published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013

KVAC to hear presentation about Second Seminole War

Special to the News-Sun

AVON PARK - Florida authors John and Mary Lou Missall will share documents from historical figures and common people involved in the Second Seminole War with the Kissimmee Valley Archaeological and Historical Conservancy (KVAHC).

The program will be at 7 p.m. Thursday in Building G, Room 101, at South Florida State College's Highlands Campus, Avon Park. Admission is free, and the public is welcome.

The Missalls will give a brief overview of the three Seminole Wars and share quotes from important historical figures, such as Secretary of State John Adams, Secretary of War Lewis Cass, and various Indian leaders. However, most of their focus will be on the Second Seminole War (1835-42) and the hardships that people on both sides endured. They will primarily use quotes from officers who served in the war, which are published in their book, "The Seminole Wars," and their biographies of Colonel William S. Foster and Major John Rogers Vinton. Some of the subjects they write about about are finding the victims of Indian raids, the loss of soldiers to disease, and the hardship of fighting in Florida's subtropical environment. They will explain the politics that made this the longest of all Indian wars, how American citizens began to feel sympathy for the Seminoles over time, and how soldiers and the populace came to resent the war. They will also discuss how the war ended and what Indian leaders endured.

The Missalls are authors of "The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict," published by University Press of Florida. Their novel, "Hollow Victory," is about the Second Seminole War. They are also authors and editors of "This Torn Land: Poetry of the Second Seminole War" from the Seminole Wars Foundation, and "This Miserable Pride of a Soldier: The Letters and Journals of Colonel William S. Foster in the Second Seminole War" from the Seminole Wars Foundation and the University of Tampa Press. The Missalls have written articles for "The Encyclopedia of War and American Society" and serve on the board of directors of the Seminole Wars Foundation, Inc.

The couple co-authored "Just Havin' Fun," the biography of legendary oil well firefighter Boots Hansen.

Upcoming projects include a book detailing events leading up to the First Seminole War, a novel about the First Seminole War, a book on the life of Captain John Rogers Vinton, and research into the Third Seminole War.

John Missall has been a lifelong student of history. He also studies Shakespeare, has taught astronomy courses, and works in the marine navigation and communication industry. Mary Lou Missall has a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and a master's degree from California State University.

For information about the program, call Alayne Busch at 699-1042.