LIVING HISTORY
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Afterward, -esup asked the Treasury 'epartment to replace
two horses he lost during his service, but reimbursement
was denied.
After -esup left, the Florida War devolved into little more
than an endless ,ndian roundup. 6oldiers tried to chase down
little bands of guerilla Àghters here and there, including
Wildcat and his gang. By 1, the government Ànally gave
up and let the last 300 or so Seminoles remain at large. Happily,
eradication of their culture was never completed. But
Wildcat did move West. Before he left, he said his dead twin
sister brought him a vision of a more perfect world, where
one day he would meet the Great Spirit.
“Game is abundant there,” Wildcat said, “and there the
white man is never seen.”
Jesup went on to serve as quartermaster general until his
death in 1 at the age of . From his administrative oces
in Washington, -esup·s ecient paperwork kept the nation·s
military supplied as America epanded its reach across the
vast continent. ,n total, he served his country for years
with quiet fortitude and unheralded distinction.
As for his overlooked mark on the Treasure &oast, -esup
was the commander who ordered the establishment of Fort
3ierce. <oung /t. 6herman was stationed there in 11 when
Wildcat surrendered to him. By then, the fort had been expanded
to include additional palm-thatched buildings and a
typical stockade wall. Although the actual fort burned down
Dec. 12, 1843, the name has always remained as a clue that
big things happened there long ago. Forgotten heroism, for
instance — and a powerful clash of cultures that made our
world what it is today.
Someday, we might take pause to favorably recall those
thousands of soldiers who thanklessly tramped through Treasure
Coast swamps, as Motte wrote of his fellow patriots, “…
enduring with patient long suͿering the toils and discomforts
of an inglorious war…with no prospect for gathering laurels;
but all endured from a high and unselÀsh esprit de corps, and a
cherished enthusiasm in the service of their country.”