SW093 Seminole Bruise the Army at Loxahatchee River, But Removal Efforts Continued Unabated

Jackson Walker's painting of General Jesup at Battle of Loxahatchee River in 1838.

 

In January of 1838, the U.S. Army felt they had the Seminole clearly on the run when not pressed against the inhospitable Everglades. Surely, they would surrender before descending into that region. The Army sent out a probe to find them in the vicinity of the Jupiter inlet and Loxahatchee River on the east side of the Florida Peninsula.

Two battles raged, the U.S. Army being the force worse for the wear. They found the Seminole but failed to subdue and capture them. But the Army would not be deterred from the campaign. The battles saw combined warfare with a joint Army-Navy expedition and with a civilian contractor with a West Point pedigree taking charge to save the day. Joseph E. Johnston would be heard from again. 

Here to describe the significance of these two battles in depth is Glenn Bakels. He is a member of the Loxahatchee Battlefield Preservationists, manages their social media accounts, and is a battlefield tour guide at the park. This is Living History Weekend at the Riverbend and Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park. 

 

Host Patrick Swan is a board member with the Seminole Wars Foundation. He is a combat veteran and of the U.S. Army, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Kosovo, and at the Pentagon after 9/11. A military historian, he holds masters degrees in Public History, Communication, and Homeland Security, and is a graduate of the US Army War College with an advanced degree in strategic studies. This podcast is recorded at the homestead of the Seminole Wars Foundation in Bushnell, Florida. 

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