He settles with the Muscogee(MVSKOKE) Creek. 1785 (date? State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/4370. There is no source documentation and its simply wrong in some cases. *************************************************************** I WAS Informed that Chief Osceola is our great, great, great grandfather. I look identical to Osceolas Bust Death mask in St. AUGUSTINE, Fl. Osceolas grave marker says, Osceola, Patriot and Warrior, died at Fort Moultrie, January 30, 1838., State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/4295, http://www.kislakfoundation.org/millennium-exhibit/profiles6.htm, http://www.floridamemory.com/solr-search/results/?q=%28osceola%20OR%20tt%3Aosceola%5E10%29&query=osceola, https://nativeheritageproject.com/2014/03/15/creek-indian-mound-near-fort-decatur-alabama/, https://nativeheritageproject.com/2014/03/12/osceola-powell-seminole-chief/, http://floridamemory.com/blog/2013/01/30/osceola-ca-1804-1838/. May be Che cho la of Morning Dew , Osceola 22 years old, she was 15.-four children (Hartley, 118). I live in Missouri. General Jesup and the administration were condemned by many congressional leaders. My family is on that site as to our DNA results. "Osceola" was an early pen name used by Danish author, Osceola "Ossie" Bigtree is the name of a character in, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 16:08. While Osceolas capture relieved many anxious white Floridians, there was also public outcry at the dishonorable ploy employed by Jesup. Would like to know more. He felt it equated the Seminole with slaves, who were forbidden by law to carry arms. My great grandmothers name was Ola Ellington from Dothan, Houston County, Alabama. Can I get a copy of the Powell History Book. Osceola County derives its name from Billy Powell, Osceola County is a county rich in history and life. With them, he had a total of at least five children. Between 1832 and 1838, this federal legislation directed the deportation of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Being a matriarchal society, the Muskogee Creek would have allowed multiple wives especially in situations where it was a sister where the family needed to be taken care of. 1. Osceola and his band were brought to St. Augustine and imprisoned at Fort Marion (Castillo de San Marcos). These two events, along with the Battle of Withlacoochee on December 31 and raids on sugar plantations in East Florida in early 1836, marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War. Born Billy Powell, Osceola was his name assumed at adulthood. His Creek mother, Polly Copinger, was married to Englishman William Powell. Osceola died of quinsy (though one source gives the cause of death as malaria without further elaboration) on January 30, 1838, three months after his capture. [10][4]:58, Through the 1820s and the turn of the decade, American settlers continued pressuring the US government to remove the Seminole from Florida to make way for their desired agricultural development. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine I have looked for at least 10 years. this i find to be really some thing as to why well in my family we have 5 William Powells in on of my family trees that well i have looked up genealogy on. Rachel Rhoden is a Rhoden by birth (James J/Malinda, listed in census). In death, the boy born in Alabama as Billy Powell . Is there still a copy of the book because Osceola is one of my great grandfathers and Im trying to do some research on it. 1798-ab 1855. In life, Osceola was perhaps the most influential leader among the scattered, often rival clans of Florida that became known as the Seminoles. Because of the chief's significance, over time some people have created forgeries of Osceola's belongings. He took the name Osceola as a young adult when he joined the Seminole. Later, though, when Osceola quarreled with Thompson, the agent had the warrior locked up at Fort King for a night. [6], Polly was also of Muscogee and European ancestry, as the daughter of Ann McQueen and Jose Coppinger. In late October 1837, Osceola contacted General Joseph Hernandez, through a black interpreter named John Cavallo (also John Horse), to arrange negotiations about ceasing hostilities. