thedrifter
02-05-06, 07:20 AM
Seminole raised his glass, said 'Hooah' (or something similar)
Jim Robison | Special to the Sentinel
Posted February 5, 2006
For just a minute or so, I thought Seminole County had made the big time.
Yes, sir, The Associated Press was going to give one of this county's namesake Seminoles credit for the one word in the Army's lexicon lore "that is quite possibly uttered more than any other."
Coacoochee replaced Osceola as one of the strongest voices among the Seminoles. His escape rallied other Seminoles to continue to resist. Historians say his escape extended the Second Seminole War by four years.
Wildcat would frustrate the Army, leading ambushes, then evading soldiers by disappearing into the swamps, where troops bogged down with supply wagons and artillery.
Zachary Taylor would draw national criticism for bringing in Cuban-bred bloodhounds to track the Seminoles. The nation was outraged that packs of dogs would be used against the Seminoles.
Wildcat's flair for fashion included sometimes wearing the theatrical garb of Hamlet, taken after ambushing a traveling band of actors.
Dressed as the Danish prince from Shakespeare's tragedy, Wildcat delivered his most eloquent statement to Walker Armistead, then commander of the Army in Florida. The date was March 5, 1841.
During his long address at truce talks, Coacoochee told his foe, "I have said I am the enemy to the white man. I could live in peace with them, but they first steal our cattle and horses, cheat us, and take our lands. The white men are as thick as the leaves in the hammock; they come upon us thicker every year. They may shoot us, drive our women and children night and day; they may chain our hands and feet, but the red man's heart will be always free."
Florida historian and retired Army sergeant-major Charlie Carlson, author of Weird Florida as well as many local history books, has found that the 2nd Dragoons from Fort Mellon "were absorbed into the later lineage of modern units." He confirmed that Army armored cavalry units today trace their heritage to the 2nd Dragoons.
Christine Kinlaw-Best's The History of Fort Mellon and Carlson's From Fort Mellon to Baghdad, A Time-line Evolution of the 2nd Dragoons, traces the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, among the Army forces sent to fight in Iraq, with the Florida dragoons, making the regiment the oldest continually serving cavalry unit in the Army.
The dragoons (mounted riflemen) was formed for the Florida wars and stationed at Fort Mellon on Lake Monroe and elsewhere in Florida. In May 1836, President Andrew Jackson formed the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons and sent it to Florida to fight the Seminoles.
Historian John Mahon writes that Wildcat was famed for his valor and leadership in battle.
In doing so, Coacoochee won the respect of his enemy.
Sgt. Audrey Brunson writes in the January 1995 issue of the Army's Soldiers Magazine that no matter the situation, a "hooah . . . is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, 'hooah' seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound by the written word."
Jim Robison can be reached at jimrobison@cfl.rr.com.
Those were the words wire-service reporter Nick Wadhams used to describe the historic significance of the Army's "all-purpose" shout "HOOah" in an article Jan. 29 datelined Baghdad.
He writes, "At U.S. bases around the world, hooah [loudly intoned as "who-a"] seems an inseparable element of Army life. Just don't try to define it. And definitely don't try to figure out where it comes from."
Hmm . . .
The reporter flat-out snubbed Coacoochee, the Fort Mellon-based 2nd Dragoons and Seminole County's claim to an odd footnote in military history.
Army historians have come up with all sorts of origins for the catch-all response for just about any military situation shouted by grunts to top brass.
But anybody who can Google can find out the real story.
Some say it is a spinoff from the 1700s, when British soldiers shouted "Huzzah!" Another possibility is linked to the "ooh-rah" shout attributed to U.S. Marines during the American Revolution. Navy Seals have their own version: "hoo-ya."
Why, there are even folks trying to tie the word to Islamic radicalism, saying "Islam hooah al-hal" is a buzzword traced to Muslims in Egypt in the late 1920s who opposed democratic capitalism.
Al Pacino's Lt. Col. Frank Slade, the bitter, blind retired Army officer in the movie Scent of a Woman, roars, "HOOAH!"
Army Spc. James Pernol, a military public affairs journalist at Fort Dix, N.J., cites the official Army position, supported by military history, that attributes the origin of the term to Coacoochee and the 2nd Dragoons assigned to the Florida wars in 1841.
