Life of Major General Zachary Taylor Author:John Frost Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. Jstrblce in tje JIoriDa ai. battle of FTER the treaty of Ghent, in 1815, Major Taylor remained in the West for several years, moving from one... more » post to another, as the 1 interest of the service called him. In 1832, he was promoted to the rank of colonel ; and in an early stage of the war in Florida he was ordered to that country. This war is remarkable for its obstinacy, and the singular manner in which it was conducted. The man who had become a veteran in open battle, when he entered Florida was obliged, to a certain extent, to learn an entirely new course of tactics. The Indians con cealed tbemselves within dense swamps, where it was impossible for an army to follow them ; and from these they sallied at night, in order to cut up small parties, and devastate the country. The extent of these swamps scattered the operations over so large a space, that it was impossible for an army to defend the country with any degree of efficiency. In a short time the war became unpopular with the soldiers themselves, who were exposed to every danger, without the power of properly defending themselves ; and the command of the army in Forida, became a phrase, whose meaning was a concentration of difficulty and peril. In this war few officers distinguished themselves more than Colonel Taylor. He was continually in active service, and won for himself the esteem of both officers and soldiers. But his greatest achievement, and that for which he is principally remembered in connection with Florida, was the battle of Okee-Chobee. This battle was fought on the 25th of December, 1837, between the Americans, under Colonel Taylor, and the Seminoles and Mickasukies, commanded by their chiefs, Alligator and Sam Jones. The United States army had now been in the Florida service for...« less