214 DADE COUNTY. 



Name. — We have a distinct recollection of the grief with 

 which the people of the United States were overwhelmed, up- 

 on the receipt of the melancholy intelligence that a gallant and 

 chivalrous band of soldiers had been attacked and cut to pieces 

 by the Indians of Florida. All felt that the country had lost 

 some of its noblest defenders ; and the circumstances under 

 which they fell, roused the indignation of their countrymen, 

 and a general desire was expressed to avenge the cruel mas- 

 sacre of as brave men as ever drew the sword. Major Francis 

 Langhorne Dade was the commander of the detachment, to 

 whose mournful destiny we have just alluded, and to perpetu- 

 ate whose memory this county received its name. Citizens of 

 Dade ! ye may well be proud of the name which your beautiful 

 county bears. The Dade family came from England as early 

 as 1662, and purchased lands in Virginia, near what was called 

 the " Townshend Patent." The subject of this memoir was 

 the son of Major Townshend Dade, and was born on the 22d of 

 February, 1791, in Prince William county, Va. He received 

 his education under the care of the Rev. M. L. Weems, well 

 known as the author of the lives of Washington and Marion, 

 together with several other smaller works. Upon leaving 

 school, Dade became a student of law in the office of his cousin 

 Gen. Lawrence Dade, of Orange county, Virginia; but a mili- 

 tary life seemed to have been his ardent desire, for which his 

 subsequent career proved that he was pre-eminently fitted. 

 He relinquished the law, and entered the army, in 1813, and 

 was for some time engaged in the recruiting service. His 

 kindness of heart was exemplified whilst employed in this 

 duty. At Louisa Court House, his drummer, who was a little 

 boy (son of a widow), whom he had pledged his word he 

 would protect as his own son, was drying the head of his 

 drum by the fire in the tavern, when the landlord, who was 

 a violent opposer of the war, came in and commenced beat- 

 ing him. Dade hearing it, came in, whereupon the man, 

 a great burly fellow, attacked him, and he was compelled 

 to resort to his sword to defend himself. In the scuffle, Lieut. 

 Dade cut oft' the right arm of the landlord. The matter was 

 subjected to a judicial examination, and Lieut. Dade was ho- 

 nourably acquitted of all blame. With his early military 



