John Bemrose ran away from his boyhood apprenticeship as a Chemist in England and on a whim sold his greatcoat to buy a passage to America in 1831. Becoming penniless in Philaelphia, his only means of livlihood was to join the American Army, in which he served for five years. His education and good luck earned him the position of a Steward at the St Augustine posting in the new State of Florida. His rather safe and secure posting at the military hospital was unexpectedly interrupted by the failure of a treaty and the outbreak of hostilities by the Seminole tribes in central Florida against the white settlers. John was an observant and astute young man who had the ability and circumstance to racount all he heard and saw in the conduct of the often vicious and dangerous war. 

Almost thirty years later, after his return to England, he had cause to write to his eldest son and in a series of sixty letters exposed his American adventure in an often philosophical first hand account. These letters were subsequently transcribed into a book that my maternal gandfather gave to my grandmother. I have used this material, which came into my posession to recreate the tales in a more contemporary language, for the enjoyment of John's prodgeny and through the grace of the Floida Historical Society to everyone.