WILLIAM COOLEY

The American 'William Cooley' (1783–1863) was one of the first white settlers in modern day Broward County in Florida, and a regional leader. He is primarily known because on January 4, 1836, his family was murdered by Seminoles during the Second Seminole War, leading to the abandonment of the New River Settlement. William Cooley: A Broward Legend, Cooper Kirk, , , Broward Legacy, 1976 In subsequent years, Cooley was part of the Dade County administration, William Cooley: A Broward Legend Part Two, Cooper Kirk, , , Broward Legacy, 1976 worked with the U.S. Military as a courier William Cooley explores the Everglades, Joe Knetsch, , , Broward Legacy, 1989 and later served as a Tampa city councilman. Archives, Tampa City Council Members February 1856 - June 1904
Born in Maryland, little is known about Cooley until 1813, when he arrived in East Florida as part of a military expedition. Cooley's first established himself as a farmer in the northern part of the territory. Moving further south, he traded with local Indians while working as a farmer. He got involved in a land dispute, siding with natives against a merchant who received a large grant from the King of Spain and was evicting the Indians from their lands. These action are believed to be the reason he moved to the New River area in 1826.
In New River, Cooley sustained himself as a salvager and planting arrowroot, which was processed in a mill in the premises. His growing fortune and influence are outlined by the fact he became the first lawman and judge in the settlement, accumulating the function of a land appraiser. Local Indians perceived him as the person responsible for what they saw as a misjudgment involving the murder of one of their chiefs and attacked the settlement in revenge. The attack, known as the "New River Massacre", caused immediate abandonment of the area.
William Cooley survived for twenty seven years after this fact. He held administrative positions in Dade County, moving to Tampa in 1837 and had a short stint working for the Army as a guide and courier by that time. Moving to the Homosassa River area in 1840, where he became the first postmaster and was a candidate for the Florida House of Representatives representing Hernando County. Returning to Tampa in 1840, he was one of the first city councilors, serving three terms. He died in 1863.

Contents

Early life and arrival in East Florida

New River settlement

The massacre

Buildup

Attack

Aftermath

After New River

Politician

Death and afterward

References

See also

External links

Early life and arrival in East Florida

Little is known about Cooley's early life. He was born in Maryland in 1783. 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, Year: 1850; Census Place: Fort Brook Tampa Bay, Hillsborough, Florida; Roll: M432_58; Page: 251; Image:488. It is likely that his father was William Cooley, who lived in North Millford, Cecil County, Maryland in 1783, and was listed by the census of 1790 as the father of four children. Year: 1790; Census Place: North Millford, Cecil, Maryland; Roll: M637_3; Image: 0550 There are no other known sources of information regarding Cooley until 1813. Cooley has been referred as William Cooley Jr., Odet Philippe in South Florida, J. Allison DeFoor, II, , , Tampa Bay History, 1986 William Coolie, The Everglades: River of Grass, , , , Pineapple Press, 1997, William Colee Fort Nowhere Jim Gaines and William Cooly.

East Florida (1810)

