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Gen. Jose Mario
Writers Program
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Hernandez
Florida


Febo 20o 1938
Dr* Carita Domett Corse
State Flreotor
Federal Writers' Project
Jacksonville, t la.
Dear Dr* Corset
Find attached an artlole concerning one of General Hernandez' expeditions.
Zt was read before the St* Augustine Historical Society and of course I
could not get a copy* I don't even know the writer'but hope to find out
about him. He was a member of General Hernandez' staff and accompanied
the expedition*
The exoerpt is not verbatim but the faots are the same in substance as the
original manuscript. I managed to copy some parts of it* ohanging the story
from the first person to the third.
There is quite a lot of material on General Hernandez bore but it is dif¬
ficult to oo pile without a lot of reading* Any speoial phase of his life
desired oan probably be found* however* without muoh effort. I am anxious
to know what material you specially need*
I am submitting this rambling narrative to you beoause of its wealth of de¬
tail and oolor*
Respectfully yours*
F* Hilton Crowe (Signed)
Local Supervisor

Crow»
2/20/38
JOSE MARIO HERNANDEZ
Jos* Mario Hernando*, later known as Oanoral Joseph M.(orion) Her¬
nandos, was born In St. Augustine, Fla. and died near ¿áatonsas, Cuba, June
8, 1857. nhen Florida was annexed to the United otates he beoame an Amer-
ioan oitisen and was eleoted the first delegate to Congress from the terri¬
tory of Florida, serving from Jan. 8, 1823 to Mareh 3, 1825. He was a mem¬
ber of the territorial House of Representativos and was ehosen its presid¬
ing officer. Ho was Brigadier-General in the Florida Militia and during
the war with the Indians entered the United States Service and served from
1835 until 1838.
The expedition that oaptured the Indian Chief Osceola in 1837 was under
his oommand. He was appointed Brigadier-General of Mounted Volunteers in
July 1837 and on Sept. 10, 1837 took part in an engagement with the Indians
near Mosquito Inlet.
The following details were taken from an old minusoript read at the
meeting of the St. Augustine Historical Society}
On tho 4th of September, four Negroes belonging to Major Uerlot, who
had been oaptured by the Indians at the commencement of the war, delivered
themselves up at Fort Peyton, having suooeeded in escaping the vigilance of
their captors. They presented a very pitiable speotaole, haggard and ema¬
ciated and having no covering but breeoh-oloths. They complained of intoler¬
able hardships and soant fare among the Indians having nothing to eat but
ooontie bread and alligator tail; and were subjected to severe beatings on
every occasion of ill temper in their tawny masters. These Negroes oommuni-
eated most important information ooneernlng the plans and positions of the

JOSS MARIO HERNANDEZ
-2-
eneay whom they represented as being reduoed to wary "short commons*" They
also stated that they had left a number of Indians and Negroes in the vioi-
nity of Mosquito, engaged in preparing ooontie. The whites learned from
them that the Indians had burnt all the buildings left standing by the sol¬
diers when Fort Mellon and Volusia were abandoned»
This did not look iauoh like emigrating on the part of tns Indians, not¬
withstanding their promises and peaceful talks; in faot. the mors they talked
about peaoe and the greater their friendly overtures. the more eause was. there
for suspeoting treaohery and the more oertuin it beoorne that the Indians were
not safe until they ware plaoed on shipboard»
_ •
In oonsequenoe of the report of these Negroes that Indians were near
Mosquito. Lieutenant Peyton (Captain Drone being absent at the time) issued
an order for Lieutenant May to prooeed immediately South with his oompany
of U» S, Dragoons and endeavor to capture as many of the Indians as possl-
. i
ble» A guide being necessary, measures were taken to procure one from St»
Augustine. This oaused some delays when General Hernandez, hearing of the
contemplated expedition.immediately issued orders for a large detaohment to
proceed on.his soout not knowing what foroe might be encountered» He also
gave notice that he intended to aooompany the expedition himself»
The detaohment as finally organized consisted of 170 men in alls viz two
companies of 2nd» U. S, Dragoons commanded respectively by Lieutenant UoNeill
and Lieutenant May. one oompany of the 3rd» Regiment of Artillery by Lieuten¬
ant Fraser, and two companies of Florida Volunteers under Lieutenants Pel?
f/
lioier and Whitehurst. The entire battalion commanded by Lieutenant Peyton
of ths 2nd Artillery* General Hernandez* staff consisted of Lieut» J» Graham