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819 in the Adams-Onis Treaty, following the First Seminole War, in which General Andrew Jackson invaded Spanish Florida. "[7]:221,218. Historians believe he was born in Alabama in 1804 to a Creek mother and a Scottish father. It was there in Florida, in an adopted tribe, where Billy Powell became Osceola and in time a leader of warriors. PARENTS: Big Warrior George Washington Cornells Aka Tustenuggee Peoka m. 1834 CHILD: John Wesley Powell. The family moved to Florida when Billy was a child, and later, having witnessed the white man's brutality against Native Americans he joined the Seminoles and began to fight against the U.S. government's attempt . Granddaughter of Nanny Powell Renfrow Osceola, the most well-known leader of the Seminole Indians, was born in 1804, in a Creek town near Tallassee, present-day Tuskegee, Alabama. DNA showed an Osceola connection through my Burnside line but not through Rachel Rhoden. 1,121,896: People also liked. PARENTS OF Still at Fort Moultrie, Osceolas grave provides a site to reflect on the life and times of this significant historical figure. 1785 (date? Isaac Brown and myself, with a party of friendly Creeks and Uchees, made him a prisoner in 1818, and he was then but a lad." Strange to say, the General is silent as to the boy's offense. Shriver traveled around the state in 1967 to gather support for his project. But I havent found anything that confirms who Kathrine is really. According to legend, Osceola stabbed the treaty with his knife, although there are no contemporary reports of this.[6]. 4. When he was a child, they migrated to Florida with other Red Stick refugees, led by a relative, Peter McQueen,[1] after their group's defeat in 1814 in the Creek Wars. My telephone number is (662)596-5938. I have many pictures of my findings on Facebook if youd like pictures and proof. Osceola (Billy Powell) Born to a Creek mother and a white father, Osceola's family joined the Seminole following the Creek Civil War. Where are the pictures? Hickory Ground Town, d. After 1865, In Creek Indian Nation (Oklahoma, par. Are the two listed above the same woman? Wife #1: Ui -chee m. 1826 May be a nickname or she may be a Euchee woman. He married Che Cho La Morning Dew Stafney Thompson about 1827, in Alabama, United States. Please contact Kathy Johnston Schettler or myself at the following email addresses: sandpiperbeach@msn.com or davidjschettler@msn.com; phone (509)888-8335. Osceolas grandfather ( William Powells father ) was Absolam Powell the 1st. 2. of THE OKEFENOKEE. Free Access to Native American Records LimitedTime, Mass Pre-Contact Native Grave in California Yields DisappointingResults, Interactive Early Maps Show NativeMovements, Indian History of Present Day Berkeley County, WestVirginia, Indians Along the Susquehanna in the1670s, Library of Virginia Native AmericanResources. Efforts to escape conflict with whites ultimately proved futile. So if you have any information that can confirms who her parent or parents are, that would be really helpful. His mother Polly Coppinger was daughter of Ann McQueen who was part Muscokgee. I have found many names for My 4x Great Grandmother, wives of Osceola Billy Powell. It makes sense that the Creek Indians hid out in the Okefenokee and possibly Rachel took the story from the Canaday family while working in that area. Hildas daughter was Diana Sarah Wragg {born abt. In today's dollars, for every Seminole person shipped west, the government spent the equivalent of $8.5 million. He stayed in the area as a fur trader and married into the Creek tribe. He was reared by his mother in the Creek (Muscogee) tradition. [7]:8, In 1814, after the Red Stick Muscogee Creeks were defeated by United States forces, Polly took Osceola and moved with other Muscogee refugees from Alabama to Florida, where they joined the Seminole. Billy Powell Osceola About Work Warchief at Seminole Indian Tribe Leader College Studied at Have one named after me, but never attended one. After the slayings, Osceola became a wanted man. On December 28, 1835, Osceola led an attack on Fort King (near modern-day Ocala) which resulted in the assassination of the American Indian Agent Wiley Thompson. Osceola was an influential Florida Seminole leader. Perhaps you could find descendants or relatives of Osceolas father and compare their DNA with your DNA to see if there is a match, then you would know for certain, provided there is a match. I found Oscalousa meaning last of the beautiful. As a result of the escape, Osceola and 237 of his people were transferred to Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, far from their homes in Florida. Also looking for our band of ancestors and a tribal number. Some pronunciations of the name lend to the meaning the "black drink", a bitter concoction used in ritual ceremonies. ************************************************************************ Coacoochees escape prompted Jesup to transfer the most important Seminole captives out of the area. I have read that his brother, Levi, was born two years after Nathan and was the child of a Dowling and many times people have connected that name to Nathan but the death certificate did not verify that. Osceola, who previously contracted malaria in Florida, became severely ill soon after arriving at Fort Moultrie. Native American Haplogroup C Update Progress!!! Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks, 77 survivors headed to the swamps Seems more coincidental, but maybe there is a distant relationship to Osceola. They moved from Mississippi Territory to Spanish-held Florida, beginning his transition from Billy Powell to Osceola, Seminole warrior. Hello, Ben. One of his wives was African American, and he fiercely opposed the enslavement of free peoples. He is buried outside of the forts sallyport. 1814: POLLY Ann (Coppinger) Powell 1769/71 and WILLIAM POWELL were CHILD: Rachel Rhoden 1840-1929 w 8 kids no known fathers His father is thought to have been an English trader named William Powell, though historian Patricia R.. After their arrival, they were visited by townspeople. He defeated General Duncan Clinch at the Battle of Withlacoochee in December 1835. Hi, I would love any information you may have on Kathrine. Osceola Powell is on Facebook. Of course, if Debbie Smiths record is correct, that significantly would tilt Osceolas ethnicity to mostly Southeastern U.S. native American lineage. Where are your pages on facebook. General Jesup's treacherous act and the administration were condemned by many congressional leaders and vilified by international press. Later, Weedon gave the head to his son-in-law Daniel Whitehurst. https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2018/05/01/missouri-powell-canaday-sister-of-osceola-moniac/ This is a wonderful journey. I have chased the Rachel Rhoden to Sanee/Sanse/Santee/Sunnie Powell (Osceolas sister?) It is written that residents of Charleston went to Fort Moultrie to meet and talk with Osceola, even inviting him to attend plays inside the City which was allowed. Born in Tallassee, Alabama, in 1804, Powell (hereafter Osceola) was of mixed blood. Does anybody know the names of Osceolas wives? Osceola married Peoka and had John Wesley Powell. Because the Creek have a matrilineal kinship system, Polly and Anns other children were all considered to be born into their mothers clan; they were reared as traditional Creek and gained their status from their mothers people. I was told it was out of production. 1747-1795 ( Greene went into message boards copied what other people had written, put in a book as factual., II. Over time, these various groups living in Florida, mostly of Creek and Hitchiti background, came to be called Sim-in-oli, or wild in the Muskogee language; this phrase was later Anglicized into Seminole. Celebrated by writers, studied by scholars, he was a charismatic war leader who staunchly resisted the uprooting of the Seminoles by the U.S. government; the garters testify to his sartorial style. The Canadays remained here and Missouris sisters family later went to adjacent Columbia County, Florida, but the rest of Osceolas family moved farther down into Florida where he grew up and became famous as a leader of the Seminoles In late December 1837, Osceola, Micanopy, Philip and about 200 Seminoles embarked from St. Augustine for Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island, outside Charleston, South Carolina. Seminole Tribe. Im not sure why the Rhoden family history listed Yoha Hadjos last name as Rhoden-only place I have ever seen it. My name is Erin, and I am responding to a comment you left on nativeheritageproject.com, from 2017. They were visited by various townspeople. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, http://floridamemory.com/items/show/4294. Like his mother, Billy Powell was raised in the Muscogee Creek confederacy. George Catlin, the famous artist who focused on Native American culture, visited and painted Osceola in his full Seminole attire: ostrich plumes, turban, war dress, and gorget. George Catlin, a well-known artist, portrayed Osceola while forming a brief friendship with the legendary Seminole.Osceola whose name refers to the black drink or asi, combined with the call shouted after drinking this emetic, yaholo resided at Fort Moultrie very briefly before succumbing to a severe throat illness on January 30, 1838. John Wesley Powell is my 3x Great Grandfather. Some of Osceolas belongings are still held by the Weedon family, while others have disappeared. The death mask is currently housed in the Luce collection of the New-York Historical Society.