General Thomas Jesup organizes a sweep down…

General Thomas Jesup organizes a sweep down the Florida peninsula with multiple columns, pushing the Seminoles further south.

On Christmas Day 1837, Colonel Zachary Taylor's column of eight hundred men encounters a body of about four hundred Seminoles on the north shore of Lake Okeechobee.

The Seminoles, led by Sam Jones, Alligator, and the recently escaped Coacoochee, are well positioned in a hammock surrounded by sawgrass.

Taylor's army comes up to a large hammock with half a mile of swamp in front of it.

On the far side of the hammock is Lake Okeechobee, were the saw grass stands five feet high and the mud and water are three feet deep; horses will be of no use.

It is plain that the Seminole mean this to be the battleground.

They have sliced the grass to provide an open field of fire and have notched the trees to steady their rifles.

Their scouts are perched in the treetops to follow every movement of the troops coming up.

At about half past noon, the sun shining directly overhead and the air still and quiet, Taylor moves his troops squarely into the center of the swamp.

His plan is to make a direct attack rather than encircle the Indians.

All his men are on foot.

In the first line are the Missouri volunteers.

As soon as they come within range, the Indians open with heavy fire.

The volunteers break; their commander, the fatally wounded Colonel Gentry, is unable to rally them.

They flee back across the swamp.

The fighting in the saw grass is deadliest for five companies of the Sixth Infantry; every officer but one, and most of their noncoms are killed or wounded.

When that part of the regiment retires a short distance to re-form, they find only four men of these companies unharmed.

The Seminoles are eventually driven from the hammock, escaping across the lake.

Taylor loses twenty-six killed and one hundred and twelve wounded, while the Seminole casualties are eleven dead and fourteen wounded.

Nevertheless, the Battle of Lake Okeechobee is hailed as a great victory for Taylor and the Army.