DADE'S MASSACRE REENACTMENT

Dade's Massacre Reenactment

Arranged by Spessard Stone

Photos & Comments, Courtesy of Francis C. Howard

On Deember 23, 1835, Major Francis Dade and 110 men left Fort Brooke (present day Tampa) and headed up the King Highway (military road) which led to Fort King (present day Ocala). They had marched for five days and were just south of the present-day city of Bushnell, Florida. It had been a quiet march with no conflict at all. It was now the 28th of December. They were passing through a high hammock with oaks, pines, cabbage palms, and saw palmetto when a shot rang out. They were in the middle of an ambush and all of the soldiers were either killed or left for dead. Three of those 110 men survived the battle, one was Ransome Clark and this was his story!

If you have ties to anyone who was in this state during the Seminole Indian Wars, and most of us do, this is a must see re-enactment! It is held the first weekend after Christmas each year at the Dade Memorial Battlefield State Park which is just south of Bushnell, Florida. This year Saturday fell on the 28th of December, the day of the battle, which was 167 years ago to the day! There were about 100 participants, Army and Seminole re-enactors, and they were using muskets of the era. It was a phenomenal program and I would recommend it to you all.

Enactment

Enactment

See also Dade Massacre or Battle at Wahoo Swamp

Music is Thomas Haynes Bayly's "Long, Long Ago," 1833, arranged by Lesly Nelson-Burns

December 31, 2002

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