[28]. Rumors persist that his embalmed head has been found in various locations. or Selena (unreliable source) Fraser 1739 His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a Scotsman, James McQueen.He was reared by his mother in the Creek (Muscogee) tradition. The historical evidence suggests that it was Morrison who decided that a death mask should be made,[4]:174 a European-American custom at the time for prominent persons, but it was done without the permission of Osceola's people. When he was a child, they migrated to Florida with other Red Stick refugees, led by a . CHILD: Polly Ann Moniac Coppinger 1769 m John William Powell, Sr.1761 Plan to do further research and DNA ancestry background check to find a possible link. 5. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The most promising I found was a letter by Congress in 1836 stating that Us Se YOHOLO had several children with the daughter of Mad Wolf aka Yaha Hajo. But his Seminole designationOsceolaresonates in the annals of Native American history and the nations folklore. He was buried on the grounds outside of the fort, albeit without his head, which Dr. Frederick Weedon removed as a scientific curiosity.Today, Osceolas legacy is representative of the struggle faced by many native peoples throughout the United States as encroachment by white settlers led to violent disputes and the eventual forced removal of most tribes to the present-day Southwest. Anne and Jose Coppinger had Chekika Polly Ann Moniac Coppinger, the Mother of Osceola Billy Powell. Source: Baker Co Historical Lib- McQueen family book, Betty Wadford (about 90 After his death, army doctor Frederick Weedon persuaded the Seminole to allow him to make a death mask of Osceola, shown below, as was a European-American custom at the time for prominent people. Or is that sentence purposely ignoring the generational increment? I cant find that name anywhere. Osceolas camp, located one mile south of Fort Peyton, raised a white flag of truce in order to signal their desire to negotiate. [4]:178 Weedon apparently preserved Osceola's head in a large jar of alcohol and took it to St. Augustine,[4]:181 where he exhibited it in the family drugstore. An acquaintance of Morrison, Dr. Benjamin Strobel, a native of Charleston, made a plaster cast of Osceola's face and upper torso. Robert J. Curtis painted an oil portrait of Osceola as well. [7]:825, Thompson considered Osceola to be a friend and gave him a rifle. I know she is half Seminole and half Scotts Irish. In 1832, a few Seminole chiefs signed the Treaty of Payne's Landing, by which they agreed to give up their Florida lands in exchange for lands west of the Mississippi River in Indian Territory. The next day, to get released, Osceola agreed to abide by the Treaty of Paynes Landing and to bring his followers in to the fort. SOURCE: RHODEN family book, Baker Co., Historical Lib Nancy Renfrow His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a Scotsman, James McQueen. Osceola was named Billy Powell at birth in 1804 in the Creek village of Talisi, now known as Tallassee, Alabama, in current Elmore County. My wife, and one or our sons have done their DNA analysis with Ancestry.com and we are hoping to find others that are related to Osceolas family. All information seems to be true except that of Rachel Rhoden being the daughter of Sanee Powell. also was told that one of them could have been Osceola. This is the Osceola research I have found there are numerous versions of this story. At some point, likely around 1814, when he and his mother moved to Florida to live among Creeks and Seminoles, Osceola began to insist he was a pure-blood Indian. 6. Capt. On one occasion Osceola quarreled with Thompson, who had the warrior locked up at Fort King for two nights until he agreed to be more respectful. Many Seminole chiefs refused to sign the treaty, leading to the outbreak of the Second Seminole War and Osceolas fame. He was born Billy Powell, in Maskk or Creek village of Talisi, now known as Tallassee, Alabama. But, the most common interpretation of Osceola means the "Rising Sun". Osceola and his mother were one of many Creek families displaced after the Creek War of 1813-1814. Her grandfather was a Scotsman who jumped ship near St. Augustine and. Im awaiting the results of an Ancestry DNA test currently. CHILD: Ann Nancy Powell 1747 m Don Jose Coppinger, 1730 gov of E Fl Thloco Cornell and Tuskenua Mad Dog In 1800 John Canaday (Osceolas brother in law) traveled up the St. Marys River and built a cabin near what is now Moniac. I am apart of the Canaday line, Sari being my direct connection. [4]:135 The United States first imprisoned him at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, then transported him to Fort Moultrie in Charleston, South Carolina. My name is Nancy E. Renfrow. My family resource stops with her name being Kathrine Fraser, Redstick Creek. [1]:217218 [4]:115116, Osceola was named Billy Powell at his birth in 1804 in the Creek village of Talisi, which means "Old Town". Osceola led the Seminole war resistance until he was lied to during peace talks and captured in September 1837. For some time, Weedon kept the head and a number of personal objects Osceola had given him. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Cookie Settings, Smithsonian American Art Museum / Art Resource, NY, Kids Start Forgetting Early Childhood Around Age 7, Archaeologists Discover Wooden Spikes Described by Julius Caesar, 5,000-Year-Old Tavern With Food Still Inside Discovered in Iraq, Artificial Sweetener Tied to Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke, Study Finds, The Surprisingly Scientific Roots of Monkey Bars. SOURCE: James J Rhoden (wiregrassgenealogy.com) He is buried in the Indian cemetery in Franklin, Alabama near a Methodist Missionary Church for the Creek. Sari m. John Milledge Canaday "The people in the town of Tallasseewere mixed-blood Native American/English/Irish/Scottish, and some were black. Osceola was born in 1804 to a Scottish trader named William Powell and Polly Copinger, a Creek woman of mixed European and Creek ancestry. I have been told all my life that we are related to Osceola but now I want to know my Granny was from Eldorenda Ga I am from Fla so now I want to know I favor him I have the lines on my face he has and I have his cheek bones so yes I really want to know. What is Peokas Christian name? She was born in 1886 and died in 1961. I love Catlins painting of Osceola. Osceolas Legacy by Patricia Wickman (Osceola expert), CH 2, p. 52) I had heard that Oskaloosa, Iowa was named after a wife of Osceola named Ouscaloosa. The Second Seminole War, fought from 1835-42, was the longest and most costly war between Native Americans and the United States. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. View the profiles of people named Osceola Billy Powell. Her mother was Native American. yrs. Osceola (1804 - January 30, 1838, Asi-yahola in Creek), named Billy Powell at birth in Alabama, became an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. Sant, Claudio. Army troops arrested him in October 1837, while under a flag of truce. When I told him, Billy Powell he relayed a brief history of Osceola. SP #1 (may be):+Checartha Yargee Son Of Big Warrior b. In December 1835, during what became known as the Second Seminole War (1835-42), Osceola and a band of followers ambushed and killed a government agent, Wiley Thompson, and several others. WILLIAMS(1837) Florida - OSEOLA (Osceola).jpg 1,249 996; 658 KB. As a child, Osceola went by the name Billy Powell, but later he fully embraced the identity of his adopted tribe, the Seminoles of Florida. [7]:231 These paintings have inspired numerous widely distributed prints and engravings, and cigar store figures were also based on them. Osceola, the most well-known leader of the Seminole Indians, was born in 1804 in a Creek town near Tallassee, present-day Tuskegee, Alabama. Ann McQueen was also mixed-race Muscogee Creek; her father, James McQueen, was Scottish. By 1885, the death mask and some of Osceolas belongings ended up in the anthropology collection of the Smithsonian Institution, where they are still held. I thought I had found a great hidden source since he had 6-7 versions of their history but then I read that his sources were message boards. I knew him well after that, and have seen him fre-quently. Ben, I have a cousin on Ancestry.com, Timothy Powell, who is a direct descendant of James Powell (William Powells brother). Im trying to learn about our Muscogee and Seminole customs and language. 1780-1849). But, the most common interpretation of Osceola means the "Rising Sun". 1. A Plea for SeparateSchools. And the family history stops short at her name, listing her as a Redstick Creek, Name Kathrine Fraser. Born Billy Powel in 1804, Osceola was a Creek Indian of mixed heritage who joined the Seminole tribe only after his family was forced to flee their home in Alabama at the hands of U.S. military. Ive seen mixed things and trying to confirm has been a pain. (neither was the father of Nathan Grover Rhoden B. She grew up in Fair Bluff, NC. Putting his beliefs into action, he gathered fellow Seminoles in opposition against forced removal during the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842, willing to go against both whites and other natives who cooperated with whites. We made it by going to London,England for a time and came back. As US relations with the Seminole deteriorated, Thompson forbade the sale of guns and ammunition to them. Their