F 311 
 .B865 
 Copy 1 
 
 ^'•9 J, 
 
 PONCE 
 
 DeLEON 
 
 LAND 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. 
 
 By Q. M. BROWN, Ord. Sergt." U. S. A. 
 
 Jackson\ille, Florida: 
 . The DaCosta Printing Company, 
 1895. 
 
PONCE 
 
 DeLEON ^^^^^ 
 LAND 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. 
 
 By G. M. BROWN, Ord. Sergt. U. S. A. 
 
 Jacksonville, Flori6j» ■ 
 
 The DaCosta Printing Cotnppr:', 
 
 1895. 
 
r 
 
 S' 
 

 ."%«• V Hi , i! vs ; 
 
 
 •A 
 
 Geo. M. Brown, Ordnance Sergeant U. S. A. 
 
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 
 
 THE author has endeavored in this work to answer the 
 many thousands of questions that have been asked 
 him in the past six years pertaining to the history of 
 Florida. The only excuse for attempting such a task is, 
 that it was, in a measure, forced upon him. 
 
 I was ordered from Fort Jefferson, Florida, to take 
 charge of Fort Marion, arriving here on the 4th of August, 
 1885. At that time I knew but little of the early history 
 of Florida. I have endeavored to give the public the re- 
 sult of six years' careful study, gathered from all parts of 
 the world. I have been asked by thousands of people to 
 embody the result of my study in book form, and I have 
 endeavored to do so, knowing that, after more than thirty 
 years of active service, I am better qualified to handle the 
 rifle or sabre than the pen. 
 
 V^ery respectfully, 
 
 Geo. M. Brown, 
 Ordnance Sergeant U. S. A. 
 
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 HAVING met witli success in my first edition of 
 PONCE DE LEON LAND, I am encouraged to 
 publish a second edition, a revised and larger 
 work, embracing, among other subjects, tlie history of 
 Fort Marion, with a descriptive plan of same ; the Spanish 
 Inquisition and its effect on the settlement of Florida, with 
 a full description of siege operations from the investment 
 to the assault. 
 
 ^ //^^, /y^ /v ^ V ^ 
 
 Ordnance Sergeant U. S. A. 
 P. 0. Box 271, St. Augustine, Fla. 
 
 I wish to give sincere thanks to the Hon. George R* 
 Fairbanks, JNI. A.; Mr. William Whitwell Dewhurst, .John 
 G. Shea and Miss A. M. Brooks for their kind permission 
 to copy from their works. Mr. Fairbanks is the pioneer 
 historian of St. Augustine ; from Mr. Dewhurst I have 
 taken most of the history of Narvaez and De Soto and 
 several other valuable points ; from Mr. Shea the letter 
 from Pope Pius the Fifth to Menendez, and points per- 
 taining to Christianizing the Indians; from Miss Brooks 
 the History of the Seminole War, a copy of Menendez' 
 signature and several other points of history. Miss 
 Brooks has been in Spain, getting points for the Colonial 
 History of Florida, for some time. 
 
 "The History and Antiquities of St. Augustine," by 
 Geo. R. Fairbanks, M. A.; " The History of St. Augustine, 
 Florida," by Wm. W. Dewhurst; " The CathoHc Church 
 
VI PREFACE TO SECOND EDITIOX. 
 
 in Colonial Days," by JohnG. Shea; "Petals Plucked 
 from Sunny Climes," by Miss A. M. Brooks, are sterling 
 works, and should be read by every one that takes an in- 
 terest in the history of our country. The description of 
 siege operations to Capt. James Chester, Third Artillery 
 U. S. A., will be of interest to ever}'^ one in the United 
 States. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 SECOND EDITION OF PONCE DE LEON LAND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Biith and Earlj- Life of Ponce de L(>on. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Conquest of Porto Itico, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Ponce de Leon Assumes Command of the Island. The Test Made by the In- 
 dians to Find Whether the Spaniards were Mortals. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Indians Attack the Spaniards. Death of Satomayor. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Ponce de Leon Resigns Command of Porto Rico, and Returns to Spain to 
 ■ Look After His Ward Left Him by Satomayor. He Hears of the Foun- 
 tain of Youth. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Introduction to His AVard, Dona Inez de Satomayor. He Ac- 
 cepts the Guardianship. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Search for the Fountain of Youth. His Discovery of Florida, 
 Landing on the 3d of April, 1512. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Expedition Against the Carribees. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 Ponce de Leon's Last Voyage. Attempted Settlement of Florida. His death 
 and Burial in Cuba- 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Second Attempt to Settle Florida by Panfilo Narvaez. Its Failure and 
 Loss of All the Party but Four. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Third Attempt to Settle Florida by Hernando de Soto Results in the 
 Loss of His Life by Disease, and All but Three Hundred of His Commaud. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Huguenot Settlement Under Ilibault and Laudonniere. 
 
Ylll INDEX. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Founding of St Aug-ustine by Menendez in 1565. Attack on the French Set- 
 tlement on the St. Johns. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Massacre of the French Colonists by Menendez. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Pope Pius V.'s Letter of Commendation to ^fenendez. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Refusal of Charles IX. to Take Notice of the Slaughter of His Subjects 
 Petition of Nine Hundred Widows and Orphans Unheeded Menendez 
 Strengthens His Position. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Lajiug Out the Town with Its Defences. Erection of a Church and a Hall of 
 Justice. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Expedition and Ketaliation of DeGourgues. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Attack of Sir Francis Drake on St. Augustine, 8th May, 1.586, Capturing £2,0(i(;v 
 Sterling. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Establishment of Mission ; Massacre of the Missionaries by the Indians. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Capture of the Apalacian Indians; Their Work on the Defences of St. 
 Augustine; Progress of the Ojlony. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Captixin Davis's Attack on the City ; The Commencement of the Sea Wall 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 Governor Moore's Attack on St. Augustine, 1703. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 Colonel Palmer's Invasion of Florida 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 Ogelthorpe's Attack on St. Augustine and Siege of Fort Marion. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 History of the Inriuisition, Ancient and Modern ; Its Effect on the Settlement 
 of Florida. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Completion of the Castle. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 The History of Fort Marion. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Descriptive Plan of Port Marion. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 lege Operations; Strength of the Besieging Army ; Field Artillery ; Cavalry,-. 
 The Corps of Observation; Siege Artillery; The Investment; Tlie 
 Camps ; The Line of Circumvallation ; The Line of Countervallation ; 
 
INDEX. IX 
 
 The Survey; Gabions; Facnes ; Fagots; Sap Roolers; Planning Ap- 
 proaches; The Artillery Park ; The Engineering Depot; The First Paral- 
 lel; Tracing the Parallel; The Guard of the Trenches; The Working 
 Parties; Mortar Batteries ; Koad-making ; The First Bombardment ; Eoad 
 Regulations ; The Approaches ; Working Parties ; The Simple Trench ; 
 Tracing the Approaches ; Guarding the Working Parties ; The Second 
 Parallel; Batteries of the Second Parallel; Breaching the Demilonee ; 
 The Third Parallel ; The Flying Sap ; The Full Sap ; Breaching the Main 
 Work ; The Assault. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 The Transfer of Florida to England, ITftS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 Recession of Florida to Spain ; The Erection of the Cathedral, 1763 to 18:J1. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 Transfer of Florida to the United States. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 The Seminole War; The Treaty of Payn's Landing, 1832; Osceola's Capture 
 and Transfer to Sullivan's Island ; His Death. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 The Seminole War near St. Augustine 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 Coacoachees and Hadjo's Escape and Recapture. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 Fort Marion Taken Possession of by Florida Troops, January 7, 1861. 
 CHAPTER XXXVni. 
 
 Continement of the Comanche, Kiowa, and Chirlcauaa, Apache Indians of 
 War in the Fort. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 The Hotels in St. Augustine ; The Climate. 
 
PONCE DE LEON LAND. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Birth and Eakly Life of Ponce de Leon. 
 
 PONCE DE LEON was bom in the Province of Leon, 
 and was a wortli}^ member of the celebrated family 
 whose history is connected with that province. 
 
 He was appointed page to Pedro Nunez de Guzman, 
 Lord of Taral. He received his military instruction at 
 an age when most children are under the care of their 
 nurse. He earl}^ evinced such an aptitude for a military 
 career that De Guzman placed him under the instruction 
 of some of the most brilliant officers of that period. In 
 his many campaigns against the ]\Ioors he learned a pecu- 
 liar art of war, which was of great benefit to him in after 
 years, especially in his campaigns against the Indians in 
 the Western hemisphere. 
 
 In this school he learned one of the most essen- 
 tial points in military tactics; that is to pick the men best 
 qualified for the duties they are to perform ; few men are 
 capable of making good scouts, which is one of the most 
 important duties performed by troops in the field. The 
 chief duty of a scout is to give as near a correct report 
 as possible of the position and number of the enemy, 
 the strength of their works, if they have any, and the 
 number of guns available for attack, offensive of defensive. 
 With correct information on these points, the commander 
 can place his force in the best position to insure success. 
 This information is of special importance when operating 
 against numbers largely in excess of one's own. 
 
 In the field De Leon was the bravest of the brave, re- 
 garding the safety and welfare of his men more than he 
 
12 Ponce de Leon Land, 
 
 did his own. With a vigorous constitution that fatigue or 
 hardship could but httle affect, together with good judg- 
 ment in selecting his men for the important duties he 
 wished to have performed, made him an excellent 
 leader. It was not surprising that he was successful 
 in his many expeditions, and that he frequently received 
 commendation from the King and Queen for his gallant 
 conduct in the presence of the enemy, and for his sagacity 
 in taking advantage of every point exposed by them. 
 
 When Columbus fitted out his second expedition to 
 the Western Hemisphere, Ponce de Leon was one of the 
 first to volunteer his services. Columbus recognized at once 
 the benefit it would be to him to have such a brave and 
 gallant officer associated with him, and as a conse(|uence his 
 services were accepted. After arriving in Cuba he was 
 assigned next in command to Juan de Esquival. And in 
 his brilliant campaign against the province of Higuey 
 shortly after, which was the most sanguine that had been 
 waged against the Indians in the Spanish colonies, he was 
 promoted to the command of the above named Province 
 under the Governor of Hispanola. The quiet life as Gov- 
 ernor of this Province did not suit the adventurous spirit 
 of PoncedeLeon and he soon planned a campaign against 
 the Island of Boriquen whose green mountains shone 
 against the bright sky about fourteen leagues distant. 
 He learned from the Indians who visited his province fre- 
 quently that the rivers and mountains of the Island con- 
 tained large quantities of gold. Upon learning this he 
 sought permission of Governor Ovando to explore the 
 island, to find out if there was any truth in the report he 
 had received. This request was willingly granted by 
 Ovando. In 1508 he fitted out his expedition to Bori- 
 quen consisting of a caravel and a few small boats with a 
 detachment of Spaniards and a few Indians for guides and 
 interpreters. A few hours sail brought his command to the 
 island. He landed near the main Indian settlement 
 commanded by their head Cliief Agueybana. The Indians 
 received the strangers with great courtesy vieing with each 
 other in paying respects to the Spaniards. Ponce de Leon 
 exchanged names with the Chief Agueybana which was 
 the Indian pledge of perpetual amity, and also gave Christ- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 13 
 
 ian names to the chief's family who always took great 
 })ride in the names thus given. The chief took the 
 Spaniards through the most fei'tile part of the island 
 showing them their best fields of yuca, their groves laden 
 with choicest fruit, and their excellent streams of water. 
 De Leon cared but little for anything the natives could 
 show him, except gold, which was the main object of his 
 search. The chief conducted him to two rivers, the Mana- 
 tuabon and Zebuco where the very pebbles were richly 
 vained with gold. The largest grains were gathered and 
 given to the Spaniards for samples. There was no ques- 
 tion but that large quantities of this precious metal 
 abounded in these streams. De Leon left several of his 
 men with the Indians and returned to Hayti to report to 
 Governor Ovando the result of his expedition. 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 Conquest of Pokto Rico. 
 
 THE Indians of Porto Rico were more fierce in their dis- 
 position than those of Hispanola. They had been 
 schooled to war from childhood, especially in repell- 
 ing the frequent attacks of the Caribs, who were Cannibals, 
 and inhal)itcd the neighboring islands. The settlement 
 of Boriquen would be more difhcult than the settlement 
 of Hispanola. Ponce de Leon therefore made another 
 and preparatoi'v visit to the island, to inform himself ot 
 the topography of the country, its resources and the char- 
 acter of its people. He found the troops he had left on 
 the island in good health and spirits, they having been 
 w^ell treated by Agueybana and his people; there seemed 
 to be no need of bloodshed to gain the island from such 
 hospitable people. 
 
14 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 Ponce de Leon had strong hopes of being ap- 
 pointed governor by Ovando and of bringing the whole 
 island peaceably into subjection. He on that account 
 remained some time on the island prospecting for gold 
 and looking out for the best point for settlement. He 
 then returned to San Domingo to get his appointment as 
 governor, but during his absence the whole governing 
 power had changed. 
 
 Governor Ovando had been recalled to Spain. 
 Diego Columbus had been appointed in his place to the 
 command of San Domingo, Christoval de Satomayor 
 had been ordered to build a fortress and establish a set- 
 tlement on the island of Porto Rico. Satomayor was 
 brother to the Count of Camina and secretary to Philip 
 the 1st, the handsome king of Castile, the father of 
 Charles the 5th. 
 
 Don Diego Columbus was very much displeased 
 with the appointment of Satomayor as governor, as it 
 had been done without his knowledge or consent and 
 contrary to the king's agreement with Don Diego as his 
 viceroy, who was to be consulted in all appointments 
 made in his jurisdiction. To settle the matter he con- 
 firmed neither of them, but appointed -June Ceron as 
 governor of Porto Rico and Miguel Diego as his lieutenant 
 governor. 
 
 Ponce de Leon and Satomayor took their dis- 
 appointment as best they could. They hoped to better 
 their fortunes in the island and joined the settlers that 
 accompanied the new governor. New changes took place 
 in consequence of the jealousies and misunderstandings 
 between King Ferdinand and the admiral as to points of 
 privilege. The king still seemed disposed to maintain 
 the right of making appointments, without consulting 
 Don Diego and exerted it in the present instance. When 
 Ovando returned to Spain he made such a favorable re- 
 port of the conduct of Ponce de Leon and the merits of 
 liis services to the crown, that the king appointed him 
 governor of the island and charged Don Diego Columbus 
 not to displace him. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 15 
 
 CHAPTER in. 
 
 Ponce de Leon Assumes Command of the Island. 
 The Test Made by the Indians to Find Out 
 Whether the Spaniards Were Mortals. 
 
 PONCE DE LEON on assumiDg command of Bri- 
 quen had a quarrel with Ceron and Diaz and sent 
 them prisoners to Spain. With Satomayor it was 
 different. He took a Hking to him from their first meet- 
 ing and appointed him lieutenant governor and Alcaldy 
 mayor, which office he accepted. Satomayor had a large 
 repartimiento of Indians assigned to him by a grant from 
 the king, but he soon resigned his rank as it took to much 
 time from his personal affairs. 
 
 Ponce de Leon established his town on the 
 north side of the island about one league from the sea 
 where he supposed that the best gold deposits were 
 to be found. It was opposite the port called Rico, 
 which name was afterwards given to the island. 
 The road to the town was horrible for man or beast ; it 
 cost more to carry their supplies this league than it had 
 to bring them from Spain. 
 
 After having firmly established his government 
 he portioned out the island into districts and towns and 
 distributed the Indians into repartimientos to secure their 
 labor. 
 
 The Indians soon found the difference between 
 Spaniards as guests and Spaniards as masters. They 
 were driven to desperation by the heavy tasks imposed 
 upon them ; restraint and labor were worse than death. 
 The most hardy and daring proposed a general massacre 
 of their enslavers, but many were deterred by the belief 
 that the Spaniards were supernatural beings and could 
 not be killed. 
 
 A shrewd chief named Brayoan tested their immor- 
 tality. Learning that a Spaniard named Salzedo would 
 pass through his country he sent out a party to escort him, 
 instructing them to drown him when they came to the 
 river. The Indians took him on their shoulders to carry 
 him across, and when in mid stream they threw him into 
 
16 Pox<E DE Leon Land. 
 
 the water and fell on top of him, holding him under the 
 water until he was dead. The chief examined the body 
 and pronounced it lifeless, but the Lidians kept it for three 
 days until putrification had commenced to take place. 
 This convinced the Indians that the Spaniards were mor- 
 tal men and that they could kill them the same as an 
 Indian 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Indians Attack the Spaniards. — Death of 
 Satomayor. 
 
 THE chief who organized the attack on the Spaniards 
 was Agueybana, brother to the head chief of the island, 
 who had died a short time previous to the outbreak 
 of the savages. The present chief had been alloted to 
 Don Christoval de Satomayor in the repartimiento and 
 was treated with kindness by him, but the wild Indian 
 spirit would never accept slavery under any conditions. 
 
 Agueybana called his followers together and orga- 
 nized his men for a combined elfort against the Spaniards 
 who were scattered over the island. He proposed that at 
 a certain time each chief should kill all the whites in his 
 province. In planning the attack, Agueybana assigned one 
 of his sub-chiefs to the duty of attacking the settlement of 
 Satomayor with a force of 3,000 warriors. The attack was 
 to be made just before daylight with the instruction to 
 fire their houses and to slaughter all the settlers. He re- 
 served the right to kill Satomayor himself. 
 
 Don Christoval had one very warm friend among the 
 savages. Being a very handsome man he gained the love 
 of an Indian princess, the sister of Agueybana, and the 
 handsomest maid on the island. She had heard enough 
 of the war council of the savages to learn that Satomayor 
 was to bo killed at the first oiiportunity. The life of her 
 lover being more to her than all the rest of the world, she 
 hastened to him and disclosed the plot against his life 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 17 
 
 and all the rest of the Spaniards. Satomayor being a 
 frank, open-hearted man, doubted that the savages would 
 dare attack them. He considered the warning given 
 by the princess was on account of her great love for 
 him and did not take heed. 
 
 Soon after he received warning from a Spaniard that 
 understood the Indian language and their customs. He 
 found that large numbers of them gathered together fre- 
 quently, painted for battle. Suspecting that they in- 
 tended to make an attack upon the whites, he stripped 
 and painted himself, and thus disguised as an Indian he 
 mingled freely among them. At night they assembled 
 around a large fire performing their war dances to the 
 chant of an Areyto or legendary ballad, which was to incite 
 them to kill their oppressors. 
 
 The Spaniard withdrew from the savages without 
 detection and proceeded to notify Don Christoval of the 
 contemplated attack and the special design on his own 
 life. Again he did not heed the warning he had received, 
 or give it the consideration that the danger of his situation 
 demanded, but concluded he had better report the matter 
 to Ponce de Leon, who was at his stronghold at Caparra. 
 With his usual carelessness he asked Agueybana for men to 
 carry his baggage to Caparra. He left his home only 
 lightly armed, and accompanied by but three of his 
 own people, knowing that he had to cross through some 
 difficult mountain passes and dense forests which would 
 afford secure hiding places for lurking Indians. 
 
 Agueybana observed the departure of Satomayor with 
 great pleasure, and determined to kill him before he 
 could reach Ponce de Leon at Caparra. Selecting a 
 number of his most trusted braves he followed the small 
 detachment of Spaniards closely. A short distance from 
 their starting point, they encountered a Spaniard who 
 could speak the Indian language. They attacked him 
 and woun<led him severely. He begged Agueybana to 
 .spare his life, and the chief being anxious to secure Don 
 Christoval did not delay to dispatch him, but hastened 
 after the detachment of Spaniards which he soon overtook 
 in a dense portion of the forest. Raising their terrible 
 
 2b 
 
18 Ponce de Leon Land. • 
 
 war whoop they rushed to the attack. Before Satomayor 
 could defend himself he was felled to the earth with a 
 blow from a war club and he was quickly dispatched by 
 the Indians, who were assisted by the guides furnished to 
 Satomayor. They killed the remaining Spaniards. 
 
