Class Book. COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT FLOKIDA ITS HISTORY AJSTD ITS ROMAJSTCE THE OLDEST SETTLEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC EVENTS OF AMERICAN HISTORY, UNDER THE SPANISH, FRENCH, ENGLISH, AND AMERICAN FLAGS. 1497-1898 / BY GEORGE R FAIRBANKS, M.A.. Un. Coll., Thin. Coll. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA H. AND W. B. DREW COMPANY 1898 18384 Copyright, 1898, by GEORGE K. FAIRHANKS 2nd COPY. 1898. f3\\ PREFACE The name of Florida is one of the oldest connected with the discovery of America. It appears on the earliest maps known, sometimes as a great island and sometimes as a headland. It was visited and taken possession of for the Spanish crown within twenty years of the first landing of Columhns at San Salvador, and is the oldest settled portion of the United States. As originally designated, it covered all the country from Cape Florida to the Chesapeake and westward to unknown limits. Its romantic and eventful history extends over a period of nearly four hundred years, emhracing as well expeditions for the discovery of gold and precious stones as for the propa- gation of the Christian faith among a savage nation, or as a refuge from religious persecution. Occupied hy colonies from the European countries at differ- ent times, it has been the scene of wars, massacres, and conten- tions between French, Spanish, English, and Americans, as well as continual conflicts with the savage races whicluonce inhabited it, a remnant of whom still remains within its southern borders. To present the leading events of this long period up to the vi PREFACE present time in a clear and succinct manner has been the aim of the author — a difficult achievement because conciseness is more laborious than enlargement ; but as this work is largely designed for the edification of the young as well as the general reader, it was necessary that it should be limited in space and simple in style. The present work emljraces events occurring over a much larger area of country than is now embraced in the State of Florida, but tliese events belong properly to the history of Florida as it was tlien known. CONTENTS CHAPTER I (1513) PAGE How Floi'ida was discovered — Ponce de Leon's search for the Foun- tain of Youtli — His hunt for Biniini — Landing on the eastern coast of Florida near St. Augustine — His adventures and tragic death 1 CHAPTER II (1520) The slave-hunting expedition of Vasquez d'Ayllon, and voyages of Miruelo, De Cordova, and Alaminos, seeking for gold in Florida 8 CHAPTER III (1527) Panfilo de Narvaez's niarcli through Florida from Cle^r Water Bay to Appalacheo . .14 CHAPTER IV (1528) How Narvaez and his men undertook to reach Mexico in boats — Their adventures and final shipwreck near the mouth of the Mississippi — Loss of nearly all the party 19 CHAPTER V (1528-38) Story of the remarkalde adventures of Cabeca de Vaca — How he be- came a great medicine man — The peculiar customs of the In- dians — His eventual escape with three others, and arrival in Mexico 25 CHAPTER VI The strange attraction Florida had for adventurers — Tlie stories told of its riches and advantages ... 1 ... 30 viii CONTENTS CHAPTER VII (1539) TACJE Tlie story of how the famous cavalier, Hernando de Soto, undertook the conquest of Florida — His landing at Tampa Bay — The romantic story of Juan Ortiz ....... 33 CHAPTER VIII (1539) De Soto's march through East Florida— Battles with the Indians — Arrival in Middle Florida 40 CHAPTER IX (1540) The Battle of Mauvilla — Loss of their pearls and baggage — Maldo- nado's arrival at Ochusi concealed from his troops, and De Soto decides to continue the expedition — He crosses the Mississippi — His death and burial — The Spaniards build boats and reach Mexico 45 CHAPTER X (11539-42) Route of De Soto's expedition through Florida and his subsequent journey to the Mississippi River 53 CHAPTER XI (1549-60) An account of some other expeditions to Florida — The martyrdom of Franciscan missionaries — Don Tristan de Luna's march into Alabama and Tennessee 57 ■ CHAPTER XII (1562) The coming of French Huguenots to Florida under Ribaut — The settlement at Port Royal and its desertion — Escape of the col- onists to France 61 CHAPTER XIII (1564) The second French Huguenot expedition to Florida under Rene de Laudonniere — The building of Fort Caroline on the St. John's River — Incidents and adventures of the French — The arrival of an English fleet under Sir John Hawkins . . . . .65 CONTENTS ix CHAPTER XIV (1565) PAGE The French expedition under Ribaut, sent by Coligny, to relieve Fort Caroline — Simultaneous Spanish expedition under Menendez to expel the Huguenots from Florida — Capture of Fort Caroline by Menendez, and massacre of the Huguenot garrison . . .74 CHAPTER XV (1565) Shipwreck of Ribaut's vessels on the coast of Florida — Ribaut and his companions escape with their lives, and are massacred in cold blood by Menendez 83 CHAPTER XVI (1565-67) The troubles which beset Menendez in founding his colony— Mutinies in every quarter — Explorations made, and forts and missions established — Some priests murdered 89 CHAPTER XVII (1567) The notable revenge executed by the French captain, Dominic de Gourguos, on the Spaniards in Florida, to avenge the massacre of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline and Matanzas . . .94 CHAPTER XVIII (1567) How De Gourgues captured the Spanish forts on the St. John's River and hung the prisoners, " not as Spaniards, but traitors, tliicves, and murdei'ers " 99 CHAPTER XIX (1567-91) Menendez returns to Florida — Sir Francis Drake makes an attack upon St. Augustine — The story of missions among tJie Indians, and massacre of the missionaries ........ 106 CHAPTER XX (1663-96) Settlement of Carolina, and French exploration of the Mississippi — Collisions between tlie English and Spanish settlements— Pensa- cola settled by the Spaniards and Mobile by the French . .114 X CONTENTS CHAPTER XXI (1702-4) PAGE Governor Moore, of South Carolina, makes an attack upon St. Augus- tine—Afterwards overruns much of Middle Florida, destroying Spanish posts and Indian missions ...... 120 CHAPTER XXII (1719) Pensacola captured by the French — Regained by the Spaniards, and recaptured by the French 137 CHAPTER XXIII (1740) Siege of St. Augustine by Oglethorpe 133 CHAPTER XXIY (1742) Governor Monteano's attack upon Oglethorpe at St. Simon's Island — The signal victory achieved by Oglethorpe over the Spaniards . 144 CHAPTER XXV (1763-70) The English occupation of Florida— Dr. TurnbuU's colony of Greeks and Minorcans at New Smyrna — Governor Grant's administra- tion . . .149 CHAPTER XXVI (1776-81) Florida during the Revolutionary War — Burning of Hancock and Adams in effigy upon the public square in St. Augustine — Lead- ing citizens of South Carolina sent to St. Augustine as prisoners of war — The Spaniards capture Pensacola from the English . 158 CHAPTER XXVII (1783-1817) Reoccupation of the Floridas by Spain — Transfer to France of all West Florida beyond the Perdido — Cession of Louisiana — Pa- triot invasion of Florida with the LTnited States troops in 1812- 13 — General Newnan's invasion of Alachua and defeat — Gen- eral Clinch's destruction of the negro fort — General Jackson's capture of Pensacola, and war upon the Seminoles . . . 164 CONTENTS xi CHAPTER XXVIII (1821-36) PAGE Florida becomes a Territory ol: tiie United States — Civil organiza- tion — Condition of the Indians — Treaty of Fort Moultrie — Treaty of Payne's Landing — Collision between the races — Story of Dade's massacre, and beginning of the Florida Seminole War 173 CHAPTER XXIX (1836-40) Continuation of the Indian war under Generals Scott, Jesup, and Taylor — Battle of Withlacoochee — Okeechobee — General Ma- comb's failure — Killing of Dr. Perrine on Indian Key . . . 183 CHAPTER XXX (1840-42) -Continuation of the Florida war — General Worth appointed to the command — Vigorous prosecution of the war — Capture of Coa- coochee — Surrender of the Indians, and close of the war . . 192 CHAPTER XXXI (1842-57) Recuperation of Florida — Tlie admission of Florida as a State — Or- ganization of a State government — Grants of lands to Florida — Charters to and construction of railroads ..... 201 CHAPTER XXXII (1857-Gl) The secession of Florida — Occupation of the United States forts and arsenal — Seizure of the navy yard at Pensaeola — Hostilities at Pensacola — Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville taken possession of by Union troops 206 CHAPTER XXXIII (1864-65) The attempted military occupation of northern Florida by General Seymour — Battle of Olustee — Defeat of Seymour — Federal attack on Gainesville, and capture of Union troops by Dickison — Battle of Natural Bridge — Florida troops in Virginia and Tennessee . 314 xii CONTENTS CHAPTER XXXIV (1865-75) PAGE After the war — Reconstruction — Constitutional convention — New con- stitution adopted — State government set aside — Florida part of a military district — A newer constitution — Political events . . 222 CHAPTER XXXV (1875-90) End of the reconstruction period — Florida's presidential vote hangs in the balance — Rapid increase in the construction of railroads — Increase of population 228 CHAPTER XXXVI (1890-98) Increase of popnlation — Building of great hotels — Discovery of phos- pliate deposits — Growth of the orange industry — The destructive freezes of 1894 and 1895 — Financial condition — Public schools, colleges, and seminaries — Statistics of population . . . 2;J1 ILLUSTRATIONS Ribaut's Column at the Mouth of the St. John's River Fr Portrait of G. R. Fairbanks .... Indian Princess saving the Life of Juan Ortiz Portrait of Hernando De Soto Burial of De Soto Route of De Soto's Expedition Portrait of Pedro Menendez .... Sir Francis Drake's Attack on St. Augustine Portrait of General. Oglethorpe Oglethorpe's Fleet before St. Augustine Osceola Billy Bowlegs Coacoochee Capt. J. J. Dickison, the Marion of Florida PAGE ontisj)iece XVI 37 41 49 53 77 100 135 139 177 193 197 219 -*<<^ ^ar nxi ruJiAUU ^ujtc Xu HISTORY OF FLORIDA CHAPTER I How Florida was discovered — Ponce de Leon's search for the Fountain of Youth — liis luint for Biniini — Landing on tlie eastern coast of Florida near St. Augustine — His adventures and tragic death. A.D. 1513 If Columbus had held a course due west from Spain, he would have come upon the coast of North America near Nor- folk, and perhaps have entered Chesapeake Bay ; or, had he sailed directly west from the Canary Islands, he would have reached the continent on the eastern coast of Florida, at a dis- tance of some three thousand six hundred miles ; but, as it turned out, the first land he reached was the small island now called Watling's, about four hundred miles east of Florida; and, as he sailed south from there, he never reached the mainland at all. The English claim that Sebastian Cabot, in the year 1497, sailing under the English flag, was the first to discover the coast of Florida, but it is doubtful whether he sailed further south than Cape Hatteras, and he never set foot anywhere upon the shore.* The generally received opinion confers the honor of being the discoverer of Florida upon Juan Ponce de Leon, in the year 1513. The origin of the expedition, and the romantic * There is reason to believe that Pinzon and Americus Vespucius sailed around the coast of Florida in 1498. 2 EISTOBY OF FLORIDA object for which it was undertaken, have associated Florida as the Land of Flowers with the Fountain of Youth, so long em- balmed in ancient fable. Ponce de Leon was a native of the province or kingdom of Leon, as it was then called. He served as a page to Nuiiez de Guzman, a man of distinction, and, while a mere youth, was actively engaged in the war waged by Ferdi- nand and Isabella against the Moors of Granada. Thus, well trained in the school of war, he no doubt eagerly sought new fields of adventure, and, having heard the marvelous reports of the discovery of the Indies by Columbus, he gladly embraced the opportunity of going with him on his second voyage. His valor and sagacity in fighting the Indians after arriving in the islands, soon brought him into notice, and he was made second in command in the campaign against Higuey, and, having achieved success, he was made lieutenant-governor of Hispa- niola. He was of too ambitious and restless a disposition to remain idle, and seeing, a few leagues ofP, the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, which was reported to contain gold, and inhabited by a tribe of simple natives, he organized an expedition for its subjugation, and had himself appointed governor of that island. The native islanders thought the Spaniards were supernatural beings, and not mortals like themselves. Being treated with great harshness and cruelty l^y the Spaniards, they sought deliv- erance in some way. One of their chiefs, more intelligent than the rest, and less credulous, proposed to test the question whether the white men were subject to death, and, with some of his followers, seized a Spaniard while crossing a stream and held him under the water until he ceased to struggle, and then laid him on the shore, offering him the most profuse apologies for the accident, and then waited to see if he would wake up; but, getting no response, and having watched the body for three days, they, concluded that a Spaniard was mortal like them- selves. They made a spirited attack upon their oppressors, but, losing their leader, were dcfenlcd l)y the su])eri()r skill in HISTORY OF FLORIDA 3 the use of arms of Ponce de Leon's soldiers, although few in numbers. Ponce de Leon was, however, soon suspended in his govern- ment, but in the mean time had availed himself of his oppor- tunities for the acquisition of considerable wealth, and was now eager again to enter upon some new enterprise from which he miglit derive fame and fortune. It was a period when new dis- coveries were eagerly sought for, but there were so many of these soldiers of fortune seeking adventures in new fields that it was not easy to find a new path to discovery. However, clumce favored the brave soldier. Some old Indians told him of a country which abounded in gold and pearls, and which, moreover, possessed a wonderful stream, the waters of which were gifted with the power of conferring upon those who should liathe in them the freshness of youth and full restoration of all their former strength and vigor ; that some of their people had gone there, and were so well satisfied that they had never re- turned. This enticing description appealed to Ponce de Leon in many ways, especially in exciting that craving for gold which was felt so strongly by all adventurers, and, moreover, as he was growing in years and declining in strength, nothing could be more agreeable to him than the prospect of recovering his lost youth and vigor, while to these potent reasons was added the expectation of the honor that would crown the happy discoverer of this wonderful land, and which would exceed that of all his predecessors in the field of discovery. He had acquired some degree of wealth in his public em- ployment, and was thus enabled to equip three vessels for his expedition. He easily obtained followers to accompany him, as credulity lent a willing ear to the marvelous story. This is not surprising, as the real wonders of the new world were often as remarkable as any which were invented. The Indians had described this fairyland as existing to the north, but that he might not be discouraged, they also located a fountain of 4 HISTORY OF FLORIDA similar wonderful powers on one of the Bahamas, which they called Bimini ; so that if he failed to find the one, he would be encouraged to seek for the other. In the spring of 1513 Ponce de Leon sailed from Puerto Eico with his three vessels, and, coasting along the neighboring islands of Hispaniola, laid his course northward to the Bahama Islands, seeking for directions to find the Fountain of Youth; but no one could tell him of its location or even seemed to know of its existence, more appearing to be known about it at a distance than where it was reported to exist. As he was un- able to find Bimini, he determined to seek the more distant land, which had been described to him as containing gold as Avell as this wonderful stream. He was, no doubt, told of the neigliboring coast of Florida, lying so near the western islands of the Lucayan group, and doubtless well known to their inhab- itants. Bearing to the northwest, on the 27th of March, 1513, he descried land on the eastern coast of Florida, and coasted along the supposed island until April 2d, when he landed near St. Augustine. Following the usual custom of the times in bestowing names, having come upon the coast on Palm Sun- day (Pascua Florida), he called it Florida. He landed with his principal officers, planted a cross, threw the royal banner of Spain to the breeze, and, standing around it, all swore alle- giance to the crown, and formal possession was taken of the land in the name of the king of Spain. The natives told him their country was called Cautio. He had reached, as he sup- posed, the land of which such glowing reports had been given him. It was, no doubt, a pleasant land, with its evergreen verdure, its stately pines, its streams, flowers, vines, and the sweet music of its singing birds; but he was in search of other things on which his heart was set. He had, for the most part, found the natives of the new world simple and submissive, but the people he now encountered were fierce and intractable. He found no guides to hidden treasures, no invitation to visit HISTORY OF FLORIDA 5 the wonderful fountain. In vain he moved along the coast ; in vain he landed here and there, hoping for some verification of the stories which had sent him there. Discouraged at last at this want of success, he turned homeward, and after a long and dangerous voyage, with torn sails and battered ships, he returned to Puerto Rico a good deal poorer and some older than when he started. On his way back he came across an old wo- man, the only inhabitant of a small island, who said she could guide him to Bimini. He sent a trusty officer in one of his vessels with the old crone as a guide. She directed him to an island she called Bimini, which he reported as a pleasant island, but possessing no fountain of youth. Not to lose the credit of his discovery, he soon after went to Spain, and made a report -of the new lands he had discovered. The story of his fanciful expedition in quest of the fountain had already reached Spain, and he was quizzed not a little about it by the wits on his ar- rival. The shrewd old soldier, however, so told his tale, en- hancing, no doubt, the value of his discoveries and supported by his well-founded reputation, that he was graciously received by the king, and was honored with the lofty title of Adelantado of Bimini and Florida, with permission to secure in the colonies of Spain recruits for establishing settlements in his new govern- ment. Difticulties having arisen with the Indians on the islands, he was assigned l^y the king to the command of a considerable force to put down the native inhabitants. Having landed a party on one of the islands, and not exercising his usual cau- tion, he was set upon by the Indians. Many were killed, and all the women carried off. Failing of success in these operations, he retired to Puerto Rico, where he remained several years, rest- less, morose, and unpopular. In the mean tim.e the report of Cortez's brilliant exploits in Mexico liad set him again aflame for new expeditions. His ambition and avarice were again aroused, and he looked for- G HISTORY OF FLOE IDA ward with renewed hope, not to finding tlie Fountain of Youtli, but to founding an empire which should give him untold wealth and fame. During the year 1531 he made arrangements for another expedition to Florida, fitting out two vessels at his own expense and sinking his entire fortune in the enterprise. He reached Florida after battling with severe gales, and landed in a bay north of Cape Sable, on the Grulf coast, long known as Juan Ponce de Leon Bay. He went on shore in state as the adelan- tado of Florida, but the natives attacked his force with fierce- ness and impetuosity, killing a large number of Spaniards and severely wounding Ponce de Leon himself, forcing a precipitate retreat to their vessels. On their return they landed on an island where they secured a large number of turtles, and gave it the name of Tortugas, which it has ever since borne. The brave old soldier, grievously wounded, sick at heart, and doubtless depressed at the apparent ill fortune which seemed to attend all the enterprises of his declining years, suc- cumbed to the winds of fortune, abandoned the shores of Flor- ida and all the high expecta^'ions which he had formed of pros- pective honors, and took refuge in Cuba, and a few days after his return passed away, honored and regretted by many who had known the bold and adventurous cavalier in his earlier years. Of all the historic names associated with Florida's long his- tory, De Soto alone perhaps excepted, the name of Juan Ponce de Leon stands out more prominently than any other. The romantic character of his expedition has won for him a name and remembrance which the real importance of anything he attempted or accomplished in that or in any other quarter would have failed to give him So true it is that the folly or credulity of mankind often makes more impression on the mind than distinguished virtues or noble actions. It would no doubt have greatly solaced Ponce de Leon in HISTORY OF FLORIDA 7 liis last sad days ccnild he have known of the magnificent world- renowned hostelry, named after him in the old city, near the spot where he first set foot on shore, and of the many other localities hearing his name in different portions of that Florida for the discovery of which posterity has given him due credit and honor. \Yas there, then, no foundation for this widespread belief in some health-gifted spring or fountain of youth, which wise men, as well as unwise men, believed to exist somewhere to the north of the West India Islands? If Ponce de Leon could have found them, might not the fabled fountain have claimed a real- ization in some of the remarkably beautiful springs with which we are now familiar in various parts of Florida ? Who that has CA'er floated on the briglit waters of Silver Spring or on the bosom of the Wakulla has not felt his pulse thrill with delight at the almost unreal character of the waters, so pellucid that one seems suspended in midair, the shadows from the skies above resting in varied beauty in its depths, while the bright sunlight flecks the rocks below with rays of dazzling brightness, an azure tinge encircling every object and surrounding it with a halo of purple light ? It would not be strange that they should be deemed to possess a rejuvenating elixir, and promise to those who would dwell by their banks and disport in their waters a restoration of youth, vigor, and energy. Some embellished tale of the beautifying powers of these lovely fountains in Florida may well have been carried from the shores of Florida to the adjoining group of islands, and hence become a common belief of more distant peoples. CHAPTER II The slave-hunting expedition of Vasquez d'Ayllon, and voyages of Miruelo, De Cordova, and Alaminos, seeking for gold in Florida. A.D. 1520 Shortly after Ponce de Leon's return from his first expedi- tion, several voyages were made to the coast of Florida. Al- though Florida, having been traversed only on its Atlantic and Gulf coasts, was supposed to be a very large island, yet there was so much that was indefinite and uncertain as to its ex- tent, productions, and people that for a long time afterwards the whole region extending north from Cape Florida to the Chesapeake Bay, west to unknown limits, was all called Florida. In 1516, Diego Miruelo, a pilot, went over from Cuba to Flor- ida, carrying trinkets and other things to trade with the natives on the coast. He obtained some pieces of gold, but did not go back from the coast, and soon returned to Cuba with an ac- count of the richness of the country and the neighboring islands, which stirred up quite a fever for going to Florida. •In the following year an expedition returning from New Spain and Mexico, en route to Cuba, under the command of Fernando de Cordova, landed in Ponce de Leon Bay for the purpose of procuring water and repairing their vessels. Having posted two sentinels, they were filling their water-casks when the alarm of the approach of the Indians was given, and was immediately followed by an onslaught of a large body of natives, one body of whom captured their boat, overpowering and wounding Cordova and those left on board, while those on shore being in larger force and well armed, routed the HISTORY OF FLORIDA y natives, killing twenty-two of their number and making prison- ers of two, and also recovering their boat with their wounded comrades. The Indians, however, captured one of their sentinels, who was carried off into eaptivit}'. One of the Spanish soldiers is said to have swelled up and died from drinking too much water. The expedition passed on to Havana, where Cordova died in a few days of the wounds he had received at the hands of the Indians. Alaminos, who was the pilot of Cordova's vessel, gave a flattering account of what he had seen in Mexico and Florida to France de Garay, governor of Jamaica, who was both rich and influential, and persuaded him that it would be a good thing to obtain from the king of Spain the oflice of adelantado -of the rivers Pedro and St. Paul in Mexico, and of whatever parts he might discover in that quarter, assuring the governor of the acquisition of rich and extensive countries. De Garay was induced to assist Alaminos, who, with three vessels, first sailed along the Gulf coast of Florida, landing twice, but was each time driven off' by the Indians. He then continued along the Gulf coast westward to Panuco, in Mexico, thus establishing the northerly shore line of the Gulf of Mexico, and demonstrat- ing that Florida was not an island, but an unexplored mainland, stretching northward to unknown limits. A much more interesting expedition was set on foot the fol- lowing year, 1520, by Lucas Vasquez d'Ayllon, an officer of some distinction, who had been in San Domingo many years. He, with six associates, was engaged in gold mines which were worked by natives, and oppression and cruelty having killed off large numbers, he planned a descent upon the Lucayan Islands in order to obtain others to replace them. The government of Spain, under the influence of Las Casas, had undertaken to protect the natives of the new world from the oppression and avarice of the colonists, but the Caribs (the un- subdued islanders) were held to be cannibals and without the 10 HISTORY OF FLORIDA pale of the laws. Under the pretence of seeking only to enslave Caribs^ two vessels were fitted out and several unsuccessful forays were made, hut failing to entrap the Indians of the Lu- eayan Islands, D'Ayllon passed onward to the north, and landed on the coast of South Carolina in a province called Chicora. Of this wonderful land two remarkable things were related with much gravity by the ancient chronicler. It was reported he said that the royal family of Xapida, a neighboring prov- ince, were all giants, and were made so artificially after this manner : While in tender infancy certain Indian medicine men took the young princes and princesses and softened their bones like wax with plasters made of certain herbs, until they ap- peared almost lifeless. The nurses who suckled the children were fed with very nutritious food. After some days the medi- cine men returned and stretched the bones of the infants, and did the same to the nurses, until by repeated application of the stretching process the children grew in stature as large as they desired them to be. Another remarkable thing which the Spaniards learned on this expedition was the existence of a race of beings with tails like horses, which they whisked about with great vigor. These singular people lived on raw fish, which probably accounted for the caudal appendage. The Spaiiish historian refers in this connection to a legend of some vile fellows who, in order to insult St. Thomas a-Becket at Canterl)ury, cut ofl' the tails of his horses, and were punished by the growth of similar appendages on their own persons. D'Ayllon landed at various points, and encountering people more kindly disposed than those of the more southern portions of the coast, was received with much kindness. By gifts and artifice he enticed one hundred and thirty on board his vessels, and, under pretence of showing them what was below, induced them to go into the hold, battened down the hatches, and set sail for Hispaniola. So sudden and treacherous an act aroused tlie fierce indignation of his captives and their friends on shore. HISTORY OF FLORIDA U No kindness or attention afterwards could reconcile the Indians to tlieir captivity, and nothing could divert the minds of these })roud and high-spirited sons of Chicora from tlieir grief and deep despair. One of the vessels foundered at sea, going down with all on board, captives and captors, to a common death. The other reached Hispaniola; but D'Ayllon came under severe cen- sure for the artifice which had been employed to entrap these poor natives of Chicora. The final result of the expedition is thus briefly and simply told by the old Spanish historian: ''And the Indians profited them in no wise, because they nearly all died of vexation and grief." But still intent on following up his adventure, D'Ayllon went to Spain, carrying with him a native youth of Chicora, who had been instructed and baptized under the name of Francisco. Presenting himself at court, he made the relation of his expedi- tion as favorable to himself as he could, exhibiting his Indian convert, Francisco, in order to enlist the sympathy of the eccle- siastics, describing the country no doubt in flattering colors, and asked for the privilege of its conquest and settlement. This was readily granted, and he was created a Knight of the Order of St. lago. He returned to St. Domingo, but it was three years before he was prepared to renew his expedition. He then dispatched two vessels to begin the exploration of that portion of the main- land embraced within his contract, which was to occupy the lands from the 25th to the 37th degrees of north latitude. These vessels soon returned, bringing specimens of gold, silver, and pearls, and with so favorable a report of the country they had visited, that D'Ayllon determined to set out at once and take possession of his province of Chicora. He refitted the two vessels which had just returned, and, adding a third, again set sail and safely reached the coast of South Carolina. Choosing a favorable spot for landing, with the purpose of establishing a settlement, he disembarked and 12 HISTORY OF FLORIDA was received by the natives with affected cordiality and pleas- ure, and this was carried to such an extent as to disarm him of all suspicion. He at once concluded that he would have no diffi- culty in obtaining possession of the country. For the purpose of exploring the interior he sent a party of two hundred men, upon the invitation of the Indian chiefs, to visit a town a day's journey from the coast. The party was hospitably entertained — everything was done for their diversion; they were feasted upon the choicest game and most delicious esculents, indeed treated as honored guests — and for four days enjoyed a continual round of feasting. All precautions were gradually neglected, and they surrendered themselves unreservedly to the care of their new friends. On the fourth night, after much feasting, they had yielded to peaceful and profound slumber. The op- portunity for revenge the people of Chicora had been wait- ing for had at last come, and in the dead of night they crept upon their unsuspecting guests and simultaneously buried their hatchets in their brains, not one being spared to carry the tale to D'Ayllon. All were killed. Eeeking with vengeance, the Indians hastened to the shore, where D'Ayllon had remained, and attacked his men with great violence. Defending themselves as best they could, the Span- iards retreated to their vessels, but D'Ayllon was left among the slain. The ships having waited a reasonable time for news of the return of their comrades, and no tidings reaching them, and no longer doubting of their fate, hoisted their sails and returned to Hispaniola, bearing the startling tidings of Chi- cora's vengeance for the duplicity and treachery of D'Ayllon. The son of D'Ayllon sought of the Spanish crown a renewal of the grant which had been made to his father, which was ac- corded him, but, being unable to equip an expedition, he died in Spain, it is said, of melancholy in consequence of his disappoint- ment. Chicora is supposed to have been in the neighborhood of HISTORY OF FLORIDA 13 Beaufort, S. C. About this period, Verazzano, an Italian navigator in the French service, came upon the coast of North Carolina in about latitude 35 degrees, landed at various points as he coasted northward as far as Cape Cod, and returned to France, where he made a brief report of the country, the manners and customs of the Indians. He made a second voyage to America, from which he never returned, and was never heard from, having probably perished at sea. CHAPTER III Panfllo de Narvaez's inarch througli Florida from Clear Water Bay to Appalachee. A.D. 1527 Panfilo de Narvaez, after a futile attempt to supersede Hernando Cortez in Mexico, undertook on his own account an expedition aiming to reach the northern jjortion of Mexico hy a hind route through Florida. In the unsettled knowledge of the extent and boundaries of the Gulf of Mexico, he had become possessed with the idea that Panuco, near Tampico in Mexico, could he reached by crossing over to Florida and marching west- ward a few hundred leagues. He secured from the king of Sj^ain the appointment of ade- lantado (governor) of Florida, with power to occupy and govern all the country between Cape Florida and the Eiver of Palms, which entered the Gulf of Mexico near the present city of Tampico. He sailed from the port of San Lucar in Spain in June, 1527, with five vessels, carrying six hundred men, and landed in Hispaniola (Hayti) to refit his fleet, and lost two vessels with their crews, which he had sent to Trinidad for provisions. He was thus detained until April, 1528, wdien, having procured other vessels, he embarked wdth a force of four hundred men and eighty horses, having as pilot Miruelo, wdio claimed to be familiar with the coast. Sailing westward and then north along the west coast of Florida, they entered a bay conjectured to have been Clear Water Bay, just north of Tampa Bay, then called Espiritu Santo Bay. On Good Friday, a day of bad omen for HISTORY OF FLORIDA 15 the expedition, they landed, planted the royal standard, and took formal possession of the country for the Spanish king, and named the bay the Bay of the Holy Cross. At the head of the bay they discovered an Indian town, the central house of which was large enough to hold three hundred people. The natives received them in a friendly way, but indicated by signs that they wished them to leave. Narvaez deciding not to make any settlement here, de- termined to march to a much better country, which Miruelo had described. Some Indians had by signs told him that there was a rich province called Appalachee to the northward, where he would find plenty of gold. He disembarked three hundred men and the forty horses remaining alive, leaving on board the ships one hundred men. He intended marching northward along the coast, and have the vessels coast along so as to be in occasional communication with his force on land. The land portion of the expedition began their march poorly provisioned, carrying only two pounds of bread and half a pound of meat per man, but they expected to secure provisions from the Indians as they proceeded on their march. Narvaez had a most indefinite idea of his destination or of the distance he would have to travel to reach it. Through the geographical ignorance of the times, he thought he could reach Panuco, in the vicinity of Tampico in Mexico, in a few days, when in fact it was 1,500 miles distance l)y land. They marched fifteen days without encountering a habitation or a human being. They then came to a river, on the banks of which they met a large body of friendly Indians, who conducted them to their village near by. A small party went to the coast to look for the ships, but found no signs of them. Eesuming their march after pro- curing some provisions from the Indians, they afterward crossed a river of considerable size and rapid current, which must have been the Suwanee River. They encountered afterwards unfriendly savages, who oh- 16 niSTORY OF FLORIDA structed their march with fallen timber. Seven clays after leav- ing the river they reached the Appalachian country, where they had anticipated finding gold and a rich, well-peopled country like Mexico. They found Appalachee to he only an Indian vil- lage of forty or fifty houses, and no indications of gold. The country they had passed through was well wooded, with numer- ous lakes, and the country was said to abound in deer, rabbits, horses, bears, lions, and kangaroos. The town was situated on a lake, and there was another village across the lake. This lake may have been Lake La Fayette or Miccosukee. He remained at this town about a month, consuming the pro- visions of the Indians, who waged a constant war with their unwelcome visitors until they were persuaded to move on to a place on the coast called Ante, where the Indians told them they would find provisions as well as fish in abundance. On their march they were constantly beset by the Indians, who attacked them from every covert and eluded all pursuit. So skillful were the Indians in the use of the bow, it was said they could send an arrow clear through a good-sized tree, and wielded bows eight feet in length. After several days' march Narvaez came to Ante, the Indians having burned their houses and fled on the approach of the Spaniards. On their march they crossed a river they called Magdalena, and which was probably the Ocklocknee. Ante was one day's march from the sea, and was probably on Appa- lachicola Bay. Although they found the town destroyed, they were able to procure an abundant supply of fish and oysters, but they were not allowed to rest in peace ; whenever they left camp they were waylaid on every hand. LTnaccustomed to such food and in constant apprehension of assault by the natives, and being unac- climated, they were now, in the month of August, the victims of fever. The alluring hopes which had led them on to Appalachee and HISTORY OF FLORIDA 17 tlicnco to Ante, had now no further basis to rest upon. The yohl and abundance which was to reward them at Appalachee had nc^t been found, and the plenty they were to find at Ante had vanislied. Tlieir dreams of the conquest and spoils of bar- barous and wealthy peoples, like those of Mexico and Peru, were miseraldy dissipated. Tliey had now reached a condition of mind with no hope but of self-preservation, and no desire except to leave the country. The vessels they had left behind them they had never heard of more; sickness was daily thinning their ranks and lessening their strength to proceed further or even to defend themselves where they were. They were alike desti- tute of resources for remaining on or leaving these fated shores. Narvaez now found himself cut ofl' from any knowledge by his countrymen as to his whereabouts. Hemmed in by cruel and relentless foes, faint with sickness and depressed by disap- pointment, a miserable, defeated, and helpless man, utterly dis})irited, he called a council of his officers to consider how they could escape from the country before they all perished of disease and hunger. If they undertook to retrace their steps they had no way to obtain supplies on their journey or vessels to re- ceive them. They knew that Mexico lay somewhere to the west of them, and they imagined that they could reach there in a comparatively short time. They believed that they were nearer to Mexico than to Cuba, and felt unable to proceed further by land. They decided that it would be best to build boats and endeavor to coast along the shore until they reached Mexico. 