Page 52 - a-history-of-columbia-county-florida-(1996)-edward-f-keuchel

A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 41/340

A History of Cohmibia Comity, Florida

and Black Creek to the east was reported to be devastated. During
July skirmishes with the Seminoles between Newnansville and the
Suwannee River were becoming increasingly common. Settlers
left their farms and crowded into Newnansville. Joseph M. White
reported in Congress that he did not think that enough white men
lived along the Alachua frontier to defend it adequately even with
the support of the regular army.20 21
In September 1836, Niles Register reported that Fort Gille­
land (Newnansville) was the last remaining post occupied by
American troops between Black Creek and the Suwannee River,
and it was under attack. The Seminoles in the area used Colonel
Sanchez’s plantation of San Felasco located about four miles away
as their headquarters during the siege of Newnansville. The post
was not relieved until a force under Major William Pierce reached
it on September 7, but sporadic attacks continued after that date.
On September 18, a pitched battle lasting almost two hours took
place near Newnansville when a mounted column of one hundred
militia under Colonel John Warren repulsed a vigorous assault by
the Seminoles.22
It looked as though the tide had turned against the Seminoles
when 1,200 Tennessee Volunteers arrived in the territory in
September 1836. Richard Keith Call, who had been placed in
charge of military operations in response to the criticism of
General Scott, rose from his sick bed to greet them as they
marched through the streets of Tallahassee on September 11. The
next day Call led the Tennesseeans, augmented by one hundred
and forty Florida militia, on an expedition which took them across
the Suwannee to the banks of the Withlacoochee and beyond.

20Niles Register, Vol. L, May 2, 1836, pp. 206-07, May 28, 1836, p. 217.
21 Niles Register, Vol. L, June 11, 1836, p. 200, July 2, 1836, pp. 309-10, July 16,
1836, p. 329, July 30, 1836, p. 375.
22 The (Tallahassee) Floridian, September 17, 1836; Niles Register, Vol LI,
September 17,1836, pp. 35-36, September 24, 1836, pp. 49-50, October 8,1836, pp.
85-86, October 22, 1836, p. 119.
40

www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 02905885-C4E0-4A35-9DAE-804ED8349EC9