[page 4]
One day, soon afterward, Osceola brought his young wife, Che-che-
ter, or Morning Dew, to Fort King to buy supplies. The white men seized
her and made her prisoner. Osceola became angry and used such abusive
language that General Thompson ordered him arrested and cast into prison.
When Osceola pretended he was sorry, the general released him. (4: p. 99)

Osceola grieved for his lost young wife and planned revenge. In
his anger he said that any Indian who surrendered to the white men was
a traitor. In a few weeks word came that Chief Charlie Emathla had sold
his cattle at Fort King and was preparing to leave Florida. Osceola and
his band killed Chief Emathla because the old chief intended to desert
them. (6: p. 294)

Late in 1835 Osceola and a few warriors left the swamps and hid
themselves near Fort King. On December 28 General Thompson and
Lieutenant Constantine Smith left the fort to take a walk. Osceola saw
that the two men would pass near his hiding place and signaled his men
to be ready. When the whites came close, the Indians fired on them
without warning, killing Thompson and his companion. (8: p. 100)

In the meantime, a great bend of Indians had gathered near the
Withlacoochee River about 40 miles south of Fort King. A runner
brought word to Osceola that they were lying in wait for Major Francis
L. Dade and his men, who were marching from Fort Brooke on Tampa
Bay. Osceola hurried to join them but was too late for the battle in which
the Indians killed Major Dade and his soldiers. (8: p. 116)