'I'heir means of construction were very limited. There was tindjer at hand, and that was all; but necessity is well said to be the mother of invention, and they had the energy of despera- tion. A smith of the company said he could make bellows from deerskin, and would forge the necessary bolts, nails, and neces- sary iron work from their swords, arms, and equipments. Some cut timber and hewed it into shape, the smith forged the nails and bolts, others gathered palmettoes and beat out fiber 18 HISTORY OF FLORIDA as a substitute for tow for caulking tlie seams, and they made tar to jiitch the seams from the })ine knots. Such was the en- ergy with which they worked, that with hut one single car- penter to direct the work, they completed within six weeks five boats one hundred feet in length. They made cordage from the fiber of the palmetto and from the manes and tails of the horses. The sails they made from their shirts, and out of the hides of their horses they made bottles for carrying water. During their stay at Aute ten men were killed while out seek- ing provisions, and forty had died from disease since they began their journey. CHAPTEK IV How Niirviiez ami liis men undertook lo reucli Mexico in boats — Tlieir adventures and final shipwreck near the uioutli of tlie Mississippi — Loss of nearly all the party. A.D. 1528 Having finally completed their preparations for the voyage, Narvaez and his companions embarked on these frail boats on the 22d of September. After the provisions and clothing had ])een jnit on board, the gunwales of the boats were scarcely six inches out of water, and the men were so crowded that they could hardly move, each boat containing about forty-eight per- sons. They could hardly have selected a worse time for begin- ning their voyage, Septendjer being usually a stormy season at sea in these latitudes. It was, indeed, a most desperate under- taking for these two hundred and forty sick and downhearted men to launch upon a stormy sea, none being sailors, and but scantily provisioned, in "wretched, hastily built boats of unsea- soned materials, loaded to the gunwales and open to every swell of the waves. They called the bay upon which they launched ilieir boats the Bay of Cavallos. It was proljably near the head of A])palachee Bay, as it took some time to descend to the Gulf. AVhen De Soto's expedition visited the same region eleven years afterwards, the Indians conducted them to the spot, where they saw remains of Xarvaez's camp, the forge used by the black- smith, scraps of iron, and the bones of horses, and were shown the place where ten soldiers had been killed in the vicinity of Ante. Narvaez had charge of one boat, C'abcca de Vaca of another, the contador Ilenricpiez of a third, Captains Cas- 20 HISTORY OF FLORIDA tillo and Dorantes of the fourth, and Captain Tellez of the fifth. The priests and friars were in the boat with the con- tador. For several days the boats kept witliin the sound, and then went out to sea at a pass, probably that now known as Indian Pass, formed by St. Vincent's Island and the Main, then taking a westerly course along the shore. It seems very strange to us who are conversant with the geography of the country that, intending only to reach Spanish settlements, they should have gone west instead of southeast, Cuba being much nearer than Mexico. The real reason was their ignorance of the true position of the port they wished to reach — Panuco, south of the Eiver of Palms, which empties into the Gulf in the northern part of Mexico and near Tampico. Upon several ancient maps the Bay of Appalachee is rej^resented as about equidistant be- tween the Capes of Florida and the Bay of Tampico, while in fact Panuco, on the Bay of Tampico, is twelve hundred miles distant from the Bay of Appalachee, while Cuba is only about five hundred miles ; but as the}^ had been a long while traveling they thought the distance much greater. The voyagers soon be- gan to suffer from hunger and thirst, and were in constant dan- ger of shipwreck. They occasionally ran into coves and creeks, and sometimes encountered Indians fishing. They thus moved slowly along for thirty days. Entering an inlet, they landed, and were received in an apparently friendly manner by an Indian chief, but in the night they wqvg set upon l)y the In- dians. In the melee they took from the chief his blanket, made of the skins of the civet-marten, and saw other Indians simi- larly decorated, but none so fine. Narvaez, who had accepted the hospitality of the chief's cabin, was wounded in tlie face by a stone. Endeavoring to reach their boats, they were attacked with fury, and their assailants were with ditficulty beaten off. On the following day they again put to sea, and after proceed- ing three days entered a lagoon and met a canoe manned by Indians. Suffering greatly for want of water, they asked HISTORY OF FLORIDA 21 the Indians where they could obtain it. They said if one of the Spaniards would go with them they would show where it could be had. A Christian Greek, named Theodoro, volunteered to go with them, and was accompanied by a negro, and that was the last that was seen of them. Failing to obtain water or the re- turn of the Greek, they again went out to sea, being violently assailed on the way out by the Indians with stones and sticks. That night they kept on until the following evening, when they came to a very large river, and near by a large number of small islands. ■Here they obtained fresh water in the open sea where the river joined it. They landed upon an island to roast their com, and, finding no wood, they undertook to enter the river, l)ut the current was so strong that it carried them out to sea. They worked for two days, trying to reach land again, but De Vaca's boat went aground in three feet of water. In the morning they got their boat otf, and three of the boats tlien came together, one of which had Narvaez on boartb When he was asked for orders, he replied that it was not a time for giving orders, that each one must look out for himself and do whatever he thought best. De Vaca saw no more of Narvaez, but afterwards learned that he coasted along some distance, that the contador's boat with the friars was capsized, and they, following the coast, came up to those of Narvaez's people, who had landed. The governor brought them all together, and then went on board liis Ijoat, and anchored out, refusing to remain on shore, l)oaring in mind probably the rough reception he had recently met with and the wounds he was still suffering from. He re- mained in his boat, anchored only with a stone, with only the master and a cabin boy, both of whom were sick. In the middle of the night a storm arose which carried the boat out to sea, unprovided with water or provisions. Nothing more was ever seen of Narvaez. There on the broad sea this Spanish nobleman, the proud 22 HISTORY OF FLORIDA adelantado, the leader of an expedition the result of which was expected to be equal if not superior to the achievements of Cor- tez, without followers, desolate, sick, and famished, miserably perished, and no one was left to tell how or where. Those of Narvaez's party who were on shore were thus left helpless, having lost their boat. They followed the shore until ihey oame to a wide bay, which they crossed upon a raft, and, march- ing along the shore, came to an Indian camp. The Indians see- ing them approach, put their tents in their canoes and crossed a river which lay beyond. The' Spaniards, as the weather was cold, concluded to camp in a wood near the shore, trusting to find food of some kind, but they daily grew weaker, and gradually dro])ped off one by one, protracting their miserable existence by living on the bodies of the dead, until at last one only, named Esquival, remained, the sole survivor. He was carried into captivity by the Indians, and through him the sad story came to Cabeca de Vaca from one to whom he had told it. From this period on, Cabeca de Vaca was the central figure, and he it was who, being in advance, first described the great river, near its outlet in the Gulf, telling of its current so strong that they were not able to stem it, its waters so deep that they could not be sounded, and so abundant that they. carried their fresh- ness far out into the salt sea. One can hardly have a doubt but that the great river was the Father of Waters, the great river of the continent, the Mississippi. It is not De Soto, but Cabeca de Vaca who is entitled to the honor of being the first Euro- pean who saw the Mississijipi, and somewhere on its banks there should be placed a marble column commemorating bis discovery. After Cabeca de Vaca parted from Narvaez, in company with the boat of Penalosa, he rowed four days well out to sea, when they discovered smoke on shore, ajid being almost fam- ished and without water, they drew in towards the land. It HISTORY OF FLORIDA 23 was November and tljey hegan to siiffer from cold, and to add to tlieir misery a gale of wind came up. They were so feeble and so chilled that they could liardly handle an oar. They were now approaching the land, when their boat struck bottom a short distance from the shore, and on their hands and knees they crawled to land. Sheltering themselves in a ravine, they were able to build a fire and roast the little store of corn they still had, and little by little were somewhat revived. They had started on the 22d of September from the Bay de Cavallos, and it was now the Gth of November. Panuco seemed as far off as ever, and the survivors, now numbering ninety souls, were soon all on land, unable to pursue their voyage further. Their boats had capsized, and they had lost all their clothing and everything else they had ; and now shipwrecked and dispirited, they fell upon the last resort, the horrible necessity of subsisting upon the flesh of their dead comrades. The fifth and last boat, that of Captains Penalosa and Tellez, continued some distance further on, was wrecked, and all were killed by the Indians near the spot where they landed. Of the three hundred who started out from the Bay of Santa Cruz with Narvaez in May, all had perished, so far as was known, before December, except four. These were Cabeca de Vaca, the treasurer ; Captain Alonzo Castillo, Captain Andres Dorantes, and Estevanico, an iVrabian negro or Moor. "When Narvaez began his march from the Bay of Santa Cruz, he left three vessels there with one hundred men and ten women on l)oard with a very small amount of stores. These vessels were to sail along as near the land as possible, and enter the large bay which Miruelo described, and where Narvaez was to meet them. Tliey followed the coast for some distance without finding the harbor they were looking for, and then sailed south- ward, and five or six leagues below where they had landed on their arrival, they found a bay which penetrated into the land 24 HISTORY OF FLORIDA seven or eight leagues, which no doubt was Espiritu Santo, now kno\\Ti as Tampa Bay. Two of these vessels continued to search for Narvaez for nearly a year, and then sailed to Mexico. It was from one of these vessels that Juan Ortiz landed and was captured by the Indians, as will he told furtlier on. All the five boats had now been shipwrecked, that of Dorantes and Castillo having been Avrecked on the shore, a few leagues further on, on the day previous to the lauding of Penalosa. CHAPTER V story of the remarkable adventures of Cabeca de Vaca — How he became a great medicine man — ^The peculiar customs of the Indians — His event- ual escape with three others and arrival in Mexico. A.D. 152S-1538 With the exception of three who were drowned by the cap- sizing of a boat, and Narva ez and the two who remained on board witli liim and were driven out to sea, all who had set out m the five boats from Ante, some two hundred and thirty-four in number, were now scattered along the unkindly shores of Louisiana, divided into two parties. The fate of those ninety souls in the boats of Narvaez and the contador Henriqucz we have already referred to. Cabeca de Vaca's company, with those from Castillo's boat, numbered about ninety persons. In the capsizing of their boats they had lost nearly all their clothing. To find food for this number of hungry men was no small task. Some Indians came to them and gave them fish and fruits ; yet, although they were on the shore of a sea abounding at all times with fish and oysters, they seem to have been too un- skilled to ol)tain them, and cold and naked, with abundance to be had from the sea, they waited in helplessness on the shore for death to relieve their sufi'erings. Four of the stoutest started on foot to go to Panuco as mes- sengers to ol)tain succor. They still had the idea that Panuco was not far distant. The four never returned nor reached their destination. In a few days cold, hunger, and stormy weather had reduced the company to fifteen. De Vaca well named the place Isla del Malhado, the Island of Misfortune. The descrip- tions of localities by De Vaca are too indefinite for us to now 30 HISTORY OF FLORIDA identify them. The disastrous locality where this great tragedy of human suffering occurred was somewhere not far west of the mouths of the Mississippi. The survivors, Cabeca de Vaca and the others, owed their preservation to an idea which had ob- tained among the Indians that tlie white men were skilled in tlie liealing art, and, whether they would or no, they were forced to become medicine men. Their success as such exceeded their expectations. De Vaca thus describes their mode of treating the sick, which was " to bless them, to l)reathe upon them, recite a Pater Noster and an Ave Maria, praying earnestly to God that he would give them health, and influence them to do some great good in his mercy," and, he piously adds, " that he willed that all those for whom we supplicated should, directly after we made the sign of the cross over them, tell the others that they were sound and well." After De Vaca left these Indians he en- gaged in the business of an itinerant trader, carrying shells and conehs from the coast, and exchanging them for skins, arrow- heads, pigments, and other articles in the interior. He remained six years among the coast Indians thus em- ployed, always looking forward to some avenue of escape, gath- ering information of localities and peoples which might aid him in finding his way back to civilization. His occupation of trader gave him a great deal of freedom in going about, but he suffered at times greatly from want of food and clothing ; but lie says he was always welcomed and furnished with food when the natives had any. For three or four months in every year the Indians lived in plenty on the Indian fig and nuts in season, ])ut in the winter had little to live on, and had no fixed habita- tions or cultivated fields. A singular custom is mentioned of one of the tribes, that they suckled their children until they were twelve years old, and the reason given was that the children might not suffer in times of scarcity of food. De Vaca, Castillo, Dorantes, and Estevanico were held in bondage by different- but neighboring tribes. Of niSTOUY OF FLORIDA 27 the fourteen who left the Isle of Malliado, nearly all, after uiontlis of captivity, were killed, and tliere remained only the four last named, who managed to join each other when their tribes came together for their annual repast on the prickly pears. They had become thoroughly versed in the language and customs of the Indians, and, having gone unclothed, had come to resemble them in color and general appearance, and liad learned something of the character of the regions which lay west of them towards Mexico, in reaching which now lay their only hope of escape. Having finally managed to agree upon their plans, they appointed the full of the moon in Sep- tember for their flight. They left together, and soon reached another tribe, by whom they were received with many demon- strations of joy, on account of their reputation as medicine ]ncn, '" having already heard of their success in healing the sick and the miracles which the Lord had performed through them." On the evening of their arrival Castillo cured a native instantly of a severe headache, which added to their respect for the Christians. As the weather was becoming colder, and fruits were nearly out of season, they decided to remain with these people until spring. They went with them several days in search of a fruit resembling vetches. Arriving on the banks of a river, they cured five very sick Indians by their prayers and were liberally rewarded. But they accomplished still more, if what the Indians told Cabeca de Vaca is to be believed, for they claimed that one who was dead had come to life again after his efforts and prayers. The four Christians now passed from tribe to tribe in a sort of triumphal progress, loaded with gifts and blessings by those whose friends they had healed. But this was not always the case ; sometimes they had the sharpest ])ains of hunger to endure, and were obliged to go into thickets to obtain fuel, where the thorns excoriated their naked bodies. They shod their skins like snakes twice a year, and suifered in- tensely from the cold. They were at one time glad to buy three 28 HISTORY OF FLORIDA dogs, which they ate with relish, and which greatly renewed their strength. The people on the coast they found more cruel than the people in the interior, and so kept far to the northwest of the nearest route to Mexico, a safer but longer route. After months of travel, skirting the mountain ranges, they one day saw an Indian with a sword buckle. This was a ray of light to them, and, being eagerly asked where he obtained it, he said that some men with beards like themselves had come into their country, who had horses and swords. Soon afterwards they had more certain intelligence of the Spaniards, and joyfully pressed on in the direction indicated. Their journey soon gave them pal]iable evidence of where the Christians had been ; the abandoned homes and unfilled fields of the native Mexican in- halutants, who had fled in terror from the ruthless forays of the Spanish soldiery, attested the vicinity of the white marauders. The poor natives had fled to the mountains to avoid death or slavery at the hands of the unchristian emissaries of Spain. Three days afterwards De Vaca and his comrades reached a Mexican village twelve leagues from the California Gulf,- and were now in the province known as Sonora, having traversed the whole continent on foot from Louisiana to the Gulf of California, a distance of more than three thousand miles. Their reception by an armed squad of cavalry was hardly what they had expected. The first use Alcarez, the captain of the cav- alry, wished to make of them was to seize the Indians who had guided and befriended De Vaca and his companions as slaves, and to entice as many more as possible. De Vaca succeeded in releasing the Indians by bribing the Spanish captain, and was carried under a sort of arrest to Culiacan, where Diaz, the* alcalde and commander of the province, resided. This officer received them graciously. At Compostella, Guzman, the gov- ernor of the province, provided them with clothing, and sent them on to the City of Mexico, where they were received with favor by Cortez, and from thence they passed on to Vera Cruz, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 29 vvliere tliey embarked on a treasure-ship for Spain, and, having harely escaped capture by a French corsair on the way, reached Lisbon on the 15th of August, 1537, a little more than ten years from the time that Narvaez, proudly bearing his commission of adehmtado, had sailed from Spain at the head of his expedition, glowing with anticipations of great things to be accomplished and great fame to be won. Ilis bones had long lain at the bot- tom of the sea, and, of all who accompanied him, four alone sur- vived to carry back the story of his complete and utter failure. I'pon De Vaca's arrival in Spain, he addressed " to his sacred, imperial, and catholic majesty " an interesting narrative of his adventures, with observations upon the countries he had traversed, and the manners and customs of their inhabitants. He desired the privilege of returning to Florida as adelantado, l)ut other parties of greater influence and position were seeking this honor, and De Vaca had to content himself with the ap- pointment of governor of La Plata, from which he returned a few years later in disgrace. His narrative of the expedition and of the shipwreck of Nar- vaez, and of his own personal adventures subsequently, is ex- ceedingly interesting as containing the observations of the first European who traversed the region now known as the Cotton States, and one of the first, if not the first, of white men who stood on the banks of the Mississipjii. His story, moreover, has ])ersonal interest in its relation of the endurance and sagacity liy which for so many years he maintained himself among sav- age peoj)le, and tlie great determination he exhibited in making a journey of thousands of miles through an unknown country, and at last reaching his fellow countrymen in Mexico; a journey whiclu considering all the circumstances, has never been paral- leled 1)V anv other of which we have anv knowledge. CHAPTER VI The strange attraction Florida had for adventurers — The stories told of its riches and advantages. A.D. 1538 Those who have had occasion to consult the relations of the early adventurers who attempted the conquest or colonization of Florida cannot fail to have been struck with the fact that the country is eulogized by them all as a very rich and fertile coun- try. Thus, in the English translation of the relation of the Portuguese Gentleman, by Hakluyt, it is said, " wherein are truly observed the riches and fertilities of these parts, abound- ing with things necessary, pleasant, and profitable for the life of man." And in the same work it is said that Cabeca de Vaca reported, upon his return to Spain, " that it was the richest country of the world." Doubtless, to most persons, this will seem so absurd and exaggerated as to cast discredit upon the veracity of the narrator. But this flattering estimate of the country l)y the early explorers and voyagers may be explained upon grounds perfectly consistent with the idea of sincerity on their part. It must be recollected, in the first place, that the name of Florida then designated a vast extent of country, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico northwards towards un- known regions. The divisions of the country, as marked upon the maps, were Florida at the south, extending to the north of the Chesapeake, and meeting what was afterwards called New France. In speaking of Florida, therefore, in those da3^s, ref- erence was had to a much larger scope of country than is now designated by the name. The main object of all expeditions HISTORY OF FLORIDA 31 at that day was the discovery of precious metals, and, coming I'rom the old world, men had no standard of comparison by which to measure the agricultural value of the new. Tlie shores of Florida presented to their eyes a more grateful and pleasing prospect than the sands of the Tierra Caliente of Mexico or the arid mesquite groves of South America. Let us suppose for a moment a vessel, long tempest-tossed upon the Avild waste of waters, entering one of the harbors of Florida. As the shores are approached, there opens a gentle and placid l)ay, land-locked, and reflecting with glassy stillness the shad- ows of the evergreen towering trees of the forest. The fleet- ing clouds of heaven pass over its polished surface, and chang- ing points of beauty are being constantly developed. The white-winged water-fowl skim quietly along its surface, the gracefully waving moss droops from the hanging boughs, pleas- ant coves and sylvan retreats border its banks. The apj)ear- ances upon the land are equally flattering ; the green vegeta- tion, even in midwinter, gives a vernal beauty to the landscape. The evergreen forests, filled with birds of song and beauty ; the magnolia grandiflora, with its glistening leaves and splendid llowers ; the tall palms, with their leafy canopies ; the stalwart live-oak, the mournful cypress, tlie brilliant dogwood and bright yellow honeysuckle — all give an air of enchantment and l)eauty to the scene. The antlers of the noble buck and the glossy plumage of the wild turkey of the forest signal both food and noble pastime. An Oriental and tropical richness and pro- fusion of vegetable life seem to invite to enjoyment and ease. The voyagers ascend the gentle current of the placid rivers, and new beauties are met at every turn. They seem to float amid flowers and perfume ; the drooping vines, trailing in the water, mingle with water-plants of various tints ; everything is tinged with richness and beauty, and from some captured savage they hear always of the gold of some distant province which animates their hopes and expectations. 33 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Is it strange that such a country should, where everything was new and marvelous and exaggerated, impart, without much license of the imagination, a pleasant glow of beauty and rich- ness to the narrations of those who for the first time landed on its coasts ? The progress of discovery and of conquest had gone on in the south with almost uninterrupted success ; a great and unex- ])lored region was known to exist at the north, and the im- agination had full scope to create for itself new fields for the ac(|uisition of glory and wealth. CHAPTER VII The story of how the famous Cavalier Hernando de Soto undertook the conquest of Florida — Plis landing at Tampa Bay — The romantic story of Juan Ortiz. , A.D. 1539 Panfilo de j^arvaez had miserably perished with all his noble men-at-arms and splendid equipments, demonstrating none of the great qualities necessary to insure success in such undertakings, enlisting, indeed, our pity, but in no way our admiration. Cabeca de Vaca had returned to Spain, and in an enigmatical way gave it to be understood that Florida was a very rich coun- try ; but he must not discover all he knew, as he wished to go back, and to obtain the government of it from the king. But a much greater man than himself, or Narvaez, or any of their predecessors, had already planned an expedition for its con- (juest ; no less a personage than Hernando de Soto, one of the most renowned cavaliers of the day. There was at that time no man who occupied a more exalted position at the Spanish court than De Soto. He was a native of Villa Nueva de Baccarota, near Xerez, and was of a good family. Entering into the service of Arias D'Avilas, better known as Pedrarias, then governor of the West Indies, he was soon promoted to the command of a troop of horse, and was sent by D'Avilas with one hundred men and a supply of horses to join Pizarro, then on his way to undertake the conquest of Peru. The native qualities of the young cavalier early displayed U HISTORY OF FLORIDA themselves, and he soon rose to be second in command. With a small force he captured the Inea, and left two thousand slain upon the field. After the complete subjugation of Peru, he withdrew with a splendid booty of one hundred and eighty thousand ducats, which had fallen to his share, and, with some valiant comrades, returned to Spain in 1536. It is said that he had fallen in love with Pedrarias's daughter, some sixteen years previously, before he left Spain, and that they had remained constant in their af- fection, but her father was opposed to their union. Pedrarias being now dead, De Soto married the Lady Isabella, and, on the strength of the gold he had brought from Peru, lived in great state for two years at the Spanish court. After sixteen years of active adventure, and being still a comparatively young man, De Soto longed for a more active life, and procured the appoint- ment of governor of Cuba and adelantado of Florida, and was made a marquis of Spain. Notwithstanding the many visits to its shores, very little was known of the interior of the extensive region called Florida. It was still believed that there was somewhere to be found a passage across to the Pacific, and that a country even richer than Mexico itself existed to the north of that part of Mexico which had been explored. The prestige of De Soto's name and reputation, and the success which had hitherto attended his adventures ; the wealth which he had brought with him, no doubt greatly exaggerated by common report, and the lavish prodigality with which he lived, at- tracted to his standard a splendid retinue of followers, burning for adventures and eager to share in the booty which should fall to those who participated in the conquest of new regions. He invited De Vaca to join him, but that sagacious traveler de- clined to do so at his own expense. The Lady Isabella accom- panied De Soto to Cuba, where he proposed to organize his ex- pedition. While making his large preparations, he sent two small vessels to the coast of Florida to discover the ports suit- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 35 able for making a landing. They returned, bringing with them two Indians, who gave De Soto by signs to understand that there was much gold in Florida, which delighted the governor and all his companions, thinking they were about to occujiy the richest country yet discovered. His preparations being finally com])leted, he left Cuba on May 18, 1539, and on the 35th landed in the bay now known as Tampa Bay, to which he gave the name of Espiritu Santo. The number disembarked was one thousand men-at-arms, three^ hundred and fifty horses, twelve priests, and a few friars, a f(n"ce far exceeding in char- acter and numbers any that had previously gone forth in any expedition. Landing in the lower part of Tampa Bay, as their vessels could not go up to the head of the bay, they marched up hy land to an Indian town, the site of the present town of Tampa. The house of the chief was upon an artificial emi- nence, which, we have no reason to doul)t, was the large Indian mound at Tampa, which still remains, after more than three luindred years, to awaken the interest of the antiquary and attest the truth of ancient chroniclers. While at this place, the two Indians whom they had been re- lying upon as guides and interpreters escaped, to the great dis- a})pointment of De Soto. From some captured women, how- ever, he learned that a Spaniard left by Xarvaez was in the keeping of a neighboring chief. This man was Juan Ortiz, the liistory of whose ten years' sojourn among the Indians would luive been of itself a most interesting one, had he possessed the skill to write it, or had he escaped with his life to Spain to relate it more fully. IHE STORY OF JUAN ORTIZ It will ])e recalled that Narvaez had landed in a bay, which he bad nanu:>(l " The Holy Cross," a few miles north of Tampa Bay. Before commencing his march into the interior, he had 36 HISTORY OF FLORIDA sent one of his smaller" vessels back to Cuba, to carry intelli- gence to his wife, and on board of this vessel went Juan Ortiz. Having arrived safely in Cuba and taken supplies, the vessel was sent back by Narvaez's wife, with the expectation of having it meet him at some point on the coast. Having reached the vicinity where Narvaez had landed, they sought information of Narvaez's movements of some of the Indians, and were told that he had left there and marched northward. Observing a letter fixed in the cleft of a stick on shore, they asked some Indians wliom they saw near by to bring it to them, which they refused to do, but made signs to have them come for it. The others re- fusing to go, Juan Ortiz, then a youth of eighteen, with a com- rade took a boat and went on sliore, where they were immedi- ately surrounded by Indians, who lay hidden near by, and were taken to their chief, IJcita, who was greatly enraged against the Spaniards on account of injuries he had received from Narvaez. The companion of Ortiz was killed at once, having ofPered some resistance. Those on board the vessel, seeing this, at once raised anchor, put out to sea, and returned to Cuba, leaving Ortiz to his fate. The chief ordered Ortiz to be bound hand and foot, and stretched out upon a staging of pales, and a fire to be built under him, to slowly roast him alive. The cruel chief had a beautiful daughter, about the same age as Ortiz, who, when she saw the dreadful fate to which the young Spaniard was doomed, was moved to that pity and compassion which, to the credit of her sex be it spoken, are always aroused in woman's breast by misfortune and suffering. Narvaez had been guilty, it appears, of acts of atrocious cruelty towards the mother of the chief, and he felt the strongest desire for vengeance upon the hated race. Overcoming her own natural resentment, and braving the anger of her father, the young girl threw herself at his feet and implored liim to spare the life of the captive youth, urging upon him that this smooth-cheeked boy had done him no injury, and HISTORY OF FLOBIDA 37 tliat it was more noble for a brave and lofty chief like himself to keej) the youth a captive than to sacrifice so mere a lad to his revenge. 'J'he intercession of the noble maid was successful, and the captive youth, who had already suffered painfully upon his fiery bed, was loosed and his burned flesh cared for by the gentle hands of her who had saved his life. He was set to guard the place where the Indians placed their dead upon scaf- folds as their sepultiTre. AVolves and catamounts beset the place, while Ortiz stood guard through the lonely watches of the INDIAN PRINCESS SAVING THE LIFE Ol^ JUAN ORTIZ night. For a long period he kept the wild l)easts away, l)ut at last it happened that one night the body of a child of one of the chiefs was carried off by a wolf. Ortiz threw a dart at the ani- mal and wounded it, but was not aware that the child had been taken. The next morning the loss of the child's body was dis- covered and Ortiz was ordered to be put to death, but the In- dians, following on the track of the wolf, discovered the body of the child and the wolf lying dead just beyond it. The chief, 38 HISTORY OF FLORIDA being thus satisfied of the faithful watch kept by Ortiz, received him again into favor. Three years afterwards a tierce war liaving broken out be- tween his protector and a neighboring tribe, in order to pro- pitiate the evil spirit, it was their custom to sacrifice some one, and Ortiz was selected as the victim. His faithful friend, the chief's daughter, came at night and w^arned him that he would be sacrificed the next day. She advised him to seek the protec- tion of Mucoso, a neighboring chief, whose wife she expected in time to become, and who would, she said, receive and protect him. At the dead hour of night she came and guided him half a league on his way. He traveled all night, and in the morning came to a river wdiere Mucoso's territory began, and, being unable to speak the language of the tribe, he came very near being killed by the first party of Indians he encountered, but^ fortunately for him, there was one of the Indians who could understand him and who paci- fied the others. Mucoso himself being near at hand, came and met him, and, learning by wdiom he had been sent to his care, received him cordially and promised him protection, and that, if any Christians should ever come to the country, he would let him go back with them. It is said that Ucita demanded Ortiz to be surrendered to him, and that Mucoso's refusal caused a breach between them and prevented for many years his attain- ing as his bride Ortiz's fair protector, sacrificing his love to his high sense of honor. Ortiz remained with Mucoso eight years, and conformed in all respects to their mode of life. He became inured to going unclothed, and acquired their language, almost losing famil- iarity with his own. Cortez sent out a party to endeavor to find him, as he very greatly needed his services as an interpreter, as also on account of his knowledge of the country. ]\Iucoso having learned of De Soto' landing, sent Ortiz, accom})anied by several Indians, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 39 to meet the Spaniards. The two parties met on the way, and the Spaniards at once made an attack on tlie Indians, who all fled except Ortiz, who called out that he was a Spaniard, and told them who he was, and that those who accompanied him were friends and bore friendly greetings and offer of service from Miicoso. De Soto was very glad to obtain Ortiz, and his first question was wlietlier he could tell him what part of the country was rich in gold, but he could only tell him of wliat was reported among the Indians, and, as he had spent his whole captivity in a narrow area, he was of no great service as a guide or interpreter after they had passed on northwards of the lands of Ucita and Miicoso. - The story of Ortiz reminds us of -that of Pocahontas and Captain John Smith at the first settlement of Jamestown nearly one hundred years later, except that Ortiz was young and fair. The name of this fair princess is given, I know not by what authority, as Ulelah, and that of her father as Ucita, and also as chief of Ilirrihigua. These names ought to be commemo- rated in South Florida. Juan Ortiz died after De Soto crossed the Mississippi and not very long before the death of De Soto himself. CHAPTER VIII De Soto's raai'ch through East Flori(hx — Battles witli the Indians — Arrival iu Middle Florida. A.D. 1539 While De Soto was encamped at Hirrihigua, Mucoso, the protector of Ortiz, came to see him and spent a few days in his camp, furnishing him with guides for his Journey. Porcallo and some others returned to Cuba in the vessels ; they were in- structed to obtain supplies and follow up the coast to some good harljor, where they might be met by those marching ]jy land. Before leaving the Bay of Esp'ritu Santo, De Soto sent out small detachments to examine the country, and, having re- ceived a favorable report from Gallegos, who was in command of a party which had gone in a northwesterly direction, De Soto followed in two days to Mucoso and sent back for the main forces to join him. They had come prepared to make a settlement in the coun- try, and, among other things, had brought three hundred head of swine. One can well imagine that it was not very easy to march an army encumbered with such animals through the wilds of Florida. Their progress was slow, and they were not very well provisioned for the journey ; they found few fields, and the country low. Passing several small Indian towns, and having crossed the Withlaeooehee with some difficulty, they came to Cale, or Ocali, situated, it is supposed, in the noighbor- liood of the present Ocala. At Ocali they found an abundance PORTRAIT OF UERNANDO UK SOTO 42 HISTORY OF FLORIDA of corn or maize, as well as plums, grapes, nuts, and acorns. After leaving Ocali they entered the domain of a great chief named Vitachuco. Leaving part of his force at Ocali, Dc Soto, with fifty horse- men and sixty men on foot, pushed forward to reach Appa- lachee, which they were told hy the Indians of Ocali was a seven days' Journey and a very rich and abundant country, the same story which had been told Narvaez. After several days' march and crossing a river, they came into the Appalachee country, which appears to have designated the country west of the Suwanee River. At a town called Vitachuco four hundred In- dians made a concerted attack upon De Soto's people, but were repulsed and driven into a lake, where they swam beyond reach of the Spaniards, but, being surrounded, were compelled to come out and surrender themselves. The prisoners were divided among the Spaniards as servants, and were led with chains. All the rest who were not wanted as slaves were tied to a stake in the market-place and shot to death by the Indians whom the Spaniards had brought along with them. The Spaniards had come with a supply of chains and iron collars for the purpose of securing their captives, and they made them carry all their baggage, grind their maize, and procure fuel for them. They came to several Indian towns and found many cultivated fields, but no precious metals. They advanced as far west as the Ocklocknee, and were shown the place where Narvaez built his boats. De Soto here, no doubt, received more correct informa- tion from the Indians as to the source of the supply of the little gold they possessed, and was directed to the hills of upper Georgia. They encountered a large body of Indians, armed with bows and arrows, who were easily defeated ; he afterwards traveled several days, passing morasses and a low,boggy country, until he came to a well-settled and fertile country, and reached a town called Anhayea. Here he remained some time, and learned of a HISTORY OF FLORIDA 43 better region to tlie nortlieast, governed by a queen. Their route now lay througli Georgia, i)assing by a town named Yu- laba, wliieli may liave been Alapaha, and came to a great river, l)roba1)ly tlu^ Altamaha, wliich tliey crossed with some difficulty. They afterwards came to a town called Capachiqui. The coun- try was populous, as may be inferred from the fact that a chief sent De Soto two thousand Indians, with a present of many conies and partridges, l)read of maize, two hens, and many dogs, which were as highly prized by them as though they had been fat wethers. Feminine chieftainship is an unfrcquent occurrence among savage tribes, but in the eastern part of South Carolina the Spaniards came into the territories of an Indian queen, invested with great beauty and grace, wJio is styled by the old chroniclers " the Ladie of the countrie." .x^ . Tipon De Soto's approach he was met 1\v a lady ambassadress, a sister of her Majesty, who made him a speech of welcome, and was followed soon after by the queen, borne under a canopy by her attendants and accompanied b}' some of her principal men. She brought handsome presents of mantles and skins, and took from around her own neck a necklace of pearls and gracefully placed it around the neck of De Soto. They said that they were two days' journey from the sea, and that other white men had been on the coast near there many years before, who had quarreled among themselves and gone away, referring to D'Ayllon's expedition in 1520. Many of the Spaniards wished to remain in this good country belonging to the fair queen, but De Soto was unwilling to return to Spain or Ilispaniola without having more gold and pearls to exhibit than they yet had been able to obtain. He therefore deter- mined to pursue his quest for a richer country and richer gains. He was no doubt now told of the gold found in the streams coming down from the mountainous regions of upper Georgia. Perceiving that the Spaniards valued the pearls, the queen 44 HISTORY OF FLORIDA advised the governor to have some graves searched, in which he woukl find many. They accordingly sought the graves, and there gathered four measures of pearls, weighing two hundred and ninety-two pounds, and little hirds and babies made of them. These Indians were brown, well made, and more civil than any others seen in Florida, and all of them shod and clothed. The fair princess seems to have been ill requited for her hos- pitable reception of the Spaniards. Held as a hostage, De Soto insisted upon her accompanying them, which she did for many days, until one day, turning aside into the forest upon some slight pretext, she disappeared, not without suspicion of design, as there chanced to be missing at the same time one of the Spaniards, who, report said, had joined the " ladie " for weal or for wo, and returned with her to her people. De Soto's march then carried him liack into Georgia, towards the mountains and the Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers and the region near the Tennessee. From thence he moved southward into Alabama. By one tribe, it was said, he was furnished with a present of seven hundred hens, and by another with twenty baskets of mulberries, and at another place three hundred dogs were brought to him. During all this long march through Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama he seems to have obtained sufficient supplies for his men and horses from tlie Indian fields and store-houses. On one occasion only they killed one of the swine they had brouffht with them. CHAPTER IX Tlie battle of Mauvilla — Loss of their pearls and baggage — Maldonado's arrival at Ochusi concealed from his troops, and De Soto decides to continue tlie expedition — He crosses the Mississippi — His death and burial — The Spaniards build boats and reach Mexico. A.D. 1 540 De Soto, pursuing his march to the southwest, finally came k) a large Indian town called Mauvilla, which was the scene of a sanguinary combat. The Spaniards had brought with them a large nuniher of Indian slaves to carry their baggage, includ- ing the j)earls they had obtained. Having encamped near the town, these Indian slaves were suddenly surprised and carried into town with the baggage. De Soto determined to strike a l)low which should terrify and overcome the natives, set fire to the hal)itations, consuming alike the stores of the Indians and liis own l)aggage with its treasure of pearls. The number of Indians slain in this encounter is stated to have been twenty- five hundred, and the Spanish loss eighteen killed and one hun- dred and fifty wounded ; twelve horses were slain and seventy wounded. After this battle, which was fought with such great loss on both sides, De Soto learned of the arrival of Maldonado from C*uba with the vessel sent by his wife, the Lady Isabella, at Ochusi, a port on the Gulf of Mexico, six days' journey from ^Mauvilla. Ochusi was an Indian town on Pensacola Bay, and ^Mauvilla was on the Alabama Eiver, probably one hundred miles or so from its mouth, near its Junction with the Tombig- bee. The opportunity was thus presented for De Soto to safely return to Chiba with the remainder of his forces. He had lost. 46 HISTORY OF FLORIDA from sickness and those slain in battle, one hundred and two of his men, and at Maiivilla his brother-in-law and nephew, and also three valuable officers and men of note. De Soto, how- ever, was resolute to his puri)ose, and instructed Juan Ortiz to keep Maldonado's arrival a secret, because, he said, he had not accomplished the purpose of his expedition, and because, his pearls having been destroyed, and having neither gold nor pearls to carr}^ he was unwilling either to return or send any news of himself until he had found some rich country. And thus he deliberately turned his face forever from his native land and from all the wealth and distinction of his vice-royalty in Cuba, intent on doing sometliing worthy of his great name and reputation. Maldonado long waited the arrival of De Soto at Ochusi, and at last, despairing of meeting him, turned his ves- sels sorrowfully to bear to the Larly Isabella the report of the probable fate which had attended the expedition. Having re- mained at Mauvilla twenty-eight days, De Soto resumed his marsh on November the 18th, changing his course to the northwest, sore in body and sore in spirit, having now to meet hostile tribes, who lost no occasion to do him an injury. Night attacks were frequent, and towns were burned over their heads. Having many water-courses and rivers to cross, they moved slowly, and in ]\Iarch had come to a town in northern Missis- sippi called Chicaca. While occupying this town a concerted attack was made upon them at night by the natives; the town was simultaneously set on fire in numy places, and before any- thing could be done to extinguish it the Spaniards lost eleven men, fifty horses, and four hundred hogs, which were burned to death. Besides this, they lost a large part of their arms, lances, saddles, and equipments, and also their clothing. As it was M^inter they suffered also very greatly from cold. To remedy these losses as far as they were al)le, they put up a forge and tempered anew their swords and made many targets, sad- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 47 dies, and lances. It was not until the 35tli of April that they resumed their march, and, after another engagement with the Indians and a march of seventeen days through a poor country, they came to a great river, which they were unable to cross until boats were constructed for the purpose. The great river was said to be half a league l)road and very deep, and the current very swift. They had reached the banks of the great river, the Mississip])i. It took them twenty da3's to construct four barges, uj)on which they at length, with all their force, their horses and the swine which remained, crossed at midnight, meeting with no opposition from the natives. De Soto spent the summer and ensuing autumn in exploring the country bor- dering on the Mississippi, and wintered, it is supposed, on White River. He here concluded that he w^ould go to the sea- coast and dis])atch a vessel to Cuba and another to Mexico, with the view^ of sending intelligence to his wife, the Lady Isa- bella, who was then in Cuba, and to obtain another outfit to en- able him to further prosecute his expedition. Y\) to this time he had lost two hundred and fifty men and the same number of horses. About the middle of April he returned to the banks of the Mississippi and sent out parties to ascertain how near they were to the sea. The party was absent some days, and returned with the report that the route along the river was imi)assable. De Soto was greatly discouraged by their report, and shortly afterwards was attacked by fever. The gallant chief, who had so long borne up under every trial and discouragement, who had ever responded with alacrity to the call to battle, wdio bore himself always as a prudent and brave commander, now began to sink into despondency. The slow and wearing fever daily detracted from his strength, and he soon felt that the hour of his departure from this life was near at hand. lie called his followers around him to receive his parting words. He asked their prayers I'oi- liim that God would forgive his sins, thanked them for the loyal 48 HISTORY OF FLORIDA obcdiGncG which they had alwa3^s rendered him, implored their forgiveness for any injuries he niiglit have done any of them, and advised tlieir keeping togetlier in good-fellowship, and that they should choose a successor to whom they would render the same service and obedience they had given him. Baltazar de Gallegos returned a suitable answer for all the rest, and desired him to name his successor himself, where- upon he named Luis Muscoza de Alvarado as captain and gen- eral. The choice was approved without dissent. On the next day, the 21st day of May, 1542, " departed out of this life the valorous, virtuous, and valiant Captain Don Fernando de Soto, Governor of Cuba and Adelantado of Florida," whom, says the chronicler, '' fortune advanced as it useth to do others that he might have the higher fall." He was buried near the camp, and it was endeavored to conceal his death, but the Indians sus- pecting the place of his burial, and in order that none might thereafter do despite to his remains, his body was taken from the grave, and, at a late hour of a dark night, was wrapped in his mantle and conveyed by the dim light of the stars to the middle of the Mississippi and sunk beneath its depths in sorrow and silence, with a low-whispered De Profundis from brave and saddened hearts. After the death of De Soto his effects were disposed of at auction, consisting of two men slaves, two women slaves, three horses, and seven hundred hogs. The horses and slaves were sold at two or three ducats, all being sold on credit, payable out of their share of future acquisitions, or out of their revenue when they got back to Spain. It is one of the curious features of this expedition that, landing at Tampa Bay with five hundred hogs, and traveling two thousand miles to Chicaca, where four hundred hogs were burned, leaving only one hun- dred, they should, in a few months, be possessed of seven hundred. Muscoza undertook to follow the supposed route of Cabeca de Vaca and reach Mexico, then called New Spain, by land ; but. 50 HISTORY OF FLORIDA after traveling to the southwest for some time, became dis- couraged and decided to return to the Mississippi and build boats with wliich to descend the river to the sea and thence along the shore to the Spanish settlements in Mexico. They had left the river in June and wandered about until December, when they found themselves within two days' jour- ney of it. At first they despaired of being able to build the boats that they would need, having neither nails or tools or cloth for sails, or anything to caulk them with. However, it seemed the only chance for escape, and, finding a suit- able place, called Minoya, the governor commanded them " to gather all the chains which they had brought to lead Indians with," and collect timber and materials for building boats. Fortuiiately, there were found among their nundjer a sliip carpenter, four or five carpenters, and two caulkers, and a cooper. By the aid of these tliey built seven boats. On the 2d of July, 15-1:3, three hundred and twenty-two >S])aniards embarked at Minoya, carrying with them twenty-two horses. Afterwards they killed all but four of the horses, which were left on the shore, drying the meat to serve for the voyage. They were occasionally attacked by the Indians as they floated dowii the river, and on one occasion eleven Sjjaniards were sur- rounded and cut off. They at length reached the sea at tlie nu)uth of the Mississi})])i, having been seventeen days on the way. After some hesitation as to whether they should try the 0])en sea or sail along the coast, they decided upon the latter as being the safest. After a tedious Journey of fifty-two days, they at length reached Panuco, now Tampico, having lost none of their nmnber except the eleven captured by the Indians shortly after they started. When they arrived