The Black Seminole Indian Scouts of Texas: Breaking Racial and Geographical Barriers In a Fight to Survive the Frontier Campbell West Senior Division Individual Exhibit
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THESIS The Negro Seminole Indian Scouts survived overwhelming odds to become one of the most respected components of the US Army on the Texas Frontier . The Black Seminoles were a cultural fusion of African, Native American and Mexican cultures, never accepted or free and always on the run from the threat of enemies, disease or starvation. They fought their way through many geographical, racial, and cultural barriers to retain their proud heritage.
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In the eighteenth century, runaway slaves, mostly Gullahs from the lower southern colonies, fled in to Spanish Florida where slavery had been abolished. They intermingled with Seminole native tribes who were an mixture of various southern tribes. They were protected although beholden to the Seminoles and often were not treated equally. Eventually intermarriage between the groups produced the Black Seminole culture. From 1776- 1783 escaped slaves began fleeing to Florida from the lower southern colonies to the Seminole Tribes for protection against white slavers. 1817-1818 First Seminole War Florida and Southern Georgia Seminole Indian War Proper 1835 - 1842 By the end of the Second Seminole War, most of the Seminoles were being forcibly removed to Indian Territory. President Andrew Jackson signs a law ordering every Native American to be moved to territory west of the Mississippi. One Third of Seminoles perished.
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Text on Board In 1846 Mexico sends offers to settlers encouraging settlement in Mexico to help defend it from hostile Indians tribes such as the Comanche and Apache. Settlers would be given land and a six month supply of provisions. John Horse and Wild Cat lead several bands of Seminoles and Black Seminoles to Mexico in 1850. “We have great many enemies, great many who think only of doing us I juries, many who fabricate false doing and who for a few guns or a little whiskey make false tales to our great annoyance; but the others day three of our people were stolen and more than a month has passed and have not yet been recovered. One of the principals in this theft has been placed before the law, and from some cause or other he has been set go. Some say there is no law against stealing Negroes; perhaps they say true. One thing however is certain, we are much annoyed, our people carried away, and out horses an object for many bad persons, so much so that we are ready to take advantage of us are many. You are the only man whose word has never failed us, and the only one where we can tell our tale of sorrow and have justice done us.” John Horse 1848 “John Kibbets testifies that he is a Seminole and a Sergeant of Scouts in the United States service. Witness went from Florida to the Seminole reservation in the Indian Territory; was there nine years; after being there sometime some trouble arose about the proposed sale of children to Cherokee Indians and to white traders. The Seminoles left to avoid the sale of these children, and crossed Texas going to Mexico.” Deposition John Kibbets Deposition No. 545 Congressional Set 1874 Depredations on the Frontier of Texas
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Thirty four men all with wives and children who have served as soldiers for an average of thirteen years; without any trades or property; and with habits essentially Indian, are thrown upon a community itself poor, and hostile to these harmless vagabonds,” “ What is to become of them, I cannot imagine.” General Stanley, Fort Clark Commander Bracketville, Texas Scouts, Isaac Payne, Pompey Factor and John Ward save their commander, Lt. John L. Bullis during an Indian attack on the Lower Pecos River. Lt Bullis recommended the three for the Medal of Honor. The first Negro Seminole scout to receive the Medal of Honor was Adam Paine. Adam Paine received the Medal of Honor for courageously fighting Comanches during the Red River War in 1874. Out of twenty six expeditions the Negro Seminole Indians fought twelve battles and never lost a single soldier.
““Kibbett asks for compensation for his men and himself while actively employed in the field, will accept the pay of a soldier for each of his men, with ($25.00) twenty five dollars per month for himself. I could not state positively to him what pay would be allowed him, he now states he is willing to accept the same pay as now allowed the Tonka-was. There are about 20 men fit for Scouts in the party now here, and they could be advantageously used at this Post.I would therefore respectfully recommend that they be given as much ground as they can cultivate on the U.S. Military Reservation on Elm Creek, that they be employed as scouts for the Post, and that they have permission to work in the vicinity of the Post and to hunt within certain limits, to be prescribed by the Commanding Officer of the Post.” F. R. Bliss. Major 25th Infantry Brevet Lieutenant Colonel U. S. Army Commanding Post "I do not think that they should have been removed from Mexico at all, and am decidedly of the opinion that they should not be forced upon the Creek Nation, in as much as by the terms of the treaty of 1866 with that tribe, the class of persons referred to should have returned within one year from the notification of said treaty, in order to be entitled to equal rights and privilege with the Creeks, nor do I think it was contemplated by the acts of Congress referred to, that the funds appropriated thereby, should be applied to defray the expenses of removing and subsisting these persons.In conclusion, I have to say, that this office does not know what, if any thing, can be done with these Negroes and is of the opinion that they should not be turned over to this Bureau to be cared for. “ FA Walker. Commissioner To the Honorable Secretary of the Interior