The importance of the Third Seminole Indian War to this web site is that one of its major events occurred just a few miles southwest of Blanton.  An Indian war party attacked the Bradley farm near what is now Darby community in central Pasco County. Two children were killed in the "Bradley Massacre", the last Indian attack on a settler's homestead east of the Mississippi.  "Fort Dade" was used as a refuge after this attack.  Many early settlers of the Blanton/Fort Dade area joined Kendrick's Company and participated in the "conflict".  The names that I can recognize are highlighted in the list at the bottom. 
(Your help in identifying others would be appreciated. The ten volume set of books called "Florida militia muster rolls, Seminole Indian wars," published in St. Augustine, Florida, by the Florida Department of Military Affairs, is available at the State Library of Florida in the Government Documents section. I have seen only the index and know that names of Fort Dade residents, William S. Jackson and Matthew E. Jones, are included. - Marinell   web@marinell.server101.com )   

Account 1: Third Seminole War 1855-1858
One of the more complete, but brief, accounts on the web is at:
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1156.html

Account 2:  Kendrick's Company is mentioned  here:
Episode in the Third Seminole War  , by James W. Covington, The Florida Historical Quarterly volume 45 issue 1
"Governor Broome believed that the number of men mustered into federal service was insufficient to meet both the offensive and defensive needs of Florida, he retained in active service under state control the companies commanded by Captains Francis M. Durrance, LeRoy C. Lesley, William H. Kendrick, Abner D. Johnson, and the detachment under Lieutenant John Addison - a total of 400 men." - p 49
"In a communication to Captain William Kendrick, Carter wrote: "One-half of your command will be required to rendezvous at your headquarters and be performing active frontier service, while you will encourage the remaining half to plant and cultivate crops and relieve them alternately at such intervals as you may deem practicable." - p 50

"The next time the Seminoles struck again at the scattered settlements, they travelled some distance northward of their previous raids. At the tiny outpost of Darby, in the central part of present-day Pasco County, lived Captain Robert Bradley, a veteran of the Second Seminole War, his wife, several children, and his Negro slaves. On the evening of May 14, 1856, two of the younger children were playing in the passageway between the double-log cabin house. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. Then suddenly the scene changed to one of terror. A bland of some fifteen Indians had crept undetected up to the house and opened fire at the unsuspecting children. The frantic mother attempted to save her screaming youngsters and became a target herself. Before Bradley, rising from a sick bed, was able to join his older sons and return the gunfire, the two younger children were killed. 20 Although news of the attack was carried to a militia post and militiamen hurried to the Bradley homestead, the Indians were able to make their escape. 21 The soldiers did find the body of an Indian killed by Bradley. It seemed odd that the Indians had attacked Darby while by-passing other more likely targets. A possible reason for the attack was that Captain Bradley had killed the brother of Tigertail during the Second Seminole War." p52-53

Account 3: Indian War of 1854-55
(Soldiers of Florida, p. 11-12, published under the supervision of the Board of State Institutions in Live Oak, Florida circa 1903.) 
    "During the years 1853 and a part of 1854 the Indians had been comparatively quiet, so quiet in fact that no apprehension was felt by either the military or citizens.  Lieutenant Hartseff, under orders from Colonel Harvey Brown, left Ft. Myers on the 9th of December, 1855, to examine the country southeast of Lake Okeechebee(sic)  and near the Big Cypress.  He had visited Forts Simon Drum and Shackelford, both of which he found burned but saw no signs of hostilities;  meeting in fact, only one Indian and a boy driving hog; from Fort Drum.  He went one day's march toward Billystown and, from Billystown, employed two days (18-19) examining the country; visiting Billystown and several villages, but seeing no Indians and not the slightest evidence that any during the summer had been here.  All the paths even were overgrown.  He ordered his party to prepare for an early strt for Fort Myers Thursday, Dec. 2, 1833.  The Lieutenant and his escort, two non-commissioned officers, eight mounted privates and two footmen with two sis-mule teams, were almost ready to take up the line of march at daybreak, when they were attacked by a body of Indians, estimated from 25 to 40, distanced only from fifteen to twenty yards and concealed behind the trees.  The result of this fight was 4 killed, 4 wounded and 3 escaped;  Lieutenant Drum, a distance of only one day's march, until Sunday afternoon.  Shortly after this the Indians attacked the residence of Doctor Bradden (sic) on Manatee River.  Immediately upon receipt of information of the attack on Lieutenant Hartseff, Governor Broome ordered Captain William B. Hooker to the front, and in quick succession followed the companies of F. M. Durrance (Pioneer of Pasco), W.H.Kendrick (Pioneer of Pasco),  .................  These companies rendered excellent service and, if left to their own devices and unhampered by instructions from Washington, would undoubtedly have moved the Indians from Florida. "     
(Whoops !  Just found the whole book online at:
http://diglib.lib.fsu.edu/ebind2html/fs00000073    - Marinell)

Fort Dade / Blanton Settler      Pioneer of Pasco