Next day, after a fatiguing march, they arrived at Tampa Bay, and camped a few miles from Fort Brooke, on the other side of the river. The men looked very different from the gay, gallant set of fellows who had marched away three months before, their clothes were torn, their shoes worn out, and they themselves were thin and dirty. General Scott gave them the highest praise, and promised to send them home direct from Tampa. 8th.--An order was issued, that my company which had remained in garrison, should return to the Louisiana Volunteers. We immediately crossed the river, and were once more with our regiment. On the morning of the 9th, an Indian prisoner was brought to Fort Brooke by one of the Revenue Cutters. He had been taken in the following manner: some days before a party of seamen, commanded by Lieutenant Powell, had been dispatched from the Sloop of War Vandalia, to Charlotte’s harbour, in consequence of some outrages committed by the Indians in that quarter. The seamen had built a Fort large enough to accommodate themselves and the families of several Spanish fishermen. The Collector of Customs had been murdered a short time before by the Indians, and the Spaniards were much alarmed. The prisoner was the particular object of their terror and aversion. He was known to be a determined fellow, was a suspected accomplice in the Custom house Officer’s murder, and had sworn vengeance against several of the Spaniards. His sister, (a reputed prophetess,) was married to one of them. Lieutenant Powell went with his party to a house at night, and demanded admittance; some one within, shouted Hallo! and immediately after the door was opened, and out rushed three Indians. Two of them were shot down, and three sailors seized the third, but he made a desperate struggle, and succeeded in escaping: the men might have killed him, but the orders were to take him alive. His retreat, a well chosen one, was discovered a few days after:--A tree grew on the outer end of a sand bar, which was covered with water at flood tide; the tree was then a mile from the shore, and the water was scarce a foot deep. The Indian had rigged a very convenient sleeping place for himself, among the boughs, whence he would observe every thing passing around, with very little danger of discovery. He was, however, watched by the Spaniards, who dreaded him, his retreat was reported to Lieutenant Powell, and he himself was seized, whilst asleep, and conducted to Tampa Bay. He reported that there were a considerable number of Indians, besides Negroes, and a large quantity of ammunition, in the neighbourhood of Charlotte’s harbour, and declared his readiness to conduct a party to the spot, stipulating, that he should afterwards recover his freedom. General Smith, immediately volunteered the services of himself and Regiment; his offer was accepted, and on Sunday the 10th, we embarked in the brigantine Calvin and the Schooner Cumberland, for