 Agueybana having satiated his wrath on Satomayor, 
 with his party, started out in quest of Juan Gonzalez the 
 Spaniard they had wounded, but in the interval he had 
 recovered strength enough to enable him to conceal him- 
 self in a tree. The Indians hunted through the surround- 
 ing forest for some time and finding no trace of him they 
 abandoned the search. Though suffering for food and 
 water Gonzalez did not dare to attempt to escape from his 
 concealment until night had set in. Under cover of dark- 
 ness he made his way to the abode of one of the Span- 
 iards, where he received kind care and attention. After 
 his wounds had been dressed and a supply of food and 
 water had been furnished him he set out at once to warn 
 De Leon of the great danger that Satomayor and his fol- 
 lowers were supposed to be in, not knowing that the 
 treacherous foe had killed the whole party. De Leon 
 dispatched men at once to their assistance who soon came 
 to the place where their comrades had been slaughtered 
 and partialy buried in the earth. 
 
 During this time the savages burned the village of 
 Satomayor to the ground. They made the attack in the 
 darkness of night, and the first intimation the Spaniards 
 had of danger was the blazing of the straw-thatched roofs 
 and the load war whoops of the Indians as they sprang 
 from their cover to the attack, slaughtering the Span- 
 iards wherever they could find them, till at last a brave 
 fellow named Salazar rallied his people together, and 
 making a determined onslaught on their foes, succeeded 
 in driving off tlie Indians and conducted a large part 
 of his people to their defenses at Caparra. In a few 
 short hours Ponce de Leon learned of the general out- 
 break of all the Indians on the island and the massacre 
 of nearly one hundred of his people and the destruction 
 of all the places established by the Spaniards except their 
 present fortress. 
 
 He found himself in a very bad predicament, with 
 
Po^X'E DE Leon Land. 19 
 
 small chance of extricating himself from it. His settle- 
 ments were entirely destroyed and a large number of his 
 men wounded and disabled, his whole remaining force 
 not exceeding one hundred men. 
 
 Agueybana had induced all the Indians on the island 
 to join in the attack, and even sent runners to the Caribs 
 for assistance to help exterminate the whites. Agueybana 
 assembled nearly all the warriors for the attack on the 
 fortress at Caparra; the forest literally swarmed with sav- 
 ages, the din of their war conchs, the roar of their drums, 
 together with sounds of their war cries, was enough to 
 appall a much larger and better protected body of men. 
 
 Ponce de Leon was a staunch and wary old soldier, 
 and not easily daunted. He remained grimly ensconced 
 within his fortress from whence he dispatched messengers 
 in all haste to Hispaniola, imploring immediate assist- 
 ance. In the meantime he tasked his wits to divert the 
 enemy and to keep them at bay. He divided his little 
 force into three bodies of about thirty men each, under 
 the command of Diego Salazar, Miguel de Toro, and Luis 
 de Anasco, and sent them out alternately to make sudden 
 sorties and assaults, to form ambuscades and to practice 
 the other stratagems of partisan warfare which he had 
 learned in early life in his campaigns against the Moors 
 of Grenada. One of his most efficient warriors was a dog 
 named Berezillo, renowned for courage, strength and 
 sagacity. It is said that he could distinguish those of the 
 Indians who were allies, from those who were enemies of 
 the Spaniards. To the former he was docile, and to the 
 latter fierce and implacable. He was the terror of the 
 natives who were unaccustomed to powerful and ferocious 
 animals, and did more service in this wild warfare than 
 could have been rendered by several soldiers. His prowess 
 was so highly appreciated that his master received for 
 him the pay and allowance, and share of booty assigned 
 to a cross-bowman which was the highest stipend given 
 any soldier of the line. 
 
 In a short time Ponce de Leon was reinforced by 
 troops from Hispaniola, whereupon he sallied forth 
 boldly to take revenge upon those who had thus held him 
 in durance. His foe Agueybana was at that time encamped 
 
20 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 in liis own territory with more than five thousand war- 
 riors, but in a neghgent, unwatchlul state, for lie knew 
 nothing of the reinforcement of the Spaniards and sup- 
 loosed Juan Ponce securely hemmed in with his handful 
 of men in Caparra. The old soldier took him completely 
 by surprise and routed him with great slaughter. Indeed 
 it is said that the Indians were struck with a kind of 
 panic when they saw the Spaniards as numerous as ever, 
 notwithstanding the number they had massacred. Their 
 belief in their immortality revived ; they fancied that 
 those whom they had slain had returned to life, and they 
 despaired of victor}^ over beings who could thus arise with 
 renovated vigor from the grave. 
 
 A^arious petty actions and skirmishes afterwards took 
 place, in which the Indians were defeated. Agueybana, 
 however, disdained this petty warfare, and stirred up his 
 countrymen to assemble their forces, and by one grand 
 assault to decide the fate of themselves and their island. 
 Juan Ponce received secret tidings of their intent and of 
 the place where they were assembling. He had at that 
 time barely eighty men at his disposal, but they were 
 eased in steel and proof against the weapons of the Indians. 
 Without stopping to reflect, the high-mettled soldier put 
 himself at their head and led them through the forest in 
 quest of the foe. 
 
 It was nearly sunset when he came in sight of the 
 Indian camp. The multitude of warriors assembled made 
 hi in pause and almost repent of his temerity. He w^as as 
 shrewd as he was liardy and resolute; so, ordering some 
 of his men in the advance to skirmish wnth the enemy, 
 he hastily threw up a slight fortification, with the assist- 
 ance of the rest. When it was finished he withdrew his 
 forces into it and ordered them to keep on the defensive. 
 The Indians made repeated attacks, but were repulsed 
 with great loss. Some of the Spaniards, impatient of their 
 covert warfare, sallied forth in open field, with pike 
 and cross-bow, but were called back within the fortifica- 
 tion by their commander. 
 
 The cacique, Agueybana, was enraged at finding his host 
 of warriors baffled and kept at bay by a mere handful of 
 Spaniards. He beheld night closing in, and fearing that 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 21 
 
 in the darkness the enemy would escape, summoned his 
 bravest warriors around him, and led the way in a general 
 assault. When he approached the fortress he received a 
 mortal wound from an arcj^uebuse, and fell dead upon the 
 spot. 
 
 The Spaniards were not aware at first of the impor- 
 tance of the chief they had slain. They soon surmised 
 it, however, from the confusion that ensued among the 
 enemy, who bore off tlie body with great lamentations, 
 and made no further attack. 
 
 Ponce de Leon took advantage of the evident distress 
 of the foe to draw off his small force in the night, happy 
 to get out of the terrible jeopardy into which his rash 
 confidence had placed him. Some of his fiery-spirited 
 officers would have kept the field, in spite of the over- 
 whelming force of the Indians. " No, no," said the shrewd 
 old veteran; "it is better to protract the war than to risk 
 all upon a single battle." 
 
 While Ponce de Leon was fighting hard to maintain 
 his sway over the island, his transient dignity was over- 
 turned by a power beyond his control. King Ferdinand 
 repented of the step he hadtaken in superceding the gov- 
 ernor and lieutenant-governor appointed by Don Diego 
 Columbus. He became convinced, though rather tardily, 
 that it was an infringement of the rights of the admiral, 
 and that policy, as well as justice, required him to retract 
 it. When Juan Ceron and Miguel Diaz returned, pris- 
 oners, to Spain, he received them graciously and conferred 
 many favors on them to atone for their unjust ejectment 
 from office, and after some time, sent them back, empow- 
 ered to resume connnand of the island. They were ordered, 
 however, on no account, to manifest rancor against Juan 
 Ponce de Leon, or to interfere with any property he might 
 hold, either in houses, land or Indians, but on the 
 contrary, to cultivate the most friendly relations with 
 him. The king also wrote to the hardy veteran, explain- 
 ing to him that this restitution of Ceron and Diaz had 
 been determined upon in council as a mere act of justice 
 due them, but was not intended as a censure upon his 
 conduct, and that measures should be taken to indemnify 
 him for the loss of his command. 
 
22 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 By the time the governor and his lieutenant reached 
 the island Juan Ponce had completed its subjugation. 
 The loss of the island's champion, the brave Agueybana, 
 had, in fact, been a death-blow to the natives, and showed 
 how much, in savage w^arfare, depended upon a single 
 chieftain. They never combined in war afterwards, but 
 dispersing among their forests and mountains, fell grad- 
 ually under the power of the Spaniards. Their subsequent 
 fate was like that of their neighbors of Hayti; they were 
 employed in the labor of the mines, and in other rough 
 work, so repugnant to their nature that they sank beneath 
 it. In a little while almost all the aborigines disap- 
 peared from the island. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Ponce de Leon Resigns the Command of Porto Rico 
 AND Returns to Spain to Look After His Ward 
 Left Him by Satomayor — Hears of the Foun- 
 tain OF Youth. 
 
 BEFORE Ponce de Leon was superceded in the com- 
 mand of Porto Rico he was visited by Agueybana's 
 sister, the Indian princess, the most beautiful maiden 
 on the island, to whom Don Christoval had intrusted 
 some important papers, to be delivered to Ponce de Leon 
 in case anything should happen to him during the out- 
 break. She was the only person he could place implicit 
 reliance upon. She promised, in case anything should 
 happen to Don Christoval, to deliver the papers to Ponce 
 de Leon, or lose her life in the attempt. It was at great 
 danger to her life that she succeeded in reaching Caparra 
 and delivering the papers into the hands of Ponce de 
 Leon. 
 
 Don Christoval seemed to have a presentiment that 
 the Indians might destroy his little colony, and requested 
 Ponce de Leon to take care of the faithful maid who 
 brought him the message, and special care of his ward. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 23 
 
 Douna Inez de Satomayor. With the former, Ponce de 
 Leon had no trouble. He sent her to Hispaniola with a 
 trusted messenger, and placed her in care of one of his 
 friends and made ample provision for her tuition and 
 maintenance for life. This, indeed, was a very delicate 
 position. What could he do for a young and titled lady? 
 He saw at once the difficulty he would encounter in the 
 situation he was placed in. How" could a man like him, 
 who had passed his life in camp and field of battle, expect 
 to guide and instruct a young lady like Donna Inez de 
 Satomayor? 
 
 His being relieved as governor of Porto Rico had no 
 effect upon the gallant and sturdy old warrior. There 
 was a new world to be divided among men like him, 
 who had the sense and courage to take it. He had 
 amassed wealth enough to make him independent. The 
 one point that did worry him was, how" could he comply 
 with the request of Don Christoval de Satomayor? There 
 was but one way, and that was to go back to Spain and 
 settle the matter beyond any question. He embarked at 
 once for Spain to carry out the request of his slaughtered 
 comrade, and on his arrival there immediately proceeded 
 to visit Donna Inez de Satomayor, so that he could pro- 
 vide for her and return to Hispaniola for the purpose of 
 further exploration in the Western Hemisphere. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Introduction to His Ward, Dona 
 Inez de Satomayor. 
 
 ft 
 
 ON arriving at his destination Ponce de Leon was con- 
 ducted to the residence of Donna Inez. Great was his 
 surprise when he was introduced to the beautiful ward 
 of Don Christoval. If any one had told him, that a person 
 so lovely existed on the face of the earth he would have 
 doubted it. The man who had so often faced death 
 in almost every form, now stood dumb for a moment. 
 
24 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 What was this that came before his vision ? Was he dream- 
 ing or in a trance? Could it be possible that this was the 
 ward his old companion in arms had asked him to love, 
 cherish and protect as a father ? A\'ith an extraordinary 
 effort he collected his senses and advanced to meet Donna 
 Inez, and received the warm clasp of her hand, which he 
 raised to his lips with reverence. She saw at once 
 that he was greatly disturbed by something. What it was 
 she could not imagine. In a moment he collected his 
 scattered senses and remembered what had brought him 
 back to Spain. He placed his hand in his pocket and 
 drew forth the package that he had received from her foster 
 father, through Agueybana's sister. The moment her eyes 
 caught sight of the subscription a glad smile of pleas- 
 ure broke over her features. She recognized the writ- 
 ing of her foster father, whom she had not heard frmo 
 but once since his departure from Spain. He had spoken 
 very highly of Juan Ponce, and given her quite a history 
 of the veteran cavalier. Juan Ponce was the first to in- 
 form her of the death of her foster father. She was struck 
 dumb with grief when he told her that he had been slain 
 by the treacherous savages ; tears blinded her eyes so she 
 was unable to read the large pakage of papers that had 
 been sent to her by her guide, protector and more than 
 father. Both of her parents having died when she was 
 an infant, she had been left to the care and protection of 
 her kinsman. 
 
 When this infant was brought to Don Christoval by a 
 large retinue of servants, together with the papers and in- 
 structions pertaining to her estates, and his appointment 
 as guardian, with the request that he would be a kind and 
 loving protector to their orphan child, Don Christobal rec- 
 ognized at once the great responsibility that had been 
 placed upon him by the death of his kinsman. When this 
 little infant was placed in his arms, with its large, black 
 eyes looking into his without the least sign of terror or fear, 
 his heart went out to it in a great wave of love that time 
 never dimmed. He there and then registered a vow that 
 as long as life lasted he would love, guide and protect this 
 second one left to him of his people. He made arrange- 
 ments at once for the care of his little ward, retaining her a 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 25 
 
 nurse and a large number of the people who had been con- 
 nected with her own household, and set about the arrange- 
 ment of her estates, so as to derive the greatest benefits for 
 his foster child at such time as she would need tliem. 
 This little child grew up to be one of the most beautiful 
 maidens in Sunny Spain. Don Christoval spared no ex- 
 pense to give her the best education that it was possible 
 to procure. He took her to his heart and cherished her 
 as the greatest blessing Divine Providence could have be- 
 stowed upon him. He saw at once that he was a better 
 man for having this sweet-tempered companion. 
 
 The time came, however, when he found he had 
 other duties incumljent upon him. His king and country 
 required his services; and it would be necessary to leave 
 his foster daughter under the care of some one else. The 
 infant had meantime developed into a sprightly, intelli- 
 gent and healthy young lady. Her estates had been so 
 well managed that on arriving at her majority she would 
 possess one of the largest dowries in all Spain. 
 
 Don Christoval was appointed governor of Porto 
 Rico which necessitated his leaving his home for a time 
 at least. Before leaving he transferred his own affairs 
 together with that of his foster child to his younger 
 brother Count of Camina whom he knew would give 
 them best of care and attention. It was with reluc- 
 tance that he obeyed the command of his king to accept 
 the governorship of a province in the Western Hemis- 
 phere, but his sense of duty was too strong to allow him 
 to disobey the orders of his sovereign. He bid a tearful 
 farewell to his beloved foster child and reported at once 
 to the king. After receiving his instructions he started 
 for his station. History will explain the result of his ex- 
 pedition. * * * Donna Inez requested permission of 
 Ponce de Leon to withdraw for a time until she could con- 
 trol her feelings. She sent her maid to request him to 
 accept of her hospitality as long as he should remain in 
 that part of Spain. After having met his ward, Juan 
 Ponce was almost as completely overcome by his emo- 
 tions as the young lady had been when he informed her 
 of the death of her foster father. He had made no men- 
 tion of the request made of him by Don Christoval to be- 
 
26 Ponce be Leon Land. 
 
 come the guardian of his ward, nor had his will been read ; 
 it was sealed in a separate package with a request that it 
 should be opened in the presence of his ward and the 
 Count of Camina, who were to share the property equally 
 between them. It gave to Donna Inez the title of Coun- 
 tess and the possession of one of the largest properties in 
 Spain. Ponce de Leon retired that night more agitated in 
 mind than he had ever been in camp or field. What a 
 position to be placed in ! He was aware that a man like 
 him who had been in active service the greater part of his 
 life was little fitted for such a delicate undertaking. The 
 next morning he took a long walk through the forests and 
 returned for breakfast where he met Donna Inez. He 
 requested her to send for the Count of Camina as soon as 
 convenient. She understood at once that the Count was 
 one of the legatees of Don Christoval's will from the re- 
 quest written on the package handed to her by Ponce de 
 Leon. She had been out for a walk when she beheld Juan 
 Ponce approaching with that brisk, firm step that is 
 habitual to an old campaigner. His walk had done him 
 good. His mind had become clear, especially on this mat- 
 ter pertaining to the guardianship of Donna Inez. 
 
 As they approached each other he scanned her face 
 closely. Strong traces of the great grief she had passed 
 through during the night was plainly shown by her care- 
 worn look. When she extended her hand in greeting, it 
 was clasped in his strong grasp, and with courtly grace 
 he raised it to his lips. It caused a thrill to shoot through 
 every nerve in his body ; a thrill he never forgot. It was 
 only a short interval before the Count of Camina arrived. 
 This was the first intimation of his brother's death 
 he had received. He was greatly overcome by the 
 sad intelligence. Juan Ponce then gave him the letter 
 requesting him to assume the guardianship of Donna 
 Inez, and stating that further information would be found 
 in the package of papers addressed to his brother and his 
 ward jointly. Juan Ponce requested that, as the papers 
 were of grave importance to them all, that they should 
 invite a holy father's attendance and others of their 
 friends that could be found close by, and the package be 
 opened the next morning in the presence of them all. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 27 
 
 Juari Ponce retired; he wished to give the count and 
 countess time to confer together and to overcome 
 the shock of the death of their kinsman. Ponce de 
 Leon wanted a chance to analyze his own feehngs ; he 
 did not understand what could disturb his mind to such 
 a degree ; the fair hand of Donna Inez seemed to con- 
 stantly appear before his vision; what could it mean? To 
 a man like Ponce DeLeon that had been used to hard- 
 ships and dangers all his life, it seemed very strange. 
 After a long, brisk walk he returned to the castle where 
 he found the count and Donna Inez awaiting him. They 
 were anxious to hear a more complete statement con- 
 cerning the death of their only relative. After re- 
 ceiving refreshments they wended their way to the fa- 
 vorite arbor of Donna Inez. Seating themselves in its 
 cool shade, Ponce DeLeon related the main incidents of 
 the life of Don Christoval from the time of his arrival in 
 Porto Rico until his death at the hands of the treacherous 
 savages. There had always been the closest friendship be- 
 tween these two brave men from their first acquaintance. 
 The relating of his death caused DeLeon almost as in- 
 tense grief as it did his own kinsman. It was most sor- 
 rowful to all three. They bade each other a tearful good 
 night and retired, with the understanding that at 10 
 o'clock the next morning the package sent by Don Chris- 
 toval was to be oj)ened and read before the reverend 
 fathers and the rest of their friends in the vicinity. 
 
 Juan Ponce went to his room but could not sleep. 
 The unrest that attacked him upon meeting Donna 
 Inez still disturbed him. He could not understand his rest- 
 lessness. He drank a goblet of wine and stepped out on the 
 veranda. Lingering there a few moments, his thoughts 
 turned to the arbor where he had met the count and 
 Donna Inez. He wandered through the grounds for a 
 time — instinctively he was drawn to the bower. Parting 
 the vines he entered, and in the faint light of the moon, 
 saw something white seated in one of the niches where he 
 had last seen Donna Inez. He moved forward to find 
 out what it could be. To his great surprise Donna 
 Inez arose with alarm and stood before him; she 
 recognized by his voice who it was. She greeted him 
 
28 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 kindly, and mutual explanations were exchanged a& 
 neither of them were inclined for sleep after the exciting 
 incidents of the day. Both had wandered out for fresh 
 air, and both, evidently drawn by the same impulse, were 
 attracted to the arbor. When he clasped her extended 
 hand the knowledge of what had caused his disquietude 
 and unrest for the past few days dawned upon him. It 
 was the great love that had sprung up in his heart with- 
 out warning for his ward. 
 
