Sounafe Tustenuggee, Abraham

Sept 1, 2010, Alligator (Lake City), Fla.

In 1897, Montgomery Folsom wrote in the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph a story about how the Seminole leader, Abraham came to Florida. The story is intriguing, but also hard to believe- so many historic elements have been rolled into one event- but there may be a modicum of truth behind it. He states that Abraham was blackbirded (induced to run away) from a plantation in Alabama by John Murrell's men, whom he attributes to the guise of The Pony Club and taken to Florida for resale. Abraham slew his captors and ran to Florida to hide with the Seminole. He later returned to his Alabama plantation and aided in the escape of his sister and others. When Osceoloa met his sister he fell madly in love with her and married her.

Abraham became a thorn in the side of the Americans, raiding settlers from his hidden lair at Abrahamtown in the swamps of Florida. Abraham in 1836 led an attack on Major Dade's 100 men at the Ouithlacoochee River, killing them all. This resulted in the most costly US war to date called both "The Creek War" and the "Second Seminole War". Abraham was defeated and sent west to Oklahoma.

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The Story of Abraham, the Seminole leader