 After the attack , the Indians torched the house and left without attacking other dwellings . The next day , Cooley came back to bury the dead ; it is unclear who alerted the salvager 's team to the attack . After staying at the settlement for three days , Cooley went to the Cape Florida Lighthouse . One of the missing slaves appeared , reporting that he recognized the assailants as having been acquaintances of the Cooley family . The slave had heard the Indians ascribing the massacre to an act of revenge for Cooley 's having failed to obtain the conviction of Chief <unk> 's murderers . 
