and most of of warriors.'? bacco, rice & sugar cane in the high­ their camp utensils, inclu ding nu­ Childs decided to take Steptoe's est state of cultivation." These the merous blankets.