Aug 04 2008
Cotanchobee Park: A 12 Part History of Tampa, Part 9
Text follows image, and history seems to have a tendency to repeat itself.
War Years: the U.S.
The Wars of Indian Removal in Florida were national, rather than merely regional events. Americans who early in the war supported forcing the Indians out of the path of white settlement, lost interest as fighting dragged on with no clear victories or defeats. The cost of the war mounted steadily, with only relatively few prisoners to show for the efforts. Reports to families from husbands, brothers, & uncles in the field were very mixed. Some saw the hills, hammocks, & richness of the foliage and thought Florida an Eden. Most could barely stand it. One soldier wrote home, “If the Devil owned both Hell and Florida, he would rent out Florida and live in Hell.” Even the scenic beauty of Fort Brooke could not compensate for the heat, mosquitoes, snakes, & the maddening humidity. Enlisted men earned only $5 per month. Desertion was a constant problem. Besides the Indians & the climate, the terrain was the enemy as well. Much Florida coastal land was still swamp & dense undergrowth. Marching quietly & easily was impossible. Fighting was suspended during the summer “sickly season”, but malaria & dysentery shadowed the soldiers nonetheless. This situation was only worsened by the fact that the Indians had the distinct advantage of fighting on their own territory. European linear tactics were of little use against a enemy that appeared & disappeared at will, fighting hit & run style & melting into the trees and swamps. U.S. soldiers at Fort Brook were fighting America’s first guerilla war.