 He lingered for some time conversing with Donna 
 Inez, giving her many of the incidents regarding Don 
 Cliristoval's death and the love that had existed between 
 them. Soon they returned together to the castle,, 
 when Juan Ponce retired. That night, the remembranc& 
 of the tradition he had heard from the Indians, especially 
 from the Caribs, came to his mind concerning the foun- 
 tain of youth, should he find this wonderful spring he 
 could renew his youth and return to Spain with a reason- 
 able chance of winning the love of his ward. To a man 
 who had led a solitary life like Ponce de Leon the thought 
 that he could have a beautiful wife and a family to carry 
 his name down to posterity was a lasting one. His mind 
 reverted to frequent narratives he had heard from the 
 Indians about the fountain of youth to the north of Cuba. 
 If he could only find that spring and renew his youth he 
 could return to Spain and win the love of his ward. 
 Next morning he met the rest of the household at the 
 morning meal, after which they assembled in the hall con- 
 nected with the castle, to hear the reading of the last will 
 and testament of Don Christoval de Satomayor. After 
 reciting the disposition he wished to be made of his prop- 
 erty, that was to be divided between his ward and his 
 brother, it was his special request that Ponce DeLeon 
 should be her guardian. She arose and came to 
 Ponce de Leon at once, with her hand out stretched 
 and with tears glistening in her eyes, and begged him 
 to accept the charge her kind foster father had given 
 him. He asked her to accept a seat next to him and told 
 her that before accepting the great trust that had been 
 bequeathed to him he wished to make a statement of his 
 condition for the special benefit of his ward as well as 
 for all concerned. Ho related his first meeting with Don 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 29 
 
 'Christoval and the history of their lives until his death 
 by the hand of Aqueybana ; he stated minutely his career 
 from bojT^hood up to that time. He cast his fearless 
 ■eyes around those assembled, then meeting the glance of 
 the countess when a strong emotion took possession of his 
 mind; he turned to the count of Cameria and said : Sir 
 after hearing the history of my life can you or the countess 
 Inez think for one moment of asking me to become the 
 guardian of this young and titled lady?" The count re- 
 plied : "Sir, I know of no one in Spain to whom I would 
 rather entrust the welfare of the countess than to your 
 brave and generous care. With your permission, we will 
 leave it to the countess to decide for herself." The countess 
 arose and stepped to the side of Ponce de Leon and said : 
 " Kind sir, if you will accept the charge my loved foster 
 father has asked you to take, I shall be blessed indeed, 
 knowing that I have a guardian that I can love and re- 
 spect in every way." Ponce de Leon turned and clasped 
 the countess in a tender embrace, and imprinting a 
 kiss upon her forehead he replied: " I accept this great 
 trust and may our Lord deal with me as I do with you." 
 In after years when ho wavS beset with perils and hard- 
 ships this declaration came back to his mind with strong 
 force. He knew if the Lord loved him with as great a love 
 as he did his ward his salvation was assured beyond any 
 question. After settling the affairs of the countess to the 
 best ad vantage, he asked the count of Cameria if he would 
 take care of his ward in case he should be compelled to 
 leave Spain again. The remembrance of the tradition 
 he had heard from the Indians in Porto Rico came to his 
 mind continually with a force he could not subdue. He 
 well knew tliat he was liable to ])e called on by his king 
 to undertake some perilous voyage at any moment. There 
 wfis one expedition which he was very anxious to make 
 and that was to the northwest of Hispaniola and Porto 
 Kico. 
 
 As the business which they had l)een called upon 
 to witness had been transacted satisfactorily to all, the 
 countess requested them to accompany her to the dining- 
 hall, where a repast was prepared for them. Turning to 
 Ponce de Leon she said: "I am sure my kind guardian 
 
30 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 will assist me in entertaining my people, for which favor 
 I shall feel very grateful." He took her arm and eon- 
 ducted her to the dining-hall, followed by her guests, 
 where they were served w-ith a bountiful repast. After 
 the holy father had offered a prayer for their welfare, 
 Ponce de Leon asked permission to make a request of 
 those assembled, which was granted: "Men of the house 
 of Satomayor and De Leon, the time may come when I 
 will be unable to be with my ward. Will you respond 
 to her call at any and all times, whenever asked, both for 
 counsel, protection and assistance?" They all arose and 
 replied: "We will respond at any time, whenever the 
 countess may call upon us." DeLeon thanked them in 
 behalf of his ward. They seated themselves and pro- 
 ceeded to partake of the repast that had been provided by 
 the countess. After the banquet was over they gathered 
 around the countess and asked permission to retire, as the 
 duties for which they had been called had been performed. 
 She kindly dismissed them, w'ith substantial tokens of her 
 regard for them. She went to the library, where she 
 found Ponce de Leon and the count in earnest conversa- 
 tion. De Leon welcomed her and requested her to be 
 seated, and said: "My dear lady, you have come here at 
 an opportune moment for me to explain tlie situation in 
 which I am placed. Since my arrival at your castle, and 
 especially since the will of your kinsman has been read to 
 you, with his request that I should become your guardian. 
 Within the last few hours, in fact, I have realized how 
 unsuited I am for the position which I have accepted, and 
 for which I am totally unqualified. If you will look back 
 to the history of my life, which I recited to you and the 
 count, you will see how unfitted I am to have the guid- 
 ance and control of a lady of your rank and station. Until 
 I came here I never thought for a moment that I could 
 care for a home life. Understand, I have been most of 
 my life in the service of my king and country, where I 
 have had more hardship than pleasure; here the thoughts 
 of a home entered my mind for the first time. AVhile sta- 
 tioned in Porto Rico I frequently met some of the chiefs 
 of the Caribs, who told me of a wonderful spring of pure 
 water that existed in a country to the northward of theirs, 
 
PoNX'K DE J. EON Land. 31 
 
 whose marvelous virtue when drunk and bathed in would 
 restore health and youth to all who could use its salutary 
 water. Dearest Inez, if this spring exists I will find it, or 
 lose my life in the attempt." 
 
 "Dear sir, you have done enough lor your country. 
 For the present remain here and do something for your 
 people and mine. They need the care and guidance of a 
 firm and intelligent man. Give up this idea of searching 
 for this fabulous fountain, the existence of which rests on 
 the report of the wild savages of the western hemisphere." 
 "My dear countess, what can I say? J\[y mind is in 
 a chaos. Permit me to retire until morning, by which 
 time I hope to unravel this great problem placed before 
 me." Bidding each other good night, they retired to 
 their respective rooms. Ponce de Leon could not think 
 calmly over his situation, so he started out for a walk in 
 the open air. After a half hour's rapid walk, he returned 
 to his room. The great bodily exertion had cleared his 
 mind. He took a strong pull at the brandy flask and 
 turned his attention to the situation in which he was 
 placed, and to determine what he should do. 
 
 It was a difficult problem which faced him. There were 
 two questions to solve. What was he to do about the young 
 lady much younger than himself, and with whom, to his 
 surprise, he found that he was madly in love with ? How 
 could he, in honor, ask her to marry him? Did she care 
 for him? Could he seek her hand under the conditions 
 that existed at the time? No it would be dishonorable 
 in liim as her guardian, and an injustice to the countess. 
 Then the great, strong love of his heart came before him. 
 What should he do? His thoughts returned to the tra- 
 dition of the Indians. He came to the conclusion that he 
 would go to Ilispaniola and fit out an expedition for the 
 exploration of the northwest country; the position he had 
 canvassed very carefully while he was governor of Porto 
 Rico. He examined the notes he had made while in 
 Porto Rico and went over them with great care. He 
 considered them with great attention in all their bearings. 
 It only served to strengthen his resolution to fit out an 
 expedition for the exploration of that wonderful country 
 of which he had received such a varied account of from the 
 
32 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 Indians. Could he find this fountain and drink of 
 its rejuvenating waters, he could return to Spain and 
 claim for his bride one of the fairest and noblest in all 
 the land. The reward was too great to demand much de- 
 liberation from a man of Ponce DeLeon's intrepid 
 character. The chance of finding this fountain was 
 too great to be relinquished. He ac<|uainted the count 
 of Camina with his design and requested him to look 
 after the affairs of the countess during his absence, and 
 also after his own, which were of great importance. He 
 hardly knew how much wealth he had accumulated until 
 he looked over his papers to arrange for the disposal of his 
 property in the event of his failing to return. 
 
 After setting aside the amount that he deemed would 
 be required for the expedition and for the purchase of ad- 
 ditional vessels, equipments and stores to maintain them 
 in service for a long time, he found a balance remaining 
 which gave him infinite satisfaction. He could leave a 
 sum to his ward that more than equaled her own. This 
 thought gave him great pleasure. The thought that if he 
 failed in his venture and should never return, the 
 countess would see by the date of his will that his last 
 moments in Spain were devoted to her welfare. 
 
 It was near morning when Ponce DeLeon finished 
 his labor. He was weary, and he cast himself upon a 
 couch and slept as men can only sleep who are used to 
 the camp and bivouac. At 8 o'clock he awoked with a 
 bright and clear conception of what he had done during 
 the preceding night and of what he was to do that morn- 
 ing. He looked over his papers carefully and corrected 
 whatever errors he Ibund in them. The strain on liis 
 mind and body had been a heavy one; the page brought 
 him a cup of coffee and some bread ; his candle was still 
 burning; he took a bottle of brandy and turned a gener- 
 ous quantity into a cup and burned it down to the quan- 
 tity that he wished, turned it into the coffee and drank it, 
 a tonic he had found in his long experience in the field 
 to have the best effects to restore vigor and vitality after 
 a long vigil or exposure. He then went down to break- 
 fast. 
 
 He found the countess seated at the board. She greeted 
 
PoNC'K DE Leon Land. S'.^ 
 
 Him with u warmth that pleased him very miich, and seated 
 him at her right, the place of honor. "The count and me 
 rest of the memhers of the household assembled arouti'd 
 the board and the meal was soon dispatched. Thocountbss 
 requested Ponce de Leon and the count of Camnia to 
 meet her in the hall at 11 o'clock, to which they assented 
 at once. The count went to his room a few moments 
 later and Juan Ponce started out for a walk, which he 
 had always found to have a soothing influence upon his 
 mind when greatly difturbed. They arrived in the hall 
 nearly at the same time, and Juan Ponce saluted the 
 countess with great respect and devotion. 
 
 When they were all assembled, Ponce de Leon stated 
 the decision he had arrived at during the night. He 
 recited the peculiar circumstances that had connected 
 him with the nobl(? family of Satomayor, and of the new 
 asperations that had entered his heart. Since his arrival 
 in Spain, it was the first glimpse of home-life he had seen 
 since his boyhood. He asked the count to take charge of 
 the affairs of his kinswoman, as well as his own, during 
 his absence. In the event of his not returning, he was to 
 be administrator for the two estates. 
 
 "The papers pertaining to the countess will be left 
 open; she can have access to them at any time. Also a 
 part of my own papers. The remainder, when completed, 
 will be sealed until my return or until my death. Dear 
 sir, will you accept this great trust I request of you?" 
 
 The count replied: "I will, and may the Lord guide 
 me in carrying out your wishes, both as to my kinswoman 
 and to yourself." 
 
 Ponce de Leon turned to the countess with a courtly 
 bow\ "Noble lady, I trust you will never have cause to 
 regret the kindness you have bestowed upon a wanderer. 
 If fate so wills, I shall return to you in a position to ask 
 a great favor of you, which I cannot ask at the present 
 time. I hope you will grant it, if your heart so wills, as 
 freely and as earnestly as 1 ask it. Trust me, dear lady; 
 it will be the mainspring of my existence to return to 
 Spain and to you with a name that you will be proud of. 
 If not, I will leave my bones to bleach in a western wil- 
 •derness." 
 
 3b 
 
Z4 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 "Dear sir, let me dissuade you from this undertaking. 
 You have had more than your share of hardship in this 
 life. Remain here with us. We will try to compensate 
 you for what you have been denied in your former life." 
 
 "No, dear lady," said Juan Ponce, "I cannot remain. 
 The prize is too great for me to forego the chance of win- 
 ning it. I have communicated with the king about the 
 exploration of this unknown country. He requested me 
 to report to him to-morrow for instructions and orders. 
 A fleet is to sail from Spain in a few days. I shall go 
 with it. My fleet will refit at the port of St. German, 
 Porto Rico. My people that remain here will be at your 
 command for any service you may require of them. I 
 will leave full instructions with the count for your care 
 and the care of my afliiirs. Any advice you may desire 
 will be willingly given you by him. • Dear Inez, believe 
 me, I have not been unmindful of your interest and wel- 
 fare. I trust you will be thankful for it some day. With 
 your permission I will retire and arrange my affairs for 
 my departure. I will be at your service as soon as they 
 are completed." 
 
 "Retire, noble sir, and examine this matter with care 
 and discretion, and may the Lord guide you in your de- 
 cision." 
 
 Ponce De Leon retired and went over his papers 
 carefully, making the necessary corrections and altera- 
 tions. About 2 o'clock in the morning a courier arrived 
 at the castle with a dispatch from the king, ordering him 
 to report to him at once. He wrote a note to the countess, 
 explaining the cause of his departure, and that he would 
 return as soon as the business for w^iich he was called was 
 transacted. He started at once for Validollid, where the 
 king was holding court at that time. Upon his arrival 
 he reported to the king. Together they went over the 
 plans of liis expedition carefully. He gave him the his- 
 tory of the reports he had received from the diffe-rent 
 tribes of Indians in the West, and an especial account of 
 the report he had received from the Caribs. The king 
 gave him the necessary instructions, and stated what part 
 of the expense would be borne by the crown. "Sir, I can 
 give you but little instruction in this matter. I have full 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 35 
 
 confidence in your experience. You will have to rely 
 upon your own judgment and discretion, to a great ex- 
 tent. Send me a full report of your progress, whenever 
 you have an opportunity. May you be successful is the 
 wish of your sovereign." 
 
 Ponce de Leon received his final order and letters of 
 instruction ; also the date of the departure of the fleet. 
 He found he had but a limited time to make his final 
 preparations; he also needed rest and sleep. He went to 
 a quiet hostelry, where he obtained both. After a long 
 refreshing slumber, he awoke, much invigorated. After 
 partaking of a hearty repast, he mounted his horse and 
 started back to Castle Satomayor. 
 
 . He arrived on the second day. The countess had 
 evidently been looking for him. She advanced to meet 
 him before he dismounted. She was very anxious to 
 know the result of his mission. He gave the count and 
 countess a full description of the route he proposed to take, 
 the number of vessels and men that were to compose the 
 expedition, and the amount of assistance to be furnished 
 by the government. 
 
 " Dear Lady : Will you meet me in the arbor this 
 evening? I have some important information to impart 
 to you that I wish no one else to hear." 
 
 "I will with pleasure." 
 
 Ponce de Leon retired to his room and completed 
 his papers giving full instruction to the count for the care 
 and disposal of his property in case he should fail to re- 
 alize his expectations in his undertaking. He came to 
 the conclusion that he ought to inform the countess just 
 what aspirations had entered into his mind since his arri- 
 val in Spain, and of the great love for her that had 
 sprung into his heart. His great expectation was in the 
 discovery of the fountain of youth. The savages were a 
 peculiar people in their traditions and it would not be 
 transmitted throughout the whole country without strong- 
 foundation. It would be the greatest effort of his life to 
 find it. 
 
 In the evening he met the Countess in the arbor, as 
 appointed by them. 
 
 " Dear Countess, to-morrow I shall leave you. I 
 
36 PoxcK i>te" I^Ei^>r liASiPi 
 
 have «kt:led your business the best I could for your bene- 
 fit and ■ have left instructions for your welfare. Deal- 
 Inez, since I came here I have learned that I love you 
 with all my heart; with a love that cannot be estimated 
 except by yourself; you are the main spring which will 
 govern my actions in this undertaking. If I am success- 
 ful can I return to Spain and win your love and claim 
 your hand ?" 
 
 '' My love you have had from our first meeting ; my 
 hand you can have whenever you wish it. Give me the 
 right to accompany you. I trust you will never regret 
 liaving the care and advice of a true and loving wife to 
 assist you in this expedition. I will give you the assist- 
 ance that a true woman's love can give. Think this 
 matter over carefully before you make your decision." 
 
 Ponce DeLeon clasped the countess in his arms and 
 pressed a kiss upon her lips. 
 
 " Dearest Inez, you will never know what a terrible 
 pang it gives me to part with you. Sometime hence you 
 may know. Remember it is with the intent of a great 
 benefit to us. Will vou trust me fully in this undertak- 
 ing?" 
 
 "Yes," said the countess, "and may our Heavenly 
 Father prosper your undertaking. If you return you 
 will find Inez, countess de Satomayor, with the same true 
 love for you which now possesses her heart. Make this 
 our expedition, not yours alone. It is for the benefit of 
 our king and country and more especially for ourselves. 
 I must not detain you longer. You must have a plenty 
 to do to arrange your business for 3^our departure. Meet 
 me in the garden where we can give our last adios with 
 no other to witness it." 
 
 "Adios ! my dearest Inez, may God in his infinite 
 mercy bless and protect you." 
 
 Ponce DeLeon went to the count's room and gave him 
 liis pa])ers and instructions as to what he wished him to do. 
 
 " Count, I leave to your care all that I have in this 
 world except what I take with me. In the event of my 
 death you are my sole executor. I have not forgotten the 
 kindness you have shown me ; it will not be unrewarded ; 
 the love and res])ect of .Juan Ponce de Leon will always 
 be vours. Adios. !" 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. '47 
 
 Juan Ponce returned to his room and retired. He 
 had a refreshing sk^ep which was of great benefit to a maii 
 in his condition. He took an early and substantial repast- 
 He repaired to the garden where he found the coun- 
 tess waiting to receive him. She again renewed her en- 
 treaties to him to abandon his expedition: " For our wel- 
 fare, for the love that you are assured of, stay here. Our 
 interests are one, do not leave me alone, my heart has 
 gone out to you, let me show you with how great n love. 
 I will prove to you that Inez; Countess de Satomayor is 
 worthy of the caviller she has bestowed her love upon." 
 
 " Dear Inez, when I leave you, it will be for our ben- 
 efit. It is the great love I bear you that bids me 
 go. What greater devotion to you can I show than by 
 carrying out this exploration contemplated in this expe- 
 dition? If I return to you successful, it will be with an 
 honor that no other man has ever achieved. With the 
 experience of age and with the vigor of youth, dearest 
 Inez, is not this a result that we should work for? Bid me 
 God speed and pray for our success." 
 
 " Go, and may the blessing of our Lord attend and 
 protect you in danger, in sickness and health, and return 
 you to me, to guide and comfort me in years to come. 
 Go, then, if you so will it, and the prayers of Inez de 
 Satomayor shall accompany you, both for your success 
 and for your safe return to me. Accept this kiss and witli 
 it the true love of my heart. May the good Lord bring 
 you back to me. So you return I will be thankful. God 
 bless and protect you is the wish of Inez. Adios ! " 
 
38 .PoNCE DE Leon Land. 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Search for the Fountain of Youth. 
 His Discovery of Florida, Landing on the Third 
 OF April 1512. 
 
