Francis L. Dade

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Francis Langhorne Dade (1792–1835) was a United States Army officer who fought in the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars. Born in Virginia to a wealthy slaveholding family, he initially studied law but chose a military career. He joined the Army in 1813 as a lieutenant in the 12th Infantry, fought in the War of 1812, and moved to the 4th Infantry in 1815. In 1818 he helped Andrew Jackson in Florida, helping capture Pensacola and raise the U.S. flag there; he was promoted to captain that year and served as Jackson’s duty officer in Pensacola.

In 1821, after Florida became U.S. territory, Dade helped arrest the Spanish official José Callava and brought him to Jackson. He led expeditions in 1825–26 from Fort Brooke to Fort King, paving a military road between the forts. He and his men built Fort Duval at the Suwannee River mouth in 1826 and, in 1827, moved Seminole families from their villages. He married Amanda Middleton in Pensacola in December 1827.

Dade later commanded the U.S. Army base at Key West and was promoted to brevet major in 1828. He stayed in Key West until 1835, when rising tensions with the Seminoles over removal policies led to war. He led a column of about 109 soldiers from Fort Brooke toward Fort King to confront the Seminoles. The Seminoles, led by chiefs Micanopy and Chipco, destroyed bridges to slow him.

On December 28, 1835, Dade and most of his men were killed in an ambush, in a battle that became known as the Dade Battle and marked the start of the Second Seminole War. On the same day, Wiley Thompson was killed at Fort King. Dade’s body was found in February 1836 and identified by his vest and buttons. He was buried at the St. Augustine Post Cemetery, which later became St. Augustine National Cemetery.

The Dade Battle led to mass graves and the Dade Monument to honor Dade and his men. The war ended years later, and the area’s memory grew. Several places are named after him, including Miami-Dade County (formerly Dade County) and other towns like Dade City and Dadeville. Fort Dade on Egmont Key and the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park also remember his name. In 2002, the Miami-Dade County Courthouse was renamed the Major Francis Langhorne Dade County Courthouse in his honor.