they were dressed in skills, tanned and dyed. Their first act on their arrival was to go to church and return thanks for their deliv- erance. Out of the tliousnnd Ijrave men who landed with lUSTORY OF FLORIDA 51 De Soto at Tampa Bay, three hundred and eleven arrived in Mexico. ^\'e can hardly trace this long journey of De Soto and his fol- lowers tlirough unknown regions without astonishment at the liardihood and perseverance which under such circumstances could enahle these unacclimatcd Europeans to traverse thou- sands of miles unprovided with means of subsistence, marching from tribe to tribe and country to country, wherever the infor- mation of the hour produced hope for success. So day by day and week by week proceeded their march. Wherever an Indian held was found its harvest was gathered, and wherever an Indian granary or storehouse was discovered its contents were speedily ap])ro})riated. Surrounded by thousands of enemies, they ever forced their way onward. For three years and a half this long iiuircli proceeded, without reinforcements or supplies. This fact itself speaks volumes for the energy and generalshij) of the, great leader. With but a thousand men, De Soto conquered and overran countries containing numerous savage tribes, well armed after their own fashion with bows, arrows, and clubs, and for over three years subsisted his troops and maintained ilie discipline of his forces without, so far as we know, a single iininiiur of discontent from his followers. CHAPTER X Route of De Soto's expedition tlirough Florida ;iiul his subsequent journey to tlie Mississippi lliver. A.D. 1539-1542 The remarkable adventures which De Soto encountered, en- hanced by his personal character and prowess, have invested the expedition of this gallant cavalier with unusual interest, and have excited the curiosity of many to determine the route pur- sued by him and the locality of the most important events of his journey, beginning upon the beautiful Espiritu Santo Bay, now known as Tampa Bay, and finally ending upon the banks of the Mississippi. The task of tracing the steps of De Soto is by no means void of difficulty. We have to encounter not only the uncertainties of connecting names with localities imper- fectly described, but have to reconcile descriptions given in three separate narratives exhibiting differences and discrep- ancies. The most voluminous of these is that of Garcilaso de la Vega, commonly called L'Inca; the next in extent is that of a gentlenum of Elvas, who is called the Portuguese Gentle- man, his name being unknowji, and the third and the briefest is the narrative of Louis de Biedma. The point where De Soto landed is stated by all to have been at Espiritu Santo Bay, on the western coast of Florida, a beautiful sheet of water extend- ing into the land some thirty-six miles, its depth diminishing towards the head of the bay. De Soto, on account of the shallowness of the water, landed on the southern shore, a few miles below the present city of 54 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Tampa. Their first day's march was to the Indian town of Hirrihigua, two leagues northeasterly, and the location of which, as described by La Vega, corresponds very well with the present city of Tampa. The village consisted, it is said, of several large houses built of wood and thatched with palm loaves. In an opposite part of the village, near the water, upon an artificial mound so constructed as to serve as a fortress, stood the dwelling of the cacique or chief. From Hirrihigua, pro- ceeding in a northwest course, at the end of two days De Soto came to the village of Mucoso, the chief who had befriended Ortiz ; this may have been Hichipucsassa. They next, at a distance of twenty-five leagues from Hirrihigua, reached a town they called Urriberracaxi, which was probably on the Withla- coochee, as they there crossed a river. They next reached a town they called Ocali, which was on the banks of a river. This location is uncertain, but has been supposed to indicate the neighborhood of the present town of Ocala and the Ocklawaha. From Ocali they went to Vitachuco. From Osachile they marched three days, and on the fourth came to the Great Mo- rass. Passing this, they entered a fruitful country covered with fields of grain and containing many villages. In four days after passing the Great Morass they came to tlie village of Anhayea. The line of march from Vitachuco west would carry them to the Suwanee, near Suwanee Old Town; thence, bearing too far to the southwest, they were involved in one of the great coast swamps, but, passing northwesterly, then en- tered the fertile region embraced in the present counties of Madison, Jefferson, and Leon, and Anhayea is thought to liave been in the vicinity of Tallahassee. From Anhayea two ex- ])loring parties were sent out, one north and one south. The party whicli went north returned, reporting very favorably of a rich and well-inhabited country. Tlie party which went down towards tlie const found a sterile country, full of ponds and swamps. These descriptions would correspond very well with HISTORY OF FLORIDA 55 ilie country north and south of Monticello or TaHahasscc. The village of Ante was twelve leagues from Anhayea and not far from the Bay of Appalaehee. De Soto sent hack to the Bay of Espiritu Santo and had his vessels brought into this bay. After- wards he sent vessels coasting westwardly. At a distance of seventy leagues they entered a beautiful bay, called by them Ochusi, which evidently was Pensacola Bay. They reported that it was land-locked and completely sheltered by bold shores, and large enough for a fleet to anchor in. De Soto does not aj)pear to have crossed the Appalachicola or the Chattahoochee Iiiver, but, having made an appointment for vessels to be sent from Cuba to meet him in the fall at Ocliusi, he determined to proceed to a province to the northeast abounding in gold, j)earls, etc. Leaving Anhayea, he traveled northeast, and, at the end (d' three days, came to Copachique ; this was probably on the Suwanee River. Two days' farther travel brought them to Atapaha. This name so closely resembles Alapaha that it is reasonable to suppose that they are the same, and that the town was on the river of that name, which, passing through a ])ortion of Georgia, discharges itself into the Suwanee in Ham- ilton County, Florida. Traveling still in the same direction, it is supposed that they crossed successively the Altamaha and the Savannah Eiver and reached the region of middle Georgia be- tween ^lilledgeville and Augusta. They marched thence north- westwardly to the mineral region of upper Georgia, where they had Ijeen informed that the gold which they saw in the posses- sion of the natives had been procured. De Soto then passed to the Etowah River, and visited alargelndian townsituated at the confluence of the Coosa and Etowah, called Chiapa, the location now occupied by the city of Rome, Ga. He then passed south- wardly through a rich and fertile country called Coosa, and eventually reached ^Faubila, or ^Tauvilla, which was situated, it is supposed, atChoctaw Bluff. He hereheard of thearrival of his vessels at Ochusi, on Pensacola Bay, and at first contemplated 56 HISTORY OF FLORIDA going to meet them, but, fearing that once near his vessels his men would insist on leaving the country, he determined to pur- sue his march westward. At Mauvilla he was not more than one hundred and fifty miles from Pensacola. His course was then northwestward to the Mississippi, and it is conjectured that he crossed it a few miles below Memphis. CHAPTER XI An jiccount of some othor expeditions to Florida — The martyrdom of Franciscan missionaries — Don Tristan de Luna's march into Alabama and Tennessee. A.D. 1549-1560 Upon the arrival of Alvarado in Mexico with the remnant of De Soto's expedition the Spanish viceroy, Mendoza, undertook to get them to join an expedition he was desirous of sending to Florida, but they were unwilling to again encounter the perils from which they had so recently escaped. A ship carrying home, treasure from Mexico to Spain was wrecked, a.d. 1543, on the east coast of Florida, and, of two hundred persons who reached the shore, all were killed hy the Indians except a few who were kept as slaves. One of these men eventually made his way to the French at Fort Caroline twenty years afterwards. In the year 1549 four brothers of the Franciscan order went on a vessel from Havana to Espiritu Santo Bay (Tampa Bay) to labor for the conversion of Indians. Two of their number. Fathers Penalosa and Fuentes, landed and imdertook to pene- trate the country, but were met and immediately killed by the Indians. Tlie others remained on board of tlie vessel, and, while anchored there, a Spaniard named Juan Mimoz came out to the ship and was received on board. He had, he said, been a servant to Captain Calderon, of De Soto's expedition, and had been tlien captured by the Indians, and had been with them ten years, and, seeing this vessel, had gladly availed himself of the opportunity for escape. 58 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Notwithstanding a knowledge of .the fate which had over- taken Fathers Penalosa and Fuentes, Father de Bastro, wlio was the head of the party, determined to try his own powers of per- suasion npon the hostile natives. He insisted upon' landing alone among the dusky throng of warriors who now lined the shore. Scarcely had he reached the shore hefore he fell beneath the clubs of the savages, a martyr to his zeal, and the sands of this beautiful bay were thus early reddened with the blood of one whose Christian devotion and unselfishness formed a marked contrast with the character of those whose lust for gold hp,d been almost the sole motive which liad brought them to the new world. The companions of the martyred priests returned to Havana without further effort at communicating with the Indians. In the year 1553 a Spanish ileet bearing much treasure sailed from Vera Cruz in Mexico, having on Ijoard upwards of one thousand souls, and, after leaving Flavana, was overtaken by one of those disastrous gales which prevail at times in the southern seas with such disastrous effect. Driven helpless be- fore its resistless power, the licet. With the exception of one ves- sel, was cast upon tlie western shores of Florida, and, of the large num1)er on l)oard, only three hundred reached the shore. Those who escaped to land endeavored to reach Mexico by fol- lowing the coast. They made rafts to cross the mouths of riv- ers, and for a while proceeded on their way, but, incessantly harassed Ijy the Indians, overcome with fatigue and want of food, they gradually died l)y the way, and all perished but one, who was rescued at the point of deatli l)y friendly Indians and eventually returned to the Spanish settlement in Mexico to relate the sad story of the shipwreck and death of all his comrades. Somewhere along the coast of Florida there lie buried be- neath the sands the gold and silver of many a wrecked Spanish galleon cast upon its shores, and now and then some hopeful HISTORY OF FLORIDA r,lo to return tluinks for their safe arrival, and commenced work upon thi." fcrt, whicli HISTORY OF FLORIDA 67 was laid out in the form of a triangle, all laboring assiduously at its construction. An expedition went up the river in boats for a distance of twenty leagues and came to an Indian town called Thimagua, and by the Indians of this town were told of nine other caciques or kings. The name of one, " Mucoso," will be recalled in con- nection with the story of Juan Ortiz. From time to time boat expeditions were made to the tribes settled along the river, and Laudonniere had frequent invitations to assist the chiefs in their Wars with one another, and on some occasions, from mo- tives of policy, took sides in their quarrels. In August a stroke of lightning set fire to the woods near the fort and caused a great deal of damage to the Indians. They ascribed this to the powerful artillery of the French, and begged that they would not shoot any more their big guns. Encourag- ing this belief, Laudonniere told the chief that he could have fired his cannon all the way to reach his house, some miles dis- tant, if he had chosen, but that he fired only half way to show them his power. All this the Indians credited, and would not come near the fort for some time. In September one of the Frenchmen pretended that, by the secret power of magic, he had discovered the location of gold and silver far up the river, and said that Laudonniere was in- tending to conceal it from them. Acting upon the credulity of others, he soon organized a conspiracy to make way with Laudon- niere. About this time Laudonniere dispatched a small vessel to France, and sent with it seven or eight whose fidelity he sus- pected. He was subsequently prostrated by fever, and while in this condition the discontented conspired together and seized and confined him in a vessel in the river for fifteen days. To facilitate explorations by water, he had built two small vessels. These the conspirators seized, and, taking supplies from the fort, set out ujion a freebooting expedition against the Spaniards or any others whom they might meet. The ves- 68 HISTORY OF FLORIDA sels were separated ; one of them captured the first vessel they met and took jjossession of it, abandoning their own. After making another capture, they were themselves taken and most of them killed. The other vessel, being pursued, returned to Fort Caroline, and Laudonniere had them tried by court-martial and the four leaders sentenced to be hung. It is related that when they found tlieir proximity to Fort Caroline, having drunk much wine, they held a mock court-martial. One pre- tended to be Captain Laudonniere, another the judge ; another, after he had heard the matter pleaded, concluded thus : " Make you your causes as good as it pleases you, but if,when you come to Fort Caroline, the captain causes you not to be hung, I will never take him for an honest man." Others thought, " his choler being passed, he would easily forget the matter." Being out of provisions, however, they were obliged to enter the river and submit to Laudonniere. The only modification of the sen- tence of death upon the four leaders was that, being soldiers, they should first be shot before they were hung. Being led out to execution, one of them endeavored to excite a rescue, but they were all four shot and hung upon gibbets at the mouth of the river. Tiius early did this sad emblem of crime and human punishment succeed the planting of the cross Upon our shores. La^^donniere was informed that there were two white men liv- ing at a distance among the natives. He at once sent word to the chiefs of the neighboring tribes that he would give a large reward to have them brought to him. He soon obtained their delivery, and found that they were Spaniards who had been wrecked fifteen years previously upon the keys called the Martyrs, near Key West. They said that a considerable num- ber were saved, and among them several women, who had mar- ried among the Indians and had families, so that it is probable that their descendants may be among some of the aborigines to this day. HISTORY OF FLORIDA 69 The two Spaniards regaled Laudonniere with a fabulous ac- count of the treasure which the king of Calos had stored up, in part from the wrecks of treasure-ships, and in part from other tribes with whom he traded, and told the French captain that if he would go to Calos with one hundred soldiers he could capture the whole of the king's treasure. They also told Laudon- niere that the women of Calos, when they danced, wore around their waists a plate of gold, and the men as well, and so heavy as to impede their motions in the dance. However enticing all this was, either Laudonniere did not credit it or else felt his force unequal to the undertaking. Among other excursions which were made, one was a visit to the widow of King Hia-caia, whose domain seems to have been in the region about St. Mary's, Ga. She received them very courteously, and sent back the boats full of beans, acorns, and baskets of cassina, which was used to make a beverage. She was regarded as the most beauti- ful of all the Indian women, and was so much honored by her subjects that they always carried her upon a palanquin resting on their shoulders, and would not allow her to go on foot. In De Bry there is an engraving of a fair queen thus borne, with her attendants surrounding her in great state. Around her neck is a cordon of pearls ; bracelets and anklets adorn her per- son. On each side walk stately chiefs, holding large feather shades or fans. Beautiful young girls follow next to the queen, bearing baskets of fruit and flowers, and then come warriors and household guards. Another excursion was made up the Eiver St. John's to the island of Edelano (Drayton's Island), at the outlet of Lake George, which they described as situated in the midst of the river, " as fair a place as any that may be seen through the world, for, in the space of three leagues it may contain in length and breadth, a man may see an exceedingly rich country and nuirvelously peopled. At the coming out of the village of Edelano to go unto the river's side a man must pass through an 70 HISTORY OF FLORIDA alley aljont three hundred ])aces long and fifty paces hroal)les which beset jMenendcz in fotiiiding his colony — Mutinies in every quarter — Explonilioiis made, and forts and missions established — Some priests nnirdered. A.D. 1565-1567 Oke purpose of the Spanish expedition led by Menondcz was now accomplished. He had destroyed the French colony, and for the present, at least, had put an end to that much-despised sect, the Lutheran, establishing itself in the new world. His first necessity now was to strengthen his own position and guard against any attempt the French might make to reoccupy the country which he had come to claim for the exclusive posses- sion of the Spanish crown. His location at St. Augustine was in many respects a favor- aVile oue to ])laut a colony ; it was easily defended both by land and sea, and was likely to prove healthy, being surrounded by salt marshes and almost wholly free from exposure to miasma, so fatal to many new settlements. St. Augustine now occupies without doubt the identical loca- tion selected l)y Menendez. The Indian town called Seloy lay north of the present fort, and was the site of Menendez's first fort, wliich was constructed of logs, and surrounded on the land side by a ditch and ])alisades. Other buildings were erected to shelter the inhabitants, and a form of government based on that of Spanish towns was adopted. Among the first Ijuildings erected was, no doubt, a church in which the rites of the Roman Church were celebrated, the first Roman C'atliolif church erected on the Atlantic coast of Xorth Amer- 90 HISTORY OF FLORIDA ica. Menendez was recognized by the pope as a defender of tlie faith, and the interests of the Church were especially com- mended to his attention by Pope Pius V. After providing for the security and welfare of his garrison at St. Augustine, he proceeded to add to the defenses of San Mateo on the St. John's River, and erected additional defenses at the mouth of the river. He also sent out parties for the ex- ploration of the interior. The neighhoring tribes soon began to evince a hostile spirit towards the Spaniards. The soldiers of Menendez could not venture beyond the vicinity of the camp without being harassed by the arrows of the Indians, and day after day one after another of those who went out hunting or fishing were cut off, until more than a hundred men and several officers had fallen vic- tims. The Indians even came within the precincts of the camp, and on one occasion succeeded in setting fire to a magazine and a great number of thatched houses, causing great destruction of property and provisions and much suffering. Menendez finally determined to ask supplies from the gov- ernor of Cuba, and, receiving none from that quarter, sent a vessel to Campeachy to obtain them there. Up to this time he had in vain sought tidings of his lost son, and, while awaiting the return of the vessel from Campeachy, he determined to go in person and search that part of the coast where it was reported that his son luid been cast on shore, and, taking a smaller vessel, sailed along the coast southward. Landing at Cape Florida, he found tliere at an Indian town seven Spaniards, who with many others had Ijeen shipwrecked in the neighborhood some twenty years previously ; these alone had survived the cruelty and luirdships to which all had been subjected. This was in the country called Calos. He failed, however, to obtain any tidings of his son. Releasing his countrymen from their caj^tivity, Menendez received them on board his vessel and returned to St. Augustine HISTORY OF FLORIDA 91 much grieved at the failure to recover his son. Xew trials and dithculties awaited him on his return. Increasing distress at San Mateo and St. Augustine had created disaflt'ection. Both garrisons mutinied and determined to al)andon the country ; the officers left in command were unable to control the muti- neers at St. Augustine, who seized a vessel and sailed for the West Indies. Of the garrison at San Mateo all l)ut twenty inutinied and determined to leave ; a vessel arriving with pro- visions, they at once seized it, intending to go to the West In- dies or £eru. Menendez arrived after the mutineers had embarked but not yet sailed ; he vainly attempted to get them to return to duty. Only thirty-five of the one hundred and thirty-one on board were willing to remain ; these were put on a batteau, but before they could reach St. x\ugustine they were attacked by the In- dians and most of them killed. The mutineers sailed for C*uba, but were wrecked at Cape Florida, and remained captive among the Indians of Calos. Of the garrison at St. Augustine, over one hundred, led by Juan de Vicenti, forced Menendez to allow them to go to Puerto Eico ; crowded into a small vessel, they suffered from heat and sickness, and many died on the way. Many of the mutineers returned to Spain and spread unfavorable reports of the coun- try, preventing others from wishing to go there. Menendez now undertook to examine the coast and countries which lay north of him, visiting and making friendly overtures to the chiefs along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, and is supposed to have reached the Chesapeake. The points especially mentioned are Guale (Amelia Island), Avista, and St. Helena. He built forts at Avista and St. Helena. Return- ing, he ascended the St. John's River, visiting several Indian tribes on its borders. He afterwards revisited Guale, x\vista, and St. Helena, and left reliuious teachers to instruc-t the natives. Not very long 92 HISTORY OF FLORIDA afterwards the garrison left at St. Helena deserted, and, seizing a transport, made sail for Cuba, but were shipwrecked near Cape Florida, and fell into captivity with those who went from San Mateo. Further efforts were made to carry missions to the Indians, and several Jesuit fathers of some distinction wished to go among them. Father Martinez had landed on Fort George Island, and with three of his attendants was killed by the In- dians. Menendez, however, persevered, and built some small forts to protect the missions he established. At Tacabago he met in council twenty-nine chiefs and fifteen hundred Indiaus. Satouriara, the bitter enemy of the Spaniards, maintained an attitude of constant liostility. Menendez led tour detachments of seventy men against him with fruitless results. Within the eighteen months succeeding his arrival in Florida, Menendez had carefully examined the entire coast from Cape Florida to St. Helena, and probably much beyond; had navi- gated the Kiver St. John's well u]i to its head ; had built forts at San ]\Iateo, St. iVugustine, Avista, Quale, and St. Helena, and established block-houses at Tequesta, Calos, Tocobayo, and Coava, in all of which he had placed garrisons and religious teachers. In most of this work he had been personally en- gaged, while he was res])onsil)le for it all, and mind and body now required change and relaxation. Believing that the interests of the colony required his return to Spain, he constructed a small vessel of twenty tons, and in the spring of 15G7 set sail in this small vessel, which could carry only thirty-eiglit, including the crew. With fair weather and favorable winds, they reached the Azores in seventeen days, and claimed to have sailed seventy-two leagues a day, a statement not easily to be credited. Menendez was received with great favor on his arrival at court, but found great diffi- culty in obtaining the substantial aid he required to maintain HISTORY OF FLORIDA 93 ]ii,'=! enterprise. He was anxious for liis colony, and had lieard rumors of retaliation by the French for the massacre at Fort Caroline aiid ^latanzas, and that, indignant at the indifference showu l)y file French court, others were prepared to take the matter in hand. CHAPTER XVII The notable revenge executed l)y the French captain Dominic de Goiirgues on the Spaniards in Florida to avenge the massacre of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline and Matanzas. A.D. 1567 The name of Dominic de Ciourgues occupies a place hardly secondary in interest to any other in the history of events in Florida. This self-constituted cliampi(!n of his country's wrongs and of the riglits of humanity wiis a native of Marsan, in (luienne, and a hrother of the governor of that place. After long service at arms, he oljtained the rank of captain, when that rank meant much more than it does now. Being charged with the defense of a place near Sienna, with only thirty soldiers at his command, and being attacked with a largely superior force, he made so desperate a resistance that all were slain hut himself, and he fell a prisoner into the hands of the Spaniards. To show their appreciation of his signal bravery, and, as the French chronicler, with bitter sarcasm, remarks, with rare Spanish generosity, De Gourgues, instead of being put to death, was consigned to the galleys. The vessel upon which he M^as placed as a galley slave was captured by the Turks and again by the Maltese, and carried to Rhodes ; afterwards he was fortunate enough to be recaptured by a French vessel and restored to his country. He soon embarked in an expedition to Brazil and the South Seas, where he probably acquired a considerable fortune. HISTORY OF FLORIDA 95 From tliis vo3'age De Gourgues returned in time to partake of the grief and indignation excited tbronghout France by the massacre of the Hnguenots at Fort Caroline, and the cold- l)lood(.'d slaugliter of Ril)ant and liis sliipwrecked companions. Tlie ignohk> treatment De (lonrgnes liad himself received at the hands of the Spaniards and the fetters of his galley life had left scars o]i his soul not easily etfaced, and it may well l)e supposed that this new tale of horror stirred to the depths all the concen- trated indignation of his nature. The spirit of retaliation surged up and was fully aroused, and he felt that the hlood of his slaughtered countrymen, no less than his own wrongs, called for the infliction of summary vengeance. It has l)een said that the destruction of the Huguenots was treated by the king and court of France with an indifference which greatly embittered the peo])le, many of whom were in sympathy with the religious faith of the sufi^erers, while others had lost friends and relations in the bloody massacre. Charle- voix, who would be likely to know, says De Gourgues was not a Huguenot, l)ut a Roman Catholic. His sympathy was with his countrymen as Frenchmen, and his design was to maintain the honor of France. He seems to have deemed it unwise to make public his feel- ings or intentions, or to ask any aid of the king. He sold his own property and borrowed money from friends, using all the means at his command in ecpiipping three small vessels of light draught and storing them with provisions for a twelvemonth. He engaged one hundred and eighty jiersons to join him, of whom one hundred were gentlemen armed with arquebuses, and eighty sailors, also provided with crossbows and pikes, to be used when their services might be required as combatants. The professed purpose of his expedition was to obtain slaves on the African coast. Fortunately for his purpose, the king's lieuten- ant in Guienne was a friend of his, and readily granted him a license to go to Africa to procure slaves. 96 inSTORY OF FLORIDA He was prepared by the 2d of August, 15(37, to put to sea, but was detained twenty days by heavy weather, and did not leave the coast until the 32d of the same month, when he set sail for the African coast. He stopped at Fort Blanco for a few days, where he was attacked, at the instigation of Portu- guese traders, by three African chiefs, whom he repulsed. Turn- ing west from Cape de Verde, he laid his course for St. Domin- go, where he stopped, took water, and repaired his vessels. He s])ent some time among the islands, obtaining fruits and re- victualing as well as he was able, most of his bread having been spoiled by a leak in one of his vessels. He finally reached Cape San Antonio, at the west end of Cul)a. It was tlien only that he declared to his men the real object and purpose of his expedition. He dejiicted the wrongs their countrymen had received at the hands of the Spaniards, the indignity their nation and flag had suffered, and the shame that rested upon France for leaving so long unavenged an act so wicked and base as the murder of the Huguenots and the destruction of the French colony. He told them that the work which lay before them was to punish the Spaniards and wi])e out the stain that rested upon their own country, explain- ing, as fully as he then could, his plans and the means by Avhieli he ho|)ed to attain success, expressing his entire con- fidence in tlieni, and hoping, as he said, that they would not disappoint the high expectations he liad formed when he se- lected them from the many who had been eager to join the exj)edition. His words fell upon willing ears, and the hearts of his follow- ers burned with eagerness to reach the shore occupied by the hated Spaniards and begin the work of revenge. A favorable wind soon brought them to the coast of Florida, and, passing by the mouth of the Eiver San Mateo, the Spaniards, supposing they were Spanish, fired a salute, which Do Gourgues returned to keep up their error. A few leagues north of the San Mateo HISTORY OF FLORIDA 97 they entered the harlx)!' of Fernaiulina, near the mouth of the St. Mary's Eiver, called by the natives Tacatacourona and by the French the Somme. At daybreak the morning after their arrival they beheld a multitude of Indians on the shore prepared to oppose their landing, supposing them to be Spaniards. Fortunately the trumpeter on board De Gourgues's vessel was well acquainted with the Indian language, having been with Laudonniere, and he was sent on shore to give assurance of friendship and to en- list their aid. The trumpeter was soon recognized by the In- dians and received with demonstrations of pleasure. Satourioura, the bitter foe of the Spaniards, was present, and welcomed De Gourgues as the friend of Laudonniere. The complaints of the Indians against the Spaniards were bitter, and they were impatient for the opportunity for revenge. Ex- plaining as far as was necessary his plans to his Indian allies, De Gourgues made a reconnoissance of the position of the Spanish forts on the St. John's, and ascertained their location and strength of their garrisons. Eeturning to his vessels, he awaited the assembling of the Indians, who, under their chiefs Olocatora and Satourioura, were to Join him in the assault. They had engaged to return in three days and bring their warriors with them. On the third day they came in with large numbers of their followers. Satourioura brought with him a youth of sixteen, named Pierre de Bre, who had escaped from Fort Caroline at the time of the massacre and had taken refuge with the Indians. Many efforts had been made by the Spaniards to get possession of tlie boy, but the Indians faithfully protected him, and now brought him to De Gourgues. He proved very useful as an interpreter, and informed De Gourgues of the strength of the three forts on the river, which, he said, contained in all but four hundred soldiers. The French were rejoiced to find the Indians so ready to 7 98 HISTORY OF FLORIDA assist them in so difficult an enterprise as making an attack on a superior force entrenched within fortified places. Besides Fort Caroline, now strengthened and named San Mateo, the Spaniards had erected a small fort on each side of the mouth of the river. CHAPTEK XVIII llow De Gourgues capliired the Spanisli forts on the St. John's Rivei and hung the prisoners, "not as Spaniards, but traitors, thieves, and murderers." A.D. 1567 De Gourgues's j^lan was to first attack the fort on the north side of tlie river. Helicopali, one of the cliiefs, acted as guide. The Frencli soldiers and tlieir Indian allies were to meet at the Nassau River. The Indians were to proceed by way of Fort George Island and the French by water. Concealing them- selves on Fort George Island until low tide, so that they could wade over to the island on the north side of the river, the at- tack was made at midday, while the garrison were at dinner. The sentinel was not at his post, and the French soldiers had nearly reached the fort before they were discovered. The Spanish garrison, though for over two years anticipating an attack, were at last taken by surprise, and the cry which now reached tlicir ears, " The French ! the French ! " struck terror to every heart. The sentinel flew to his post and fired a eul- verin twice at the enemy, and was on the point of firing a third time, when Olocatora leaped on the platform and transfixed him with a pike. Ignorant from what direction the French had come upon them, and probably only expecting an attack by sea, the demoralized garrison rushed to the gates, hoping to escape, but were met by De Goiirgues's men, and all either killed or captured. The garrison on the south side of the river, observing the contest, opened fire upon the French, who, being now in posses- 100 HISTORY OF FLORIDA sion of the first fort, turned the captured guns upon the enemy, returning their fire with good effect. In the mean time De Gourgues's vessels had come around from the mouth of the St. Mary's and commenced an attack upon the Spanish fort on the south side of the river, while the Indians in large numbers swam across the river. The Spanish garrison in the second fort, finding themselves thus in danger of being surrounded, gave up all for lost, and endeavored to reach Fort San Mateo by passing through the woods along the margin of the river. De Gourgues, anticipating their design, intercepted their flight, and, with the efficient aid of the Indians, succeeded in killing or capturing the whole number. Among the fifteen prisoners taken was an old sergeant, who gave De Gourgues very accurate information as to the position, height, and strength of Fort San Mateo, which he desired next to attack. The French commander prudently determined to make his position sure by fortifying himself in one of the two forts already captured. He also busied himself making scaling- ladders, etc., and sent out reconnoitering parties to observe the movements of the Spanish force in Fort San Mateo. One of these parties, headed by the young chief Olocatora, seized a Spaniard disguised as an Indian, and brought him to De Gourgues. The Spaniard professed to have escaped from one of the captured forts, and said he had disguised himself as an Indian in order to avoid being killed l^y the Indians, but, being confronted with the old sergeant, he was fovmd to l)e a spy from San Mateo, sent out to discover the strength of the French and to observe their movements. He said that the commander of the Spanish fort supposed the French to 1)e over two thousand strong, while their own garrison consisted of only two hundred and sixty men, and they felt unable to defend the fort against such superior numbers. Upon this information, De Gourgues determined to hasten his attack and avail himself of the discouragement of the Span- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 101 iartls. Coming out under cover of niglit, he disposed his Indian force in ambuscade around the fort to await the moment their services should be required, and at dawn of day he approached with his own men, and, as soon as discovered, was fired upon from a battery which liad been placed to cover the approach to the fort by water. De Gourgues retired a short distance, and, turning aside, secured a position protected from the guns of the fort while he himself could observe all their movements. He soon observed a force of about sixty men coming out of the fort on a reoonnoissance. As soon as they had come out a sufficient distance, De Gourgues threw a party in their rear in order to intercept their return, and then, rushing out from his concealed position, attacked the Spaniards briskly in front ; they quickly d-etreated, and, being met by the French in their rear, were cut to pieces. Seeiiig this, the garrison became panic-stricken, and, abandon- ing all efforts at defense, sought safety in flight, but, being sur- rounded on all sides by the French and their Indian allies, only a few, among whom was the commander of the fort, escaped. Nearly all fell under the weapons of the French or the clubs of the Indians, while the few taken alive were reserved for a signal act of revenge. The fort was well armed for a stout defense, if it had been held by stout hearts. The artillery De Gourgues removed to his own vessels, but before he could remove any- thing else, an Indian, broiling fish near the fort, set fire to a train leading to the magazine, and the whole was blown up and destroyed. The Spaniards who had been taken prisoners were led out to the spot on which, in September, 15G5, Menendez had caused the Huguenots of Fort C'aroline to be hung. De Gourgues here arraigned them at the bar of retributive Justice. He told them of the wrongs done by the Spaniards under Menendez to the French king, how they had murdered his defenseless subjects, destroying the fort they had built and taking possession of the 103 HISTORY OF FLORIDA country they had conquered. Such base treason and detestable cruelty could not go always unpunished, and he had taken upon himself, at his own risk and expense, to avenge the wrongs of his countrymen. He could not make them suffer as they justly ought, but must mete out to them such punishment as an enemy might fairly inflict, in order that their fate might be a warning unto others. Having thus spoken, he caused the wretched prisoners to be hung from the brandies of the spreading oaks under whose shade the unfortunate Huguenots had suffered, and, in place of the inscription which Menendez had written in Spanish over his victims, "I do this not as unto Frenchmen, but as to Luther- ans," De Gourgues caused to be graved on a tablet of pine with a hot iron these words : " I do this not as unto Spaniards nor mariners, but as to traitors, thieves, and murderers." Then, returning down the river to the fort below, the thirty prisoners belonging to the garrison who had been captured and secured there were brought out and hung. Among the last Spaniards who were put to death was one who confessed that he had taken part in the massacre of the Huguenots at Fort Caroline, and had with his own hands hung five of them. Acknowledging his guilt, he reproached himself greatly, and recognized the hand of God in the just punishment he was about to suffer. At the suggestion of De Gourgues and with great good will the Indians undertook to destroy the forts. They were, moreover, very anxious that he should complete his work by the destruction of the fort and garrison at St. Au- gustiue, but he felt unequal to tlieir capture with the means at his command, although it is not unlikely he might have suc- ceeded, Menendez being absent and the French force over- estimated. Having accomplished successfully the main pur- pose of his expedition, he assembled the Indians, thanking them on his own behalf and in the name of his countrymen for their services, and exhorted them to continue the friendship HISTORY OF FLORIDA 103 they had ever pliown for Franco, who desired to protect them from the Spaniards and all their enemies. The Indians parted from the French with tears and lamentations, and could he pacified only by a promise from De Gourgues to return to them within a twelvemonth with a larger force. After weighing anchor, De Gourgues assembled his ship's company and called upon them to return thanks to God for the success he had vouchsafed to their enterprise. " It was not," he said, " other than God who preserved us from shipwreck and moulded the hearts of the savages to join with us. 'Twas God who l:)linded the understanding of the Spaniards so that they were unable to discover the number of our forces or to know how to employ their own. They were four to one in numbers, bad strong fortresses well provided with artillery, ammuni- tion, arms; and provisions. We had the just cause, and con- quered those who contended with the right. Thus it was God alone and not ourselves who won the victory." He concluded by invoking the divine blessing on their homeward voyage. Having sailed on the 3d of May, and having favorable winds, they reached Eochelle on the Gth of June, having lost on the ]:)assage the tender with eight men and a few who had been killed at the assault on the forts. De Gourgues was received with great honor and applause at Eochelle; but the report of his exploit having reached Spain, a fleet was sent to intercept him, which arrived at Rochelle just as he sailed for Bordeaux, vainly pursuing him. He presented himself at court and gave an account of his doings in Florida, and tendered his services to the king to regain possession of that country ; but the anti-Huguenot party was then in power, and the temper of the court was not favorable to such a move- ment, and, although there were doubtless many who rejoiced that the slaughter of the Huguenots had been avenged, De Gourgues met with a cool reception and was advised to seek safety in concealment. 