Battle of Pine Island Ridge

Battle of Pine Island Ridge
Part of Second Seminole War
Photo of the New River area in the 1800s
Date March 22, 1838 Location Pine Island Ridge, Broward County, Florida Result Seminole victory
Belligerents
United States	Seminole
Commanders and leaders
James Bankhead William Lauderdale	Abiaka
Strength
500	100[1]
Casualties and losses
1 wounded	None

The Battle of Pine Island Ridge was a battle during the Second Seminole War fought on March 22, 1838, at the site of Pine Island Ridge in South Florida.^[2] U.S. troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James Bankhead and Major William Lauderdale attacked a large Seminole village on top of Pine Island Ridge, an island in the Everglades at the time. The village was headed by Abiaka, who had recently become the principal chief of the Seminole Indians.^[3] As the U.S. troops approached the village, they were fired upon by Seminole warriors perched in the trees on Pine Island Ridge, who held off the U.S. troops long enough for Abiaka and the other villagers to escape.^[4] The attack ended in failure for the U.S. troops as they failed to kill or capture any of the Seminoles, who successfully evacuated their village without casualties.^[5] The battle was the closest the United States came to catching Abiaka during the Seminole Wars.