Withlacoochee   
When the regulars had all crossed, Osceola let loose a piercing cry and the Seminoles opened fire. Commanding a force of 250, Osceola stood out in
the blue U.S. Army coat
that he had stolen from Fort King. Lt. Sprague described the electrifying effect of
his leadership:
"In Oseola, or Powell, was combined a nerve, activity, and intelligence, which seemed to diffuse itself among all classes."
His allied black and Indian warriors quickly killed four soldiers and wounded scores more. "General Clinch, a large target on horseback, lost no time in dismounting." As white men struggled to get back over the river, Clinch was forced to fight a defensive action.
  
Sources:
Sprague Origin 94, Boyd "Seminole War" 79, Smith Sketch 47. The quotation about Clinch is from Mahon 109.
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Part 2, War: l |
