Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A complete and authentic issue of Harper’s Weekly, July 12, 1858, 16pp., disbound, VG. From the interior, a two-page spread includes a large image of “Billy Bowlegs, Chief of the Seminoles” with facsimili signature, his young wife, his slave Ben Bruno, and his his Lieutentant, Long Jack. The engravings are surrounded with plenty of descriptive text concerning Billy and the Seminole Wars. Billy Bowlegs was a leader of the Seminoles in Florida during the Second and Third Seminole Wars against the United States. One of the last Seminole leaders to resist. In early 1858, Chief Wild Cat of the Western Seminole was brought back from Indian Territory to convince Bowlegs to relocate voluntarily. The US government offered Bowlegs $10,000 and each of his chiefs $1000 if they did so. Warriors and non-warriors were offered less. They initially refused, but later that year, the band of 123 agreed to relocation. In May, Bowlegs and his followers arrived in New Orleans, en route to Arkansas and their new home in the Indian Territory. A journalist described the chief as having "two wives, one son, five daughters, fifty slaves, and a hundred thousand dollars in hard cash. After reaching Indian Territory, Bowlegs became a leading chief there. He and his daughters became prominent land holders and slaveowners. His slaveholding put him in the category of major Southern planters, those with more than 20 slaves.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.