New River Prairie/New River Strand Out to Sunday Bay

[shawn beightol]

I just posted pictures from the epic kayak pull from Highway 41 south to New River Strand to New River.

My 2 friends Leanne and Scott and I did this trip in early 2000.

We pulled 2 days and on the 3rd day reached the New River Strand where the water was sufficient to support the kayaks.  Eventually we were able to get in the kayaks and begin paddling.

In one of the isolate lakes that New River opened wide as, we observed what looked like archaeologic remains of an indian village - posts rotted off at the surface of the lake that looked as though they had once supported houses/huts out over the lake/river.

This was an amazing trip.

[Dallas]

That's amazing. I have wondered about the possibility of this trip. Looks like you answered the question. 

[shawn beightol]

I led a small group of hikers back out to New River yesterday to investigate a spot we thought might contain clues to the disappeared/lost Seminole Indian War Fort Harrell.

This link shares some info and pictures

Facebook Album: "Return to New River: A Search for Seminole Indian ...

[Swamp Hunter]

A very worthy project Shawn. The last time I searched for Fort Harrel, several years ago, I used the designated trail from Monroe Station. 

It would be interesting to check Ralph Van Blarcom's coordinates because they match with my own research.  I was told to look for the remains of a low coral rock or limestone foundation wall but I never found it. 

I know a hunter that is very familiar with the New River area. He told me of a hunting camp. I also have a hunt camp marked on an old map on one of the lakes.

Thanks for posting.

[shawn beightol]

Dale:

I agree with your coordinate research.  But before that major excursion gets underway, you really have to rule out modern-day "New River."  At the very least, it would be a feat unto itself to rediscover Copeland's mistaken monument to Ft. Harrell.  I plan on 2 more trips to New River before I commit myself to Blarcom's estimate (I have 2 independent sources that support his interpretation, but I also have an image of what appears to be the remains of a wall closer to modern day "New River").

Perhaps you will be situated soon and can join a canoe or kayak trip up New River or a hike down to the end of New River strand just before the headwaters of New River begins?

[Swamp Hunter]

Yea I would like to tag along on a sanctioned hike. Yes it would be almost impossible to find Copelands marker if its still there. Some of these brass markers were stolen and presumably melted as scrap. I agree, one reason it has not been found is because its most likely not located on the New River. At least not the one that exists today.  Its interesting to note that there is also a New River in Fort Lauderdale. There is no connection, other than according to Seminole lore, the river (in Broward) just appeared suddenly after a night of strong winds, loud noises, and shaking ground.  So it was named the New River. The noise and shaking attributed to an earthquake which collapsed the roof of a large underground stream.

Another reason is the lack of GPS technology. Hunters have stumbled upon the wall and even found the rusted remains of a flintlock rifle but cannot return to the location. Hey it happens. I know some people that lost their ATCs lol and had to hike back. Im sure you know hunters that set their rifle down, never to find it again. Dont ever set your rifle down in the swamp and walk away.

[shawn beightol]

I am organizing a 9 mile round trip hike south out of Kirby Storter Wayside park on Saturday, May 10 down along New River Strand to investigate 3 sites of interest that may hold clues to the lost Seminole War Fort Harrell and the lost D. Graham Copeland monument/plaque to honor the soldiers stationed there.

Message me if you are interested.

It will be hot and high stepping (think calf and thigh cramps).  If you have not done something like this before, this would not be a good first hike.

[Swamp Hunter]

I remember a vicious cramp that overcame me while standing alone in a very deep water slough. All I could do is hang on to the nearest cypress tree to keep from drowning. I found that if I take one quinine pill during the hike there are no more cramps.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Darn I wish this was a different date, sounds like quite the trip!

shawn beightol said:

I am organizing a 9 mile round trip hike south out of Kirby Storter Wayside park on Saturday, May 10 down along New River Strand to investigate 3 sites of interest that may hold clues to the lost Seminole War Fort Harrell and the lost D. Graham Copeland monument/plaque to honor the soldiers stationed there.

Message me if you are interested.

It will be hot and high stepping (think calf and thigh cramps).  If you have not done something like this before, this would not be a good first hike.

[Swamp Hunter]

Yea it was quite a trip. The group consisted of Shawn, Chris and myself and we hiked at least 12 miles round trip down to the headwaters of New River.. 12 miles should have been easy for me, but it wasnt.  

Well I made it back safe and sound with Shawn as the guide but I was dragging. What happened? Am I getting too old for this type of summer hike?  I doubt it as it was less than a month ago I hiked from Gator Hook to Oasis with relative ease. I realize my mistake this trip. I didnt have my backpack as I must have left it in my camper.  So I stashed 5 liters plus of Gatorade in my large side pants pockets. The entire trip from start to finish was off trail and mostly without shade. We only found bits and pieces of tire tracks and/or followed short winding game trails. As Shawn warned, this was high stepping through grass all the way and the added leg weight quickly took its toll.. I was in trouble before I started. It caused too much unnecessary hip pain.

Hey lesson learned. I made it back sure enough but I was in pain lol. We searched some very thick oak ridges on the bank of New River. It was a good probe with good people. We need to go back...spend some more time. Its going to take hard work and determination to find Fort Harrel. Maybe Chris or Shawn have some pics.  

[Swamp Hunter]

 Fort Harrell  

Thick old Brazilian Pepper on the banks of New River

[shawn beightol]

Chris H, Dale and I (all met on Everglades Exploration Network after posting about Fort Harrell) hiked Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 730 AM until 6 PM for a total of 13.5 miles. We ran out of trail miles at a time and had to bushwack on the way home several times.

We noted/passed the most northern extent that Smallwood's recollection of where the fort MIGHT be 5-6 miles up the New River (this is in George's Strand 1/2 mile NE of the terminus of the New River...but the strand is big there and we did not search it as we had been hiking 2 hours and were already feeling the pain of high stepping the sawgrass. A thorough search of this strand/river really needs a base camp approach.

.

We then went on to a hexagonal clearing I had identified from satellite images going back to 1994 and found that it was a hexagonally shaped...pond. It had dried out to seccession. A search of it revealed no suggestions that it contained any evidence of having been a fort.

We then went on to the location where Copeland's 1947 map has the label "Ft Harrell" and found a large hollow or depression with old trees surrounding a gatorhole that had been there a long time. as we sat resting in the shade, we noticed what appeared to be the straight line/edge of a wall/concrete sill. Closer inspection revealed that it was a hand hewn cypress log that had been squared with tools, but not completed. It appeared to have a lip carved into it for overlapping like "tongue and groove." We uncovered what we could and realized that it was only worked for 2/3s its length. We agreed that it was not in a strategic or sensible location for a fort since it was in what was likely a large pond during wet season and the ground even now was spongy and moist. We thought it had either been felled there and had begun to have been shaped for placement in a structure then abandoned or that it had floated there during high water on some stormy day then buried. I believe it certainly should be carbon-dated to see if it dates back 180 years. If so, then I believe Copeland's sense of the location of Ft Harrell was very close to fact. Further testing and searching of this area is necessary, as the following paragraph will further support.

Next, we trekked the half mile north to the extreme north headwaters of the Modern New River. As we entered the brush and foliage that grows dense around such waterways (there were no mangroves here), we encountered dense and ancient (as evidenced by size and girth of trunks) groves of Brazilian Pepper, which seem to grow best where land has been disturbed. We worked a VERY short distance due to the extreme density and hard going of the southern bank of what would have been a sizable creek with sufficient water available (summer rains and/or higher sheet flow from the north prior to the completion of tamiami canal, alligator alley, and the side roads that bisected strands and sources of water draining south into these creeks and rivers. We noted that in several locations the Brazilian Peppers grew there might have been a place to build a camp or a fort with access to the creek, which was lower and below a very visible rock ledge that ran the length of the creek bed. A recent camp did not seem likely do to the absence of rusting sheet metal, box springs and other metallic debris often left at abandoned hunt camps. Having exhausted ourselves hacking through Pepper underbrush, we headed back to the gatorhole and hewn log for lunch before skirting the gatorhole to look for other evidence then headed south to see Blarcom's hypothesized Ft Harrell site and where he estimated Copelands Marker to be.

Blarcom's lat and long for both his estimate on the fort and copelands marker are in the middle of a young cypress prairie (their size suggests young, though their bases were bulbous and made me wonder if they weren't just dwarf/bonzai due to a limestone shelf just below the marl). There was NOTHING to suggest a fort or a marker in that vicinity. No mounds, no high grounds with hardwoods growing. Nothing but an old ORV/buggy trail heading NE which I had ID'd from google earth as a possible exit.

