Campaigns of 1841
Second Seminole (Florida) War
February
270 Indians are in containment camps awaiting removal to the west.
March
Lt. William Alburtis, 2d Inf'y, while stationed at Fort Brooks on the Ocklawaha was up against the chief Halleck Tustenuggee. Halleck
sought to pull the U. S. force out of their fortification and ambush them. Lt. Alburtis had other ideas he planned to counter the ambush with
one of his own. His strategy proved effective and drove off Halleck's band with a most murderous fire.
Later that month Halleck's band attacked a baggage train of Lt. Alburtis which resulted in tree to tree fighting, which eventually drove off the
hostiles.
General Armistead received an allowance of $25,000 to bribe the Indian leaders into relocation. Coosa Tustenuggee received $5,000 and
each of the 60 warriors he brought in received $30 and rifles for turning themselves over to the army.
March 5th
Coacoochee presents himself at Fort Cummings. He was dressed as Hamlet and his entourage was dressed as Horatio and Richard III,
they received these outfits when his band attacked a baggage train of an actor troupe that was perfoming in the territory. While at
Fort Cummings he hopes to receive much needed supplies for his followers and possibly favorable treatment for his people.
March 22d
Coacoochee arrives at Fort Brooke and agrees that his band will come in by May for removal west.
May 1st
Coacoochee shows up at Fort Pierce with a limited amount of warriors requesting supplies, so they may head to Fort Brooke for re-location. Lt. William Tecumseh
Sherman was ordered to escort Coacoochee to Fort Brooke.
May 31st
General Armistead is relieved of his command in Florida by Colonel William Jenkins Worth, 8th Inf'y. During his term as commander
in the Florida Territory he succeeded in shipping 450 Indians and Negroes west, leaving only about 300 warriors left in the territory so he
thought, and he also had 236 awaiting shipment west.
June 4th
Major Childs, commander of Fort Brooke received the orders to seize Coacoochee and his fifteen followers. Major Childs shackles Coacoochee
and his followers and prepare to send them to New Orleans. This would be counter-manned by Col. Worth who planned on using the leader to help bring
in the other bands still remaining.
June
Col. Worth sets a plan in motion that calls for columns made up of 200 men to be broke up into detachments of 20 and a supporting force
of dragoons to assist their movements. These forces were to depart from the following forts: Fort Brooke, Fort King, and Fort Harrison
(Clearwater harbor). Upon departing their respective forts they were to scour the Cove of the Withlacoochee, Crystal River area, and the
area around the Homosassa River.
June 25th
General Armistead dies and he is replaced by Winfield Scott as commanding general of the United States Army.
August 8th
With Coacoochee in irons members of his original 15 member party successfully bring in his band of followers minus 5 men and 15 women.
August 9th
Col. Worth's plan for white resettlement of the territory sees its first successful settlement. 13 white people and eight slaves attempt to resettle at Cedar Hammock
near Fort White.
August
Coacoochee is employed in bringing in Hospetarke. Coacoochee talks the leader to come onboard a ship for a parley, which leads to his capture. A few of
Hospetarke's followers are sent ashore to talk the rest of his band to turn themselves over for relocation.
October
Col. Worth orders that a boundary be drawn that encompasses Punta Rassa, through Fort Denaud, to Lake Okeechobee, and across the peninsula to either
Fort Dallas or Fort Pierce in the south.
October 12th
Col. Worth sends a total of 211 Indians, including Coacoochee and Hospetarke, west saving a few of them to be used as guides and
interpreters for the army.
October 19th
A delegation of Seminole chiefs from Indian Territory, were sent to Fort Brooke in hopes they could persuade other bands to turn themselves
in. They were successful in talking the chiefs Tiger Tail and Nethlochemathla and their followers, numbering about 160, to turn themselves over
to the army at Fort Brooke.
December 20th
Halleck Tustenuggee and 15 warriors attack the settlement of Mandarin, near Dunn's Lake, and kill four people, burn two buildings
and loot the town of its supplies. This results in a renewed campaign in the northern sections of the territory. Col. Worth heads north to take
command of that region and orders all forces stationed in Micanopy, the Ocklawaha River area, and the western regions to keep four-fifths of their troops in
the field scouting for hostiles.
Major William G. Belknap, who was left in charge of the southern theatre in the absence of Col. Worth, leads a force to find Billy Bowlegs
and Otulkethlocko (the Prophet) in the Everglades. The Indians awaited the U. S. force on ground that they had prepared and would escape
capture.