Renegade Seminole Indians inhabited South Florida during the early 1800, and made settling this vast wilderness almost impossible. By 1837 the Second Seminole War had been going on for almost two years. Col. Zachary Taylor left Fort Brooke in Tampa on the 27th of November and marched overland to the Kissimmee River, where he was ordered to construct Fort Gardner just north of Lake Kissimmee. After construction was completed Col. Taylor lead a force of 1032 men south along the west side of the river, with orders to destroy or capture any of the enemy. After several days of travel, Taylor built a stockade in which to store heavy provisions and artillery. This stockade was named Fort Basinger, after Lt. William Basinger who had been killed two years earlier at the Dade Massacre. After completing Ft. Basinger, Col. Taylor moved his troops across the river and headed toward Lake Okeechobee. He had earlier learned from captured Indians that a large band of Seminoles, under Chiefs Wildcat, Alligator, and Sam Jones were camped east of the river near the lake.
The Battle of Okeechobee erupted on the Christmas morning 1837. During the battle the Seminoles were forced to withdraw toward the swamps lining the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee. Col. Taylor reported that 26 of his soldiers had been killed and 112 wounded. The Seminoles outnumbered two to one, had approximately 15 killed and 20 wounded. Col. Taylor, because of heavy casualties, felt unable to follow the retreating Seminoles. On December 27th Col. Taylor and his troops began their return march to Fort Basinger. After attending to his wounded Col. Taylor led his troops back to Fort Gardner arriving there on December 31, 1837. After the Second Seminole War ended in 1842, seven years of uneasy peace followed. After two whites settlers were killed at a trading post near Ft. Pierce in 1849, the military took over the responsibility of for punishment of renegade Seminoles.
The War Department established a line of Forts across the state from Fort Brooke in Tampa to the Indian River. General Twiggs supervised the construction of these forts and cross-state roads.
Two Seminole Indian War Forts were located in what is now Okeechobee County. The first was Fort Lloyd, and was located about eight miles north of Lake Okeechobee. The fort was established during the Second Seminole War about 1838. The second was Fort Drum, located about 17 miles north of the present city of Okeechobee. Fort Drum remained in operation for only a short time and was soon abandoned.