 PONCE DE LEON started for the port the fleet was to 
 sail from. On arriving he found a large number of 
 his followers ready and anxious to accompany him. 
 He made the necessary arrangements and set sail the next 
 morning. They made a very quick voyage and arrived 
 at their first destination without delay. He fitted out his 
 fleet for the exploration of the country to the northward 
 of that colony. On the 3d of March, 1512, Ponce de Leon 
 sailed from Porto Rico with three ships. Keeping a north- 
 ward course, he fell in with the Bahama group of islands. 
 He was favored with good weather and fair wind. On the 
 14th of the month he arrived at Guanahani or St. Salva- 
 dor where Columbus first put his foot on the shore of the 
 New World. 
 
 After making diligent search for the fountain de- 
 scribed by the Caribbees he failed to find it, but was in no 
 way discouraged. AfU^r some slight repairs to his fleet 
 he put to sea. On the 27th of March he came in 
 sight of land but could not reach the shore on account of 
 the heavy sea. The whole country was covered with flow- 
 ers from which circumstance as well as having discovered 
 it on Palm Sunday, he gave it the name of Pascua 
 Florida, the Indian name was Cautio. 
 
 Ponce de Leon landed and took possession of the 
 country for his king. He extended his exploration to a 
 great distance examining every spring and stream for the 
 fountain of youth which was the great object of his 
 search. Disheartened by the perils which had beset him 
 he gave up the quest to Captain Juan Perez de Ortrubia, 
 and sailed back to Porto Rico. If he had not found the 
 fountain of youth he had discovered a new country, 
 which would always be an honor to his name. 
 He returned to Spain and reported the result of his ex- 
 pedition to the king, who received him with great favor, 
 and appointed him Adalantadeof Bimini and Florida, 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 39 
 
 with authority to recruit men in Spain or the colonies for 
 a settlement in Florida. It took him some time to perfect 
 his plans. 
 
 The Caribbees made several attacks on the island, 
 taking many prisoners who were killed and devoured by 
 them. So frequent were these attacks that the Spaniards 
 feared they would have to abandon the islands. When 
 €ver Ponce de Leon found time he visited his ward. She 
 used ever}' persuasion in her power to dissuade him from 
 undertaking farther explorations. " You have done your 
 share of work for our king and country, do something for 
 me ; remain here with us; we need your care and protec- 
 tion. Will not the love that I have given you dissuade you 
 from attempting another expedition. You have already 
 expended a large amount of money for your former expedi- 
 tions. Stay here with me, I will try to compensate you for 
 all you will lose in such a dangerous undertaking. Here 
 on my bended knees I beseech you not to leave me 
 again." 
 
 Ponce de Leon replied : " Dear one, it is the great 
 love that I bear for you, that compels me to accept 
 the command of this expedition which has been specially 
 requested of me by the king. There have been three ships 
 fitted out well armed and manned to chastize and subdue 
 the Caribs. I know more about them than any one in 
 Spain. The king relies upon my knowledge and experi- 
 ence to subdue and stop their depredations. Can I refuse 
 his request ? When I have complied with this order I 
 will ask to be retired from active service. I will not leave 
 you again, I will devote my time to you and to the wel- 
 fare of our people. This I pledge you will be the last 
 time I will leave Spain. 
 
 " Dear Inez, this fountain of youth I am confident ex- 
 ists, it is one of m}' highest aspirations to find it. Can I 
 but return to you a youth in strength and vigor, with the 
 knowledge and experience that no other man possesses. 
 Dear heart, is not this a prize we should both seek for ? 
 
 "The king has fitted out this armeda and assigned me 
 to command it. Can I refuse to accept it? No, dear Inez, 
 you will be the last one to request it; let me obey this or- 
 ^er, whether I return or not. It is my duty to my king, 
 
40 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 and more especially to you, whom I love and honor above 
 all else in this world. Bid me God -speed with your prayer 
 daily at sunrise. I can turn to the East at that moment 
 and know that there is one loving heart praying for our 
 welfare and for my safe return. The king is aware of my 
 experience in Indian warfare, and has requested me to 
 subdue the Caribbees and also the Indians in Florida. Then 
 I am to return to Porto Rico and superintend the reparti- 
 mientos or distribution of the Indians, and the govern- 
 ment of that island, assisted by a commission appointed 
 by Don Digo Columbus. Dear Inez, this is a duty which 
 I am thoroughly conversant with. I know the Indians 
 and their habits and mode of warfare. Who in Spain to- 
 day is more fitted to take command of this undertaking 
 than myself? Our king requests it; I will not refuse. 
 
 " Adios, dear one ; may the blessing of our Lord be 
 with you forever. One more kiss, and now adios." 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Expedition Against the Caribbees. 
 
 PONCE DE LEON sailed in January, 1515, directing 
 his course for the Caribbees country, with the inten- 
 tion of subduing all the Indians of that tribe. Arriv- 
 ing at one of the islands, he cast anchor and made a de- 
 tail of men to go on shore to get wood and water, and 
 women to wash clothing for the command, with a detach- 
 ment of troops for their protection. The officer in charge 
 of the party was evidently careless, and allowed his people 
 to scatter. The Indians were ambushed, waiting for a fa- 
 vorable opportunity for an attack, when they were dis- 
 persed in a manner, so that it was impossible to concen- 
 trate to repel them. They rushed forth from their con- 
 cealment and killed most of the men, and captured the 
 women and carried them to the mountains. 
 
Ponce dk Leon Land. 41 
 
 This was a very heavy blow to Ponce de Leon, and 
 depressed him very much. He returned to Porto Rico, 
 and rehnqnished any further attemi)t to punish or sub- 
 due the Caribbees. His health having becoming very 
 much impaired by overwork and exposure, he gave the 
 command of the fleet to Captain Zuniga. He remained 
 in Porto Rico some time. 
 
 Hearing of the brilliant exploits of Cortez, he came 
 to the conclusion that Florida was a field which would 
 equal and eclipse any of the previous discoveries hereto- 
 fore made, even to the famed conquest of Mexico. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Ponce de Leon's Last Voyage — Attempted Settle- 
 ment OF Florida — His Death and Burial in 
 Cuba. 
 
 IN 1521 Ponce de Leon fitted out two ships and em- 
 barked on his last voyage of discovery and explora. 
 tion. He had found that the land he had discovered 
 was main land instead of an island, as he had previouslj' 
 supposed. His voyage was tempestuous but he arrived 
 safely. He landed with a strong detachment of troops 
 and explored the country for some distance. They were 
 attacked by a large party of Indians and driven back 
 to their landing place. Ponce de Leon formed his men 
 and made a determined charge upon them which broke 
 their attack completely. While reforming his men a 
 concealed savage fired an arrow into his thigh close to 
 the femoral artery. He was carried on board his ship 
 and ordered them to return to Cuba ; the arrow had 
 been broken in the bone and the surgeon was unable to 
 extract it. Soon after arriving in Cuba he died and 
 was buried with great militarj'^ honors. He left a pack- 
 
42 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 age of papers with his senior captain directed to Countess 
 de Satomayor and one directed to the Count Camina, 
 whom he had appointed his executor, both of his own 
 and the countess' estates. 
 
 In the package sent to the countess he gave full in- 
 structions as to his wishes in regard to his own property, 
 which was to be given to the countess entire, except a 
 few legacies that were given to his faithful servitors and 
 a large one to the count. Thus ended the career of one of 
 Spain's most gallant and faithful cavaliers. 
 
 The following epitaph was inscribed upon his tomb : 
 "In this sepulcher rests the bones of a man who was a 
 lion by name and still more by nature." 
 
 The countess mourned the death of her gallant lover 
 for several years. She never forgot the remark made 
 by him at their parting, that he would find the fountain 
 of youth or leave his bones to bleach in a western wil- 
 derness. 
 
 Some years after his death the countess met with 
 one of Spain's best and most respected noblemen, who 
 gained her love and to whom she was happily married. 
 
 The fountain of youth was the chief object of Ponce 
 de Leon's explorations in this country. It is too evident 
 for comment. That a tale so fabulous should gain credit 
 among simple, uninstructed Indians is not surprising; 
 that it should make an impression upon an enlightened 
 people appears in the present age altogether incredible. 
 The fact, however, is certain, and the most authentic 
 Spanish historians mention this extravagant sally of their 
 credulous countryman. 
 
 Martyr affirms in his address to the Pope "That 
 among the islands on the north side of Hispaniola there 
 is one about 325 leagues distant in which is a spring of 
 running water of such marvelous virtue that the water 
 thereof being drunk, perhaps with some diet, maketh, 
 tho' old, young again ; and here I must protest to your 
 Holiness not to think this be said lighty or rashly, for 
 they have so spread this rumor for a truth through all 
 the court. That not only all the people but many of those 
 whom wisdom and fortune have divided from the common 
 lot, think it to be true." 
 
Ponce de Leon Land, 43 
 
 We must remember the Spaniards at that time were 
 engaged in a career of activity which gave a romantic 
 turn to their imagination and daily presented to them strong 
 and marvelous objects. A new world was opened to their 
 view, they visited islands and continents of whose existence 
 mankind in former years had no conception. In this 
 delightful country nature seemed to assume another form. 
 Every tree, plant and animal was different from those of 
 the ancient hemisphere ; they seemed to be transplanted 
 into enchanted ground. After the wonders which they 
 had seen, nothing in the warmth and novelty of their 
 admiration appeared to them so extraordinary as to be 
 beyond belief. If the rapid succession of new and strik- 
 ing scenes could make such an impression, even upon the 
 sound understanding of Columbus that he boasted of 
 having found the seat of paradise, will it appear strange 
 that Ponce de Leon should dream of discovering the 
 fountain of vouth? 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The SficoJiD Attempt to Colonize Florida, by Pan- 
 FiLO Narvaez. — Its Failure and Loss of All 
 THE Party but Four. 
 
 ON the 12th day of April, 1528, Panfilo Narvaez sailed 
 from St. Jago de Cuba with four hundred men and 
 forty horses. Landing near Charlotte Harbor he 
 took possession of the country in the name of the king of 
 ■Spain, and promulgated in the Spanish language to the 
 inhabitants of the country !in the name of the 
 king of Spain: "I, Panfilo de Narvaez, cause to be 
 known to you how God created the world and charged 
 St. Peter to be the sovereign of all men, in whatever 
 -country they might be born. God gave him the whole 
 
44 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 world for his inheritance. One of his successors made it 
 a gift to the king and queen of Spain ; so that the Indians 
 are their subjects. You will be compelled to accept Chris- 
 tianity. If you refuse, and delay agreeing to what I have 
 proposed to you, I will march against you ; I will make 
 war upon you from all sides ; I will subject you to obedi- 
 ence to the church and his majesty ; I will obtain posses- 
 sion of your wives and children ; I will reduce you to 
 slavery. I notify you that neither his majesty nor myself, 
 nor the gentlemen who accompany me, will be the cause 
 of this, but yourselves only." 
 
 While resting at a village near Tampa, Narvaez was 
 shown some wooden burial cases containing the remains 
 of chiefs, and ornamented with deer skins elaborately 
 painted and adorned with sprigs of gold. Learning that 
 the gold came from farther north, at a place called Apa- 
 lachie, Narvaez immediately ordered his men to march 
 thither. With more judgment, or prophetic wisdom, his 
 treasurer Cabaca de Vaca, endeavored in vain, to dissuade 
 him. Having distributed a small quantity of biscuit and 
 pork as rations, he set out on the first of May with three 
 hundred men and forty horses. They marched through 
 a desolate country, crossing one large river, encountering 
 only one settlement of Indians, until the 17th of June, 
 when they fell in with a settlement where they were well 
 received and supplied with corn and venison. The 
 Spaniards, learning that this tribe were enemies of the 
 Apalachians, exchanged presents, and obtained guides to 
 direct them to the Apalachian settlement. • This they 
 reached on the 25th, after a fatiguing march through 
 swamps and marshes, and at once attacked the inhabi- 
 tants without a word of warning, and put them all to the 
 sword. The town consisted of comfortable houses well 
 stocked with corn, skins, and garments made from bark 
 cloth. 
 
 Not finding the wealth he had expected, and being 
 subject to the repeated attacks of the Indians, Narvaez, 
 after a month's rest at Apalachee, divided his command 
 into three companies, and ordered them to scour the 
 country. These companies returned, after an unsucessful 
 search for gold and food. The Spaniards continued their 
 
PoNCK DE I. EON LaXD. 45 
 
 inarch toward the north and west, carrying with thein, in 
 •chains, the Indian chiefs captured at Apalachee. This 
 plan of securing the chiefs of an IncHan nation or tribe, 
 and forcing them to march with the troops as guides and 
 hostages, seems to have been adopted by each of the 
 Spanish commanders, and always with disastrous results. 
 The sight of an Indian chief in chains aroused a feeling 
 •of outraged friendship, wherever they passed, and gave a 
 premonition of the servile fate that would be assigned to 
 their race whenever the Spaniards obtained dominion. 
 These captives urged on the Indians to harass and persist- 
 ently follow up the marching army, even influencing 
 tribes that were inimical to themselves. 
 
 The march of Narvarez through the western part of 
 Florida continued until fall, with an unvarying succession 
 of attacks and skirmishes at every halt, and often pitched 
 battles at the towns that lay in his path. Little progress 
 was made on their journey, owing to the uncertainty of 
 their course, the unproductive and difficult nature of the 
 country, and the unremitting attacks and obstacles op- 
 posed by the wily Indians, who were ever on the watch 
 to pick off man or Iteast, and to prevent the collection of 
 supplies. 
 
 Disheartened at the continued losses sustained by his 
 army, and dispairing of ever reaching by land the Spanish 
 settlement in Mexico, Narvaez, having reached the bank 
 of a large river, determined to follow it to its mouth and 
 take to the sea. Slowly they moved down the river, and 
 arrived at its mouth in a sadly distressed condition. 
 Despair lent them an energy that was fanned to a burn- 
 ing zeal by the hopes of being able to reach their friends 
 ^nd salvation on the .shore of the same water before their 
 view. A smith in their party declared that he could 
 build a forge, and with bellows made of hides, and the 
 charcoal they could supply abundantl}-, he could forge 
 from their swords and accoutrements, bolts and nails for 
 building a boat. Diligently they worked, incited by the 
 memories of all their hardships and j)erils, and the joyous 
 hope of safe delivery. Such was their energy and deter- 
 mination that in six weeks they constructed from the 
 material at hand five large boats, capable of holding fifty 
 
46 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 men each. For cordage they twisted ropes from the 
 manes and tails of their horses, together with the fibre of 
 plants. Their sails were made from their clothing, and 
 from the hides of their horses they made sacks to hold 
 water. With these frail and clumsily-construct*:jd crafts, 
 open boats loaded almost to the water's edge, without a 
 navigator in the party, or provisions for a week, this little 
 army of desperate men set out on the open sea, Narvaez 
 commanding one boat; the others were under the com- 
 mand of his captains, one of whom, Cabaca de Vaca, has 
 preserved to us the account of this fatal expedition. 
 
 De Vaca gives a long account of their voyage, and 
 the hardships and misfortunes they underwent until they 
 were all shipwrecked. Out of two hundred and forty who 
 started on the return only fifteen were alive. Narvaez 
 himself was blown off' from shore while almost alone in 
 his boat, and never again heard of. Only the four are 
 known certainly to have been saved, Cabaca de Vaca, 
 the treasurer of the expedition, Captain Alonz Castillo, 
 Captain Andrew Orantes, a negro or Turk named 
 Estevanico. 
 
 (kbaca de Vaca and his companions for nearly six 
 years pursued their journey among the Indians. During 
 all this long period they never abandoned their hope and 
 desire of reaching Mexico. Finally, after many strange 
 adventures, De Vaca arrived at the Spanish settlement in 
 Mexico, and was received by his countrymen with the 
 greatest consideration and rejoicing. 
 
 Having been sent over to Spain, he presented to the 
 crown a narative of the unfortunate expedition of Nar- 
 vaez, representing that the country contained great wealth, 
 that he alone was able to secure, and begging that he be 
 made governor. In this he was disappointed, however, 
 but placated by the government of LaPlat, in South 
 America. 
 
 The narative of De Vaca has been received by his- 
 torians and antiquarians as in the main voracious, though 
 describing some wonderful customs and people, it is the 
 earhest account of Florida which we possess, having 
 been published in 1555, and is of inestimable value. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 47 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 The Third Attempt to Settle Florida by Hernando 
 DeSoto, Results in the Loss of His Life by Dis- 
 ease, and all but Three Hundred and Eleven 
 OF His Command, 
 
 MISLED by the fabulous stories told of the wealth of 
 Florida, and by the still more deceptive account of 
 De Vaca, and having before their eyes contiually 
 the immense treasures actually secured ni Peru and Mex- 
 ico, the Spaniards were satisfied that it only needed a 
 force sufficiently largo and ably commanded to secure to 
 the conquerors even greater treasures in their northern 
 possessions. They were, moreover, convinced that the 
 Indian tribes would not defend, with such persistent valor 
 and great sacrifice a worthless country, when the incal- 
 culable wealth as the Aztec had been so feebly defended. 
 
 At this favorable moment there appeared at court a 
 man who was acknowledged to be eminently qualified to 
 inspire confidence in any undertaking he might enter 
 upon. No knight stood higher in the esteem of his sover- 
 eign, or enjoyed greater popularity with the cavaliers than 
 Hernando de Soto. Born of a good family in the north- 
 ern part of Spain, he had early entered the service of 
 D'Avalas, the governor of the West Indies, by whom he 
 was put in command of a detachment sent to Peru to re- 
 inforce Pizarro. 
 
 Here he exhibited a remarkable capacity and soon 
 rose to be second in command. Having gained a valu- 
 able experience and a splendid reputation in the con- 
 quest of Peru, he was induced by Pizarro to seek pleas- 
 ure or glory in another field lest his own achievements, 
 should be rivaled by those of his lieutenant. A million 
 and a half dollars was the sum which he received on re- 
 linquishing the field. This, in those days princly for- 
 tune was but a small portion of tlie exorbitant ransom 
 paid by the captured Inca. 
 
 Returning to Sjniin, his wealth and achievements 
 seem to have excited genuine admiration rather than 
 envv, and he at once became the favorite of the court. 
 
48 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 His martial spirit craved adventures, and could not re- 
 main content with the dullness of court life. He there- 
 fore petitioned the King to be allowed to fit out an ex- 
 pedition to occupy and settle the Spanish northern posses- 
 sions. The country at that time designated a Florida 
 extending from the Chesapeake Bay to Mexico, and, as 
 was thought embraced the richest portion of the world, full 
 of all things good. 
 
 De Soto's request having been granted, he was at once 
 commissioned Adelantado and Marquis of Florida. A fleet 
 of seven ships and three cutters was at once purchased, 
 armed and equipped for the expedition, and, as it was 
 De Soto's intention to colonize the country, much atten- 
 tion was given to provide a supply of such seeds as were 
 desirable to introduce. It is possible that some of the 
 seeds scattered by the followers of De Soto may to-day be 
 reproducing themselves in Florida. 
 
 The origin of the wild horse of America has also been 
 assigned to the Spanish introduction at that time. So great 
 was the desire to accompany De Soto, and so certain seemed 
 the rich recompense of wealth, and honor to be achieved 
 under such a leader, that the complement of a thousand 
 men was recruited with ease: of this number more than 
 three hundred were gentlemen of rank — knights and hi- 
 dalgoes of the best blood of Spain — who lavished their 
 means in the purchase of arms and equipments, thinking 
 that with these they would procure wealth in plenty. With 
 this brilliant corps were twelve priests to minister to the 
 spiritual welfare of the Spaniards or Indians, or both. 
 