William Cooley arrived in East Florida in 1813, during a joint campaign of Tennessee and Georgia forces. Some sources give credit to the hypothesis that Cooley fought with the Tennessee Volunteers under Colonel John Williams; War of 1812 Service Records(database on-line).Provo,UT,USA:TheGenerations Network,Inc., 1999. Original data: National Archives and Records Administration. Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M602, 234 rolls. Although this is a good indicative, Colonel Williams was the leader of the Mounted Volunteers of East Tennessee; the 2nd Regiment West Tennessee Volunteer Mounted Gunmen was headed by Thomas Williamson. [1] other sources say he was a Lieutenant Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia; a biographical account of some of the early settlers of that portion of Wiregrass Georgia embraced in the original counties of Irwin, Appling, Wayne, Camden, and Glynn, Folks Huxford, , , Folks Huxford, 1951, The references put him alternatively building forts to protect the Telfair and Tattnall Counties in Georgia against Indians in 1813. Biographical census of Hillsborough County, Florida, 1850, Gordon, Julius J, , , J.J. Gordon, 1989, in the Georgia Militia, fighting under Colonel Samuel Alexander East Florida Papers-Col Samuel Alexander through Adjutant William Cooley Colonel Samuel Alexander was part of the same campaign, but from the Georgia counterpart. The units from Tennessee and Georgia met in East Florida. from Georgia. Letter enclosing a report, 1813 May 8, Twiggs County, (Georgia to) David B. Mitchell, Governor of Georgia, Milledgeville, Georgia - Samuel Alexander Samuel Alexander Cooley arrived and acquired property in 1813—Girt's Landing on the St. Marys River, close to where the military units crossed through East Florida. A Comparative Timeline of General American History and Florida History, 1492 to 1823 ^[1] Later, he went to the west bank of the St. Johns River, settling in an area south of today's Jacksonville.
He later moved to Alligator Pond (near present-day Lake City, Florida), where he set up a farm and traded with the local Seminole tribe lead by Chief Micanopy. In 1820, Spanish merchant Don Fernando de la Maza Arredondo Natural and Historic Sites in Alachua County began settlement in his claim in the Alachua
territory, granted to him by King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Cooley negotiated with him on behalf of the Indians, but was unsuccessful. Cooley moved away in 1823—possibly to escape the Spanish influence—to the north bank of New River.

New River settlement

William Cooley timeline, mapped.

Like the other New River settlers, Cooley did not buy land; instead he simply occupied the land in hope that the United States would eventually survey the area and grant ownership to the present settlers. The settlement was primarily populated by Bahamians that survived by turtling, fishing, shipbuilding and wrecking.
Frankee Lewis—one of the first settlers, in the area since 1788 Broward Milestones Broward County Historical Commission —sold her business interests in the area to Richard Fitzpatrick in 1830. After his arrival, the settlement of approximately 70 people prospered with the introduction of a plantation regimen based on black slavery.
Cooley's main occupation was gathering, processing and shipping arrowroot, a starch made from the root of the coontie plant. Arrowroot was used to make bread dough and as a base for wafers and biscuits; its resistance to spoilage made it especially favored for use on ships. Pulp remaining after processing was used as a fertilizer or for animal rations. Favorable conditions for arrowroot cultivation contributed to the presence of several hundred Indians in the area—arrowroot was a staple of their diet.
The market price for the starch was between 8 and 16 cents per pound, and the geography of the river and the good performance of his machinery—the output was close to 450 lb/day—brought Cooley great prosperity. His good fortune allowed him to dedicate much of his time to exploration of the area (as far north as Lake Okeechobee) and increased political influence. It is likely that he married Nancy Dayton, a former Indian captive, on December 2, 1830. Dodd, Jordan R, et. al. Florida Marriages, 1822–1850 (database on-line). Provo, UT 1830 U.S. census, population schedule, Year: 1830; Census Place: , Monroe, Florida; Roll: 15; Page: 110. digital image
Richard Fitzpatrick, by that time the owner of a successful plantation with coconut and lime trees, plantains and sugarcane, pressed for the appointment of Cooley as Justice of the Peace in 1831. The Territorial papers of the United States (VOL XXIV), , Clarence Edwin, Carter, National Archives and Records Service, , Now he was responsible for adjudicating disputes of persons and property, punishment of minor offenders by fines and whippings, and oversight of the activities of wreckers. Serious offenders were jailed in Key West. The Territorial papers of the United States (VOL XXIV), , Clarence Edwin, Carter, National Archives and Records Service, , By that time, Cooley owned a schooner, and took trips not only to take prisoners, but to trade coontie, sugarcane, and tropical fruit with Cape Florida, Indian Key, Key West and Havana.

Frankee Lewis lands, New River Settlement.

