Slave Hunter Wilson (Barton MacLane) attacked a Seminole village, collecting any blacks he could. By default, all blacks were escaped slaves. During this attack, he tried to take Chechotah (Lita Milan). She managed to flee into the swamps. By the time Wilson and his men returned to Fort King, all the slaves he had caught had been freed by Osceola (James Craig). Wilson was furious and complained to the Indian Agent Gillis. In a later attack, Wilson whipped Osceola and carried away Chechotah. Now Osceola confronted Agent Gillis. Gillis tossed Osceola in confinement until such time as the chiefs would convene and sign a treaty to leave Florida. At the signing, only one chief signed; Osceola stabbed a knife into the document! Osceola saw war as the only choice.
Though a low-budget B-movie, this does a surprisingly good job. It is much better than Seminole, which had such stars at Rock Hudson, Anthony Quinn, and Lee Marvin. The movie touches on many actual events and issues:
- Osceola had a black wife named Chechotah. The movie casts Lita Milan, a woman of Polish & Hungarian ancestry, for the role. Even though she is clearly not black, Wilson identifies her as an escaped slave. Here is a casting decision based on the mores of 1950s America.
- Florida had been a haven for escaped slaves for decades. The Seminoles integrated them into the tribe, often as equals and also as slaves of a different master. The Seminoles that were willing to go to Oklahoma fully expected to take their black members (slave or otherwise) with them. That view was not popular among slave owners. This view is well-demonstrated by the character of Wilson.
- The Treaty of Payne's Landing was signed in 1832, prior to the start of the movie. However, Osceola reportedly stabbed the document with his knife, which is shown.
- Osceola shot Charley Emathla for agreeing to move his tribe west of the Mississippi. He also discarded the money the United States had paid to Emathla.
- Osceola and several others shot and killed Wiley Thompson, the Indian agent who imprisoned him, while he was walking outside Fort King. For some reason, he is renamed as Arthur Gillis in the movie.
- Fort King was burned by the Seminoles. The movie combines the burning of the fort with the killing of the Indian agent. In fact, it was several month later and the fort had been abandoned.
- Major Francis Dade (Robert Wark) and all but 3 of his men were killed while traveling from Fort Brooke (Tampa Bay) to Fort King (Ocala). The massacre happened on the same day - December 28, 1835 - that Osceola killed the Indian agent. Dade was killed in the first volley and did not take part in the desperate battle that followed.
- Osceola was captured under flag of truce. In the movie, the fictional General Finch (Peter Dearing) gave the order. In fact, it was General Thomas Jessup who gave the order and General Joseph Hernandez who was on hand to carry it out.
- Osceola died in prison several months after his capture. The movie implies he was still held in Florida, but he had been moved to Fort Moultrie in Charleston, South Carolina.
The story deviated from history on several points:
- The war started because the Seminoles were clearly being cheated. They had several years left on another treaty that assured them residence in Florida. Men who were not chiefs had been forced to sign a treaty in order to return from surveying the new lands in Oklahoma. The movie leans into Osceola avenging the loss of his wife to slave hunters.
- It is repeatedly implied that Osceola translates to Rising Sun in English. He is repeatedly referred to that way by other Seminoles. In fact, it means Black Drink Singer, or something along those lines.
- Francis Dade did not grow up in Florida. He was from Virginia, but found his way to Florida during the First Seminole War (1818) with General Andrew Jackson. He remained in Florida thereafter with postings in Pensacola, Tampa Bay, and Key West. Though he may have met Osceola at some point, it is unlikely they were good friends as the movie proposes.
- The movie ends with Chechotah's voice over about how Osceola had fought for the peace of his people and some such as if the war was at an end. The Seminole War had another 4 years to go.
- The US Army uniforms are not right. The enlisted soldiers' jacket and trousers should match, sky blue in color. Instead, the soldiers are wearing dark blue jackets and light pants.
Though the film quality is grainy and the acting is unremarkable, this was a fun watch. It is vastly superior to the star-studded Seminole. Good popcorn fun!
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