Major Dade's Command
The bodies of the men killed
in the attack on a column led
by Major Francis Dade now
rest in St. Augustine, Florida.
Dade Pyramids - St. Augustine National Cemetery, Florida
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Dade Pyramids in St. Augustine, Florida
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - Dade Pyramids in St. Augustine, Florida
Dade Pyramids
Although the three small pyramids in the St.
Augustine National Cemetery are associated with
Major Dade, they actually memorialize more than
1,000 men who died in the Second Seminole War.
Reminders of the Seminole Wars
Overlooked by most visitors to the nation's
oldest city, the Dade Pyramids hold a unique
place in Florida and Southern history.

Located near the southern end of the St.
Augustine National Cemetery, the pyramids
are named for Major Francis Dade and his
"last command." The major and his men
were wiped out by Seminole warriors during
a devastating attack on December 28, 1835.
The event is remembered today as Dade's
Battle, but was known for years as the Dade
Massacre.

The Seminoles - led by Osceola, Jumper,
Micanopy, Alligator and others - reached the
point of war due to U.S. demands that they
relocated to new lands in what is now
Oklahoma. When they learned that a column
of troops led by Major Francis Dade was
preparing to move from Fort Brooke on
Tampa Bay to Fort King on the present site of
Ocala and in the heart of the Seminole lands,
they prepared for action.

A two pronged attack was carried out.
Osceola and one party of warriors killed the
U.S. Indian Agent and others near Fort King,
while Micanopy, Jumper and Alligator moved
with other warriors to attack Dade's column.

The results of the attack were stunning. In a
fierce battle in the open woods, the warriors
overran Dade's column, killing the major, his
officers and at least 103 men. The bodies lay
exposed in the woods for some time before
they were finally given a temporary burial on
the battlefield by another U.S. force that
reached the site. As soon as conditions
allowed, however, the remains of Major Dade
and his men were exhumed and removed to
what is now St. Augustine National Cemetery.

There, along with hundreds of other men
who lost their lives in the brutal guerrilla war,
the dead from Dade's battle were buried in
three vaults. The other men died in countless
battles, as well as from the diseases and
hardships that killed far more U.S. soldiers
than Seminole bullets, arrows, knives and
hatchets. The vaults capped by the Dade
Pyramids contain the remains of 1,468
soldiers who died from 1835-1842.
The pyramids are a good place to reflect on
the cost of the longest American war of the
19th century.

The Dade Pyramids are located in the St.
Augustine National Cemetery, which is
located just south of the St. Francis Barracks
(headquarters of the Florida National Guard)
in St. Augustine. The main gate to the
cemetery is located on Marine Street south of
the St. Francis Street intersection. An second
entrance is located on Charlotte Street, which
borders the western side of the cemetery.

If you are interested in learning more about
the Dade Battle, please click here to visit our
page on Dade Battlefield Historic State Park.
Dade Pyramids
The monuments are located
in the southern end of the St.
Augustine National Cemetery.
Victims of a Forgotten War
The Second Seminole War
was one of the most brutal
conflicts in American history.
Resting Place of Major Dade
Dade and his command were
wiped out by Seminole forces
in December of 1835.
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Copyright 2011 by Dale Cox
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