While trade and farming activities were prominent, wrecking was the most important economic activity in the settlement. Northern newspapers started a campaign against wrecking in 1832, stating that the activity was just a disguise for plain piracy; the 33% salvager's fee underscored their claim. Cooley, already in charge of overseeing wrecking, received a territorial appointment as appraiser of the sunk vessels and their cargoes. The hurricane seasons affected the activity, and the especially active 1835 season brought even bigger profits.
By 1835, Cooley had a family of three children, two sons and one daughter. The boys were named Almonock and Montezuma after two
local Indian chiefs. His ten year-old daughter and his nine year old son were tutored by the couple Mary E. Rigby and Joseph Flinton.
He was appointed as an appraiser of property and slaves for Union Bank of Florida. His ally Richard Fitzpatrick purchased Cooley's coontie and citrus plantation on Miami River for $2,500. Subsequently, Fitzpatrick was elected as representative for Monroe County to the Territorial Legislative Council. The unanimous vote for Fitzpatrick in New River was questioned by the ''Key West Inquirer''; Cooley's conduct was implicitly questioned as well, since as Justice of the Peace, Cooley conducted the non-secret balloting. In Key West, Fitzpatrick lost to William Hackley.
The Cooley property in New River had a house that was "twenty feet by fifty feet, one story high, built of cypress logs, sealed and floored with one and half inch planks". At least three black slaves and several Indians cultivated sugar cane, corn, potatoes, pumpkins and other vegetables for on the twenty acre property, which also had a pen with eighty hogs. The coontie watermill was twenty-seven by fourteen feet. His Key West holdings included a factory, two storage houses, kitchen and slave quarters; coconut, lime and orange trees; and domesticated and wild fowl.

The massacre

Buildup

Florida Keys Wreckers

Cooley maintained friendly relations and traded with the Seminole Indians in the area. In the early eighteenth century, Creek Indians had moved down from Alabama and joined the Seminoles. In 1835, white settlers killed a Creek chief named Alibama and burned his hut in a dispute. As Justice of the Peace, Cooley jailed the settlers, but they were released after a hearing at the Monroe County Court in Key West; the justification was insufficient evidence. The Creek people blamed Cooley, saying he withheld evidence. The growing uneasiness between the Creeks and the whites led to the Creeks' emigration to the Okeechobee area.
Major Francis L. Dade, military commandant at Key West, received a lead that Cuba and Spain were arming the Indians; investigations did not confirm the rumour. Reports coming from Fort Brooke noted that Indians in the area were resisting to orders from the federal government to emigrate to Mississippi, contradicting the assertions made by the federal authorities that the Indians agreed to emigrate peacefully. Major Dade, two companies of soldiers and all the available arms were sent to Fort Brooke at
Tampa Bay, the port designated for the trip west. The Indians answered by concentrating all their forces in the New River region.
On December 28, 1835, Major Dade and one hundred six soldiers were ambushed and killed en route from Tampa Bay to Fort King.

Attack

Attack on New River Settlement in a contemporary rendition.

Six days later, Cooley led a large expedition to free the ''Gil Blas'', a ship that had beached the previous year; the scale of the operation required all of the settlement's able men. The next day, on 4 January 1836, the Indians attacked the settlement.
15 to 20 Indians invaded the Cooley house, overpowering the tutor and scalping him. Cooley's wife tried to run to the river, but was shot about 150 yards from the house. The shot killed her and the infant son she was carrying. Cooley's nine year old son died from a fractured skull. The older girl was shot beside him. Two of Cooley's black slaves disappeared. A true and authentic account of the Indian war in Florida: giving the particulars respecting the murder of the Widow Robbins, and the providential escape of her daughter Aurelia, and her lover, Mr. Charles Somers, after suffering almost innumerable hardships. The whole compiled from the most authentic sources ..., , , , Saunders & Van Welt, ,
The tutor's son heard the screams by the river and came back to retrieve his mother and two younger sisters. He managed to escape, going south by boat to the Cape Florida Lighthouse. Along the way they warned the people at Arch Creek and Miami River of
the attack, prompting them to flee as well.

