Dade Massacre

Date	December 28, 1835
Location	Central Florida 28°39′08″N 82°7′36″W / 28.65222°N 82.12667°W / 28.65222; -82.12667Coordinates: 28°39′08″N 82°7′36″W / 28.65222°N 82.12667°W / 28.65222; -82.12667
Result	Decisive Seminole victory

Belligerents

United States

Seminole Indians

Commanders and leaders

Maj. Francis L. Dade †
Cpt. George W. Gardiner †

Micanopy
Thlocklo Tustenuggee

Strength

110
1 six-pounder gun

180

Casualties and losses

107 killed
2 wounded (1 mortally)

3 killed
5 wounded

The Dade Massacre was an 1835 defeat for the United States Army that greatly escalated the Second Seminole War, which lasted until 1842.

Amid a dispute between the Government of the United States and the Seminole over the right of the latter to occupy land in Florida, two U.S. Army companies under the command of Major Francis L. Dade, consisting in total of 110 soldiers, were ambushed by Seminole warriors during a march. Only three men survived, and one died of his wounds the following day.

On December 28, 1835, two U.S. companies of 110 troops (including soldiers from the 2nd Artillery, 3rd Artillery and 4th Infantry Regiments) under Major Francis Langhorne Dade departed from Fort Brooke (present-day Tampa), heading up the King Highway (military road) on a resupply and reinforce mission to Fort King (present-day Ocala). The Native Americans in Florida had grown increasingly furious at attempts by the U.S. Army to forcefully relocate them to a reservation out west and Dade knew his men might be attacked by the Seminole Indians who were shadowing his regiment, but believed that if an attack were to occur, it would occur during one of the river crossings or in the thicker woods to the south. Having passed these, he felt safe and recalled his flanking scouts in order that the command could move faster.

Although the terrain he was now in, pines and palmettos, could not have concealed anyone who was standing or walking, it could and did conceal crouched or prone warriors waiting in ambush. The Seminoles did not refrain from attacking in the other places because they thought they could achieve better surprise later, but because they were waiting for Osceola to join them. However, at the time he was busy killing Wiley Thompson. They finally gave up waiting and attacked without him.

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