In December of 1835 the Dade Massacre sparked the Second Seminole War, regarded by many historians as the longest and bloodiest Indian war in U.S. history. This historic battle took place along Fort King Road close to what is considered Bushnell today. The initial volley of the battle left nearly half of Major Francis L. Dade's men dead and within only a few hours only three of his men were left alive.
The demise of Dade and his men was brought on by a genius tactical move by Chief Micanopy and his men. They had been preparing for more than a year to stand and fight for their land. Indian scouts watched Major Dade and his men from a distance from the time they left Fort Brooke en route to Fort King. The original plan was to wait until Osceola joined them after attacking Fort King in order to reach his agent General Wiley Thompson. However Micanopy came to the conclusion that a favorable moment where they would have a great advantage over the troops would pass. It was agreed to no longer wait on Osceola.
As day broke, Micanopy and some 180 other Seminole warriors made their way out of the swamps and into the pine palmetto scrub that lined the Fort King Trail. The location where they chose to attack was an intelligent move because it gave them a huge tactical advantage over Dade and his men. If things went bad for Micanopy they could easily retreat to the refuge of the swamps which were to the west of the trail. On the other hand if things went bad for Dade he had no where to flee because there was only a large pond to the east of the trail. They were essentially trapped.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. Dade and his command approached the Seminole forces who were crouched and ready to strike. Hidden behind trees and in the palmetto scrub, Micanopy and his men waited for the signal to attack. When given, Micanopy fired the first shot followed by th rest of his forces emerging from cover to attack. The first wave left half of Dade's men lying dead. A few hours later the Seminoles felt they had proved their point so they made their way back into the swamps when they found that the remainder of Dade's men had joined together inside log breastworks for a last stand. Not being able to resist, Micanopy and his men returned to finish off the remaining troops.
Only three Seminoles are believed to have perished in the battle while only three of Dade's men's survived the battle. Ransom Clark, the most well-known survivor, went on to make a living by giving lectures on the story of the Dade Massacre charging 12 cents per person.
Today the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park memorializes this battle which eventually led to the declaration of war between the United States and the Seminole Nation. However, it wasn't until 1921 that the state legislature appropriated funds for preservation of the battle site as a memorial. Over the years the site has been developed and protected. Today visitors can walk the grounds of this historic battle and even see a replica of the log breastworks at the original site along Fort King Road.
The park, with the help of the Dade Battlefield Society, hosts an annual re-enactment the first full weekend of January. It's a great opportunity for history enthusiasts and others to gather and commemorate the battle that sparked the Second Seminole War.
The visitors center provides educational information and displays about the historic battle along with a 12-minute video history of it entitled "This Land, These Men."
For more information about Dade Battlefield Historic State Park visit their website.
For more information about the Dade Battlefield Society visit their website.
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