JOüü MARIO HERNANDEZ
**3«
oí the 2nd Dragoons and ————
On the 7th of September at dawn, the soldier* were all in their sad¬
dles, eager and ready to find the savages in their fastnesses and taking
up the line of maroh with wheit provisions and luggage capable of being oar-
rled on the horses or stowed in one wag, on, they prooesded South with the
intention of pitching the blvouao at Billow's the first night.
The road for the first 20 miles lay through wet pine barrens and over
an anolent causeway, known aa the Rings Road, first laid out when this ter¬
ritory belonged to the Spanish orown. At noon the troop rested the horses
and refreshed themselves from their haversacks. This important duty ac¬
complished, they resumed their maroh through heavy sands and occasional
swamps, suooeeded by thiok sorubs, until noar dark when the ruins of Bulow's
noble mill and mansion designated the oamp for the night, the dist&noe al¬
ready oovered being over 30 miles sinos morning, Reaohing Bulow's, the troop
turned down a broad avenue onoe flanked by noble oaks whose blackened trunks
and lsafless limbs alone remained to testify their former magnificence.
On either side were extensive fields once luxuriant with richest sugar
crops, now presenting a soene on whloh the demon of desolation stalked. On
the left rose thru the oalm twilight, ruined arohes and oolumns of the onoe
stately sugar mills while before the soldiers lay a smouldering ash heap, the
only vestige to show where onoe stood a hospitable mansion. Amid these ruins
the blvouao fires were built near the River Halifax, smoothly gliding nearby.
After swallowing a frugal supper, the soldiers wrapped themselves up,
c amp
each in his/blanket and stretching their limbs upon the dowy ground slept on
their primitive oouohes, pavilioned by the broad vaults of heaven. V.ith the
morning dawn they were all astir and the oamp presented a bustling scene.

JOSE láARIO HERNANDEZ
-4-
Hora and thara aere raen sean grooming their horseaj others saddling up,
while around the fires were seated or standing groups of swarthy Uinoro&ns
and moustached dragoons engaged in oooking or eating their simple break-
fasto.
While the troop was preparing to aount, five Negroes suddenly emerged
from the bushes and approached the expedition, being questioned, they said
they had esoapad from the Seminole and were anxious for the protootion of
the whites. Four of them belonged to Major Heriot, the fifth was John
Philip, an Indian Negro the slave of King Philip. He had fled from his
master beoauue of attachment to his wife, one of the Negroes owned by Major
deriot. The refugees reported the Indians had no intention of emigrating
and that they were then in parties south of the Tomoka River and East of the
St. Johns (prohibited area to the Indian). They stated that these Seminóles
were preparing ooontie. This re-enoounter was a fortunate oiroumstanoe, for
with a guide suoh as this John Philip the soldiers oould proceed to the very
spot where he had left the Seminóles and thereby avoid muoh delay and danger
of disoovery; and without guidanoe of one possessing Indian sagaoity it is
next to impossible to deteot the lurking plaoe of Indians or trace them in
their devious trails.
Leaving all the Negroes exoept John under the oharge of Lieutenant
Fraser, with his company of artillery who were ordered to remain at the
Tomoka River until the return of the rest of the troops, the expedition
• ,
pushed forward with all expedition. So long a time had elapsed sinoe this
part of the territory had been visited by a white man that the paths were
obliterated by a heavy undergrowth and the bramóles were so thiek that the
men had to literally oarve the way with their swords as they progressed.
Soon they struek into a pathless tract of spongy pine barrens, road there

