Coa Hadjo

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Coa Hadjo was one of the exploring party who went West in 1832 to look at possible locations for settlement in Indian Territory. He later joined the Seminole War effort and was considered a major leader. According to Mahon, in late October 1837, Coa Hadjo and Osceola indicated they were wiling to come in under a flag of truce to talk with General Joseph M. Hernandez, not knowing that General Thomas Jesup had directed Hernandez to violate the flag of truce, as Jesup had done before, and seize the leaders if he could. They met near Fort Peyton on Moultrie Creek. According to Dr. Nathan Jarvis, who accompanied Hernandez and his force, Osceola was so emotional he could not speak and asked Coa Hadjo to talk for the Seminoles. He told the general that they had been urged to negotiate by Philip, through his emissary Coacoochee. They had not come in to surrender but to talk peace. They had brought in "a good many Negroes" with them and were willing to give up other captured property. Hernandez then told Coa Hadjo and Osceloa that he would take them prisoners because the Army had been deceived by the Seminoles too often. Surrounded by troops, they were disarmed and the two leaders with 71 warriors, 6 women, and 4 blacks were marched off to St. Augustine. Coa Hadjo led the Cherokee delegation that sought out and brought in Micanopy, Yaholoochee, Tuskeggee, Nocose Yahola, and other sub-chiefs to Fort Mellon. To the Cherokees' chagrin, Jesup had the chiefs seized and promptly shipped by steamer to St. Augustine and imprisoned at Fort Marion.

Source: John K. Mahon, History of the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842 (Gainesville: University of Florida Press\, 1967), 79, 215-216, 223; quotes from Jarvis are reprinted in Mahon.