Claude Walker | Bicentennial-By-Buttons

Apalachicola River

1. The banks of the Apalachicola. Andrew Jackson's invasion came through here, terrorizing Indians and sparking an international incident.

Fort Gadsen/Negro Fort

2. Fort Gadsen, previously known as the Negro Fort.

 Negro Fort courtyard

3. The courtyard of the Negro Fort, where the deadly "hotshot" landed on July 27, 1816

Apalachicola River by Negro Fort

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Looking north from the Fort up the Apalachicola.

  

Negro Fort moat

5. The moat - dug in 1814 by British soldiers- on the Fort's north side.

exhibit at Ft. Gadsen Park

6. "On the Frontier of a Dying Empire". Nice exhibit at Fort Gadsen.

Negro Fort scale model

7. Peer through thin windows to see scale model of Negro Fort.

 Looking south from Negro Fort

8. Looking south from the Fort. This is the escape route used by Kundiata and Uncle Cuffy.

Cottonton (now Apalachicola)

9. The dock at Apalachicola (Cottonton) wasn't nearly as large when Paul Turtle visited.

St. Mark's

10. The St. Mark's Fort was the last stop on Jackson's invasion. The Fort was closed due to budget cuts the day The Author visited.

 Santa Fe River

11. The Santa Fe River (just after it emerges from a cave).

 Santa Fe River

12. The Author kayaks the Santa Fe River, setting for a chase scene in the book. 

armadillo

13. The Author gets lost trying to find the confluence of the Santa Fe and Suwannee; stumbles into armadillo hideout.

Dade trail

14. Trail leading to Dade Battlefield. The smell of turpentine, sounds of woodpeckers and shafts of light haven't changed much since December 28, 1835

Where Dade fell

15. The spot where Dade fell after being shot by Micanopy.

 Dade initial attack

16. Scene of the initial attack.

Dade breastworks

   17. The breastworks from which the remaining Americans fought their last stand.

Seminole warrior at Dade

18. A Seminole warrior in Dade Battlefield Museum.

19. A. U.S. Army soldier in Dade Battlefield Museum

20. Diorama in Dade Battlefield Museum depicting the ambush.

21. Map showing where the dead fell.

Dade signs

22. The battle occurred midway between Ft. Brooke (now Tampa) and Ft. King (now Ocala).

Dade weaponry

23. Weapons of war: a flintlock used by the Seminoles and sword used by the Americans.

Egmont Key dock

        24. The dock at Egmont Key from which thousands of Seminoles were deported.

Egmont Key Lighthouse

25. The lighthouse at Egmont Key.

26. Gopher turtles thrive on Egmont Key.

Egmont Key cemetery

27. The Egmont Key cemetery where several Seminoles are buried.

 Egmont Key holding cell

28. A holding cell on Egmont Key.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

23. The excellent Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum. 

Osceola exhibit at Ah-Tah-Thi Ki Museum

24. Osceola Remembered at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki.

Stickball at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki

 

 

25. Diorama at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki depicting stickball. Another diorama shows the Green Corn Dance.

 

 

 Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki boardwalk

26. Nature Trail Boardwalk at Ah-Tah-Thi Ki. Visit a Seminole camp.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki boardwalk

27. Traditional herbs are identified along with their uses.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki boardwalk

28. The Author almost loses an eye to a giant banana pod.

Seminole Tribal colors

29. Seminole colors fly freely.

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki dugouts

30. A dugout is being dug out.

Dugout

31. From cypress to canoe.

Chickee & Miata

32. The chickee where The Author spent the coldest night on record.

chickee porch

33. Chickee porch.

chickee cot34. Chickee cot.

Airboat at Billie's

35. Airboats zip past the chickee.

Chickee Row

36. Chickee Row at Billie Swamp Safari. 

37. Check for snakes, check for panthers.

Swamp sunset

38. Swamp sunset.

Swamp sunrise

39. Swamp sunrise.

swamp wake-up call

40. Swamp wake-up call. 

Mattecumbe maze

41. Mattecumbe MazeMangrove tunnel

 

 

 

 42. Mangrove tunnel on Mattecumbe, where Paul Turtle and the Fugitives hid.

 

Mattecumbe

43. Trapped in the tunnel.

Moultrie Creek

44. Moultrie Creek, where the Seminoles are duped and Paul Turtle finds love.

Castillo de San Marcos

45. Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine.

Castillo escape window46. Exterior view of escape window. Coacoochee, Juan Cavallo and 16 others climbed down and ran.

 

 

 

47. View of escape window from the San Pablo Bastion. Paul Turtle tossed a "sleepy bomb" onto the bastion to neutralize the sentry.

Castillo - glacis and moat

 

 

 

 

 

48. The dry moat and glacis where the escapees hid.

Suwannee sunset

49. The Author crosses the Suwannee just as the sun sets on his excellent road trip.

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