At a banquet following truce talks with the Seminoles, Coacoochee listened as officers of the garrison offered toasts, including "Here's to luck!" and "The old grudge" before drinking, according to many military sources. Coacoochee turned to the interpreter Gopher John, who explained the toasting. Coacoochee is said to have raised his cup high and shouted, "Hough!"
The 2nd Dragoons joined in, creating a legend that has been passed along to each military generation.
The Army called Coacoochee "Wildcat." He was a major distraction and spoiler of the Army goal of ridding Florida of the Seminoles and forcing them to reservations west of the Mississippi River.
Coacoochee was the son of the Miccosukee chief King Philip, whose village was along the northwest shore of Lake Harney. Coacoochee's mother was the sister of powerful Micanopy, the leader of the Alachua Seminoles.
Before Henry Sanford put his name on his St. Johns River steamboat and railroad town in the 1870s, the lakefront settlement was known as Mellonville. Coacoochee had a leading role in that, too.
The settlement took its name from Fort Mellon, named for Charles Mellon. The captain was the Army's only fatality when Coacoochee led a Seminole attack on what was Camp Monroe at dawn on Feb. 8, 1837. Mellonville became one of the first county seats for Orange County, which until 1913 included all of Seminole County.
If you have been to St. Augustine, you've probably toured the Castillo de San Marcos. That's where the Army kept Osceola as a captive before sending the sickly Seminole leader off to a fort on an island off Charleston, S.C., where he died in early 1838. The Army tried to hold Wildcat in the St. Augustine fort, too.
Florida legend says the determined Wildcat led an escape by about 20 Seminoles, including some women. First, they starved themselves and ate berries that made them sick. They did so to shed enough weight to squeeze their bodies through the narrow windows in the coquina walls. That rough shell must have cut into the bodies of those Seminoles before they could climb down the sides of the old Spanish fort and slip into the pine forest of the St. Johns River to freedom.Coacoochee replaced Osceola as one of the strongest voices among the Seminoles. His escape rallied other Seminoles to continue to resist. Historians say his escape extended the Second Seminole War by four years.
Wildcat would frustrate the Army, leading ambushes, then evading soldiers by disappearing into the swamps, where troops bogged down with supply wagons and artillery.
Zachary Taylor would draw national criticism for bringing in Cuban-bred bloodhounds to track the Seminoles. The nation was outraged that packs of dogs would be used against the Seminoles.
Wildcat's flair for fashion included sometimes wearing the theatrical garb of Hamlet, taken after ambushing a traveling band of actors.
Dressed as the Danish prince from Shakespeare's tragedy, Wildcat delivered his most eloquent statement to Walker Armistead, then commander of the Army in Florida. The date was March 5, 1841.
During his long address at truce talks, Coacoochee told his foe, "I have said I am the enemy to the white man. I could live in peace with them, but they first steal our cattle and horses, cheat us, and take our lands. The white men are as thick as the leaves in the hammock; they come upon us thicker every year. They may shoot us, drive our women and children night and day; they may chain our hands and feet, but the red man's heart will be always free."
Florida historian and retired Army sergeant-major Charlie Carlson, author of Weird Florida as well as many local history books, has found that the 2nd Dragoons from Fort Mellon "were absorbed into the later lineage of modern units." He confirmed that Army armored cavalry units today trace their heritage to the 2nd Dragoons.
Christine Kinlaw-Best's The History of Fort Mellon and Carlson's From Fort Mellon to Baghdad, A Time-line Evolution of the 2nd Dragoons, traces the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, among the Army forces sent to fight in Iraq, with the Florida dragoons, making the regiment the oldest continually serving cavalry unit in the Army.
The dragoons (mounted riflemen) was formed for the Florida wars and stationed at Fort Mellon on Lake Monroe and elsewhere in Florida. In May 1836, President Andrew Jackson formed the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons and sent it to Florida to fight the Seminoles.
Historian John Mahon writes that Wildcat was famed for his valor and leadership in battle.
In doing so, Coacoochee won the respect of his enemy.
Sgt. Audrey Brunson writes in the January 1995 issue of the Army's Soldiers Magazine that no matter the situation, a "hooah . . . is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, 'hooah' seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound by the written word."
Jim Robison can be reached at jimrobison@cfl.rr.com.
