In the Wilds of Florida: A Tale of Warfare and Hunting
Page 52
forthwith slain, becomeshimself leader of the tribe. All the Seminoles, immediately gatheringround the standard of Oceola, hailed him as their leader. For six yearsdid the brave chief set our troops at defiance. All sorts of stratagemswere employed to capture him, but cunning as he was brave, he avoidedthem. It was resolved at length to make a last effort; and an officer,whose name I will not mention, undertook to capture Oceola by astratagem which it is impossible otherwise than to condemn. The chiefreceived notice that the Government were willing to enter into a fairand honourable treaty with him and his people. He too was anxious toterminate the unequal contest. Addressing his chiefs, he expressed hiswillingness to go forward alone and meet those who had so long provedhis relentless foes. To this proposal his friends would not consent;but they finally agreed that he, with four of his principal chiefs andtwo hundred warriors as a body-guard, should meet the Government agent,Oceola advanced with a flag of truce at the end of a long spear--theonly weapon among all the band. Seeing the number of troops in front,he hesitated, when the agent observing this, advanced also, holding aflag of truce. Oceola, to show his confidence in the honour of hisformer foes, dashed forward, his unarmed followers pressing after him.On either side were thick woods. Suddenly from among them appearedstrong bodies of soldiers. Oceola and his party were surrounded. Hewas dragged from his horse, and he and all his attendants madeprisoners. In vain he protested, as indeed did every soldier, that suchtreachery was unwarrantable. The prize had been obtained. Theinterests of the public required that Oceola and his chiefs shouldremain prisoners. Fetters were placed on their limbs, and they werecarried off as captives. But such they did not long continue; foraccustomed to roam the desert wilds and to breathe the pure air ofheaven in untrammelled freedom, they pined within their prison walls.Oceola sunk first; the rest soon followed him to the grave; and with theexception of a few scattered families, the survivors of the Seminoleswere compelled to follow the Creeks and Cherokees across theMississippi."
We could not help regretting that no attempts had been made to spreadthe truths of Christianity among the Seminoles, and that a happier fatehad not been the destiny of the brave Oceola.
THE END.