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Abstract

Among the host of adventurers, dreamers, filibusters and trouble-makers who have added drama to the pages of Florida history, William Augustus Bowles yields to none. Among his enemies, and these were in the majority, he was referred to by epithets ranging from the relatively mild “that fellow Bowles” to the more emphatic “vagabond,” “desperado,” “Black Guard,” “Captain Liar,” and “desperate vile adventurer.” Among his friends and admirers he was known variously as “Beloved Warrior,” “Captain,” “General,” and “Director General.” In the pursuit of his designs Bowles dreamed great dreams, performed remarkable feats of derring-do, executed spectacular escapes, and by a combination of sheer bluff and intrigue embarrassed and at times threatened the policies of both Spain and the United States among the southern Indian nations.

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