KIDS (3+ 2 by William Powell): The Seminole regarded Osceola, Catlin recalled, as the master spirit and leader of the tribe. His influence, the artist added, extended to the remotest parts of the United States, and amongst the Indian tribes, to the Rocky Mountains., He was a bit flamboyant, says historian Donald L. Fixico of Arizona State University, who is working on a book about Osceola. Between 1832 and 1838, this Federal legislation directed the removal of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole people to lands occupying present-day Oklahoma. Hello, I live in Macon Co, Alabama and would be interested in talking with you about the Powell family of Macon Co and Osceola. [12][7]:1028, On October 21, 1837, Osceola and 81 of his followers were captured by General Joseph Hernndez on the orders of General Thomas Jesup, under a white flag of truce, when they went for peace talks to Fort Peyton near St. Absolam Powell the 1st was my great, great, great, great grandfather. Coppinger), 'chekika' Polly Ann Moniac Powell (born Coppinger). Billy Powell's great-grand father was one James McQueen, a good Scotsman. Cookie Policy His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfather was a Scotsman, James McQueen. The painting is set in a simple gold leaf frame that is coated with plaster and finished with gold leaf. Milanich, Jerald T. (January/February 2004), Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, Osceola Township, Renville County, Minnesota, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Myths and Dreams: Exploring the Cultural Legacies of Florida and the Caribbean", "She seemed to vanish without a trace, and her disappearance baffled a nation", "NCAA allowing Florida State to use its Seminole mascot", Appletons' Cyclopdia of American Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Osceola&oldid=1141146185, Infectious disease deaths in South Carolina, American people who died in prison custody, Prisoners who died in United States military detention, Native Americans imprisoned at Fort Marion, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from December 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with trivia sections from January 2020, Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW, Wikipedia articles incorporating citation to the NSRW with an wstitle parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Numerous landmarks, including Osceola counties in, Two lakes in Florida named Osceola, one located. To know for sure, you have to match on the same segment with at least two people proven to have the same ancestor and to not have other common ancestors. [5] His mother was Polly Coppinger, a mixed-race Creek woman, and his father was most likely William Powell, a Scottish trader. In 1936, Osceola was captured and died the following year in a prison at Fort Moultrie. Son of William Lawrence Powell and Polly Ann Moniac Powell [7]:5558, As an adult, Osceola took two wives, as did some other high-ranking Muscogee and Seminole leaders. Father of Patience Caroline Powell; Maranda Powell and Naponee McKendree well, Nathan Powell, Stephen Powell, Silas Powell, Missouri Canaday, Sarah Ann Powell, Sanse Rhoden (born Powell), Sanee Sunnie Jane Powe Jan 30 1838 - Fort Moultrie Charleston, SC, 1801 - Tallassee, Elmore, Alabama (Creek Village), Jan 30 1838 - Ft. Moultrie, Charleston, South Carolina, John William "chufi Hadjo" Powell, Polly Ann Moniac "chekkika" Powell (born Coppinger), Chechator Morning Dew Cloud (Che Cho Ter) Powell (born Thompson), Jan 20 1838 - Ft. Moultrie, Charleston, SC. Pollys 3 children Sara Missouri, Sanee, and William (Osceola) Powell. When he was a child, they migrated to Florida with other Red Stick refugees, led by a . They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. The process of relocating native peoples to territories as far west as Oklahoma was favored by the American government, especially General Andrew Jackson.In the years following initial resistance to relocation, including the First Seminole War, 1817-1818, Osceola became an outspoken advocate for Seminole rights. SP #1 (may be): Checartha Yargee Son Of Big Warrior b. Thanks! He stayed in the area as a fur trader and married into a Muscogee family, becoming closely involved with these people. The tradition of passing the name down stopped there due to very trivial matters. According to the oral tradition of his descendants, Dr. Frederick Weedon was alone with the body and cut off Osceola's head, placing it in the coffin with the scarf that Osceola had customarily worn being wrapped around the neck, and immediately before the funeral ceremony removed the head and shut the coffin's lid.