Osceola was born around 1804 among the Creek Indians in Georgia but moved
to Florida with his mother.  While still in his teens, he fought against
Andrew Jackson in the first phase of the Seminole Wars (1817-18).  The
Seminole Wars were waged over the gov ernment's attempt to move the
Seminoles off their land and onto a reservation in Arkansas.  Though
Osceola was not a chief, he was the dominant military leader of the
Seminoles, using brilliant guerrilla tactics to harass the government
troops.  Tricked b y General Thomas Jesup under a flag of truce, Osceola
was arrested and imprisoned in Fort Moultrie near Charleston, where he
died in 1838.