Surveyor General in Tallahassee. The new man on the job was Major Benjamin Putnam, one of the leading citizens in East Florida and a prominent Jacksonville attorney. Putnam immediately questioned the survey Jackson made of the county site. In a detailed letter of August 11, 1849, Jackson justified his work by quoting a letter by Major L. Whiting which was, by instructions from the previous Surveyor General, to guide him in the survey.14 His explanation appears to have persuaded Putnam and he was soon in line for more survey work. The year 1849 stands out in Jacksons life for two other reasons. The first involved a serious outbreak of Indian trouble (or apparent trouble). This trouble began with the attack on two men in the Indian River settlement and the murders of Captain Payne and Mr. Whidden at the Kennedy and Darling store on present day Paynes Creek, near Wauchula, Florida. As Jackson informed Putnam: The Indians have set the whole country in an uproar -- people are gathering together in every neighborhood building Forts & Blockhouses in order to protect themselves this country never will be settled whilst the Indians are allowed to remain.15 The second reason was the beginning of his general store on the corner of Tampa and Washington Streets. Jackson, if writer Karl Grismer is to be believed, was fortunate to be able to accomplish this goal. In the great hurricane of 1848, Jacksons home, like most others near the water in Tampa, was destroyed and the contents of two strong boxes, which he kept at the store of W. G. Ferris, were carried away by the action of the water. Luckily, Jackson employed two trustworthy Negroes to search for the strong boxes in the debris along the riverbanks. Both boxes were found, near the foot of Washington Street, with the cash still in them.16 Jacksons store proved to be a life-long business but the Indians were an important source of anxiety until the end of the Third Seminole War. The Indian Scare of 1849, which Jackson noted had caused such panic on the frontier, also found more troops being sent to the area and other problems being mentioned in his letters. It has long been known that there was fear of a slave rebellion if Indian troubles rose again in Florida. As a passing note to Surveyor General Putnam, Jackson observed in his August 11, 1849, letter: “ T.S. Mr. Irwin was here a few days ago he was obliged to go to the Manatee again in order to muster a party to go with him to the Myacka where he left his Waggon & cos. &c when he was here he gave a pass to 2 Boys belonging to a Mr. Sanchez from St. Augustine to go home -- Major Morris the Commander at this place followed them and brought them back -- on suspicion of having inviagled a negroe of here away with them. He has them in the guard house instead of delivering them over to the civil authorities Mr. Irwin was gone before they were brought back he has not heard of it yet.”17 Major William W. Morris, then commander at Fort Brooke, with two companies of the Fourth Artillery as his sole support in the face of an Indian outbreak, was not taking any chances with Surveyor John Irwins hirelings causing any disturbances or defecting to Billy Bowlegs camps. Having served in Florida during the Second Seminole War he was not about to allow the large scale defections witnessed in the first year of that conflict. Major Morris would not be responsible for allowing a slave/Indian rebellion while he was on watch duty.18 Indian tensions continued to build along the frontier. With the murder of one Daniel Hubbard, the situation became so tense that rather than risk another war, Billy Bowlegs, who had been living near Lake Thonotosassa, decided to leave the vicinity of white society and retire to the relative safety of the Everglades. With the departure of the Bowlegs encampment, the last was seen of the Indians in Hillsborough County, until the outbreak of war in December 1855.19 The strong suspicion of a possible renewal of war against the remaining Seminoles was expressed frequently in John Jacksons letters of 1854-55. Writing the new Surveyor General, John Westcott, on July 1, 1854, Jackson quipped: I cannot go to the field for some time yet until I get supplys which I sent for to N. Orleans. Unless the Indians get my scalp (which is the opinion of many in this part) you shall hear from me occasionally.”20 For the entire last quarter of 1854, while Jackson was in the field, Westcott did not hear from his old friend and fellow surveyor. Jackson opened his January 12, 1855, letter as follows: I presume on account of my long silence that you begin to think by this time (with others of our neighbours) that King Billy has got hold of us but such is not the case as you will presently see on my reporting progress.21 This somewhat playful attitude seems to have been necessary to survival facing the conditions of Floridas difficult frontier, Indians and all. The 1854-55 surveying season was a very harsh one for John Jackson and his crew. It begun with the admonition of Surveyor General Westcott: It