The Battle of Ocheesee in Calhoun & Liberty Counties, Florida

The longest sustained fight of the Seminole Wars

by Dale Cox

Red Stick Creek warriors attack from the bank of the
Apalachicola River during the annual Scott 1817 Seminole
War Battle Reenactment. The attack at Ocheesee Bluff
looked similar to this.

The Native American army of the Prophet Josiah Francis launched a massive attack against three U.S. ships on the Apalachicola River on December 15, 1817 – 202 years ago today.

The morning of December 15 found 800-1,200 Red Stick Creek, Seminole, Lower Creek, Miccosukee, Yuchi, and Black Seminole warriors positioned on both sides of Florida’s Apalachicola River. Their location was a twisting section between Ocheesee Bluff in what is now Calhoun County and today’s Torreya State Park across the river in Liberty County. Provisioned with corn and other supplies captured at William Hambly’s plantation at present-day Blountstown, they were prepared for a battle that would prove to be the longest of the Seminole Wars.

The sloop Phoebe Ann and the schooners Little Sally and General Pike were ocean-going vessels with captains and crews accustomed to long voyages at sea. The latter of these was one of the supply vessels involved in the American attack on the Fort at Prospect Bluff or Negro Fort seventeen months before.

The Battle of Ocheesee was fought on the Apalachicola River
in Calhoun and Liberty Counties, Florida. The battlefield is
seen here from Ocheesee Bluff.

The ships were slowly making their way up the Apalachicola River with cargoes of ammunition, regimental clothing, and other supplies for the 4th and 7th Regiments of U.S. Infantry. The men of these units comprised the bulk of the garrison at Fort Scott on today's Lake Seminole. They had marched overland from Fort Montgomery and Camp Montpelier in Alabama, but the majority of their heavy supplies was sent by ship. The Prophet Francis was determined to stop the necessities from getting through.

The Prophet's strategy reflected lessons learned from the Creek War of 1813-1814. Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson penetrated the heart of the Creek Nation and defeated the Red Stick forces at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, thanks to a long and tenuous supply line. Francis recognized that U.S. troops were helpless without their supplies and moved to cut off the main fighting force at Fort Scott from resupply. He planned to starve out the garrison and force its retreat.

Warriors rained down fire on the U.S. vessels from the top of
Ocheesee Bluff. The large tree at the top was toppled by
Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

The site for the main attack on the Apalachicola River was carefully chosen. The river flows around two sharp bends between Ocheesee Bluff and today's Torreya State Park. The high bluffs in the park offered sweeping views of the entire scene, while the surface of Ocheesee Bluff on the west bank was just high enough for warriors to fire down into the ships as they attempted to pass. The alignment of the bends allowed warriors to fire from all four directions.

The vessels were moving upstream by warping. This means that they sailed in a zigzag course so their sails could catch just enough wind to keep moving. The alignment of the river bends, however, allowed rifles and muskets to be aimed at the decks and rigging from all four directions. If the sailors could not work the sails, the ships would be dead in the water.

In addition to their crews, the Little Sally and Phoebe Ann carried a 110 man escort under Maj. Peter Muhlenberg. A son of Gen. Peter He was a seasoned veteran of heavy fighting on the Canadian border during the War of 1812 and was the son of Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, the famed "fighting parson" of the American Revolution. His soldiers were primarily drawn from the 4th Regiment, although 40 men from the 7th had come down on a keelboat with Lt. Richard W. Scott in late November. 

The keelboat Aux Arc ("Ozark") fires her swivel gun during
this year's reenactment of the Scott Battle of 1817. A similar
boat took part in the Battle of Ocheesee.

Scott was dead now, along with 34 men, 6 women, and 4 children. (Please see The Scott Battle of 1817).