Aftermath

After the attack, the Indians torched the house and left without attacking other dwellings. The next day, Cooley came back to bury the dead; it is unclear who alerted the salvager's team of the attack. After staying at the settlement for three days, Cooley went to the Cape Florida Lighthouse. One of the missing slaves showed up and reported that he knew the assailants and heard the Indians saying that the massacre was a response to the freeing of Alibama's murderers.
Cooley took charge of the lighthouse encampment. Richard Fitzpatrick sent sixty slaves from his Miami plantation to the lighthouse. Fearing more attacks and aware of the precarious safety of the lighthouse, the settlers and slaves boarded Cooley's schooner and smaller boats and ran away to Indian Key, one hundred miles north of Key West.
Judge Marvin, a Key West justice, accused Seminole (or Calusa, depending on the source) chief Chakaika as the leader of the New River Settlement raiding group. This was not proved, but it is known that Chakaika was an important leader and coordinated the devastating attack to Indian Key in 1840. The Mosquito Fleet's Guides and the Second Seminole War, George E. Buker, , , The Florida Historical Quarterly, 1979
When Cooley arrived at Indian Key, he was were informed that Indians had attempted to acquire arms and munition, but were repelled by the garrison in the fort on the island. Meanwhile, more than two hundred people from the nearby area went to the fort for protection. Cannons were salvaged from the ''Gil Blas'' for protecting the island; the ship was later burned to deny the Indians a chance to recover any material from it. A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875, House of Representatives of the United States, , , Bills and Resolutions, Senate, 34th Congress, 1st Session, Difficult sea conditions and fear of imminent attacks terrorized the islanders. Cooley asked for construction of forts at New River and Cape Sable, but soon news came from the Miami River reporting the total destruction of all white property, stalling all new initiatives.
Cooley went back to New River and discovered the Indians had returned to loot the settlement and burn several other houses and plantations. A claim for restitution of his losses was denied in 1840 by the United States House of Representatives. A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774–1875, House of Representatives of the United States, , , Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1875, House of Representatives of the United States, , , Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Arriving at Key West on January 16 aboard the steamboat ''Champion'', he was appointed as temporary lighthouse keeper, staying until April.

After New River

Indian Key c. 1840

Cooley resumed his life as a wrecker. Later that same year, he worked again as justice of the peace and assumed a position as a legislatively-appointed auctioneer.
Constant attacks and rumor spreading amplified the demands of Floridian community leaders, forcing the Navy to send Lieutenant Levin M. Powell to Key West. Lieutenant Powell built a small force of 50 seamen, 95 marines, 8 officers, reinforced by two schooners and the United States Cutter
''Washington'' commanded by Captain Day. He called Cooley to be his guide in the enterprise, due to his knowledge of Indian leaders and customs. Powell had mixed success, although by December 1836 the situation was under control at the coasts. Cooley went back to his usual duties in Indian Key (Dade County Seat); not long after that he moved to Tampa.
General Thomas Jesup, headquartered in Fort Dade, requested Cooley to be an express rider in early 1837, delivering messages between Tampa Bay and Fort Heilman, a 170-mile (270 km) corridor, while still working occasionally as a guide. Reports circulating that same year said that Cooley was spreading rumors about a Seminole chief leading a rebellion involving black slaves and Indians; afraid Cooley could be directly involved, the general had him interrogated. Afterwards, a disgusted Cooley resigned his position.