104 IIISTOEY OF FLORIDA Pliilip of Spain, the same king avIio had shortly before be- stowed all honor and commendation upon Menendez for his bloody massacre of the Huguenots, had now the unblushing ef- frontery to demand of the French king the head of DeGoiirgaes. His friends shielded him, and after some years spent in ob- scurity, he was appointed Ijy the king to the command of the French fleet, but died suddenly in 1582, greatly regretted. Looking at the limited means and small force that De (iourgues had at his command, his enterprise seems to have bordered on recklessness. With only two small vessels and a tender, a force of one hundred soldiers and eighty sailors, he was to meet a foe outnumbering his own four to one, trained soldiers, occupying three forts mounted with cannon and pro- vided with an abundance of military stores, ammunition, etc. His Hulian allies were armed only with bows, arrows, and clubs, and undisciplined for a contest with regular troops. The success of the French is attributable largely to the skill and boldness of De Gourgues. Gathering to his aid a large force of Indians, he created an impression of having a superior force, and by a l)old attack confirmed this impression in the mind of the Span- ish commander, who would not think it possible that he would be attacked by an inferior force. With a natural dread of the French retaliation, the Spaniards sought safety in flight, when a bold defense would have forced the French to retire. We cannot, in this age of a more enlightened Christianity, approve of the course of De Gourgues. We feel that it would have been more noble to have spared his captives and given an illustrious example of magnanimity to his enemies, but at that day such an instance of generosity would have been considered an act of egregious folly and attributed to timidity. De Gourgues had been, in reward for deeds of valor, consigned to the galleys, and was embittered against the Spaniards alike by his personal grievances and by the cruelty they had shown his countrymen, memorials of which perhaps still remained at Fort HISTORY OF FLORIDA 105 Caroline to stimulate his jiurpose of retaliation. Thus incited, he believed he was the minister of divine vengeance to execute justice \\\)0\i these " traitors, thieves, and murderers." The atrocities of Menendez and the retaliation of De Gourgues are alike sad records of cruelty and vindictiveness by professedly Christian people invoking the countenance and blessing of Deity upon their acts, and deserve our strongest condemnation. To judge of these acts impartially we must go back to the relentless spirit of their time, when difference of faith was considered a crime to be punished with death, and re- joice that those days of blind fanaticism have passed away and freedom of conscience everywhere permitted. CHAPTEK XIX Menendez I'eturns to Florida — Sir Francis Drake makes an attack upon St. Augustine — Tiie story of missions among the Indians and mas- sacre of the missionaries. A.D. 1567-1591 While De Goiirgues was thus visiting with swift destruction the Spanish garrisons on the St. John's Kiver, Menendez still tarried in restless impatience at the Spanish court. Finally, having succeeded in obtaining a partial reimbursement of the funds he had expended, and also obtaining the appointment of governor of Cuba, he set sail on the 17th of March, 1568, and arrived in Florida shortly after the departure of De Gourgues. It was only on his arrival that he learned of De Gourgues's attack and terrible retribution. His proud spirit must have chafed with unavailing rage at the insidting and severe blow which had been dealt l)y so insignificant a force, but he had ar- rived too late to prevent or punish it. He found his garrisons demoralized and suffering from scarcity of food and insuf- ficiency of clothing. The Indians, aroused by the successful inroad of De Gourgues, were everywhere in open hostility, and he found ample occupation in restoring order and reestal)lish- ing his posts along the coast. He had brought with him ten brothers of the Order of St. Francis, and now paid particular at- tention to missions among the Indians, and, to his credit be it said, devoted himself with great zeal and earnestness to the good work. The success of the missionaries was not equal to their labojs, for, it is said, " although the Indians asked many questions and gave apparent attention to the explanations and HISTORY OF FLORIDA 107 instructions of the worthy fathers while the corn which was daily given them lasted, yet when that was gone they likewise disappeared " ; and although four of the fathers labored in one locality most assiduously for a year, they succeeded in baptizing only seven, of whom four were children and the others at the point of death. These missions were soon widely established; from Cape Flor- ida they reached along the coast northwardly to St. Helena, and an attempt was made, even at this early period, to plant a mission on the shores of the Chesapeake, then called the prov- ince of Axiocan. j\Ieiiendez had brought back with him an Indian who had been carried to Spain some time previously and educated in the Roman Catholic faith. This convert, Don Luis, now proposed to guide a band of missionaries to his native province, of which his brother was the cacique or chief. An expedition having been fitted out, a party of missionaries, consisting of Father Segura, vice-provincial, with five other priests and four junior brothers of the Order of St, Francis, under the guidance of Don Luis, sailed to the Chesapeake, on the shores of which they landed. The treacherous convert pretended to conduct them into the country, but procured the massacre on the way of the whole party, except one of the Junior In'others, who was after- wards surrendered to Menendez. In the following year Menen- dez,sailed to the Chesapeake, captured some of the Indians sup- ])osed to have participated in the massacre, and hung eight of them. Had this mission succeeded, Virginia might have be- come a Spanish possession. The importance of Florida soon declined in public estimation. No gold or precious stones had Ix'en found, and the inhabitants had to be supported by con- stant supplies of provisions. The colony languished, and was only sustained by the personal exertions of Menendez, to whom it was a profitless position. Finally, leaving the colony in the hands of his relative, Pedro Menendez Marquis, he himself 108 HISTORY OF FLORIDA returned to Spain, where his high reputation gave him position at court as one of the king's counselors, and it is said that no important enterprise was undertalcen without his advice. In the year 1574 he was made captain-general of the Spanish fleet, but at the mature age of fifty-five, at the summit of his honors and surrounded with devoted followers, attracted by his brilliant reputation, when on the point of assuming the com- mand of a great armada of three hundred vessels, he was at- tacked by a violent fever and died after a short illness. Some, indeed, allege that he put an end to his own existence, Me- nendez combined with many admirable and heroic qualities others which have left a stain upon his name and memory. He possessed many of the virtues of a great leader, and which, on a larger field, would have made him illustrious. Unfor- tunately, he was a cruel bigot, and was placed in a position calculated to develop the worst traits of his character. Instead of being remembered as the victor on some well-fought field, his name recalls only the heap of murdered prisoners at Matan- zas and those so cruelly gibbeted at Fort Caroline, " not as Frenchmen, but as Lutherans." Under a leader of less resolu- tion, Florida would have been abandoned within a few years of its occupation. But little progress was made in the settlement of the country, and that mostly through military posts, estab- lished as a protection to the missionaries engaged in endeavor- ing to secure the conversion of the Indians. In 1580, some fifteen years subsequent to the settlement of St. Augustine, Sir Francis Drake, the celebrated English free- rover, returning from a freebooting expedition against the Spanish settlements in the West Indies and on the Spanish Main, espied a lookout on Anastasia Island, opposite to St. Augustine. The English landed a piece of ordnance, and, planting it opposite the fort, fired two shots, the first of which passed through the royal standard of Spain waving over the fort, and the second struck the ramparts. As it was nearly dark he 110 HISTORY OF FLORIDA attempted nothing further that evening, but, sending a boat in to reconnoiter the harbor, several shots were fired at it from the fort, which was at the time being evacuated by the Spanish garrison, consisting of one hundred and fifty men, who sup- posed themselves about to be attacked by the whole English force. In the mean time a French piper, playing the Prince of Orange march, approached the English camp in a canoe and re- ported himself as one of the garrison, and informed Drake of the evacuation of the fort, offering to act as guide to the Eng- lish forces. In the morning the boats were manned and approached the fort, which they found deserted, the garrison having left in such haste that the treasure-chest, containing two thousand pounds sterling, was left behind and fell into the hands of Drake. The fort was built of trunks of large pine trees, with a palisade, but without ditches, and was in an unfinished con- dition. Owing to heavy rains and intervening creeks, the English were not able to reach the town by land, but, upon ap- proaching it in boats, the inhabitants, after a slight show of resistance, fled towards San Mateo. The English sergeant- major, pursuing the fugitives, was shot from ambush, and the English in retaliation pillaged and then burned the town. It seems probable that the fort then existing was Iniilt at the head of Cano de la Leche, considerably north of tlie present fort, and that the town was on the point near to and south of the bar- racks. Drake then left, intending to visit San Mateo and St. Helena, but was prevented from doing so by stormy weather. St. Augustine then contained a parish church, a hall of justice, and a monastery. The combined garrison force of St. Augus- tine, San Mateo, and St. Helena amounted to but four hundred men. St. Augustine was rebuilt after the departure of Drake. Twelve brothers of the Order of St. Francis came in 1593 and HISTORY OF FLORIDA, 111 occupied missions in the interior, the principal mission being on the island called Guale, now Amelia Island. Five years afterwards the son of the chief of Guale, dissatis- fied with the restrictions and censures of the priests, incited a general conspiracy for the destruction of the missions and the mission fathers. In the suburbs of St. Augustine were two In- dian villages, called respectively Tolomato and Topiqui. At midnight the young chief of Guale and his followers made an attack upon Father Corpa, who was in charge of the mission of Tolomato, and dispatched him with their hatchets. Then, being urged by tlieir leader to complete their work, the band hastened to Topiqui, where they entered the habitation of Father Eodriguez, who begged the privilege of celebrating mass before he died. This they accorded him, but he had no sooner concluded than they fell upon him with the utmost fury, killing him at the very foot of the altar, and from there dragging out his lifeless body, cast it into the fields. They thence went to the Indian town of Assopo, on the island of Guale, where were two friars. Fathers Aunon and Badajoz, whom they quickly slew, their bodies being afterwards buried at the foot of a high cross which Father Aunon had himself erected. From Guale the infuriated savages went to the Indian town of Asao, where a friar resided by the name of Velascola, a man of great humility and earnest piety, but endowed with remarkable strength, and of whom on this account the natives stood in great awe. Becoming aware of their hostile intentions, he em- barked alone for St. Augustine in a canoe. Enraged at his es- cape, the Indians hastened to intercept him if possible at the l)lace where he would land near St. Augustine. Reaching this place in advance of him, they concealed themselves in the thickets, and, stealing upon him as he landed, seized him from behind and struck him repeated blows with their clubs and hatchets until they had taken his life. Their thirst for blood still unslaked, they proceeded to Ospo, where Father Davila was 113 HISTORY OF FLORIDA stationed, wlio, hearing their yells and being made aware of his danger, sought safety by flight to the surrounding forest. But the night being clear and the moon at the full, they soon dis- covered himj and wounded him with their arrows. As he was seized and was about being sacrificed, he was saved by the inter- cession of an Indian woman, who claimed him as a captive and carried him to the interior, where he was forced to perform the lowest menial service, accompanied with much ill usage and severe treatment. Tired of their captive, they at last deter- mined to complete their measure of vengeance against the mis- sionaries by burning him alive. He was brought out for this purpose, and bound with thongs to a post in the center of the village. The fuel was heaped about him and the torch was about to be applied, when an Indian mother whose son was held prisoner by the Spaniards at St. Augustine begged that the priest might be delivered to her that she might exchange him for her son. With great difficulty she at last succeeded in hav- ing Father Davila released from his great peril and delivered to his friends in exchange for her son. All the outlying missions had now been visited by the ruth- less savages except that at San Pedro. With upwards of fifty canoes they made a vigorous assault upon that mission, but were repulsed by a friendly chief, whose tribe were at enmity with the assailants, who followed up his success with such vigor that all who had landed were destroyed, and the remainder forced to seek safety in flight. In this massacre five priests perished, and Father Davila was so maltreated that when he was delivered to his friends they were unalfle to recognize him. The governor proceeded immedi- ately to visit with exemplary punishment the Indians supposed to be implicated in the slaughter of the missionaries, burning the dwellings and granaries of those whom he could not more directly reach. In the year 1612-13 thirty-one missionaries belonging to the HISTORY OF FLORIDA 113 Order of St. Francis were sent to Florida, which was now erected into a religious province of that order by the name of St. Helena, the principal house of which was at Havana. A catechism in the Indian language had already been prepared and printed, being, it is believed, the first work in the Indian language ever published. Three years later twelve more Franciscan brothers arrived, and such progress was made that in the ensuing two years there were now established twenty missions, scattered among the principal Indian towns. In the year 1638 a war broke out be- tween the Sjianish colonists and the Appalachee Indians, and, although the garrison at St. Augustine did not number more than one hundred effective men, the governor succeeded in driving the Indians back to their towns. A considerable num- ber of the A|)palachee prisoners were set to work at the fortifica- tions of St. Augustine, and they and their descendants were kept tlius employed for sixty years. St. Augustine in 16-17 contained only three hundred house- liolders or heads of families, while the Convent of St. Francis had fifty 4wothers in residence. The succession of the house of Menendez had now termi- nated. Pedro Menendez perished at the hands of the Indians ; Hernando de Alas, his son-in-law, succeeded him ; Diego de Rebellado was governor from 1655 to 1675, and was succeeded by Don Juan Salacar, who held office until 1680, and was suc- ceeded by Juan Marquez Cabrera. The settlement of Virginia had been commenced in 1607, and other colonies to the north had been planted by the Eng- lish and Dutch without opposition from the Spanish crown. The wide interval between the English and Spanish settle- ments for a time prevented any collision, and the spirit of Me- nendez no longer animated his successors. CHAPTER XX Settlement of Carolina and French exploration of the Mississippi — Col- lisions between the English and Sj)anish settlements — Pensacola set- tled by the Spaniards and Mobile by the French. A.D. 1663-1696 It was not until KiO;], when the charter of Carolina was granted hy Charles II., that the English settlements trenched upon the ground which the Spaniards had all along claimed. With the settlement of Carolina there at once grew up a hostile feeling which lasted for a century between these neighboring colonies. In truth there was never a time when English and Spanish people did not distrust and hate each other, and, although nominally peaceful relations were assumed to exist, yet the subjects of the two crowns were always ready to injure each other whenever the opportunity occurred. It was partly a political and, in a consideral)le degree, a religious antago- nism. At this period the power of England was greatly augmented by the growth of a sturdy class of sea-rovers, who largely made up for the weakness of numbers of her land forces by their prowess at sea. Buccaneers, sea-rovers, privateers, or how else they might be called, abounded in the western seas, and were ever ready to sack a town, seize upon treasure-ships, or engage any vessel that they chose to consider an enemy. In 1665 one of these freebooting expeditions, under Capt. John Davis, made a descent upon St. Augustine with seven small vessels and an inconsideral)le force. Little resistance was made by the Spanish garrison of two hundred men, and the HISTORY OF FLORIDA 115 town was pillaged ])y the English freebooters. The ill feeling l)etween Florida and Carolina grew apace, the Spaniards alleg- ing that the pirates or freebooters, as they were called, who ])re3'ed upon their commerce, were received and sheltered in the harbors of Carolina, an accusation which was but too true. The Carolinians, on the other hand, complained that the Span- ish authorities in Florida endeavored to incite the Indians to acts of hostility against them, and also to seduce their servants from them, and harbored them in St. Augustine. In 1676 the Spaniards sent a force to attack the colonists on the Ashley ]?iver, on the coast of South Carolina, but the colonists en- trenclied themselves and the Spaniards were forced to retire. Ten years later three galleys from St. Augustine made an attack on a Scotch settlement on Port Royal Island, which had been established by Lord Cardross. The settlers were unable to protect tliemselves, and their houses were pillaged. The gal- leys then ascended the North Edisto River to Bear's Bluff, where they landed, pillaged, and burned the houses. Much property of the settlers was carried off, and some who were taken prisoners were treated with indignity. A brother of Governor jMorton was allowed to perish by tlie l>urning of the boat on which he was confined — acts which naturally aroused tlie indignation of the Carolinians. Don Juan Marquez Cabrera, the Spanish governor, about the year 1687 attempted to remove the various Indian tribes of Ap- ])alachees, Cowetas, and Casicas, as well as those of San Felipe, San Simon, San Catalina, Sapalo, and others, to the islands on tlie coast and to tlie banks of the St. John's. This occasioned an insurrection of all the tribes. Several of them removed within the limits of Carolina, and subsequently made an incursion into Florida, attacked the towns of the Timuquas, robbed the Clvarch and Convent of St. Francis of the plate and vestments, 1)urned the town of Tomuqua, killed a large number of Chris- tian Indians, and carried many others away as prisoners to St. 116 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Helena, where tliey were reduced to servitude. At this com- paratively late period in the history of America, hy the perse- verance and energy of Monsieur de la Salle, the course of the Mississip2)i was traversed in hoats from the country of the Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. Although one hundred and seventeen years had passed since the actual settlement and oc- cupation of Florida by the Spaniards, the spirit of enterprise and discovery had so far died out that the information ac- quired through the expeditions of Narvaez, De Soto, and De Luna of the existence of vast and fertile regions, magnificent rivers and lakes, had not stimulated the Spanish explorers to undertake the occupation of these rich lands lying within the limits claimed by them as Florida. It was left to the insig- nificant expedition of La Salle, who, entering the river from the region of the great lakes, embarked in slight canoes, and, almost unarmed, floated down the mighty flood of the great river to tlie sea, and thus conferred upon France the right of ap- propriating the finest portion of the American continent, the great valley of the Mississippi, to which they gave the name of tlieir monarch, Louisiana. Spain, indifferent to colonization on her own account, was always jealous of what she deemed the encroachment of others. La Salle's successful voyage aroused her to the necessity of making good her claims to a part at least of the extensive re- gion about to i^ass under the control of France. Hitherto she had been content to occupy the single fortified post at St. Au- gustine, and to plant and support some scattered missions. In 1692 an expedition was fitted out by the viceroy of New Spain to explore the harbors on the Gulf of Mexico. At that time the Spanish plate-fleets from Mexico to Spain followed the course of the Gulf Stream, sweeping around the southern extremity of Florida to Havana and thence by the Bahama Channel along the eastern coast of Florida. In the course of years many ves- sels had been wrecked on these shores, and many lives and much HISTORY OF FLORIDA 117 treasure had been lost. In IfiOfi Pensaeola was occnpied by a Spanisli force and a fort built and garrisoned. The town was located at what is now known as Barrancas. A fort of quadrilateral form, a church, and other public buildings were erected. Andres Arriola was appointed the first governor of the province. Three years later DTberville arrived on the coast with three vessels sent out by Louis XIV. to establish a colony in Loui- siana. He touched at Pensaeola, then occupied by a force of three hundred Spanish troops. Passing westwardly, he entered Moljile Bay and landed on an island which he nanied Massa- cre Island, subsequently known as Dauphin Island. Here he planted the first French colony located in the south after the .destruction of the Huguenots in 1565. The Spaniards called the Mississippi the Kiver of Palisades, from the number of tall trees standing singly along the shores. The English called it ]\Iessaehel)e. The English a])out the same time sent out an ex- pedition to take possession of the country bordering on tlie Mississippi, but they were too late. DTberville liad already occupied the country. The interior of Florida west of the Suwanee Piver was mainly occupied by the Appalaehee Indians. The tribe of Calos was in the southern portion, and the Timuquas on the eastern coast. Many of these Indian names have siirvived — Appa- laehee, Tomoka, etc. There does not seem to have been much ])rogress made in the civilization of the Indians during the Spanish rule. The natural ferocity of these savage tribes, their freedom from restraint and warlike propensities, made them impenetrable at heart to the claims of the Christian faith, which inculcated love and forbearance. Over one hundred years had now elapsed since IMenendez had planted the standard of Spain on the coast of Florida, and a vast amount of labor and treasure had been expended in the almost fruitless effort to oc- cu]»y and Christianize the country. 118 HISTORY OF FLORIDA At the beginning of the seventeenth century no European colony existed on the Athintic coast of North America except St. Augustine. In IGOT, forty-two years after the founding of St. Augustine, Jamestown, in Virginia, was settled hy the Eng- lish, and thirteen years later, in 1620, the Plymouth colony landed on the shores of New England. In the course of the next fifty years settlements were made on the Atlantic coast l)y the French, English, Dutch, and Swedes, and from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Port Eoyal, in South Carolina, flourishing settle- ments had been planted and a very considerable commerce had grown up under the fostering care of their respective govern- ments. During the seventeenth century Spain possessed by right of discovery and partial occupation a claim to the most valuable ])ortion of the American continent ; but the history of this one liundred years is a record only of feeble and spasmodic efforts at colonization and timid exploration of the region adjoining the military posts. Pensacola and St. Mark's had been estab- lished as advanced and isolated posts, and a few others, but the liistory of Florida during this period presents but little more than a chronicle of the changes of governors and petty details of unimportant local events. Having the fertile valley of the Mississippi, the rich plains of Texas, the productive valleys and uplands of Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky within their reach, no explorations had been made into even the gold fields of upper Georgia, no colonies planted, no empire founded, and in this magnificent and then vacant domain the result of over one hundred years of Spanish domination was three small forti- fied towns and a few mission liouses. It is, indeed, quite prob- able that in the year 1700 they knew less of the country than Menendez did within ten years after his arrival. The mines of ]\Iexico and the riches of the Spanish Main had drawn the at- tention of the Spanish monarchy from the more enduring wealth and power to be derived from a fertile and populous HISTORY OF FLORIDA 119 rogion. The Spanish force of character, the spirit of adventure, the characteristics of such men as Cortez and De Soto, liad de- parted, and the great Spanish monarchy, which at one time seemed to control the destiny of America, had sensibly declined both here and elsewhere. CHAPTER XXI Governor Moore, of South Carolina, makes an attack upon St. Augustine — Afterwards overruns much of middle Florida, destroying Spanish posts and Indian missions. A.D. 1702-1704 Fbom the first settlement of Carolina by the English, constant sources of irritation and difficulty sprang up between the P]ng- lisli and Spanish settlements. The Spaniards considered the English as intruders u])()n their rightful territory, and, more- over, the old religious animosities animated Ijoth parties. The alliance of the Indian tribes was desired l)y each, and l)ecame a eubject of contention. It will be recollected that in KiSfi Span- iards from St. Augustine had made an incursion upon tlie Eng- lish settlement at Port Iloyal, and had left behind the memory of grievous injuries to be atoned for. During Governor Arch- dale's administration in South Carolina tolerably amicable relations were maintained ; but he was succeeded by Governor Moore, an ambitious man. who, it is said, had obtained office by questionable means and desired to accomplish something to signalize his administration. Under his influence the assembly of South Carolina was induced to authorize, in 1T02, an expe- dition against St. Augustine, which was understood to be capa- ble of very little defense. Many of the settlers in South Carolina had lost negroes, who had gone to the Spaniards and had been protected l)y them, and many others, no doubt, were quite will- ing to profit l)y the result of an invasion among the Spanish Indians, who might be reduced to a state of servitude. A rupture having occurred between England and Spain, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 121 Governor Moore embraced the opportunity thus afforded for an invasion of Florida, which he was induced to do, as was charged, l)y motives of personal gain rather than national advantage. The governor set forth the little risk and the great advantage of such an expedition ; secured sufficient followers, and an appro- priation of two thousand pounds from tlie assemhly, a very con- sidera))le sum for a new colony of a few thousand inhahitants to raise outside of their other expenses. The force needed to carry out the enterprise was fixed at six hundred provincial militia, to he assisted hy an equal number of Indian allies. The attack was to he made by land and sea, the land forces to go by the inland passage in boats to the St. John's T\iver and thence up that river to Pioolata, from which point they were to march overland and take St. Augustine in the rear. The other part of the expedition was to proceed in ves- sels under the command of Governor Moore, direct to St. Au- gustine and cooperate with the land forces, which were placed under command of Colonel Daniel. Colonel Daniel's portion of the expedition reached St. Augustine in advance of the vessels. The Spanish governor had learned of the intended attack and had made all tlie preparations for defense within his power. Provisions were stored in the castle and preparations were made for a long siege. As soon as Colonel Daniel arrived he attacked and gained possession of the town, the troops and inhabitants retiring to the protection of the castle. Governor Moore with his vessels arrived soon afterwards and invested the castle, but on account of the want of siege guns of large caliber no impression could l)e made njion the walls of the fort. Colonel Daniel was sent to Jamaica to procure heavier guns. While absent on this mission, three Spanish vessels appeared off the coast. Alarmed by the appearance of these vessels, and fearing that his retreat might be cut off. Governor Moore hastily raised the siege, abaudoniny- or destroying such of his stores and munitions as 122 HISTORY OF FLORIDA lie was unable to remove. He was forced also to destroy his vessels, as he feared to encounter the Sj^anish vessels outside. Before retiring he committed the barbarity of burning the town. Colonel Daniel returned shortly afterwards, having succeeded in obtaining some mortars and heavy guns, and, be- ing ignorant of the withdrawal of Governor Moore, narrowly escaped capture. Governor Moore returned to Carolina without having lost a man from his force. The expedition, however, cost the col- ony of South Carolina some six thousand pounds, and led to the first issue of paper money ever circulated in America. In the same year the Spaniards had incited the Appalachee Indians to attack the English settlements in Carolina. They had assembled a force of nine hundred warriors and had commenced their march, when they encountered five hundred Creeks, who were allies of the English and had been organized by the Creek traders to repel the attack. The Creeks suspended their blan- kets in their camp, as though quietly reposing by their camp- fires, and placed themselves in ambush. The Appalachees, confident of an easy victory, rushed forward upon the supposed sleeping camp with great impetuosity, when they fell into the ambush prepared for them by the Creeks and were routed with great loss. The loss which Governor Moore had inflicted by burning St. Augustine was a severe blow to its inhabitants. They received some assistance from Spain to help them rebuild, but were dis- couraged by their apparent helplessness, and urgent representa- tions were made by Governor Cuniga to the home government for an increased force and larger means to repel the attacks of their English neighbors. In 1704 Governor Moore, having been severely criticised for his former failure, proposed to or- ganize an expedition against the Spanish-Indian settlements in middle Florida. He was authorized to do so if he could raise a sufficient force without assistance from the public treasury. HISTORY OF FLORIDA 123 This he undertook to do, and, with only fifty mounted men and the aid of about one thousand Creek Indians, he passed down through southwestern Georgia and fell upon tlie Indian towns of the Appalachians. The first town attacked was defended by fifty warriors, and was reduced after a stout resistance. On the following day the commander of the principal town. Fort San Luis, with a force of twenty-three Spaniards and four hundred Indians, encountered the English and the Creeks. Don Juan Mexia, the Spanish commander, was killed in the battle, with eight of the Spanish soldiers. The Appalachian Indians lost two hundred of their number. This battle decided the fate of all the Indian towns. The king of Atimiaca, who occupied a strong fort with a garrison of one hundred and thirty men, terrified by the defeat and death of Mexia, offered his submis- sion. Governor Moore then visited all the Indian towns with- out experiencing further resistance. Five of the towns were fortified, and it is probable that, had Mexia met the English and Creeks behind his entrenchments, he might have repulsed them and rallied a sufficient force to drive them out of that re- gion. Moore is said to have entirely destroyed two of the In- dian towns, and to have carried away most of the people of seven others to be held as slaves, leaving only one town unde- stroyed, which made terms with him. The towns of San Luis, two miles west of Tallahassee, and Ayavalla, near the St. Mark's River, were burned with their chapels and forts. All of the towns were robbed of everything of value, including church ])late, and desolation and ruin marked the track of the invaders. The Indian missions in that part of the country were thor- oughly broken up. The remains of these mission stations may yet be traced at several localities in Florida, and tradition has assigned them a far greater antiquity than they are really entitled to. ITsually a small fort and chapel were erected to- gether, surrounded with earthworks and ditches and witli pali- 124 HISTORY OF FLORIDA siides sufficient to withstand an attack from the Indians, the only enemies anticipated. The outlines of these earthworks may still be traced at Lake City and elsewhere. The war between Great Britain, France, and Spain still con- tinued in Europe, and in 1706 an expedition was projected by the French and Spanish to make a descent upon the Caro- linians. M. Le Febre commanded a French frigate and four ships, with which he touched at St. Augustine to take on board Spanish troops to cooperate in an attack upon Charleston. Proceeding to the coast of Carolina, the frigate by mistake entered Sewee Bay, the four sloops entering Charleston harbor. By the exercise of great prudence and some strategy, the Eng- lish governor was enabled to repel the attack, and eventually captured the frigate, with a large number of the Spanish allies. Two years afterwards C^olonel Barnwell, of South Carolina, made another incursion upon the Appalachee towns in middle Florida. After visiting San Luis and the region occupied by the missions, he passed on to the Alachua country and the St. John's Kiver. It was perhaps at this period that Capt. T. Nairn, of South Carolina, with a ]>arty of Yemassees, pene- trated to the headwaters of the St. John's Eiver and the vicinity of Lake Okechobee and brought back a number of captives for slaves, as noted on one of the maps in Moll's Atlas of 1719. The year 1714 was signalized by a great outbreak of the In- dian tribes on the borders of South Carolina. This was charged to tlie instigation of the Spaniards. The Indians made a com- bined and ])owerful attack uj)on the English settlements, but were defeated and driven out of the province. Retreating soiitliward into the Spanish })ossessions, they were gladly re- ceived. About four hundred of the Carolinians lost their lives in this outbreak. In the mean time French colonization had been jmsbed along the Gulf and upon the banks of the Mis- sissip])i. Tlieir settlements were liberally supplied and rein- forced from France, and some became permanent and pros- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 125 perous communities. The settlements at Mobile and Pensacola were so near each other that jealousies and collisions naturally arose upon the question of possession and limits. For a long time the treasure-fleets sent from Mexico to Spain passed near the shores of Florida. In 1715 fourteen vessels^ laden with a very large amount of gold and silver, were wrecked on Carysfort reef and an immense amount of treasure lost. Much of this was afterwards recovered l)y a party of Spaniards sent for this jjurpose, hut the knowledge of this recovery, coming to the Eng- lish at Jamaica, they sent an expedition to tlie point where the Avreckers were engaged and rohhed them of all they had re- covered, amounting to three hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars. This is a notable illustration cf the character and ideas jof the people and of tlie times. The Yemassees, who had been driven out of Carolina into Florida, kept up a constant and harassing warfare upon the English settlements, cs})ecially upon the families on the frontier. It seems to be well establislied that the Spanish authorities in Florida instigated this warfare and protected their allies. Many instances of savage barbarity are related. An historian of Caro- lina relates that at this jjeriod a scalping party of Yemassees from Florida ^lenetrated as far as the Euhati lands, where, hav- ing surprised John Lent and two of his neighbors, they brained them with their tomahawks. They then seized Mrs. Barrows and one of her children and carried them oft' with them. The child, frightened by the presence of the savages, began to cry, when it was immediately killed before the eyes of its mother, and she was warned to cease her demonstrations of grief or she should share the fate of her child. She was then carried to St. Augustine, delivered to the Spanish governor, and thrown into prison against the remonstrance of one of the Yemassee chiefs, who related that he had known her a long time and that she was a good woman. Subsequently Mr. Barrow went to St. Augustine to ])rocure his wife's release, but he, too. 126 HISTORY OF FLORIDA was thrown into prison and died shortly afterwards. Mrs. Bar- row was eventually allowed to return to Carolina, and gave an account of the barbarous treatment which she had received. She said that the Spaniards evinced great satisfaction at the number of scalps brought in by the Indians, and rewards were given to them to induce them to make these attacks, with in- structions to spare none but negroes, who were to l)e brought to St, Augustine. Don Juan d'Ayala was at this time governor of East Florida. Benavides succeeded D'Ayala as governor of St. Augustine, De Salinas of Pensacola. Salinas was suc- ceeded in 1717 by Pedro Metamoras. At the instance of the Appalachee Indians, Eibera, the gov- ernor of St. Augustine, erected a fort at St. Mark's in 171S, which was named San Marcos de Apalache. In the same year the French erected a fort on St. Joseph's Bay, which they named Fort Crevecceur, which seems to have been a favorite name with the French. The Spanish governor remonstrated against this occupation of Florida, and the post was soon abandoned. CHAPTEE XXII Pensacola captured by tlie French — Regained by the Spaniards and recaptured by the French. A.D. 1719 Monsieur de Bienvtlee, the French connnander at Dauphin Island, being informed that hostilities existed between Spain and France, fitted out an expedition in May, 1719, against Pensacola, and, having sent a large force of Indians by land, embarked his troops on board of three vessels to make a sud- den descent, with the hope of capturing the Spanish fort by surprise. He landed upon Santa Eosa Island, where there was an out- l)ost, the garrison of which he soon overpowered, and, some of the French troops putting on the uniforms of their captives, awaited the coming of a detachment sent to relieve the post, whom they disarmed on their arrival. Taking the boat which had brought over the Spaniards, the French, still disguised, passed over to the fort, seized the sen- tinel on duty, and took possession of the guard-house and fort, taking prisoner the commander in his bed, and thus captured the whole place without having fired a shot. Such is the French account of the matter. The Spanish authorities say that the fort was assaulted by four French frigates, which opened fire upon the castle of San Carlos, and, after five hours of cannonading, the castle being un- able to reply effectively, having only a garrison of one hundred and sixty men and provisions for only fifteen days, surrendered on condition of being- allowed to march out with the honors of 128 HISTORY OF FLORIDA war, that they .should be sent in French vessels to Havana, and that the town should not be sacked nor private property mo- lested. Both accounts can hardly be exactly true. The garrison was carried to Havana, where, by the perfidy of the Spanish commander at that place, the vessels were seized and their crews and officers cast into prison. At the instance of Governor Metamoras, immediate steps were taken for the re- eajjture of Pensacola. Bienville had placed a garrison of only sixty men in the Spanish fort, under the command of Sieur de ChateaugLie. The Spaniards fitted out the vessel called the Due de Xoailles, wJiich they had i)erfidiously taken from the French at Havana, and a Spanish frigate to endeavor to retake the fort from the French. The ruse was adopted of sending in the French ship first, which, on being hailed, ran up the French flag and gave the name of the Frencli captain who had formerly commanded her, and was thereupon allowed to pass into jiort. When aljreast of the fort she was joined by her consort, the flag of S})ain displayed, and the garrison summoned to surrender. A brisk cannonade ensued, with but ti'ifiing damage to the gar- rison. In order to gain time, Chateaugue asked an armistice of four days. The Spanish captain allowed him two days, and Chateaugue sent a message to Mobile for assistance, which Bienville was unable to send. At the expiration of the two days the action was resumed until niglit, during which most of tlie garrison escaj3ed, and on the following day the fort was sur- rendered, and what was left of the garrison sent as prisoners of war to Havana. The Spanish commander thereupon proceeded to strengthen the fortification, and having, as he deemed, suf- ficiently secured the place from assault, set out with the forces under liis command to attack the Frencli settlement at Daupliiu Island. Owing to the skill and courage of Bienville, the Span- iards, although superior in numbers, were unable to effect a landing, and, five French vessels coming up, the Spanish retired to Pensacola. The French at Dauphin Island, now strongly HISTORY OF FLORIDA 129 reinforced, determined in turn to recapture Pensacola, and soon afterwards landed a force on the Perdido to assail the town in the rear, while their fleet proceeded by sea. Some difficulty was experienced in carrying the flagship, the Hercules, which drew twenty-one feet of water, into Pensacola Bay, hut by the skill of a Canadian pilot she crossed the l)ar safely. For this service the i)ilot received a patent of nobility, of questionable value to him. The French say that, upon the appearance of their land forces, accompanied by a large body of Indians, the garrison, after a very feeble resistance, retired to a new fort which they had hastily erected on Point Siguenza, called Principe de Asturias. The Spanish accounts, however, say they fought with most heroic valor until their guns were dismounted at Siguenza, and their vessels forced to surrender, and that the French vessels, having then entered the harbor, the castle was forced to surrender. This took place September 18, 1719. The French account of the capture awards great credit to the commander at Fort Principe de Asturias for his gallant defense, which was continued until his ammunition failed, while it is said that the commander of Fort San Carlos displayed great cowardice. On the following day a Spanish vessel entered the harbor with supplies and dispatches from the governor at Havana to the governor of Pensacola, the dispatches saying that he was con- fident that the Spanish forces had succeeded in conquering all the places held by the French in that country, and directing all prisoners to be sent to Havana to work in the mines, in order to avoid the expense of feeding them. The French commander, feeling unal)le to spare the force to effectually hold the place, concluded to destroy the fortifica- tions and the public buildings, burn the town, leaving only a few small Iniildings to shelter a guard left in charge of one small Ijattery. 130 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Before leaving, the French commander caused the following inscription to be inscribed upon a tablet placed on the ruins of the fort : " In the year 1719, upon the 18th day of September, M. Desnade de Champmeslin, commander of the squadron of his most Christian Majesty, took tliis place by force of arms, as well as the Island of Santa Rosa, by order of the king of France." After returning first to Dauphin Island, the French fleet afterwards sailed for France, carrying with them the Span- ish garrison of Pensacola as prisoners of war. Thus, after having been thrice assaulted and thrice captured within a period of three months, Pensacola was laid in ashes, and the quiet of desolation brooded over the spot, for there was no longer anything to capture or anything to defend. The town, first built by the Spaniards, and destroyed in 1719, was built in the vicinity of Barrancas. On the opposite point, called Point Siguenza, Port Principe de Asturias had stood, and was destroyed at the same time as Fort Carlos. In 1722, by a treaty of peace between France and Spain, Pensacola, or what was left of it, was restored to the Spanish crown with West Florida. When the harbor was reoccupied in 1722 bytlie Spaniards the town was rebuilt on Santa Rosa Island, near where Fort Pickens now stands. This location was occupied until some time be- tween 1743 and 17(53, when, the inhabitants having begun to plant upon the northern side of the bay, and the location upon the island being sterile and sandy, the settlement was gradually transferred to the north side of the bay, and in 1763 the pres- ent towij was laid out in the form of a city, the streets crossing each other at right angles, making blocks of four hundred by two hundred feet, with a large common fronting~on the bay about fifteen hundred feet in lengtli by one thousand in breadth. The present city of Pensacola may l)e considered to date back its existence to the year 1750. In the mean time the dilficulties between the neiyhborini? HISTORY OF FLORIDA 131 provinces of Florida and Carolina had increased. The Spanish authorities at St. Augustine harljored as well as encouraged the negroes who deserted from the English settlements, against the continued and urgent remonstrances of the governor of Caro- lina. The Spanish authorities, it was claimed, had connived at, if not actually incited, tlie incursions of the Yemassees ujion the exposed frontier of the English colony. To guard against these forays a small fort had been erected on the banks of the Altamaha, called Fort George. This was regarded hy the Span- ish authorities as an encroachment upon Spanish territory, and representations were accordingly made to the British crown. A conference of the two governors was thereupon directed to be held to endeavor to settle amicably the points in dispute be- tween the two provinces. For this purpose Don Francisco Me- nendez and Don Jose Eibera came to Charleston in 1735 to con- fer with Governor ]\Iiddleton. In reply to the claim of the Spanish envoys that the fort at the mouth of the Altamaha was within the limits of Florida, Governor ^liddleton showed them that it was built within the bounds of the charter which granted to the proprietors of South Carolina all the lands be- tween the 31st and 3()th degrees of north latitude, and that the pretensions of Spain to such lands were groundless. To Gov- ernor Middleton's demand for their reasons for protecting felons and debtors and encouraging negroes to leave their mas- ters, they answered that the king of Spain felt himself obliged by hunumity and religion to issue such orders for the sake of converting slaves to the Christian faith. Nothing was settled by this conference, but shortly afterwards the fort at Altamaha was burned by design or accident and abandoned. As no set- tlement of boundaries had been arrived at, the Indians in al- liance with Spain continued to harass the English settlements, killing white men and carrying off negroes. To put a stop to this condition of affairs. Colonel Palmer, in 1727, raised a force of three hundred volunteers and a body of friendly Indians, 132 HISTORY OF FLORIDA with which he made a rapid descent upon the Indian and Span- ish settlements in Florida. Pushing forward to the very gates of St. Augustine, he compelled the inhabitants to again take refuge in the fort. Hardly a house or hut in the colony escaped destruction, provisions were destroyed in the fields, stock car- ried off, and the Yemassee towns burned. This chastisement seems to have for a time at least repressed further incursions on the part of Spanish Indians upon the English settlements. CHAPTER XXIII Siege of St. Augustine by Oglethorpe. A.D. 1 740 The English settlement of Carolina was hegiin in 1070, at Port Royal, and in the following year at Charleston. The oc- cupation of the conntry had never extended south of the Savan- nah River except in the building and brief occupancy of Fort George, at the mouth of the Altamaha. In 1730 a scheme was set on foot by Sir Robert Montgomery and his associates for colonizing the country lying between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers for the benefit of the very poor immigrants. This district was named Azalia, and is shown on Moll's Atlas of 1719. This particular scheme, however, fell through, but led to the formation of a larger plan for vesting in trustees the region of country between the Savannah and the Altamaha River, for the benefit of poor but industrious set- tlers, under the designation of Georgia, for which letters patent were issued in 1732. Sixty-two years after the settlement of Carolina, Governor Oglethorpe accompanied the first settlers to Savannah. A settlement of Scotch Highlanders was foruied on the banks of the Altamaha and a fort was built at Frederica. In 1736 the Spanish governor at St. Augustine sent a com- misioner to Governor Oglethorpe, requiring him to surrender at once and evacuate all the lands south of St. Helena Sound, as they belonged to the king of Spain, who was determined not to allow them to be occupied by any other nation. Oglethorpe maintained the right of the English crown to all the territory 134 HISTORY OF FLORIDA occuiDied by him, and declined to comply with the requirements of the Spanish governor. From the imperious nature of the de- mand, Ogletliorpe rightly conjectured that he might expect soon an armed invasion of his territory, and he proceeded at once to England to direct the attention of the crown to the dangers that menaced his infant colony. J^nglish commerce had already suffered severely from the in- terference of Spain, and a feeling of hostility to Spanish pre- tensions occupied the public mind. Supported by the king and aided by popular sentiment, Oglethorpe was able to make prep- arations for the protection of Georgia against the anticipated attack. He returned to Georgia in 1739 with the commission of major-general, a regiment of soldiers, and considerable pe- cuniary aid, and on his arrival proceeded to erect forts and put the province in a state of defense. The Spanish forces at St. Augustine were largely