LIVING HISTORY
That·s when a 6eminole·s bullet found him. ,t came from
the other side of the Loxahatchee and struck him squarely
in the face. 5icocheting oͿ his spectacles, it gashed his left
cheek, just below the eye. But the bullet didn’t penetrate the
bone. ,n the heat of battle, the ,ndian who shot him may not
have packed his rifle with enough gunpowder to make the
little, ball-shaped missile penetrate the skull. Jesup dropped
to the gnarly, humus-covered ground and felt around for his
glasses. He collected the pieces and retired to the care of his
surgeon.
Although the general·s oneman charge may have become
a source of levity in camp, he and his hardestÀghting troops
won the Battle of /oahatchee that day. Afterward, hundreds
of famished, destitute Seminoles surrendered and begged
for corn. ,n spite of the battle and the awful ache from his
wound, Jesup took pity on his enemies and sent another letter
to Washington attempting to persuade the government to
let them keep South Florida.
,t sounds bizarre, but while the combatants were awaiting
the government’s slow response via the mail, they threw a
big party together. 2cers brought the booze and 6eminoles
taught the soldiers how to dance around a bonÀre. 0otte
especially enjoyed watching pretty Seminole women dancing
with rattles made from little turtle shells tied around their
bare legs. ,n the end, the decision from 9an Buren remained
the same. The Seminoles must go.
LAST HURRAH
/oahatchee was to be -esup·s Ànal hurrah in Florida. 2n
April 1, 1, he was ordered to turn over command to &ol.
Taylor, who would later become the nation’s 12th president. RICK CRARY
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