Alligator Warrior Festival

DEMONSTRATORS, BLANKET TRADERS AND EXHIBITORS

The Broom Lady
Columbia County Historical Museum
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Finger-weaving by Mary Randy
Stone Carvings by James Bush
Seminole Wars Foundation

MUSICIANS

All of our musicians are unpaid volunteers who are performing for the love of doing it. Many of them will have audio CD's available for purchase.
Spirit Turtle played by the drum group Thunder Turtle, the drum of the River Oak Inter-tribal Community.
Joey Hill - Flute Music
John Fields - Flute Music

TRADERS

C+C Trading Post
Joey Hill Flutes
MBH Crafts
Strong Bear Trading Company

FOOD VENDORS

Alice's Kitchen Menu includes: BBQ Ribs, BBQ Chicken, Smoked Turkey Legs, Smoked Mullet, Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Macaroni and Cheese, French Fries, Lima Beans, Rice, Yams, Deserts and breakfast items include Hash browns, Eggs, Grits, Sausage, Bacon and Rolls.
Auntie's TableMenu includes: breakfast items, Fried Fish, Grits, Nettles Sausage with Onions and Peppers, Chicken Wings, Chicken Gizzards, Ham Hocks and Rice, Fries, Tater-Tots, Lima Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Water, Lemonade, Tea and Soda.
Essie Wilson's Foods Menu includes: Breakfast: Build and omlet: Cheese, Meat Lover's or Fresh Veggies, Build a breakfast bowl: sausage or bacon and grits with eggs, cheese or fresh veggies. Lunch and Dinner: Hot Dog or Hamburger with fries. Toppings include chili, sauerkraut, cole slaw, fried egg, cream cheese, jalapeño peppers, onions, bacon. Lunch or Dinner Bowls: Rice and corn bread with choice of Louisiana Beans, Gumbo or Collard Greens. Beverages: Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Hot Tea.
Fred's Frybread Menu includes: Frybread.
Nostalgic Sodas Menu includes: a wide selection of soda flavors on tap.

CAMPS

Seminole Reenactors' Camp
Soldier Reenactors' Camp
Militia Reenactors' Camp
Gamble's Light Artillery Cannon Crew
Pioneer / Settler Reenactors' Camp
Spanish Reenactors' Camp
Drum Arbor and Dance Circle

BLACK POWDER SAFETY OFFICERS

Ranger Steve Riker of Dudley Farm State Park, Safety Supervisor
Lori Atkins, O'Leno State Park volunteer, Safety Assistant
Steve Creamer, Safety Volunteer
Paul Rowley, Safety Volunteer

REENACTMENT OF THE BATTLE OF SAN FELASCO HAMMOCK

On the 17th of September, 1836, a cart laden with corn and attended by three white men and two black men was on the Picolata road returning to the town of Newnansville (now part of Alachua, FL). They were about a mile from the town when they were fired upon by Seminoles. The 5 men left the cart in the hands of the Seminoles and escaped to Newnansville and reported the event at Fort Gillelaud.

30 armed men were sent out to assess the situation and heavy rain started to fall. Although they did not find the Seminole warriors, they did find the cart and were able to return to the fort with it. The Seminoles had attempted to burn it but the rain had extinguished the fire. Military spies were sent during the night to discover the location and strength of the Seminole warriors but they did not find them.

Convinced that the Seminole Warriors must be hiding in the San Felasco Hammock, Colonel John Warren marched out at the head of 150 men the following morning, September 18th, at 6:00 AM to engage the Seminole warriors. His forces consisted of 100 mounted militia men, 25 former militia, and 25 United States regualrs with the fort's 24 pound cannon. Colonel Warren's forces advanced in three columns, the right led by Col. Warrren, the left by Col. Wills and the center by Capt. Tompkins with the regulars and the howitzer cannon.
Within three quarters of a mile of the hammock they were met by the Seminole warriors. The battle immediately commenced along the right wing and center. The Seminole warriors attempted to turn the left flank but the men under Leut. Col. Wills drove them back into the thick oak scrub on the border of the hammock and then dismounted and drove them into the cannon's line of fire. The Seminole warriors then attempted to flank the right but a charge from Capt. Walker and Lieut Bruten's forces, drove the Seminoles once again in front of the howitzer.

The Seminoles mortally wounded one of the cannon crew as they twice charged the center attempting to take the howitzer, but were repelled. The Seminoles eventually retreated into the dense hammock where the would have the advantage because the soldiers could not follow them with the cannon. Instead of following them, the Colonel's forces waited to see if the Seminole Warriors would return but when they didn't, the Colonel's forces withdrew without further engagement.

The battle lasted an hour and a half with seven whites wounded, one of them fatally. Five horses were wounded and one horse killed. It was reported that some Seminole warriors had been seen to fall during the battle but Col. Warren's forces were unable to verify any Seminole losses.