The 40 men of his original command were still with Muhlenberg. Another 40 men were ordered from Fort Scott to assist the unfortunate lieutenant but passed the scene of his defeat in the darkness without seeing anything. They informed the men on the ships of the outbreak of war and of their failure to find Scott's command. Maj. Muhlenberg kept them and their keelboat to strengthen his force, which now numbered around 190 men.

The three vessels reached William Hambly's store at Spanish Bluff (today's Neal Landing at Blountstown, Florida) late on December 13, 1817. They arrived just hours after a Red Stick Creek and Seminole force under the Fowltown war chief Chenubby attacked the settlement, capturing Hambly and his guest Edmund Doyle, and killing the U.S.-allied chief William Perryman. (Please see A Battle of Blountstown, Florida).

The signs were ominous, but Muhlenberg knew that the supplies onboard the ships - especially the ammunition - were desperately needed at Fort Scott. He continued slowly upriver, reaching the spot selected by the Prophet Francis for his attack on the morning of December 15, 1817:

Warriors firing from Ocheesee Bluff and other points around
a double bend of the Apalachicola River were able to pin
down the supply ships trying to sail upstream to Fort Scott.

On Monday morning the transports were attacked by Indians from both sides of the river with a heavy fire of small arms. We returned their fire, the firing has continued ever since. We have lost two men killed and thirteen wounded, most of them severely. Whether we have injured them any I am not able to say. We are now compelled to remain here, as it is impossible for us to carry out a warp, as a man cannot shew himself above the bulwarks without being fired on. [i]

One of the severely wounded men died within the next few days.

The three vessels could not move forward or backward. Warriors were firing from all directions, and the sailors could not work the rigging and sails. The anchors were dropped, and the soldiers fired back as best they could.

The Phoebe Ann and Little Sally often sailed in pirate-infested waters and were undoubtedly armed with at least swivel cannon for their protection. A few small cannonballs have been found in the battlefield area, so the guns were undoubtedly used when possible. 

This massive old live oak atop Ocheesee Bluff likely survived
the Battle of Ocheesee. It later stood in the yard of the historic
Gregory House which can be visited today on the opposite
side of the river in Torreya State Park.

It was a chaotic scene. War cries and shouts from the warriors filled the air as the rattle of musket and rifle fire was punctuated by the occasional boom of a cannon. The sound of lead balls striking the bulwarks and masts of the ships was constant, as were the groans and cries of the wounded soldiers: 

…I can assure you that our present situation is not the most Pleasant not knowing how soon or whether we are to receive succor from above, the wounded are but in a bad situation owing to the vessels being much crowded, and it is impossible to make them any ways comfortable on board. Not having other means to communicate to you, I am compelled to dispatch the keel boat with instructions to make the best of his way to Fort Scott. I hope to hear from you soon with instructions how I am to proceed in my present situation. [ii] 

The keelboat was fitted with a protective cover before it left Fort Scott. This allowed Capt. J.J. Clinch and his men to break through the ring of fire and escape upriver by using their oars. The two larger ships had no such protection and were destined to remain engaged in the most prolonged continuous battle of the Seminole Wars.

The Battle of Ocheesee continued for two weeks to come.

The best places to see the battlefield are from Ocheesee Landing in Calhoun County and Torreya State Park across the river in Liberty County. The landing is at the east end of Ocheesee Landing Road off FL-69 between Blountstown and Grand Ridge, Florida. The state park is at 2767 NW Torreya Park Road in Bristol, Florida.

There are no interpretive signs to tell the story, but the fighting took place between the clearly visible bends of the river (see the map below). Ocheesee Bluff is also the site of a noted "ghost town" and was the county seat for one of Florida's lost counties! Click play to learn more:

  Editor's Note: Please consider these books by historian Dale Cox to learn more about the Battle of Ocheesee and the Seminole War in 1817-1818:

References:

[i] Maj. P. Muhlenburg to Lt. Col. Matthew Arbuckle, December 17, 1817, Adjutant General, Letters Received, National Archives.

[ii] Ibid.