Trail Of Tears Chapter 13 Essay, Research Paper

I found chapter thirteen offensive and obscene. The things that were done to the Seminole Indians were just unbelievable. First the US soldiers steal their land and then they put them on prison ships. I had a hard time reading it.

It starts out by first talking about how much the US soldiers hated the land and the Indians were right at home. Then it goes on to talk about General Scott, his nick name Old Fuss and Feathers, and his Strategy to get the Seminole s into open land but they were way too smart for his to leave the protective cover of the forest they knew so well. He then went one to defeat Black Hawk in the Wisconsin Rebellion. Major General Gaines however wanted to concentrate the Seminoles in a small area and kill them, but there weren t enough bullets to go around. So several of the chiefs proposed to him to let them stay and the war would stop. After deciding to except it he was replaced by General Clinch. But, General Gaines did save face by first announcing he had ended the SECOND SEMINOLE WAR. Women and children went to Fort Brooke for shelter and food. For these Seminoles, the Trail of Tears began on Egmont Key, an island in Tampa Bay kept in a stockade, like refractory (obstinately resistant to authority or control) cattle , they were sent by ships to New Orleans. Many Died on the ship but not as many as were dyeing on land. . Brigadier General Joseph Hernandez ignored Osceola and Coacoochee s white truce flag, and instead he captured them. Osceola built Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine and was afterwards thrown in chains. Osceola was diagnosed with Malaria (yellow fever), Osceola refused Dr. Weedon s medicine. And when he died Dr. Weedon Skillfully severed Osceola s head from (his) neck, put both in (a) coffin, tied scarf around (the) neck.” As a doctor, Weedon had done the best he could for a patient dying of heartbreak, but as Mary Weedon Thompson s brother he had taken a revenge his fellow southerners found natural. He then gave Osceola s head to Valentine Mott, who was head of the NY University Medical School. Dr. Mott said Osceola s head would be deposited in the collection and (be) preserved in my library at home . (Feared it d be stolen from university s museum) Your (Dr. Weedon s son-in-law) letter will be attached to the head.3 . Dr. Mott did later display it at NY University Medical School s museum, later both Museum and head were destroyed in the fire. Those moving and protesting Seminoles, pleaded w/ Washington; they had no weapons, or tool and had a hard time growing food. .” Oddly enough, General Jesup protested along with the Seminoles. General Jesup forced Washington into sending rakes, hoes, and cauldrons and used his money to buy a chief the rifle. Zachary Taylor took over and began using bloodhounds to track the Seminoles Indians. The Idea enraged some people but, Richard Keith Call s Cuban Bloodhounds as they were called. Cuba raised bloodhounds to track down escaped slaves, they charged Call $151.72 per dog but threw in 5 Spanish specialists. The dogs were considered soldier and therefore were paid. That dogs were muzzled preventing them from tearing the red devils to pieces.

Joel Poinsett, Secretary of War, believed the dogs to be the only way to get rid of the Indians. On July 3, 1841 Coacoochee and his people in Tampa boarded a prison ship. The Seminoles were barely able to move with heavy irons, hung heads, and arranged by rank. Coacoochee said I am here and I feel the irons in my heart. but the Seminoles finally surrendered.

Pascofa made a Seminole toast Iste linus tcha , and a cup passed among warriors. It echoed long after he was gone. When they got to the west it was foreign to the and most of them staved to death. The US finally got her attention off of the Seminole Indians and went to pick on someone else. Pascofa had drunk from the cup of defeat, but some stragglers remained east of the Mississippi. The Seminoles did not and never have signed a formal peace treaty with government, So they felt that is where they belonged. They are still there today.