OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard’s “Seminole Battalion” recently helped commemorate a historic battle in South Florida, standing side-by-side with representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida and reenactors dressed in period uniforms.
Guard member from the Orlando-based 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, participated in ceremonies Feb. 28 and March 1 at the Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park in South Central Florida. The ceremonies commemorated the Second Seminole War Battle of Okeechobee which took place nearly 180 years ago between U.S. and militia Soldiers, and Seminole and Miccosukee warriors.
The Soldiers presented the U.S., Florida, and Regimental flags during the event prior to daily battle reenactments, marching alongside U.S. Marine Corps veterans from the Seminole Tribe bearing their own colors. The unit also brought military vehicles and weapons displays to the reenactment weekend, showcasing a bit of modern military might to the 19th century presentations and exhibits.
“It is very significant to the 2-124th Infantry,” Command Sgt. Maj. Eugene Meisenheimer said of the battlefield commemoration. “We are known as the ‘Seminole Battalion.’”
Meisenheimer explained that the 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, is one of only two entities legally allowed by decree from the Seminole Tribe to use the Seminole name (the other being Florida State University). Over the years, the unit developed a special relationship with the Seminole Tribe’s color guard, and it was an honor for the Florida Guardsmen to march with Seminole veterans.
While the militiamen who participated in the 1837 Battle of Okeechobee were from Missouri, the modern Florida Soldiers used the event as an opportunity to reflect on the service of all U.S. Soldiers and Seminole Warriors who participated in the Seminole Wars in Florida. Meisenheimer also said it was a great chance for the Florida National Guard to really be part of a community that doesn’t see many Guard members because there is no armory nearby.
“Okeechobee is a community that is removed from a lot of the National Guard activities, but the community supports and has affection for these Soldiers,” Meisenheimer explained. “…these people never have an opportunity to experience what the Florida National Guard is, and we bring it to them.”
The actual Battle of Okeechobee took place at the northern end of Lake Okeechobee on Christmas Day 1837 during the Second Seminole War. The U.S. Soldiers and militia under command of Col. Zachary Taylor (later President Taylor) exchanged fire with Seminole and Miccosukee warriors on the swampy battlefield, resulting in a combined total of 37 men killed. Although the U.S. forces outnumbered the Seminoles, during the battle they prevented Taylor’s men from advancing through the area.
In 2000 the site was designated as one of America’s “11 most endangered historic sites” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and currently 145 acres of original battleground are designated as the Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park. While the park is not yet open for public access, local preservationists have been reenacting the battle there since 2008.
Shawn Henderson, President of the Okeechobee Battlefield Friends, pointed out that the Florida National Guard’s participation really helped bring “honor and dignity” to the reenactment ceremony and weekend.
“This was the largest and the fiercest battle in the Seminole Wars,” she said. “It was a huge part of our national history, our Florida state history, our Seminole history. It is an historic treasure that we have here.”
Henderson added that having the Florida National Guard and the Seminole Tribe of Florida together at the event was “a great way of commemorating, of honoring, and of bringing dignity to what happened here so many years ago to the patriots and warriors.”