During his tour in the Florida Territory he was assigned to protect settlers in the newly acquired land . He fought the Seminole Indian Nation during several skirmishes which eventually led to the Second Seminole War ( 1835-1842 ) . Colcock was reassigned to the " Indian Frontier " in the far west at Jefferson Barracks , Missouri , Fort Leavenworth , Kansas Territory , and on Indian patrol on the Missouri River from 1828-1830 . He was assigned to fight the Native Americans in the far west and to protect settlers traveling west during this period . In 1831 , Lt Colcock and his infantry company assisted in relocating the Choctaw from their traditional home in Mississippi to Indian Territory ( now the state of Oklahoma ) in accordance with the Indian Removal Act of 1830 . This relocation of thousands of Native Americans was known as the “ Trail of Tears ” , in which thousands died during the long , hard march to Indian Territory . After his short tour in the “ mid-west ” he was reassigned to the " north-west " in Iowa Territory
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Richard W. Colcock