July 6, 1997

Indian Agent Couldn't Arrange Peace In Seminole War

The man who, more than any other, opened Charlotte Harbor to American settlement is not remembered at all here -- though a small island and pass at the southern extremity of Sarasota Bay bears his name. He was English-born Capt.John Charles Casey.

According to Historian Fred W. Wallace, Casey emigrated at age five with his parents to Patterson, N.J., in 1814. He was an exceptional student, and at age 14 applied for admission to the U.S. Military Academy.

A strong letter of recommendation from Casey's congressman persuaded several prominent officials to sponsor him. Among them was the Secretary of the Navy.

John C. Calhoun, the Secretary of War, penned a personal note on the margin of Casey's letter: "To be particularly attended to."

Casey was appointed well before his 15th birthday. Despite his youth, Casey ranked 11th in his graduating class of 46. Finishing second was Robert E. Lee of Confederate Civil War fame.

In accepting a commission as brevet second lieutenant, Casey wrote the Secretary of War: "I acknowledge receipt of an appointment in the Second Regiment of Artillery. In compliance with the order, I inform you that .... I was born in England, but I left that country while a child and was raised and educated in New Jersey. I am, to all intents and purposes, an American. You will, however, place me on the roll as you think proper." He was enrolled as American.

Casey's first assignment was Fort Pike, Louisiana, furnishing protection against roving bands of Creek Indians and "fugitive negroes."

The Second Artillery was ordered to Fort Brooke, Tampa Bay, in 1835 because of trouble with Seminole Indians.

The Seminoles had been on the war path since 1818 when a brash young general, later U.S. president, named Andrew Jackson, invaded British-owned Florida.

Jackson aimed to destroy a fort given by the British to runaway slaves harbored by the Seminoles. The strong point, on the Apalachicola River, was manned by a thousand well-armed blacks.

The fort was leveled by a red-hot cannon ball which touched off the fort's powder magazine. The Seminoles rushed to join the fray but withdrew when they saw the fort destroyed. Nevertheless, they launched intermittent terrorist attacks which went on for 39 years.

At Fort Brooke, Casey was promoted to First Lieutenant and appointed acting agent for transferring Seminoles to western U.S. reservations. Thus he became involved in the Second Seminole War.

Casey hired a slave named Louis Pacheco, for $25 per month, to guide troops commanded by Major Francis Dade to Fort King ( Ocala.) Dade's column was ambushed December 28, 1835. Only one wounded soldier escaped.

Two years later, Chief Jumper appeared at Fort Brooke, in company with Pacheco, claiming ownership of the black as a consequence of saving him from the ambush of Dade's column. Casey testified that "the slave Pacheco belonged to the estate of the widow Pacheco, now in Havana, formerly of Sarasota."

Many people believed Louis Pacheco, a black who could read and write, was a traitor who deliberately led Dade into the ambush. However, there was no evidence to support the charge.

Years of Animosity

There followed years of animosity between Indians and Settlers.

General William J. Worth, commander at Fort Brooke in 1845, decided to plant a trading post on the east shore of Charlotte Harbor as an inducement to bring Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs out of his Everglades home. Thomas P. Kennedy was named official "Indian trader,"

About this time, the Army established a Department of Commissary charged with procurement of all supplies and equipment. General George Gibson, the first commissary general, requested assignment of Casey to the New York Depot, then to Washington D.C. as Gibson's assistant.

Casey served there until ordered to Mexico in 1847 as chief commissariat of the Army commanded by Major Gen. Zachary Taylor. There Casey incurred a "severe lung ailment" which proved to be tuberculosis.

Meanwhile, Indian affairs in Florida became more strained. A hurricane of 1848 destroyed the Charlotte Harbor trading post and Fort Brooke.

Kennedy was granted permission to move his store up the Peace River. Shortly thereafter, Bowleg's warriors burned the harbor store. The spot forever after was known as Burnt Store.

After the Mexican War, Casey requested return to Fort Brooke where he felt the climate would be more healthy. He was placed in charge of all commissary duties for southwest Florida -- and in 1849 he was given the additional job as "Commissioner for Removal of Seminole Indians from Florida."

Casey made many forays into Seminole territory to gain their confidence and induce them to emigrate to Oklahoma in return for money and gifts. He became good friends with Billy Bowlegs and Old Abraham, a freed Black and interpreter for the Seminoles. It was said that Bowleg's sister was mistress to Casey.

During his travels, Casey compiled careful maps which were incorporated in an accurate chart of the settlements and trails of the territory.

