had been reduced to such an extremity that in case of
attack they must necessarily have been shorn of the means of defense,
and would have fallen into the hands of the enemy. Nothing but the
timely arrival of supplies saved these posts from destruction.

There were no means of transportation at Picolata, and the
quartermaster procured horses at Jacksonville for the purpose of
forwarding one of the six-pounders to Fort Drane. Four of the horses
on arrival were found unfit for service, but, fortunately, General
John M. Hernandez was able to furnish ten chicken carts, and the
quartermaster was authorized to make impressments for transportation.
The Richmond Blues, one hundred and twelve strong, with the Camden and
Glynn mounted volunteers, numbering twenty-seven, and the Darien
Infantry of about thirty, under command of Captains Robertson, R.
Floyd, and Thomas S. Bryant respectively, took up line of march as an
escort to the two six-pounders, ordnance stores, twenty-five wagons
and carts laden with provisions, and passed through the heart of the
enemy's country, arriving on February 15th, without obstruction, at
the garrison of Fort Drane.

Supplies under the same escort were at once forwarded to Fort King.
Subsequently the following-named companies of Georgia volunteers
arrived in Florida: The Hancock Blues, Captain A.S. Brown; State
Fencibles, Captain J.A. Merriwether; Macon Volunteers, Captain Isaac
Seymour; Morgan Guards, Captain N.G. Foster; Monroe Musketeers,
Captain John Cureton; Washington Cavalry, Captain C.J. Malone; Baldwin
Cavalry, Captain W.F. Scott. Major Ross, with several companies of
mounted men from Georgia, arrived later, but owing to the advanced
season, much to their disappointment, did not enter the field.

Going back to January 15th, General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, who was
on a tour of inspection through the Western Department, first heard of
the troubles in Florida, and at once called on the Governor of
Louisiana and requested him to hold in readiness a body of volunteers
for service in subduing the Seminole Indians.

He also wrote to the adjutant general at Washington, urging that no
time be lost in succoring the troops in Florida, and saying, from his
knowledge of the Seminole character, that at least four thousand men
would be required to subdue them, protected and aided by a strong
naval force.

At that time the United States was divided into two military
departments by a line drawn from