Florida Frontier Incidents During the 1850s

From a military viewpoint Florida’s frontier at the beginning of the 1850s was relatively quiet. There was no significant warfare, but the Indian question was far from settled. Governor Thomas Brown’s message to the Florida legislature in 1850 repeated many previous statements and complained about the almost total disorganization of Florida’s militia. Governor Brown typically blamed this situation on the current militia law’s unwieldy nature. However, it should be noted, that Florida military officials had not made the militia returns required by the federal government since 1845. There would seem to be some question therefore, concerning the state’s desire to create an efficient organization, even in the face of unsettled frontier conditions