Editing Seminole Wars (section)

===Third Seminole War (overview)===
The Third Seminole War (1855–1858) was precipitated as an increasing number of settlers in central and southern Florida led to increasing tension with Seminoles and Miccosukees living in the area. In December 1855, U.S. Army personnel located and destroyed a large Seminole plantation west of the [[Everglades]], perhaps to deliberately provoke a violent response that would result in the removal of the remaining Seminole citizens from the region. [[Billy Bowlegs|Holata Micco]], a Seminole leader known as Billy Bowlegs by whites, responded with a raid near [[Fort Myers]], leading to a series of retaliatory raids and small skirmishes with no large battles fought. Once again, the United States military strategy was to target Seminole civilians by destroying their food supply. By 1858, most of the remaining Seminoles, war weary and facing starvation, acquiesced to being removed to the Indian Territory in exchange for promises of safe passage and cash payments. An estimated 200 to 500 Seminoles in small family bands still refused to leave and retreated deep into the Everglades and the [[Big Cypress Swamp]] to live on land considered unsuitable by American settlers.<ref name="FLMEM"/>