Dade's Last Command [Hardcover]

Mr. Frank Laumer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 1995

From the Foreword:

"The definitive account of the march and annihilation of Major Francis Dade's column of 108 men in December 1835. . . . Extensive knowledge of the soldiers, the Seminoles, and the terrain is woven into the text.  There does not exist a more vivid, but at the same time historically accurate account of a single action in U.S. military literature."

 

"...a gripping account of the infamous Dade Massacre and probably the best book ever written about the Second Seminole War."--Matt Pearcy, The Journal of America's Military Past

 

Dade's Battle in December 1835 precipitated the Second Seminole War.  It was the first American war fought over the issue of slavery, Frank Laumer writes, and it occurred principally because of white determination to protect the institution.

     In their search for runaway slaves, white citizens of Georgia and Florida invaded Seminole land and met with resistance; the violent encounters that followed led to Dade's Battle.  As a result, Laumer says, the escape hatch was closed, Native Americans were removed from the land, and Florida was made "safe" for white expansion.

     Coupling thirty years of research with a passion to understand the fate of Major Dade's command and the motivations of the attacking Seminoles, Laumer has written a vivid account of a battle that changed Florida's history.  After walking Dade's route on the Fort King Road from Tampa to the battlefield north of the Withlacoochee River--wearing the complete woolen uniform of an enlisted man, carrying musket, canteen, pack, bayonet, and haversack--Laumer can describe not only the clothing and weapons of the soldiers but also the tension and fear they felt as they marched through Seminole territory.  He has also assessed the position of the Seminoles, sympathizing with the choices forced by their leaders.

     Laumer also describes the backgrounds of the soldiers who marched under Dade and the role of much-maligned black interpreter, Louis Pacheco, and he offers new insights on the mistakes made by the commanders who ordered the march.

     More than the account of a single military action, Dade's Last Command is the story of good and decent men "who died violent and terrible deaths to perpetuate a political and social evil."

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Laumer's latest history on the annihilation of a column of soldiers led by Major Francis Dade across Florida in 1835 "supersedes Massacre! [his 1968 work] as the definitive account" because the author has tracked down previously unrecorded documents, letters, and period interviews. Also new to this narrative is Laumer's own experience walking the trail in full gear as part of a reenactment. Laumer's focus is on the slaughter of Dade and most of his company, more than 100 soldiers and 3 survivors. The soldiers were marching specifically to quell the rebellious Seminoles who were aiding escaped black slaves. The successful attack on Dade's company triggered a brutal clampdown on the Seminoles. It has been said that the war in Florida was "a slave-catching enterprise for the benefit of the citizens of Georgia and Florida." It is noteworthy that the Second Seminole War, precipitated by Dade's battle, was the first American war fought over the issue of slavery, and it resulted in the removal of the Seminoles from their land, leaving the country "safe" for white expansion. Denise Perry Donavin

Book Description

From the Foreword:

"The definitive account of the march and annihilation of Major Francis Dade's column of 108 men in December 1835. . . . Extensive knowledge of the soldiers, the Seminoles, and the terrain is woven into the text.  There does not exist a more vivid, but at the same time historically accurate account of a single action in U.S. military literature."

 

"...a gripping account of the infamous Dade Massacre and probably the best book ever written about the Second Seminole War."--Matt Pearcy, The Journal of America's Military Past

 

Dade's Battle in December 1835 precipitated the Second Seminole War.  It was the first American war fought over the issue of slavery, Frank Laumer writes, and it occurred principally because of white determination to protect the institution.

     In their search for runaway slaves, white citizens of Georgia and Florida invaded Seminole land and met with resistance; the violent encounters that followed led to Dade's Battle.  As a result, Laumer says, the escape hatch was closed, Native Americans were removed from the land, and Florida was made "safe" for white expansion.

     Coupling thirty years of research with a passion to understand the fate of Major Dade's command and the motivations of the attacking Seminoles, Laumer has written a vivid account of a battle that changed Florida's history.  After walking Dade's route on the Fort King Road from Tampa to the battlefield north of the Withlacoochee River--wearing the complete woolen uniform of an enlisted man, carrying musket, canteen, pack, bayonet, and haversack--Laumer can describe not only the clothing and weapons of the soldiers but also the tension and fear they felt as they marched through Seminole territory.  He has also assessed the position of the Seminoles, sympathizing with the choices forced by their leaders.

     Laumer also describes the backgrounds of the soldiers who marched under Dade and the role of much-maligned black interpreter, Louis Pacheco, and he offers new insights on the mistakes made by the commanders who ordered the march.

     More than the account of a single military action, Dade's Last Command is the story of good and decent men "who died violent and terrible deaths to perpetuate a political and social evil."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 311 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida; 1st edition (August 23, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813013240
• ISBN-13: 978-0813013244
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,135,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark tragedy in the Florida wilds, April 24, 2000

By 

Gary S. Zaboly (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dade's Last Command (Hardcover)

I have just finished reading this excellent book, and I am certain that the scenes of the march and ultimate annihilation of Major Francis Dade's column by the Seminole Indians will haunt me for a long time to come, just as the movie version of this event, Naked In The Sun, did when I saw it as a child in 1957. However, unlike that film, this book is hard, unadorned reality, with the facts more incredible than any fictional trimmings. The Dade Massacre remains less than a footnote in the popular imagination only because the fall of the Alamo occurred less than 3 months afterwards; but Mr. Laumer's book will surely enlighten those who don't know about it as well as those who think they do, for the author has combed every possible avenue of research in putting together the widely scattered pieces---and often they are mere crumbs---of this story. The suspense and high drama is quite palpable, and the reader is made to feel as if he is one of Dade's soldiers as they are whittled away first on the road, and then within their pathetic log breastwork. The saga of survivor Ransom Clark, and how he somehow managed to limp and crawl his way back to Fort Brooke---over 60 miles in three days----despite multiple wounds, is truly incredible, and would not pass muster in a work of fiction. The only thing really lacking in the book is a map of the Florida of the period---1835---that would have helped readers unfamiliar with the landscape better understand where the events were taking place. However, a collection of contemporary maps and drawings of the immediate battlefield certainly make an understanding of the action there as clear as a bell; and rare portraits of some of the men involved, on both sides, provide an immediacy and a humanity to the history.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Before Custer There Was Dade, September 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Dade's Last Command (Hardcover)

This book is the product of years of study and of walking over the ground of Dade's massacre. Unlike Custer, Dade left some survivors to tell the tale. Those of you familiar with the enormous literature on Custer will recognize the type of book "Dade's Last Command" is, a study of a single battle from as many angles as can be researched by the author. Yes, the last stand of Dade and his men mark the official opening of the Second Seminole War, a war that made and tarnished the reputations of Zachary Tayor and Winfield Scott, whose career streatched from the War of 1812 to the Civil War. But be clear this is a battle study centering around the end of Dade and his 108 men. So don't be mislead by the book jacket description.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NIGHTMARE FOR THE HOLIDAY, March 30, 2000

By 

frank scheetz (GRACEVILLE,FLORIDA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dade's Last Command (Hardcover)

This is a great book! researched exhaustively,and for 30 years the author writes this as if you are marching right beside the doomed column.You can hear the shuffle of the feet feel the tension as they march to their deaths,and above all you feel the forlorn hope diminish with each passing hour. A GREAT GREAT BOOK. A MASTERPIECE! I CANNOT PRAISE THIS TOO HIGHLY! A great book on a forgotten time and place. WISH TED TURNER would make this into a TNT ORIGINAL MOVIE!And follow the truth of the format. A VERY GOOD STORY!