Uchee Billy or Yuchi Billy (unknown–November 25, 1837, St. Augustine, Florida) was a chief of a

Yuchi The Yuchi people, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American tribe based in Oklahoma. In the 16th century, Yuchi people lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee. In the late 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, G ...

band in Florida during the first half of the 19th century. Uchee Billy's band was living near

Lake Miccosukee Lake Miccosukee is a large swampy prairie lake in northern Jefferson County, Florida, located east of the settlement of Miccosukee. A small portion of the lake, its northwest corner, is located in Leon County. The small town of Miccosukee, Flo ...

when

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

invaded Spanish Florida during the

First Seminole War The Seminole Wars (also known as the Florida Wars) were three related military conflicts in Florida between the United States and the Seminole, citizens of a Native American nation which formed in the region during the early 1700s. Hostilities ...

and attacked the villages in the area. Yuchi Billy and his band then moved to the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

. During the Second Seminole War, Uchee Billy was an ally of the

Seminoles The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and ...

, and was one of the principal war chiefs who fought the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

Early life

Uchee Billy was said to be the son of John Hicks (Tukose Emathla), a

Mikasuki The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Florida. They were part of the Seminole nation until the mid-20th century, when they organized as an independent tribe, receiving f ...

chief, and his wife. In 1818 he was identified as the chief of a Yuchi town of about 75 people associated with

villages east of

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

(around

). After Andrew Jackson's troops raided the Mikasuki villages in 1818, the Yuchi led by Uchee Billy moved east to the

area. The new village was established at Spring Garden (now De Leon Springs in

Volusia County Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...

) by 1821. It has been suggested that Euchee Billy's band moved to Spring Garden to be near the Mikasuki band led by

Ee-mat-la Ee-mat-la, also known as King Phillip, (9 October 1739 - 8 October 1839) was a Seminole chief during the Second Seminole War. He was captured while camped at Dunlawton plantation, and held at Fort Marion The Castillo de San Marcos ( Spanis ...

(known as King Phillip). Uchee Billy's band was shortly afterward persuaded to leave Spring Garden by a white settler and moved to a place southwest of the St. Johns River. The U.S. government seems to have ignored the Yuchi presence, as no Yuchi chiefs were invited to the negotiations that resulted in the

Treaty of Moultrie Creek The Treaty of Moultrie Creek was an agreement signed in 1823 between the government of the United States and the chiefs of several groups and bands of Indians living in the present-day state of Florida. The treaty established a reservation in th ...

in 1823.

Second Seminole War

While the Yuchi were reported to have participated in the 1835 ambush of U.S. Army troops known as the

Dade massacre The Dade battle (often called the Dade massacre) was an 1835 military defeat for the United States Army. The U.S. was attempting to force the Seminoles to move away from their land in Florida and relocate to Indian Territory (in what would becom ...

, Uchee Billy is not known to have been there. He did travel into

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

at the beginning of the Second Seminole War and recruited more than 100 men to fight in Florida. At the end of 1835, a war party of 80 to 120 men began attacking plantations east of the St. Johns River and south of St. Augustine. The war party, which included a few Yuchi and blacks, was identified as being under Uchee Billy's command. The war party burned buildings, including the lighthouse at Mosquito Inlet. and carried away slaves. A party under the leadership of Uchee Billy killed a member of a plantation family in January, causing the remaining white residents of the area to evacuate to St. Augustine. General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

assumed charge of the war in Florida in 1836, and initiated a plan to drive the Seminole out of their refuge in the

Cove of the Withlacoochee Tsala Apopka Lake is a chain of lakes located within a bend in the Withlacoochee River in Citrus County in north central Florida. This area is known historically as the Cove of the Withlacoochee. Tsala Apopka Lake is composed of a number of lak ...

into northern Florida, where the Army could more easily engage with them. One column, under Brigadier General

Abraham Eustis Abraham Eustis (March 26, 1786 – June 27, 1843) was a lawyer and notable U.S. Army officer, eventually rising to become a Brevet Brigadier General. He saw service in Florida and became a notable artillery specialist and the first commander ...

, left St. Augustine and proceeded up the St. Johns River to

Volusia Volusia County (, ) is located in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Florida, stretching between the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census, the county was home to 553,543 people, an increase of 11.9% from the 2 ...

, before crossing the river to head toward the Cove. Eustis's column engaged in a couple of skirmishes with Seminole warriors. After one skirmish it was reported that Ya-ha Hadjo, a Seminole chief, and Uchee Billy had been killed. It was found that the identification of Uchee Billy was mistaken. Uchee Billy was captured by

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Joseph Hernandez, commander of the East Florida Militia, on the night of September 10, 1837. His brother Uchee Jack and most of his small band were also captured. Only one member of the band of 21 escaped. Hernandez was led to the site by a Seminole, Tomoka John, who had been captured along with Seminole Chief King Phillip two nights earlier at Dunlawton Plantation. One U.S. soldier, 21-year-old Lieutenant John Winfield Scott McNeil, nephew of Franklin Pierce, was killed during the capture of Uchee Billy. A contemporary news account states only that Lieutenant McNeil was mortally wounded in the attack on the Yuchi camp. A 19th-century military history records that Uchee Billy shot Lt. McNeil as he led the charge into the Yuchi camp. Uchee Billy and his band were imprisoned in

Fort Marion The Castillo de San Marcos ( Spanish for "St. Mark's Castle") is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States; it is located on the western shore of Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine, Florida. It was designed by the Spanish ...

in St. Augustine, where

Coacoochee Wild Cat, also known as ''Coacoochee'' or ''Cowacoochee ''(from Creek ''Kowakkuce "''bobcat, wildcat''"') ''(c. 1807/1810–1857) was a leading Seminole chieftain during the later stages of the Second Seminole War and the nephew of Micanopy. Bac ...

and

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Muscogee language, Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a S ...

were also being held.

Death

He died in the fort on November 25, 1837 in prison in St. Augustine, Florida. After his death his skull was defleshed by the attending physician

Frederick Weedon Frederick R. Weedon (1784–1857) was a contract surgeon to the U.S. Army during the Second Seminole War and was the physician who attended to the ailing Seminole warriors Osceola and Uchee Billy after their capture, and was notorious for decap ...

from St. Augustine who kept it as a macabre curio. Weedon was also the attending physician for Osceola, whom he decapitated after his death at

Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie is a series of fortifications on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, built to protect the city of Charleston, South Carolina. The first fort, formerly named Fort Sullivan, built of palmetto logs, inspired the flag and n ...

in South Carolina, and kept his head in a jar of preservative.

Notes

Citations

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Billy, Uchee Yuchi Native American leaders Native Americans of the Seminole Wars American people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in United States military detention Native Americans imprisoned at Fort Marion 1837 deaths Year of birth missing