151:. The three women had been purchased by Seminoles when they were children. Inheritance in the Seminoles was matrilineal, with a woman's children belonging to her clan. Normally, children with a Seminole father and a black mother would not have belonged to any clan, a distinct disadvantage in Seminole society. The last three African women among the Seminoles were adopted into the clan system. Nagey Nancy was owned by the Snake clan, and her two children by Seminole fathers, Jim Jumper and Nancy, were designated as belonging to the Little Black Snake Clan.
179:
she died that she wanted her slave Jumper killed and buried with her to be her servant in the afterlife. As
Seminoles sometimes killed horses to accompany their owners in the afterlife, Jumper may have worried that he would be killed to join her in death. Jumper was also seen just before the attack to have a bad wound on his leg that may have become infected and made him delirious.
208:
Tiger), Young Tiger, his wife, Martha Tiger, Jimmy Tiger, a pregnant woman named Lucy, and Lake
Willson, as well as unnamed men, women, and children, including two of Nancy's children (no account lists more than six victims by name). A half-brother of Billy Bowlegs was knocked unconscious and feared dead, but recovered.
178:
Jumper wanted to marry the daughter of Big Tommie, but was told to find a black wife. Jumper insisted that he had been raised to be a
Seminole, and wanted to marry a Seminole wife, but was refused again, and reportedly got drunk. Big Tommie's mother, who had recently died, had reportedly said before
174:
for shipment to Cuba, and was returning home with the money from the sale in gold coins. He spotted Jim following him and suspected Jumper meant to rob him, but, by running his horse at a full gallop, was able to reach his ranch house at Ten Mile near Fort Pierce before Jumper could catch up to him.
211:
A boy who was shot at by Jumper escaped and alerted a
Seminole named Billy Martin who was working in a nearby cane field. Martin took his rifle and returned to the camp, where he saw Jumper sitting, and shot him. The Seminoles did not want to contaminate their goods with contact with Jumper's body,
207:
on March 2, 1889. Details of the attack vary, but Jumper entered the Snake Clan camp and shot and killed several people. Names listed in various accounts include his sister Nancy (Billy
Bowlegs' mother), Big Tommie, Big Tommie's daughter and wife, Woxo Micco (also known as Cypress Tom Tiger and Old
199:, and in a book on the history of the cattle industry by Joe Ackerman. Betty Jumper says the attack occurred on February 15, 1889. One article based on an account from Billy Bowlegs places the attack on February 14, 1889, another places the attack in March, 1889.
162:
for many years after the Third
Seminole War, but in the 1880s a white cattleman bought their herds on the condition that the Seminoles move away. The Snake clan then moved to an area northeast of Lake Okeechobee later called Bluefields.
220:. The Snake Clan moved to a temporary camp a short distance away. Jumper's victims were buried nearby, and a medicine man came to ritually clean the camp site. The Snake Clan then moved away from the area.
456:
29:
147:
Jumper was the son of an
African woman named Nagey Nancy, who had been one of only three African slaves retained by the remnant of the Seminoles left in Florida after the
481:
581:
191:'s grandmother Mary Tiger, from Will Addison, the son of a white settler, who witnessed the attack from a trader's camp next to the Snake Clan camp, from
571:
601:
586:
437:
611:
596:
24:
591:
566:
522:
448:
576:
473:
132:
47:
561:
139:, in which Jim Jumper, a biracial Seminole, killed several Seminoles, and was then killed by another Seminole.
188:
497:
204:
166:
One report says that Jumper was living by himself, and had a reputation for bad deeds. A cattleman from
212:
so they borrowed a wagon and team of oxen from Will
Addison's father John, dragged Jumper's body to a
171:
167:
148:
606:
433:
281:
192:
155:
159:
128:
427:
555:
282:"Florida Communities Trust Parks Directory - Florida Department of Community Affairs"
236:
The
Bluefield Ranch Natural Area is northeast of Lake Okeechobee in St. Lucie County.
136:
55:
20:
213:
75:
217:
537:
524:
432:. The Internet Archive. Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida.
124:
51:
154:
The Snake clan, along with other
Seminole clans, had lived on
195:, Jumper's nephew, from an unnamed source that appeared in
303:
301:
421:. Kississimme, Florida: Florida Cattlemen's Association.
429:
A Seminole Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger Jumper
357:
355:
342:
340:
105:
97:
89:
81:
69:
61:
42:
37:
372:
370:
187:Descriptions of the attack include ones from
8:
449:"Seminole Deaths Traced to Failed Courtship"
34:
16:Mass murder in Seminole camp, Florida, USA
474:"Billy Bowlegs Told of How 7 Were Killed"
307:
361:
249:
229:
400:
388:
331:
319:
268:
256:
459:from the original on January 26, 2019
346:
7:
376:
582:Native American history of Florida
93:At least 7 (including perpetrator)
14:
572:1889 murders in the United States
484:from the original on June 7, 2019
426:Jumper, Betty Mae Tiger (2001).
472:Stout, Wesley (March 1, 1965).
447:Robison, Jim (April 12, 1998).
