Liberty or Death

As the Americans advanced, the Seminoles retreated. They were searching for the best possible battleground. They found it on December 23rd, on the fringes of Lake Okeechobee. The warriors prepared the site carefully. They concealed themselves behind a swamp. They notched gun rests in the trees. They cleared saw grass to expose the enemy to their fire. 

The Americans reached the clearing at noon on a pleasant Christmas day. They spotted the Seminoles in a hammock almost a mile away. Hundreds of Indian cattle and ponies wandered over an adjacent prairie. Surprised by the eerie calm, Colonel Gentry of the Missouri volunteers suggested a diversionary tactic. Rejecting Gentry's advice -- and questioning his courage -- Taylor ordered a frontal assault.