increased, and both sides labored as- siduously to strengthen themselves for the conflict by securing the alliance of the neighboring Indian tribes. Of these the Creeks were the most powerful, and they took sides with the English. ISTegotiations were in the mean time being carried on. The English demanded redress for the injuries inflicted upon their commerce, for which the Spaniards agreed to make pay- ment provided the territory occupied by Oglethorj^e was given up, which was refused, and so the negotiations failed. The Spanish authorities at St. Augustine sent emissaries to the borders of Carolina to entice away negroes, promising them freedom and protection. Many negroes had gone to them from time to time, a sufficient number, it was said, to form a regi- ment, which was placed on the same footing as the Spanish regulars. In October, 1739, war was declared by Great Britain against Spain, and a squadron was sent to the West Indies to cooperate with Oglethorpe in his intended operations against the Spanish province of Florida. He at once planned an expedition to POKTRAIT OF GENERAL UULETIIUBPE 13G HISTORY OF FLORIDA operate against St. Augustine, and visited South Carolina to engage assistance from that colony, as a result of which a joint expedition by land and sea was agreed upon. Carolina raised a regiment of four hundred men, under Colo- nel Vanderdussen. The assistance of several Indian tribes was secured, and a naval force to consist of four twenty-gun ships and two sloops was to take part in the attack. Ogletliorpe liad ascertained that the garrison was not very strong and was l)oor]3' provisioned, and therefore urged forward his prepara- tions with great vigor, in order to make the attack before Span- ish reinforcements arrived. It was the latter part of April, however, before he was ready to move. In the mean time Monteano, the energetic Spanish governor, liad learned of the contemplated attack, and liad strengthened liis defenses. The garrison was increased, the approaches to the fort guarded, and the most earnest solicitations for a supply of provisions made on the governor of Havana. There were only a few Spanish out])osts held by detachments outside of St. Augustine. One was on Cumberland Island, ])ut was with- drawn on account of its distance and isolation. Another, called St. Nicolas, was on the St. John's Eiver, near the mouth ; and two at Picolata, up the river, in the rear of St. Augustine ; the largest on the west bank of the river, called San Francis de Poppa, and which held a garrison of sixty men; tlie other at Picolata, on the east bank, had only ten men. These forts wore designed to keep in check the Indians, and to protect the route from St. Augustine to St. Mark's. A detachment from St. Augustine had recently landed on Amelia Island and killed two unarmed sick men, cut oif their heads, and mangled their bodies. Oglethorpe shortly afterwards pursued them into Florida, swept the River St. John's, landed and drove in the Spanish outposts, hunting their cattle and ravaging the coun- try. He seems to have considered the west bank of the St. John's as within the English limits, and in an otFicial communi- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 187 cation speaks of the huilding of San Francis de Poppa as a Spanish encroachment. Lieutenant Dunbar, with a small force, attacked Fort IMcolata, hut failed to take it. In January, 1740, Oglethorpe headed an expedition against San Francis de Poppa and cai)tured it, placing a garrison there and adding to its strength. Oglethorpe's polic}' was to prevent aggression, by assuming the initiative, to attack before being attacked. He liad at his command the regiment of regulars just arrived from England, a company of Scotch Highlanders Avho had settled on the Altauiaha, and a force of friendly Indians. Carolina was to furnish a regiment four hundred strong, and he was to have the cooperation of four English frigates of twenty guns. Having by his operations in December and January aroused ,the Spanish authorities to preparations for defense, Oglethorpe felt the importance of following up his attack as speedily as pos- sible, but, as is usual with such expeditions made up of con- tingents and lacking order and discipline, there were delays, so that it was the last of May before the land forces reached the mouth of the St. John's River, about forty miles north of St. Augustine. Aljout midway between the mouth of the St. John's and St. Augustine there was a small fort and garrison, called San Diego, which, on the arrival of Oglethorpe, was evacuated by its garrison. About two miles north of St. Au- gustine was Fort Moosa, usually called the negro fort, it having been constructed for fugitive slaves from Carolina. It was l)uilt near the IS'^orth Eiver- in open ground, was square, with a flanker in each corner, l)anked around with earth, surrounded by a ditch lined with prickly palmettoes, and contained a house, a well, and a lookout. The English found Fort Moosa deserted and partially de- stroyed it, but afterwards concluded to occupy it. Colonel Palmer was stationed there with one hundred and thirty-three men, comprising Mcintosh's Highlanders and some infan- try, mounted me]i, and also some Indians. Palmer protested 138 . HISTORY OF FLORIDA against remaining isolated with so small a force. Lieutenant Bryant, after a reconnoissance, reported the town to be in great confusion, and recommended an immediate attack. Oglethorpe, making a reconnoissance in person, was unwilling to expose his men in so hazardous an attack upon a strong fortress, and de- cided to fall hack to Diego and await the arrival of the Carolina troops under Colonel Vanderdussen, who arrived on the Gth of June, and the fleet appeared at the same time. Oglethorpe pro- ceeded to erect batteries on Anastasia Island, opposite the fort, and opened fire on the 24th of June. The main battery was located on the point opposite the fort, and mounted four eigh- teen-pounders and one nine-pounder. Another battery was placed on some high, wooded ground, mounting two eighteen- pounders. The third was on North Beach, and had seven ])ieces. Thirty-four mortars were also placed in position. On Sunday night, June 25th, an attack was made from the fort b}^ a body of three hundred men against Palmer's detach- ment at Fort Moosa. Owing to various causes, there were in- subordination in the command and a want of ordinary disci- pline and precaution. The English were taken by surprise. Colonel Palmer was killed and twenty prisoners taken. The English say the Spanish force was made up of convicts and negroes. Their commander was killed and 02ie other officer, and fifty of the men. The result was encouraging to the Span- ish governor and depressing to the besiegers, as they were suf- fering from midsummer heat and annoyed by swarms of insect pests. As soon as Oglethorpe had his batteries in position he had formally summoned the Spanish garrison to surrender. Governor Monteano returned his answer, in which he swore by the Holy Cross that he would defend the castle to the last drop of his blood, and hoped soon to " kiss his Excellency's hands within its walls." The cooperation of the fleet, owing to there not being water enough on the bar for the vessels to enter, and the distance from AViEWoithe- TOWNiMid. (L\STIjE of STAUGUSTINE. audthe ENGLISH CAMP before it June 20.i;40.by THO" SILVER. «^*«C*5- ^ UeEniUsK a Irriuh^ fJ^ &2 ^maJl }&*r ^ I lH/u-sf H) t whria uc played md 20Cc ^-ns {. Eusiatia Island whidv is duzHy Simd &Iiiish » [1 ftulor.f hnwUhg Cannorv. in/ reactf of the Castle. L A SorllL Traich 3 ^& a. MorTar of 24 I 10 ^*^ t" Gen' O^ethorp'9 Soldiers IndtOJis i Sailors Ttjits G A Lookout uiken the IZ'^ofJurtt H Soldiers and. Sailors binding June the^Uf* \ A Sand Battery tputed at our approach. R t.'ap*Warrpu Oommander over the Sailors hoisdng the /TnianFta^ eiriboard'of Schooner 1. r}u Sailors wells in Water the Shipping) 1 FUunborGugh. 2 ffeetor. 5 Squirrel, ^''^' 4 Tartar. brhanU. .Unops Wolf. 7 Spout Etnploy'ft in this Erpeditiofv about 200Seame>t 4(10 Soldiers and 300 InditULf Forces 'of At Spaniards iOOO besides a strong di -'le atut 4 Fortifyed Porks and iv Shadow Rtw hindting our Slapping f Flayi/i^bn, the/it C^iTr-^JLtheHa. a.id t.P S^o'tt-Ii Cap. Wamn of 20 Guns aduh siJes ift* ^ence S)i>op Cspi'Ztim:. ;mJ. rt^ Wrg." C^?ffer^rige^. On L'u 2fG)U Vandtc Ihiatai wuA 000 Caroliiiit Soldurff afipaitrd t,!^yort.h ffflfiermm..Ofvau>S^ SpunitiTtts hiiit obtain 'd o^nr SO Mightondert SO of whom- wtrt s kiUi/ig tltrief^lutr ntmtbtr.' Oglethorpe's fleet before st. augustine 140 HISTORY OF FLORIDA their anchorage being too great for any effective bombardment, was of little aid, and Oglethorpe was obliged to rely upon his batteries and the hope that Monteano's meager supply of pro- visions would give out. The shallow bar, allowing less than ten feet, was a chief factor in favor of the Spaniards, as they would have soon been forced to surrender had the Englisli ves- sels been able to come in. It does not appear clearly why, witli a knowledge of this circumstance, Oglethorpe had not ])ro- vided liimself with sufficient vessels of less draught, l)ut it was probably difficult to do so. It is said on English authority, and is not unlikely, that the majorit}^ of the people in 8t. Augustine were in favor of a sur- render on condition that they should be permitted to go to Havana, but the governor and the bishop, who, it is said, had come to a knowledge of the time the English men-of-war in- tended to stay, would not consent. It was a question of how long the Spanish garrison and peo])le of the town could wait for the supplies they anticipated and greatly needed. Oglethorpe had guarded the Matanzas entrance at the south end of Anastasia Island, but, to effectually prevent the passage of boats, he should have occupied a point commanding the island passage. So the siege went on, cannon against cannon ; the batteries continued to play upon the town and fort but with indifferent success, owing to the short range of the guns, the want of skill in handling the mortars, but still more to the peculiar nature of the material of which the fort was built, be- ing constructed of stone formed by the natural aggregation and cementing of small shells thoroughly compacted, soft and yielding in appearance, but offering very much the same re- sistance as cotton or a bank of sand. The shot from Ogle- thor2>e's cannon bedded in the wall to about their own diameter, but made no fracture. These indentations are still visible on the walls of the fort. With such guns as were then used, and at such a long distance, the fort was virtually impregnable to HISTORY OF FLORIDA 141 a b()iii1)ar(lment. The English chiimed that all the shells Hred, except three, broke either in the town or the fort; hut Montcano, in a report to the governor of Cuba, says that up to the 6th of July, although one hundred and fifty-three shells had fallen, neither the garrison nor the people had received any injury, which indicates great good luck or l)ad gunnery. Although the entrance at Matanzas was guarded by one of the English vessels, the better port of ^losquito, forty miles below, was open, and vessels could enter there, place their cargoes on small boats to be carried up the Halifax to the intervening haul-over, and thus reach St. Augustine through the inland passage by jMatanzas l\iver. Montcano had learned something of Oglethorpe's con- dition through deserters. Some Chickasaw Indians brought to Oglethorpe the head of a Spanish Indian as a trophy, but the general, wholly unaccustomed to the barbarities of savage war- fare, spurned the offering and called the Indians brutes, which was a righteous but not a politic speech. The Indians were greatly exasperated, and, unaccustomed to the slow and fruit- less progress of a siege, soon after deserted. Oglethorpe had realized the inefficiency of his batteries, but hoped still to reduce the place by starvation, until, on the 27th of June, he was informed by the captain of the vessel which lay off Matanzas bar that he had seen lying at Mosquito bar a large sloop, two schooners, and some launches. Montcano says that on the 7th of July he received intelligence that vessels had ar- rived at Mosquito bringing him supplies. Allowing for the dif- ference in computation of time, it appears that Montcano and Oglethorpe must have been informed about the same time of the arrival of the vessels, which brought a great relief to Mon- tcano and a great discouragement to Oglethorpe. On the same day the commander of the fleet informed Oglethorpe that, on account of the easterly winds, he would be obliged to ship his anchors and stand off. Oglethorpe seems then to have contemplated making a night 142 HISTORY OF FLORIDA assault, at least so a deserter informed Monteano, and that it was the intention of the English to attack him during one of the dark nights that were approaching. In the mean time the Spanish supply vessels were safely discharged at Mosquito, and the transshipment hy the inland route was begun and carried on safely, until rendered unnecessary by the removal of the English blockading vessel at Matanzas inlet. On the 3d of July Colonel Yanderdussen's scouts on Anastasia Island dis- covered launches coming \\\) Matanzas River, and he thereupon went with a detachment to the narrows, hoping to cut off the passage of the launches, but was driven off by the armed galleys which now guarded the river. The next day the question of abandoning the siege was dis- cussed by the English commanders. Colonel Vanderdussen, it is said, opposed the withdrawing, but Oglethorpe felt that the means at his command were wholly inadequate for attaining his purpose. Many of the men were sick, the fleet had withdrawn, and the Spanish were known to have received supplies, so that there was no longer any hope of reducing them by starvation. It was thereupon decided to raise the siege and abandon the enterprise for the present. On the 7th of July most of the guns from the batteries were placed on board the ships, which went out on the 9th. I'liree six-pounders were buried in the sand at Point Cartel, and one eighteen-poimder at the battery nearest the fort. The troops marched on the 10th, " with banners flying and drums beating," but were unable to provoke an attack from Monteano, he thinking, doubtless, " that prudence was the better part of valor." The loss at Fort Moosa was the only serious one sustained l)y the English. The Carolina regi- ment lost, besides eight men by sickness, four by accident and two by desertion by the enemy. The failure of the expedition created great dissatisfaction in Carolina, and, as usual, recriminations were indulged in ; dis- putes arose between the Carolina and Georgia partisans, each HISTORY OF FLORIDA 1-13 endeavoring to throw the entire responsibility of failure upon the other. A court-martial exonerated General Oglethorpe. Monteano was informed by deserters that it was the purpose of Oglethorpe to returii in the following winter with a larger force, and he accordingly labored with great diligence to strengthen his position and urge upon the governor of Cuba the necessity of sending him reinforcements. The fort had sustained no material injury in the bombardment, but more troops were needed, for, according to Monteano's statement, he had only a nominal force of seven hundred and lifty men, and of thes# only three hundred could be relied upon for active duty. He asked for three hundred and ninety-four more to enable him to resist the expected attack of Oglethorpe. These three hundred to be " men-at-arms, mulattoes, and free ne- groes," to be sent immediately, and the regulars and the artil- lery not later than the ensuing December. Eight companies of infantry were sent to Monteano, and the following spring, finding that the expected attack from the English did not take place, the Spanish governor advised that South Carolina and Georgia should be attacked. A destructive fire had occurred in Charleston, consuming three hundred of the best buildings, and the province being greatly depressed by heavy indebtedness, on account of the Florida expedition, Mon- teano thought the time a favorable one to make an invasion with a good promise of success. Monteano's suggestion docs ]iot appear to have received immediate attention, and the year 1T41 passed without active 0})eration on either side. CHAPTER XXIV Governor Monteano's attack upon Oglethorpe at St. Simon's Island — The signal victory achieved by Oglethorpe over the Spaniards. A.D. 1742 In the spring of 1742 an expedition was organized in Havana to operate against the English settlements in Georgia. It con- sisted of some two thousand men from Havana, to be joined at St. Augustine by a portion of the garrison at that phice. Some delay occurred at St. Augustine in getting ready to join the troops from Havana. In the mean time Oglethorpe had become apprised of the movement, and sent a message to the governor of Carolina, asking aid from that quarter. He also communicated with friendly tribes and secured their assistance. Xo effort was spared to strengthen his position and to use to the best advan- tage his limited means of defense. He constructed a fort and battery at the entrance of St. Simon's Sound, and to some ex- tent fortified the town of Frederica, but the aid from Carolina failed to arrive, and he was left to meet the attack as best he could. The Spanish fleet appeared off St. Simon's bar on the 5th of July. It consisted of thirty-six sail^ with Governor Monteano in command. Oglethorpe had mounted guns on a merchant ship and two schooners in the harbor, and kept up a steady fire from these vessels, from the fort, and from a battery he had constructed on shore. After four hours' engagement Monteano passed the fort and batteries and sailed up the river. Oglethorpe then decided to destroy his guns in the battery at Fort St. Simon's and retreat to Frederica, which was about eiglit mill's distant, on the banks of tlie south branch of the HISTORY OF FLORIDA 145 Altamalia. The Spaniards moved up to a point about four miles below Frederica, landed some five thousand men, and marched to the abandoned fort and made an entrenched camp. Among- the troops landed was a regiment of artillery, a regi- ment of dismounted dragoons, a regiment of negroes, and anotlier of mulattoes, besides the Havana battalion and the St. Augustine forces. A detachment marched on the following day towards Frederica, and approached within a mile of that place before their presence was known. Oglethorpe, with a portion of his force, hastened to meet them, and charged them with such effect that nearly all of the party, consisting of one hun- dred and sixty, were either killed or wounded or taken pris- oners. The pursuit was continued several miles to a savanna Ijordcred by woods, in which he placed three platoons and a company of Highlanders in a position to connnand the passage through which the Spanish forces would be oldiged to pass. Oglethorpe returned to Frederica, but the Spanish force, having immediately advanced upon his troops and driven part of them in retreat, were returning to their camp, and, having stacked arms, were taking a rest, when they were suddenly attacked from ambush and entirely routed, and but few escaped to their camp. A few days afterwards the Spanish galleys attempted an attack on Frederica by water, but were repulsed and forced to return to the fleet. Oglethorpe learned that in the action at the marsh Monteano lost four ca})tains and over two hun- (h'ed men, and that a numl)er had also Ijeen killed in passing the l)atteries. The p]nglish general determined to avail himself of the evi- dent discouragement prevailing in the Spanish camj), and l)y a night attack still further demoralize them. He accordingly marched his forces at night to the neighborhood of the Spanish camp, l)ut the desertion of a Frenchman, who fired off his piece and in the confusion fled to the enemy, disconcerted his plans and caused him to abandon the attack. 10 146 HISTORY OF FLORIDA This apparently unfortunate incident was, however, turned to good account by tlie ready genius of Oglethorj)e. Calling in one of his Spanish jirisoners, he gave him a sum of money and ])romised him his liherty if he would carry a letter to the French deserter, which he promised he would faithfully do. This letter was written in French, and purjiorted to bo written by a friend of the Frenchman, desiring him to 2:)ersuade the Spanish that the P]nglish forces were weak and could be easily overcome, and he was then to induce the S})aniards, if possible, to allow him to pilot them np a safe passage to the English fort, but he was to bring them directly upon concealed batteries, and, if he was not able to do that, to nse all of his influence to keep them at least three days more in camp at St. Simon's, as within that time, according to advices just received, the English would be reinforced by two thousand infantry and six men-of-war, which had already sailed from Charleston ; and, by way of postscript, he was cautioned against mentioning that Admiral Vernon was aljout to make a descent upon St. Augustine. When the Span- iard arrived in camp he was asked how he escaped and whether he had any letters, but denying that he had any, he was strictly searched and the letter found on him. Under promise of par- don, he confessed that he had received money to deliver it to the Frenchman, for the letter was not directed to the Frenchman, l)ut he denied knowing the writer or any of its contents, and ju-otested that he was not a spy. As he had been employed by Monteano as a spy among the English, upon trial he was con- demned as douldy a spy. Some, however, regarded it as a de- vice inteiided to deceive ; but just then three sail of vessels be- ing descried, they concluded that the letter must be true, and liastened to get away as soon as possible so as not to be hemmed in. They hastily embarked, abandoning cannon and military stores, even leaving unburied some of the men who had just died of their wounds. Some of their galleys took the inland passage and attacked Fort William, on the south end of Cum- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 147 Ix'rland Island, wliicli wari held by Lieut. John Stuart, well known afterwards as superintendent of Indian affairs. After three hours' boudjardiuent the Spanish forces retired from the attack. The S})anish forces engaged in this expedition amounted to over five thousand men. Most of them were regulars, aided hy a well-equipped fleet. Oglethorpe, with only three armed mer- chant vessels and six hundred men, defeated and forced the re- treat of eight times his own number — an achievement hardly paralleled in history, and which deservedly crowned Oglethorpe with everlasting fame and restored the prestige he had lost by the failure of his attack on St. Augustine. The news of his success filled all the English colonies with rejoicing and a sense of security. In March of the following year Oglethorpe made a sudden descent upon Florida, advancing up to the gates of St. Au- gustine, near which the Indians, who were in advance, attacked and slew forty S])anish soldiers. The Sjjanish garrison re- mained within the walls of the fort, and Oglethorpe retired. No further hostilities occurred, and Oglethorpe's success pro- tected his colony for many years from any further demonstra- tions against it. The garrison at St. Augustine was reduced to a mere defensive force, and in 1750 only five hundred men were on duty there. A treaty was concluded between Great IJritain and Spain in 1748, which caused a suspension of hostili- ties between the colonies. The progress of Freiu-h settlements in the West began to create uneasiness, as a conflict of interests seemed likely to sjiring up between the rival trading houses of the three nations. Upon the renewal of liostilities between Spain and Great Britain in 1702, Havana was captured by the English, which at once cut off St. Augustine from its home government and sources of supply. England had long desired to acquire Flor- ida, in order to complete her colonial boundaries, and the cap- 148 HISTORY OF FLORIDA ture of Havana seemed to offer a favorable opportunity for the acquisition of Florida by arranging for an exchange of Havana for Florida and the Bahamas. This was effected in the ar- rangement of the treaty between England, Spain, and France in February, 1763. By this treaty the provinces of East and West Florida were ceded to Great Britain and Havana restored to Spain. CHAPTER XXV The English occupation of B'lorida — Dr. TurnbuH's colony of Greeks and Minorcans at New Smyrna — Governor Grant's administration. A.D. 1 763-1 770 The change of flags was excessively disagreeable to the Spanish population of Florida. Apart from the feeling engen- dered by long-continued hostilities between themselves and the neighljoring English colonies, there was the rancor of religious antipathies and traditional animosities, more bitter between Sj)aniards and Englishmen than any other people. The nine- teenth article of the treaty between Spain and England pro- vided that Ureat Britain should grant to the inhabitants of the countries ceded " the liberty of the Catholic religion, and that his Britannic ]\rajesty will, in consequence, give the most exact and ell'ectual orders that his new Eoman Catholic subjects may ])rofess the worship of their religion according to the rites of the Roman C*atholic Church so far as the laws of Great Britain permit." It was also agreed that they might leave the country if they desired, a privilege of which the larger number availed them- selves rather than to pass under the flag of Great Britain. On the 7th of October, 1763, the king of Great Britain erected within the countries ceded by the treaty four separate govern- ments, called East Florida, West Florida, Quebec, and Grenada. The government of East Florida was declared to be bounded west by the Gulf of Mexico and the Appalachicola River, to the northward by a line drawn from that part of said river where 150 HISTORY OF FLORIDA the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers meet to the source of the St. Mary's liiver, and thence with, the course of that river to the Atlantic Ocean, and eastward and southward by the Gulf of Florida, including all islands within six leagues of the shore. West Florida was bounded southward by the Gulf of Mexico from the Appalachicola to Lake Ponchartrain, westward hy the same lake. Lake Maurepas, and the Mississippi River, to the northward by a line drawn from that part of the Mississippi which lies in 31 degrees north latitude to the river Appalach- icola, and eastward by this river. It will thus Ije seen that Florida in 1763 embraced all the coast of Alabama and Missis- sippi and a part of the coast of Louisiana. The letters patent constituting the new governments authorized their governors, with the advice and consent of their respective councils, to summon general assemblies, with power to make laws for the public peace, welfare, and good government, as nearly as might be agreeable to the laws of England, and, under certain restric- tions, to establish courts of judicature. This was the first admission of representative government within the limits of Florida, and indicates the source of tlie unexampled success which attended all the etforts of Great Britain in the work of colonization. The narrow and restrictive regulations with which other powers endeavored to control their colonial de- pendencies and which were aggravated by the distance from the seat of power, gave no share of tlie government to tlie colonists themselves, and had a tendency to repress all enterprise and sub- due all public spirit. Colonies are usually increased in num- bers by the favorable re})resentations of their first settlers, and their opinions will be influenced favorably or otherwise quite as much by the institutions of a country as by its physical advantages. The Spanish system of colonial administration advanced none of the material interests of the country ; the inhab- itants were never treated as in any degree capable of govern- HISTORY OF FLORIDA I5l ment, but collected around its garrisoned jjosts as parasites and (lei)endents, contented to live in safety under its protection and satisfied with salaries and petty employments. With the view of encouraging the speedy settlement of the newly ac- quired territories, the English governors were empowered and directed to grant lands without fee or charge to such reduced officers as had served during the late war and to such private soldiers as had been or should be disbanded in America and were actually residing there, and who should jiersonally apply for such gi'ants, subject, at the expiration of ten years, to the same quit-rents as other lands in the provinces in which they were granted, as also to the same conditions of cultivation and improvements. These grants were to be proportioned to the rank of the applicants. A field officer was to receive five thou- sand acres, a captain three thousand acres, a subaltern or staff officer two thousand, every non-commissioned officer tw^o hun- dred, and every private soldier fifty acres. At the time of the cession of Florida to England the Spanish flag had floated over tlie city of St. Augustine for one hundred and ninety years. Within that period the French had made settlements from the Gulf of St. Lawrence westward along the great lakes, on the Ohio, and on the Mississii)pi from the Falls of St. Anthony to the Gulf of Mexico. The English had occupied the whole Atlantic sealjoard with their colonies, wliich now comprised a ])opulation of nearly three millions. At the end of nearly two hundred years from her first occupation of Florida, Spain oc- cu])ied but little more territory than at the beginning, and the entire population of Florida in 1703 hardly exceeded seven thousand S])anish inhabitants, gathered principally within the towns of St. Augustine and Pensacola. The people .-w^ere mostly (lei)endent upon civic and military employment from the government, exhibiting but little industry or enterprise. The change of government of course involved the loss of official employment^ and this portion of the inhabitants withdrew at 15-3 HISTORY OF FLORIDA once to Mexico and the West Indies. The oppressive conduct of Major Ogilvie, who was in temporary command over the jirovinces immediately after the cession, is said to have had much influence in causing the removal of the Spanish inhah- itants, which was so complete that not more than five persons remained, and, had it not been for the efforts of the command- ing officer, the retiring inhabitants would have destroyed every liouse and building in St. Augustine. The Spanish governor destroyed his fine garden, and the inhabitants, before they left, not only assumed to sell their houses in town, but the whole country to a few gentlemen who remained there for that piir- pose. Gen. James Grant was appointed the first English gov- ernor of East Florida in 17()3, and proceeded at once to adopt most salutary measures to i>romote the settlement of the prov- ince and tlie development of its resources. In a proclamation issued October, 17(i7, he especially refers to the great salubrity of the country and the extreme age which its inhaljitants had attained. He referred also to tlie advantages which the climate offered for the production of indigo and the fruits and tropical productions of the West Indies. Under the impetus given by government aid, attention was drawn to Florida, and immigration in every way encouraged. Puldic roads were laid out, and so well constructed that they re- main to this day the best in the State, and are still called the " king's roads.'' Bounties were offered upon indigo, naval stores, etc., in order to stinuilate their production. Pamj^hlets and books descriptive of the country were issued in England, and letters recounting its many advantages appeared in the jiewspaper pul)lieations of the day, and two or more works on Florida, with engraved illustrations, were issued from the press. Commodore George Johnston, of the British navy, who was appointed governor of West Florida, came to Pensacola in 1764 and published a description of the colony with the view HISTORY OF FLORIDA 153 of attracting settlers. Considerable immigration took place, both of white settlers and negro slaves. The road from Fort Barrington, on the St. Mary's River, to St. Augustine, now called the King's Road, was constructed in 1705 by the subscription of several ])ul)lic-spirited gentlemen, aiiKmg whom were Glovernor (J rant, Tjieutenant-Governor Moul- trie, aud Messrs. Forbes, Fish, Izard, Pinkney, Gerard, Walton, J\Ianigault, Oswald, Huger, Henry, Laurens, Elliot, Murray, and others, names indicatiug tluit many distinguished fami- lies of South Carolina l)eariug these names once belonged to Florida. A considerable emigration, consisting of a1)out forty families, went from the Bermudas in 17'(I(i to ^Mosquito, witli the jmrpose of engaging in ship-building. Tlie fine trunks of live-oak in tliat nc'igld)orhood had attracted tlie attention of tlie British government, and was considered one of the most valuable fruits of the acquisition of Florida. An association was formed in London, at tlie head of wliich was Dr. Andrew Turnbull, a Scotch gentleman, having in view the settlement of the large and very valuable body of land lying near ]\Iosquito inlet. They proposed to accomplish this pur- pose by obtaining settlers from the south of Europe and the Mediterranean islands, Minorca, etc., who, placed in a similar climate, might successfully transplant and cultivate the pro- ductions of their own countries in the rich lands of Florida. Sir William Duncan and Dr. Turnbull, at an expense of one hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars, brought from Smyrna, tlie Greek islands, Italy, and IMinorca, aljout fifteen hundred people under indentures, and formed a settlement at Mosquito, which they named New Smyrna. Their indentures required the settlers, in consideration of the sum paid for iheir passage and support, to labor for the proprietors a certain number of years, at the end of which they were to be entitled to receive allotments of land in jjroportion to the number in their families. irA HISTORY OF FLOE ID A The location of the settleiiieiit was well chosen, in a very mild climate, situated upon a river abounding in fish, turtle, and oysters ; the forest abounding in deer, wild turkeys, and other game ; large bodies of land, rich and productive when drained, bordered by a dry and salulirious seashore and pine forests. Much labor was expended in buildings, opening canals, ex- cavated in part in solid rock; ditches, and various other im- provements, the remains of which still exist. The operations of the colony were carried on with much system, and, it is said, Willi success. Indigo and sugar-cane were the principal articles cultivated, but vines, fig trees, and also other fruit trees were ])lanted. The arrival of the English at Pensacola with a large numbei' of troops to gai'rison the place gave a consideraljle impulse to the growth of the town, and, being now made the capital of the colonial government of the province of West Florida, added to its im])ortance. Extensive barracks were constructed, the city laid out in a formal manner, and the military quarters extended. The expenditures of the British government in supporting the colony during the last three years of English occupation amounted to the large sum of four hundred and five thousand ])ounds. Governor Johnston resigned the position of governor of West Florida in ITGfi, and was succeeded by Montacute Brown, the lieutenant-governor, who was superseded in 1773 by Gov. Peter Chester, who built a new fort, called Fort George, on Gage Hill, which was quite an extensive work, and included within its precincts the council chamber of the province and the public oflices. Governor Grant continued to fill the office of governor of East Florida until 1771, and by his wise and judicious ad- ministration of public affairs acquired the respect and affection of the peo])le as well as the confidence of the home government. During this period the colony received a large accession of in- habitants of the best class from South Carolina, among whom HISTORY OF FLORIDA 155 was Major Moultrie, afterwards licutoiiaiit-governor of the ])rovinee, and William Drayton, l^]s(}., who became chief-justice. Several Englisli iiol)lemen, amon^' whom were Lords (iran- ville, Ilillshorough, Egmont, and Hawk, received large grants of land upon the condition of settlement and cultivation. Sev- eral gentlemen of fortune also received grants upon the same conditions, among the most prominent of whom were Eichard Oswald and Dennis Kolle. Mr. Oswald established a plantation on the Halifax, still designated as Mount Oswald, and Mr. Rolle at Rollestown, above Palatka. There were also settlements made at Beresford and at Spring Glarden. The cultivation of sugar-cane was begun on the Halifax, and under the fostering care of the British government would in a few years have be- come a very important industry in Florida. In 1773 Governor Chester concluded to call a legislative as- sembly in West Florida, and issued writs for the election of members to that body. The writs fixed the term of assembly- men at three years. The people generally ol)jected to a longer term than one year, and cast ballots so conditioned. This the governor refused to recognize, so, as neither ])arty would yield, no assembly was convened. The American Revolution drove many loyalists to seek safety in Florida. The larger part went to East Florida, but many went to Pensacola. Among these was William Panton, Esq., the head of the great trading house of Panton, Leslie & Co., which added very largely to the busi- ness and jn'osperity of Pensacola. The colony established 1)y Dr. Turnl)ull at New Smyrna in 17G7 remained until 1776. Having put the land in proper con- dition for cultivation, they began the cultivation of indigo, which then bore a high price in the London market. The net value of their first crop reached the sum of three thousand dol- lars; but difficulties soon arose between the agents of the pro- prietors and the colonists, the latter alleging that the pro- })rietors had not complied with their contracts, and that they 156 HISTORY OF FLORIDA were restricted in the quantity of provisions allowed them, and otherwise treated with great tyranny and injustice. In 1769 a revolt had taken place among them in consequence of the in- fliction of severe punishments upon some of their number. The insurrection was put down, and the leaders brought to St. Au- gustine for trial. Five of the number were convicted and sen- tenced to death, two of wliom were jMrdoned by the governor, and a third released upon the condition of his becoming the executioner of the remaining two. He at first declined to be- come the executioner of his friends, but the condemned men generously urged him to accept the condition. The New Smyrna colony at its establishment numbered fourteen hun- dred ])ersons, but in nine years had l)ecome reduced by deatb to al)out six hundred. In the year 177(5 two of their nundjer cauie to St. Augustine and placed before Mr. Yonge, the attorney-general, a statement of their wrongs and grievances. Proceedings were instituted in the civil trilnmals of St. Au- gustine which resulted in a decree requiring the indentures to he canceled and the colonists released from their engagements to the proprietors. Liberal offers were made to induce them to remain at New Smyrna as freeholders, continuing the cultiva- tion of their lands, but the colonists had suffered so much from sickness and trouble that they were unwilling to stay longer. The entire number removed to St. Augustine, where they re- ceived allotments in tbe northern part of the city, which is oc- cupied by their descendants at the present day. Of the char- acter of Dr. Turnbull we have but little knowledge, except the prejudicial inferences to be derived from this transaction. He was a Scotchman, and was undoubtedly strict and exacting in business transactions. The colony which he established at New Smyrna must have been an almost total loss, as it was abandoned before it could have reached the point when it would have proved remunerative. The location, althougli highly favorable, and reoccupied in part before the Indian HISTORY OF FLORIDA 157 war of 1835, has never since been occupied to any great extent in plantations, but at some future day will no doubt be the center of a large, highly cultivated, and wealthy community. Governor Grant retired from office in 1771, and was suc- ceeded by Lieutenant-Governor Moultrie, who occupied the position until 1774, when Patrick Tonyn came out to assume the government of East Florida. Upon his arrival he issued a proclamation to the royalists of Georgia, South Carolina, etc., inviting them to remove to Florida, and promising them the ])rotoction and patronage of the government. A considerable number availed themselves of his invitation, and settled upon i)lantations in the neighborhood of St. Augustine and on the St. John's River. The transfer of Florida to Great Britain was too recent and was too great and favorable a change from its former condition to allow the growth of the feeling of disaffection which per- vaded the other Xorth American colonies. There were some in Florida, however, who were in sympathy with the American colonies. CHAPTER XXVI Florida during the Revoluiioiuiry War — Burning of Hancock and Adams in efligy upon the public square in St. Augustine — Leading citizens of^ South Carolina sent to St. Augustine as prisoners of war — The Span- iards capture Pensacola from the English. A.D. 1776-1781 Upon the news being received at St. Augustine of the adop- tion by Congress of the Declaration of Independence the ef- figies of John Hancock and John Adams were burned upon the public square where the monument to the Constitution now stands. A British vessel called the Betsey, commanded by Captain Loftliouse, and having on board one hundred and eleven l)arrels of powder, was captured off St. Augustine l)ar in August, 1775, by a privateer from South Carolina, in plain view of the garrison. This capture was very mortifying to the English governor, and, in order to avenge the insult, he im- mediately ordered a predatory expedition to march against the frontier settlements of Georgia, under the command of Colonel Brown, wlio afterwards became prominent as a partisan leader. Privateers were also fitted out, and a fort erected at the mouth of the St. Mary's River for their protection and that of their prizes. East Florida, with the inauguration of active hostilities be- tween Great Britain and her colonies, began to assume more im- portance as a rendezvous and base of operations. The gover- nor called out the militia in the summer of 177fi to join the royal troops in resisting what he called " the perfidious insinu- ations " of the neighboring colonies, and repelling their future HISTORY OF FLORIDA 159 incursions into the provinco, and to prevent any more infatu- ated men from joining tlieir " traitorous ncigliljors." It woidd a})pear from this tliat some persons from Florida liad joined the Americans. I'resident Gwinnett, of Georgia, issued a procla- mation offering protection to the persons and property of those wlio would join the American standard in opposition to tyranny. In addition to the rangers, ^\ho were considered as regularly enrolled, there was a volunteer militia organized and officered under their own choice. Many loyalists now hegan to arrive from Georgia and Carolina, wdio increased the effective strength of the province as well as introduced an element of additional bitterness towards the rebel colonies. An invasion of Florida was now contemplated by the patriots in Georgia, and forces for that purpose were directed to assend^le in Burke County, but the movement was not carried into eff'ect. The province was at the same time threatened by the Indian tribes friendly to the American cause. An expedition against Georgia was placed under the coinmand of Colonel Fuser, of the Sixtieth Regiment, who, with a force of five hundred infantry and several pieces of artillery, made an attack on Sunbury, in Georgia, but failed and retired to Florida. During the year 1778 nearly seven thou- sand loyalists from Carolina and Georgia moved into Florida. Governor Houston, of Georgia, in conjunction with General Howe, projected an attack upon St. Augustine in the spring of 1778, but, owing to sickness among the people, disagreements of commanders, and deficiency of supplies, the exjiedition was not undertaken. To meet the expected attack a force uiider command of Colonel Fuser marched from.St. Augustine to the St. John's, but proceeded no farther, contenting themselves with erecting a fortification at St. John's Bluff. Further alarm was created by the sudden death of Captain Skinner, deputy superintendent of Indian affairs, an active and energetic officer, exercising great influence among the Indian tribes. 