Edited by Spessard Stone
This article by James D. Green, using the alias, "Cracker," originally was printed in The Florida Peninsular of Tampa, Fla. of April 26, 1856. It was reprinted in The Herald-Advocate (Wauchula, Fla.) of October 15, 1992.
Mr. Editor:
I understand that some of our distant editors, as well as, some of our more immediate neighbors, who are paid for protecting us, are offended, horror struck, on account of some half-civilized Crackers, contrary to custom, pursuing, overtaking, killing and scalping two of the robbers of Dr. Braden.(1)
Oh! oh! horrid, unchristian act!
Our fathers of England have learned the Indians to scalp us, and if a half civilized people, as we are represented to be, happen to learn from such an example, we should be excused, especially when we act in self defense.
Men in other parts of the country can burn men at the stake for crime, for instance, in Louisiana and Mississippi, and we frequently hear of the dead bodies of innocent persons being cut to pieces to learn of what disease they died, or who killed them.
But oh! horrid! a few Crackers, after having been publicly, at home, and in official reports, accused of killing Pain and Whidden in 1849.(2)
And the boy Hubbard in 1851.(3)
Of burning Snell's house and killing Cunningham in March last.(4)
And finally, when a citizen's house was attacked and defended by Dr. Braden and Mr. Chaires (4), who contrary to orders, shot at the robbers, who, afterwards, stole eight negroes and three mules, and as much of the Doctor's goods as they could carry, application was made to our officer in command for assistance.
They were told: "It is a false alarm; your own citizens have done this act. You want pork and beans, and then you are too lazy to come for the provisions. I suppose you would then want them cooked."
Our citizens, though Crackers, knowing all the depredations committed by the Indians since 1848, have been laid to their charge by those who are paid by the United States for protecting the Indians, and defaiming [sic] the citizens, collected a small force and pursued, overtook, killed and scalped two of the Indians, and brought the scalps to prove their own innocence and to identify the robbers.
If, with a knowledge of these facts, our distant Editors cannot find an excuse for our Crackers, bringing in the scalps to prove their own innocence, and to identify the robbers, I say, if all these facts do not afford an apology for us with our distant friends to humanity, we will be forced to think of them as we do our more immediate officials, who have more sympathy for the Indians than the whites.
A CRACKER
(1) On March 31, 1856, seven Indians, led by Oscen Tustenuggee, attacked and robbed the plantation home of Dr. Joseph W. Braden of present-day Bradenton. Militiamen tracked them to the Big Charlie Apopka Creek where a battle ensued, and two Indians were shot and scalped by the volunteers.
(2) On July 17, 1849, George Payne and Dempsey Whidden were killed by Indians at the Kennedy-Darling trading post, located within today's Paynes Creek State Historic Site.]
(3) On Aug. 6, 1850 in Marion County, Daniel Hubbard, age 8, was killed by four Indians.
(4) On March 2, 1856, the house of Hamlin Snell on Sarasota Bay was burned and Owen Cunningham killed.
(5) Freeman Chaires.
February 28, 2001