Politician

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Cooley befriended Captain William Bunce, a retailer fighting to keep Indians in the area, as they represented a source of cheap labor. He became involved again in local politics, this time against General Jesup, who wanted to remove all Indians from Florida. Judge Steele, a newcomer from Connecticut, was with him in this fight.
By 1840, he lived with only one slave in Leon County, Florida. 1840 U.S. census;Year: 1840; Census Place: Leon, Florida Territory; Roll: 36; Page: 64. At this time, Cooley was living near the Homosassa River, A Hernando County Timeline (to 1887) where the Armed Occupation Act of 1842 allowed the distribution of land grants. His leadership enabled him to get not only his own permit, but permits for other 28 settlers as well. His actions resulted in a lengthy correspondence with the General Land Office, which was eventually concluded satisfactorily for him and the other settlers. William Cooley and the Land Office: A Note on Frontier Settlement, Joe Knetsch, , , Broward Legacy, 1993 While there, he was a candidate in 1843 to the Florida House of Representatives for the newly created Hernando County, but lost to James Gibbons. Two years later, he became the first postmaster in Homosassa and County Commissioner of Fisheries. Journal of the Florida House of Representatives. 1845-11-17 - 1845-12-29, Florida House of Representatives, , , , He sold his land grant to Senator David Levy Yulee sequentially between 1846 and 1847 and moved back to Tampa. Land Patent Search, "Cooley, William" - Florida From 1848 to 1860 he acquired several properties in the region, including one at Worth's Harbor.
Cooley lived with seven slaves in Tampa by 1850. 1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1850. M432, 1,009 rolls. 1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Seventh Census of the United States, 1850. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1850. M432, 1,009 rolls. Cooley was a Captain of the "Silver Grays"—a militia for the home defense of Tampa in the 1850s. John Darling, Indian Removal, and Internal Improvements in South Florida, 1848–1956, Joe Knetsch, , , Tampa Bay History, 1995 He owned a general store in the city, eventually sold to a member of the Tampa Masonic Lodge. Biographical census of Hillsborough County, Florida, 1850, Gordon, Julius J, , , J.J. Gordon, 1989, He was nominated Port Warden of Tampa in 1853. Journal of the proceedings of the House of Representatives. 1852-11-22, Florida House of Representatives, , , , By 1855, Cooley had become a leader in local politics; he was the chairman of the Democratic Party, with sixty-five members enrolled, in Tampa on August 4, 1855.^[2] He was brought in as an alternate councilman for two months in the first Tampa council, served a full year term beginning February 1857, and returned in 1861 for another full term. Cooley estimated his personal wealth at US$ 10,060.00 in 1860. 1860 U.S. census, population schedule, Year: 1860; Census Place: Hillsborough County, Florida; Series: M653 Roll: 107 Page: 687. digital image

Death and afterward

He died in 1863 in Hillsborough County, Florida. His will was written in 1862 but recorded only after Cooley's death; Francis Matthews (who identified himself as his son-in-law ^[3]) was the one who took it to be filed. Another oddity is that Cooley is referred to in the document as William ''Cooly''. William Cooley left his estate to friends, charities, a woman called Fanny Anne listed as his daughter (wife of Francis Matthews), three grandsons and four granddaughters,^[4] Biographical census of Hillsborough County, Florida, 1850, Gordon, Julius J, , , J.J. Gordon, 1989, Although this source says that the heirs lived in his house in 1850, this is not confirmed by the 1850 census, which says he is the only free man in his house. The assertion he had a wife called Christen is not confirmed as well, as the affirmation that two of his daughters survived the attack in 1836. He did not die in 1860. but there is no evidence that they were his blood relatives. Colee Hammock Park in Fort Lauderdale is located near the site of his old home in the New River Settlement.

References

1. Brief History of TN in the War of 1812 - East Florida Campaign
2. The Know-Nothings of Hillsborough County
3. Wills, 1847–1930 Florida - County Judge's Court (Hillsborough County)
4. Wills, 1847–1930 Florida - County Judge's Court (Hillsborough County)

See also

★ History of Fort Lauderdale, Florida

External links

★ Floripedia: Key West: Indian Hostilities