Editing Seminole Wars (section)

===Indian Key===
[[Indian Key State Historic Site|Indian Key]] is a small island in the upper [[Florida Keys]]. In 1840, it was the [[county seat]] of the newly created [[Miami-Dade County, Florida|Dade County]], and a [[Wrecking (shipwreck)|wrecking]] port. Early in the morning of 7 August 1840, a large party of "Spanish" Indians snuck onto Indian Key. By chance, one man was up and raised the alarm after spotting the Indians. Of about fifty people living on the island, forty were able to escape. The dead included Dr. [[Henry Perrine]], former United States [[Consul (representative)|Consul]] in [[Campeche, Campeche|Campeche]], [[Mexico]], who was waiting at Indian Key until it was safe to take up a 36-square mile (93&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) grant on the mainland that Congress had awarded to him.

The naval base on the Key was manned by a doctor, his patients, and five sailors under a midshipman. They mounted a couple of cannons on barges to attack the Indians. The Indians fired back at the sailors with musket balls loaded in cannon on the shore. The recoil of the cannon broke them loose from the barges, sending them into the water, and the sailors had to retreat. The Indians looted and burned the buildings on Indian Key. In December 1840, Col. Harney at the head of ninety men found Chakaika's camp deep in the Everglades. His force killed the chief and hanged some of the men in his band.<ref>Buker. pp. 106–107.</ref><ref>Viele. pp. 33–35.</ref><ref>Mahon. pp. 283–4.</ref>