Jim Robison | Special to the Sentinel
Posted February 5, 2006
For just a minute or so, I thought Seminole County had made the big time.
Yes, sir, The Associated Press was going to give one of this county's namesake Seminoles credit for the one word in the Army's lexicon lore "that is quite possibly uttered more than any other."
Coacoochee replaced Osceola as one of the strongest voices among the Seminoles. His escape rallied other Seminoles to continue to resist. Historians say his escape extended the Second Seminole War by four years.
Wildcat would frustrate the Army, leading ambushes, then evading soldiers by disappearing into the swamps, where troops bogged down with supply wagons and artillery.
Zachary Taylor would draw national criticism for bringing in Cuban-bred bloodhounds to track the Seminoles. The nation was outraged that packs of dogs would be used against the Seminoles.
Wildcat's flair for fashion included sometimes wearing the theatrical garb of Hamlet, taken after ambushing a traveling band of actors.
Dressed as the Danish prince from Shakespeare's tragedy, Wildcat delivered his most eloquent statement to Walker Armistead, then commander of the Army in Florida. The date was March 5, 1841.
During his long address at truce talks, Coacoochee told his foe, "I have said I am the enemy to the white man. I could live in peace with them, but they first steal our cattle and horses, cheat us, and take our lands. The white men are as thick as the leaves in the hammock; they come upon us thicker every year. They may shoot us, drive our women and children night and day; they may chain our hands and feet, but the red man's heart will be always free."
Florida historian and retired Army sergeant-major Charlie Carlson, author of Weird Florida as well as many local history books, has found that the 2nd Dragoons from Fort Mellon "were absorbed into the later lineage of modern units." He confirmed that Army armored cavalry units today trace their heritage to the 2nd Dragoons.
Christine Kinlaw-Best's The History of Fort Mellon and Carlson's From Fort Mellon to Baghdad, A Time-line Evolution of the 2nd Dragoons, traces the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, among the Army forces sent to fight in Iraq, with the Florida dragoons, making the regiment the oldest continually serving cavalry unit in the Army.
The dragoons (mounted riflemen) was formed for the Florida wars and stationed at Fort Mellon on Lake Monroe and elsewhere in Florida. In May 1836, President Andrew Jackson formed the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons and sent it to Florida to fight the Seminoles.
Historian John Mahon writes that Wildcat was famed for his valor and leadership in battle.
In doing so, Coacoochee won the respect of his enemy.
Sgt. Audrey Brunson writes in the January 1995 issue of the Army's Soldiers Magazine that no matter the situation, a "hooah . . . is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, 'hooah' seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound by the written word."
Jim Robison can be reached at jimrobison@cfl.rr.com.
Those were the words wire-service reporter Nick Wadhams used to describe the historic significance of the Army's "all-purpose" shout "HOOah" in an article Jan. 29 datelined Baghdad.
He writes, "At U.S. bases around the world, hooah [loudly intoned as "who-a"] seems an inseparable element of Army life. Just don't try to define it. And definitely don't try to figure out where it comes from."
Hmm . . .
The reporter flat-out snubbed Coacoochee, the Fort Mellon-based 2nd Dragoons and Seminole County's claim to an odd footnote in military history.
Army historians have come up with all sorts of origins for the catch-all response for just about any military situation shouted by grunts to top brass.
But anybody who can Google can find out the real story.
Some say it is a spinoff from the 1700s, when British soldiers shouted "Huzzah!" Another possibility is linked to the "ooh-rah" shout attributed to U.S. Marines during the American Revolution. Navy Seals have their own version: "hoo-ya."
Why, there are even folks trying to tie the word to Islamic radicalism, saying "Islam hooah al-hal" is a buzzword traced to Muslims in Egypt in the late 1920s who opposed democratic capitalism.
Al Pacino's Lt. Col. Frank Slade, the bitter, blind retired Army officer in the movie Scent of a Woman, roars, "HOOAH!"
Army Spc. James Pernol, a military public affairs journalist at Fort Dix, N.J., cites the official Army position, supported by military history, that attributes the origin of the term to Coacoochee and the 2nd Dragoons assigned to the Florida wars in 1841.