He proposed to pacify the Indians with a string of small forts to remind them of the American presence. He felt a mixture of firmness and persuasion would accomplish removal peacefully.

The principal strong point was Useppa Island in Charlotte Harbor. A large Indian mound provided a high, dry campsite. It was called Fort Casey and garrisoned by two companies under the command of a brevet major. Casey often stopped there on his trips up the Peas (Peace), Caloosahatchee, and Myakka rivers.

Casey reported on one occasion: "Near the mouth of the Pea River, I found on July 6, 1849, a party of Marco Indians with their chief. The Indians refused presents offered them, saying it was against tribal law to accept anything -- except tobacco and whiskey, I believe."

Renegade Indians

An event of July 17, 1849, ended the strained truce between the Indians and settlers.

Five renegade Indians killed one settler at Fort Pierce on the east coast then hiked to Kennedy's trading post on the Peace River to get whiskey. When refused, the Indians shot and killed the two clerks, George Payne and Dempsey Whidden, and burned the store.

Bowlegs was worried about the effects of the raids on relations with the Army. He left a peace token on Casey Key at the "pescadores rancho" (fishing camp) of Felipe Bermudez. The sign was a bundle of white feathers with tobacco and beads. Bermudez left a sign that the token would be answered at the full moon and sent word to Casey.

Casey arrived at the rancho at the full moon and found messengers from Bowlegs waiting. The chief's message was that he was deeply sorry about the murders, and asked for a meeting with Casey and General David E. Twiggs on September 18 at the "old burnt store" on Charlotte Harbor.

General Twiggs and Casey arrived aboard the paddle-wheel steamer "Colonel Clay," Bowlegs and 37 warriors came aboard and promised to deliver the guilty Indians for trial a month later.

Casey and Twiggs returned to Burnt Store as scheduled. Bowlegs turned over three Indians, but said another had been killed trying to flee, and the fifth had escaped. The Seminole chief presented a severed hand as proof of death of one culprit, and a bloody rifle as evidence that the fifth had been wounded while escaping.

The prisoners offered of send messages to relatives urging emigration. Shortly thereafter, 71 Seminoles came in; and the prisoners were allowed to go with them.

Despite steadily deteriorating health, Casey continued as Indian commissioner. He often fought with corrupt traders on behalf of the Indians.

Gen. John Gibbon described Casey in laudatory terms:

"He is known to have great influence with the Indians. He gained this influence by a very simple, though unfortunately unusual, process -- he never deceived them, never told them a lie, and never made a promise he did not fulfill if within his power.

"By this simple means he gained the confidence of the whole (Indian) nation. It was only necessary for Captain Casey to assert a thing for them to receive it with the most childlike faith.

"He never hesitated to trust himself in their hands with the utmost confidence. When his friends protested against his rashness, he would laughingly reply that he always carried his means of defense with him in the shape of a (folding) case knife. 'Besides,' he would add philosophically, 'I have but a short time to live anyway. A few months, more or less, won't make much difference.'"

Casey lay dying when the third and final battle in the Seminole Wars was fought. An Army scouting party destroyed a large part of Bowleg's prized banana plants. In retaliation, he launched a series of hit and run raids against settlers. Such a raid against a homestead near Fort Meade proved to be the climax.

Final Battle

A dozen or so Indians attacked the wilderness homestead of Willoughby Tillis on the morning of June 14, 1856.

The Tillis family barricaded themselves in their log cabin and held off the Indians until a posse arrived from Fort Meade. Then followed two, bloody hand-to-hand combats in as many days.

Five settlers and 20 Indians were killed. Among the latter were two of the Seminole's principal war chiefs.

Minor skirmishes continued for another year, but Bill Bowlegs realized the end had come. He persuaded his people to join him in emigrating to Kansas.

Capt. Casey died on Christmas Day, 1856, and was buried at Fort Brooke with full military honors. Officers from the General Staff were his pall bearers.

Oddly, his remains were dug up and shipped out of Tampa aboard the steamer "Grey Cloud" which carried Billy Bowlegs and the last of his tribe to New Orleans, and from there to Kansas. It is not known who ordered the disinterment of Capt. Casey or where he was again laid to rest.

Only 60 Seminoles were left scattered in the Everglades. Consequently Capt. Casey's position as Indian Commissioner for Florida was never again filled.

cutline - map

Map courtesy of Library of Congress

This portion of an 1856 war map, based on information provided by Capt. John Casey, shows the only landmarks named for the famed Indian Agent. They are Casey Key and Casey Pass at upper left. Fort Casey was on Useppa Key at lower left. Note Punta Gorda and Alligator Creek at upper right.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers