St. Augustine, Florida #8 - Imprisonment of Osceola

The story of the great Seminole warrior Osceola is not as much a part of our nation's memory as it used to be, but it can still be explored in St. Augustine.

School kids across the country once learned the story of Osceola and the great war for survival waged by the Seminoles between 1835 and 1844. The Second Seminole War was waged from the Okefenokee Swamp south to the Everglades and from Walton County in Northwest Florida east to the Atlantic Ocean. In the end, despite repeated announcements of victory by the U.S. Army, the Seminoles of Florida clung to at least part of their lands.

Although he was not a chief, Osceola was recognized by both whites and Indians as one of the key war leaders of the conflict. The Creek and Seminole cultures had always allowed for warriors to rise to positions of distinction based on their prowess in battle, and Osceola was by all accounts a charismatic and competent leader in battle.

Frustrated by their attempts to capture or kill him, U.S. Army officers laid a trap for Osceola near St. Augustine on October 21, 1837. He appeared under a white flag to negotiate with the government, but was seized despite the protection of this flag by order of General Thomas S. Jesup.

Carried to St. Augustine, Osceola was initially imprisoned at the Castillo de San Marcos. He remained there until several other prisoners escaped one night. Concerned that he might repeat the feat engineered by the other Seminoles, the army moved Osceola to Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. He died there of sickness a short time later.

The story of the warrior's imprisonment in St. Augustine is interpreted today at Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/staugustineosceola.

The Face of Osceola - Florida's Great Seminole Warrior

This cast of the face of Osceola is among the displays that can be seen in the visitor center at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park near Micanopy.

The cast was prepared from a "death mask" made of Osceola on the day he died at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, and shows the real appearance of the famed Seminole warrior. It was made shortly after Osceola posed for the famous portrait by George Catlin (see below).

Born in the Upper Creek towns of Alabama in around 1804, Osceola's mother, Polly Coppinger, was a member of Peter McQueen's town. Disagreement continues today over whether his father was an English trader named William Powell or a Creek warrior that his mother married shortly after Powell's death. Either way, the young warrior was often called "Billy Powell" by the whites.

Osceola (a corruption of the Muskogee term Asi Yahola or "Black Drink Shouter") and his mother were among the followers of Peter McQueen that followed the chief to Florida following the defeat of the Red Stick faction during the Creek War of 1813-1814. He was likely present at Econfina Natural Bridge between the St. Marks and Suwannee Rivers during the spring of 1818 when the troops of Andrew Jackson attacked McQueen's band, killing dozens of warriors and taking scores of women and children prisoner.

The young Osceola, then about 14 years old, escaped the battle, however, and soon appeared among the Seminoles of the Ocala area. He went on to become a key leader during the Second Seminole War of 1835-1842, but was captured by U.S. troops when he approached an army camp near St. Augustine under a flag of truce on October 21, 1837.

Imprisoned first at the Castillo de San Marcos (Fort Marion) in St. Augustine and subsequently at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina, the great warrior did not long survive his captivity. He died at Fort Moultrie of fever, probably malaria, on January 30, 1838, just three months after he was taken prisoner.

The original death mask prepared at Fort Moultrie is now housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., but a cast made using it can be seen along with other artifacts at Paynes Prairie, an outstanding state park and preserve in Micanopy (just south of Gainesville). To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/paynesprairie.

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park - Micanopy, Florida

One of the most amazing sights in Florida is the beautiful expanse of Paynes Prairie stretching off to the horizon. Located between Gainesville and Micanopy (Interstate 75 actually crosses part of the prairie), the magnificent grassland is now a state park that preserves over 21,000 acres.

Called the "Great Alachua Savannah" by William Bartram when he visited in 1774, the prairie is centered in the traditional home region of the Alachua division of the Seminole Nation. Likely named for the great Seminole leader King Payne, the prairie was the location of one of the first engagements of the Second Seminole War. Florida militia battled Seminole warriors in the Battle of Black Point along the prairie rim in 1835.

The visitor center at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park offers an excellent walk through the history of the prairie and even features a cast of the actual face of Osceola, Florida's famed Seminole warrior. The cast was prepared from a desk mask made at the time of the leader's death.

In addition, if they are lucky, visitors can sometimes catch glimpses of the herd of buffalo that roams the preserve. Florida reintroduced American Bison (buffalo) to Paynes Prairie during the late 20th century. The prairie once teemed with them, but they vanished over the last several hundred years. Paynes Prairie is also home to a small herd of wild Spanish horses.

The park is located on U.S. 441 in Micanopy, Florida and is easily accessible off I-75. For more information, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/paynesprairie.