At a banquet following truce talks with the Seminoles, Coacoochee listened as officers of the garrison offered toasts, including "Here's to luck!" and "The old grudge" before drinking, according to many military sources. Coacoochee turned to the interpreter Gopher John, who explained the toasting. Coacoochee is said to have raised his cup high and shouted, "Hough!"
The 2nd Dragoons joined in, creating a legend that has been passed along to each military generation.
The Army called Coacoochee "Wildcat." He was a major distraction and spoiler of the Army goal of ridding Florida of the Seminoles and forcing them to reservations west of the Mississippi River.
Coacoochee was the son of the Miccosukee chief King Philip, whose village was along the northwest shore of Lake Harney. Coacoochee's mother was the sister of powerful Micanopy, the leader of the Alachua Seminoles.
Before Henry Sanford put his name on his St. Johns River steamboat and railroad town in the 1870s, the lakefront settlement was known as Mellonville. Coacoochee had a leading role in that, too.
The settlement took its name from Fort Mellon, named for Charles Mellon. The captain was the Army's only fatality when Coacoochee led a Seminole attack on what was Camp Monroe at dawn on Feb. 8, 1837. Mellonville became one of the first county seats for Orange County, which until 1913 included all of Seminole County.
If you have been to St. Augustine, you've probably toured the Castillo de San Marcos. That's where the Army kept Osceola as a captive before sending the sickly Seminole leader off to a fort on an island off Charleston, S.C., where he died in early 1838. The Army tried to hold Wildcat in the St. Augustine fort, too.
Florida legend says the determined Wildcat led an escape by about 20 Seminoles, including some women. First, they starved themselves and ate berries that made them sick. They did so to shed enough weight to squeeze their bodies through the narrow windows in the coquina walls. That rough shell must have cut into the bodies of those Seminoles before they could climb down the sides of the old Spanish fort and slip into the pine forest of the St. Johns River to freedom.Coacoochee replaced Osceola as one of the strongest voices among the Seminoles. His escape rallied other Seminoles to continue to resist. Historians say his escape extended the Second Seminole War by four years.
Wildcat would frustrate the Army, leading ambushes, then evading soldiers by disappearing into the swamps, where troops bogged down with supply wagons and artillery.
Zachary Taylor would draw national criticism for bringing in Cuban-bred bloodhounds to track the Seminoles. The nation was outraged that packs of dogs would be used against the Seminoles.
Wildcat's flair for fashion included sometimes wearing the theatrical garb of Hamlet, taken after ambushing a traveling band of actors.
Dressed as the Danish prince from Shakespeare's tragedy, Wildcat delivered his most eloquent statement to Walker Armistead, then commander of the Army in Florida. The date was March 5, 1841.
During his long address at truce talks, Coacoochee told his foe, "I have said I am the enemy to the white man. I could live in peace with them, but they first steal our cattle and horses, cheat us, and take our lands. The white men are as thick as the leaves in the hammock; they come upon us thicker every year. They may shoot us, drive our women and children night and day; they may chain our hands and feet, but the red man's heart will be always free."
Florida historian and retired Army sergeant-major Charlie Carlson, author of Weird Florida as well as many local history books, has found that the 2nd Dragoons from Fort Mellon "were absorbed into the later lineage of modern units." He confirmed that Army armored cavalry units today trace their heritage to the 2nd Dragoons.
Christine Kinlaw-Best's The History of Fort Mellon and Carlson's From Fort Mellon to Baghdad, A Time-line Evolution of the 2nd Dragoons, traces the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, among the Army forces sent to fight in Iraq, with the Florida dragoons, making the regiment the oldest continually serving cavalry unit in the Army.
The dragoons (mounted riflemen) was formed for the Florida wars and stationed at Fort Mellon on Lake Monroe and elsewhere in Florida. In May 1836, President Andrew Jackson formed the 2nd Regiment of Dragoons and sent it to Florida to fight the Seminoles.
Historian John Mahon writes that Wildcat was famed for his valor and leadership in battle.
In doing so, Coacoochee won the respect of his enemy.
Sgt. Audrey Brunson writes in the January 1995 issue of the Army's Soldiers Magazine that no matter the situation, a "hooah . . . is still an expression of high morale, strength and confidence. And, when powered by an overwhelmingly proud, and usually loud, tone of voice, 'hooah' seems to stomp out any possibility of being bound by the written word."
Jim Robison can be reached at jimrobison@cfl.rr.com.