 Leaving Spain in the spring, the fleet proceeded as far 
 as Cuba, where it was delayed awhile in completing the 
 arrangements. Here De Soto married the Lady Isabella, a 
 sister of the famous Bovadilla. The enjoyment of the soci- 
 ety of his new wife, however, could not detain him from the 
 pursuit of honor. In May, 1539, he left Cuba, and landed 
 in Florida on Whit Sunday in the same month. The bay 
 in which they landed, now called Tampa Bay, was named 
 by them "Espiritu Santo," in honor of the day on which 
 they arrived. A detailed account of the march of De Soto 
 would be too long for a work like this. Soon after begin- 
 ning the march northward the advance guard of the Span- 
 
Ponce de Leon JjAnd. 49 
 
 aard fell in with a body of Indians, who advanced, appar- 
 ently, to oppose them. The Spai^iish captain, thinking it 
 was an assault, ordered a charge, when, greatly to their 
 .surprise, they heard the ISpaiuish tongue in a tone of sup- 
 plication not to kill one of their own countrymen. The 
 speaker proved to l)e the captive Ortiz, before mentioned. 
 Having acquired a knowledge of the Indians and their 
 language, he was a great acquisition to the command, al- 
 though unable, from restricted confinement, to give a sat- 
 • isfactory reply to the first question asked him by his coun- 
 tryman : " Where is there any gold to be found ?" By the 
 advice of Ortiz, or from motives of policy De Soto pursued 
 a pacific polic}' at first, and met with friendly treatment 
 and generous supplies of provisions at the various In- 
 dian towns. The Indians at that time seemed to have 
 paid considerable attention to agriculture, and to have 
 lived in towns that were rudely fortified, and built with 
 very considerable dwelling houses and barns. Some of 
 the houses of the chiefs are described as more than a 
 hundred feet long, containing many rooms and set upon 
 artificial mounds. They were l)uilt of palings sometimes 
 plastered with clay and covered with thatch. At nearly 
 <ivery town the Spaniards found f)rovisions stored, con- 
 sisting of walnuts, dried grapes, beans, millet and corn, 
 besides growing vegetables, among which are mentioned 
 beets. Some of the towns must have been very large, as 
 many as six thousand inhabitants dwelling in and 
 around several mentioned. At one town called Mabilla, 
 the baggage and valuables of the Spaniards were carried 
 within the palisades by the Indians forced to transport 
 them. Then an attack was made upon the town and twenty- 
 five hundred of the savages were slain. The chief and a 
 •company of natives to transport the baggage were seized 
 4it every town unless packmen were voluntarily secured. 
 After marching a short distance away from their homes 
 the women were allowed their freedom, but the men were 
 led by chains attached to a Spanish soldier. Arriving at 
 another town these bondsmen were released and new cap- 
 tives taken to be, in turn, exchanged further on. 
 
 In this manner did De Soto march through what is 
 
 4b 
 
50 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 Florida, thence iu a north direction through Georgia iutd 
 South CaroUna, thence back to the vicinity of Pensacola. 
 
 While in South Carolina De Soto fell in with an in- 
 telligent race of Indians, whose sovereign was a woman. 
 Here he secured a large store of pearls, nearly three hun- 
 dred pounds, some of which were said to be worth their 
 weight in gold. These, however, were all lost, together 
 with the other valuables and baggage in the burning of 
 the town Mabila. 
 
 Trusting to the disingenuous tales of the Indians, 
 and ever led on by his overweening faith in the existence 
 of vast stores of gold, De Soto had marched on and ever 
 further on until consuming a year's time, he had made a 
 oomplete circuit of the country, and found himself empty 
 handed within six days march of Pensacola, then called 
 Ochus. Here he had ordered his lieutenant, Maldonado, 
 to await his arrival with the ships he had sent back to 
 Cuba for a supply of provisions and mining tools. 
 
 De Soto at this time exhibited that masterly force of 
 character which had secured his former success and his 
 great influence. Unwilling to endure the disgrace that 
 would attach to an unsuccessful issue of the expedition, a 
 disaster which, with the unfortunate results of former expe- 
 ditions, he feared would preclude any further attempts to 
 settle the Spanish domains in Florida, he resolved to con- 
 ceal from his followers their location and the nearness of 
 the fleet, lest, being disheartened by their want of success 
 and worse than uncertain prospect of the future, they 
 would refuse to continue on, and taking possesion of the 
 ship, set sail for the West Indies. He, therefore, forbade 
 Ortiz to mention to the troops the arrival of Maldonado, 
 which had been learned from the Indians. Recruiting 
 his men and horses by a short rest, he marched on again 
 into the unknown wilderness, and turned his back upon 
 home, friends, and all that makes lile worth living. Still 
 searching for gold, he marched from region to region, ever 
 meeting and overcoming difficulties and opposition, and 
 yet unsuccessful. He proceeded as high as the Cumber- 
 land river; then turning west, crossed the Mississippi, and 
 reached the Red river. In that region the Spaniards 
 wintered, and in the spring De Soto retraced his ste[)S to 
 
Ponce de Leon J^and. 51 
 
 the Mississippi, having determined to reach the mouth of 
 that river, from whence he could send to Mexico and 
 Cuba for further suppHes. The disappointment and mor- 
 tification which his gallant nature had so long opposed 
 was eating like a cancer into his heart, and unsustained 
 by a hope, which in other circumstances would have 
 thrown off disease, his bod}^ at last gave way to fatigue and 
 malaria, and he began to sink under a wasting fever. 
 Deep despondency settled down upon him as he thought 
 of home, his young wife, and all the comforts and pros- 
 pects he had put so far from his reach. Calling his fol- 
 lowers about him, he thanked them for their courage and 
 devotion, and besought them to accept of his appointment 
 of a successor to lead them after his death, which he 
 assured them was near at hand. His followers tried to 
 afford him the regulation comfort at such times, depicting 
 this life as so full of misesy that he was most happy who 
 was soonest relieved of its burdens. They finally received 
 from him the appointment of Louis Moscoza as their 
 captain. 
 
 Shortly after, on the 21st day of May, 1542, died 
 that chivalrous knight, Don Hernando de Soto, Governor 
 of Cuba and Adelantade of Florida, far from his native 
 land, in the wilderness on the bank of the great Father 
 of Waters, whose vast and turbid flow ever recalls his 
 great name and deeds, and whose discovery has proved 
 his most enduring remembrance. 
 
 Desirous of impressing the Indians with the super- 
 natural origin of De Soto, his followers declared that his 
 father, the Son of God, had taken him to Himself, and 
 lest their deception should be manifest by the sight of his 
 dead body, the corpse w^as placed in a canoe, and in the 
 night, consigned to the waters of the mighty river. 
 
 Immediately after the death of De Soto, the Spaniards 
 began to build boats and collect provisions in preparation 
 for their long voyage. They continued thus employed 
 until the annual floods had subsided, when they descended 
 to the Gulf. Though continuously receiving attacks from 
 the Indians, they at last reached the Spanish settlement 
 of Parnuco, in Mexico. Here they were received with 
 joy, and every kindness proffered them. Three hundred 
 
52 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 and eleven men kneeled before the altar in thanksgiving 
 to God for their deliverance from those distresses and 
 |)erils which had swept away more than two-thirds of the 
 gallant army that four years before had landed in Florida — 
 an army that had overrun a country containing thou- 
 sands of brave inhabitants, subsisted for more than three 
 years on the country through which it passed, ever main- 
 tained the unity of its command and devotion to its val- 
 orous leader while he lived, and executed his wishes after 
 his death. 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 Huguenot Settlement Under Ribaut and Laudon- 
 
 NIERE. 
 
 THE settlement of Florida originated in the religious 
 troubles experienced by the Huguenots under Charles 
 the Ninth of France. Admiral Coligny, as early as 
 lo55, projected colonies in America, and sent an expedi- 
 tion to Brazil, which proved unsuccessful. Having pro- 
 cured permission from Charles the Ninth to found a colo- 
 ny in Florida, a designation which embraced in a rather 
 indefinite manner the whole country from the Chesapeake 
 to the Tortugas, he sent an expedition in 1562 from 
 France, under the command of Jean Ribaut, composed of 
 many young men of good families. The little Huguenot 
 fleet touched first the harbor of !St. Augustine, in Florida. 
 Making their way along the coast they discovered Port 
 Royal. They were charmed with the beauty of the scene, 
 and chose this spot for their future home, and built a 
 small fort, which they named Carolina, in honor of their 
 king. Leaving a small garrison to defend it, Ribaut went 
 back to France with the ships for reinforcements. Civil 
 war was then raging in France, and Coligny was ost 
 
Ponce de Leon Land, 53 
 
 powerless, but not discouraged. During a lull in the 
 tempest of civil commotion another expedition was sent 
 to America, under the command of Rene de Laudonniere, 
 and made its first landing at the river of Dolphins, being 
 the present harbor of St. Augustine. Laudonniere had 
 accompanied Ribaut on his first voyage. They arrived 
 in July, lo64, pitched their tents on the banks of the St. 
 Johns, and built Fort Carolina. There was great disso- 
 luteness among these immigrants; some of them turned 
 pirates and depredated extensively upon the Spanish pro- 
 perty in the West Indies. The remainder became dis- 
 contented, and were about to embark for France when 
 the fleet arrived with immigrants and supplies. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Founding of St. Augustine nv Menexdez, 1 565 — At- 
 tack Upon the French Settlement on the St. 
 Johns. 
 
 WHEN the Spanish monarch heard of the settlement 
 of French Protestants within his claimed territory 
 and of the piracies of some of the immigrants, he 
 adopted measures for their expulsion and punishment. 
 Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, a brave military chief, 
 was appointed by his king the liereditary governor of the 
 Floridas, on condition that he should expel the French 
 from the soil, conquer the natives and plant a colony 
 there. In 1562 the site where St. Augustine now stands 
 was an extensive village of the Selove Indians. Me- 
 nendez arrived on the ()th of September with a strong, 
 armed force, and landed his troops in the harbor, giving 
 it the name of St. Augustine in commemoration of having 
 come in sight of the coast of Florida on the anniversary 
 of a saint of that name, 28th August, 1 865. Here he found 
 three of his ships already debarking their troops, guns and 
 
54 * Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 stores. Two of his officers, Patano and Viucente, had taken 
 possession of the dweUing of Indian Chief Selvoe. It was a 
 large barnlike structure, strongly framed of entire trunks 
 of trees, and thatched with palmetto leaves. Around it 
 they were throwing up entrenchments of fascines and sand ; 
 gangs of negroes with picks and shovels and spades were 
 toiling at the work. 
 
 Such was the foundation and birth of St. Augustine, 
 tlie oldest town in the United States, and the introduction 
 of slave labor upon this soil. The next day, with great 
 ceremony and pomp, Menendez proclaimed his king, 
 Philip the Second, monarch of all North America. While 
 Menendez was making haste to fortify his position at St. 
 Augustine, Ribaut was preparing to descend the coast, 
 and, by a sudden attack, capture the Spanish fleet and 
 cut off the settlement. This plan was ineffectually op- 
 posed by Laudonniere. His opposition to the plan of ac- 
 tion adopted may have been tlie cause of his failure to 
 accompany the expedition. Removing the artillery and 
 garrison to his fleet, and leaving in the fort the non-com- 
 batants, including women, children and invalids, to the 
 number of two hundred and forty, under the command 
 of Laudonniere, Ribaut set sail to attack the Spaniards 
 on the 10 til of .Se})tember. 
 
 They bore rapidly down until in sight of the Spanish 
 vessels anchored off the bar of St. Augustine. Before the 
 enemy were reached, and the fleet collected for action, 
 Ribaut found hiniself in the midst of one of those gales 
 which occur with suddenness and violence on the coast of 
 Florida at different periods of every fall. The tempest 
 rendered his ships unmanageable and finally wrecked 
 them all at different points on the coa.st south of Mantan- 
 zas Inlet. 
 
 Menendez had watched the French ships as they ap- 
 proached St. Augustine; observing the severity of the 
 storm, he was satisfied that the fleet could not beat back 
 in its teeth should they escape shipwreck; therefore their 
 return was impossible for several days after the storm 
 should cease. Menendez determined to seize the favorable 
 opportunity to attack the fort on the St. Johns. He 
 gathered a picked force ; and, with eight days' provisions. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 55 
 
 began a march across the country, under the guidance of 
 two Indians, who were unfriendly to the French. The 
 march proved difficult on account of the pouring rains 
 and their ignorance of the country. The swamps and 
 baygalls, many of them waist deep with water, proved so 
 embarrassing that it took three days of laborious march- 
 ing, amidst great discomfort, to cover the distance of fifty 
 miles between the two posts. Immediately after the de- 
 parture of the ships, Laudouniere had set to work, with 
 the force at his command, to repair the breaches in the 
 fort that had been made when they had expected to re- 
 turn to France. He also began to discipline his men, so 
 as to be a guard to the post. For several days the reg- 
 ular watches were kept up by the captain who had been 
 appointed, but as the gale continued they began to feel 
 confident that no attack would be made while the weather 
 was so inclement, and therefore ceased to be vigilant. 
 On the night of September 19th the gale had been very 
 severe, and at daybreak, finding the captain of the watch 
 was in his quarters, the sentinels went under shelter. At 
 this very moment the soldiers under Menendez were in sight 
 kneeling in prayer. From prayer they rushed to the at- 
 tack, gaining entrance to the fort. Without much oppo- 
 sition they began an indiscriminate slaughter. Laudou- 
 niere with twenty men sprang from the walls and escaped 
 into the woods, from whence he made his way across the 
 marshes to a small vessel in the river, which had been 
 left in charge of Captain Jaques Ribaut, a son of the Ad- 
 miral. From thence they proceeded to France, without 
 making any effort to find their companions of Ribaut's 
 fleet or to learn their fate. 
 
 An order from Menendez to spare the women, children 
 and cripples put a stop to the massacre; though, it is said, 
 "to escape death they were forced to submit to slavery." 
 The French account says that all men who escaped instant 
 death were hung to the limbs of neighboring trees. This 
 may be exaggerated, but it is certain the Spaniards sus- 
 pended the bodies of some of the Frenchmen and set up 
 this inscription ; " No por Franceses, sino por Luteranos." 
 Menendez found in the fort six trunks filled with books, 
 well bound and gilt, from which the owners did not say 
 
56 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 mass, but preached their Lutheran doctrine every evening ;: 
 all of which books he directed to be burned. 
 
 Fearing lest Ribaut should have escaped destruction 
 in the storm, and returning should make an attack in his 
 absence, Menendez hurried back to St. Augustine. He took 
 with him only fifty men, the remainder being left under 
 the command of his son-in-law, De Valdez, who was 
 ordered to build a church on the site selected by Menendez, 
 and marked by the erection of crosses. After the com- 
 pletion of the church De Valdez was to use every effort to 
 strengthen the captured fort. 
 
 Arriving at St. Augustine, Menendez was hailed as 
 conqueror, and having been escorted into the place b}"- 
 the priests and people who had been left behind, a solemn 
 mass was repeated, and the Te Deum chanted to celebrate 
 the victory. 
 
 Several of Ribaut's vessels were wrecked between 
 Mosquito and Matanzas Inlets. Strange as it may ap- 
 pear, in the destruction of the whole fleet, but one lite was 
 lost from drowning. It often happens on the sandy por- 
 tion of the Florida coast that vessels will be driven high 
 upon the beach by the force of the swell, and there left by 
 the receding tide in a sound condition. 
 
 CHAPTER XIA^ 
 
 Massacre of the French Colonists by Menendez. 
 
 ABOUT two hundred men had collected on the barrier 
 at Matanzas Inlet, while a large party with Ribaut 
 were gathered on the barrier farther to the south. 
 The Indians soon after reported to Menendez that a large 
 body of men were at the Inlet, four leagues south, that 
 were unable to cross. He marched with forty men for 
 the inlet, and arrived at Matanzas the same evening. 
 His course was down the beach on Anastasia Island, as 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 57 
 
 the account speuks of his ordering tlie boats to keep 
 abreast of him on the march. 
 
 Having come to the mouth of the inlet one of the 
 Frenchmen swum across and reported that the party there 
 assembled belonged to one of the vessels of Ribaut's fleet. 
 Menendez returned the man in a boat, and ottered a 
 pledge of safety to the French captain and four or five of 
 his lieutenants, who might choose to cross over and hold 
 an interview. Upon this pledge the captain crossed over 
 in the boat with four of his companions. These begged 
 of Menendez that he would provide them with boats that 
 they might cross that inlet and the one at ot. Augustine, 
 and return to their fort twenty leagues to the north. 
 Upon this Menendez informed them of the capture of the 
 fort and the destruction of the garrison. The captain 
 thereupon besought that they be furnished with a vessel 
 to return to France, observing that the French and 
 Spanish kings were loving brothers, and the two nations 
 at peace. Menendez, in reply, asked if they were Catho- 
 lics, to which it was answered that they were of the new 
 religion. Then Menendez answered that if they had been 
 Catholics he would feel he was serving his king in doing 
 them kindness, but Protestants he considered as enemies, 
 against wdiom he should wage war unceasingly, both 
 against them and against all that should come into the 
 territory of which he was Adelantado, having come to 
 these shores in the service of his king to ])lant the holy 
 faith, in order that savages might be brought to a knowl- 
 edge of the Holy Catholic religion. 
 
 Upon hearing this the captain and his men desired 
 to return and report the same to their companions, and 
 were accordingly sent back in the boat. Soon after, ob- 
 serving signals or signs from the opposite shore, the boat 
 was sent over to learn their pleasure. 
 
 The French the endeavored to make some terms for 
 a surrender, with the privilege of ransom. There being 
 many members of noble and wealthy families among 
 them, as much as fifty thousand ducats were ottered for a 
 pledge of safety. Menendez would make no pledge, 
 simply sending word that if they desired they could sur- 
 render their arms and yield themselves to his mercy, in 
 
o8 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 order that he might do unto them what should be dictated 
 to him by the grace of God. The French seemed to have 
 had an instinctive feeling that it would fare hard with 
 them should they yield themselves to the Spaniards, yet 
 they were so wholly demoralized and disheartened by 
 the misfortunes that had befallen them, that, after much 
 delay and parley, they finally sent word to Menendez 
 that they were willing to yield themselves, to be dealt 
 with as he willed. The French were therefore trans- 
 ported across the sound in parties of ten at a time. As 
 each boat load was landed Menendez directed that the 
 prisoners be led behind the scrub, and their hands pin- 
 ioned behind their backs. This course, he declared to 
 them to be necessary, as he had but a small number of 
 men in his command, and if left free it would be an easy 
 matter for the French to turn upon him and revenge them- 
 selves for the destruction of their fort and Laudonniere's 
 command. In this manner was secured the whole body 
 of the French that had collected on the southern shore of 
 Matanzas Inlet, to the number of two hundred and eight 
 men. Of this number eight in response to an inquiry, 
 declared themselves Catholics, and were sent to St. Au- 
 gustine in the boat. The remainder were ordered to 
 march with the Spanish soldiers on their path back to the 
 settlement. Menendez had sent on in advance an officer 
 and a file of soldiers, with orders to wait at a designated 
 spot on the road, and as the parties of Frenchmen came 
 up to take them aside into the woods and put them to 
 death. In this manner the whole party were killed, and 
 their bodies left on the sands to feed the buzzards. 
 
 Menendez had scarcely reached St. Augustine before 
 he learned that there was a larger body of the French 
 assembled at the spot where he had found the first party, 
 who were constructing a raft on which to cross the inlet. 
 Hurrying back with his troops, he sent a message to the 
 commander, whom he rightly conjectured was Ribault 
 himself. He told him that he had destroyed the fort on 
 the St. Johns and a body of those who were shipwrecked, 
 promising him a safe conduct if he wished to cross over 
 and satisfy himself as to the truth of this report. 
 
