In 1884, The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that nearly all of the Seminoles "espoused the cause of the Union" and because all of the neighboring tribes (Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, and Creeks) "almost unanimously joined the Southern Confederacy, it was neither agreeable nor safe for the Seminoles to continue living in the Indian Territory." As the Seminole fled south, across the U.S.-Mexican border, "they were attacked by a Confederate regiment and their principal chieftain [Billy Bowlegs] killed." The remaining Seminoles crossed into Mexico and remained there until after the Civil War.
