The government could no longer shut its eyes to the fact that it had a serious war on its hands. Unless protection was quickly given to the inhabitants of Florida, most of them would be massacred. The Seminoles were in dead earnest. General Clinch had charge of Fort King, and would have been doomed had not Major Dade reached him with reinforcements. On the day before Christmas, 1835, Dade, with one hundred men and eight officers, and a fieldpiece, marched against the hostiles. They advanced without hindrance for several days, when they were attacked by a large force of Indians and mongrels. Almost the first man to fall was Major Dade, but the other officers and men went down around him like tenpins. Under Captain Gardener, the Indians were finally repelled. It was known, however, that they would soon return, and the soldiers began hastily throwing up intrenchments. They were working desperately, when the Indians attacked again. Captain Gardener and many others were quickly killed. An attempt was made to bring the field-piece into action, but the Seminoles and negroes shot down every one who tried to serve it. When all the officers and two-thirds of the men had been slain, the ammunition of the survivors gave out, and the enemy rushed upon them. Only three men, by feigning death, escaped to the woods after the departure of the assailants. The massacre of Major Dade and his command caused as profound emotion throughout the country as that of Custer and his men nearly a half century later. It is believed, though it is not certain, that Osceola was the leader in this terrible affair. If so, he did another thing, which, in its way, was equally startling. His enmity toward General Thompson, who had put him in irons, was intense. On the same day that the Dade massacre took place, Thompson was dining in a house within a short distance of Fort King. Seated at the table with him were several gentlemen; and, as the day was unusually warm, even for that latitude, the sashes were raised. In the midst of the meal, and while all were chatting and laughing, a volley came through the windows, and Osceola, at the head of a party of Seminoles, dashed into the room with tomahawks upraised. Five guests leaped out of the windows, and, running at headlong speed, reached the fort. The others made for a hummock near by, but were shot down on the way. Five in all, including General Thompson, were killed. The cook, a negro woman, hid behind a barrel and was not noticed. Those who fell were scalped, and Osceola, uttering his well-known defiant cry, made off with his companions, before the garrison at the fort could interfere.