declared that none, save a warrior, need pretend to his daughter, and desired Yellow Hair if he wished to prove himself one, to go into the woods and make prisoners of three hostile Seminoles. Yellow Hair accordingly dashed into the forests, and at three different times brought in a prisoner. Two of them we found chained in the Fort; the third was killed by a centinel, on the morning of our arrival, in a desperate attempt to escape. He was a large, fierce looking man. His head has been secured and submitted to skilful craneologists. Yellow Hair of course married his black haired damsel, and a few days after, set out at the head of a party of his countrymen to act as scout to General Gaines.

When the army had marched, we were a good deal employed in drilling at the small and great guns. Seventeen men were detached from my company for the artillery, and all lamented their inactive life, while their companions were ranging the wild woods in search of the foe.

23d.—On this day we had a melancholy duty to perform, viz:—the burial of one of the Louisiana volunteers; and on the day following we buried two friendly Indians. One of the Indians died a natural death, the other had been missing since the last skirmish with the hostile tribe, on the 8th inst. He was discovered on the 22d, by some hunters about six miles from Fort Brooke, with two bullet holes in his body. He died a warrior’s death, and received a warrior’s burial. When the body was laid in the coffin, one of his tribe placed a small bag beside it, containing his tobacco, ammunition, and other little articles which they suppose needful on the journey to the “pleasant hunting grounds.” The coffin was borne by the volunteers, preceded by the band, playing the dead march, and the guard appointed to fire over the grave; the officers of the garrison, with Major Sandes, the commander followed, and the sad procession was closed by a few men and several women of the tribe. The party halted beneath the flag staff; the flag was lowered half mast high, the union-jack was flung over the bier, the band struck up and we moved along to his “narrow resting place.” I could not help observing the control which the Indians possess over their emotions, and for which they are so remarkable. The men, indeed, are perfect stoics, but the poor women could not resist the voice of nature. Some of them (perhaps his wife and daughter) shed many and bitter tears, and when the coffin was lowered into the grave, pressed forward to take a last look at what had been so dear to them, and sobbed loudly and bitterly. When they had indulged their grief for a short time, they were gently removed from the grave, the guard fired three volleys over the body of the deceased warrior, the band struck up a merry tune and the party dispersed, forgetting most of them, that there had ever been such a being as old Indian John.

26th—Received two hundred and sixty volunteers from St. Marks, under the gallant Major Reed. He was too independent to place himself under United States officers, but encamped on the other side of the river Hillsborough.

29th—Buried another Louisiana volunteer, named Gray. On his arrival at Tampa Bay, he had become extremely ill, and was left behind on the sick list, when General Gaines marched; soon after, his malady turned to madness, which was, I fear, confirmed by the treatment he received. Instead of being properly attended to, he was chained by the leg, outside the Fort, with nothing whatever to shade him from the burning sun. He was kept in this state several days; he was at length admitted into the hospital, but it was too late; he died soon after. Poor fellow! He perished far from his friends and home, the victim of the grossest negligence and brutality. Such conduct in the medical department should not be overlooked.

March 5th—Alabama volunteers arrived, and the day after another company from Louisiana; the whole amounting to twelve hundred men, was commanded by Colonel Lindsay.

9 h—News was brought in early in the night, that a party of the enemy was driving away cattle in the neighborhood. Major Reed crossed the river with his command, at midnight, and was fired on, happily without effect, by our piquet guard, who knew nothing of his movements. About six o’clock, A. M. he came up with a small party of Indians, fast asleep. Their dogs quickly roused them, and they themselves, when they saw the white skins rushing on, threw away their rifles, blankets, and other incumbrances, and jumped into a river close by, where four or five of them were shot. Major Reed returned at twelve o’clock, bringing with him a number of mess pans and spades, also several ponies and blankets which they had left behind in their haste. He reported that there was a large quantity of camp kettles, spades, &c., on the ground. A party was immediately sent for them with a team and brought them in before night. They had been buried by General Gaines army sometime before, and were discovered and dug up by the Indians. We christened this skirmish the battle of the Messpans.

13th—Buried a volunteer from Alabama, a fine young man. Colonel Lindsay refused to allow him a glass of wine, from the sutler’s store, though ordered by the doctor, a few hours before his death. This was carrying his ideas of temperance a little too far. We also buried one of the friendly Indians, who had been killed in a drunken fray the day before. The camp of the friendly tribe is on the other side of the river. Two Spaniards have been for some time supplying them with liquor, and they have been more than a week in a state of beastly intoxication. I paid them a visit yesterday, and saw among other curiosities a fine young squaw with her nose and ears cropped off. I inquired the reason of an old white lady, who lived close by, and learned that it is a summary mode of proceeding with those errant damsels, who are convicted of being too philanthropic.

An Indian chief who had gone out with General Gaines, arrived to day, bringing news from the army, and on the day following Black Dirt also arrived. The latter chief, though now the firm friend, was at one time the inveterate enemy of the whites. I have been informed that he once fought hand to hand with General Jackson, and was left for dead by the hero of New Orleans. He wears a turban composed of five handkerchiefs, and declares that each handkerchief shall cost Powell one hundred dollars. I should have mentioned that Powell has set a price on his head, offering five hundred dollars to any one who shall carry it to him.

15th—Colonel Lindsay’s command, amounting to one thousand two hundred men, including Major Reed’s party, marched before breakfast. Early in the morning some of the volunteers cropped the tail and mane of the Colonel’s horse, and burned the Colonel himself in effigy. His whole army was enraged with him, for forbidding the Sutler to sell them a glass of liquor of any kind. His horse (which he had previously selected, from a large number,) he was forced to exchange with one of his officers amid the hooting and groaning of the troops. A party of marines from the frigate Constellation, eighty in number, accompanied him as a life guard.

16th—Buried two volunteers, one from Tuscaloosa, the other from Louisiana, and on the following day another from Alabama. We have a great number of sick in the Fort. Among them is one of the men who escaped the massacre of Major Dade’s command. His account of the affair is this:

Major Dade set out from Fort Brooke on the 23d December, 1835, for Camp King, distant one hundred and ten miles, at the head of a party consisting of one hundred and ten non-commissioned officers and privates, and six commissioned officers, besides myself; among them was one medical gentleman. They took with them one waggon, drawn by horses, one six pounder, and an ox team; the latter