160 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Eeinforcements having been received at St. Augustine, Major Provost, who had been promoted to the rank of general, leaving the militia to guard the jjrovince, advanced in December, 1778, to join in the attack to be made upon Savannah by forces from New York. The attack upon the fort at Sunbury and upon Savannah by the force under General Provost proved success- ful, and this officer's gallant defense of Savannah in 1779, against the combined attack of the forces of D'Estaing and Lincoln, added very greatly to his reputation. After Charleston had fallen into the hands of the British forces the general in command at that place, in order to re- move from Carolina those whom he supposed to have been the principal promoters of the revolutionary cause, in August, 1780, selected some forty gentlemen of high standing to be transferred to St. Augustine, and, at a later period, twenty- three more were added to their number, including a few from ISTorth Carolina. These gentlemen were taken early in the morning from their beds and placed on the transports in viola- tion of the parole which had l)een given them. Upon their arrival at St. Augustine, upon giving new paroles, they were allowed the freedom of the city. General Gadsden refused to accept a parole, and bore a close confinement in the fort for forty-two weeks. They were subjected to many annoyances, cut off from all intelligence of their friends, and were told by high authority that the blood of the brave but unfortunate Andre would be required at their hands. They remained at St. Augustine for nearly a twelvemonth, until 1780, when they were sent to Philadelphia to be exchanged. An order was is- sued in 1780 by Sir Guy Carleton directing the entire evacua- tion of the province of East Florida, but, remonstrances having been forwarded, the order was countermanded. The letters patent of the king in 1763 had provided for colonial assemblies in both East and West Florida, but it was not until 1780 that Governor Tonyn called a general assembly HISTORY OF FLORIDA 161 in East Florida, wliich assemljled iu Dcccmher, 1780. The assembly seems to have confined itself to the enactment of a few laws of local im})ortance and the organization of the militia. The condition of the province at this period was very pros- perous, its agricultural productions were increasing, its com- merce was very considerable, and it is hardly to be doubted that, had Florida remained a British colony, it would have e([ualed any of the seaboard States in population. During the year 177U fifty schooners entered the port of St. Augustine, coastwise, and several square-rigged vessels in the trade to London and Liverpool. In 1771 five vessels arrived from London, seven from New York, and eleven from Charleston, and there were imported one thousand negroes, of whom one hundred and nineteen came direct from Africa. Forty thousand pounds of indigo and forty thousand l)arrels of naval stores were exported during the year 1779. A large trade was also carried on in peltries by Panton, Leslie & Co. and other Indian trading houses. The Spanish governor of Louisiana, Don Bernado de Galvez, who had, in 1779, captured the English post at Baton Eouge, in March, 1781, made an investment of Pensacola with a very superior force. The place was strongly fortified and held by a garrison of one thousand men, under the command of General Campbell. The English occupied a strong fort, called Fort George, which was bravely defended for a long time against the superior force of Galvez. The Spaniards were unable to nuike any impression until, by an unlucky accident, a shell entered the magazine of Fort George at the moment that it was opened to take out ammunition. The explosion carried away the principal redoubt, and forced General Campbell to capitulate upon honorable terms. The garrison was carried to Havana and thence to New York to strengthen the British forces there. The condition of affairs rendered it out of the question at 11 163 HISTORY OF FLORIDA that time to attempt the recapture of Pensacola or any of the other places captured by the 8})anish forces in that quarter, and all the military posts remained in the possession of Spain until they were formally receded to her shortly afterwards. The mortification which the British government experienced in the loss of West Florida, Pensacola, Moljile, and Baton Rouge was in part compensated by the capture of the Bahama Islands by two armed l)rigs, under the command of Colonel Devereux, and whicli were fitted out at St. Augustine. At the close of the American Eevolution the English government having acknowledged the independence of the colonies, assumed that the provinces of East and West Florida had become of little value to the crown, as all the others had passed from under the British flag, and it was proposed to make a recession of these provinces, and also of Minorca, for the comparatively insig- nificant Bahama Islands. Almost the first intelligence the Florida people received of the coming disaster was the promul- gation of the treaty on" the 3d of September ceding East and West Florida to Spain. The unfortunate inhabitants of Florida were placed in a most miserable predicament. Many of them had left the adjoining colonies in consequence of their adher- ence to the royal cause, and could not return. Their property consisted largely of lands and slaves, and they had no place of refuge except the unwelcome rocks and barren islets of the Bahamas. In June, 1781, Governor Zespedez, the new Spanish gover- nor, arrived at St. Augustine with a few troops to take possession of Florida for the king of Spain. The English government had sent to the mouth of the St. Mary's a fleet of transports to re- move the inhabitants of East Florida. Some returned to Eng- land, some went to Nova Scotia, and others to the Bahamas. A large number carried their slaves to Jamaica. Afterwards some who had gone to Florida from the adjacent colonies re- turned to their old homes, trusting to the generosity of the HISTORY OF FLORIDA 163- people to obliterate past differences. Thirteen hnndred and seventy-two negroes were carried l)ack to Sonth Carolina. Some few English families remained, as also the entire settlement of Greeks and ilinorcans who had come up from Dr. Tnrnbull's colony at Xew fSmyrna. As they were mostly Roman Catho- lics, they were not alTected in any degree by the change of rulers except by the declension of the colony under Spanish rule. CHAPTER XXVII Reoccupation of the Floridas by Sjiain — Transfer to France of all West Florida beyond the Perdido — Cession of Louisiana — Patriot invasion of Florida with the United States troops in 1813-1813 — General New- nan's invasion of Alachua and defeat — General Clinch's destruction of the negro fort — General Jackson's capture of Pcnsacola and war upon the Seminoles. A.D. 17S3-1817 Upon the reoccupation of Florida l)y the Spaniards in 1781 but few of its former inhabitants returned. They had 1)ecome settled in other lands, and made new homes and occupations. The fine estates upon the coast and on the St. John's River left by the retiring English proprietors remained unoccupied, a prey to that rapid decay which so soon reclaims to native wildncss the labor of years. Some inducements were held out in the shape of land grants to induce settlers, but were accompanied with conditions which rendered them undesirable. Eventually the land grants be- came the reward of civil or military service. In 1 795 Spain re- ceded to France all that portion of West Florida lying west of the Perdido River, thus cutting of! from West Florida the most valuable and important portion of her territory. The progress of the great campaigns in Europe in which Spain was so deeply interested left the Floridas with but little care from the home government. White, who was for many years the governor of Florida, had strong prejudices against the Americans and op- posed their settlement in the province. In the mean time France, in the year 1803, agreed to cede the territory of Loui- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 165 siana to the United States for the pecuniary consideration of lifteen millions of dollars. Thus, at the end of two hundred and thirty years, France withdrew from the last of her posses- sions in North America. One by one she had parted with them all, and sold for a few millions of dollars an empire in extent. Upon the cession of Louisiana, the United States enclosed the S]>anish possession within narrow limits. In the year 1811 dif- ficulties between the United States and Great Britain began to assume a threatening aspect. On the north the Canadian prov- inces extended along the entire border, offering every advantage for assailing the people on the frontiers. It was suspected that a design was on foot to seize Florida, and thus secure to Great Britain a frontier along the whole southern border. The mat- ter was thought to be of sufficient importance by the President to have it brought before Congress, and, in secret session, a resolution was passed authorizing the President, in the event of an attempt being made by any foreign power (Great Britain) to get possession of Florida, to occupy that territory by the American forces. The President appointed General IMat- thews, of Georgia, and Col. John MeKee commissioners to con- fer with the Spanish authorities and endeavor to procure a temporary cession of the province to the United States. The Spanish government declined to do this ; but a number of peo- ple who anticipated the forcible seizure of Florida by the United States assembled at St. Mary's, Ga., and organized them- selves as Patriots, seeking to establish a republican government in Florida. A provisional government was formed and officers elected. Gen. J. H. Mcintosh was chosen governor and di- rector of Florida, and Colonel Ashley ^as appointed military chief. This was, however, never more than a })aper govern- ment for a few hours. Fernandina had at this time acquired considerable importance as a de])ot of neutral trade. The de])th of water on the bar was greater than at any other port, and as many as one hundred and fifty square-rigged vessels, 166 HISTORY OF FLORIDA it is said, could have been counted at one time in the harbor ; ])ut its population did not exceed six hundred persons. In 1813 a small >Si)anish garrison held j^ossession of the place. It was deemed important to the United States to secure pos- session of Fernandina, and nine American gun-boats, under the command of Commodore C^anipljell, had come into the harbor under the pretence of protecting American interests. General Matthews having determined upon the occupation of Fernan- dina, used the Patriot organization as a cover to effect his ])ur- pose. The gun-boats were drawn up in line in front of the town, with their guns bearing upon the fort. Colonel Ashley tlien embarked his Patriots in boats and approached the town with a summons demanding its surrender. The commandant, Don Jose Lopez, seeing a line of gun-boats with their guns turned upon the towu, flyiiig tlie flag of a neutral power, but ju'cpared to enforce the demand of the so i-dison I Patriots, had no alternative but to haul down the Spanisli flag. Articles of cajiitulatiou were dul}^ signed between Don Jose Lopez and J. H. Mcintosh, commissioners of the Patriots. The fifth article of capitulation provided that the island should, twenty-four hours after the surrender, be ceded to the United States. The next day the Patriot flag was hauled down, and Lieutenant Iiidgeley, of the United States navy, took possession and raised ilie United States flag over the fort. This comedy having been played. Colonel Ashley, with a force of three hundred Patriots, marched near to St. Augustine and encamped. Colonel Smith, of the United States army, with a detachment of one hundred regulars, here joined the Patriots. Colonel Ashley was deposed fromhiscommand,and William Craig,oneof the Patriot judges, put in his place. Colonel Estrada, then acting governor of East Florida, put some guns on a schooner and shelled the camp at Moosa, compelling the Patriot forces to fall back to Pass Navarro, where they entrenched themselves, but, finding their force insufficient to take St. Auffustine, the Patriot forces fell HISTORY OF FLORIDA 167 back to tlie St. John's Kiver, leaving Colonel Smith's command at Pass Navarro. On the 12th of May a detachment of United States troops, mostly invalids, under the command of Lieutenant Williams, United States Marine Corps, with a number of wagons from Colonel Smith's camp, were attacked by a company of negroes sent out from St. Augustine, under command of one Prince, who, concealing themselves in Twelve Mile Swamp, poured in from a dense thicket a deadly volley upon the United States troops. Lieutenant Williams fell, mortally wounded by six bullets. Cnptain Fort, of tlie Milledgeville Volunteers, was wounded and a non-commissioned officer and six privates were killed. The soldiers instantly charged upon the negroes, who broke and fled. The S])anish minister at W^ashington remonstrated with the American government against this violation of treaty obliga- tions, and the British minister protested against this invasion of neutral territory. The President was much embarrassed, but pursued the usual course of those in power, ignored the acts of- (ileneral Matthews, declared that he had transcended liis instructions, and regretted the mistake. General Matthews was relieved, and Governor Mitchell, of Georgia, was appointed in his place. Upon receiving intelli- gence of the attack upon Lieutenant Williams's detachment of United States troops. Governor Mitchell promptly called for re- inforcements to enable him to attack St. Augustine. In the mean time Governor Kindelan had been sent out to Florida as governor, and in June made a formal demand for the with- drawal of Colonel Smith's command from the province. The President, finding Congress unwilling to enter into hostilities with Spain, ordered the withdrjtwal of the United States troojis. The Indians in the interior, under their chiefs Payne and Bowlegs, had begun a predatory warfare upon the settlements, 1G8 JIISTOIiY OF FLORIDA carrying off live stocky bvirning houses, and stealing negroes, and were preparing to extend their incursions into Georgia. Colonel jSTewnan, inspector-general of Georgia, who had come as a volunteer, offered to lead a party against Payne's town in Alachua. Organizing a command from the Patriots in Florida of one hundred and ten men, he undertook to penetrate to the Indian towns and attack two formidable chiefs surrounded hy their warriors. Crossing the St. John's at Picolata, Newnan arrived on the third day at the foot of Lake Pithlachocco, now called New-' nan's Lake, a few miles distant from Payne's town, near Mi- canopy. They here encountered about one hundred and fifty warriors under Payne and Bowlegs. King Payne, mounted on a white horse, displayed great gallantry in leading his men into action. Newnan's men feigned a retreat and drew the Indians out in pursuit, when, suddenly turning on them, they killed a large numl^er and mortally wounded King Payne. The Indians fled, but returned at night and renewed the attack upon Newnan's forces, who had in tlie meanwhile entrenched them- selves. The engagement lasted for several hours, but the steady valor of the whites forced the Indians finally to retreat, carrying off their dead and wounded. Newnan, however, was kept besieged for eight days, until, under cover of night, he was able to withdraw his men and retreated towards the St. John's. The Indians followed in pursuit, but were repulsed, and Newnan's force, met by a relieving force, reached Picolata in safety. A state of anarchy prevailed, and the Patriots re- taliated, plundering and destroying nearly all the outlying plantations, for which the United States was eventually held responsible to a large amount. The American troojis were not finally withdrawn until 1813. Governor Mitchell had been superseded as commissioner by General Pinckney. The civil war which had been carried on under the sanction of the United States troops had prevailed for eighteen months, and had HISTORY OF FLORIDA 169 Lrokcn up and disheartened the phmters, who saw the fruits of their industry made the prey of lawless invaders, their homes rendered insecure, their stock carried off, their slaves scattered, their crops and fences destroyed, and all they possessed pil- laged and plundered under the immunity and protection af- forded hy the flag of the United States. The planters retired to St. Augustine and sought shelter under the protection of the guns of the fort. Florida was in the condition of a conquered province for nearly two years. The war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain to some extent involved Flor- ida. In Augusts 1814, a British fleet entered the harbor of Pensacola and landed troops, which were placed in garrison in Forts St. Michel and Barpancas with the assent of Governor Manriquez. The British flag was raised over the forts, and the Indians of the region taken under the British protection and incited to carry on hostilities against the United States, being furnished with arms and ammunition and promised liberal bounties. General Jackson was directed by the United States government to counteract these movements, and, having raised a body of troops, mainly in Tennessee, marched against Pensa- cola. A flag which he sent forward to open communication with the S])anish governor was fired upon, and he immedi- ately determined to storm tlie town. Marcliing his troops to the eastward of the city, he pushed forward his column for a direct assault. The town was protected by Fort St. Michel, several batteries, and by some vessels of war in the harljor. The ad- vance of General Jackson was rapid, and his troops soon entered the streets of the city. A Spanish battery of two guns, which had been placed so as to sweep the street with grape and can- ister, was stormed and captured by Major Laval. The town soon yielded, and Fort St. Michel was abandoned by the British troo]>s. The fort at Barrancas was blown up by Colonel Nicliols, llie English commander, who, with tlie garrison aiid Indian allies, went out to sea and erected a new fort on the 170 HISTORY OF FLORIDA A])])alachicola Eiver. After holding the town two clays, Gen- eral Jackson withdrew his forces and proceeded to New Orleans. Colonel Nichols, having been driven out of Pensacola, de- voted his attention to organizing a negro and Indian rendezvous on the Appalachicola Eiver, as a place of refuge for runaway negroes, who, in connection with the Indians, might operate against the American settlements. Selecting a suitable location, he superintended the ])uilding of a strong fortification upon a high bluff, well protected by a deep morass in the rear. A garrison of three hundred British troops was placed in the fort, and it was made a central rendez- vous for the Creeks and Bluestick tribes. During the following year a large nural)er of runaway negroes congregated and settled in the region along tlie banksof the Appalachicola for somefifty miles, l:)idding defiance to both Spanish and Americans. After the close of the war with Great Britain \\\q, British garrison was witlulrawn, and the fort was left in the hands of the runaway negroes. It was armed with nine guns, and the negroes were well su))])]icd with small-arms and ammunition. Thus situated, it commanded the navigation of the A])])alachieola and Flint Jvivers. Col. Duncan L. Clinch was stationed at Camp Craw- ford, on the Appalacliicola River, some distance above the negro fort. The negroes having attacked and killed a midshipman and four men belonging to a naval vessel down tlie river, (*olonel Clinch, with the regulars and two considerable bodies of friendly Indians, determined to attack and destroy the fort. Bringing up two gun-boats from below, he established a battery opposite the fort and invested it in the rear. A shot from one of the gun-boats soon entered the magazine and blew up the fort, destroying nearly the whole of the garrison and the people who were within the fort. A large amount of property was cap- tured, and one hundred and sixty barrels of ]wwdernvere saved from an uninjured magazine. The negro commander and the ITISTORY OF FLORIDA 171 outlawed Choeiaw cliiel' were condeniiied iu deatli l)y a council of the friendly Indians for the murder of the midshipina]! and seamen, and were immediately executed. The runaway Spanish negroes were turned over to tlie Span- ish authorities, and the American negroes delivered to Colonel Clinch, to he restored to their owners. A hody of Seminoles had started to assist the negro fort, but turned back when they learned of its capture. Instigated by the English emissaries, Nichols and Woodbine, the Seminoles, with scattered bands from other tribes, con- tinued to annoy tlie frontier settlements. In January, 1818, General Jackson nuide a treaty with the Creeks, and engaged them to join him in an attack upon the Seminoles of Florida. With a force of five hundred regulars and one thousand militia and nearly two thousand Indians, he started upon his expedi- tion, and, marching rapidly upon the Miceosukee towns, he de- stroyed them, aud also the Fowl towns, meeting with but little resistance. lie then marched upon Fort St. Mark's, which was strongly fortified and had twenty guns mounted upon its ram- parts. The fort surrendered without resistance, and Prophet Francis and another Indian chief were made prisoners and im- mediately hanged. At Miceosukee General Jackson found three hundred scalps of men, women, and children, most of them freshly taken. From St. ]\Iark\s General Jackson marched to the Suwanee Itiver, near Old Town, where he dispersed a large number of Indians and took many prisoners, among them two Englishmen, Arbuthnot and Ambrister, who were accused of being the chief agents in supplying the Indians with arms and ammunition and directing their operations against the whites. They were condemned by a court-martial, one to be shot and the other hanged, and the sentence was promptly executed. Learning that the Spanish governor at Pensacola was furnishing arms to the hostile Indians, General Jackson marched against that 170 72 HISTORY OF FLORIDA place, which at once cai)itiilated, the governor and most of the troops having retired to the fort at Barrancas. This was in- vested, and, after a few hours' cannonade, was surrenderee!. General Jackson estahlished a provisional government for West Florida, making Colonel King civil and military governor, and Captain Gadsden collector of the port. This provisional gov- ernment lasted ahout fourteen months, Pensacola being re- stored to the Spanish authorities in September, 1819. A treaty of peace was negotiated between Spain and the United States in February, 1819, ceding the Floridas to the United States. A party of adventurers, called Venezuelan Patriots, took posses- sion of Fernandina in 1818 and held high carnival there for several months until driven out. The treaty for the cession of Florida, in consideration of the payment of five million dollars, was ratified on the 19th of Feb- ruary, 1831. The change of flags took place at St. Augustine the 16th of July, 1821, and at Pensacola on July the 21st, 1821. CHAPTER XXVIII Florida 1)CComcs a Territory of the United States — Civil organization — Condition of the Indians — Treaty of Fort Moultrie — Treaty of Payne's Landing — Collision Ijetween the races — Story of Dade's massacre, and beginning of the Florida Seminole war. A.D. 1821-1836 UrON'the change of flags, the civil administration of affairs in Florida devolved upon the military authorities until the pas- sage of an act of Congress on March the Sd, 1822, establishing a territorial government which was to be administered by a governor to be appointed by the President, and who was author- ized to ap})oint all local officers ; a legislative council of thir- teen to be appointed annually by the President, and two su- })erior courts. General Jackson was the military governor until William P. Duval, of Kentucky, was appointed governor. The first legis- lative council was held at Pensacola in June, 1833 ; and West Florida was divided into two counties, Escambia and Jackson, and East Florida into the two counties of St. John's and Duval. Gen. Joseph M. Hernandez was chosen as the first delegate in Congress from Florida, and was succeeded by Col. Joseph M. White, who was in Congress many years. He was succeeded by Charles Downing, who was a delegate until IS-tl, when David Levy (Yulee) was elected, and remained until the admission of the State to the Union. The second session was held at St. Augustine in June, 1823. W. H. Simmons and J. L. Williams were appointed commissioners to select the location for the seat of government, which they chose near the old fields of the Tal- lahassees, in the center of the Fowl towns. Their choice was 174 Ills TORY OF FLORIDA ai^proved, and the town surveyed in 1824:. The capitol l)uikling was begun in 183 i, but was not completed for many years. The first house was erected in TaHahassee in 182-1. The set- tlement of the country would have progressed rapidly but for the occupation of nearly the whole of the interior by the In- dians. The Indians had remained for so long a time in undis- puted possession of the country, that they had never realized that any authority could be exercised but their own. The ]\Iic- cosukees were regarded as the original occupants of the country, and the Seminoles were, as their name indicated, runaways from the Creeks living along the Appalachicola Kiver. A consider- able number of them had come into Florida in 1750,undertheir chief, Secoffee, who left two sons, head chiefs, Payne and Bow- legs. The government appointed Col. Gad Humphreys as Indian agent, who established his agency at Fort King. The settlers demanded that the Indians should be restricted to narrower limits. A council was held by Colonel Humphreys with the chiefs at Fort Moultrie in 1823, and a treaty negotiated by which the Indians agreed to remove below a line about twenty miles south of Micano])y. The settlers were still not satisfied, and urged their entire removal to the west of the Mississippi. At a talk with the chiefs it was proposed that a deputation should go and examine a location in the West. Colonel Humphreys having been removed in 1830, Major John Phagan was appointed agent. The chiefs were assembled at Payne's Landing, and a treaty made by which certain chiefs, accompanied by the agent, were to go to Arkansas to select a location, and, if satisfied, were to remove there, and fifteen thousand four hundred dollars was to be paid them, witli an annuity of three thousand per annum for ten years, and they w^ere all to remove in 1834 and 1835. The chiefs went to Arkansas and made the examination, and expressed themselves satisfied with the location, l)ut there were many of the younger Indians unwillini;' to mo. A feelinu' of dissatisfaction was dis- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 175. seiiunatcd, and some of those who had signed the treaty in deference to popuhir clamor, disowned their acts. The treaty and an additiojial treaty were ratified by the United States Senate, and a proclamation was issued by President Jackson on April 12, 1834. Governor Duval was succeeded in 1834 by John W. Eatoii, wlio held the olhce only one year, when liichard K. C*all was appointed in 1835, and remained in office until 183!), when Eobert I^aymond Reid was appointed, and, Tipon his death in 1841, Eichard K. Call was again appointed, and held the office until 1844, when he was succeeded by Gov. John Branch, ex-Secretary of the Navy. Measures were at once taken to effect the removal of the In- ' dians. Gen. Wiley Thomj^son was appointed to succeed j\Iajor IMiagan as Indian agent, and Gen. Duncan L. Clinch was placed in command of the United States forces in Florida. The chiefs now a|)peared to be generally opposed to emigration. Charley Emathla, alone of all the chiefs, took decided ground in favor of going. General Thompson reported in October, 1834, to the Secretary of War that the Indians were buying powder in con- siderable c{uantities, and he was satisfied that they were being tampered with by designing and unprincipled whites. It soon became evident that the Indians had determined not to emi- grate. Ten companies of troops were placed at the disposal of General Clinch, and he was directed to explain to the Indians the determination of the government to insist upon their re- moval. On the 6th of April, 1835, a council was held at the Indian agency ])etween Colonel Clinch, General Thompson, and a large number of influential chiefs. The chiefs had previously agreed among themselves to refuse to emigrate. General Clinch told them of his instructions to use force to make them go. Eight of the chiefs came forward and agreed to emigrate, but five refused. The time was extended until the 1st of Janu- ary, 1836. They continued to purchase powder until the agent refused to allow them to purchase any more. Osceola, after- 176 HISTORY OF FLORIDA wards so conspicuous a character, Ijecamo indignant, and car- ried his disrespect to General Thompson so far that he was ar- rested and confined in irons for several days, until he professed to Ije penitent, and, on the solicitation of other chiefs, he was released and expressed a willingness to emigrate. In October Major Llewllyn Williams discovered a party of Indians near Kanapaha Pond butchering a beef. A% the Indians were a long distance out of their boundary, the whites disarmed them and Hogged some of them. Two Indian hunters coming up, fired on Williams's party, and in the skirmish which ensued two Indians were killed and one of the whites mortally wounded. About the same time the express rider from Tampa to Fort King was killed by the Indians. Charley Emathla had begun his preparations for emigrating, and had gathered his cattle for appraisement and sale, when he was met by Osceola with a band of Miccosukees, shot down and killed. General Clinch asked for additional troops, and fourteen companies were directed to report to Inni from various posts. The whole nuniTber of In- dians in Florida, including women and cliildren and negroes liv- ing with them, was estimated not to exceed two thousand, of whom perhaps five hundred were warriors — a serious under- estimate, as it afterwards turned out, and which led to most in- adequate preparations for their sul)jugation. Osceola was cunning and vindictive, and laid his plans to avenge himself upon General Tbompson. Gathering a band of twenty of his followers, they concealed themselves near Fort King, awaiting their opportunity. On the afternoon of the 28th of December, 1835, General Thompson walked out after dinner in company with Lieut. Constantine Smith. The day being pleasant, they strolled as far as the military sutlers, some distance from the fort, when, unsuspicious of danger, at a given signal they were fired upon hj the whole number of Indians in ambush. General Thompson and the lieutenant fell, pierced by many balls. Proceeding to the sutler's store, they killed the 13 178 HISTORY OF FLORIDA inmates, scalped them, and set tire to tlie building. There were only forty-six men in the fort, who, supposing tlie Indian force to be a large one, deemed it imprudent to attack them. Osceola having glutted his revenge upon General Thompson and Mr. Eogers, the sutler, immediately left. Major Francis L. Dade, of the Fourth Infantry, had been ordered from Key West to Fort Brooke, at Tampa, and arrived there on December 21st with Company A of his regiment, nuiul)ei-ing thirty-nine men. To this force was joined C'a])tain Gardiner's Company C, Third Artillery, and Comjjany B, Third Artillery, fifty men in each. This force was directed to proceed to Fort King to strengthen that post. The distance was almost one hundred and thirty miles, and the route lay through the Indian country.' No one connected with the expedition being acquainted with the route, Major Dade secured the services of a negro slave named Lewis, belonging to a sutler of the name of Antonio Pacheco, but who had formerly belonged to the Fatio family on the St. John's Kiver. This guide, it is said, informed the Indians of the date of dei)arture and the route, with the view of affording them a favorable opportunity for attack. The place of rendezvous of the Indiaiis was the big Walioo Swamp. The troops under Major Dade's command began their march from Tampa on the 24th of December. The officers, besides Major Dade, were Captain Gardiner, Second Lieut. W. E. Basinge?, Second Lieut. E. Henderson, Second Artillery ; Capt. U. S. Fraser, Second Lieut. E. E. Mudge, Second Lieut. J. L. Eeais, Third Artillery ; Asst. Surg. J. S. Gatlin, and one hundred privates. They car- ried with them one six-pounder field-piece and one light wagon with ten days' rations. On reaching the Hillsboro Eiver, they were detained some time in consequence of the bridge having been burned by the Indians. On the 37th they reached the Withlacoochee and encam])ed. On the morning of the 28th they continued their march through an open pine country, in HISTORY OF FLORIDA 179 apparent socurit}^ and totally unsuspicious of danger. Their road was skirted, however, by low palmetto bushes, which af- forded a covert for the Indians, who were concealed on the west side of the I'oad, near a pond. The troops were marching along in o})en order and extended for a considerable distance. The Inch'ans, concealed in the palmettoes and behind trees, were to await the signal of attack to be given by Micanopy, when each sliould select his ol)ject. They Avere most of them within a distance of thirty or forty yards of the road, and their fire could hai'dly fail to be destructive. Nearly half the command fell at tlu' fii'st discharge from the Indian rifles, which, proceeding from an unseen foe, gave no opportunity for avoiding or re- turning it. Those who escaped the first discharge took shelter Ijehind trees, and Lieutenant Basinger poured in five or six rounds of canister from his six-pounder, which checked them for a time, and they retreated over a small ridge. Captain Fraser and Majo;- Dade fell among the first. Lieutenant Mudge was mortally wounded, and Lieutenant Reals had both arms broken ; they were Ijound iip, and he reclined against some logs until he was killed later on. Lieutenant Henderson had his left arm broken, but continued to load and fire his piece until later on in the second attack, when he too was killed. Captain Gardiner, Lieutenant Basinger, and Dr. Gatlin were the only officers who escaped uninjured by the first volley. On the re- treat of the Indians Captain Gardiner commenced the erection of a triangular Ijreastwork of pine trees. In about three- quarters of an hour the Indians renewed the attack and com- menced a cross-fire on the breastworks with deadly execution. Lieutenant Basinger continued to fire the six-pounder until all the men who served the piece were shot down. Captain Gardi- ner at length fell. Dr. Gatlin, with two double-barreled guns, continued to load and fire until killed late in the action, and Liei;tenant Basinger was wounded. About two o'clock the last man fell, and the Indians then rushed into the breastwork, 180 HISTORY OF FLORIDA headed Ijy a heavily painted savage^ who^ believing that all were dead, made a speech to the Indians. They then stripped off the accoutennents of the soldiers and took their arms. Soon after the Indians had left, about fifty mounted negroes came up and at once commenced a horrible butchery. If any poor fellow showed signs of life, the negroes stabbed and tomahawked him. Lieutenant Basinger, being still alive, started up and begged the wretches to spare his life. Mocking his prayers, they man- gled him with their hatchets until he was relieved by death. After stripping the dead, they shot the oxen and burned the gun carriage. The number of Indians engaged was, according to the report of Alligator, one hundred and eighty warriors. Osceola and his party did not return in time to participate in the slaughter. Shortly after the negroes left, a soldier named AVilson crawled out, and, discovering that Eawson Clark was alive, proposed that they should try to get back to Tampa. As Wilson stepped over the breastwork an Indian shot him dead. Clark again lay down, and at night, with De Coney, another wounded man, started for Tampa. The next day they met an Indian, who pursued Coney and shot him, while Clark con- cealed himself in a scrub and escaped to Tampa. A soldier named Thomas bribed an Indian and was allowed to escape. Lewis, the guide, has since claimed that he was faithful, and was captured by the Indians and went to /Arkansas with them eventually. This massacre astounded the country. No such instance had ever occurred — a body of disciplined troops, in the open day with a field-piece and with abundant ammunition, being totally exterminated by a body of half-naked savages. Upon learning of the killing of Charley Emathla, General Clinch had called for volunteers. By the 15th of December several volunteer com- panies from Nassau and Duval Counties, with five hundred men from middle Florida, under General Call, had Joined General Clinch at Fort Drane. Colonel Fanning, with three companies HISTORY OF FLORIDA 181 of artillery from Fort King, also had joined him. General Clinch advanced to the Withlacoochee, where the Indians awaited him in force. Having crossed over only two hundred and twenty of his men, he was attacked with great impetuosity by about two hundred and fifty Indians, who were fresh from the massacre of Dade's command. The Indians were well pro- tected, l)ut, being charged the third time by the troops, were routed and fled. Four soldiers were killed in the engagement and forty wounded. The settlements in the interior were all l)rokon up, and the settlers fled to the protection of the towns aud the military posts. Sixteen plantations, each employing from one to two hundred slaves, were abandoned between New Smyrna and Matanzas. On the 17th of January, 1836, Major Putnam went to Tomoka in command of two companies of vol- unteers. Tliey camped at Dunlawton, and were attacked by a superior force of Indians under King Philip, and were com- pelled to retreat. Two of Major Putnam's force were killed and seventeen wounded. The public mind was aroused, and General C^Iinch was autliorized to call for and accept troops from the adjoining States. Gen. E. P. Gaines was in command at New Orleans, and, upon receiving intelligence of the Dade massacre, embarked with a force of eleven hundred men, com- prising six companies of the Fourth Infantry and a Louisiana regiment under Col. Persifer Smith. They reached Tampa on the 10th, and three days afterwards marched to Fort King, car- rying only ten days' rations. When he arrived at Fort King he found only one company of troops and no surplus provisions. General Clinch was at Fort Drane, equally unprovided with provisions. General Gaines decided to return to Tampa, and took a more westerly route. The Indians disputed his crossing the Withlacoochee, and in the engagement Lieutenant Izard was killed. General Gaines sent an express to ask General Clinch, at Fort Drane, to come to his relief, which he was unable to do, having been relieved of his command by General Scott 182 HISTORY OF FLORIDA and liaving no provisions. General (iaines prepared rafts to cross tlie river, wlien lie was attacked by the Indians I'rcni all sides, and three ofticers and thirty of his men were killed. In response to a second call for aid, General Clinch gathered some cattle, and, taking stores from his own plantation, went to Gen- eral Gaines's relief. On his arrival General Gaines turned over tlie command to General Clinch^ who withdrew the force to Fort Drane. CHAPTER XXIX Continuation of the Indian war under Generals Scott, Jesup, and Taylor — Battle of Withla('oocliee — Okeechobee — General Macomb's failure — Killing of Dr. Perriue on Indian Key. A.D. 1836-184-0 • Genekal WixriELD Scott how assumed command in Flor- ida, and planned a campaign on paper which he felt satisfied would close the war in tliree months. His plan was to form -three wings, which would move simultaneously from Volusia, on the St. John's Eiver ; Fort Drane, near Orange Lake, about the center of the peninsula, and Tampa, thus inclosing the whole Indian force supposed to l)e about the forks of the With- lacoochee. General Scott's combinations were good only on paper. The campaign was a failure. Tlie wings had marched and counternuirched l^etween Fort Drane and Tampa, but, with the exception of a few skirmishes, nothing was accom- plished, and when summer came the regulars went into sum- mer quarters and the volunteers went home. Colonel Clinch, disgusted with the state of affairs, resigned and retired to his plantation near St. Mary's, Ga. About the middle of March Major McLemore had been or- dered to the Suwanee Eiver, to procure corn for the troops. He ]n"()cured the corn and erected a small blockhouse about fifteen miles from the mouth of the Withlacoochee, and left Captain Halliman with a small force to defend it. General Scott seems to have forgotten this party, and they were left to themselves. They were repeatedly attacked by the Indians in large numbers, but galhuitly held the fort during the siege. Captain Halliman 184 HISTORY OF FLORIDA was sliot, and the roof of the l)lockhouse hurned off. They finally succeeded in sending down the river three men in a canoe, who reported their situation, and a force was sent to re- lieve them. They had subsisted on corn alone for twenty- eight days. The Indians scattered in small bands and overran the country, killing mail carriers and express riders, and mur- dering families. In July they attacked the post of Micanopy with a force of upward of two hundred warriors, but were re- ])ulsed by Major Heileman, ^ho died shortly afterwards from the effects of over-exertion. In August a sharp skirmish oc- curred at Fort Drane between a force of one hundred and ten men under Major Pierce and three hundred Indians led by Arpoika. On May 1st Judge Randall's plantation, east of Tal- lahassee, was attacked, and the negroes carried off, and on the Sth of May hostile Indians appeared near St. Mark's. Fort King was abandoned about the last of May; Fort Drane was abandoned in July, proving very unhealthy. A wagon train carrying stores from that post was attacked by Indians near Micanopy, and was only saved by prompt reinforcements. All the settlements east of the St. John's and south of Picolata had been destroyed, and all south of Black Creek and" JSTewnansvillc had been broken ui?. In July the Indians attacked the planta- tions of Colonel Hallowes and others on the east bank of the St. John's, north of Six Mile Creek, and burned the buildings, as they did also the Travers plantation, at the mouth of Black Creek. In September the Johns family, seventeen miles west of JacTvsonville, was attacked. Mr. Johns was killed, Mrs. Johns shot and scalped, and the house burned. Mrs. Johns, however, eventually escaped and recovered. A little later a large force of Indians approached Newnansville. Colonel AVarren went out to meet them with a force of one hundred and fifty men and a howitzer. After two hours' fighting the Indians retreated. The command of the forces in Florida now devolved upon HISTORY OF FLORIDA 185 Gen. E. Iv. Call, of Florida. General Armstrong, with a com- mand of twelve hundred Tennessee volunteers, who had been operating in the Creek country, was ordered to report for duty to General Call. With these troops, one hundred and forty Florida militia, and one himdred and sixty regulars. General Call began in October an offensive movement against the In- dians, but, l)eing prevc^nted by high water from crossing the Withlacoochee, fell back upon Fort Drane for sup])lies. In No- vember, reinforced by some regulars and a regiment of Creek volunteers, General Call crossed the AVithlacoochee and broke up an Indian encampment. On the 18th five hundred Tennesseeans attacked a consid- erable body of Indians strongly ])osted in a hammock. After two hours' hard fighting the Indians fled, leaving twenty-five d(^ad on the field. On the 20th Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce joined General Call with a detachment of regulars. The In- dians being re])orted in large numbers in Wahoo Swamp, an at- tack was made on them, and the engagement lasted several hoiirs ; but it was impracticable to dislodge them, and General Call again fell back to Fort Drane for supplies. In Octol)er Ceneral Jesup reached Tampa, and in the latter part of Novem- ber joined General Call at Volusia with four hundred men, re- lieving General Call of the command. The result of the year's campaign was well calculated to en- courage the Indians. They had driven not only the citizens but nearly all the troops out of the peninsula, and held their ground in all qiiarters. Gen. Thomas Jesup, upon his assign- ment to command in Florida, proposed to act vigorously and continuously. Eight thousand troops were placed at his disj^osal. The official reports had hitherto based the want of successful pursuit on the want of supplies. General Jesup moved with mounted troops, both officers and men carrying their provisions in haversacks. The stronghold of the Indians was in the neighborhood of the Withlacoochee, which thev had hitherto 186 HISTORY OF FLORIDA siiccessfully held. Colonol Foster moved up to the west side of tlie Witlikcoochee, from Tampa. General Jesiip penetrated the country between the forks of the river and the Wahoo Swamp, whereupon the Indians abandoned their fastnesses and moved in the direction of the Everglades, avoiding any en- counter with the troops. A strong post was established on the Withlacoochee, called Fort Dade, as a depot and post of obser- vation. General Jesup organized several detachments for the pursuit of the Indians. Colonel Canfield attacked Osarchee near Ahapopka Lake, killing the chief and his son, but the main l)ody escaped. Numerous herds of cattle were found, and a Ijody of Indians was encountered on Hatchee-Lustee Creek and dispersed, their baggage and a number of their women and chil- dren being captured. Several hundred head of the Indians' cattle Avere taken on the l)orders of the Tohopekaliga Lake. Abraham had a conference with General Jesup, and returned to the nation to advise negotiations. On the 3d of February, 1837, Al)raham returned with Jumper, Alligator, and Hapa- tophe. They expressed a desire to treat for peace, and agreed to meet General Jesup at Fort Dade with other chiefs on the 6th of March, and that in the mean time all hostilities should cease. With this understanding General Jesup ceased pursuit and re- turned to Fort Dade. A military post had been established at Fort Mellon, on the west side of Lake Monroe, in December, 1836, by Colonel Fan- ning. The post was occupied by two companies of artillery, four companies of dragoons, and some Creek Indians. The In- dian spies had reported the force at the post to be small. King Philip and his son, Coacoochee, made an attack upon the post with four hundred Seminoles on the 8th of February, 1837. The Indians fought with great steadiness for three hours, un- aware that the post had just been reinforced. Captain Mellon was killed; Lieutenant McLaughlin and fourteen others were wounded. The Indian loss was twenty-five. HISTORY OF FLORIDA 187 The Indians liad, since the arrival of General Jesnp, en- countered several defeats, and were being driven from their fields and homes by a superior force. The season for planting was passing, and they had no assurance of being able to obtain provisions from any quarter during the coming season. From convictions of necessity on the part of some and policy on the part of others, it was agreed that they would comply with their agreement to meet Colonel Jesup. On the 6tli of March they assembled in large numbers at Fort Dade and agreed to cease hostilities, withdraw south of Hillsboro Eiver, and prepare to emigrate to the West. General Jesup agreed to protect them and their negro allies, and that their cattle and ponies should be paid for. A rendezvous was appointed near Tampa. In May a considerable number had come in, and the transports were -ready to receive them. On the 20th of June Coacoochee, with two hundred Miccosukees, came to the camp and induced the seven hundred who had gathered there to leave en masse for the Everglades. Tlie war had been supposed to be at an end. Ar- rangements had ])een made for the withdrawing of the troops, and the settlers were preparing to return to their homes. Among the reasons assigned for the withdrawing of the In- dians was the fear of sickness, measles prevailing in the camp, l)ut a still more probable cause was the fear on the part of the Indian negroes, who were all runaways, that they would not be allowed to go to Arkansas with the Indians, but would be re- stored to their masters. When it was known that the Indians had fled from Tampa great consternation prevailed. The planters abandoned the crops they had planted and sought safety at the military posts. In June the Indians killed Captain Walton, the keeper of the lightshi]) on Carysfort reef, and one of his men. About the same time they killed Captain Gilliland, near Ichatuckny Springs. General Jesup immediately called for volunteers from the ad- joining States and Tennessee. He had, during the previous 188 HISTORY OF FLORIDA winter and spring, driven the Indians south of Lake Monroe and Tampa Bay, killed thirty negroes and Indians, and cap- tured five hundred prisoners. In September, 1837, General Hernandez made prisoners of Coacoochee, King Philip, and" two camps of Indians and ne- groes, about two hundred in number, who came in a friendly manner at Pellicier Creek. On the 1st of December, 1837, Gen- eral Jesup had under his command about nine thousand men. The principal Indian force M^as on the upper St. John's, with some roving bands through the peninsula. Gen. P. F. Smith was placed on the Gulf coast south of Tampa, Gen. Zachary Taylor at Tampa, with orders to establish posts east of that point. He moved out from Tampa on the 14th of December with a force of eleven hundred men, and proceeded to the neighbor- liood of Okeechobee, where he found a large Indian force occu- pying a dense hammock, protected in front by a miry, saw-grass ])ond. Under these great disadvantages of position, the troops charged the enemy with great gallantry, and, after a hard- fought battle, routed them, but with heavy loss. Colo- nel Gentry, of the Missouri Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson, Captain VanSwearingen, Lieutenants Brooke and Center, and twenty-two privates were killed ; nine officers and one hundred and two men were wounded. The Indians num- bered about four hundred, and lost eleven killed and nine wounded. The troops fell back after this engagement to Tampa. General Hernandez moved down to the head of the St. John's and Indian Elvers, capturing two hundred and ninety- seven prisoners. General Nelson operated along the Suwanee River. Colonel Snodgrass held the country between Black Creek and the Ochlawaha, and destroyed several Indian villages and expelled the Seminoles from that region. Other detachments scoured the country in all directions. An ineffectual attempt was made, through a deputation of Cherokees, to persuade the Indians to surrender and emirate. The chiefs agreed to fulfil HISTORY OF FLORIDA 189 their treaty, but they failed to come in for that purpose. This failure was attributed to the escape of Coacoochee from Fort Marion, at St. Augustine, where he had been confined for some time with seventeen of his followers. He squeezed himself through a narrow embrasure some twenty-five feet from the ground, and, escaping from the fort, went to the Indians and opposed their surrender and emigration. By establishing posts and depots across the country between Tampa and Lake Mon- roe, General Eustis was enabled to penetrate the region on the northern margin of the Everglades, and broke up many In- dian settlements. General Taylor, in the course of his opera- tion, captured and secured four hundred and eighty-four In- dians and negroes. During the summer of 1837 General Eustis and other officers urged that the Indians be allowed to remain within a small territory in the southern part of the peninsula, the question of the time of their removal to be left to future decision. This the Indians seemed willing to agree to, and a considerable number came into camp at Fort Jupiter to await the decision of the President. The Secretary of War having notified General Jesup of the President's disapproval of their remaining, he immediately directed General Twiggs to secure all who were at Jupiter. Five hundred and thirteen Indians and one hundred and sixty-five negroes were secured, who were at once transferred to Tampa Bay. Those captured at Fort Peyton with Osceola had been transferred to Fort Moultrie, in Charleston harbor. Osceola died at Fort Moultrie, and is buried outside of the principal gate, where his grave is inclosed and a monument erected. IMajor Lauderdale, Lieutenant-Colonel Bankhead, and Colo- nel Ilarney operated in and around the Everglades and broke up many Indian camps. General Jesup was relieved from the command IMay 15, 1837. Within the year and a half that he was in command nineteen hundred and seventy-eight Indians and negroes surrendered or were captured. The Indian villages 190 HISTORY OF FLORIDA were mostly destroyed, tlieir cattle and horses killed or cap- tured, and they were no longer able to make a stand against the troops. The Indians who had been captured or surrendered were now embarked on transports and removed west of Arkansas. Twelve hundred and twenty-nine went in the first party and three hundred and thirty in the second party. Gen. Zachary Taylor succeeded General Jesuj) in command, and in October, 1838, removed two hundred and twenty Apaches from West Florida. The winter camjiaign of 1838—9 was arranged by placing different portions of the field under separate com- manders. The winter was spent in hunting out from their hid- ing places the small Indian bands scattered through the coun- try, but with little success, as the Indians easily eluded pursuit. During the campaign, however, one hundred and ninety-six Indians and negroes were captured or surrendered and were sent West. Sjnall bands of Indians still moved through the country stealtliily, attacking settlements unexpectedly, moving l)y night and committing murder wherever there was an op- portunity. General Taylor divided the country into squares, Avith each a small blockhouse, in order to scout the country thoroughly. In May, 1839, General Maconil) came to Florida to make an arrangement with the Seminoles, and a council was assemljled. General Macomb agreed that tlie Indians should temporarily Ije assigned to the country below Pease Creek and Lake Okeechobee, where they were to remain until further arrangements were made. They were not to pass out of their limits, and no one was to enter their territor3^ On the 18th of ]\Iay General Macomb issued a general order declaring that the war was ended. The settlers again prepared to return to their devastated homes, hoping to make a partial crop. The month of June was quiet, but early in July the Indians began hostilities in all parts of the country. Plantations were at- tacked, and the settlers forced to flee for their lives. Express and post riders were waylaid and shot down. Colonel Harney HISTORY OF FLORIDA 191 liiul gone to Charlotte Harbor to establish a trading post for the Indians after they should have retired beyond Pease Creek. With a detachment of twenty-five men, the storekeeper and his clerk, he was encamped in the open pine barren on the Calosa- hatchee, some twenty miles up the river. The Indians had pro- fessed to be very friendly, but at daybreak on the 22d of July General Harney's camp was attacked by two hundred and fifty Indians, and he himself only escaped in his night clothes by swimming to a fishing smack. Out of thirty in the camp eighteen were killed. Upon receipt of this intelligence Colonel Hanson seized forty-six Scndnoles who had come in for pro- visions and shipped them to Charleston. There was a body of Spanish Indians in the loM-er part of the peninsula who had hitherto taken no ])art in the war, but they now Joined the Seminoles and attacked various settlements upon the islands, murdered wrecked seamen and fishermen. One of the saddest and most notable attacks was made at Indian Key upon the family of Dr. Perrine, a botanist of distinction, who was devot- ing himself to the cultivation of tropical plants. A large crowd of Indians landed on the island on the 7th of May, 1840, plun- dered and then burned the houses. Mrs. Perrine and her chil- dren were saved by concealing themselves in a turtle-crawl under the house. Dr. Perrine was killed in the upper part of the building, fighting for his life. The family reached a boat which the Indians were loading with plunder, and pushed off to a vessel in the harbor. Several others escaped to the same vessel. CHAPTEE XXX Continuation of the Florida war — General Wortii appointed to the com- mand — Vigorous prosecution of the war — Capture of Coacoochee — Surrender of the Indians and close of war. A.D. 1S4-0- 184-2 In the spring of 1840 General Taylor asked to be relieved, and in May of the same year General Armistead was assigned to the command. Fruitless expeditions marched out and re- turned, failing to find the enemy. Still the work of surprise and massacre went on by invisible l)ands, who struck the blow and vanished. The citizens were disheartened, the troops were discouraged', and the Indians lurked undiscovered. An attempt at negotiation was again made. A Seminole delegation was brought back from those who had been sent to the West to influence those in Florida, but nothing definite was accomplished. Occasionally some Indians came in, professed friendship, said they were tired of the war, received subsistence, and then suddenly disappeared. On the 28th of December a party started from the military post at Micanopy, consisting of Lieutenant Sherwood, Lieu- tenant Hopson, a sergeant, and ten privates, with Mrs. Mont- gomery, wife of Major Montgomery, to go to Wacahoote, a post ten miles distant. Aljout four miles from Micanopy they were suddenly fired upon by a large party of Indians, concealed in a hammock which skirted the road on the edge of Leclwith Lake. Two soldiers were killed at the first fire. Lieutenant Sherwood determined to stand his ground, and requested Mrs. Mont- gomery to dismount and get into the wagon, where she would BILLY BOWLEGS 13 194 HISTORY OF FLORIDA be less exposed. As she was flismonnting she was fatally shot through the breast. Lieutenant Hopson escaped, and returned to Micanopy for reinforcements. Lieutenant Sherwood and his remaining men continued a gallant hand-to-hand fight until they were overpowered by the greatly superior force of thirty Indians, led by Halleck-Tustenuggee. This tragic event aroused the whole country, and a universal demand was made tha,t the war be brought to a close. Congress appropriated one million of dollars to suppress Indian hostilities, and the War Department recalled all instructions for negotiation and di- rected the war to be prosecuted without relaxation. There were small bands of Indians in all parts of the territory, from the Ocklocknee and Okefinokee to the Withlacoochee. An attack was made at Fort Russel, west of Palatka, and repulsed by Lieutenant Albertis with a small detachment, killing three and wounding two of the Indians. Waxehadjo, who had been a leader in waylaying express riders, had killed the express rider going from Fort Cross to Tampa, and, after torture, had cut off his head and placed it on the coals of his camp-fire, when a de- tachment of dragoons under Capt. Lloyd Beall came up and drove him into a pond, where he was killed. Cosa-Tustenuggee, with thirty-two warriors and sixty women and children, soon after surrendered and were sent West. Billy Bowlegs, the Prophet, and Hospetarkee, Shiver and Shakes, occupied the country south of Pease Creek. Colonel Harney, with a detach- ment of one hundred men, penetrated the hitherto unknown, unexplored country in canoes. Chekika, the Spanish-Indian chief, was overtaken and killed. Six of his companions were captured, and, in memory of the treacherous attack on Harney previously, were hung on the spot, and their bodies left on the trees to terrorize the Indians. Thereupon the Indians asked for a talk, professed submission, drew sul^sistence and clothing, and pretended to be getting ready to emigrate, but in April dis- appeared. Major Belknap, stationed at Fort Fanning, on the HISTORY OF FLORIDA 195 Suwanee, secured nnd sent West in March Eeho-E-Mathlar, the Tallahassee cliief, with sixty of his band. During the summer the Indians cunningly ju'ofessed to be anxious for peace, and came in in small bands with plausible stories, and obtained sub- sistence. The oflficers hoped to secure their surrender, but this the Indians skillfully avoided. Nothing resulted, the wliole year was wasted, and the war still not ended. In January, 1841, Col. W. J. Worth, " the gallant Worth," was appointed to the command of the Tampa district. lie immediately sent for Coacoochee, who was in the neighborhood of Kissimmee, to come and have a talk. A few days later Coacoochee visited the camp, arrayed in a gorgeous theatrical costume, obtained from the wardrolje of a company of actors whom he had attacked a few^ months previously, on the Picolata road, six miles from St. "Augustine. Several of them were killed, and their theatrical wardrobe became a valuable l)ooty to the handsome young chief. At this interview with General Worth he agreed to consult the other chiefs and return in ten days. On the tenth day he returned, regretting that he could not collect his people, but wished to meet General iVrmistead at Tampa and have a day fixed wdien he would have his people assembled. On March 22d he met (Jeneral Armistead at Fort Brooke, when it was agreed that he would bring his people to Fort Pierce, on Indian Eiver. During April and May he came in, j^rofessing great anxiety to emigrate, but that his people were so scattered it was difficult to find them. From Coacoochee's demeanor and large requisi- tions for whisky and provisions, Major Childs, commanding at Fort Pierce, became satisfied that the wily chief was playing a game of deception, and advised his seizure. A band of Indians on the Ocklocknee Eiver, in middle Flor- ida, kept that section in a constant state of alarm, although nearly a regiment of troo])s occu])ie(l the vicinity, but were never able to get on their track. Another band lurked in and around the great Okefinokee Swamj). Halleck-Tustenuggee 196 • HISTORY OF FLORIDA kept in the neighborhood of the Ocklawaha Eiver and the With- lacoochee. He endeavored to obtain provisions, and, being re- fused, threw oif the mask and left in his trail sixty sticks, repre- senting the number of his band, painted with blood. Colonel Davenport, commanding at Sarasota, reported an entire failure in the attempted negotiations, and that the Indians had all left. The close of the season for active operation left matters very little better than at the same period in the previous year. Gen- eral Armistcad, in May, 1841, asked to be relieved of the com- mand in Florida. The result of operations in the previous year was the capture of four hundred Indians, of whom only one Inmdred and twenty were warriors. A delegation of friendly Indians had been brought from Arkansas to induce them to emigrate, but accomplished nothing. General Worth was now assigned to the chief command, be- ing the eighth commander sent out to close the war. No more unpromising field for distinction could have been found than Florida at this period. As the number of Indians was reduced, their tactics were changed. A skulking, predatory warfare in small bands was kept up, while their families were left far down in the Everglades. From these fastnesses they could sally forth vipon long expeditions for murder and rapine. Acquainted with coverts to which they might fly in all parts of the country, able to support themselves upon the abundant game, they pos- sessed an unlimited power of doing mischief. Where they had been was easily seen from the bodies of their slain victims and the ashes of the destroyed houses, but where they were or where they had gone it was difficult to ascertain. General Worth had a force of five thousand men at his disposal, and at once or- ganized his force in the most effective manner and prepared for an unremitting campaign. " Find the enemy, capture or ex- terminate," was his simple injunction. In June Major Childs, commanding at Fort Pierce, acting under the orders he had re- ceived from General Armistead, secured Coacoochee and his COACOOCHEE 198 niSTORY OF FLORIDA brother^ and a brother of King Pliilip, with thirteen warriors who came into the post. They were immediately sent off to Arkansas. General Worth sent an officer and intercepted them at New Orleans, qnd had C'oacoochee brought back to Florida. A simultaneous movement had l)een made for the purpose of breaking uj) any camps which the Indians inight liave formed, destroying their cro])s and stores wherever found. Every field that could be found was destroyed and every camp l)roken iip. These operations were harassing and destructive to the Indians, but at a council held in June they determined not to sur- render. The detachments engaged in thus scouting were in the field twenty-five days, numbering about six hundred, and about twenty-five per cent, were sent to the hospitals from the effects of heat and exposure. The inhal)itants were invited to return to their homes, protection and subsistence being promised them. General Worth having been informed that Coacoochee had arrived at Tampa, proceeded to that place to have an interview with him. On the morning of the 4th of July the interview was held on board the transport. General Worth and his staff were in full uniform, and Coacoochee and his companions, heavily ironed, came and sat on the deck. After compliment- ing Coacoochee on his reputation as a warrior. General Worth told him that the war must now end, that he could decide upon how many days would be necessary to see the Indians in their retreats, that he could select three or five of his men to carry his message to his people, and that unless his people complied with his commands he and his warriors seated with him should be hung to the yard-arms of the vessel upon the day appointed, with the irons upon their hands and feet. Coacoochee replied in a very dignified and impressive manner, and asked to be al- lowed to go himself to see his people. This General Worth would not consent to, but said he could choose his messengers. Coacoochee, after consultation, selected five of his companions to bear his message. Forty days were allowed for his band to HISTORY OF FLORIDA 199 come in. He gave his messengers forty sticks, one for each da}', one larger than the rest with blood upon it, and told them when the others were thrown away to say to his people that, with the setting sun, Coacoochee hangs like a dog, with none Ijut white men to hear his last words. The five messengers were relieved of their irons and went upon their embassy. In ton days tlie Indians began to come in, and on the last of the month all had come. They numbered, in all, two hundred. ( -oacoochee was greatly relieved ; he put on his finery and told liis people the rifle w'as hid and the white and red men were friends.' They were soon after sent to Arkansas. Other bands came in from time to time, but a considerable number remained in and about the Everglades, under Bowlegs, the Prophet, and Arpeika (Sam Jones). " In October a combined land and naval expedition scoured the Everglades. The Indians fled before them, and their huts and fields were destroyed. Major Wade, commanding at Fort Lau- derdale, captured fifty-five Indians, destroying twenty canoes and all their fields and huts. Small parties of Indians still lurked in the northern and western part of the territory, and along the Gulf coast, above and below the mouth of the Suwanee. On December 20, 1841, while most of the men in the Mandarin settlement (about twelve miles from Jackson- ville) were out on a hunt, a party of seventeen Indians at- tacked the settlement, killing two men, two women, and a child, but evaded pursuit. Major Belknap secured sixty-seven of Bowlegs's and Sam Jones's men near Lake Istokpoga. On February 5, 1842, two hundred and thirty Indians were shipped to Arkansas, and in April one hundred more. Afterwards seventy of Tustenuggee's tribe were taken. In February, 1842, General Worth informed the War De- partment that, so far as he could learn, only about three hun- dred Indians remained, of whom only one hundred and twelve were warriors, and advised their being left below Pease Creek, 200 HISTORY OF FLORIDA which was assented to by the President in May, 1842, and on the l-ith of August General Worth issued a general order an- nouncing that hostilities with Indians in Florida had ceased. Above three hundred settlers were at once located in the in- terior. The war had lasted nearly eight years, and had cost the United States about twenty millions of dollars. After- wards a momentary alarm was occasioned by an attack made by a party of only ten Indians on the settlement at San Pedro, in Madison County. Colonel Bailey immediately raised a party and went in pursuit, killing two and wounding five of their number. When the facts were known the excitement sub- sided. On the 4th and r)th of October, 1842, an unprecedented tidal wave submerged Cedar Key, destroying the government stores, and did injury to other points on the Gulf coast. Octiarche and Tiger Tail were shortly afterwards captured at Fort Brooke, and Captain Hitchcock captured Pascoffer and bis band of fifty-nine men on the Ocklocknee. From 1836 to 1842 never less than three thousand troops were employed, and in 1837 some nine thousand were in the field. Two hun- dred and fifteen deaths from battle and disease occurred among the officers and twelve hundred and fifteen among the privates during the Florida war. CHAPTEE XXXI Recuperation of Florida— Tlie admission of Florida as a State — Organiza- tion of a State government — Grants of lauds to Florida — Charters to and construction of railroads. A.D. 184-2-1857 The close of the war did not bring the influx of population into Florida which had ])een anticipated. At the change of flags in 1821 but a small portion of the Spanish inhabitants left the territory, and, although much effort had been made to -draw attention to its agricultural and commercial advantages, the census of 1830 exhibited as the result of ten years' occupa- tion a population of only 34,730. There was a comparatively rapid increase from 1830 to 1836, when the Indian war l^roke out, as the census of 1810 showed a population of 51,477, not- withstanding four years of war. When peace finally came, the planters had suffered too greatly and were too impoverished to resume work to any extent on their desolated fields. The hardships encountered by the volunteers from other States had not put tlicm in love with Florida, and, moreover, the virgin lands of the West were then thrown open to settlement. A movement towards the admission of Florida into the Union had originated in 1838, and a convention was held at St. Jose])h's on the 3d of December of that year for forming a constitution, which concluded its labors on the 11th of Janu- ary, 1839. The convention was presided over by the Hon. Robert Raymond Reid, and among its members were Walker Anderson, Leigh Read, William Marvin, Thomas Baltzell, E. C. Cabell, George T. Ward, James D. Westcott, David (Levy) Yulee, Leslie A. Thompson, and other gentlemen of distinc- 202 HISTORY OF FLORIDA tion. It was by all odds the ablest body of men ever assembled in Florida. The constitution then formed compares favorabl}^ with those of the other States, and is in many respects su- perior to the emendations since made. It was at that time sup- posed that the war was al)out to be closed, but the continuance of hostilities prevented any effort being then made for admis- sion to the Union, and at the close of the war in 1843 some op- position was manifested to assuming the expense of the main- tenance of a State government. In order to promote the settlement of Florida, Congress passed the Armed Occupation Act, donating lands in Florida in certain districts on condition of actual settlement and culti- vation for a term of years. This had the intended effect of in- ducing a considerable number of hardy pioneers, with musket in hand, to locate on choice lands in advance of previous set- tlements. Gov. Eobert Raymond Eeid, territorial governor in 1841, was succeeded by Gen. R. K. Call, after whom Hon. John Branch, Secretary of the Navy under President Jackson, was appointed. The question of applying for admission to state- hood remained quiescent until 1845. David Levy, better known afterwards as Senator David L. Yulee, was then delegate in Congress for the Territory of Florida. The new Territory of Iowa, west of the Mississippi, desired admission as a State. It had been the policy of Congress to maintain, as far as pos- sible, an equilibrium of political power in the Senate by admit- ting new States, Northern and Southern, together. In pur- suance of this policy, it was arranged that Florida and Iowa should be admitted at the same time, which was effected by the act of March 3, 1845. A supplemental act of the same date gave to Florida a grant of eight entire sections of land to estab- lish a seat of government, also the sixteenth section in every township, or its equivalent, for the support of public schools ; and two entire townships, in addition to the townships already reserved, for the establishing and maintenance of two semi- lUSTORY OF FLORIDA 203 naries of learning, one to be located east and one west of the Suwanee Eiver ; and five hundred thousand acres for internal improvements, besides five per cent, of the net proceeds of the sale of public lands within the State, to be devoted to the pur- poses of education. At the election held under the new con- stitution in 1845 William D. Mosely was elected governor. A Legislature was elected, which convened at the capitol in Talla- hassee on the 23d of June, 1845. At this session James T. Archer was chosen by the Legislature as secretary of State, N. P. Bemis as comjitroller, Benjamin Byrd as treasurer, and Joseph Branch as attorney-general. The salary of the gov- ernor was fixed at $1,500 ; secretary of State, $000 ; comp- troller, $800 ; treasurer, $800 ; and attorney-general, $500 ; members of the Legislature, $3 per day and mileage. David Levy had been elected member of Congress. He subsequently resigned, and was elected to the United States Senate for the long term and James D. Westcott for the short term. In De- cember, 1845, Mr. Levy's name was changed to Yulee, being his ancestral name. Mr. Westcott had been territorial sec- retary under Governor Duval. At the presidential election in 1848 electors were chosen on the ticket headed by Gen. Zachary Taylor. In 1849 an Indian outbreak was made upon settlers on In- dian River. It was soon suppressed, however, and but one or two lives were lost. Thomas Brown, the Whig candidate, became governor in 1850. By the census of 1850 the population of Florida was shown to have increased to 87,445. This increase was mainly from Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, and was largest in mid- dle Florida. By act of Congress of September 28, 1850, all the swamp and overflowed lands belonging to the L^nited States in Florida were donated to the State for the purpose of being reclaimed. The estimated quantity of such lands was twelve millions of 204 HISTORY OF FLORIDA acres, but a much larger amount lias been selected by the lo-. eating agents and patented to the State. James E. Broome, Democratic candidate, was chosen governor in 1853. The vote of the State was cast for Franklin Pierce for President. The Alachua grant, which comprised nearly three hundred thousand acres in Alachua County, had been sold for partition in 1849, and population now began to come into the peninsular por- tion, especially in Columbia, Alachua, and Marion Counties. The lack of transportation facilities impeded the settlement of the interior. Although five hundred thousand acres had been given the State to encourage internal improvements, and over twelve million acres of swamp and overflowed lands, yet, with the exception of twenty miles from Tallahassee to St. Mark's, there was not, in 1855, a railroad in the State. A ship canal had been discussed and a route surveyed, but nothing done. Encouraged by the grant of lands made by Congress, projects of internal improvements by the construction of rail- ways were set on foot, mainly through the foresight and saga- city of Hon. David Yulee. By an act of the Legislature, ap- proved 8th of January, 1853, the Florida Eailroad Company was incorporated for the construction of a railroad across the peninsula of Florida, to commence on some tributary of the Atlantic having a sufficient outlet to admit the passage of sea steamers, to some port on the Gulf of Mexico, south of the Suwanee Eivor. At the same session an act was passed to in- corporate the Pensacola and Georgia Eailroad to run from Pensacola to the eastern boundary of the State of Georgia. No actual work of construction was undertaken under either of these charters until after the passage of the act of the Legis- lature of January 6, 1855, entitled " An act to encourage a liberal system of internal improvements." By the provisions of this act the swamp and overflowed lands and the internal im- provement lands were to be placed under the control of an in- ternal improvement board, which was authorized to guarantee HISTORY OF FLORIDA 305 the payment of the interest on the bonds which might be issued under its provisions to aid the construction of a line of railway from Fernandina to Tampa Bay, with a branch to Cedar Key. Shortly afterwards the work began upon the line from Amelia Island to Cedar Key, Fernandina being the initial point. A company was organized to build a railroad from Jacksonville to Lake City, and another to build a road from Tallahassee to Lake City, called the Pensacola and Georgia Railroad. Within the ensuing four years the railroad was completed from Fer- nandina to Cedar Key, and was graded between Waldo and Ocala, and the road between Jacksonville and Tallahassee was also completed. The construction of these roads gave considerable impetus to the settlement of Florida. Many planters from South Caro- lina and Georgia moved into the State, bringing with them large numbers of slaves, and opened up extensive cotton plan- tations. The counties of Columbia, Alachua, and Marion were found well adapted to the growth of sea-island cotton, which had been hitherto mainly })roduced upon the sea islands of Georgia and Carolina. At the presidential election of 185(i the vote of Florida was cast for Mr. Buchanan, Democratic candidate. M. S. Perry, of Alachua County, Democratic candidate, was elected governor. Senator Yulee was defeated for reelection to the Senate in 1851 by Stephen R. Mallory. In 1853 he was, however, again elected, to succeed James D. Westcott. The Indians in the southern part of the State ])ecame trou- blesome in 1857, and a partial outbreak occurred. The gover- nor called out State troops and suppressed the outbreak, at the cost of a few lives. The progress of settlement had steadily increased, and the census of 1800 showed a handsome inci-ease from 87,475 in 1850 to 140,424, an increase of nearly seventy-five per cent., of which none was by immigration from foreign countries. CHAPTEE XXXII The secession of Florida — Occupation of the United States forts and arsenal — Seizure of the navy yard at Pensacola — Hostilities at Pensa- cola — Fernandina, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville taken possession of by Union troops. A.D. 1857-1861 Florida participated in the general political struggle which prevailed throughout the South during the whole of 1860. In the fall election she had cast her vote in favor of John C. Breckenridge for the presidency. John Milton, of West Flor- ida, was elected governor to succeed Madison S. Perry, whose term expired in 1861. George S. Hawkins was elected to Con- gress, and a Legislature chosen. The people of Florida share 1 in the disquietude occasioned by the election to the presidency of Mr. Lincoln, which was considered as a triumph of the Anti- slavery party, fraught with danger to Southern interests and Southern institutions. South Carolina had called a convention ■with the announced determination to secede from the Union. The Legislature of Florida met in regular session on the 26th day of November, 1860. Clovernor M. S. Perry, on the same day, addressed a message to the two houses, declaring his opinion that the election of Lincoln and Hamlin, viewed in connection with the circumstances that led to it, made the only hope of the Southern States for domestic peace and safety, fu- ture respectability and prosperity, dojiendent upon their im- mediate secession from the I^nion. A letter from Senator Yulec was read announcing that as soon as he should learn of the withdrawal of the State from the Union he would leave his HISTORY OF FLORIDA 207 seat in the Senate. A bill was at once introduced to provide for calling a convention of the people of the State of Florida, to be held on the ;5d day of January, 1861. The bill passed both houses unanimously, and the election was ordered for delegates to the convention. The Legislature then adjourned until the Tth of January. The convention assenil)led at Tallahassee on the 3d of Jan- uary, 1861, and elected John J. McGehee president, and W. H. Harris secretary. The convention was opened with prayer l)y Bishop Eutledge. On the r)th of January, at a consultation of Soutl^ern senators held in Washington, their respective States were advised to pass ordinances of secession as soon as possible. Senators Yulee and Mallory communicated this res- olution to the Florida convention, then in session. A test resolution in favor of secession was passed by the convention on the 7th of January — sixty-two ayes to five nays. On the 9th a resolution that the ordinance should be submitted for ratifi- cation by the people was lost — yeas twenty-six, nays forty-one. On the loth day of January the ordinance of secession was passed, declaring the State of Florida a sovereign and inde- pendent nation, and rescinding all ordinances recognizing the Union. I^])on the passage of the ordinance of secession the vote was sixty-two ayes and seven nays. Messrs. Yulee and Mallory formally withdrew from the Senate. George S. Haw- kins had previously resigned his seat in the House of Represen- tatives. Judge McQueen Mcintosh, judge of the United States Court, and the other Federal officers, except at Key West, re- signed. Fort Marion, at St. Augustine ; Fort Clinch, at Fer- nandina, and the United States arsenal at Chattahoochee were taken possession of by the State authorities. South Carolina had seceded on the 20th of December, 1860, and conventions were called in the otlier States ; but it was a very bold step for Florida, weak in population aiid resources, to be among the first to pass an ordinance of secession with such great unanimity. 308 HISTORY OF FLORIDA It was intended also to seize the navy yard and fort at Pensa- cola, and an order to that effect had been issued by Governor Perry, but before it could be carried into effect Lieutenant Slemnier, who was in command of a company of United States troops at Barrancas, on the lUth of January removed his gar- rison to Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island. To a formal de- mand to surrender he replied that he had determined to hold the fort as long as he was able to do so. On the last of January the Confederate forces at Pensacola navy yard numbered about seventeen hundred. By an agreement with the government, a statu quo arrangement was made, and Fort Pickens was not re- inforced until April the l-tth, when considerable reinforce- ments were landed from the Brooklyn man-of-war. Previous to that time it could easily have been taken. Troo])s had also been added to the Confederate forces holding Fort Barrancas and the navy yard, so that by May General Bragg, who took command on March 11th, had about five thousand men. Col. Harvey Brown had succeeded to the command at Fort Pickens. No active operations took place on either side for several months. Batteries were erected and guns mounted, and Gen- eral Bragg made his camp a school of instruction. Fort Clinch, at Fernandina, was occupied by a regiment of Confederate troops. The forces at Pensacola had now been confronting each other since January. On the 11th of September a naval boat expedition was fitted out under Lieut. J. H. Russell, of the flagship Colorado, and made a night attack upon the navy yard, burning the small armed schooner Judah and spiking the guns of the only bat- tery there, with a loss of only three killed and eight wounded. This was followed on October 9th by an expedition of Con- federate troops, under the command of Gen. E. H. Anderson, against the camp of the Union forces on Santa Rosa Island. The attack was only partially successful, and the losses on either side were about the same. HISTORY OF FLORIDA 209 On ISrovembcr 24th the United States steamers Niagara and Eichmond, aided by the guns at Fort Pickens and five shore batteries, commenced a bombardment of the Confederate lines, in order to retaliate for the attack on the Union camps. The l)ombardment was kept up for two days, and five thousand shot were thrown from the Federal batteries. About one thousand shot were returned from the Confederate batteries. The loss on the Union side was one killed and six wounded ; on the Confederate side, six killed by the falling in of a maga- zine and twenty-one were wounded ; two churches were burned, also twQpty laborers' cottages, and one public building in the navy yard — a very harndess duel, without result except great ex- penditure of ammunition needlessly. It had, perhaps, the good effect of accustoming the troops to the sound of cannon and to the comparatively harmless character of such a bondjard- ment. On the 1st of January, 1862, General Bragg turned over the command of the troops at Pensacola to General Sam Jones. The troops then in camp numbered eight thousand, and about the middle of February four regiments were sent to Tennessee. On the 2d of March, 1862, the Confederate troops, under Col. E. Hopkins, were withdraAvn from Fernandina. General Dupont left Port Royal on the 28th of February with a large fleet of naval vessels, gun-boats, and transports, carry- ing a brigade of United States troops for a descent upon the east coast of Florida. The larger vessels sailed to the mouth of the St. Mary's River, and the gun-boats, etc., came in at St. Andrew's Sound and followed the inland passage. On coming within view of old Fernandina a white flag was displayed, and, on reaching new Fernandina, a few rifle-shots were fired from the bushes on shore. When the gun-boats reached Fernandina, the steamboat Darlington, loaded with refugees, had left for Nassau Sound, and a railroad train of flat cars was making its way to the railway bridge across to the mainland. Two citizens 14 310 HISTORY OF FLORIDA on the train were killed by shots from the gun-boats, and the Darlington was captured at the drawbridge. Fernandina re- mained in possession of the Union forces until the close of the war. On the 16th of March Jacksonville was occupied by the Federal forces. Previous to their arrival a battalion of Con- federate troops, numbering four hundred, under Col. C. F. Hopkins, had come in, and, under orders that they had re- ceived, burned the saw-mills and foundry. The Judson House, a fine hotel, was also burned by them. Gen. T. W. Sherman and staff arrived at Jacksonville on the 19tli of March, when a meeting of loyal citizens was held, and steps were taken to se- cure cooperation of other counties in restoring Florida to the Union. Some little skirmishing took place between the Union troops and Confederates at the outposts ; but on April 8tli the town was evacuated by the Federal forces and many buildings were burned — set fire to, it is claimed, by the soldiers or hangers-on of the Federal forces. St. Augustine was surrendered to Commodore Eogers with- out resistance, and on the 11th of March was garrisoned by Federal troops and remained in possession of the Union forces until the close of the war. An expedition was sent to New Smyrna on the Penguin gun- boat, under Lieutenant Budd and Acting Master S. W. Mather, and, having gone up the inlet in boats, was fired upon by Con- federate troops under Captain Strain and Lieutenant Cham- bers. Lieutenant Budd and Acting Master Mather and six seamen were killed. Six men were wounded and three ca])- tured. On the 9th of May, 1862, Pensacola was evacuated by the Confederate forces, all stores were removed, and the prin- cipal lumber mills in the neighborhood were burned. On the same day General Hunter ordered Colonel Bell, commanding at St. Augustine, " to at once drive out of your lines all persons, without reference to sex, who have not taken and still refuse to take the oath of allegiance." A similar order was made by JIISTORr OF FLORIDA 211 Brigadier-General Saxtoii in September, 1862, directing the ])rovost-marshal to expel all such people as should refuse to take the oath of allegiance. A large number of women and cliildrcn were put on board the steamer Burnside, and, off the bar of the St. John's Eiver, were met by Gen. A. H. Terry, who, under the direction of General Brannon, countermanded the order of General Saxton, and had the Burnside return to St. Augustine with the expelled people. On May 20th Captain H. T. Blocker attacked a boat from a blockading vessel in the Appalachicola River and killed or wounded seventeen of the twenty-one on board. On the 30th of June a Federal gun-boat attacked the Confederate battery at Tampa Bay, held by Cap- tain Pearson, and, after several hours' cannonading, withdrew with but little damage to either side. A battery erected on the St. John's River, at St. John's Bluff, mounting several heavy guns, was placed under command of Col. C. F. Hopkins. A heavy force of United States gun-boats and troops was brought to reduce this Avork. The troops were landed and, flanking the position, rendered it untenable, and it was abandoned, the Confederate force withdrawing. General Brannon reoccu- pied Jacksonville for a few days in October, 1862, and again evacuated that place on the 9th of October, taking with him twenty-seven negroes and several refugees to Hilton Head. Gen. Joseph Finegan was in command in Florida, with a nom- inal force of about seventeen hundred men, mostly cavalry, but no hostile movements of any consequence were made from either side. About five hundred people were engaged in salt- boiling, principally on the Gulf coast in Middle and West Florida. In January, 1863, Colonel Higginson, with a regiment of South Carolina colored troops, went up the St. Mary's River and came back to Fernandina without accomplishing any- thing of note, but was much impressed with his colored sol- diers' eagerness for fighting. Gen. Rufus Saxton had become 212 HISTORY OF FLORIDA possessed with the idea that a great deal coiikl he done hy secur- ing the negroes in Florida and arming them in the United States service. He obtained Mr. Lincoln's indorsement of this plan, and proposed to reoccupy Jacksonville and make it an asylum for negroes in Florida and elsewhere. He was author- ized to enlist live thousand negroes for laborers' duty and five thousand for military service. On March 10, 1863, an expedition consisting of colored troops, under Colonel Higginson and Colonel Montgomery, took possession of Jacksonville. General Saxton reported that the negroes were collecting from all quarters, but he was ap- prehensive of being attacked by the Confederate forces. Gen- eral Finegan closely surrounded the town, and some severe skirmishes took place, in one of which Surgeon Merideth, of the Confederate force, was killed. General Saxton was reinforced, and on the 25th of March moved out against the Confederates, but, after a sharp skirmish, retired. Colonel Montgomery went up to Palatka, raiding the plantations along the river and carrying off the negroes. In the act of landing at Palatka his troops were fired upon with fatal effect by Confederate troops under Captain Dickison, and he immediately left and returned to Jacksonville. On the 27th of March, 1863, after seventeen days' occupa- tion. General Hunter ordered Jacksonville to be again evacu- ated, thus breaking up General Saxton's plans for recovering Florida. In April a naval expedition scoured the west coast between Cedar Key and Tampa Bay for small blockade runners. An attack was made on Bayport, where a sloop loaded with corn was burned by the Federal force and a large schooner loaded with cotton burned by the Confederates themselves to avoid its capture. There was a brisk engagement, but no great- loss on either side. During the summer, matters remained very quiet. In October two gun-boats came into Tampa Bay and destroyed the steamer Scottish Chief and sloop Dale, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 213 losing on their retreat three killed, ten wounded, and three prisoners. The military operations in Florida prior to 1864, with the exception of the operations at Pensacola in 1861, had been comparatively unimportant. Fernandina, St. Augustine, Key West, and Pensacola were continuously occupied by the Federal garrisons, which seldom came beyond their precincts. Most of the Florida troops were in Virginia or the West, and only a few hundred, in movable detachments, remained to guard the interior of the State. The Confederate armies were receiving large supplies of beef and salt from Florida. This had become known to the commanders of the Federal troops, and it was deemed very important to cut off this source of supply. The government at Washington, moreover, had been led to believe that there was a strong Union sentiment in Florida, which would declare itself if sufficient force was thrown into the State. President Lincoln sent down Major Hay as a special agent to further this end, with Ijlanks and papers to be used in the process of restoring the State to the I'nion. General Gillmore, who was in command of the department in the South, entertained similar views. CHAPTER XXXIII The attempted military occupation of northern Florida by General Seymour — Battle of Olustee — Defeat of Seymour — Federal attack on Gainesville and capture of Union troops by Dickison — Battle of Natural Bridge — Florida troops in Virginia and Tennessee. A.D. 1864-1865 General Gillmore's plans were to occupy Florida in force in order to procure an outlet for cotton, lumber, turpentine, etc., to cut off the Confederate sources of commissaries' supplies, to obtain recruits for colored regiments, and to inaugurate measures for the restoration of Florida to the Union. Orders were given to Brig.-Gen. Truman Seymour, on the 14th of Feb- ruary, 1864, to embark several regiments of troops (part of whom were colored), a mounted brigade, and several batteries from Hilton Head for Florida. These troops landed at Jack- sonville on the 7th of February. On the night of the 8th an advance was made by a mounted force under Col. Guy Henry, which passed Camp Finegan, seven miles west of Jacksonville, surprised and captured a battery three miles west 'of that place at midnight, and reached Baldwin on the morning of the 9th, capturing en route five guns and several wagons and mules at Picketts, eleven miles west of Jacksonville. Colonel Henry moved on to Barbers, on the south prong of the St. Mary's, where he encountered and had a brisk engagement with Confed- erate cavalry under Major Harrison, who retired before them, and he then reached Sanderson, forty miles west of Jacksonville. General Finegan had removed all his stores from this point except fifteen hundred bushels of corn, which he was forced to destroy for want of means of transportation. From San- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 215 derson the mounted force under Colonel Henry pushed on to within three miles of Lake City, where General Finegan had massed the forces he had been able to gather and had con- structed some, defensive works. Colonel Henry's force reached tliis point about 10 a.m. Eegarding the opposing force as too numerous to attack in their entrenchments, although, in fact, a comparatively w'eak force, Colonel Henry marched back to Sanderson and thence to Barbers without making any attack. On the 13th of March a mounted force made a raid from Sanderson to Gainesville, reaching there the next day, captur- ing cotton, sugar, etc., on the way. While there they made a temporary breastwork of cotton bales piled across the street, and repulsed an attack from two companies of Confederate cavalry. Burning the captured stores, the Union troops left ihe next da}^, and rejoined General Seymour on the 17th. En- countering so far but little opposition, and meeting with some success. General Seymour was much elated. He had written previously to General Gillmore that an attack on Lake City was not advisable, and that what had been said of the desire of the Floridians to come back into the Union was a delusion, and advised falling back upon Jacksonville. Yet soon after he was so much encouraged by these tW'O raids that he decided to make a forward movement. On the morning of the 20th of Febru- ary he moved out from Barbers with all his disposable force, stated by him officially to be five thousand five hundred men and sixteen guns, with the expectation of meeting the Con- federate force, reported to be four to five thousand strong, at Lake City. Passing Sanderson, eight miles on his march, he was informed that he would meet the enemy in force, fifteen thousand strong, some miles east of Lake City, but he dis- credited the information. About tw^o o'clock in the afternoon of the 20th the advance reported a small body of Confederate cavalry in front, falling slowly back. It was soon reported that it Avas suspected that the entire Confederate force was directly 216 HISTORY OF FLORIDA in front. A halt was called and a battery placed in position to shell the woods in his front, which was quickly replied to by a Confederate battery, three solid shot striking near the general and his staff. All the guns were at once placed in battery, skirmishers were thrown out, the infantry formed in line of battle. The opi)osing line soon came in view. The ground was favorable for the movement of troops, being firm and even, and, although covered with pine forest, was devoid of underbrush. The battle commenced in earnest with a heavy fire from the Confederate lines. A regiment of New Hami5shire troops, armed with Spencer rifles, found the fire too heavy, and soon broke in confusion. A colored regiment coming under fire, having its colonel and major killed, soon broke and retreated. The Confederate troops pressed forward to meet fresh Union troops, by whom they were held in check, and the deadly strug- gle continued for three hours, until at dusk, being hard pressed by the Confederates, the Union troops rapidly fell back in dis- order towards Sanderson, and afterwards to Baldwin. General Finegan, for several days prior to the engagement, had only about two thousand men, but was reinforced by a force of reg- ulars from Georgia shortly before the battle, which had been ordered to his relief by General Beauregard, and had reached him by forced marches. His whole force was then forty-six hundred men and twelve guns. He had thrown up entrench- ments at Ohistee in a very strong position, flanked by two ponds and a cypress swamp, and had expected to make the fight there, but, upon information of the advance of General Sey- mour, he sent out a force of cavalry and part of the Georgia troops to skirmish with the enemy, who were then about three miles east of Olustee. The skirmish developed into a battle in which all the forces were engaged as they came up. Tlie Georgia regiments under Generals Colquitt and Harrison, heroes in many an engagement, fought with steadiness and dis- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 317 cretion, remaining for some time steady under fire during a critical period of tlie battle while awaiting a supply of ammuni- tion. General Seymour's forces numbered nearly one thou- sand more than the Confederates. His men as a whole fought l)ravely, and, after marching fourteen miles, fought for three hours before they retreated. Their batteries were well served, but, losing many men and horses, five guns were left on the field and sixteen hundred stands of arms. A vigorous pursuit of cavalry would have probably captured a large number of the routed men. The losses, as officially reported, were, on the Federal side, eighteen hundred and sixty-one killed, wounded, and missing, and on the Confederate nine hundred and forty killed and wounded. It was one of the best fought and most .sanguinary battles of the Civil War. The defeat at Olustee put an end to President Lincoln's expectations of restoring Florida to the Union, and to General Gillmore's and General Seymour's plans for separating her from the rest of the Con- federacy. The Union troops retired to Jacksonville, and both sides were reinforced. Some minor operations in other parts of the State succeeded the battle of Olustee. A detachment from Point Washington on the 8th of February surprised and captured Captain Floyd's company of Confederate volunteers on the Choctawhatchee. On their return next day the Union troops were attacked by Confederate cavalry, and their prison- ers were recaptured. Palatka was occupied on March 10th by Colonel Barton. On April 1st the United States transport Maple Leaf was blown up and sunk by a Confederate torpedo off Mandarin Point, on St. John's River, and what was left above water was burned. Some skirmishing took place around Palatka of no great im- portance. An expedition was to have gone out from Palatka in April to make a raid in Marion County, but Palatka was or- dered evacuated on the 12th of April, and a large part of the Union troops were withdrawn from East Florida. Shortly 218 HISTORY OF FLORIDA afterwards a considerable portion of the Confederate forces in Florida were sent to reinforce the armies in Virginia and Ten- nessee. A skirmish took place a few miles from Barrancas, in which an officer and a few men from the Seventh Alabama were captured. On April 16th the United States transport Hunter was blown up and destroyed by a torpedo near the Maple Leaf in St. John's Eiver. Tampa was occupied by a detachment of Union troops on May Gth, and the Confederate guns and bat- tery disabled. The United States transport Harriet A. Weed was blown up and sunk by a torpedo near Cedar Creek on the 9th of May, and the crew drowned. On May 9th Capt. J. J. Dickison, of the Florida cavalry, captured fifty-six men and two officers at Welaka and Saunders, on the St. John's. On the 23d of May he planted a section of artillery on the west bank of the St. John's, near Horse Landing, and captured the United States gun-boat Columbian, with seven officers, nine seamen, and forty-seven colored soldiers. A number were killed during the engagement and twenty-five drowned. Cap- tain Childs, with a L^nion force from Fort Myers, landed at Bay- port and captured some cotton and negroes. Major Weeks, with a United States force from Cedar Key, landed at St. An- drew's Bay, and caj^tured cotton and burned bridges. General Ashboth moved out of Pensacola on the 21st of July to attack Fort Hodgson, fifteen miles from Pensacola, which, after half an hour's engagement, was evacuated by the Confederates. On August 15th a raiding party left Baldwin, commanded by Colonel Harris, of Seventy-fifth of Ohio, with a hundred and thirty-eight men of that regiment, and ninety men of Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, with one piece of artil- lery and ten men, followed the line of the railroad to Waldo, and thence by the public road east of Newnan's Lake to Gaines- ville. Immediately after their arrival there they were at- tacked by a force of cavalry under Captain Dickison, with one piece of artillery, and completely routed. Colonel Harris CAPT. J. J. DICKISON, THE MARION OF FLORIDA 220 HISTORY OF FLORIDA escaped with less than forty men to Magnolia. He had gathered on his march two hundred negroes, forty mules, wagons, and other plunder, all of which was captured by Captain Dickison, whose whole force numbered one hundred and seventy-five, while that of Colonel Harris was three hundred and five. Cap- tain Dickison's loss was but two killed and four wounded. This action added greatly to the reputation of Captain Dicki- son, and earned for him the name of " the Marion of Florida." In September General Ashboth made a raid from Pensacola on Marianna, capturing many citizens, much private property, and carrying off six hundred negroes. On October 24th Cap- tain Dickison, in a skirmish near Magnolia, on the St. John's, captured twenty-three prisoners and thirty-two horses, ten Union soldiers being killed in the engagement. Everything remained in comparative quiet during the months of Novem- ber and December, 1864. On February 13, 1865, two Federal regiments advanced from Cedar Key up the Florida Eailroad to the neighborhood of Levyville. Captain Dickison gathered a force of about one hundred and fifty men to meet them, when the Union troops fell back to Station Number Four, where Dickison attacked them. Alter four hours' fighting, at the end of which the Confederates had exhausted their ammunition, the Union troops retreated, having sustained a loss of seventy killed and wounded. Dickison had six killed and woimded. Space will not permit following the movements of the Flor- ida troops in the armies of the Confederacy beyond the limits of the State during the four years of conflict. On every field they fought gallantly and well. There were organized in Florida twelve regiments of infantry, two regiments and one battalion of cavalry, and four light batteries. Most of the regi- ments left Florida in 1862 for the armies of Tennessee and Vir- ginia. The First Florida Eegiment was in the battle of Shiloh in April, 1862 ; the First and Third Eegiments were in the battle of Murfreesboro, and lost heavily ; the First, Third, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 221 and roiirtli wore engaged at Jackson, Miss., and captured two lumdred prisoners and the colors of the Twenty-eighth, Forty- first, and Fifty-third Illinois, and were in almost every subse- (|iient engagement of the army of Tennessee. The Second Florida Regiment went to Virginia, and was in all the penin- sular engagements, losing its gallant colonel, George T. Ward, at Williamsburg, and lost heavily in officers and men during the seven days' battle around Richmond, anumg whom was Major George W. Call. This regiment was also in the terrible battles of Gettysburg and Sharpsburg. The Fourth Regiment was attached to the army of Tennessee, and shared in its vic- tories and losses. The Third Regiment was attached to the ai'my of Virginia, and bore its share at Gettysburg and Sharps- burg. The Sixtli Regiment was with the army of Tennessee, and was engaged at Chickanuiuga, Missionary Ridge, etc. The Seventh Regiment was with the army of Tennessee, and in the battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and other engage- ments. The Eighth Regiment was in the army of Virginia, and engaged at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and elsewhere. The First Regiment of Florida Cavalry rendered good service with the army of Tennessee, as did also Martin's Battery. The other organizations and batteries served in Florida and Georgia. Florida was well represented in the higher ranks of the Con- federate army : Gen. E. Kirby-Smith, a full general ; W. W. Loring, a major-general, both distinguished officers of the old army, and ]\I. L. Smith, J. Patton Anderson, Joseph Finegan, J. J. Finley, W. G. M. Davis, E. A. Perry, and J. J. Dickison held commissions as brigadier-generals. Exempts, schooll)oys, invalids, and clergy did occasional ser- vice when needed. The cattle, the salt, the provisions, and crops of Florida were most important in sustaining the armies in the field from the beginning to the end of the war. Florida, in proportion to its po])ulation, furnished more troops to the Confederacy than any other State. CHAPTER XXXIV After the war — liecoustructioii — ConsLiLutioual couveiitiozi — New consti- tution adopted — State government set aside — Florida part of a mili- tary district — A newer constitution — Political events. A.D. 1865-1875 Governor John Milton died on April 1, 18G5, and Lieut.- Gov. A. K. Allison assumed the duties of governor, but was very soon, together with Senator Yulee, consigned to Fort Pulaski, Ga., as prisoner of State, and held in confinement for a twelvemonth. Senator Stephen E. Mallory, who had held the office of secretary of the navy under the Confederate govern- ment, was imprisoned some time in Fort Lafayette, New York harbor. The Confederate forces in Florida made a formal surrender to General McCook on May 20, 1865. Judge William Marvin was appointed by President Johnson provisional governor of Florida in July, 1865, with authority to call a constitutional convention. On the 3d of August he is- sued a call for an election, to be held October 10th, of delegates to a constitutional convention, to be held October 35tli. An amnesty oath was required as a qualification to vote at such elec- tion. This oath was subscribed by seven thousand and forty- two persons. Fifty-six delegates were chosen, and the conven- tion met at Tallahassee October 25, 1865. The ordinance of secession was repealed and a new constitution adopted. The new constitution provided for an election to be held on Novem- ber 20, 1865, for governor, cabinet officers, judges, legislature, county officers, and members of Congress. The whole vote HISTORY OF FLORIDA 223 cast at this election was less thau four thousand. David S. Walker was elected governor and Ferdinand McLeod repre- sentative in Congress. The Legislature met on December 20, 18G5. Provisional Governor Marvin retired, and D. S. Walker was inaugurated governor. Wilkinson Call and William Marvin were chosen as United States senators. These gentlemen, however, were not admitted to their seats in the Senate. The thirteenth amendment to the Constitution was ratified on December 28th, only two votes being cast in the negative. In February, 1866, Congress enlarged the functions of the Freedmen's Bureau, and it became the most prominent agency of government in Florida, and, through its organization and subordinate officers, largely controlled local affairs throughout the State. The year 1866 witnessed the restoration of the functions of the State government and a resuscitation of the various em- ployments of its citizens. The Legislature again met in December, 1866. In the mean time the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States had passed Congress, and was proposed to the Legislatures for ratification. It virtually disfranchised the most intelligent classes of the South. The having held office of any kind, national or State, disqualified from voting or holding any office in the State. For these reasons Governor Walker advised the rejection of the fourteenth amendment, and the Legislature refused its ratification. The reconstruction law passed by Congress in March, 1867, over the President's veto^ set off the Southern States into five military districts, over each of which the President was author- ized to place an army officer with supreme control. It was provided tliat a registration should be made of the citizens residing in each county in each State, and, before registration, each applicant was required to make oath that he had not 224 HISTORY OF FLORIDA taken an oath as a military or civil officer of the United States, or of any State, or given aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States. After such registration an election should he held by the qualified voters of members of a constitutional convention. Florida was made a part of the Third Military District, under command of Gen. John T. Pope, who was succeeded by Gen. G. C. Meade, with Gen. John T. Sprague commanding in Florida. The registration lists showed 11,148 white voters and 15,434 colored, but only 14,50,3 votes in all were cast, nearly all for a convention. Forty-five members were elected to the convention. On the 20th of January, 18()8, the day apj^ointed for the meeting of the convention at Tallahassee, twenty of the delegates met and elected a president and secretary. Other delegates afterwards reported, and on the 21st of Felu'uary eighteen of the dele- gates withdrew from the convention and went to Monticello, leaving the body without a quorum. The remaining members continued in session, framed a constitution and adopted it, and sent it to General Meade for approval, and took a recess. The seceders came up at midnight from Monticello, and by a coup de main took possession of the hall of the House of Rep- resentatives, in which the convention had been holding its session, and organized as a convention, having obtained enough members to form a quorum. Several members of the opposing section were ousted, and others seatecL The opposing section, known as the Richard faction, appealed to General Meade, who came to Florida, and directed both factions to come together and take seats in the convention, that both presiding officers resign, and General Sprague take the chair and reorganize the convention, which was done accordingly — a curious chapter of constitution-making. The convention then proceeded to adopt a constitution, known as the constitution of 1868. By HISTORY OF FLORIDA 225 this constitution suffrage was to be universal. Judges and all State officers were to be appointed by the governor, with the ad- vice and consent of the Senate. Upon a popular vote the con- stitution was ratified by a nuijority of five thousand. Harrison Eeed, who had come to Florida after the war, hold- ing a government ofhce, was elected governor, his opponent be- ing George W. Scott. A Legislature consisting of twenty-f out- senators and fifty-three representatives was elected, of whom a large majority were Eepublicans and a considerable number negroes. It was no small trial to the white people of Florida to find themselves disfranchised to a large extent and excluded from the halls of legislation and official positions, while the places they had been accustomed to occupy were filled with their former servants or new-comers, but the situation was accepted for the most part in a patient and manly way. Ignoring the action of the preceding Legislature, the newly elected Legislature ratified iKitli the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments to the Constitution of the United States, and the election of senators previously made was disregarded. By the act of Congress of June 25, 1808, Florida was readmitted to representation in C*ongress, and the newly elected State officers were installed on July 4, 1808. Of the white Eepublicans prominent in politics and holding office, the larger nund)er had come to Florida in some military capacity during the Civil AVar or in some civil capacity at its close. They soon divided into two factions — the one support- ing and the other opposing Governor Reed. Attempts were made at three different times by Governor Reed's opponents to impeach him for malfeasance in office, but failed in the attempt. The Legislature, on June L5, 18(58, ratified the fifteenth amendment to the C*onstitution of the United States, and elected T. W. Osborn and Abijah Gilbert as senators. Osl)orn was chief of the Freedmen's Bureau, and Gilbert, a well-to-do 15 326 HISTORY OF FLORIDA resident of St. iVugustine, recently came to the State. Charles M. Hamilton, an agent of the Freedmen's Bureau, was electeil to the House of Eepresentatives. Presidential electors were elected hy the Legislature, and not by the people, who cast the vote of Florida for Gen. U. S. Grant, this being the only in- stance in the history of the State of presidential electors being chosen l)y the Legislature. In the mean time the new State constitution having provided for all the local offices being filled by appointment of the governor, there was a general scramble for such appointments. Governor Eeed probably did as well as could be expected in view of the situation. As a rule, the offices were filled by recent comers upon the recom- mendation of political bosses. Some were residents of the State and men of good standing. An era of large expenditures and scrip issue became preva- lent in the State, and in all the counties taxes were assessed higher than ever before, and tax sales were numerous. State and county scrip, for the payment of which there was not suf- ficient funds in the treasury, depreciated at one time to twenty- five per cent, of its face value. The general financial condition of the State was very unsatisfactory. In 1870 Josiah T. Walls, an intelligent colored citizen of Alachua County, was nominated as the Eepublican candidate for Congress, being opposed by S. L. Niblack as the Democratic candidate. The State canvassers threw out several counties and gave Walls the certificate of election, Init he was unseated by Congress, and Niblack declared entitled to the seat. W. D. Bloxham, who was a candidate for lieutenant-governor, and who had been counted out, was, by a decision of the supreme court of the State, given that office. In 1873 Ossian B. Hart was elected governor. As a result of the increased population shown by the census of 1870, Florida had become entitled to two congressional districts. Josiali T. Walls, the colored Eepublican candidate, was elected in 1872 HISTORY OF FLORIDA 227 to represent the second district, and W. J. Purman the first. Governor Hart, who had hjn^r been in bad health, died in Jan- uary, 1874, and was succeeded by Lieut.-CTOV. M. L. Stearns. At the session of the Legishiture in January, 1873, an effort was inade on the part of the State of xVhibania to obtain a cession to that State of all that part of Florida lying west of tlic Appahichicola Kiver, the sum of one million dollars to l)e paid to tlie State of Florida for the cession. The Legislature of Florida entertained the proposition so far as to appoint three commissioners, W. J. Purman, C. E. Dyke, and M. H. ]\Ioragne, W'ho came to terms of agreement with the Alabama commis- sioners, but the question was required to be submitted to vote in the counties interested, and also to be ratified by the Legisla- ture. The election was never held, and the matter dropped. Whether it could have l)cen consummated without the consent of Congress is prol)lematical. A person by the name of King, claiming to be a Seminole, but regarded as only a simulated one, came to Tallahassee and asked to be received as a representative of the Seminoles, but tlie Legislature declined to seat him. It is noteworthy that in this session of the Legislature about one-half of the members were negroes. In the succeeding Legislature of 1875 parties were nearly equally divided, and Charles AV. Jones, a Demo- cratic member of the Legislature from Escambia County, was elected senator. CHAPTEE XXXV End of the reconstruction period — Florida's presidential vote hangs in the balance — Rapid increase in the construction of railroads — Increase of population. A.D. 1 875-1 890 The Republican party, mainl}^ by the aid of the colored vote, had now been in power in the State since 18G8. In the fall election of 1876 the vote was very close, but finally resulted in the election of the Democratic candidate for governor, George F. Drew. The Tilden electors by the returns were elected by a majority of ninety-seven, but tlie Board of State Canvassers, through rejection of certain counties and precincts, gave the Hayes electors a majority of nine hundred and twenty-eight. The election was so close in the United States that the four votes of Florida were necessary to decide, and the contest over the vote of Florida was transferred to Washington, where the electoral commissioners, l)y a vote of eight to seven, awarded the electoral vote of Florida to Mr. Hayes. Governor Drew's administration was welcomed by the peo- ple of Florida as a return to home rule. The finances of the State at once improved. The State bonds rose from sixty-five per cent, to par, taxes were lowered, and a general feeling of re- lief from years of factional contests and divisions was felt. The colored people had become tired of being used as instru- ments to advance to power people who had no sympathy with them, and were indeed glad to see their old friends and former masters placed in a better condition. The population of Florida, as shown l)y the census of 1880, was 369,493, of whom 142,605 were white and 126,696 colored, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 229 bof^idos ISO Indians. Tlic assepsed vahiation of taxable prop- erty was thirty-one millions of dollars. At the fall election held in 1880 William D. Bloxham was elected governor. During Governor Bloxham's administration the various claims against the internal improvement fund of the State were settled by a sale of four million acres of swamp and overflowed lands to Hamilton Disston, of Pennsylvania, for the sum of one million of dollars. At the session of the Legislature in 1881 numerous charters were granted to railroad companies, accompanied with grants of lands, viz., the East Florida Eailroad Company, from Jacksonville to the St. Mary's Eiver, ])eing part of the Savannah, Florida, and Western sys- tem ; the Gainesville, Ocala, and Charlotte Harbor ; the Green Cove Springs and Melrose Company ; the Jacksonville, St. Au- gustine, and Halifax ; Monticello and Georgia ; Orange Ridge, Deland, and Atlantic ; Palatka and Indian River. The most important road chartered was the Pensacola and Atlantic, from I'ensacola to Chattahoochee, to which a land grant of twenty thousand acres per mile was made. The Silver Springs, Ocala, and Gulf ; St. John's and Lake Eustis ; Fernandina and Jack- sonville, and others, were constructed. Up to 1884: one thou- sand and forty-five miles of railroad had been built, a very great achievement, considering the population of the State and the strictly local character of the roads. With the construc- tion of railroads the popiilation advanced rapidly, and an es- pecial impetus was given in the peninsular portion of the State to the planting out of orange groves. From a comparatively small product previously, the crop of oranges in 1885 reached nine hundred thousand boxes, and many settlers and investors were induced to engage in this alluring industry. Notwithstanding a severe freeze on the 12th of January, 1880, which destroyed all the fruit on the trees and to some ex- tent injured the trees themselves, the ensuing crops grew larger every year. 2;J() HISTORY OF FLORIDA In 1885 a constitutional convention was called, which met at Tallahassee on the 9th day of June. The constitution framed by this convention was ratified and went into operation January 1, 1887. Among other changes, it provided for the election of all cabinet officers by the people, and also the judges of the su- preme court, but not the Judges of the circuit courts. All the county officers, which before were appointed by the governor, were to be elected by the people, except county commissioners, who were still to be appointed Ijy the governor. The office of lieutenant-governor was abolished, and the duties of that office vested in the presideut of the State Senate. The Legislature was to meet biennially, and limited to sixty days' session. A homestead provision of a most liberal nature was incorporated in the constitution. The time of meeting of the Legislature was changed from January to the first week in April. By an oversight this has led to a vacancy in the office of United States senator between March 4tli and the day of election of senator by the Legislature. In the summer of 1888 an epidemic of yellow fever of a mild form prevailed in Jacksonville and Fernandina. The deaths in Jacksonville were about five hundred in all, and in Fernan- dina about forty, being less than ten per cent, in each city of the whole number of cases. Measures were at once adopted to make any future recurrence of the epidemic unlikely. At the fall election of 1888 Francis P. Fleming was elected governor. The entire vote of the State was 66,641, of which the Cleveland electors received 39,561. CHAPTER XXXVI Increase ol' population — Building of great hotels — Discovery of phosphate deposits — Growth of the orange industry — The destructive freezes of 1894 and 1895 — Financial condition — Public schools, colleges, and seminaries — Statistics of iiopulation. • A.D. 1890-1898 By the census of 1890 the popuhition of Florida was shown to have increased to 391,422, of whom 224:,9-49 were white and 1GG,4T5 colored, giving the white population a preponderance of sixty thousand over the colored. About this period Mr. Henry M. Flagler, Mr. Henry B. Plant, and other capitalists expended large sums in building magnificent tourists' hotels at St. Augustine, Tampa, and else- where, by this means very largely increasing the tourist travel during the winter months. The railroads leading to Florida increased the facilities and improved the comfort of travel in every direction. Henry L. Miteliell was elected governor in 1892. At the election in 1892 the Cleveland presidential electors received 30,1-1:3 votes. No Republican presidential ticket was voted for, but Weaver, Populist, received 4,8-43 votes. Florida was the only one of the United States in which no vote was cast for Benjamin Harrison, the Republican nominee for President. During the year 1894 the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was extended to Savannah, Ga., and Columbia, S. C, and the St. Augustine and Indian River Railroad to Lake Worth, where Mr. Flagler built the Hotel Ponciana, which is one of the most extensive and beautiful hotels in this country. 233 HISTORY OF FLORIDA Oil the 29tli of December, 1894, a very severe freeze oc- curred, affecting nearly every portion of Florida. The tem- perature sank to fourteen degrees above zero at Jacksonville and nineteen degrees above zero at Ocala, Roekledge, and Tampa. All of the ungathered fruit, estimated at over two millions of boxes, was frozen on the trees. The young trees were generally killed to the ground, and the smaller limbs of the older trees killed back. The loss of fruit alone was esti- mated at two millions of dollars. In a few weeks the bearing trees began to throw out new growth and the sap had generally risen in the trees, when, on the 7th of February, 1895, another still more destructive freeze came, the temperature falling to fifteen degrees above zero, killing to the ground all trees under ten years of age, the limbs and in most cases the trunks of all the older trees. This extended as far as Manatee and Pease Creek, leaving but a small part of the orange district unin- jured. The sour trees fared as badly as the sweet trees, and one universal scene of devastation overspread the orange-grow- ing region of the State, entailing a loss estimated at over twenty-five million dollars. In the course of four months nearly all the trees sent up new shoots, and, in the course of six years from the time they were frozen down, it is anticipated that the groves will again be in bearing. Many groves are already beginning to bear. In 1881 Mr. J. F. LeBarron, C.E., found phosphate pebble in Pease Creek, but it attracted no attention at the time, and it was not until 1889 that, in sinking a well at Dunellon, in Marion County, rock which proved to be jihosphate of a high grade was found, and the value of the deposits appreciated. Discoveries soon began to be made in other localities, and the whole country was being searched for phosphate deposits. Companies were formed, lands purchased, and machinery ob- tained to put the phosphate deposits in a condition to be shipped to the manufacturers of fertilizer. The phosphate belt HISTORY OF FLORIDA 233 extends for about two hundred miles along tlic western portion of the peninsula, through the counties of Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Marion, Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, and Pasco, and in the beds of several rivers. The export for 1894—95 is about five hundred thousand tons, of the value' of five millions of dol- lars, shipped through Fernandina, Brunswick, Savannah, Port Tampa, and Punta Gorda. The supply is considered inex- haustible for at least a long period. The area of timber lands in Florida is very large, and the value of timber exports at present exceeds all other products, the annual export, by the census of 1890, being placed at seventeen million dollars. The orange crop of 1893—91: was estimated at five millions of boxes, of the value in market of over eight million dollars, and vegetable and garden j)roducts of the value of over one million dollars, while the field crops, by the census of 1890, were valued at about seven million dollars. The financial condition of Florida is exceptionally good. Of her whole bonded indebtedness of $1,275,000, $357,700 only is held l:)y individuals. The remainder belongs to the several invested funds of the State. The outstanding bonds command a high premium in the market. The receipts into the treasury, from all sources, for the year ending December 31, 1894, amounted to $692,725 ; the dis- bursements, to $572,812.80. The assessed valuation for the State for the year 1894 was $104,260,629.91. Total State tax of all kinds, $599,828.54, and county tax, $1,053,601.71. The rate of taxation for the year 1895 is four and one-quarter mills for State tax, and from eight to twelve mills for county tax, varying in each county. There were in 1895 2,736 miles of main track of railroad in the State. The East Coast Canal is designed to open an inland water communication from St. Au- gustine to Key Biscayne Bay, and is now near completion. The various navigable rivers permeating the State, in connection 234 HISTORY OF FLORIDA with the extensive railway system, leave little to be desired in tlie way of transportation facilities. The State still owns a large body of overflowed lands, principally in the Everglades, which may at some future time be reclaimed and made valuable. Few States have made more liberal provision for education than Florida. Two State seminaries, one at Tallahassee and the other at Gainesville, and the Agricultural College, at Lake City, give free tuition to residents of the State. An institute for the deaf and dumb, at St. Augustine, provides for that un- fortunate class. A normal college, located at De Funiak, in Walton County, is supported by the State. A State normal and industrial college for colored students, located at Talla- hassee, is well endowed by the Morrel and State funds, and suit- ably equipped for the purpose. The Jasper Normal Institute was established in Hamilton County by the citizens of that county, and had an enrollment for the year 189-4: of two hun- dred and seventy-five students. Several State denominational institutions of a high character have been established in Flor- ida. The John B. Stetson University, Baptist, at De Land, is one of the largest and best equipped of these, by the munifi- cence of Mr. John B. Stetson, of Philadelphia. The Kollins College, Congregational, at Winter Park, is a well-established institution, with ample buildings and considerable means. The Florida Conference College, Methodist, at Leesburg, has been but recently established, but promises very successful re- sults. Other good schools, established under local or denomi- national auspices, are to be found in centers of population throughout the State. The public school system was established by the constitu- tion of 18(58, and was organized by C. F. Chase, who succeeded in placing the system upon a permanent basis under the act of January 30, 1869. The successors of Mr. Chase in that office were Eev. Charles Beecher, a brother of Henry Ward Beecher ; Jonathan C. Gibbs, a colored man ; W. W. Hicks, W. P. Halsey, HISTORY OF FLORIDA 235 E. K. Foster, A. J. Eussel, and the present efficient superin- tendent, W. N. Slieats. Mr. Sheats, in his biennial report in 1895, states that the amount raised by taxation and devoted to the support of public schools in 1894 was $647,174.86. The value of school property was $548,284.49. The number of public schools was 2,404, of which 1,775 were schools for white children and 629 for colored. The total enrollment of scholars, 96,775, of whom 59,503 were white and 37,372 colored. Salary paid teacliers, $542,098.06. Number of white teachers, 2,151 ; of colored, 772, being one-third of the whole number. It is probable that eighty-five per cent, at least of the school tax is paid by the white population, which indicates that they bear the taxation not only for their own children, but the principal portion of the cost of the education of the Colored race in the public schools. In Leon County there are twenty-nine white schools and thirty-six colored. In Jefferson County there are thirty-one white schools and thirty-four colored, and in all the counties having a large negro population the schools are fairly divided. The school tax throughout the State averages about five and one-half mills on the dollar, inclusive of the State one mill tax. In Septeml)er, 1896, Florida was visited with the severest hurricane ever known. Entering the State from the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Keys and the mouth of the Suwanee Eiver, it swept across the peninsula in a northeast direction into the State of Georgia, reacliing the coast in the vicinity of Bruns- wick. The track of the hurricane was nearly forty miles in width, taking in the western-northwestern portion of Alachua County, along the Suwanee River, and portions of Bradford, Baker, and Nassau Counties. The pine forests were prostrated in its track like a field of grain, and many millions of feet of valuable timber were destroyed, and for a period the public roads were rendered impassable. Houses were blown down and manv lives lost. 236 HISTORY OF FLORIDA At the November election in 189G William D. Bloxliam was elected governor, and the vote of the State was given to the electors on the William J. Bryan ticket. The proximity of Florida to Cnba eansed much interest and substantial sympathy to be shown to the insurgents in Cuba, who in 1895 began the determined eifort to free the island from Spanish rule. Large numbers of Cubans had come into Flor- ida, and formed a considerable portion of the population of Key West and Tampa, and had settled in considerable numbers in other portions of the State. As the contest went on and the insurgents gained strength, expeditions were secretly formed from time to time in Florida ports, and cargoes of arms and am- munition were successfully landed on the coast of Cuba. The efforts of the government officials to prevent these infractions of the laws of neutrality were generally ineffectual. Small and swift steamers darted out at night from unexpected and un- guarded localities,and were soon beyond the range of detention. One of these, called the Three Friends, acliieved considerable fame. The sympathies of the people of the State, as well as of other jjarts of the country, sided with the insurgents. The harsli methods adopted by the Spanish governors as the war went on, still more effected a strong anti-Spanish public senti- ment, and the relations between the two countries became strained. The inhuman policy of General Weyler in huddling the pa- cificos, or non-contestants, into the towns without means of support, leading to starvation and extreme misery and death, awakened the humane feelings of the people of the United States. Senators and representatives who had visited Cuba made vivid statements before Congress of the harrowing scenes they had witnessed there, and when the popular mind was greatly excited on behalf of the suffering Cubans, the treacherous de- struction of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor by a sub- HISTORY OF FLORIDA 337 marine iniiie added fuel to the flame and easily led on to hostilities. Florida naturally became the gathering point for the troops called out by tlie President, and Tampa and its vicinity were oc- cupied Ijy large bodies of regulars and volunteers. The Santiago expedition sailed from Tampa, while Key West became the rendezvous of the naval forces. Later on extensive camps were established at Jacksonville, Miami, and Fernan- dina. Fort Clinch, at Fernandina, was garrisoned and mines planted in the harbor. The First Florida Volunteers went early in the service, under Colonel Lovell. Major-Gen. Fitz- hugli Lee was encamped with the Seventh Corps, awaiting orders to proceed to Cuba or Puerto Rico, when the destruction of Cervera's fleet and the surrender of Santiago expedited the negotiations for peace which resulted in the signing of the protocol and suspension of hostilities on the 13th day of August, 1898. The development of Florida has 1)een kept back by its fre- quent changes of government, its unprogressive population in Spanish times, and it has borne the burden of two long wars since it became a part of the United States. Situated in a mild, semi-tropical climate, favored by its peninsular formation; its lands readily responding to cultivation, wliich may be carried through the whole year ; its shores abounding in the harvest of the sea, with an a])undant supply of ])ure water near the surface and in subterranean reservoirs reached by artesian wells ; well supplied with abundant transportation facilities by rail, river, and ocean ; with varied and valuable productions belonging to both temperate and tropical climes ; possessing vast deposits of phosphate to maintain and enrich her own soil and for profit- able export to otiier portions of the country and foreign lands ;' with an immense supply of the most valuable descriptions of timber, Florida promises to become in time one of the most 238 HISTORY OF FLORIDA densely populated and j^r^^jierous States of the American Union. The following tal)les present statistics of the increase of the population of Florida during five years. This was no doubt greatly checked by the disastrous freezes of the winter of 189-1--95, when nearly the whole orange-growing industry of the State was wiped out, discouraging its citizens and removing tem])orarily one of the strongest attractions for new-comers. A table is also added giving the population in 1895 of its prin- cipal cities and towns. HISTORY OF FLORIDA CENSUS OF FLORIDA, 1895— POPULATION Counties. White. White. In- Col. Col. In- Total. Total. 1890. 1895. crease. 1890. 1895. crease. 1890. 1895. 9,674 13,639 3,965 13,260 14,.568 1,308 22,934 28,207 2,588 2,986 398 745 726 *19 3,333 3,712 .5,901 7,142 1,181 1,555 2,357 802 7,516 9,499 2,890 3,731 835 541 827 286 3,401 4,.558 1,132 2,436 1,304 549 838 289 1,681 3,274 2.090 2,618 528 304 1,643 1,339 2,394 4,261 3,633 3,723 90 1,.521 1,477 *44 5,1.54 5,200 6,393 6,294 *99 6,484 6,641 1.57 12,877 12,935 T74 2,148 1,374 87 1,174 1,087 861 3,322 4,80.5 6,018 1,213 139 400 261 4,944 6,418 11,998 14,871 2,873 14,802 19,895 5,093 26,800 34,766 11,482 12,848 1,.366 8,706 9,6.55 949 20,188 22,503 1,9.50 2,.344 394 1,.358 2,131 773 3,308 4,475 4,446 4,827 381 7,448 8,866 1,418 11,894 13,693 5,33r 5,.353 16 3,170 4,638 1,468 8,. 507 9,991 1,584 1,826 242 892 1,114 222 2,476 2,940 12,024 24,046 12,022 2,917 7,310 4,.399 14,941 31 ,.362 4,152 5,774 l,62i 184 458 274 4,.336 6,232 6,.333 9,646 3,313 11,211 12,284 1,073 17,544 21,930 3,.558 3,276 *282 12,199 11,731 *568 15,757 15,007 3,447 3,445 *2 239 338 99 3,086 3,783 6,190 6,180 *10 1,844 2,169 .325 8,0.34 8,349 1,334 2,084 750 80 102 22 1.414 t2,225 3,121 3,347 226 14,6.31 10,250 1,619 17,752 19,.597 4,457 5,164 707 2,120 2,370 241 6,.580 7,534 818 1,1.51 .333 634 928 294 1,4.52 2,079 5,556 5,923 367 8,760 7,737 *1,023 14,316 13,660 2,714 3,548 834 181 282 101 8,895 3,830 9,311 10,284 973 11,485 11,591 100 20,796 21,875 12,851 11,935 *916 5,9:^ 5,232 703 18,786 17,167 3,9.56 4,285 329 4,3.38 4,558 220 8,294 8,843 9,048 8,624 *424 3,536 3,8.35 299 12,584 12,459 2,6.57 2,723 66 476 671 195 3,133 3,394 .3,873 4,174 .301 376 523 147 4,249 4,097 7,121 9,207 2,086 784 1,776 992 7,905 10,983 6,408 6,.550 142 4,778 4,831 .53 11,180 11,381 5,517 5,125 *392 3,195 2,.583 *612 8,712 7,708 5,769 6,,572 803 2,192 2.342 150 7,961 8,914 3,865 3,743 *122 1,498 1,565 67 5,.363 5,308 .5..581 6,838 1,257 4,943 5,706 763 10,524 12,544 1,971 2,842 871 151 220 69 2,122 3,062 6,005 7,340 1,236 2,462 4,240 1,780 8,647 11,480 1,738 1,977 239 1,379 1,723 344 3,117 3,700 4,073 6,826 2,753 743 1,136 393 4,816 7,962 5,087 6,228 1,141 1,339 1,592 253 6,426 7,820 1-464,639 * Decrease. + Thirty-nine Indians inchuled in totals. 240 HISTORY OF FLORIDA 3 (^ POPULATION OF CITIES AND TOWNS BY THE STATE CENSUS OF 1895 The cities and towns in the table include 142,183 persons in tlie total population in the State of 464,639, as follows : Name of City or Town Popu- AND County. lation. Gainesville, Alachua 3,152 Hawthorn, Alachua 835 Micanopy, Alachua 597 Orange Heights, Alachua 400 Starke, Bradford 721 Titusville, Brevard 831 Melbourne, Brevard 300 Green Cove Springs, Clay 900 Orange Park, Clay 300 Inverness, Citrus 400 Fort White, Columbia 470 Lake City, Columbia 1,940 Palm Beach, Dade 300 Lemon City, Dade 300 West Palm Beach, Bade 1,614 Arcadia, De Soto 530 Avon Park, De Soto 400 Bowling Green, De Soto 250 Fort Ogden, De Soto 300 Punta Gorda, De Soto 760 Jacksonville, Duval 25,130 Pensacola, Escambia 14,084 Appalachicola, Franklin 3,061 Carrabelle, Franklin 994 Quincy, Gadsden 902 Jasper, Hamilton 1,295 Brooksville, Hernando 608 Clear Water Harbor, Hillsborough . . 300 Port Tampa City, Hillsborough 1,111 St. Petersburg, Hillsborough 300 Tampa, Hillsborough 15,034 Tarpon Springs, Hillsborough 562 West Tampa, Hillsborough 2,815 Marianna, Jackson 929 Monticello, Jefferson 953 Eustis, Lake 563 Leesburg, Lake 805 Tavares, Lake 159 Fort Myers, Lee 725 Name of City or Town Popu- AND County. lation. Tallahassee, Leon 3,931 Cedar Key, Levy 400 Madison, Madison 755 Braidentown, Manatee 200 Manatee, Manatee 280 Palmetto, Manatee 393 Anthony, Marion 296 Citra, Marion 378 Dunellon, Marion 490 Marti City, Marion 478 Ocala, Marion 4,597 Key West, Monroe 16,502 Fernandina, Nassau 2,511 Orlando, Orange 2,993 Sanford, Orange 1,517 Kissimmee, Osceola 1,172 Bartow, Polk 1,931 Fort Meade, Polk 350 Crescent City, Putnam 475 Heights Palatka, Putnam 312 Palatka, Putnam 828 St. Augustine, St. John's 4,151 New Augustine, St. John's 467 Bay Point, Santa Rosa 200 Milton, Santa Rosa 1,800 Woodville, Santa Rosa 200 Sumterville, Sumter 709 Wildwood, Sumter 253 Live Oak, Suwanee 837 De Land, Volusia 1,609 Daytona, Volusia 1,435 Lake Helen, Volusia 286 New Smyrna, Volusia 500 Ormond, Volusia 461 Orange City, Volusia 3.37 Seville, Volusia 234 Chipley, Washington 588 142,183 3M ■0?^ * L .J