We began our 6 mile trek NE back toward Tamiami on this buggy trail and I have to say it was one of the best trails I have walked ANYWHERE. We followed its meandering course through the cypress prairie SE of the New River Strand and almost skipped our way out it was so smooth and solid. Unfortunately, it made a turn East after 1.5 miles from the Blarcom Fort Estimate and we had to say goodbye to "easy street." On further inspection of this trail, it turns east and eventually connects with the Monroe South ORV trail and extends SW past Blarcom's estimated fort location down and then west to cross New River at the Airboat trail. For these 2 reasons I believe the ORVAC should continue the Monroe South ORV trail down to New River and across to connect with the proposed Skillet South ORV trail: 1) Ft Harrell is reputed to be in that location and that alone is a worthy, cultural/historical destination of interest to many different types of people, especially if Blarcom's estimates are used (as wrong as they are....) 2) New River is an EXCELLENT destination for a primary trail for purposes of canoe/kayak launches like Turner River and the ability to access this by connecting with Skillet South make this a very interesting route either from the water north to either skillet or Monroe (both have parking) or from Monroe to Skillet/vice versa.

Due to the difficulty of hiking the distances necessary to reach the New River headwaters, the next step will be to either hike down on a Friday afternoon (it can be reached in 2-3 hours), explore the upper clearings of interest on Saturday, then hike back up on Sunday. Alternatively...or after the rains begin, it would be easier perhaps to paddle up from Chokoloskee to the 2-3 clearings of interest on this main part of the New River. However, in light of the information that the fort is likely in the Cypress where there is a rocky hammock at the headwaters of New River and the fact that prior to the building of the Tamiami Canal there would have been even more water available in the New River, my inclination is to continue searching the southern shore of the uppermost headwaters.

Such a venture would likely happen in late May or early June and last Friday - Sunday.

I want to thank Chris and Dale for the enjoyable company on a trying but beautiful hike and exploration.

Resources:

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/galleries/State/1840-1859/index.php - see the option of opening the old maps as overlays in google earth!
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/map_sites/states_sites.html#florida
http://www.mapofus.org/florida/

Copeland's 1947 map - http://i.colliergov.net/museum/albums/Maps/1947%20Collier%20County%...

Colliergov.net: "Fort Harrell Site: This early U.S. fort was established during the Second Seminole War and was abandoned in 1842. It was located at the head of the New River, in the southern Big Cypress Region. In 1986, the site could not be located. However, it is believed to be located approximately 3.5 miles south of U.S. 41, within the Georges
Strand area of the Big Cypress. The current condition of the site is unknown. " http://www.colliergov.net/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=777

Blarcom's "Seminole War Artifacts "http://www.amazon.com/Seminole-Artifacts-History-Forts-Florida/dp/1...

reference in Florida's Vanishing Trail to Jaudon and his indian guide resting at Fort Harrell on couches when surveying the route for 41 or for his platting of his lands at pinecrest: see page 179 of http://books.google.com/books?id=HV80mOj8p0AC&pg=PA176#v=onepag...

Here's one that shows Fort Harrall apparently west of Sunday river (or some waterway that runs north nearly to lake O):
http://scholar.library.miami.edu/floridamaps/view_image.php?image_n...
and another: http://scholar.library.miami.edu/floridamaps/view_image.php?image_n...

this one shows it at the head of Cypress Bark Cr (with an indian name I can't read), about where sunday bay/new river should be (notice the angle from Pavillion Key):
http://scholar.library.miami.edu/floridamaps/view_image.php?image_n...

Here's an 1848 map that shows it as Fort Hawell in the general vicinity of the missing New River:http://scholar.library.miami.edu/floridamaps/view_image.php?image_n...

This 1847 shows fort Harrell at the head of Atco-to-paka river:

http://scholar.library.miami.edu/floridamaps/view_image.php?image_n...

Another who apparently traveled by Fort Harrold/Harrell was Burke, as mentioned in this book, "The origin, progress, and conclusions of the Florida war" from 1847-8 (and it's free from google play or to download):
http://books.google.com/books?id=-HAFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1
Here it has been digitized to text: http://archive.org/stream/originprogressa03spragoog/originprogressa...
On page 355 of this book, you will read Belknap's original words theorizing that the OK slough is the source of the New River upon which Fort Harroll is located.

