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David Fowler published five volumes taking Florida's U.S. history from pre-territorial to territorial to statehood.    It is a reporter’s conceit that journalism is the so-called first draft of history. When it comes to the Seminole Wars, it takes some digging into that first draft to determine what information people read at the time of newspaper publication. Chris Kimball has scourged the pages of the Army-Navy Chronicle to identify all references to the Seminole Wars. That was a great task but it was somewhat easier in that the ANC concerned itself with military news. But an even more monumental task comes from examining what other newspapers of the era with a “national” reach reported. Take the Niles Weekly Register. The NWR was a general interest publication that included military news. A collection of just the Florida news comes from scholar David Fowler's five (!) volume Niles' Florida.  Niles' Florida provides a comprehensive analysis of the dramatic and, often times, violent history of Florida, beginning with the role it played in the War of 1812, moving through an in-depth view of the Seminole Indian wars, and culminating with the admission of Florida into the American Union. Niles' Florida contains numerous anecdotes and narratives on events that played a key role in the transition of a wild territory, as described by Andrew Jackson, to become 27th state in our American Union. Detailed information is available on the activities of the Seminole Indians, Africans, British, Spanish, and Americans. Living the experiences of Florida's birth through the eyes of the people who were there, is the best history lesson you may ever get. This project began for David Fowler when he visited an Indian mount in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and picked up a pamphlet that referenced a Black Seminole called Abraham, sense keeper for Micanopy. He was intrigued by this Abraham and sought to find more; David had caught the research bug. In due time, he volunteered for a task of not only identifying but also republishing every single article or reference about Abraham as presented in the Niles Weekly Register. He expanded it to cover all of Florida history referenced in the Register, including great coverage of the long Seminole Wars.   Newspaper illustration from a photograph of Abraham In a series of volumes, David comprehensively traces and recovers what then-contemporary readers learned in real time about the progress of those regrettable conflicts. He combined his professions as a reporter, a librarian, and a historian to paint a unique picture of the birth and development of the Sunshine State. Its history unfolds like current events leading readers to turn the pages and discover even more. David Fowler joins us to discuss the monumental undertaking. Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Marines in the Second Seminole War served on land at and around Fort Foster in central Florida as well as in the Everglades where some dubbed them as swamp sailors.  Visitors on the Fourth of July, American independence day, call at the Tampa Bay History Center to learn more about our heritage. Built on the site of the old Fort Brooke military reservation, the center invites distinguished guests to present on a number of topics. Marine Living Historian Dave Ekardt is one of them. He has been a perennial at the center over the years, presenting talks and demonstrations about the Marines in the Second Seminole War. He also presents at various recreated forts and commemorative battle events.   Dave Ekardt in a summer and temperate U.S. Marine Corps uniform from 1830s.  He joins us today to share how in seven years of war, the Marines in Florida suffered nary a blemish to their reputation during their tour of duty. While an often futile assignment for the Army, Marines made the best of their presence and demonstrated without a doubt their great value to the nation’s leaders when the nation needed them for pressing business. Dave shares stories and anecdotes about the Marines contributions to the Second Creek and Seminole Wars. The old man of the Marines, Commandant Archibald Henderson, proved a daring, brash, brave, and professional in running the Corps and in bringing them to Florida. Dave examines that deployment, as well as the Marines’ uniforms and chow, and how his natural curiosity helped him to acquire invaluable records on Marines. These covered the Seminole War but they also provided slices of life about Marines who served later, such as in Nicaragua. Dave pulled information from a variety of resources to eventually pen a book on that Marine’s service there. Dave Ekardt has published three non-fiction books relating to the the Marines in U.S. military history.  Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Regular Army soldiers were seen as professional in all manners of appearance and countenance. In 1835, with the Federal Government tasked the U.S. Army to forcibly remove the Seminole from the Florida Territory, militia from Florida and volunteers from the several states, aided the regular Army in carrying out this controversial task. In this episode we will assess how the militia, volunteers, and regular Army performed.  Jesse Marshall returns to talk with us about the militia and the regular Army in the Second Seminole War. He explains what it took to field, equip, train, and employ them in combat action.  