![[SEMINOLES]. An Authentic Narrative of the Seminole War; and of the Miraculous Escape of Mrs. Mary Godfrey, and Her Four Female Children. Annexed is a Minute Detail of the Horrid Massacres of the Whites, by the Indians and Negroes, in Florida, in the months of December January, and February. New York: D.F. Blanchard, 1836.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2005/NYR/2005_NYR_01614_0148_000(102407).jpg?w=1)
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[SEMINOLES]. An Authentic Narrative of the Seminole War; and of the Miraculous Escape of Mrs. Mary Godfrey, and Her Four Female Children. Annexed is a Minute Detail of the Horrid Massacres of the Whites, by the Indians and Negroes, in Florida, in the months of December January, and February. New York: D.F. Blanchard, 1836.
8o (254 x 140 mm). Folding hand-colored woodcut frontispiece: "Massacres of the Whites by the Indians and Blacks in Florida," title with woodcut vignette of a woman defending her children (frontispiece with long tear, separation along fold mended on verso, some foxing throughout). Original plain yellow printed wrappers, uncut; green quarter morocco slipcase. Provenance: Frank T. Siebert (his sale Sotheby's New York, 28 October 1999, lot 650).
FIRST EDITION. The anonymous author provides details of the Seminoles gleaned from an 11-month's stay in Florida secretly observing their actions. The text provides a superb account of the second Seminole War, detailing the Indian attacks against white settlers including the Robbins, Conley, Rigby and Godfrey families. Also included is an account of the massacre of Major Dade and his forces on 28 December 1835, the attack on General Clinch's troops just three days afterwards and the relief of General Gaines' forces by Clinch in March 1836. The leader of the Seminoles, Osceola, is described in detail, especially the guerilla tactics he used to resist the forced removal of his people from Florida. The author tells the story in graphic, vivid language: "Many horrid murders have been perpetrated; a great number of the most valuable plantations have been totally destroyed, and whole families missing; and as the Indians have been frequently discovered dancing to and fro around their burning dwellings, there can be but little doubt but some of the missing were consumed in them" (p. 13).
The work was also issued in Providence, 1836; the present New York edition is much scarcer. Howes S-278; Servies 1850; Sabin 79064.
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FIRST EDITION. The anonymous author provides details of the Seminoles gleaned from an 11-month's stay in Florida secretly observing their actions. The text provides a superb account of the second Seminole War, detailing the Indian attacks against white settlers including the Robbins, Conley, Rigby and Godfrey families. Also included is an account of the massacre of Major Dade and his forces on 28 December 1835, the attack on General Clinch's troops just three days afterwards and the relief of General Gaines' forces by Clinch in March 1836. The leader of the Seminoles, Osceola, is described in detail, especially the guerilla tactics he used to resist the forced removal of his people from Florida. The author tells the story in graphic, vivid language: "Many horrid murders have been perpetrated; a great number of the most valuable plantations have been totally destroyed, and whole families missing; and as the Indians have been frequently discovered dancing to and fro around their burning dwellings, there can be but little doubt but some of the missing were consumed in them" (p. 13).
The work was also issued in Providence, 1836; the present New York edition is much scarcer. Howes S-278; Servies 1850; Sabin 79064.