The Case of Oceola’s Missing Head

Osceola Exhumed
1968

Fort Moultrie was turned over to the National Park Service in 1960 and then, after the recent interest, decided in 1967 to do an archeological excavation of Osceola’s grave site. Due to high water on the island, the digging did not begin until October of 1968. It was soon determined that vandalism by Shiver or his associates, was at one end of the grave site and had not disturbed the actual grave. Further excavation above the coffin found that the grave had not been disturbed since its original burial. It was determined that the grave held a headless skeleton between the remains of the collapsed wooden coffin. The position of the skeleton within the coffin clearly showed that the body had been placed and buried without the head.

It appeared that, when the coffin was originally lowered into the ground, it had been allowed to tilt headward and to one side so that the corpus slid in that direction.#40

Not a single object was found in, under or beside the coffin, not a button, not a bead or speck of rust, all of which Osceola wore as explained by Dr. Weedon that all his attire and belongings were removed. Examination of the skeleton indicated the head was severed in a professional manner, like that of a doctor or surgeon. The conclusion was reached that indeed it was the headless remains of Osceola.

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