In contrast to the regular Army, popular representations of the militia as mustered were often less than flattering to the militia who were mustering. (above and below).  Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Pace Ringo Starr, confirmation of the site of the Okeechobee Battlefield did not come easy. By 1985, local memory was hazy, having been handed down for several generations from 1837. In addition, hand-drawn maps from various sources contemporary to the battle did not necessarily match each other or the actual geographic features they represented, in whole or in part. Consultants hired by land developers literally dug up dry holes through a subsurface that should have yielded artifacts from the clash. Oh, and the developers didn’t want any pesky outside archaeologists nosing around the property to prove them wrong and hold up, well, land development. Enter Bob Carr and Bill Steele on one end. We’ve podcasted with Bill Steele, who shared his recollections. On the other end was Steve Carr, no relation to Bob. The Lake Worth, Florida-native knew something was amiss. The self-described History Hunter put on his thinking cap to assess the anomaly of the land yielding no artifacts on a site that had to be the battlefield. Steve learned that the overall battlefield, while swampy in 1837, was many decades later covered with up to five-feet of dirt to fill in the swamp and let cattle graze. It is no wonder a shovel test showed no presence, the consultants were not digging deep enough because they did not know to suspect anything so far underneath. When the development began, excavation began and bulldozers soon carved out land fill that reached the level of battle artifacts. Dumped in a pile on public land – and out of legal recourse from the developer – Steve dug into the accumulating landfill hills to release the mountain of artifacts confirming through physical presence that this was indeed the battlefield. The precise context was lost but Steve salvaged the artifacts and since he witnessed the dirt transported from the battlefield, he knew he could associate anything he found with that site.   A sample of artifacts on display at the annual reenactment of the battle of Okeechobee.   In this episode, Steve Carr joins us to tell how he used those artifacts to recover an important site and battle from the national memory hole. Steve was an excellent candidate to do this. He studied archeology with world famous D Porter Dawson at the University of Georgia in 1978. In a stint with the U.S. Army, Steve served with both the 5th Special Forces and 24th Infantry Divisions, making three deployments to Central America. Palm Beach County was fortunate to enjoy his services as a paramedic for 27 years. In a sense, this was most apropo. Steve patched up people as a paramedic and he patched up our understanding of the Okeechobee Battlefield with his salvage archaeology efforts. Now, despite his primary avocation, Steve continued to pursue his archaeological interests on the side, as demonstrated with his mid-1980s work at Okeechobee. In 1993, he started salvage archeology projects with Preserving Our Heritage director Mike Crane. He has conducted numerous mound, ceramic, and civil war site recovery projects. And for our specific interest, he has surveyed or examined 24 Seminole Wars battle sites, including Okeechobee and also the Locha Hatchie surveys. He shared what he discovered during his 17 years teaching pioneer history at Barry University.       Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  We’ve known of the Okeechobee Battle and its site since that encounter on Christmas Day 1837, near that great lake’s northern shore in the southern Florida peninsula. But then, we forgot. We forgot the battle and we forgot the site, other than a marker from the Daughters of the American Revolution. Instead, by the 1980s, we knew the vicinity of the battle but didn’t have any artifacts or other archaeological evidence to definitively say the battlefield was there. When a housing developer canvassed the area in 1985, the consultants hired came up with “dry holes.” Still, a handful of history hunters and friends of the site and event, pulled out their own shovels – and smarts – to settle the matter. One of those stalwarts is Willard S. Steele, or Bill as we know him. He researched and rushed out a book on the Battle of Okeechobee in 1985, so the public could be informed better about the battle and why the site deserved to be preserved. Bill’s work has centered around many of the most significant battle sites and villages associated with the history of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. As a contractor for the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy from 1982 to 2012, he scoured the area for signs of the battle and then performed gumshoe research work by identifying contemporary accounts of the battle so he could pinpoint locations on the actual battlefield.  At the roughly the same time, Bill managed operations at History Miami from 1984 to 1990.  In 2002 the Seminole Tribe of Florida hired Bill as their tribal Archivist and, shortly thereafter, appointed him as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, a position he held for 10 years. Even after 35 years and more on the case, Bill continues to discover new facets of the battle and the battlefield. He joins us to discuss all of this. Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  This week we look at the replica Fort Foster -- the history of the original fort and the story of how its replica was built. Today, the fort is closed to the public because of serious maintenance concerns with the wooden platform along its inside walls. In this episode, Louie Bears Heart, a re-enactor of Seminole life [and in his day job, Hillsborough County park ranger] brings the Fort Foster story to life. He also reminds visitors that if they want to help with the restoration of Fort Foster, an account is available for donations: Hillsborough River State Park C/O HRSP Preservation Society 15402 US-301 N Thonotosassa, FL 33592     Louie Bears Heart      This platform inside the fort requires maintenance to ensure the safety of visitors. (Photos by Andrew Foster)       Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  We cover a great deal of terra firma in this podcast, but not so much as on of the rivers and streams of the Panhandle and Florida peninsula along with the outlying islands. These bodies of water had an outsized impact on the conduct and campaigning of the Seminole Wars. As fortune has it, Doug Alderson has that covered for us. He podcasted with us previously about his Seminole Trail of Florida smart travel guide. He returns this week to connect river composition and range in its various arteries, veins and cataracts, to use by Seminoles and Soldiers in this long conflict. In Florida's Rivers: A Celebration of Over 40 of the Sunshine State's Dynamic Waterways, Doug examines the big rivers, the clear streams and the muddy waters of Florida.   In Florida's Rivers: A Celebration of Over 40 of the Sunshine State's Dynamic Waterways, Doug examines the big rivers, the clear streams and the muddy outcrops. In this podcast, he takes us to the rivers that featured so prominently in this war. We discuss the Apalachicola River and the hot shot that destroyed the Negro Fort at Prospect Bluff. We consider the Hillsborough River, where Major Dade and his men forded the waters after Seminole burned the bridge across its span, and travel to the peninsula’s tip to where Colonel Harney encountered Spanish Seminole Indians at the Miami River. He does this and still finds time to cover battles and skirmishes for most everything else in between. Then, Doug teases a look at the Florida coastline for further exploration on this topic.   Courtesy photos from Doug Alderson   Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  One hundred eight-five years ago, at Camp Monroe, the Seminole nearly scored a second rout of soldiers akin in decisiveness to the Dade Battle of late December 1835. Nearly. But the fierce battle on February 8, 1837, produced a more favorable outcome to the Army.  The Seminoles amassed a huge armed contingent to attack the U.S. encampment on Lake Monroe. It was a close-run battle. Had the troops obeyed their commander to replace their flints with wooden chips for training purposes the next day, had the troops NOT obeyed their commander to construct a breastworks the day before, had the men shown less discipline in their firing, had an Army lieutenant not manned a six-pound gun on a nearby Navy riverboat, the day might have belonged to the Seminole. Instead, the U.S. Army repulsed the Seminole for one of its rare clear-cut victories in the Second Seminole War. The Museum of Seminole County History is commemorating the 185th anniversary of the Battle of Camp Monroe. Bennett Lloyd, museum director described the commemoration for us in a previous podcast. In this podcast, he rejoins to narrate a chronology of the battle and how the Army fought off the Seminole advance.   (Above) The innovative Cochran Repeating Turret Gun kept Seminole at bay in this battle. But design flaws causing an accidental chain-firing from all chambers with one pull of the trigger led the Army to adopt the Colt revolving chamber gun over the repeating turret gun. (Below) Three books and pamphlets cover the battle and forts at Lake Monroe: Camp Monroe, Camp Mellon, Fort Mellon.    Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!  

Paul Westermeyer, Historian with Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia, returns for the second episode of our two-part program on the Marines in the Seminoles Wars. The Marines Corps suffered from a contentious relationship with President Andrew Jackson, who wanted the Corps absorbed into the U.S. Army. A timely suggestion from the Marine Corps Commandant, A. Henderson, led to Marines employment on land in the Second Creek and Seminole Wars. and "firmly" on Florida swamp in the Second Seminole War. The views Paul Westermeyer presents are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any government organization.   Courtesy art (left) and Don Troiani art (right) The Marines wore a blue uniform but in Florida were more likely to don the white summer dress the Corps offered. This was a more bearable uniform for duty in the swamps and in the humid environment.    Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Marines earned grudging respect from the British for their defense of the Capitol in the Battle of Bladensburg, Md., in 1814.   