Edited by Spessard Stone from a letter from Capt. S. L. Sparkman to Col. St. George Rogers
Camp Rogers, Florida
January 20th 1858
Colonel S. St. Geo. Rogers
Comdg. 2nd Dist. Dept. of Fla.
Fort Myers, Fla.
Sir:
I have this day returned from a scout in the Big Cypress, and hasten to report results. We left this place with eight days' rations on the 11th inst. with a part of our commands, Lesly, Carter, Bullock and myself, a part of us on horseback.
At the end of the 1st day we found ourselves in Stephens' trail at his first camp ground. There having fallen some rain, we found it impractible to take our horses any farther. We left the horses and 40 men under the command of Capt. Bullock and proceeded on foot.
The second night found us below Stephens' burnt town.
The next day we scattered off, found several field, not seen before by us. Camped at one of the fartherest southeast that we had seen.
The next morning we set off an Indian trail (leaving some sick men and a small guard) leading into a dense cypress covered with water. After marching five or six miles we came to higher ground, hammock and cone pine. Found some deserted huts and signs of hogs and soon some Indian tracks. We divided into three divisions, Capt. Lesly on the right, and Lieut. Sparkman on the left, in command of my detacht. We did not go far before the left flank came suddenly upon an Indian. He broke to run and three men fired at him, and he fell but rose again when three more fired and ______ [?] and made him a prisoner. He was shot in both thighs but no bones broken. He informed us that Sam Jones, Assinwah and other chiefs were encamped two [?] miles from there with thirty-five warriors. We left him there under a small guard and proceeded on the trail.
We then had 105 men, as follows Capt. Lesley 26 pvts., Capt. Carter 2nd Lt. & 25 pvts., St. Rutland of Bullock Co. 21 pvts., and myself and 2nd Lt. and 26 pvts.
We proceeded on that day and encamped for the night. The next day about 10 o'clock we came to the island on which the Indians were encamped, but they had found us out and left. About one mile farther we found where they had encamped the night before and seemed to have fled in haste. Did not go far till we found some cobs [?] of corn and [ap]pear they had left.
A few miles farther Capt. Lesley on the right was fired on by one Indian who fired and fled. We gave him chase but the mud and water was so deep we could not overhaul him. He proved to be a spy, the rest of the Indians being only a mile farther and when his signal gun was fired they fled in various directions, the warriors lurking in the area, and whenever we approached they would fire at the distance of 3 or 4 hundred yards and run off.
We pursued them the night without coming up with any of them, only one sick child they had abandoned. The next morning we concluded to abandon the pursuit, painful as it was, after being so near as several of our mules [?] were without provisions, and some [?] ______ [?] than our horses, which was 40 miles at least.
On our way back next day we found a sick woman on a small island from where they had fled the day before. We found [?] some 25 of the warriors' packs and considerable other plunder, and several cowhide boats in which they had their children and sick hiding [?] them in the shallow water.
The country was a low marsh covered with water and mud, usually knee deep, so sticky that it was impossible to go out of a slow walk, interspersed with low, small islands, on which small trees grow. The direction from Stephens' fight was a little east of south.
On our way out we found near where the first Indian was captured a field of 20 or 25 acres covered nearly all over with potatoes and beans and ______ [?] in the hammock we discovered & destroyed 4 corn and rice houses, containing near 100 bush. of corn and 10 or 12 of rice and we must have scratched nearly 40 or 50 bush. of potatoes, without beginning to exhaust them. We discovered on this route 9 fields, not been before, and 6 cribs.
The woman captured was too feeble to travel and we left where we found her. She said she was the wife of Assinwah and that the child was hers that we had. She gave up the child cheerfully, said when she felt well she would come in and bring in the rest of her children. The child died the third night after we got it. It was six or 7 years old I should think [?]. We made a litter and toated the man out. He is very communicative and I think may be useful if he ____ [?] _____ [?] as a __ide [?] and _____ [?] other information about the ______ [?].
I believe that if this party of Indians was now hotly pursued they would soon be brought to terms, as they are certainly as destitute of supllies only what potatoes they got from the fields and a few hogs (before alluded to) some [?] of which [?] we killed, all that we could find on our return.
On our return south we captured seven ponies, and I think found out a much better way than any before discovered, the most over which pack horses could be carried [?] only at Billy's Garden and that could be causewayed in a short time.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
I have the honor to be yr. obt. Servt.
S. L. Sparkman
Capt. Comdg. Co.
April 12, 2001 & October 17, 2001