JOSE MARIO Hñ. NANDEZ
5*
was none except of their own making and after passing thru almost impassa¬
ble morasses, they oroased the head of the Tomoka River thru a swamp where
the horse bogged down to their saddle girths. In this manner the outfit
oontinued until sunset when the sight of smoke gently ourling above the
tree-tops indioated the vicinity of savages.
The soldiers now entered a dense hammook and emerging from the oppo¬
site side saw before them lit the distanoe of half a mile, the blackened
ruins of the Dunlawton mill and moving about the rubbish they descried
several dark objects which the Negro John said were Indians, Fearful of
giving the alarm too soon, the men kept under oover of the hammook until
the Indians departed to their camp, which was estimated by the smoke of
the fires, to be a mile away.
The military took up a position amidst the ruins in perfect silenoe
under the light of the young moon; meanwhile scouts were sent out to lo¬
cate the enemy. They soon returned and reported the feasibility of the
contemplated form of attaok in which every precaution was necessary to
prevent the esoape of the slippery foes.
.ifter midnight, the volunteers under Lieutenant Whitehurst having dis¬
mounted, quietly took position in ambush on two sides of the Indian cump.
The rest remained mounted and were drawn up in line on the opposite sides
but far enough removed to evade the keen sight or hearing of the Indians,
at the first peep of dawn the signal to the charge was given, and the
mounted men galloped at full speed through the forest. The horses feet
raised a terrible racket among the saw palmetto, and every man rode to be
the first in at the death,

JOSE MARIO HERNANDEZ
-6
The attaokers so n found themselves in tha presence of royalty for
there stood ZING PHILIP the prinoipal chief of tha St. Johns River Indi¬
ans. naked as ha was born exoapt the breeoh-cloth and oovered with tha most
un-kingly dirt; for Lieutenant May striking on his spurs dashed up to tha
savage who was compelled to out divers involuntary somersaults on tha
ground under the impetus communicated by May's oharger. Though soon a cap¬
tive, there was a sterness in the chief's dark eyes that told his spirit was
unquelled. The entire Indian party was oaptured exoapt Philip's youngest
son, a lad of 18 years, who escaped into the adjoining hammock where any
attempt to find him would have been impossible.
among the prisoners taken was an Indian called Tomoka John who subse¬
quently beoarae very useful. There also were a number of women and children
taken, the former miserable, blackened, hag.arded, shrivelled, smoke dried,
and half-clad devils— the later ugly little nudities. Although a few guns
were fired the oapture was affected without blood-shed on either side, A
large quantity of ooontle, both red and white, was found in the oamp, Tha
soldiers took off all they oould oarry and destroyed the rest. Several
ponies were also found.
Upon questioning the Indians it was learned that there was a oamp of
Uohee Indians about ten miles from where the Zing Philip oapture was made.
Among this group was UCHEE BILLY, one of the roost oelabrated and formidable
chiefs in Florida and who was onoe reported killed by the South Carolina
Volunteers. Tomoka John offered to guide to their plaoa of concealment if
he was unbound, so the soldiers took him at his word.
Ha lad the way In alienee for several miles; than gave tha troop to
understand that tha rest of the journey must be negotiated on foot as tha

JOSS MARIO HERNANDEZ
7
haiwüook fronting then was impassable to horsos. Taking on* hundred non on
foot, tha expedition proceeded, leaving the rest to guard the horses. In
this order the marsh resumed at about 4 o'olook in the afternoon. They
entered the deep hammock at sunset and pi shed forward as fast as possible,
foraoka John soon oheoaed the rapid paoe, intimating there might be some out¬
lying Indians and tne utmost eaution must be used to aooomplish the surprise.
The darkness of the night soon enveloped the men but still they ad-
vanoed with oaution,orawling through the hogoook lime so many Hebuahadnezzers,
until midnight when the Indian suddenly paused and whispered to the General
who was leading, that they were near the spot. Tomoka John then oropt forward,
returning snortly, and informed the General to get ready for the attack. He
warned the troops that they must be prepared for a real fight, for the Uohees
were among the most desperate in Florida and would put up a strong resistance.
The foroe was divided into two oolunns fifty men eaoh, Lieutenant woNeil in
oosuaud of one and Lieutenant Leyton with Lieutenant may taking command of
tho other. The oolumns wer- directed to oreep directly to the creek to the
right and left of this oarnp, the men in single file and ten panes apart, so
as to iora a circle around the Seminóles, as soon as In position the sol¬
diers were to orawl within a hundred yards of the outer fires and there lie
prostrate oonoealed by palmetto, until the signal should be given at dawn to
rise simultaneously and oharge the eump. Instructions were to oapture and
not kill.
Ine soldiers succeeded in attaining their assignod position without
alarming the enemy.* after scratching themselves, throwing a few more stloks
on the fire, and giving themselves a shake or two, the Indians went to sleep.
From the barking of their dogs andthe oiraumstanees of their fires being put