We know from the Marine Corps Hymn that the Corps has traveled to the hall of Montezuma and the shores of Tripoli. Many of our listeners may not know that the Marines also sloshed around in the swamps of Florida in the Seminole Wars. Joining us for this episode, the first of two parts, is Paul Westermeyer, historian at Marine Corps University in Quantico, Virginia. He weaves the story of how the Marine Corps established a permanent institutional footing after a false start in the Revolutionary War. The Marines then performed heroically at sea and on land in the Barbary Pirate Wars and the War of 1812. They came ashore again along the gulf coast in the First Seminole War. Paul Westermeyer returns for the second part of this podcast series to look at the Marines in the Second Creek and Seminole Wars. The views Paul Westermeyer presents are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any government organization.    Marines performed heroically at sea aboard U.S. Navy frigates, helping capture prize ships and counter the British navy's offensive operations off American coasts. Future Marine Corps Commandant Archibald Henderson served with distinction aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in the War of 1812.    Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Women clustered around a laundry station for bleaching clothing in potash. Mia Goodwell, Hailey Orr, Brigitte Stephenson, Jaime Svendsen   Pioneer life was tough all around. In Florida in the 1830s and 40s, it was doubly hard because the US Government was at war with the Seminole Indians and the pioneers lived on the same grounds as the Seminole. Eventually the soldiers left and the pioneers themselves were called upon to defend their lands and themselves. Defending the home fell to the matriarch back on the homestead. That became just one more task for the women of the time. In addition, they cooked and cleaned and spun and sewed and washed and raised the children. How did they do it? What did they wear and why? And how did they keep the family intact when a drunken husband threatened to drink all their savings away. Some took to the good book. Others joined temperance movements, the 1830s being the time of the greatest per capita consumption of alcohol in the nation’s history. Joining us to explain the role of women in Florida pioneer society is Brigitte Stephenson, curator of the City of Sanford Museum. She is an expert in clothing and social mores of the era. Brigitte Stephenson, Sanford Museum Curator       Above, shivering under a blanket by the campfire. Darya Greenstone, Mia Goodwell. Below, most laundresses in this period were the wives of soldiers deployed in service. Brian and Brenda Burback     Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!  

A nagging legacy of the Seminole Wars has been the poor educational opportunities available to tribal members on and off the reservation. That’s changing today. The Seminole Tribe of Florida has made it official. Its Center for Student Success and Services, or CSSS has renamed itself to more clearly show its intent. Hence, the tribe’s CSSS is now simply the Education Department. More customer-service oriented and data-driven than previously, the department is striving to develop and maintain a trust relationship within the Seminole Tribe community. This can be difficult to establish or maintain because seeking assistance or guidance from non-tribal members can be off-putting. More tribal members are being hired to staff the department and all of its members are having conversations with tribal members about educational opportunities through face-to-face engagements. This was difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic but is now a high priority for the department as the tribe emerges. The Education Department serves about 900 students in K-12; 210 in higher education; 200 are in tutoring programs; and about a dozen are currently under the Tribal Professional Development (TPD) umbrella. The department itself has about 50 staff members.     The Department’s quality assurance analyst, tribal member and Black Seminole Rollie Gilliam III, is overseeing overreach for staff to meet and greet tribal families with information about programs and services the tribe makes available. Outreach, Gilliam states, is more than handing out scholarship applications.     Rollie Gilliam III joins us this week to discuss how the department is managing its outreach, what programs are available to members, and what it means to him to be a black Seminole from Fort Pierce, Florida, within the Seminole Tribe of Florida as he ensures quality in the programs used to educate all members of the tribe.     Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

      The Florida coastline has long been dotted with concrete or stone behemoths pointing to the sea to protect a designated port or area. These are a legacy of Old Spanish and Modern American times. In between, there are the wooden forts from the territorial and early U.S. statehood period in Florida. These were Army forts and they sprouted up quickly from the landscape before quickly wilting when no longer needed. Today, replica forts replace some of these but overall the forts are gone and even their former locations are suspect. In this episode, the author of Florida Forts: On the Edge of Empire, Zach Zacharias, presents a stirring tale of some of the state’s great fortifications still standing, everything from Pensacola to the Dry Tortugas. How many forts?, you ask. Zach tells us that Florida had approximately 400 forts! His book, blessedly, details only the roughly 13 forts you can still visit as a tourist. Zach is the Senior Curator of Education and History at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach, Florida and has taught Florida history topics for over 25 years. Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

