Campaigns of 1840
Second Seminole (Florida) War
January 6th
Governor Reid procures several bloodhounds from Cuba to assist in chasing down the small bands of hostiles still
operating in the territory.
January 27th
Two bloodhounds are turned over to the army for a trial.
March 28th
Captain Gabriel J. Rains, 7th Inf'y, leaves Fort King on a scouting mission. A band of 93 warriors attacks his party in an ambush and kills
two men and wounds one in the initial volley. Captain Rain noticed that his force was in danger of being encircled he formed up the
twelve men left and charged to the rear towards Fort King. Captain Rains falls severely injured, three of his men drag him back to the
fort while three others form a rear guard to assist in the captains removal. The Florida newspapers call this the most gallant action of
the war and Captain Rains is brevet a Major for his conduct
April 21st
Gen. Taylor gains permission to leave Florida from the army.
May 6th
Brevet Brigadier-General W. R. Armistead, 3d Artillery, relieves Brevet Brigadier-General Z. Taylor in Florida.
Gen. Armistead sets up his headquarters at St. Augustine.
May 11th
Gen. Taylor leaves Florida.
May 19th
A detachment led by Lt. James S. Sanderson was attacked 8 miles from Fort King by a band of around 100 warriors
led by Coacoochee. Lt. Sanderson and five of his men perish in this attack.
Newnansville is under seige by a band of hostile Indians and is supposedly broken when the Army of the South
moves its headquarters to Fort King, just south of the town.
June
Captain B. L. E. Bonneville, 7th Inf'y, led a probe into Big Swamp, 15 miles form Fort King. He suprises a band
of Indians engaged in the Green Corn Dance and they scatter into the surrounding hammock.
The main arsenal or depot of the army moves from Garey's Ferry to Palatka. Two general hospitals are initiated,
one at Cedar Key and the other at Picolata, these locations at the time were considered the healthiest in the territory.
June 2d
Lt. Col. Bennett Riley, 2d Inf'y, leads a partisan force against Chocachatti and destroys that important Indian
stronghold. He is brevet-ed for the action.
August 7th
Chakaika leads his band on a raid of Indian Key, the capital of Dade County at the time. The band kills 13 of the
70 inhabitants and captures large stores of powder and ball. When a few of the inhabitants escaped the island
they made their way to Tea Table Key, a small navy post. In response to the reports of the raid Midshipman Murray
musters up a group of the invalids at the post and head for Indian Key. Upon their arrival off shore they are fired at.
In response Midshipman Murray fires his cannon at the source of the firing and the cannon recoils over the edge of the boat.
The hostile band on Indian Key use a 6 pounder found on the island and return fire, the only time the seminoles fire a cannon during the war.
The navy detachment departs and heads back to Tea Table Key.
August and November
Hostilities are put on hold in hopes that the remaining bands will come in and agree to leave the territory.
November 10th
Halleck Tustenuggee, Mikasuki, and Thlocko Tustenuggee, Tallahasee, come in for talks with Gem. Armistead.
After a short while the Indians break camp and leave the area after obtaining much needed supplies. Hostilities are soon
ordered to resume in the territory.
December
Lt. Col. Harney sets out from Sarasota with the 3d Artillery and some dragoons numbering in the range of 100 men. They
traveled from Pease Creek, through Big Cypress Swamp, and into the Everglades in search of three hostile bands. His
column manages to find the band led by Chekika and executes him along with six of his followers.
December 4th
Lt. Col. Harney sets out from Fort Dallas, downtown Miami, in search of the leader Chakaika and his followers. Lt. Col. Harney
orders his men to paint themselves up like the Indians and they head into the Everglades following a Negro scout named John.
The column of Harney's men came up on Chakaika's band and took them by suprise. Chakaika is shot while trying to surrender
and others of his band are executed on the spot.
December 28th
A party consisting of 2d Lt. Walter Sherwood (7th Inf'y), Lt. N. Hopson, Sergeant-Major Carroll, and ten privates (7th Inf'y) were escorting Mrs.
Montgomery (wife of Lt. Montgomery 7th Inf'y) to Watkahoota from Micanopy a total of 8 miles distance. After the party advanced down the road
4 miles they were attacked by a party of 30 warriors, in a hammock known as Martin's Point, led by Halleck Tustenuggee. In the initial volley two privates
fell to Indian rifles. Lieutenant Sherwood rallies his guard in an attempt to put up a fight. Mrs. Montgomery is told to dismount and hide in the wagon,
while doing this she is hit in the breast and dies. As disorder takes over the column the mules are killed in their harnesses and Lt. Hopson rides for
Micanopy in hopes to gather reinforcements. Lt. Sherwood and the rest of the party stands their ground and starts to fight hand to hand with the Indians.
Lt Sherwood and the Sergeant-Major are killed making the stand and are scalped by the hostile band.