is my wish and intention, so far as I can control the matter, to have all surveys made under my supervision to be more perfect than they have been heretofore, and escuted strictly according to Law. The surveys of Florida, up to this time, had not been noted for accuracy, but for the careless manner in which many had been conducted.22 By starting in August, Jackson ran into Floridas rainy season which complicated a survey that was already in troub1c by having incorrect measurements for the township corners. On August 14, he wrote Westcott: I have ran west on the standard line as far as Peas Creek we had some swimming through the swamp before we got as far as the bank of the creek every Pond and Prairie swamp &c arc flowing over -- I have taken the Chills on saturday last I presume Its owing to my not being accustomed to wading waste deep in water for some years past.23 By September 10, the rains had caused the entire area to be under water and forced Jackson to suspend operations. To complicate matters, one of his chainmen caused a number of errors which forced the surveyor to resurvey portions of the area again, in the same adverse conditions. He notified Westcott: when I commence again (which I will as soon as the water falls) I hope to have better Cha inmen.”24 To make sure the Surveyor General had a clear idea of the cause of this suspended operation, Jackson wrote: I am very sory that I can not proceed with the work, as you seem to be in a hurry with--I will loose but as little time as possible untill I try it again--my men were very ill with the diarea &c & could not get them to continue.”25 By October 1, 1854, Jackson was writing that provisions were a problem: I scarcely know what to do for provisions as there has not been a vessel here from New Orleans in 2 or 3 months and there is not one Barrel of Flower or Bread in the place; however I will be able to get some provisions in the country untill the steamboat arrives. She is expected about the 8th Inst.”26 Jackson and his crew(s) did not finish the work of his contract until February of 1855. This same survey also brought another problem to the fore. The Seminoles were watching the progress of his survey party and made some highly visible gestures to warn them not to enter the area. In one of the more telling letters written by the surveyor, he stated: I had a great deal to contend with in having a rough country, bad weather, and what was worse than all in trying to dispell the fears of the men - The Indians were watching our movements, ever after our crossing Charlepopka Creek and perticularly about the Big Prairie and thence to Istockpoga Lake they set the woods on fire about us frequently; I presume they thought to frighten us from going further on their Boundariy, however I was determined to go on with the work unless they were to come up and explain themselves, they tryed to keep out of sight all they could - but in the end I caught one of them reconitering our camp it happened on Sunday near the S.E. corner of T. 34. R. 28 1 was out examining the country and on my return as I emerged out of a spruce pine scrub I saw an Indian travelling along our line from our Camp I called to him and motioned to him to come up to me, he signed to me and stood untill I went to him I shook hands with him and asked him to our Camp he appeared very much mortified at my seeing him he came to the camp and east and smoked the pipe with me and was to return the next day with a few dressed Buckskins, when the Foxey (Sun) would be about one hour high he did not return nor did they set fire near us after - They have been complaining to Capt Casey that we frequently crossed their lines.27 Jacksons candor indicates that he knew he was close to the twenty mile neutral area that was guaranteed by General Worth in 1842. It was the deliberate policy of the U. S. Government, with heavy pressure from the States officials to violate the line with surveys, it being presumed that if the lands were surveyed, and the Seminoles knowing what that implied, they would see the fruitlessness of their resistance to emigration. It was a policy of peaceful pressure to get the Indians to remove and the U. S. Deputy Surveyors, like John Jackson, were the instruments of this policy. In December of 1855, when Lieutenant George Hartsuff and his command violated the infamous banana patch of Billy Bowlegs, they were not in the area as surveyors in the manner of Jackson, Irwin and others. They were on a scouting mission for the U. S. Army seeking to locate Indian settlements and fields. There was a marked difference between the activities of Jackson and those of Lt. Hartsuff, which explains why, of the three U. S. Deputy Surveyors in the field at the outbreak of hostillties, none of them were harmed in any way. The Indians knew the difference in the functions of the groups violating their boundary, even if historians have confused the issue.28
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 18:36:03 +0000
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