The massacre of Major Francis Dade's command in December 1835, sparking the Second Seminole War, was described by a Seminole chief. From Origin, Progress, and Conclusion of the Florida War, John T. Sprague, 1847. Excerpts from the narrative show that, far from being ravaging savages, the Seminoles were resourceful and cunning in engaging the US government in its longest and costliest Indian war. One reader suggests the term "massacre" is misused in the Dade engagement.

   The narrative, as received from Halpatter-Tustenuggee or Alligator, of this melancholy occurrence, forms an interesting detail of the movements and designs of the Indians:

   We had been preparing for this more than a year. Though promises had been made (by the Seminoles) to assemble on the 1st of January, it was not to leave the country, but to fight for it.

   In council, it was determined to strike a decided blow about this time.

  The troops were three days on their march and approaching the Swamp. Here we thought it best to assail them; and should we be defeated the swamp would be a safe place of retreat. Our scouts were out from the time the soldiers left the post, and reported each night their place of encampment.

   I counted, by direction of Jumper, one hundred and eighty warriors. Upon approaching the road, each man chose his position on the west side; opposite, on the east side, there was a pond.

   Every warrior was protected by a tree, or secreted in the high palmettoes. About nine o'clock in the morning the command approached.

   So soon as all the soldiers were opposite, between us and the pond, perhaps twenty yards off, Jumper gave the whoop, Micanopy fired the first rifle, the signal agreed upon, when every Indian arose and fired, which laid upon the ground, dead, more than half the white men.

  The cannon was discharged several times, but the men who loaded it were shot down as soon as the smoke cleared away; the balls passed far over our heads. The soldiers shouted and whooped, and the officers shook their swords and swore. There was a little man, a great brave, who shook his sword at the soldiers and said, 'God-dam!' No rifle-ball could hit him.

   As we were returning to the swamp, supposing all were dead, an Indian came up and said the white men were building a fort of logs. Jumper and myself, with ten warriors, returned.

   As we approached, we saw six men behind two logs placed one above another, with the cannon a short distance off. This they discharged at us several times, but we avoided it by dodging behind the trees just as they applied the fire. We soon came near, as the balls went over us.

   They had guns, but no powder; we looked in the boxes afterwards and found they were empty. When I got inside the log pen, there were three white men alive, whom the Negroes put to death, after a conversation in English.

   There was a brave man in the pen; he would not give up; he seized an Indian, Juniper's cousin, took away his rifle, and with one blow with it beat out his brains, then ran some distance up the road; but two Indians on horseback overtook him, who, afraid to approach, stood at a distance and shot him down.

   The firing had ceased, and all was quiet when we returned to the swamp about noon. We left many Negroes upon the ground looking at the dead men. Three warriors were killed and five wounded.