Battle of Lake Okeechobee 1837
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 25 December 1837 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1837 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Second Seminole War | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | United States | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 27.2126, -80.7851 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was one of the major battles of the Seminole Wars. It was fought between 1,000 U.S. Army troops of the 1st, 4th, and 6th Infantry Regiments and 132 Missouri Volunteers under the command of Colonel Zachary Taylor, and about 400 Seminole warriors led by chiefs Abiaka, Billy Bowlegs, Halpatter Tustenuggee (Alligator) and Wild Cat on 25 December 1837. The Seminoles defended their large encampment by Lake Okeechobee against an attack by Zachary Taylor's troops. Zachary Taylor's march to Lake Okeechobee was part of a larger offensive into South Florida that was planned by General Thomas Jesup. The battle was a victory for the Seminoles, as they held off the U.S. troops long enough to safely evacuate their encampment. Due to the large number of casualties his troops suffered (especially among the officers), Zachary Taylor was forced to end his offensive into South Florida, and he marched his army over 100 miles back to Tampa Bay.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Lake Okeechobee (revision 1374227312), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Fort Myers 1865 · 124 km
- Battle of Pine Island Ridge 1838 · 134 km
- Battle of Tampa 1862 · 184 km
- Battle of Fort Brooke 1863 · 188 km
- Dade battle 1835 · 207 km
- Battle of Wahoo Swamp 1836 · 217 km
Other battles of the Second Seminole War
- Battle of Withlacoochee 1835
- Dade battle 1835
- Battle of San Felasco Hammock 1836
- Battle of Wahoo Swamp 1836
- Battle of Pine Island Ridge 1838
All 6 battles of the Second Seminole War →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles