John Horse
JOHN HORSE OVERVIEW
Overview of a Story and Screenplay by Walt Alexander and James Riordan
In an era when historic black stories are like diamonds in the rough, with a host of powerful Hollywood actors, director and producers searching for the best, comes the long untold, legend of John Horse. John Horse, also known as Juan Caballo, or Gopher John was the dominant Black Seminole personality for half a century. He counseled Seminole leaders, served as an agent of the U.S. government, and became a Mexican Army officer. He served the Seminole Maroons as warrior, diplomat, and patriarch, and represented their interests in both Washinton, D.C. and Mexico City. At various time he fought for the freedom of his people against the United States, the French, and Indians and survived three wars, four attempts on his life, and the near constant stalking of slave hunters.
Little is known of John Horse’s early years but by 1826 he was living in his owner’s village near Tampa Bay, Florida http://www.blackpast.org/entries-categories/florida. During the Second Seminole War, 1835-42, he initially led Maroons against U.S. forces in Florida, but, offered the promise of freedom, he agreed to surrender and relocate west with the Seminoles in March 1837. By 1840, John Horse had married Susan July, the daughter of a Seminole Maroon guide and interpreter. Fearing that his family, and his fellow Maroons would be re-enslaved, Horse entered into an alliance with disaffected Seminoles and left Indian Territory in November 1849 for northern Mexico.
Naming Horse’s followers Mascogos, the Mexicans in 1852 gave the Maroons, Seminoles, and a band of Southern Kickapoos separate land grants at Nacimiento to establish military colonies. In exchange for land, tools, and livestock, the immigrants agreed to fight against Apache and Comanche raiders. The Mexican authorities viewed John Horse as the undisputed head of the Mascogos and referred to him as El Capitán Juan Caballo.

During the summer of 1870, John Horse and many of the Mascogos returned to the United States and settled near Fort Duncan, Texas. In August, the able-bodied men enrolled in the U.S. Army as a new unit that came to be known as the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts. John Horse, however, never served with the scouts. After a failed assassination attempt against him by white Texans, Horse again led the Mascogos into Mexico. He died there in 1882 while on a mission to represent them before Mexican president Porfirio Diaz. Without question his story is the greatest untold one for people of color and his passion for freedom and truth will touch all races, all people with a heart for love.
SCREENPLAY AWARDS
Festival | Status | Year |
---|---|---|
San Antonio Film Festival | Winner | 2018 |
Independent Talents International Film Festival | Selected | 2018 |
Best Script Awards London | Nominated | 2025 |
Las Vegas Black Film Festival | Finalist | 2019 |
The American Film Awards | Winner | 2019 |
Austin Revolution Film Festival | Selected | 2019 |
Lucky Strike Film Festival | Selected | 2019 |
Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival | Winner | 2019 |
Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival | Finalist | 2020 |
New York International Film Festival | Selected | 2022 |
Oxford Script Awards | Selected | 2022/23 |
Magic Silver Screen Film Festival | Winner | 2023 |
Cannes Film Festival | Selected | 2023 |
CLIMAX Festival Internacional de Cinema | Nominated | 2023 |
Toronto Film and Script Awards | Nominated | 2024 |
Author Script Awards | Winner | 2024 |
FILMHAUS | Nominated | 2024 |
Chicago Script Awards | Winner | 2024 |
Dallas Movie Fest | Winner | 2024 |
Lonely Wolf (LWIFF) | Nominated | 2024 |
Sensei Film Fest | Winner | 2024 |
NYC Independent Film Festival | Selected | 2024 |
Everest Film Festival | Winner | 2024 |
Alpine International Film Festival | Selected | 2024 |
New York Metropolitain Screenwriting and Film Awards | Quarter Finalist | 2024 |
NYC International Screenplay Awards | Semi-Finalist | 2024 |
Hollywood International Indie Screenplay Awards | Selected | 2024 |
Scriptmax Screenwriting Fellowship | Semi-Finalist | 2024 |
New York Film and Actress Awards | Winner | 2024 |
New York Independent Cinema Awards | Winner | 2024 |
Los Angeles Film and Documentary Awards | Selected | 2024 |
FARO Concurso de Cinema Mediterrâneo e Mundial | Nominated | 2025 |
NYC Independent Film Festival | Quarter-Finalist | 2024 |
Golden Pen Script Awards | Selected | 2025 |
Los Angeles Movie and Music Video Awards | Selected | 2025 |
Best Script Awards London | Nominated | 2025 |
Golden Pen Script Awards | Winner | 2025 |