 Ribaut availed himself of this ofifer, and was shown 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 59 
 
 the dead bodies of his men, who had been so cruelly 
 murdered. He was allowed to converse with one of the 
 prisoners, who had been brought in the company of the 
 Spaniards. This man was one of the eight who were 
 Catholics, and was spared from the former com])any. 
 
 Ribaut endeavored to negotiate for the ransom of 
 himself and his men, offering double the sum before 
 named by the French captain : but Menendez refused to 
 listen to any terms, except an unconditional surrender. 
 After ineffectually offering a ransom of two hundred 
 thousand ducats, the French Admiral returned to his 
 party and informed them of the demand of the Span- 
 iards. In spite of the terrible fate of their comrades, 
 which should have served as a warning of what awaited 
 them, one hundred and fifty of the company, including 
 Ribaut, decided to surrender to the Spanish captain. 
 These were transported to the island and disposed of in 
 the same manner as the former prisoners, saving only a 
 few musicians and four soldiers, who claimed to be Cath- 
 olics — in all sixteen persons. Two hundred of the French 
 refused to trust themselves to the Spaniards, preferring 
 the chance of preserving their lives on the inhospitable 
 beach until they could find a way to escape to a more 
 friendly country. These retreated back to their wrecked 
 ships, and began to construct a fort and a small vessel to 
 return to France, or at least to leave the fatal shores of 
 Florida. 
 
 Menendez soon after determined to break up the 
 camp, fearing the presence of so large a body of enemies 
 in his midst. Having fitted out a fleet of three vessels to 
 co-operate by water. Menendez marched his soldiers a 
 journey of eight days from St. Augustine. Here he found 
 the fugitives encamped and prepared to resist an attack. 
 Without delay the Spaniards were led to battle. The 
 French, being poorl}' equipped, fought at a disadvantage, 
 and were forced to retire beyond the reach of the cannon 
 •of the fleet. Having captured the fortification, Menen- 
 dez sent word to the French that if they would surrender 
 he would spare their lives. A portion of the French 
 refused to trust the pledge of the Spanish captain and 
 withdrew to the woods. These were never heard of more. 
 
60 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 The remainder came to the Spanish camp and surren- 
 dered . 
 
 After destroying the fort and setting fire to the 
 wrecked vessels and the ships the French had huilt, the 
 Spaniards sailed back to St. Augustine, brimming with 
 them one hundred and fifty of the Frenchmen. To this 
 remnant of the proud army of Ribaut the pledges given 
 by Menendez were faithfully kept. 
 
 It is difficult to believe that the unfortunate condi- 
 tion of those shipwrecked Frenchmen, far from their kin- 
 dred or race, thrown destitute upon desolate shores, and 
 begging so earnestly for life, did not move the heart of 
 Menendez to feelings of \niy. Doubtless a regard for his 
 own safety, united with a furious fanaticism, too effectualh^ 
 sealed the spring of charity in his heart. 
 
 Let us hope that the sands of Florida will never again 
 be reddened by the hand of partisans. The result achieved 
 by Menendez occasioned great rejoicing at the Court ef 
 Spain. Letters of congratulation and commendation were 
 sent to him by Philip II and the Pontiff, Pius V. The 
 Pope's letter is an able, dispassionate epistle. After laud- 
 ing the virtue of Menendez, he declared to him the key 
 note to his inspiration and the motive of his labors should 
 prevent the Indian idolaters irom being scandalized by 
 the vices and bad habits of the Europeans. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Pius Fifth's Letter of Commendation to Menendez. 
 
 To Our Beloved Son and Noble Lord, Pedro Menendez de 
 Aviles, Viceroy in the Province of Florida, in the Part 
 of India : 
 
 Beloved Son and Noble Sir — Health, Grace and 
 the Blessing of our Lord be with you. Amen. 
 
J*5pNCE DE Leon Land. 61 
 
 WE rejoice greatly to hear that our Dear and Beloved 
 Son in Christ, Philip, Catholic King, has named 
 and appointed you (.Tovernor of Florida, creating 
 you Adelantado thereof, for we hear such an account of 
 your person, and so full and satisfactory a report of your 
 virtue and nobility, that we believe without hesitation 
 that you will not only faithfully, diligently and carefully 
 perform the orders and instructions given you by so Cath- 
 olic a king, but trust also that you, by your discretion and 
 habit, will do all to effect the increase of our Holy Cath- 
 olic faith, and gain more souls to God. I am well aware, 
 as you know, that it is necessary to govern these Indians 
 with good sense and discretion, that those who are weak 
 in the faith from being newly converted be strengthened, 
 and idolaters be converted and receive the faith of Christ; 
 that the former may praise God, knowing the benefit of 
 His divine mercy, and the latter, still infidels, may be 
 brought to a knowledge of the truth ; but nothing is more 
 important in the conversion of these Indians and idola- 
 ters than to endeavor by all means to prevent scandal be- 
 ing given by the vices and immoralities of such as go to 
 these Western parts. This is the key of this holy work, 
 in which is included the whole essence of your charge. 
 
 You see, Noble Sir, without my alluding to it, how 
 ^reat an opportunity is ottered you in fathering and aid- 
 ing this cause, from which result: first, serving the Al- 
 mighty; second, increasing the name of your king, who 
 will be esteemed by man, loved and rewarded by God. 
 
 Giving you, then, our paternal and apostolic blessing, 
 we beg and charge you to give full faith and credit to our 
 brother, the Archbishop of Rossano, who, in our name, will 
 explain our desire more at length. 
 
 Given at Rome, with the fisherman's ring, on the 
 18th day of August, in the year of our redemption 1569, 
 the third of our pontificate. 
 
 (Signed) Pius Fifth, Pope, 
 
62 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 CHAPTER XVL 
 
 Refusal of Charles the Ninth to Take Noticb of 
 THE Slaughter of His Subjects — Petition op 
 Nine Hundred Widows and Orphans Unheeded— 
 Menendez Strengthens His Position. 
 
 AS the exaggerated report of the cruelties practiced by 
 Menendez spread through Kurope, an intense and 
 bitter feehng was excited. Indignation inflamed 
 the breast of the French nation at the destruction of their 
 fellow-countrymen, although the king, Charles Ninth, 
 failed — in fact, refused — to take notice of the slaughter of 
 his faithful subjects. A petition of nine hundred widows 
 and orphans of those who had sailed on that fatal expedi- 
 tion with Ribaut was unheeded by this sovereign. That 
 the fate of the Huguenots was merited as the common 
 enemies of Spain, France and the Catholic religion was 
 the openly avowed sentiment of this unnatural, unpatri- 
 otic king. 
 
 Feeling the insecurity of his position, from which 
 there was no place of retreat in case of a successful attack 
 from a foreign foe, Menendez applied himself with the 
 utmost diligence to strengthening the defenses of his new 
 town, at the same time he instituted measures to insure 
 a permanent settlement, and the establishment of civil 
 rights and privileges. 
 
 CHAPTER XVn. 
 
 Laying Out the Town, With Its Defences — Erection 
 OF A Church and Hall of Justice. 
 
 THERE is but little doubt about the first landing 
 of Menendez, and the attendant ceremonies. It is 
 certain that soon after landing the foundation of the 
 town was laid on its present site, and the town, with its for- 
 tifications, regularly laid out. The city was originally 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 63 
 
 planned to be three squares one way by four the otlier. 
 At this time a stockade, or fortification, was built upon 
 the site of the present fort. About the same period a 
 parish church and hall of justice were erected, and civil 
 officers appointed. 
 
 During the winter succeeding the settlement of the 
 Spaniards at St. Augustine there was a great scarcity of 
 provisions in the colony, so that the settlers were forced 
 to forage upon the neighboring Indians, and to depend 
 upon such supplies of fish and game as they might secure. 
 The danger which attended any expedition for hunting 
 rendered this but a meagre source of supply. Satouriva, 
 the chief of the Indians who inhabited the territory to the 
 north, between St. Augustine and the St. Johns river, had 
 been friendly to Laudonniere, and from the time of the 
 destruction of the Frenc'i he continued unceasingly to 
 wage war on the Spaniards. His methods of warfare ex- 
 hibited the same bravery and cunning that has since 
 become characteristic of the Indians, never being found 
 when looked for, ever present when unexpected. By the 
 constant harassing attacks, encouraged by this chief, the 
 Spaniards lost many valuable lives, among them Juan 
 Menendez, nephew of the governor. 
 
 To obtain supplies to relieve the distress of his colony, 
 Menendez undertook a voyage to Cuba. The governor 
 of the island was, through jealousy, unwilling to render 
 him any assistance, and he would have fared badly had 
 he not found there four of his vessels, which had been left 
 in Sj)ain with orders to follow him, but, meeting with 
 many delays, had only lately arrived in Cuba. 
 
 With these vessels he returned to his colony, to find 
 that during his absence a portion of the troops had muti- 
 nied and iinjjrisoned the master of the camp, who had 
 been left in command, siezed upon what provisions there 
 remained, and taking possession of a small vessel arriving 
 with stores, had set sail for Cuba. 
 
 Menendez, with consummate tact, succeeded in arous- 
 ing the flagging interest of his colony in the extension of the 
 true religion, and managed, by his courage and presence, 
 to remove the cause of dissention. Desiring to be rid of 
 a portion of his colony who had proven quarrelsome, lazy 
 
G4 Ponce de Le(D'N LanI). 
 
 and inimical to liis interest, he sent a body of them, num- 
 bering one hundred, back to Cuba in one of the vessels 
 going for supplies. The return of this vessel was anxi- 
 ously looked for, as the colony had begun again to suffer 
 from a scarcity of provisions and from sickness. Without 
 Avaitiug for affairs to become desperate, Menendez sailed 
 for Cuba to obtain the needed supplies. Upon his arrival 
 he found the Governor of Mexico there, but so disparag- 
 ing had been the reports of those who had deserted his 
 standard that he was advised to give up his unprofitable 
 enterprise, and the succor he recjuested was refused. His 
 courage but rose as his circumstances became more ad- 
 verse, and he determined not to relinquish his undertak- 
 ing nor to return empty handed to his famishing colony. 
 He pawned his jewels and the badge of his order for a 
 sum of five hundred ducats, with which he purchased the 
 necessary provisions and hastened back to Florida. Upon 
 his return he was rejoiced to find that the distress of his 
 colony had already been relieved. Admiral Juan de Avila 
 had arrived from Spain with fifteen vessels and a thousand 
 men and a large quantity of supplies, and, what was most 
 gratifying to Menendez, a letter of commendation from his 
 sovereign. 
 
 Availing himself of the force now at his command, 
 Menendez set out on an expedition to establish forts and 
 missionary stations at different points along the coast, as 
 had been his intention since his first landing in Florida. 
 Several of these posts were, at this time, established by 
 him in the territory then embraced in Florida, the most 
 northerly station being on the Chesapeake Bay, which 
 was the northern boundary of the possessons claimed by 
 Spain. Priests or friars were left at each of these mission- 
 ary posts for introducing Christianity among the Indians. 
 Menendez became convinced that if all these establishments 
 were to be maintained, and the most important work of 
 teaching the natives continued, he must have larger mis- 
 sions and greater forces at his command. Hoping to ob- 
 tain this aid from his sovereign, he set out for Spain in 
 the spring of 15()7. Upon his arrival he was welcomed 
 by the king with many flattering attentions and assur- 
 ances of aid in the furtherance of his plan for propagat- 
 ing the Catholic faith. 
 
Po>'CE DE Leon Laxd. 65 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Expedition and Kktai.iatiox of De Gourgues. 
 
 WHILE Meiiendez was occupied in Spain in forward- 
 ing the intersts of his colony, in France plans 
 were being formed, and a secret enterprise under- 
 taken for an attack on the Spanish posts in Florida. 
 
 Most inflaniniatorv and exaggerated accounts of the 
 massacre at F'ort Carolina had bean published through- 
 out P" ranee. One account says of the Spaniards that, 
 after taking the fort, and finding no more men, they as- 
 sailed the poor women, and after having by force and 
 violence abused the greater part, they destroyed them, 
 and cut the throats of the little children indiscriminately. 
 They took as many of them alive as they could, and hav- 
 ing kept them three days without giving them anything 
 to eat, and having made them undergo all the tortures 
 and all the mocking that could be devised, they hung 
 them up to some trees near the fort. They even tiayed 
 the king's lieutenant, and sent the skin to the king of 
 Spain, and having torn out his eyes, blackened with tlieir 
 blows, they fastened them on the points of their daggers 
 and tried which could throw them the greatest distance. 
 
 The French king had refused to listen to the appeals 
 ■of the relatives of the Huguenots who had been exter- 
 minated in Florida, but, distressed by the destruction of 
 their countrymen, and the harrowing accounts of the 
 massacre, many of the nation had long telt it a mortifi- 
 cation that an outrage so gross should have received 
 neither redress nor rebuke. 
 
 Among those whose zealous regard for the national 
 honor was touched by the conduct of the French king, 
 and in whose breast burned fiercely the fires of- revenge, 
 was the Chevalier Dominic de Gourgues. Appearing, as 
 he does, in history as the avenger of the sad de.-^truction 
 his countrymen, in an expedition undertaken without 
 solicitation, at his own expense and at the risk of for- 
 feiting his own Hfe by the command of his king, even 
 if he should be successful, it is but natural that his char- 
 
 ob 
 
66 Ponce de Leon Land, 
 
 acter should have been extolled and his virtues exalted 
 by all writers who have admired his chivalrous courage. 
 
 De Gourgues was born of noble parentage at Mount 
 Marsan, in Guienne, and was said to have been a Cath- 
 olic, though it is denied by the Spanish historians. 
 His life had been spent in arms in the service of his 
 king in Scotland, Piedmont and Italy. His career was 
 that of an adventurer, ever ready to risk his life to ac- 
 quire honor and reputation, and having little desire to 
 amass riches. While serving in Italy against the Span- 
 iards he was taken prisoner and consigned to labor as a 
 galley slave. This ignominious treatment of a soldier of 
 his birth and rank left in his mind an unappeasaljle 
 hatred of the Spaniads. His period of servitude was cut 
 short by the capture of the Spanish galley upon which 
 he served by a Turkish pirate, from whom, in turn, he 
 was liberated by Rumeguas, the French commander at 
 Malta. His experience during his imprisonment and es- 
 cape seemed to have opened his eyes to the opportunities 
 for plunder upon the seas. Soon after his release he en- 
 tered upon a maurading expedition to the South seas, in 
 which he secured considerable plunder. He had but re- 
 cently returned home, and retired to enjoy in quiet the 
 property acquired in his ventures, when the news of the 
 destruction of Ribaut's colony reached France. Eager 
 to retaliate by a severe punishment this outrage upon his 
 countrymen, De Gourges sold his property, and with the 
 sum realized and what he could borrow on the credit of 
 an alleged commercial venture, purchased and equipped 
 a fleet of three vessels, one of which was nothing more 
 than a launch. 
 
 Deeming it impolitic to make known the object of 
 his voyage, he obtained license to trade and procure 
 slaves on the coast of Africa. He enlisted for a cruise of 
 twelve months a force of one hundred and eighty men, 
 many of whoai were gentlemen adventurers. He was 
 careful to secure one, at least, of the men who escaped 
 with Laudonniere from Fort Carolina. M. de Montluc, 
 the- king's lieutenant in Guienne, a friend of De Gourgues, 
 rendered him valuable assistance in securing his equip- 
 ments. On the second of August, 1567, he left Bordeaux, 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 67 
 
 but was delayed by a storm eight days at the mouth of 
 the river (Jaronne. Afterwards, having put to sea, he was 
 driven by stress of weather far out of his course, and en- 
 countered so severe a gale as to nearly wreck the fleet at 
 Cape Finisterre. One vessel, in which was his lieuten- 
 ant, was blown so far out of its course that for fifteen days 
 it was supposed to be lost, which caused him great trouble, 
 as his people earnestly besought him to return. The miss- 
 ing vessel, however, met him off the coast of iVfrica. 
 Land was then kept in sight until they reached Cape 
 Verde; thence taking the direct route to the Indies, he 
 sailed before the wind upon the high seas, and having 
 crossed over, the first land which he made was the island 
 of Dominique. From thence he proceeded, stopping at 
 the island of St. Domingo to weather a gale, and at 
 the island of Cuba for water, which he had to take by 
 force, for he says: "The Spaniards are enraged as soon 
 as they see a Frenchman in the Indies, for, although a 
 hundred Spains could not furnish men enough to hold 
 the hundreth part of a land so vast and capacious, never- 
 theless it is the mind of the Spaniards. that this new 
 world was never created except for them, and that it 
 belongs to no uian living to stei> on it or breathe in it save 
 themselves alone." 
 
 De Gourgues had not revealed the real object of his 
 expedition until after leaving the island of Cuba, when he 
 assembled all his men and declared to them his purpose of 
 going to Florida to avenge on the Spaniards the injury 
 which had been done to the king and to all France. He 
 set before them the treachery and cruelty of those who 
 had massacred Frenchmen, and the shame tliat it was to 
 have left it so long unpunished; an action so wicked 
 and so humiliating, and the honor and satisfaction that 
 would redound to them in removing from the es- 
 cutcheon of France this foul blot. The spirit of the ad- 
 dress was suited to the French temper, and they professed 
 themselves ready to fight for the honor of France 
 wherever the captain should lead. Proceeding on the 
 voyage the fleet passed the bar of the St. Johns river in, 
 sight of the forts whicli Menendez had constructed at the 
 mouth of the river. The Spaniards mistook them for 
 
68 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 their own vessels, fired two guns as a salute, which was 
 returned by the French, desiring to continue the decep- 
 tion. The fleet sailed north and entered the St. Marj-s 
 river, where they met a large body of Indians prepared 
 to dispute any attempt to land. Seeing this De Gourgues 
 made friendly demonstrations, and sent out the man who 
 had been with Laudonniere. The Indians readily recog- 
 nized the Frenchman, and were delighted to find the 
 strangers were of that nationality and enemies of the 
 Spaniards. The chief proved to be Satouriva, the firm 
 friend of Laudonniere. After learning the purpose of the 
 expedition, Satouriva promised to join the command at 
 the end of ten days with his whole force of warriors, de- 
 claring himself eager to revenge the many injuries he 
 had himself received, as well as the wrongs inflicted on 
 the French. 
 
 Among Satouriva's tribe was a white child, a refu- 
 gee from Laudonniere's massacre at Fort Carolina, who 
 had been protected and reared as a son by the old chief, 
 though the S|)aniards had made strenuous eflbrts to secure 
 possession of him or compass his death. This child's 
 name was Petferde Bre, whom Satouriva had so faithfully 
 defended, and he now brought him to the French ships, 
 together witli his warriors, as he had agreed. Being 
 
 'joined by the Indians, De Gourgues set out across the 
 country, under the guidance of the chief, Helicopali, to 
 attack the two forts at the mouth of the river. The 
 Indians had promised to bring the command to the fort 
 on the north side of the river by daybreak, but, owing to 
 the difiiculty in following the intricate paths and fording 
 deep creeks, they were nine hours marching four leagues, 
 and the sun was rising as thev reached the vicinity of the 
 Spanish fort. This fort was built on Balton Island, near 
 what is now Pilot Town ; the other fort was nearly oppo- 
 site, in the vicinity of the present village of Mayport. 
 Both were armed with cannon taken from the French at 
 the capture of Fort Carolina. 
 
 The Spaniards, not fearing a land attack upon the 
 fort on Balton Island, had neglected to clear away the 
 
 • woods in the vicinity, so the French were concealed until 
 they were close upon the fort. As they rushed from their 
 
Ponce dk Leon J. and. 69 
 
 cover the Spanish sentinel fired twice when he was pierced 
 by the pike of Alacatora, an Indian chief and nephew of 
 Satouriva. The Spanish garrison were at breakfast, and 
 before they could be summoned the fort was filled with 
 the P'rench and Indians. So complete was the surprise 
 that there was but little resistance. As many as possible 
 were taken alive, by command of Captain Gourgues, in 
 order to do them as they had done to the French. 
 
