University of Virginia Library

2. Seminoles Of Florida

Many hundreds of years ago some wandering bands of Indians found their way to the country now known as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Finding this region abundantly stocked with game, a mild climate and such a well-watered land, these wanderers settled in that region. Being wanderers they were then all Seminoles. They fought the powerful tribes of that land who contended against these wanderers settling there.

The Appalaches, Yamasees, Tomokans and wild Caribs of the Everglades, the Yoochees [sic] of Florida, and the Alabamas of Alabama River were subdued and assigned places to dwell within the limits of the Seminole domination.

The policy was to adopt as allies the powerful tribes they had subdued rather than to exterminate them.

These "wandering, wild, lost men" divided and were known as the Hah-cha-pal-la, Ha-cha-ta and Seminole Muskogees, and became three distinct nations. History shows us that the Cherokees occupied a portion of this Territory at the time that DeSoto's explorations were made. The ancient Shell Mounds that the old time Cherokees were in the habit of building can be found all the way down into Florida to the utmost southern Keys of the cape, and traditions tell of their great wars with the wild Caribs that were driven by them across to the West India Islands, except a few bands that took refuge in the Everglades whom the Creeks afterwards conquered. History also tells of the subsequent events, except to tell the story of the three bands of Seminoles who yet dwell in Florida. The first band and the largest dwell north and east of the great Okeechobee lake and are Seminoles pure and genuine. To the southwest of Okeechobee, in the Everglades, and to the East within ten miles of the Atlantic coast, and to the west on Pease Creek, -- a stream flowing into the Gulf of Mexico--are settlements of the Seminoles whose ancestors were Creeks who were driven by wars into Georgia and Alabama, near a century ago, and who had fled to the Seminoles of Florida. Then this remnant of the old red-stick warriors joined the Seminole war parties, where their children yet dwell in the gloom of the great swamps of the Big Cypress, where are the most sullen and unconquerable of all men. They to this day shun all intercourse with white men. With strict jealousy they hold themselves in seclusion and so some writers have doubted their existence. No tribe has preserved their blood so free from contamination as these Muskogees of Florida. No nation has so sacredly preserved their customs, religion and habits as they have. No race of men has withstood the rude shocks of war when overwhelming odds were cast against them time and again, and they remain the only native proud, unyielding type of the North American Indian of four hundred years ago.

The men dress themselves in shirts of the finest cloth well finished, and the fine long gowns of calico fringed and bound about the waist with rich silk sashes. They wear fringed buckskin leggings, and their moccasins are of buckskin that fit neatly, and are richly ornamented with bead work. They also wear fringed turbans which are gracefully adorned with Heron and Egret feathers.

The language of these people is the same as Creek language of the Territory, which is soft and flowing in so musical a manner among the women to resemble the singing of birds. The men's speed is more sonorous but not harsh, and carries no guttural sounds whatever. It is admitted by philologists to be one of the most complete languages of the American Indians.

The Okeechobee Seminoles are the richest of these three bands, and are good farmers, cultivating good crops of corn, tobacco, sugar-cane and yams, besides having orchards of tropical fruits. They raise herds of horses, hogs and cattle.

There are among them some notable families as the Osceolas, Parkers, Tummah Harjo, Tustennuggee Micco, Young Tiger and others.

They are all willing workers in the fields, orchards and gardens.

The Seminole hunts only when his crops do not demand his attention. He kills and dresses the game and brings it home to his woman who takes care of the house. The wild sports of the chase are all suspended at planting time when he resumes the cultivation of his farm.

He loves his wife and children, and is always ready to purchase something to please them before he takes any thought for his own necessities. The women are fond of dress and use much ribbon, silver bracelets and beads; also a double row of silver gorgets across the shoulders and the breast.

The descendants of the Creeks who occupy the Everglades proper are not so well cultured as the regular Seminoles.

They are the only remnant of the hostile Creeks of the war of 1813-1814. They did the most desperate fighting of all the Seminole wars of Florida, and are still to this day unconquered, who contain such families as Tiger Tail, Little Tiger, A-lee-coo Chupcoo, A-ha la-kee, Tust-ta-nug-gee, who were the bravest of the fighters in the last Indian war.

They are today probably the wildest, wandering Indians to be found on the American Continent--the true prototype of his forefathers, who were the wild, lost wanderers upon the face of the earth--Seminoles in the true sense of the term indeed, Is-tee-sem-i-lo-lee, (lost wanderers.)

The food supply for the Florida Seminoles is abundant. Besides the products of the farm, orchard and herds, game of the forests and the vast fisheries of the coast and interior lakes, they make an abundance of bread root flour, "Kon-tee-kat-kee," the wild a-ha or China brier root flour, from which they bake thin cakes of bread which they serve with honey. They find an abundance of wild cabbage palm, which they call Tul-la-ha-coo, and many other wild tropical fruits. Famine is absolutely impossible with them.

The men are over six feet tall and of strong muscular build, while the women are graceful and comely. As a people they are brave, generous and hospitable, and deserve a better fate than awaits them.

Their religious system is highly developed with an extensive ritual of combination of oral literature, and ancient symbol history. Near six-hundred souls have recently been estimated as their number.

At the close of the Seminole War, Gen. Worth, then commanding the American Army that in the war, was convinced that the excessive cost of blood and treasure that had been sacrificed in removing that portion of the Seminoles that had been emigrated to the west was too great to be continued, and he made a verbal treaty with the remaining Seminoles that if they would cease hostilities against the white people, that they would be allowed to retain that portion of the Everglades and inclusive Keys and the Okee-cho-bee Prairies, which the Seminoles then occupied and they have strictly complied with the treaty.

A census of their number was taken at that time of those remaining in Florida, and they then numbered three hundred and one souls. They have since then increased to about double that number: thus, this forlorn remnant of the Muskogees or Creek Indians, which is the blood and language of these Seminoles of Florida, exists to this day. They are satisfied, and all they ask is to be let alone. They never weep, even the small infants never cry.

The true stoic inborn with their natures is so richly developed that they stand alone--the only modern parallel of the fortitude of the ancient Spartans. So well does the flowery glades and singing birds of eternal spring chant the story of Seminole character. Surely they dwell where the Great Spirit still remembers them.

Twin Territories, 2:2 (January 1900):30-31.