Show TALES n OF THE CHIEFS watson OSCEOLA sir walter scott in his of scottish me depicts people who have many strong resemblances semb lances to the in the clan ays tern and the custom of loudly lamenting the dead are typical ant the strongest ot all similarities is the character of the people themselves proud fierce brave to des per atlon able to endure hardships with osceola out flinching and when treated with I 1 treachery courting death in preference toa dishonored life osceola s grandfather was a scotch man and something more than a paler skin and european features were transmitted to the grandson the traits which both peoples possessed in common were doubly strong in him like so many prominent chiefs he was not born to leadership but became a chief through his efforts in behalf of his people and like others these efforts centered in holding the lands of the indians against the whites sitting bull tried this so did tecumseh and king philip pope the pueblo was more successful in his plans but none endured and osceola was just another of those devoted men who made the effort and failed the second seminole war in 1835 precipitated trouble which had been accumulating for some time fourteen years previous to this time most of the seminole lands had been ceded to the united states although the indians kept a central reservation the white people wanted them entirely moved out and in 1832 they made an agreement to move beyond the mississippi sis sippi before the end of three years A large number of the tribe who did not favor this removal began to get ready for resistance and osceola became the leader of these people emarthla Em athla who had been the principal signer of the treaty of removal was killed so also was gen A R thompson who opposed the seminole who wanted to remain on this account troops were sent to the swamp land and the second seminole war began in earnest the women and children were hidden in the everglades through which the indians knew their way while to the white troops it was an impassible territory while the sol alera were trying in vain to find the hidden indians osceola and his war alors were upon them like a swarm of mosquitoes annoying and harassing the already rather bewildered troops the first detachment to attack the indians under major dade was cut off and only a few wounded escaped some say only one but still the troops continued to attempt the almost impossible one leader after another was placed in charge and each offices in turn was frustrated caesar never fought indians or he would have reversed his celebrated saying als easier to foil than find them this game of hide and seek lasted for eight years the general public which did not understand the vast ob stables in the way of the troops became impatient and a good deal of unearned criticism was bestowed on the succession of who bad vainly tried to accomplish what could not be done nearly asoo united states troops had been killed in the course of the war and had been spent yet the were still in clorida ll orida and osceola was still ach e and nath e finally general jesup who was becoming annoyed to exasperation by the attitude of the public threw ethics to the winds A conference was called which osceola and his lieutenants attended under the protection of a flag of truce but instead of holding the council jesup seized the seminole chief as prisoner this act while it had a powerful effect on the war turned the tide of public sentiment and the fickle people who had urged him on now condemned jesup and refused to find an excuse for his act osceola was placed in prison at saint augustine he was no longer free to rove the everglades no longer the leader of his eager warriors no longer the savior of bis people this would not have seemed quite BO melancholy to the young chief had it been accomplished as the fortune of war but to have been taken by treachery was the final blow it Is said that his broken spirit and sad thoughts more than the catarrhal fever which then attacked him caused the death of osceola at the early age of thirty five he died in prison at fort moultrie fla in january 1838 1332 western newspaper union |