Francis L. Dade
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Francis Langhorne Dade (1793? – December 28, 1835) was a Major (United States) in the U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment, United States Army, during the Second Seminole War. Dade was killed in a battle with Seminole Indians that came to be known as the "Dade Massacre". Dade was born in King George County, Virginia
On December 23, 1835, Dade left Fort Brooke (now Tampa, Florida). He was commanding one hundred seven U.S. soldiers armed with the best weapons, cannon, horses, and supplies. Their goal was to resupply and reinforce General Wiley Thompson’s troops stationed at Fort King (now Ocala, Florida). Dade knew his men might be attacked by Seminoles who were shadowing his men, but believed that if an attack were to occur, it would occur during one of the river crossings or in the thicker woods to the south. Having passed these, he felt safe and recalled his flanking scouts in order that the command could move faster. Although the terrain he was now in, pines and palmettos, could not have concealed anyone who was standing or walking, it could and did conceal crouched or prone warriors waiting in ambush. The Seminoles did not refrain from attacking in the other places because they thought they could achieve better surprise later, but because they were waiting for Osceola to join them. They finally gave up waiting and attacked without him.
In the late afternoon of December 28, one hundred eighty Seminoles lay in wait approximately 25 miles south of Fort King. The Seminoles had terrain and the element of surprise in their favor. Major Dade, who was on horseback, was killed in the Seminoles' first volley, by all accounts, by the very first shot, which by pre arranged plan began the attack. Many of the soldiers, who were in two single file lines, were quickly killed. Few even managed to get their flintlocks out from underneath their heavy winter coats. Only three soldiers survived the massacre, and it is said that one had to crawl, due to his injuries, the 75 miles back to Fort Brooke. A few months later, when travel in the area was again possible, the dead soldiers were buried at the site. This event started the second Seminole War, which lasted until 1842.
When hostilities ceased, the Army proposed to transfer the remains of all who died in the territory, including those who fell with Dade, to a single burial ground. Reinterment took place at the St. Augustine Post Cemetery, which would become St. Augustine National Cemetery. In addition to Dade's command, more than 1,400 soldiers were interred in three collective graves. These men are remembered by the Dade Monument, which is composed of both three distinct pyramids, constructed of native coquina stone, and an obelisk. The memorial, dedicated at a ceremony on August 14, 1842, marked the end of the Florida Indian Wars.
Dade County, Missouri, Miami-Dade County, Florida, Dade County, Georgia, and Dade City, Florida are all named after Major Dade, who was originally from Virginia. The now decommissioned fort on Egmont Key was also named for him. The battle is re-enacted at the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park each year.
In 2002, the Dade County Courthouse was renamed the Major Francis Langhorne Dade County Courthouse by the Board of County Commissioners of Miami-Dade County. In the resolution changing the courthouse's name, the Board noted that it found "that Major Francis Langhorne Dade is a person who made a significant contribution to Miami-Dade County."[1]. Also an eyewitness account by Seminole leader Halpatter Tustenuggee (Alligator, as the white man called him) read as follows: "We had been preparing for this more than a year... Just as the day was breaking, we moved out of the swamp into the pine-barren. I counted, by direction of Jumper, one hundred and eighty warriors. Upon approaching the road, each man chose his position on the west side... About nine o'clock in the morning the command approached... So soon as all the soldiers were opposite... Jumper gave the whoop, Micanopy fired the first rifle, the signal agreed upon, when every Indian arose and fired, which laid upon the ground, dead, more than half the white men. The cannon was discharged several times, but the men who loaded it were shot down as soon as the smoke cleared away... As we were returning to the swamp supposing all were dead, an Indian came up and said the white men were building a fort of logs. Jumper and myself, with ten warriors, returned. As we approached, we saw six men behind two logs placed one above another, with the cannon a short distance off... We soon came near, as the balls went over us. They had guns, but no powder, we looked in the boxes afterwards and found they were empty".[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Dade's Last Command (1995) by Frank Laumer (ISBN 0-8130-1324-0)
