Index of Hooker's Independent Company, Florida Mounted Volunteers Third Seminole War

My fourth great-grandfather, Seth Howard, served in the Third Seminole War as a Private in Hooker’s Independent Company of the Florida Mounted Volunteers.

Howard, Seth Service Record: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89ZP-BWHH?cat=36135

familysearch.org; Florida, USA; Compiled service records of volunteer soldiers who served in organizations from the state of Florida during the Florida Indian Wars, 1835-1858; Third Seminole War, Hart's Independent Company, Florida Mounted Volunteers Third Seminole War, Hooker's Independent Company, Florida Mounted Volunteers Third Seminole War, Jernigan's Independent Company, Florida Mounted Volunteers (NARA Series M1086, Roll 56); Film # 007498764; Image 990 of 1759

An absolutely fascinating article can be found on the USF Digital Commons about Captain Hooker’s life and there are a few pages about this military Company during the Third Seminole War.

The entire muster roll for this company can be found on familysearch.org. This is an index of the entire company of soldiers with name, reported age(s), and any special items of note:

Hooker, William B; 44 or 50; Captain

Parker, John; 37 or 34; 1st Lieutenant

Pearce, Joseph M; 25; 2nd Lieutenant

Green, James D; 31 or 37; 1st Sergeant

Hall, William; 40 or 38; Sergeant

Hendry, George W; 21 or 18; Sergeant

Ivey, Francis A; 26 or 36; Sergeant

Alderman, Isaac; 49

Alderman, James

Alderman, Jesse; 35

Alderman, Matthew; 33

Alderman, Michael; 22 or 19

Alderman, Mitchell; 21 or 22

Alderman, William; 18 or 22

Barber, William W; 31

Branning, David; 31 or 24

Brown, Henry; 21

Burnett, Matthew; 21 or 20

Caughron, Aaron C; 38 or 36

Campbell, William L; 32

Canova, Andrew; 23 or 21

Carleton, Isaac; 23 or 20

Collins, William A; 26

Crane, Henry A

Driggers, Jacob; 22 or 21

Driggers, Matthew; 44 or 42

English, Eli; 24 or 27

Farless, John; 35

Gillet, Daniel; 43

Gillett, Daniel K; 18 or 21

Gillett, David K

Gillett, David W; 22 or 19; Bugler

Guilley, Nathaniel; 26 or 38

Guilley, William; 30

Guy, Benjamin; 36

Guy, William B; 22

Henderson, Robert; 25

Hendry, Albert J; 24 or 19

Hendry, Charles W; 31 or 27

Hendry, Francis A; 22

Hilliard, Benjamin; 30 or 36; Bugler

Hilliard, Benjamin; 30

Hollingsworth, John H; 33 or 34; Wounded June '56

Hollingsworth, William R; 30 or 31

Hooker, John J; 37 or 32

Hooker, Stephen B or P; 20

Hooker, William J; 19

Howard, Seth; 44 or 35

Ivey, Francis A; 31 or 20

Jones, Lucartis; 27 or 25

Langford, Henry; 25 or 28

Lanier, Lewis; 44

Maim, David; 44

McCleod, Daniel J; Filed w McLeod, Daniel J

McCleod John; Filed w McLeod, John

McCleod, William; Filed w McLeod, William

McCullough, William; 35 or 37

McDonald, John; 29 or 28

McLeod, Daniel J; 37 or 24

McLeod, John; 29 or 18

McLeod, William; 25 or 42

McMullen, James P; 39

Moody, Benjamin; 44; Promoted Corporal Mar 1, 1856

Moody, James A; 19 or 18

Moody, William B; 19 or 21

Moore, Joseph; 44 or 40; Promoted Corporal Mar 1, 1856

O'Neil, John; 21 or 20

Orr, Henry B; 25 or 27

Pelham, Richard; 32 or 23

Platt, John; 46 or 44

Platt, Lewis B; 22 or 24

Platt, William C; 21 or 19

Raulerson, Jacob R; 30 or 27

Riggs, John W; 43 or 44; Corporal

Riggs, Joshua D E; 25 or 20

Russell, David; 33 or 44

Simmons, Wilson; 39 or 25; Corporal - resigned

Singleteary, Simpson; 35 or 34

Skipper, John L; 28 or 35; Wounded June '56

Sloan, Allford; 27 or 20

Sloan, Daniel; 43 or 40

Sloan, Jasper; 25 or 21

Sloan, Owen; 19 or 18

Smith, Renney J; 44 or 43

Stallings, William H; 34 or 32 Farrier

Summerall, Thomas; 38 or 30

Thomas, Henry

Thomas, James H; 20 or 22; Bugler

Tison, George; 40 or 32

Underhill, John; 26 or 30; Corporal - resigned

Underhill, William; 27 or 35

Waters, Isaac; 33 or 44; Promoted Corporal Mar 1, 1856

Weeks, John; 32 or 35

Weeks, Levy; 21 or 18

Whidden, Bennett; 26 or 36

Whidden, Edward; 18 or 21

Whidden, James Sr; 44

Whidden, James Jr; 26

Whidden, Jesse; 22 or 19

Whidden, John; 23 or 18

Whidden, John W; 20

Whidden, Maxfield Sr; 44

Whidden, Maxfield Jr; 24

Whidden, Maxwell; 23

Whidden, William; 21

Whidden, William I; 25

Whidden, William W; 19

Whidden, Willoughby; 34 or 44

Willingham, William H

Wilson, James T; 34 or 35

As this record relates specifically to my 4th great-grandfather, Seth Howard:

This is the service record of “Seth Howard” during the Third Seminole War.  The location and the association to some of the other men in the company initially confirms that this is Seth Howard b. abt 1804 GA d. abt 1887 FL, married to Harriett C Howard.  Review of his age listed on the documents (age 44 on one and age 35 on two others within this specific record set) provides conflicting information not only within this record set itself, but also when correlated with other known evidence, specifically his tombstone and the 1850 through 1880 US Federal Censuses which all consistently report him with a date of birth of 1804-1807, thus making him around 49-52 at the time of his proposed service in the Third Seminole War.  A broader search was done within the 1850 and 1860 Federal Censuses encompassing all of Florida, and no other “Seth Howard” could be located in his own household or living in the household of another. Verification was performed that this was not, instead, the son of Seth Howard, b. abt 1804 GA.  Research confirmed that the proposed Seth Howard did not have any sons who lived to adulthood that carried his name.  Lacking additional candidates and correlating the location, time, and known associates, a broader review of the record set in totality was performed.  An index was made of the entire company.  It quickly became apparent that the ages reported could not be considered reliable as most members of the company were reported with multiple ages and a few were reported two ages containing a similar disparity to that which was reported for Seth Howard. All the information that can be reliably gleaned from the 35-44 age range reported on these service records is that he was easily identifiable as a mature man of about middle age.  This is consistent with the facts known about Seth Howard within the timeframe of 1856.

Thus, it is concluded that this military service is pertient and is the military service of Seth Howard, b. abt 1804 GA d. abt 1887 FL, married to Harriett C Howard.