s men had been killed and forty wounded.

The Seminoles were highly elated by the success of the first engagements
of the war. They regarded the battle on the Withlacoochee as a great
victory, and Osceola's praises were on every lip. The old and timid
Micanopy, head chief of the Seminoles by birth, kept that title of
honor. But Osceola who, before the war opened, was not so much as a
sub-chief and had but two constant followers, had been the real power in
planning the hostile acts that opened the second Seminole war. All knew
this and they now made him head war chief of the nation. He was only
thirty-two years old, but he had the respect of all. With his own hand
he had taken vengeance on the great white man who had wronged him; with
his own hand he had punished the traitor chief, Charley A. Mathla. He
had planned the massacre of Dade's troops. With a small band of Indians
and negroes he had engaged the forces of General Clinch for more than an
hour, inflicting heavy loss. His words had kindled the spirit of war
throughout Florida.

On the border, lawless young men were spreading terror and desolation;
in the month of January sixteen well stocked plantations were laid waste
by the Indians. In the distant swamp, Indian women were moulding bullets
for the warriors. Through all the forest paths war parties were hurrying
towards the camp of Osceola. The leader of each carried a bundle of
sticks, each stick representing a warrior under his command. These were
given to Osceola--but how many sticks there were only the Seminoles
knew.

IX. THE SEMINOLES HOLD THEIR OWN

The hostile actions of the Seminoles at the close of the year 1835
convinced the War Department of the United States that the Seminole
Indians would not submit to be driven from one section of the country to
another like sheep. Though the combined force of Indian and negro
warriors was not supposed to be greater than twelve hundred, their
treacherous nature and the wildness of the country, made the task of
subduing them so difficult as to require many times that number of
soldiers. General Clinch was already in the field quartered at Fort
Drane, not far from the village of Micanopy. There were several forts in
the Indian country, but they were meagerly garrisoned. General Scott was
made commanding general of the army in Florida, with authority to call
on the governors of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama for assistance.
He went to work at once to r