36 READJUSTMENT AFTER WAR 



neighborhood. The utter inability of Spain to 

 maintain a semblance of effective sovereignty 

 in Florida was made perfectly clear by these 

 events. After the peace of Ghent her weakness 

 continued to be manifested in the threatening 

 activities of hostile Indians, runaway slaves, 

 and many varieties of outlaws along the Amer 

 ican frontier. The Spanish governor, in reply 

 to complaints, acknowledged that he could not 

 keep these people in order. In 1817 Seminole 

 Indians attacked United States troops on the 

 border and Jackson, with the prestige of suc 

 cess in the defence of New Orleans about 

 him, was sent to take charge of the situation. 

 His procedure was characteristic. He marched 

 straight into Florida, scattering the Indians as 

 he advanced, and seized the Spanish town of 

 Saint Mark s. Among the captives taken here 

 was a substantial trader named Arbuthnot, a 

 British subject, whose home was the island of 

 Nassau. He was well known to the American 

 commander as a man of influence with the In 

 dians, and as one who believed that the Semi- 

 noles had been unjustly treated by the United 

 States. Garrisoning Saint Mark s, Jackson set 

 out for the chief town of the Seminoles, a hun 

 dred miles away, but on reaching it after a dif- 



