Dade Battlefield: a Virtual Cemetery

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A Virtual Cemetery created by CNP

Dade Battlefield

On December 23rd a strong detachment consisting of parts of four companies under command of Major Dade and numbering eight officers and one hundred and two non-commissioned officers and men (including several musicians and artificers), began their march to Fort King (near the present city of Ocala), something more than one hundred miles northward, where the Superintendent of Indian Relations, General Wiley Thompson, had his headquarters, and whose small garrison was recognized to be insufficient even for defensive purposes. The detachment made slow progress over the primitive road, and was delayed by the burning of the bridge twenty miles from Fort Brooke over the Hillsborough river. Major Dade, a veteran of the War of 1812, apparently had little conception of the actual perils of the expedition, though being a prudent and cautious officer by nature, he sent out an advanced guard and flankers on the march until the forks of the Withlacoochee River had been crossed and took all necessary precautions for the protection of his nightly encampments from a surprise attack. It was not until the morning of Monday, December 28th, 1835, when the expedition had traversed two-thirds of the distance to Fort King, that Dade relaxed his vigilance and, as results proved, at the fatal time. Though he sent forward an advanced guard as usual, he had no reason to apprehend a daylight attack from Indians in the open pine woods, and omitted the flankers, thereby exposing his column to an enfilade fire from their Indian foes secreted behind the pine trees and in the tall grass and clusters of palmettoes to the left (west) of the Fort Brooke-Fort King trail along which the detachment was advancing in double file. Major Dade, on horseback, followed the advanced guard. The morning being chilly the men had their overcoats buttoned over their ammunition boxes, and were entirely unprepared to meet the unheralded attack which burst upon them about eight o'clock. The most detailed and authentic account of the battle is from Ransome Clark, a private of Company B, 2nd Artillery, who escaped from the breastworks about nine o'clock in the evening of the massacre. He was the only survivor who witnessed the entire battle, though two others, John Thomas of Clark's company, and Joseph Sprague, Company B, 3rd Artillery, escaped during the fighting and returned to Fort Brooke ahead of Clark, all horribly wounded.( http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Florida/_Texts/FHSQ/5/3/Dade_Massacre*.html )

104 memorials

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John Barnes Veteran Flowers have been left.

1804 – 28 Dec 1835

Saint Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida, USA

Plot info: PYRAM, BENEATH

Rufus “ ” Barton Veteran Flowers have been left.

1804 – 28 Dec 1835

Saint Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida, USA

Plot info: benea pyramid

Lieut William Elon Basinger Veteran Flowers have been left.

27 Sep 1806 – 28 Dec 1835

Saint Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida, USA

Plot info: Beneath Pyramids