Escape

On June 2nd, John Horse made his first mark as a leader within the Seminole alliance. At the time, General Jesup was still hopeful for peace. He had gathered 700 Seminole allies near Fort Brooke. Twenty-six ships lay in the harbor, ready to take them west. But when the general awoke that morning, his relocation camp was empty. Overnight, all 700 allies had fled into the wilderness. John Horse, Osceola, and Sam Jones, the seventy-year-old Mikasuki chief also known as Arpeika, led the mass escape. Micanopy protested, but the militants forced him to join. The war was renewed.