Jake Tiger is featured on the cover of a new book on the Seminole for school-age children.    The Seminole Wars podcast goes West today. We cover Seminole resistance to removal, of course. But we owe it to the memory of those Seminole removed to keep their story alive. For many, that story continues in Oklahoma. What became of those Seminoles? How are they faring today? How do they maintain their unique cultural identity? Joining us is Jake Tiger. Jake is a cultural outreach specialist for the Seminole Nation in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He hand-sews traditional Seminole garments and wears them to public events to promote Seminole culture and to remind everyone the Seminole are still around. He has the heart of a true living historian, willing to speak to even only one person at an event if it furthers awareness of the Seminole. Usually, of course, he speaks to many, many more. He is young, full of charisma, and he is our guest today.     Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  To be a pirate it almost goes without saying that one must be flamboyant and charismatic – at least if one is the captain of the swashbuckling enterprise. In the pre-Seminole Wars era, few were as flamboyant as William Augustus Bowles. He was a pirate, a leader, and an organizer. He was a charming con man who earned the ears of leading Seminole and Creek leaders and their bands. This April 1 and 2 at Three Rivers State Park, the first Pirate and Heritage Festival is being held near the city of Sneads, Florida. To produce this family-friendly spectacle, the park teamed up with the Jackson County Tourist Development Council, the city of Sneads, and Dale and Rachael Cox’s TwoEggTV. The park overlooks beautiful (and appropriately named) Lake Seminole. Families will learn the fascinating history of pirates in Sneads. Who knew, or even suspected, after all? Then they can witness a boat regatta, stare into an Aux Arc (pronounced Ozark) keel boat, inspect antique firearms and weapons, attend lectures and living history presentations, and see a live living history demonstration. There is even a “dress like a pirate contest” involved. And, of course, the festival brings to life the story of William Augustus Bowles, the loveable rogue with the big ambitions for Seminole and Creek Indians. Joining us to promote the event and explain the details is historian Dale Cox, author of numerous books on the 1st Seminole War and the unpleasantness that preceded it in the Florida panhandle region prior to Spanish cessation of the land to the United States in 1819.   (Above) William Augustus Bowles was a colorful character. Dale Cox portrays colorful characters at living history events.     (Above) Darrel Hager being an American from the early 1800s. (Below)  Farris Powell aka Blue Heron portrays Seminole leader Thomas Perryman with Bowles State of Miccosukee flag.    (Above) Rachael Conrad Cox on the Aux Arc (pronounced Ozark) Keelboat with Ed and another friend.  (Below) Rachael Conrad Cox with Three Rivers State Park officials Jessy Kinnett (Three Rivers Park Service Specialist), Philip Skyckboer (Three Rivers Park Manager) and Sneads City Manager Lee Gardner, who are thrilled to showcase their park at this event.  Antonio Wright, portrays a member of Bowles' crew. Dale Cox portrays a Native American. (Courtesy photos)   Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!    

  I invoke host’s privilege this week to invite Steve Rinck, President of the Seminole Wars Foundation, to discuss the many things the Foundation is doing to raise awareness of the Seminole Wars. The Foundation does this by, among other endeavors, publishing printed materials and, yes, digital ones as well  online with this podcast. But the Foundation is much more than that. The not-for-profit Foundation is operated for charitable, educational, and civic purposes. Steve, a retired educator and long-time Seminole Wars living historian and aficionado, informs us of just what the Seminole Wars Foundation is all about – and how listeners can join our circle to march with us. Most immediately, Steve explains the Convocation of Seminole Wars Historians coming up in Jupiter April 1-2-3. Dick Kazmar spoke with us about the Convocation. Steve brings us to the history of the convocation and what the Foundation aims to achieve by holding them every other year.     Seminole Wars Foundation supports reenactments, such as Battle of Okeechobee. SWF works with reenactors to preserve historical memory of the battles and those who fought in them (below, photo by Andrew Foster)       Steve Rinck (above) often appears as a 1920s citizen at the time the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park was acquired by Florida.  Debbie Harper, Foundation treasurer, discusses the Foundation's "wearable art" tshirt featuring images painted by Jackson Walker. (Photo by Andrew Foster)     Foundation members received a discount on books purchased from the Foundation Book store at seminolewars.org     Membership levels are listed below.      Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!    

