Coacoochee

Coacoochee, or Wild Cat, was born ca. 1810 in Florida. He may have had a twin sister who died at birth. He came from a distinguished lineage within the Seminole community. His father was Emathla, or King Philip, and his mother was a prominent Wind Clan woman. Relatively undistinguished in the early part of the Seminole War, he came to prominence during a daring escape from Fort Marion in 1837. American General Thomas Jesup had seized Coacoochee, Asin Yahola, and others under a truce. Coacoochee emerged as a war leader after Asin Yahola died, fighting alongside Halpatter Micco and Arpeika against Colonel Zachary Taylor at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee in December 1837. He surrendered to Lieutenant William Tecumseh Sherman in 1841, agreeing to remove with 200 followers to Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.

Among his followers was John Cowaya, a Geechee trader and leader. They remained close associates when Coacoochee became Micco during the war and afterwards, in the Indian Territory and in Mexico.

In the Indian Territory, Coacoochee was passed over by the council for the office of Micco Nuppa. The council chose to align more closely with the Muskoke nation, who had a stronger position in the Territories and were slavers. In 1849, Coacoochee and John Cowaya lead their people into Mexico, agreeing to defend the Mexican border from Texan encroachment and from Apache and Comanche raiders. In exchange, they received lands, goods, and government services.

Coacoochee died of smallpox in 1857.