Before the Storm

As the year drew to a close, both sides knew that a single incident could ignite the smoldering tensions. Finally, in November, Osceola struck the first deadly blow, but not against the whites. Outside Wetumka, he and a band of followers confronted Charley Emathla, a chief friendly to the Americans. Emathla had just sold his cattle in preparation for moving west. He was carrying a bag of coins from the sale. Osceola killed the pro-American chief, then scattered the coins in all directions. He forbid his followers from touching the money, saying that it was made of the red man's blood.

The coins and the corpse lay on the ground for two years.