  Pompey Fixico, president of the Semiroon Historical Society, is an extraordinary man. One-time amateur boxer and actor, the LA-based Pompey only learned of his Black Seminole Maroon descendant status at the age of 52. Pompey counts Abraham and Bowlegs as forebears. His family fought battles in Oklahoma when the U.S. Civil War broke out. He has documented his lineage on the Dawes Rolls. When he learned of his heritage, which his mother had hidden from him all his life, he vowed to make 300 appearances to raise awareness of Black Seminole Maroons in America. The Black Seminole descendants who gather in Brackettville, Texas each year, have welcomed Pompey into their fold. He has spoken around the nation, attended the United Nations as a Seminole Maroon member of a Multi-National Maroon Delegation, and today, the now 74-year-old Pompey speaks to us…about his heritage, about his forebears, and about his own story in seeking to spread recognition and harmony as a Black Seminole Maroon descendant.           Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  In the spring of 1836, U.S. Army Major General Winfield Scott unleashed his three-prong campaign to subdue Seminole, end the war, and ship the defiant tribe to the Oklahoma territory. The task of erecting a blockhouse and pickets for defense and observation fell to Georgia Volunteer Major, Mark Anthony Cooper. He built his namesake fortification in the Cove of the Withlacoochee River. The square palisade fort included two redoubts and a two-story blockhouse with a 6-pounder cannon mounted in it. The post was used as an observation and dispatch site, a horse depot, a scouting post, a makeshift infirmary, a watering hole – and a safe spot from which Cooper’s militiamen could venture outside the main gate to repulse the Seminole siege. Under constant attack for more than two weeks, Major Cooper’s command held its defensive position. It turned out to be the longest single continual battle of Scott’s 1836 campaign. On March 12 and 13, Fort Cooper State Park holds its annual Fort Cooper Days to commemorate this engagement. The long siege is condensed into a battle spectacle demonstrated twice each weekend day. Living historians – militia and Seminole -- demonstrate their wares and crafts and costumed attires. The park is located near Inverness, Florida. Joining us to recount a bit of the battle and how the park is commemorating it is Jeanne Messersmith. Jeanne is the treasurer for The Friends of Fort Cooper. The Friends is a citizen support organization that aids the park rangers in carrying out their mission in presenting the park in a family friendly setting with historical accuracy.   Fort Cooper Days photos by Andrew Foster     Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

  This is NOT a trick question. What do you call a Convocation of Seminole Wars Historians in Jupiter Florida in 2022? One word: Historic The Chief of Seminole Nation, Louis Johnson, is traveling from Oklahoma to Florida to address the gathering. As with members of the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes still in Florida, his people fought in the Jupiter vicinity in early 1838, two battles on the Loxahatchee River. It is unlikely that any of them once removed ever returned. In April, the convocation welcomes him and his party – including a Seminole Nation color guard – to the site with open arms and a fond embrace. Chief Johnson’s address may be the highlight of the 3rd biennial Convocation of Seminole Wars Historians but his is not the only one of note. Convocation organizer Dick Kazmar, board member of the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists or L-B-P, has arranged a full-schedule of intriguing speakers and activities, including a battlefield tour. A former LBP president, Dick Kazmar brings many years of knowledge and leadership to the task. He has been a battlefield docent and has also been spotted a few times portraying Maj. Gen. Thomas Sydney Jesup in full regalia. The former aerospace engineer with Pratt and Whitney brings the type of smarts one would expect to the task of preserving the Loxahatchee Battlefield and the memory of the battles fought here and organizing a convocation of historians who study this episode.. In this episode, he shares the background on the convocation, what is on the schedule, and reminds us that you don’t have to be a credential academic historian to attend. Listen in on how you dear listeners can attend.   Register here: https://loxahatcheebattlefield.com/2022-convocation   Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!

We are neck deep now in the season for living history battle interpretations of the Seminole wars. In the last weekend of February, the Battle of Okeechobee takes center stage on the calendar. Fought on Christmas Day 1837 – that is, December 25th --  organizers for this event wisely chose to hold it annually on a later date. This clash of arms is arguably the biggest battle of the Second Seminole War. It made a hero of commander, Colonel, later general, Zachary Taylor. The Army, the government, and the American people, goaded by newspapers, viewed it as a great victory over the Seminoles. Others, however, viewed it as a wash since the Seminoles did successfully evacuate both their families and themselves before escaping into the Everglades to fight another day. We will examine this battle itself in a later episode. In THIS episode, however, we are joined by Dowling Watford, the mayor of the City of Okeechobee. He details what the battlefield park is offering visitors for this commemorative event. A life-long city resident and 5th generation Floridian, Dowling knows his town. A soldier-reenactor and member of both the Okeechobee Historical Society and Okeechobee Battlefield Friends, he knows his battlefield and park, and, for our purposes, his event.     Dowling Watford and Jim Flaherty, both Soldier living historians, stand stubborn and staunch. Courtesy Photo. (below) Dowling Watford, Mayor of Okeechobee and podcast guest, watches and, out of character, photographs a cannon firing at a living history demonstration. Courtesy Photo.      Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida.  Subscribe automatically to the Seminole Wars through your favorite podcast catcher, such as iHeart or Stitcher or Spotify, DoubleTwist, or Pandora or Google podcasts or iTunes, or ... Check it out so you always get the latest episode without delay where and when you want it. Like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube!