Page 69 - a-history-of-columbia-county-florida-(1996)-edward-f-keuchel

A History of Columbia County Florida (1996) Edward F. Keuchel 58/340

The Second Seminole War
occurred in the area between Fort White and Newnansville. Tillis
was away at the time of the attack, but at the house were his wife, a
young woman, and five children. Mrs. Tillis was shot down in the
yard while the young lady in the house was stabbed. Arrows were
shot into the children and the house was plundered before the
raiding party departed.67
Soldiers from Fort White encountered a grisly scene when
they reached the Tillis farm. The mother and one child were dead.
One little boy of six was still alive, but an arrow had gone
completely through his body. Another little boy about two and a
half had an arrow protruding from his left breast. A little girl had
an arrow still in her back. The young lady had been stabbed
under each arm by a butcher knife plunged up to the handle. The
baby only three weeks old had been overlooked by the Indians. The
army surgeon accompanying the troop did what he could, but the
youngest boy died when the arrow was extracted. The girl died the
next day, but the boy of six and the young lady were expected to
recover.68
On February 28, the Osteen house located about a mile and a
half from the natural bridge on the Santa Fe was attacked. Mrs.
Osteen was stooping to get water when an Indian only some fifteen
paces away fired an arrow at her. The arrow penetrated her frock
but she was uninjured and escaped. Four days later an old woman
named Ogsby was killed when Indians set fire to her house while
her son was away grinding meal. George E. McClelland, a captain
of a volunteer group, thought that sections of Columbia County
would have to be abandoned again unless additional military
support was provided.69

On May 14, and 15, a Creek force under the war chief
67 Letter to the New York Commercial, dated Fort White, March 16, 1842,
reprinted in Niles Register, Vol. LXII, April 9, 1842, p. 85.
MIbid.
69Ibid.; Sprague, Florida War, pp. 418-19.

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