“Some prefer the Seminoles”: Violence and disorder among soldiers and settlers in the Second Seminole War, 1835–1842
Abstract
In 1832 the Territorial Council prohibited the sale of intoxicating liquors by settlers to soldiers without the express permission of the post commanders. On November 26, 1835, Seminole Chief Charley Emaltha was murdered brutally as an act of retaliation. Against the wishes of many native leaders, he had agreed to emigrate west, as required by the earlier treaties of Paynes Landing and Fort Gibson. Some Floridians viewed the soldiers with antipathy, and almost everyone believed that the government was not doing enough to protect them from the Seminole threat. The Second Seminole War had another impact upon criminal justice in the territory. During the period it was fought 1835–1842, Florida became a crossroads of regular army personnel and militia forces. Settlers and soldiers sometimes appeared more hostile toward each other than they were toward the Seminoles. The confrontations between settlers and army personnel often ended in violence.
Description
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Book chapter
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Keywords
Seminole War, 2nd, 1835-1842, Florida--History--1821-1865, Soldiers--United States
Citation
Denham, J. M. (2017). “Some prefer the Seminoles”: Violence and disorder among soldiers and settlers in the Second Seminole War, 1835–1842. In S. Watson (Ed.), Warfare in the USA 1784–1861 (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351126700