JOSE MARIO H RNAHDEZ
•8-
out before daylight, the Indians must have been fearful of a surprise attaok.
Results proved this to bo the o&se. Gloom of night began to deepen as the
morning hours approached, gradually the east grew brighter, A moment of
breathless suspense then the impatiently awaited signal soundad and the hun¬
dred oraiaped and orouohing whites sprang up with a shout and «barged at tne
double. The Indians must have oeen alert,for Instantly warwhoope rant tha
air—and the snarp whip of their rifles blended with the arios of the sol¬
diers and the louder boom of their oarblnesg for although instructed "not
to kill if oapture oould be effeoted without," it was impossible to restrain
tha men under the galling fire of the Seminole and remain passive to be shot
down themselves. The wild, terrible soene was inore sed by the glaring eyes,
streaming blaok hair, and red painted faces of the savages as they daneed and
jumped about in a fruitless effort to escape. Naked or only half olad in
\
hunting shirts, their fuoes however wore a thlok ooating of war paint.
The whole party was finally eaptured whioh oonslstad of several warriors
with Uohaa Billy and his brother Uehee Jaok, also a number of women and
ohildren. One Indian warrior was killed by Lieutenant Peyton who also cap¬
tured another with his own hands, Several others were wounded while but one
of the whites was hit. That one was unfortunately Lieutenant aoNeil. He
fell mortally wounded within a few feet of where Uoheo Billy had orouohed
with deadly aim behind some bags of ooontie hastily piled into a breastwork
and from whose deadly rifle had eome the fatal bullet,' Large (quantities of
ooontie and other Indian spoils were found but most of it was destroyed. The
most aotiva In gathering plunder and the one who oarried off the largest paok
was the guide Toraoka John too lately a visitor to the oamp and its friendly oo-
eupant. It is probable that it was the desire to plunder his friends that
induvsd him to aot as guide to the troopj this Is a oommon feature of the

JCLE MARIO HERNANDEZ
9.
Indian oharaoter.
A number of ponies viere also captured whioh ware very aervioable in carry¬
ing the wounded to the post where the horses hod been left. *ls soon as lit-
I
ters had been oonstruoted from pine saplings and cowhides, tho soldiers bore
off the wounded and Lieutenant MeHeilj leaving one dead Indian where he fell.
f
MoNeil's approaching death was an inducement for hastening to £t. Augus¬
tine where his remains might be interred in holy ground and with those military
honors whioh a gaxlant and honorable soldier should always reoeive from his
\ -
comrades» The expedition uarohed steadily until past midnight when orders to
halt were given. This blvouao was the last hammook on the route where a sue-
♦
oessful attempt of Zing Philip's reserve might have been attempted and the
expedition believed that King Philip had the same thought in mind. But from
the time the sun rose. Philip's attitude changed and lie became the personifica¬
tion of submissive despair. The marsh was resumed in haste from fear of at-
taok by the Indians and by a strong deBire to ssoure the slippery and important
prisoners in the stronghold of Fort Marion. Rude litters suspended from the
backs of the oaptured ponies oonveyed the wounded. Uut of oonsideration for
I
Philip's age and royal rank* he was allowed to ride one of his ponies.
Another night's blvouao in the woods on the south shore of the Toaoka
brought the ooapany to a place when for the first time it was safe to build
a fire and make coffee. The soldiers swam the horses across the Tomoka and
sent the wounded over in a canoe whioh they found. There they were Joined by
Lieutenant Fraser, who with artillery and baggage train had awaited the expe¬
dition. The wounded and the women and children were put in the wagons and
the entire foroe proceeded rapidly to flt. Augustine.

