Abraham in In Pursuit

Meet Abraham from the novel, In Pursuit

Abraham worked as a servant for a physician, Doctor Sierra. During the War of 1812, this educated, articulate man joined the Corps of Colonial Marines under Major Edward Nichols , who promised freedom to any slave who joined him. Abraham helped build the fort at Prospect Bluff in Florida. When Nichols and Upper Creek Chief Josiah Francis set sail for England in 1815, Abraham stayed behind in the Fort, which had become a haven for Africans who had escaped from slavery.

The fort came to be known as the Negro Fort and was attacked and destroyed during July of 1816 upon the orders of Andrew Jackson, though the fort was located in Spanish territory. Abraham was one of the few survivors. He made his way to the Seminole village known Suwannee River Town in Florida, where he served as "sense bearer" (a sort of prime minister) for Chief Bowlegs. He lived in an African town in Florida called Pilaklinkaha, or Many Ponds, and was adopted as a member of the Seminole Nation.