On page 357 he mentions that he is sending rough sketches of his routes, but that he will send better versions. These would be about the time for which we are interested and may lead us to such archived images as the location of Fort Harrell/Harroll as would be needed by military visiting it (particularly for any trying to find it the first time).

There are several messages of Wright's mission, and on page 437, a formal citation is made to Wright's report of his mission dated January 1842 re: his missions Dec 31 1841 through Jan 6 1842

On pages 334-335, an officer Burke details how they made it from Chekika Island to the lower landing (prophets?) then pushed back down through Shark Valley to what would be the wilderness waterway ?? then on up to what sounds like New River (Fort Harrold is mentioned), including the proximity of the pine lands. The point 30 miles NE of Fort Harrold would be about the area of the boundary between big cypress and the everglades then (the landings - prophets, Ft Shackleford, Waxy Hodjos). Page 5 of this pdf, http://journals.fcla.edu/browardlegacy/article/view/78204/75624 , (p ) interprets Burke's words (I think there is room for license)

Regarding the existence of better information on the location of Forts,
this Tequesta article, http://digitalcollections.fiu.edu/tequesta/files/2002/02_1_03.pdf , summarizes some military correspondence obtained from the National Archives and, as the newspaper on the rediscovery of Fort Henry mentioned, presents the path to obtaining better information than just what lays scattered around the internet.

Notice on page 8 the 1854 letter from Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General Thomas J. Haines to Washington DC, Haines requests sketches from the Topographic Bureau.
- something we can check into

on page 27 of this pdf (p94 of the journal) it briefly mentions' Pratt's mission to Pavillion

on page 29 (p96 of journal), it mentions the provision of a sketch of south Florida from command to officers (for navigation?). Undoubtedly it would contain authoritative locations of forts.

Not directly related but interesting, Here's an article from 1950 how Hwy 29 was converted from a military trail that was originally an indian "moccasin" trail:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=02A0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=rOsFAAAA...

Beightol's Alternate Theory that today's "New River" is mistakenly labeled New River and was Barnes River in the past (a copying error in updating maps from year to year):

Here is a 1920 biologist's report on a swamp rat that he finds 8 miles east of Chockoloskee on Barnes RIVER. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1373747?seq=2 (see page 80)

Barnes Creek is 5 miles east of Chockoloskee...but today's New River is 7.5-8 miles east depending on if you go up turner river or up lopez river.

If this mix up has occurred, then that would make the next reasonable river/creek that might have been Cypress Bark Creek starting here 25.76349, -81.22581 (mouth) and ending somewhere around here 25.77599, -81.20579 .

Or another creek/river further east.

Biologist Hardisty puts New River 12 miles east of Chockoloskee, right in the strand of the alternate I propose below:
http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID:nmnhvz_441...

More from the swamp rat story:
"In a small, brackish marsh at the head of Barnes River, about 8 miles east of Chokoloskee, I found a small colony of these water-rats and trapped a single specimen. This is the first record from the west coast of Florida, but residents stated that the animals are abundant in similar situations near the head of Turner's River and doubtless all the way down to the coast to Cape Sable."  http://archive.org/stream/journalofmammalo1191920amer/journalofmamm...

Blarcom's text "records states what Copeland said “entering the unnamed bay, in which “Barnes River” has its source, from the last is a small CK to Cypress.” “This is today’s New River on which Old Fort Harrell was located and the site of which was marked and monumented by me in 1941”."

I interpret this way: The unnamed bay is Sunday Bay, from which "Barnes River" opens. From Barnes River is a small creek that leads into the Cypress Hammock NE of the New River.

Blarcom states that Barnes River is today's "New River"

I have to say I am more confused than ever about the relationship between Barnes River and New River.

On the one hand it is said to be NW and run parallel to New River on which Ft Harrell is (However, it was Ales Hrdlicka who said this and he seems to make other mistakes, maybe he is wrong about the 2 names being 2 different rivers?)

I do not doubt that today's New River is this Barnes River. This agrees with the

However, Copeland is quoted by Blarcom: "this is today's New River."

[Swamp Hunter]

A lot of great information Shawn. I will certainly study it. The dense Brazilian Pepper forest on the river bank was impressive. There is no doubt something happened at that location in the past.