«
i i
i
JOSE «ARIO BERNARDEZ -XO-
Lieutenant UoNeil who had. received constant attention after the reoeption
of his wound, lingered until ten o'elook at night when his country was deprived
of a brave and efficient officer,
*0 the Bucoess of the expedition was attended with more beneficial ad¬
vantages to the oouutry than any preoeeding if and as the capture of suoh
spirits as &ing Philip and bohee ^ixly gave promise of a muro speedy peace
than all the military achievements of the previous two yearc, the entry of
the troops into ut. Augustine whioh took place in che afternoon was attended
with all the pomp and circumstance of glorious war. The air resounded with
acclamations from the male portion of the innaoitants who rushed in crowds to
the publio square as the soldiers passed along to the Port with their prison¬
ers, and every window and baloony was thronged with bright eyes smiling at
the oonquerors and fair hands wafted welcome with their white kerchiefs stream¬
ing through the air.
The only oloud that rested on the viotory rose from the reflection that
one who had gone forth in the flush of youth, buoyant with hopo and expectations,
was now brought back a oold and lifeless figure to be interred beneath the soil
of florida. His oaresr had been brief. Lieutenant *“oNeil was not mure than
19 year¿> old, was the son of Den. John woHeil, late of the U. L. Army,and grand¬
son of Gen, benjamin fierce of Hew Hampshire, a hero of the Revolution.
Having incarcerated the Indians in Port karion, ti» soldiers turned their
attention to performing the last sad rites for their departed oomrade. His
body was esoorted to the grave from General ^emande*' home by the batallón in
whose presence he had reoeived his death wound and was followed by all the
offioers at the Post and the most respeotable of the oitisens. The tired sol¬
diers remained In bt. Augustine for a few days and then returned to Fort Peyton.

Fleming
Page 144
Joseph M. Hernandez
Camp Peyton
First delegate to Congress in 1821-3 secured repeal
of A* Jackson's ordinances regarding taxing power and
Sunday regulations. Hernandez, of Spanish descent, trans¬
ferred his allegiance to the ü. S. and remained in St.
Augustine in 1821. He took a prominent part in territorial
affairs. Died, Matanzas, Cuba, January 8, 1857. President
of executive council 1824. Highway between Pensacola and
St. Augustine, proposed by Hernandez, 1823-5. In command
of militia of east as General. In October 1835 Hernandez
appealed to Secretary of 7ar for arms and had detachments
along St• Johns River.
Began campaign of 1837-8, marching south from St.
Augustine, captured two camps and three chiefs including
Old King Philip at Mosquito, captured Osceola near Fort
Peyton. Made Brigadier General in U. S. Army (see Mrs
Carroll's papers for more family details).
Page 193-4
Message from Philip brought in Coacoochee who took
message to Seminóles on upper St. Johns. Returning
Coacoochee bore a white plume and bead pipe from Osceola,
signifying desire for peace, assurance that the path was
"safe and white" from the general to him and asking it was
equally open to return. In reply Hernandez, with approval
of Jesup, sent Coacoochee with presents and authority to

eay that a conference would be agreeable, but it must be
to arrange for emigration»
Osceola and Coehadjo with 71 ticcoeukies 6 women and
4 negroes, went toa place agreed on near Fort Peyton
October 20, 7 miles S. « of St• Augustine* Here Hernandez
and escort met them* Osceola was plied with auestions pre¬
pared by Jesup, sharply directing his attention to queries*
Why had he come in? /hat were his expectations? Why had
not head chiefs come too? /ho was there to represent
Micanopy, Cloud, Alligator? Why had not negroes been given up?
Osceola's pride was touched - he began to see his white
plume was not respected as a flag of truce* The interpreter
heai*d him say, turning to Coehadjo, "I feel choked, you
must speak for me".
Hernandez reported 'I learned the Indians were prepared
to surrender negroes and property but not themselves'* He,
gave a signal previously agreed upon and troopB under Col*
Fanning closed around and arms, baggage, and ponies were
collected and the band marched to St* Augustine*