This is Part 2 of the First Seminole War. Read Part 1
In 1818, Spanish Florida was a land overrun by Adventurers and runaway or Seminole Indians. Despite their promise in Pinkney's Treaty, Spain had not maintained control of the Floridas and it was President Monroe's view that the Seminole Indians were being incited to violence against Americans along the Florida-US border. One hotbed of activity was Amelia Island just across the Saint Marys River from Georgia, where a Scottish Adventurer had established what was called the "Republic of Florida" and engaged in illicit slave trading. Monroe authorized General Gaines and a battalion of soldiers to take control of Amelie Island and shut down the "Republic of Floridas".
Adding to the necessity of action, was an event that took place just north of the Florida Border when some of the Seminole Indians refused to leave lands that were lost under the Treaty of Fort Jackson after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. At some point, a group of Seminoles living in Fowltown, just north of the Florida border notified General Gaines at Fort Scott that any attempt to dislodge them would result in a bloody battle. But, when General Gaines received his orders to make his way to Amelia Island, he relinquished his control at Fort Scott, and General Andrew Jackson marched his men to the Fort. From there, on November 12, 1817 General Jackson and his men marched out to Fowltown and burned the town driving off the warriors. Nine days later, the Seminoles ambushed a U.S. army boat carrying forty soldiers, seven women and four children as it floated up the Apalachicola River to Fort Scott. The Warriors butchered all aboard the boat except for one woman taken captive and four men who jumped overboard to escape. President Monroe then authorized General Jackson to pursue the Seminole Indians into the Floridas and the Seminole Wars had begun. President Monroe, justified the action by stating that the "the incitement of the Indians to massacre our fellow citizens of every age and of both sexes, merited a like treatment and received it."
"The invaders of Amelia Island had assumed a popular and respected title under which they might approach and wound us. As their object was distinctly seen, and the duty imposed on the Executive by an existing law was profoundly felt, that mask was not permitted to protect them. It was thought incumbent on the United States to suppress the establishment, and it was accordingly done. The combination in Florida for the unlawful purposes stated, the acts perpetrated by that combination, and, above all, the incitement of the Indians to massacre our fellow citizens of every age and of both sexes, merited a like treatment and received it."In March of 1818, General Jackson gathered 800 U.S. regulars, 1,000 Tennessee Volunteers, 1,000 Georgia Military, and about 1,400 Lower Creek Warriors at Fort Scott. On March 15, Jackson marched his army into Florida and down the Apalachicola River into Spanish territory.
Jackson's men continued their march through Florida reaching the India town of Tallahassee on March 31st. They burned the town of Tallahassee and on the next day they took the town of Micosukee. More than 300 Indian homes were destroyed before Jackson turned South to Fort St. Marks. On April 6th, Jackson seized the Spanish fort of St. Marks, before moving in on villages along the Suwanee River. On April 12, his men found a Red Stick village and attacked it, killing 40 men and capturing 100 women and children.
According to President Monroe, without such action the war would never had ceased. Monroe explained that such action was justified. Even if Spain had maintained control of the territory, the United States would still have every right under the nation of laws to pursue an enemy and subdue him. But in essence, the territory no longer belonged to Spain, but rather to the "savage enemy who inhabited it". Spain gave up any power over the territory, and was implicit in the hostile actions of the Seminoles because they did nothing to prevent it. Madison argued, that if the the United States did not pursue the those who committed such hostilities, it would only encourage to to expand.
"In pursuing these savages to an imaginary line in the woods it would have been the height of folly to have suffered that line to protect them. Had that been done the war could never cease. Even if the territory had been exclusively that of Spain and her power complete over it, we had a right by the law of nations to follow the enemy on it and to subdue him there. But the territory belonged, in a certain sense at least, to the savage enemy who inhabited it; the power of Spain had ceased to exist over it, and protection was sought under her title by those who had committed on our citizens hostilities which she was bound by treaty to have prevented, but had not the power to prevent. To have stopped at that line would have given new encouragement to these savages and new vigor to the whole combination existing there in the prosecution of all its pernicious purposes."Monroe continued to reiterate that "at Amelia Island no unfriendliness was manifested toward Spain". Spain had already lost control of the post, and even though it was not done with cooperation of the Spanish Government, it was still justified . The men who had captured Amelia Island were associated with the colonies who were engaged in a war with Spain, and the United States had "maintained strict impartiality toward both the belligerent parties without consulting or acting in concert with either". In fact, Monroe stated that he had the great pleasure that both the governments of Buenos Ayres and Venezuela, whose name the "Republic of Floridas" at Amelia Island had assumed, had explicitly denied any participation. In fact, both countries stated that if the "Republic of Floridas" had continued it would have done them great dishonor, and thus they were satisfied with the outcome.
"In suppressing the establishment at Amelia Island no unfriendliness was manifested toward Spain, because the post was taken from a force which had wrested it from her. The measure, it is true, was not adopted in concert with the Spanish Government or those in authority under it, because in transactions connected with the war in which Spain and the colonies are engaged it was thought proper in doing justice to the United States to maintain a strict impartiality toward both the belligerent parties without consulting or acting in concert with either. It gives me pleasure to state that the Governments of Buenos Ayres and Venezuela, whose names were assumed, have explicitly disclaimed all participation in those measures, and even the knowledge of them until communicated by this Government, and have also expressed their satisfaction that a course of proceedings had been suppressed which if justly imputable to them would dishonor their cause."Of course, this is only part 2. What General Jackson found in Florida alarmed him, and he took immediate actions that had international consequences. I'll save that for part three.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29460l
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole_Wars
Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Empire, 1767-1821 by Robert V. Remini (2013)
Life of Andrew Jackson by Mason Brothers (1861)
No comments:
Post a Comment