Florida, Past and Present

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. Thirty years ago the word Florida was synony mous with mosquitoes, alligators, snakes, and In dians. As a part of this Union, it was at that time considered financially a worthless sand-spit, which had cost our Government fifty million dol lars and many lives in the almost fruitless effort to rescue it from the hands of the wily Creeks and Seminoles, who occupied the middle and southern portions of the State. Fiom the date Of Dade's massacre by Osceola's band near Brooks ville, in December, 1835, which sent a thrill of horror throughout the length and breadth of our land, to the surrender of Billy Bowlegs in 1858, a period of nearly twenty-five years, war was waged by our Government under the leadership of Gen erals Worth, Scott, Harney, Taylor, and their sub ordinates, with the result above stated.