123:, was an incident in 1889 at a
602:Massacres in the United States
1:
498:"Victims of an Insane Indian"
216:, and left it to be eaten by
587:Deaths by firearm in Florida
628:
612:St. Lucie County, Florida
597:Mass shootings in Florida
417:Ackerman, Joe A. (1976).
170:had taken a herd over to
133:St. Lucie County, Florida
127:Indian camp northeast of
286:prodenv.dep.state.fl.us
203:article was filed from
65:February 14 or 15, 1889
25:Infobox civilian attack
592:Mass murder in Florida
189:Betty Mae Tiger Jumper
30:considered for merging
567:February 1889 events
478:The Orlando Sentinel
453:The Orlando Sentinel
538:27.2458°N 80.6156°W
534: /
121:Bluefields massacre
117:Jim Jumper massacre
38:Jim Jumper massacre
505:The New York Times
201:The New York Times
197:The New York Times
149:Third Seminole War
577:Massacres in 1889
543:27.2458; -80.6156
439:978-0-8130-2285-7
391:, p. 14, 15.
322:, pp. 14–16.
271:, pp. 10–11.
259:, pp. 12–13.
193:Billy Bowlegs III
113:
112:
619:
549:
548:
546:
545:
544:
539:
535:
532:
531:
530:
527:
516:
514:
512:
502:
493:
491:
489:
468:
466:
464:
443:
422:
404:
398:
392:
386:
380:
374:
365:
359:
350:
344:
335:
329:
323:
317:
311:
305:
296:
295:
293:
292:
278:
272:
266:
260:
254:
237:
234:
156:Fisheating Creek
48:St. Lucie County
35:
627:
626:
622:
621:
620:
618:
617:
616:
562:1889 in Florida
552:
551:
542:
540:
536:
533:
528:
525:
523:
521:
520:
510:
508:
507:. March 3, 1889
500:
496:
487:
485:
471:
462:
460:
446:
440:
425:
416:
413:
408:
407:
399:
395:
387:
383:
375:
368:
360:
353:
345:
338:
330:
326:
318:
314:
306:
299:
290:
288:
280:
279:
275:
267:
263:
255:
251:
246:
241:
240:
235:
231:
226:
185:
160:Lake Okeechobee
145:
129:Lake Okeechobee
72:
33:
17:
12:
11:
5:
625:
623:
615:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
554:
553:
518:
517:
494:
469:
444:
438:
423:
419:Florida Cowman
412:
409:
406:
405:
393:
381:
366:
351:
336:
324:
312:
310:, p. 115.
297:
273:
261:
248:
247:
245:
242:
239:
238:
228:
227:
225:
222:
184:
181:
144:
141:
111:
110:
107:
103:
102:
99:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
73:
70:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
44:
40:
39:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
624:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
559:
557:
550:
547:
506:
499:
495:
483:
479:
475:
470:
458:
454:
450:
445:
441:
435:
431:
430:
424:
420:
415:
414:
410:
403:, p. 16.
402:
397:
394:
390:
385:
382:
378:
373:
371:
367:
363:
358:
356:
352:
348:
343:
341:
337:
334:, p. 13.
333:
328:
325:
321:
316:
313:
309:
308:Ackerman 1976
304:
302:
298:
287:
283:
277:
274:
270:
265:
262:
258:
253:
250:
243:
233:
230:
223:
221:
219:
215:
209:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
182:
180:
176:
173:
169:
164:
161:
157:
152:
150:
142:
140:
138:
137:United States
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
77:
74:
68:
64:
60:
57:
56:United States
53:
49:
45:
41:
36:
31:
27:
26:
22:
519:
509:. Retrieved
504:
486:. Retrieved
477:
461:. Retrieved
452:
428:
418:
396:
384:
362:Robison 1998
327:
315:
289:. Retrieved
285:
276:
264:
252:
232:
214:cypress pond
210:
205:Jacksonville
200:
196:
186:
177:
165:
153:
146:
120:
116:
114:
106:Perpetrators
46:Bluefields (
23:
541: /
511:January 25,
488:February 2,
463:January 25,
401:Jumper 2001
389:Jumper 2001
332:Jumper 2001
320:Jumper 2001
269:Jumper 2001
257:Jumper 2001
172:Punta Rassa
168:Fort Pierce
76:Mass murder
71:Attack type
19:‹ The
556:Categories
529:80°36′56″W
526:27°14′45″N
411:References
347:Stout 1965
291:2019-01-24
218:alligators
183:The attack
143:Background
109:Jim Jumper
244:Citations
28:is being
607:Seminole
482:Archived
457:Archived
377:NYT 1889
158:west of
125:Seminole
43:Location
32:. ›
21:template
98:Injured
82:Weapons
52:Florida
436:
90:Deaths
501:(PDF)
224:Notes
131:, in
119:, or
85:Rifle
513:2019
490:2019
465:2019
434:ISBN
115:The
62:Date
50:),
558::
503:.
480:.
476:.
455:.
451:.
369:^
354:^
339:^
300:^
284:.
135:,
54:,
515:.
492:.
467:.
442:.
379:.
364:.
349:.
294:.
101:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.