Dade’s Last Command

Dade’s Battle in December 1835 precipitated the Second Seminole War. It was the first American war fought over the issue of slavery| Frank Laumer writes| and it occurred principally because of white determination to protect the institution. In their search for runaway slaves| white citizens of Georgia and Florida invaded Seminole land and were met with resistance; violent encounters followed that led to Dade’s Battle. As a result| Laumer says| the escape hatch was closed| Native Americans were removed from the land| and Florida was made “safe” for white expansion. Coupling thirty years of research with a passion to understand the fate of Dade’s command and the motivations of the Seminoles| Laumer has written a vivid account of the battle that changed Florida’s history. After walking the Fort King Road (the route followed by Dade) from Tampa to the battlefield north of the Withlacoochee River – in the complete woolen uniform of an enlisted man| carrying musket| canteen| pack| bayonet| and haversack – he can describe not only the clothing and weapons of the soldiers but also the tension and fear they surely felt as they marched through Seminole territory. He also assesses the position of the Seminoles| sympathizing with the choices faced by their leaders. Laumer also describes the backgrounds of the soldiers who marched under Dade and discusses the role of the much-maligned black interpreter Louis Pacheco| and he offers new insights on the mistakes made by the commanders who ordered the march. More than the account of a single military action| Dade’s Last Command is the story of good and decent men “who died violent and terrible deaths to perpetuate a political and social evil”.