 As soon as the Spaniards whose lives were spared in 
 the attack could be secured, De Gourgues embarked as 
 large a portion of his soldiers as the boats at his disposal 
 would carry, and hurried to cross the river to attack the 
 fort at Mayport. The Indians now wild with excitement, 
 threw themselves into the water and kept alonside of the 
 boats, swimming with their bows and arrows held above 
 their heads. The Spaniards in the fort had by this time 
 begun to realize the situation, and directed the fire of 
 their guns upon the boats and Indians. Their excite- 
 ment and alarm wtvs so great that they did not perceive 
 a difference between the French and Indians, and seeing 
 so great a multitude approaching, they broke in terror and 
 fled from the fort before the French reached the walls. 
 The garrison of the two forts was near one hundred and 
 fort}^ men, all but fifteen of whom were either killed in 
 the attack or slain by the Indians as they attempted to 
 reach the mainland. 
 
 The capture of these two forts occurred on the eve 
 of the first Sunday after Easter, 1568. Crossing to the fort 
 first taken, De Gourgues rested on Sunday and Monday. 
 Scaling ladders and other ])n'})aratious for an attack on 
 the main fort were the in meantime being pre})ared. While 
 here a Spanish spy, disguised as an Indian, was recog- 
 nized by Alacatora and brought to De Gourgues. From 
 him it was learned that the French force was estimated 
 at quite two thousand men, and that the garrison of 
 Mateo, formerly Fort Carolina, was two hundred and 
 sixty men. 
 
 Hearing this report De Gourgues was more anxious 
 than ever to make an immediate attack. He directed 
 the Indians to advance, some on each side of the river, 
 and take up positions in the vicinity of the fort. Early 
 
70 PoKCE DE Leon Land. 
 
 on the morning of the next day he moved his forces up 
 the river and gained a mountain covered with forest, at 
 the foot of which was built the fort. He had not intended 
 to attack the fort until the day after his arrival, but while 
 posting his men and the Indian forces, it happened that 
 the Spaniards made a sally with sixty arquebusers to re- 
 connoiter his forces. 
 
 This body he succeeded in cutting off from the fort 
 and totally destroying. Seeing the fate of so large a part 
 of their garrison the remainder of the Spaniards left the 
 fort in hopes that they might make their way to St. 
 Augustine. Entering the woods they were everywhere 
 met by the Indians. None escaped and but few taken 
 alive. Entering the fort the French found a number of 
 fine cannon, besides a great quantity of small arms, such 
 as arquebuses, corslets, shields and pikes. 
 
 The Frenchmen were now upon the scene of the 
 massacre of their countrymen, and, as the taunting irony 
 of the tablet erected by Menendez was before their eyes, 
 the spirit of vengeance was aroused. Ordering all the 
 Spaniards who had been taken alive to be led to the 
 place where they had hung the Frenchman, De Gourgues 
 rebuked them in scathing terms. He declared they could 
 never undergo the punishment they deserved, but it was 
 necessary to make an example of them, that others might 
 learn to keep the peace which they had so wickedly vio- 
 lated. 
 
 This said, they were tied to the same trees on which 
 they had hung the Frenchmen, and in the place of the 
 inscription which Pedro Menendez had put over them, 
 containing these words in the Spanish language : " I do 
 this not as to Frenchmen, but Lutherans,' so DeGourgues 
 in like manner, erected an inscription that he had done 
 this to them not as to Spaniards, nor as to outcasts, but 
 as to traitors, thieves and murderers. 
 
 One of the Spaniards is said to have confessed that 
 he had hung up five Frenchmen with his own hand, and 
 acknowledged that God had brought him to the punish- 
 ment he deserved. The next day, while frying fish, an 
 Indian set fire to a train of powder laid by the Spaniards 
 which had not been discovered, and the whole interior of 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 71 
 
 the fort was destroyed. Being aware that his forces 
 were too weak to hold the country, and having accom- 
 phshed all that he crossed the ocean to perform, DeGour- 
 ges completed the destruction of the fort and, bidding 
 adieu to the Indians, sailed for France. The fleet arrived 
 at La Rochelle on the 6th of June after a voyage of thir- 
 ty-four days. The loss of life in the enterprise had been 
 but "a few gentlemen of good birth," a few soldiers in the 
 attack, and eight men on the launch which was lost at 
 sea. 
 
 Being received with all honor, courtesy and kind 
 treatment by the citizens of La Rochelle, where he re- 
 mained a few days, De Gourgues then sailed for Bordeaux. 
 The Spaniards being advised of his arrival, and what he 
 had done in Florida, sent a large ship and eighteen 
 launches to surprise and capture him. This formidable 
 fleet arirved in the roadstead of La Rochelle the very day 
 of his departure. The head of DeGourgues was demanded 
 and price set upon it by the king of Spain. Though his 
 acts were repudiated by the French king, he was protec- 
 ted and concealed by Marigny, president of the Council, 
 and by the receiver, Vacquieux. After a time he was the 
 recipient of marked honors at the French court, and died 
 in 1582, to the great grief of such as knew him. 
 
 Thus ends the sad drama of the slaughter of twelve 
 hundred men or more. That both Menendez and De 
 Gourgues deserved great censure no one can deny. We 
 miust remember, however, that if Menendez had taken all 
 the Frenchmen prisoners, that he killed, famine would 
 have stared him in the face. He was appointed Adelan- 
 tado of Florida under the promise of driving out the 
 French and colonizing this territory. Could he have 
 fed the French prisoners if he had captured them? 
 Would it not have caused the abandonment of the colo- 
 nization of this territory ? His great care and sacrifice for 
 his colony in after years, and his great labor for the estab- 
 lishment of the Christian religion among the Indians 
 shows conclusively that he was not altogether hard of 
 heart. 
 
 Who can tell what would have been the result of 
 French colonization in this territory at this time, instead 
 
72 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 of the Spanish, to whom it undoubtedly belonged b}^ right 
 of discovery ? 
 
 That De Gourgues was influenced by revenge for the 
 indignities placed upon him while a prisoner of war in 
 the hands of the Spaniards cannot be doubted. His great 
 patriotism, the honor of his country, together with the 
 exaggerated report of the cruel slaughter of his country- 
 men, led him to this terrible retribution and slaughter of 
 the Spaniards. 
 
 While these events were transpiring Menendez had 
 completed his equipment, and sailed with a fresh supply 
 of men and means for his colonies in Florida. His first 
 information of the disaster which had overtaken his post 
 on the St. Johns was received after his arrival at St. Au- 
 gustine. So humiliating a disaster as the capture of three 
 of his forts, well fortified and garrisoned with four hun- 
 dred trained men, was the occasion of great mortification 
 and v,exation to this gallant knight, especially since the 
 victors were the avengers of the former colonists, and the 
 forces that accomplished the affair were so greatly out- 
 numbered by his soldiers, who were also well defended 
 by strong forts. To add to the discouragement, the condi- 
 tion of the colony at St. Augustine was found to be most 
 distressing. The garrison was nearl}' naked, the colonists 
 half-starved, and the attacks of the Indians growing more 
 frequent and reckless as the weakness and despondency 
 of the Spaniards became more apparent. The intrepid 
 and indomitable spirit of Menendez did not bend under 
 these obstacles and reverses, which would have crushed a 
 nature of ordinary mould. His extraordinary and com- 
 prehensive genius opened a way, in the midst of almost 
 superhuman difficulties, for the maintenance of his colony 
 and the extension of the Catholic faith, the object 
 to which his life was now devoted. Perceiving the 
 insecurity of the garrisons at a distance from each 
 other, and the principal post, he wisely concluded 
 to preserve his force entire for St. Augustine, and thus 
 maintain the colony and a base of operations. The 
 spread of the Catholic faith he determined to secure 
 by inducing the different tribes of Indians to receive and 
 support one or more missionaries or teachers. At the 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 73 
 
 earnest solicitation of Menendez large numbers of priests, 
 friars and brothers of the various religious orders of the 
 Catholic Church had been sent to Florida by the king of 
 Spain. Mission houses were built all over the country, 
 from the Florida capes on the south to the Chesapeake on 
 the north, and the ^Mississippi on the west, to which these 
 teachers, being mostly Franciscans, were sent. By the 
 mildness of their manners, the promise of future joys and 
 rewards which their teachings declared, and the interest 
 excited by the introduction of the arts of civilized life, 
 they gained a powerful ascendency over the native tribes, 
 that promised at one period the conversion of the whole 
 North American Indian race to the religion and customs 
 of their Christian teachers. This would have amply com- 
 pensated for all the efforts, treasures and lives expended 
 by the Europeans in the conquest of the New World ; in 
 fact, it would have been a wonderful revolution, that 
 might well have been considered a miraculous dispensa- 
 tion of Providence. 
 
 It is due to the grand, comprehensive conception of 
 Menendez that there was initiated this plan of mission 
 stations through the Floridas, which so nearly accom- 
 plished this happy result. That the ultimate success of 
 the efibrts to Christianize the Indians was not attained 
 was probably owing to the political changes that occurred 
 in Europe in the eighteenth century. In both France 
 and Spain the Jesuits fell into disgrace, and the most rig- 
 orous means of suppression and banishment were adopted 
 against them. The Jesuit mission in Florida shared the 
 fate of their order in the Old World, and thus the encour- 
 aging prospect of Christianizing the Indians was swept 
 away forever. 
 
 Under Menendez and his immediate successors, whom 
 he named and who followed his counsels, were founded 
 those missionary establishments whose ruins have been at 
 a later period a subject of curious investigation through 
 Middle Florida. Menendez, finding that the interests of the 
 colony were neglected at the Spanish court, and that the 
 maintenance of the colony was daily impoverishing him- 
 self, resolved to return permanently to Spain, where he 
 hoped that his influence would be able to accomplish 
 
74 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 more benefit to the UDdertaking in Florida than could be 
 expected to accrue from his presence in the territory. 
 Leaving the province under the command of his nephew, 
 Don Pedro Menendez, he sailed for Spain in 1572. Upon 
 his arrival all the honors of the court were lavished upon 
 him, and his counsels were eagerly sought in the various 
 affairs of state. He was not destined to enjoy his honors 
 long, nor to reap new laurels in the European wars of the 
 Spanish crown. In the midst of his glory his career was 
 suddenly ended by his death from fever in 1574. His 
 rank and memory are perpetuated in the Church of St. 
 Nicholas at Orbilas by a monument, on which is inscribed 
 the following epitaph : 
 
 " Here lies buried the illustrious Captain Pedro Menendez 
 de Aviles, a native of this city, Adelantado of the Province of 
 Florida, Knight Commander of Santa Cruz, of the Order of 
 Santiago, and Captain General of the Oceanic seas, and. of 
 the Armada which his Royal Highness collected at Santander, 
 in the year 157 Jf, where he died on the 17th of September of 
 that year, in the fifty-fifth year of his age.'' 
 
 Following out the instructions of Menendez, De las 
 Alas, the new governor of Florida, assembled a council 
 from the different missions in the province for the pur- 
 pose of considering methods of extending the Catholic 
 faith. In pursuance of the advice of this council, embas- 
 sies were sent to all the tribes of Indians for several hun- 
 dred miles around St. Augustine. 
 
 Spanish garrisons and many Spanish monks to teach 
 the Indians had already been received into the towns 
 east of the Apalachicola river. In 1583 the Chickasaws, 
 Tocoposcas, Apacas, Tamaicas, Apiscas and Alabamas re- 
 ceived the missionaries. At this period the Catholic faith 
 was recognized as far west as the Mississippi and as far 
 north as the mountains of Georgia. 
 
 The I^'ranciscans and Dominicans had been the first 
 to represent the monks in the New World. Afterwards 
 came the Fathers of Mercy, the Augustinians and the 
 Jesuits. Although Florida was included in the diocese 
 of the Bishop of Cuba, it was decided to establish a con- 
 vent of the Order of St. Francis at St. Augustine. I find 
 the name originally given to this convent was the " Con- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 75 
 
 ■ception of Our Lady," though it is generally referred to 
 as St. Helena. 
 
 This name, St. Helena, was applied to all the 
 establishments throughout the province, of which the 
 great Franciscan house at St. Augustine was to be the 
 center. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Attack of Sir Francis Drake on St. Augustine, 
 8th of May, 1586, Capturing £2,000 Sterling. 
 
 NINE years had elapsed from the death of Menendez, the 
 colony at St. Augustine had slowly progressed into 
 the settlement of a small town, but the importance 
 which the presence of Menendez had given it was much 
 lessened. In 1586, Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet return- 
 ing from South America, discovered the Spanish lookout 
 upon Anastasia Island and sent boats ashore to ascertain 
 something in reference to it. Marching up the shore they 
 discovered across the bay a fort and a town built of wood. 
 Proceeding towards the fort, which bore the name of 
 San Juan de Pinos, some guns were tired upon them 
 from it; they retired towards their vessel. The same 
 evening a fifer made his appearance and informed them 
 that he was a Frenchman, detained a prisoner there, and 
 that the Spaniards had abandoned their fort; he offered 
 to conduct them over. Upon this information they 
 crossed the river and found the fort abandoned, as 
 they had been informed, and took possession of it 
 without opposition. It was built of wood, and only sur- 
 rounded by a wall, or pale, formed of the trunks of large 
 trees set upright in the earth. The platforms were made 
 of the bodies of large trees laid horizontally across each 
 other, with earth rammed in to fill the vacancies ; fourteen 
 
76 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 brass cannon Avere found in the fort. There was left behind 
 the treasure-chest, containing £2,000 sterling, designed for 
 the payment of the troops in the garrison, which consisted 
 of one hundred and fifty men. On the following day 
 Drake's forces marched towards the town, but owing ta 
 heavy rains, they were obliged to return and go in boats. 
 On their approach the Spaniards fled into the country. A 
 Spaniard concealed in the bush fired at the sergeant-major 
 and wounded him, and then ran up and dispatched him. 
 In revenge for this act, Drake burnt their buildings and 
 destroyed their gardens. Tlie garrison and inhabitants 
 retired to Fort San Mateo, on the St. Johns river. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Establishment of Missions — Massacre of the Mis- 
 sionaries BY the Indians. 
 
 THE garrison and country were under the command 
 of Don Pedro Menendez, a nephew of the Adelantado,. 
 who, after the English squadron sailed, having re- 
 ceived assistance from Havana, began to rebuild the city. 
 In 1592 twelve Franciscan missionaries arrived at St. 
 Augustine with their Superior, Fray Jean de Silva, and 
 placed themselves under the charge of Father Francis 
 Manon, warden of the convent of St. Helena. One of 
 them, a Mexican, Father Francis Panja, drew up, in the 
 language of the Yemasees, his "Abridgement of Christian 
 Doctrine," the first work compiled in our Indian lan- 
 guages. 
 
 The Franciscan Father, Corpa, established a mission 
 house for the Indians at Tolomato, in the northwest portion 
 of the city of St. Augustine, where there was an Indian 
 village. Father Bias de Rodriguez, called Montes, had 
 an Indian church at a village of the Indians called Topi- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 77 
 
 qui, situated ou the creek called Conodo la Leclic, north 
 of the fort, and a church bearing the name of "Our Lady 
 of the Milk" was situated on the elevated ground a (quarter 
 of a mile north of the fort, near the creek. A stone 
 ohurch existed at this locality as late as 1795, and the 
 orucifix belonging to it was preserved in the Catholic 
 church at St. Augustine. 
 
 These missions proceeded with considerable apparent 
 success, large numbers of Indians being received and in- 
 structed both at this and other missions. 
 
 Among the converts at the mission of Tolomato was 
 the son of the cacique of the Island of Guale. Wearvino- of 
 the restranits on his passions required by the Christian 
 law, he fell into great excesses, and at last went off to a 
 pagan band. Finding kindred spirits there, he resolved 
 to silence the priest who had reproved him. They re- 
 turned by night to Father Capa's village of Talomato. 
 Taking up his post near the church, he waited for the 
 dawn of day. When Father Carpa opened the door of 
 his little cabin to proceed to the church, the conspirators 
 tomahawked him, and cutting otf his head, set it on a 
 pole. Having brought his comrades to imbrew their 
 hands in blood, the young chief easily persuaded them 
 to kill all the religious Spaniards. 
 
 Proceeding then to the town Topicjui, they burst into 
 the house of Father Bias Rodriguez. The missionary en- 
 deavored to show them the wickedness and folly of their 
 conduct, which would entail punislnnent here and here- 
 after; but finding his words of no avail, he asked the 
 Indians to allow him to say mass. They granted his re- 
 quest, moved by a respect which they could not understand. 
 The good priest, with his expectant murderers for his 
 congregation, ofiered the holy sacrifice for the last time, 
 and then knelt down before his altar to receive the death- 
 blow, which enabled liim to make his thanksgiving to 
 heaven. His body was piously interred by an old Chris- 
 tian Indian after the murderers had departed. 
 
 Learning of the approach of a band bent on massa- 
 cre, Father Michael Ilanon at Assopo. said mass and gave 
 communion to Brother Anthony Badajo/.. his com|)anion. 
 They knelt in i)rayer till the apostates came, who first 
 
78 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 dispatched the brother, then with two blows of their war- 
 club crowned Father Michael wnth martyrdom. The 
 weeping Christians interred the bodies at the foot of the 
 tall mission cross. 
 
 On reaching Asao the insurgents found that Father 
 Francis de Velascola had gone to St. Augustine, but they 
 lurked amid the vegetation on the shore till they saw his 
 canoe approaching. When the Franciscan landed they 
 accosted him as friends, they fearing his great strength^ 
 seized him suddenly and slew him. Father Francis Da- 
 vila, at Ospo, endeavored to escape at night, but the moon 
 revealed him and he fell into their hands pierced by two 
 arrows. An old Indian prevented their cruel work, and 
 the missionary, stripped and suffering, was sent ashore to 
 a pagan village. 
 
 From thence the ferocious young chief of Guale led 
 his followers against several missions in other parts of the 
 country, which he attacked and destroyed, together with 
 the attendant clergy. Thus upon the soil of the Ancient 
 City was shed the blood of Christian martyrs, who were 
 laboring with zeal well worthy emulation, to carry the 
 truths of religion to the native tribes of Florida. Over 
 two hundred and eighty years have passed away since 
 these sad scenes were enacted ; but we cannot even now 
 repress a tear of sympathy and a feeling of admiration for 
 those self-denying missionaries of the cross, who sealed 
 their faith with their blood and fell victims to their en- 
 ergy and devotion. The spectacle of the dying priest 
 struck down at the altar, attired in his sacred vestments, 
 and imploring pardon upon his murderers, cannot fail to 
 call up in the heart of the most insensible something 
 more than a passing emotion. 
 
 The zeal of the Franciscans was only increased by 
 this disaster, and each succeeding year brought an addi- 
 tion to their number. They posted their missions 
 in the interior of the countrj^ so rapidly that in 
 less than two years they had established through the 
 principal towns of the Indians no less than twenty mis- 
 sion houses. 
 
 On the 14th of March, 1599, the convent of St. 
 Francisco, at St. Augustine, was destroyed by fire, and 
 
Po^X'K DE Leon Land. 79 
 
 till the building could be restored the fathers occupied the 
 hermitage of Nuesta dc la SoJedad. which had previously 
 been used as a hospital. It was several years before it 
 was rebuilt. 
 
