Thomas Gallaher’s recently published historical fiction novel has been a six-year labor of love. Upon crossing paths with the Seminoles in 1981, Gallaher was certain he would write a book on the venturous tribe’s history. It wasn’t until 2020 that the author set out on relaying a story unknown to many. “Way back then, I knew one day I would write a book about the Seminoles, to try to tell the world about their unbelievable history,” said Gallaher.

Throughout the 1830s, Osceola led a valiant effort to resist the U.S. Army’s efforts to forcibly remove the Seminoles to a reservation west of the Mississippi River. Born to Polly Copinger, a Talisi Creek woman, and William Powell, an Englishman, Osceola’s birth name was Billy Powell.

Gallaher’s “Osceola: Passion for Freedom” follows the fictional story of a manuscript penned by George Catlin, a 19th century Pennsylvanian artist who specialized in portraits of Native Americans, titled “My Prince of the Forest.” The granddaughter of the artisan’s sister, Alice Tressler Olson, passed down the manuscript in which Osceola’s life was revealed.

“To me, the story of Osceola and the Seminoles is fascinating,” Gallaher said. “George Catlin spent the last two weeks of Osceola’s life at Fort Moultrie and painted his famous portrait. So, I thought, what if Osceola related his life to Catlin, who later wrote the story of Osceola?”

The Seminole warrior was first imprisoned in October 1837 at Fort Marion in St. Augustine and transferred to Fort Moultrie in South Carolina alongside 237 Seminoles, far from their homes in Florida. Suffering from poor health, Osceola spent his final month as a prisoner of the U.S. Army. In the weeks leading up to his death, Catlin painted Osceola in his full Seminole attire.

Gallaher’s retellings of Osceola at Fort Moultrie display the valiant leader in a different light.

“A primary oversimplification is thinking of Osceola as one-dimensional and stereotypical, the quote ‘fierce red man,’ in many Native American books and films,” he added.

Pieces of literature on Osceola tend to dwell on his years as a war leader during the Second Seminole War. While Osceola’s childhood remains unknown to many, including Gallaher, the author strove to show readers that the valiant man was just like other young men, only altered and moved by the circumstances of his life.

“I definitely had creative freedom regarding Osceola’s childhood, because we don’t know many details about it,” Gallaher said.

Born and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee, Gallaher first met the Seminoles while working for the Chicago Housing and Urban Development Office of Indian Programs. “I began reading about the history of the Seminoles, such a historic struggle, and I was amazed that I had never heard about them,” Gallaher said.

Gallaher was instrumental to the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum’s opening on the Big Cypress Reservation on Aug. 21, 1997.

Having worked with Billy Cypress, and later with Joel Frank in the Grants Department, Gallaher arranged Prince Albert of Monaco’s visit to the Big Cypress Reservation in October 2002, arranged a special screening of “Wind Across the Everglades” with guest Christopher Plummer, and traveled with the Seminoles to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He worked for the Seminole Tribe of Florida for 21 years.

“I believe working closely with the Seminoles for 20-plus years gave me knowledge that a historian simply wouldn’t have,” he added. “For example, I use the expression ‘eh-lah’ throughout the novel. I’m assuming that Seminoles of 200 years ago said ‘eh-lah’ similarly to how the expression is used today.” Eh-Lah is often used to express surprise or disbelief.

It wasn’t until Gallaher’s retirement that he was able to spend five to six years typing away from his window overlooking Chicago, where he resides today.

When asked about his experience writing “Osceola,” Gallaher resonated with Daniel Day Lewis’s takeaway from his role as Abraham Lincoln for the 2012 film “Lincoln,” saying, “I’ve never, ever, felt that depth of love for another human being that I never met.”

Named in honor of Patrick D. Smith, author of “A Land Remembered,” the 2026 Florida Historical Society Patrick D. Smith Award was awarded to Gallaher at the Florida Historical Society’s Public History Forum this spring.

“I want the world to learn about the heroic struggle of a great people,” Gallaher said. “I hope readers learn that Native Americans, like Osceola, are like everyone else—human beings with feelings, hopes, and dreams.”

“Osceola: Passion for Freedom” is available for purchase on Amazon.