Wild Cat Renegade, Act II

Wild Cat, also known as Coacoochee or Cowacoochee (c. 1807/1810–1857) was a leading Seminole chieftain during the later stages of the Second Seminole War. U.S. military records show that Wild Cat was considered a fierce warrior leader. He was a good looking guy, considered to be a Seminole ‘Robin Hood’. He became a hero to the Seminoles.

A leader, warrior and diplomat, Wild Cat led the Seminole resistance against the U.S. Army in Florida during the latter stages of the Second Seminole War. The Seminole were forced south and into the Everglade region around Kissimmee, Florida, by the U.S. military during the Seminole Wars from 1835 to 1842.

In October 1837, Wild Cat appeared before American forces in a ceremonial peace headdress, claiming to be an emissary of the war chief Osceola. After he negotiated with Colonel Thomas S. Jesup, American authorities agreed to peace talks, but when the Seminole representatives arrived, Jessup ordered their arrest. While imprisoned at Fort Marion, Wild Cat escaped with nineteen other Seminole. 

During that time, the Seminole didn’t think they could make it. Food was scarce. Wild Cat resorted to raiding the resources that were coming in for the US Army. When food came in, Wildcat and his band would raid. They set up a fire brigade style of taking things – one Seminole would get the goods, then would pass off to the next, etc. They went from town to town raiding. This became a major nuisance to the towns as they were constantly being raided.

One of those raids ended up to be on a Shakespeare group. Raided theatrical group, they took everything – Shakespeare’s people were left  naked.

Whoever was in charge of the Army Fort in that are got a message to Wild Cat and his band saying that they wanted a truce – If the Seminole would stop raiding, the Army would stop tracking them. Wildcat agreed to meeting with the Army. He wanted to look good for the meeting, so Wildcat dressed as Hamlet. When he showed up, he totally denied the raid saying “we don’t know, we didn’t do it”.

This is where idea came from for the painting “Wild Cat Renegade Act II”.  The skull is from Hamlet. The backdrop in the painting is an old Shakespeare backdrop from their theatre.