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Gallery: Dade Battlefield

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	Entrance to the Dade Battlefield state historic site. The site marks an important battle on December 28, 1835, which began the Second Seminole War.
	Major Francis L. Dade was commanding artillery and infantry relief units on the 100-mile march from Ft. Brooke in Tampa to Ft. King (now Ocala) when he and his men were attacked by 180 Seminoles. At that period in history, the Seminoles were resisting the government's plan to remove them all to reservations in Oklahoma.
	The Seminoles attacked the relief troops at this spot. It was cold and raining, so the U.S. troops wore heavy coats covering their muskets and ammunition boxes. In the initial rifle volley, half of Dade's men fell, including Dade himself and two other officers. White columns mark the locations where the officers fell.
	The Seminoles attacked the relief troops at this spot.
	Column marking the spot where Major Francis L. Dade fell.
	Column marking the spot where Captain Upton S. Fraser fell.
	Column marking the spot where Lieutenant Mudge fell.
	The surviving troops, under the command of Captain George W. Gardiner returned fire and quickly built a low log breastwork. A reconstruction now marks the site. From this location the surviving troops defended their position until 2:00 P.M. when the last gun fell silent. When the Seminoles closed in, three wounded men were overlooked. Two of these men, Joseph Sprague and Ransome Clarke made it back to Fort Brooke to tell about the battle.
	The reconstructed breastwork. After the battle, the area remained deserted for seven weeks until an expedition under the command of General Edmund P. Gaines identified the bodies and gave them a proper military burial.

 

 

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