 In 1611 the prelate, St. Francisco Marrose, custodio 
 from the convent of St. Francisco of the Havana, together 
 with the St. Helena Fr. Miguel de Annon and Fr. Pedro 
 de Nocas, fell martyrs by the hands of the Indians, who 
 are said to have pillaged the town after having driven the 
 inhabitants to seek protection under the guns of the fort 
 or stockade. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Capture of the ArALACHiAN Indians — Their Work 
 ON THE Defences of St. Augustine — Progress of 
 the Colony. 
 
 IN 1638 the Apalachian Indians were captured by the 
 Spaniards. They were subdued by the force I sent 
 against them. In 1640 large numbers of them were 
 brought to St. Augustine to work on the fort and other 
 public works. At this period the English settlements 
 along the coast to the northward had began to be formed, 
 much to the uneasiness and displeasure of the Spanish 
 Crown, which for a long time claimed, by virtue of ex- 
 ploration and occupation, as well as by the ancient papal 
 grant of Alexander, all of the eastern coast of the county. 
 Their missionaries had penetrated Virginia before 
 the settlement of Jamestown. They built a fort in South 
 Carolina and kept up a garrison for several years; but the 
 Spanisji government had become too feeble to compete 
 with either the English or French on the seas. With the 
 loss of their celebrated armada perished forever their pre- 
 tensions as a naval power. They were forced to look to 
 
80 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 the safety of their settlement in Florida. The easy cap- 
 ture of the fort at St. Augustine by the passing squadron 
 of Drake evinced the necessity of works of a much more 
 formidable character. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 Captain Davis' Attack on the City — The Commence- 
 ment OF the Sea Wall. 
 
 IN IGGo Captain Davis, one of tlie English l)uccaiieers, 
 and a fleet of eight vessels came on the coast from 
 Jamaica, to intercept the Spanish plate fleet on its 
 return from New Spain to Europe ; but being disappointed 
 in this scheme, he proceeded along the coast of Florida 
 and came off St. Augustine, where he landed and 
 marched directly upon the town, which lie sacked and 
 plundered without meeting opposition from the Spaniards 
 although they had a garrison of two hundred men in the 
 fort, which at that time was an octagon, fortified and de- 
 fended by round towers. 
 
 The fortifications were probabl}' very incomplete, 
 and with a vastly inferior force it is not surprising that 
 they did not undertake what could only have been an 
 ineffectual resistance. It does not appear that the fort 
 was taken ; the inhabitants probably retired within the 
 fort with their valuables. 
 
 h\ 1()87 Captain Don Juan de Ayala went to Spain 
 in his own vessel to })rocure additional forces and muni- 
 tions for the garrison at St. Augustine. He received the 
 men and munitions desired, and as a reward for his dili- 
 gence and patriotism he also received the privilege of car- 
 rying merchandise duty free ; being also allowed to take 
 twelve Spanish negroes for the cultivation of the fields of 
 Florida, of whom it is said there was a great want in that 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 81 
 
 province. By a mischance he was only able to carry one 
 negro there with the troops and other cargo. He was 
 received with universal joy. 
 
 Don Diego de Quiroga y Vosado, the governor of 
 Florida in 1690, finding that the sea was making danger- 
 ous encroachments upon the shores of the town, and 
 reached even the houses, threatening to swallow them up 
 and render useless tlie fort which had cost so much mon- 
 ey and labor to put in the state of completion in which it 
 then was, called a public meeting of the chief men aiMl 
 citizens of the ])lace and })roposed to them, in order to 
 escape the danger wliich menanced them and to restrain 
 the force of the sea, they should construct a sea wall 
 which should run from the castle and protect the city 
 from all the danger of the sea. The inhabitants not only 
 approved of his proposal, but began the work with so 
 much zeal that the soldiers gave more than seventeen 
 hundred dollars of their wages, although they were very 
 much behind, not liaving been j^aid in six years, with 
 which the governor began to make the necessary prepa- 
 rations, and sent forward a dispatch to the home govern- 
 ment upon the subject. 
 
 The Council of War of the Indies approved in the fol- 
 lowing year of the works of the sea wall, and directed the 
 viceroy of New Spain to furnish ten thousand dollars for 
 it, and directed that a plan and estimate of the work should 
 be forwarded. Quiroga was succeeded in the governorshi|) 
 of Florida by Don Lauseano de Torres, who went forward 
 with the work of the sea wall. He received for this })ur- 
 pose the means furnished by the soldiers and one thou- 
 sand dollars more, which they offered l)esides the two 
 thousand dollars, and likewise .six thousand dollars which 
 had come from New Spain i-emitted by the viceroy, 
 Count de Galleo, for the purpose of building a tower for a 
 lookout to observe the surrounding Indian settlements. 
 The tower erected on the northeast l)astion of the fort is 
 evidently the one built for the lookout, .sea and landward 
 also. 
 
 <)b 
 
82 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 CHAPTER XXril. 
 Governor Moore's Attack on St. Augustine, 1702. 
 
 HOSTILITIES had broken out between England and 
 Spain in 1702. The Enghsh settlements in Caro- 
 lina only numbered about seven thousand inhabi- 
 tants, when Governor Moore, who was an ambitious and 
 energetic man, but with serious defects of character, led 
 an invading force from Carolina against St. Augustine. 
 The pretense was to retaliate for injuries, and, by taking 
 the initiative, to prevent an attack upon themselves. The 
 real motive was said by Governor Moore's opponents at 
 home to have been the acquisition of military reputation 
 and private gain. 
 
 The plan of the expedition embraced a combined at- 
 tack by land and sea. For this purpose six hundred pro- 
 vincial militia were embodied with an equal number of 
 Indian allies. A portion of the military were to go in- 
 land by boats and by land under the command of Colonel 
 Daniels, who is spoken of as a good officer, while the 
 main body proceeded with the Governor by sea in several 
 merchant schooners and ships impressed for the service. 
 The Spaniards, who had received intimation of the con- 
 templated attack, placed themselves in the best posture of 
 defence in their power, and laid up provisions in the cas- 
 tle to withstand a long siege. 
 
 The forces under Colonel Daniels arrived in advance 
 of the naval fleet of the expedition and immediately 
 moved upon the town. The inhabitants, upon his ap- 
 proach, retired within the spacious walls of the castle. 
 Colonel Daniels entered and took possession of the town, 
 the larger part of which, it must be recollected, was a short 
 distance from the castle. 
 
 The description given by Oldmixon is as follows : 
 
 " Colonel Robert Daniels, a brave man, commanded a 
 party who were to go up the river in periaguas, to come 
 upon St. Augustine on the land side, while the governor 
 sailed thither to attack it by sea. They both set out in 
 August, 1702. Colonel Daniels, on his way, took St.. 
 Johns, a small Spanish settlement; also St. Marys, another 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 83 
 
 little village belonging to the Spaniards ; after which he 
 proceeded to St. Augustine. He came before the town, 
 entered and took possession, Governor Moore not having 
 arrived with the fleet. 
 
 " The inhabitants having notice of the approach of 
 the English had packed up their best effects and retired 
 with them into tlie castle, which was snrrounded by a 
 deep and broad moat. They had laid up provisions tliere 
 for four months, and resolved to defend themselves to the 
 last extremity. However, Colonel Daniels found a con- 
 siderable booty in the town. The next day the governor 
 came ashore, his troops following him ; they entrenched 
 and posted their guards in the church and blocked up the 
 castle. The English held possession of the town a whole 
 month ; but finding they could do nothing, for want of 
 mortars and bombs, they sent a sloop to Jamaica to pro- 
 cure them, but the commander of the sloop, instead of 
 going thither, came to Carolina, out of fear of treachery. 
 Finding others who offered to go in his stead, he proceeded 
 on the voyage, after he had lain some time at Charles- 
 town. 
 
 "The garrison all this wliile lay before the castle of 
 Augustine in the expectation of the return of the sloop, 
 which, hearing nothing of, the governor sent Colonel 
 Daniels, who was the life of the action, to Jamaica on the 
 same errand. This gentleman, being hearty in the de- 
 sign, procured a supply of bombs and returned towards 
 Augustine ; but, in the meantime, two ships appeared in 
 the offing, and being taken to be two very large men-of- 
 war, the Governor thought fit to raise the siege and aban- 
 don his ships, with a great quantity of stores, ammuni- 
 tion and provisions to the enemy; upon which the two 
 men-of-war entered the port of Augustine and took the 
 governor's ships. Some say he burnt them himself (cer- 
 tain it is they were lost to the English,) and that he re- 
 turned to Charlestown overland, three hundred miles 
 from Augustine. The two men-of-war that were thought 
 so large proved to be two small frigates — one of eighty- 
 two and the other of sixteen guns. 
 
 " When Colonel Daniels came back to St. Augustin6 
 he was chased, but got away, and Governor Moore re- 
 
84 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 treated with no great honor homewards. His periaguas 
 lay at St. Johns, where the governor retired, and from 
 there to Charlestown, only losing two men on the whole 
 expedition. 
 
 "Arratomakaw, king of the Yamiaseans, who com- 
 manded the Indians, retreated to the periaguas with the 
 rest and thero slept upon their oars with a great deal of 
 bravery and unconcern. The governor's sailors taking a 
 false alarm and thinking the Spaniards were coming, did 
 not like the slow pace'of the Indian king in his flight; 
 to (juicken him bade him to make more haste, but he re- 
 plied: 'No, if your governor leaves you, I will not stir 
 until I have seen all my men before me.' " 
 
 The Spanish accounts say he burned the town; this 
 statement is confirmed by the report made on the 18th of 
 July, 1740, by a committee of the House of Commons of 
 the province of South Carolina, in which it is said, refer- 
 ring to these transactions, that Moore was obliged to re- 
 treat, but not without first burning the town. 
 
 It seems that the plunder carried off by Moore's 
 troops was considerable ; his enemies charged at the time 
 that he sent off a sloop-load to Jamaica. In an old 
 colonial document of South Carolina it is represented "that 
 the late unfortuned, ill-contrived and worst managed ex- 
 pedition against St. Augustine was principally set on foot 
 by the late governor and his adherents, and that if any 
 person in the said late Assembly undertook to speak 
 against it and to show how unfit and unable we were at 
 that time for such an attempt, he was presently looked 
 upon by them as an enemy and traitor to his country, 
 and reviled and affronted in the said Assembly; although 
 the true design of the said expedition was no other than 
 catching and making slaves of the Indians for private 
 advantage and impoverishing the country. * * * 
 The expedition was evidently to enrich themselves par- 
 ticularly, because whatsoever booty, such as rich silks, a 
 great ([uantity of church plate, with money and other 
 costly church ornaments and utensils, taken by our 
 soldiers at St. Augustine, are now detained in the posses- 
 sion of the said late governor and his officers, contrary to 
 an act of the A ssembly made for an equal division of the 
 same amongst the soldiers." 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 85 
 
 The Spanish accounts of this expedition of Moore's 
 are very meager; tliey designated him as the governor 
 of St. George, by which name they called the liarbor of 
 Charleston, and they also speak of the plunder of the 
 town and the burning of the greater part of the houses. 
 Don Joseph Curriga was tlien the governor of the city, 
 and had received just previous to the English attack re- 
 inforcements from Havana, and had repaired and strength- 
 ened the fortifications to a considerable extent. 
 
 The retreat of the English was celebrated with great 
 rejoicing by the Spaniards, who iiad been for three montlis 
 shut up within the limited space of the walls of the castle, 
 and they gladly repaired their ruined homes, and made 
 good the ravages of tlie English invasion. An English 
 account says that the two vessels which appeared off the 
 bar and caused Moore's precipitate retreat contained but 
 two hundred men, and had he awaited Colonel Daniels' 
 return with the siege guns and ammunition, the castle 
 would have fallen into tlieir hands. 
 
 In the same year the King of Spain, alarmed at the 
 danger which menaced his possessions in Florida, gave 
 greater attention to the strengthening of the defences of 
 St. Augustine, and forwarded considerable reinforcements 
 to the garrison as well as additional supplies of munitions 
 for the troops. 
 
 The works were directed to be strengthened, which 
 Governor Curriga thought not as strong as had been rep- 
 resented, and that the sea wall in the course of erection 
 was insufficient for the purpose for which it was designed. 
 Sixty years had elapsed since the Apalachian Indians had 
 been conquered and compelled to labor upon the fortifi- 
 cations of St. Augustine. Their chiefs now asked that 
 they might be relieved from further compulsory labor. 
 After the usual number of references and reports and in- 
 formations through the Spanish circumlocution offices 
 this was graciously granted in a compulsory form, until 
 their services should be again required. 
 
 During the year 1712 a great scarcity of provisions, 
 caused by the failure of the usual supply vessels, reduced 
 the inhabitants of St. Augustine to the verge of starvation, 
 and for two or three months they were obliged to live upon 
 
86 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 horses, cats, dogs and other disgusting animals. It seems 
 strange that, after a settlement of nearly one hundred and 
 fifty years, the Spaniards in Florida should still be depen- 
 dent upon the importation of provisions for their support, 
 and that anything like the distress indicated should pre- 
 vail, with the abundant resources they had from the fish, 
 oysters, turtle and clams of the sea, and the arrowroot and 
 cabbage-tree palm of the land. 
 
 The English settlements were now extending into 
 the interior portions of South Carolina. The French had 
 renewed their efforts at settlement and colonization up 
 the rivers discharging into the Gulf of Mexico. All three 
 nations were competitors for the trade with the Indians, 
 and kept up an intriguing rivalship for this trade for 
 more than a hundred years. 
 
 There seems to have been at this period a policy 
 pursued by the Spanish authorities in Florida of the most 
 reprehensible character. The strongest efforts were made 
 to attach all the Indian tribes to the Spanish interests. 
 Tliey were encouraged to carry on a system of plunder 
 and annoyance upon the English settlements of Carolina. 
 They seized upon all the negroes they could obtain and 
 carried them to the Governor at St. Augustine, who inva- 
 riably refused to surrender them, alleging that he was 
 acting under the instructions of his government in so 
 doing. 
 
 In 1704, Governor Moore made a sweeping and vigor- 
 ous incursion against the Indian towns in Middle Florida, 
 all of whom were in the Spanish interests. He broke up 
 the towns and destroved the missions attached to them. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 87 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Colonel Palmer's Invasion of Florida. 
 
 IN 1725, Colonel Palmer determined, since no satisfac- 
 tion could be obtained for the incursions of the Span- 
 iards and Indians, and the loss of their slaves, to make 
 a descent upon them. With a party of three hundred 
 men, he entered Florida with the intention of visiting 
 upon the province all the desolation of retributive warfare. 
 He went to the very gates of St. Augustine, and com- 
 pelled the inhabitants to seek protection within the casfle. 
 In his course he swept everything before him, destroying 
 every house, field and improvement within his reach, carry- 
 ing off the live stock, and everything else of value. The 
 Spanish Indians who fell within his power were slain in 
 large numbers; many were taken prisoners. Outside of 
 the walls of St. Augustine nothing was left undestroyed. 
 The Spanish authorities received a memorable lesson in 
 the law of retribution. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Oglethorpe's Attack on St. Augustine, and Siege of 
 Fort San Marco. 
 
 ENGLAND claimed and occupied the country up to 
 the margin of the St. Johns, and established a post 
 at St. George Island. This was deemed an invasion 
 of their territory by the Spaniards. The post was attacked, 
 unfairly, the English say, and some of their men mur- 
 dered. Oglethorpe, upon this, " acting under the instruc- 
 tions of the home government," commenced hostilities by 
 arranging a joint attack of the forces of South Carolina 
 and Georgia, with a view to the entire conquest of Florida. 
 The instructions of the King of England to Ogle- 
 thorpe were that he should make a naval and land attack 
 upon St. Augustine. "If it shall please God to give you 
 
88 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 sucpess, you are either to demolish the fort or bastions, or 
 put a garrison in it, in case you shall have men enough 
 for that purpose, which last, it is thought will be the best 
 to prevent the Spaniards from endeavoring to retake and 
 settle the said place at any time hereafter." 
 
 Don Manuel Monteano was then Governor of Florida^ 
 and in command of the garrison. The city and castle 
 were previously in a poor condition to withstand an at- 
 tack from a well prepared foe. On the 11th of November, 
 1737, Governor Monteano writes to the Governor General 
 of Cuba that ''the fort at this place is its only de- 
 fence; it has no casemates for the shelter of the men, nor 
 the necessary elevation to the counter scarp, nor covert 
 ways nor ravelins to the curtains, nor other exterior 
 works that could give time for a long defence. It is thus 
 marked outside, and it is without soul within, for there 
 are no cannon that could be fired twenty-four hours, and 
 though there were, artillery men are wanting to manage 
 the guns." Under the superintendence of an able officer 
 of engineers the works were put in order; the ramparts 
 were heightened and casemated, a covered way was made 
 by planting and embanking four thousand stakes. Bomb 
 proof vaults were constructed and entrench tpaents thrown 
 up around the town protected by ten salient angles, many 
 of which are still visible. The garrison of the town was 
 about seven hundred and forty soldiers, according to 
 Governor Monteano's return of troops on the 25th of 
 March, 1740; the total population of St. Augustine of all 
 classes was two thousand one hundred and forty-three. 
 
 Previous to his attack upon the place General Ogle- 
 thorpe obtained the following information from prisoners 
 whom he took at the outposts: "They agree that there 
 are fifty pieces of cannon in the castle at St. Augustine, 
 several of which are brass from twelve to forty-eight 
 pounds caliber; it has four bastions. The walls are of stone 
 and casemated. The square is nearly fifty yards. The 
 ditch is forty feet wide and twelve feet deep, six of which 
 is sometimes filled with water. The counter scarp is faced 
 with stone. They have lately made a covered way. The 
 town is fortified with an entrenchment, salient angles and 
 redoubts, which inclose about half a mile in length and a 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 89 
 
 quarter of a mile in width. The inhabitants and gar- 
 rison, men, women and children, amount to above two 
 thousand five hundred. For the garrison the King pays 
 eight companies sent from Spain two years since, for the 
 invasion of Georgia. The companies numbered fifty -three 
 men each, three companies of foot and one of artillery of 
 the old garrison, and one troop of horse, one hundred 
 men. Of these one hundred are at St. Marks, ten days' 
 march from St. Augustine upon the Gulf of Mexico, 
 One hundred are disposed in several small forts." 
 
 Of these outposts there were two, one on each side of 
 the St. Johns, opposite each other; one at Picolata, the 
 other at Diego. The purpose of the fort at Picolata was 
 to guard the passage of the river and to keep open com- 
 munication with St. Marks and Pensacola when they 
 were threatened with invasion by Oglethorpe. Messengers 
 were dispatched to the Governor of Pensacola for aid, also 
 to Mexico by the same route. The fort at Diego was but 
 a small work, erected by Don Diego de Spinosa upon his 
 own estate. The remains of it, with one or two cannon, 
 are still visible. Fort Moosa was an outpost at the place 
 now known as North river, about two miles north of St. 
 Augustine; a fortified line, a considerable portion of 
 which may now be traced, extending across from the 
 stockades on the St. Sebastian to Fort Moosa, w4th com- 
 munication by a tide creek extending through the 
 marshes between the castle at St. Augustine and Fort 
 Moosa. 
 
 Oglethorpe first attacked the two forts at Picolata, 
 one of which was called Fort Poppa or St. Francis de 
 Poppa. It was a place of some strength. Its remains 
 still exist about one-fourth of a mile north of the termi- 
 nation of the Bellamy road. It is an earthwork and is 
 still easily traced. 
 
 After a slight resistance both forts fell into Ogle- 
 thorpe's hands, much to the annoyance of Governor Mon- 
 teano. Oglethorpe speaks of "Fort Francis as being a 
 work of much importance." It commanded the passes 
 from St. Augustine to Mexico, also to the country of the 
 Creek Indians, also being near the ferry where the troops 
 which came from St. Augustine must pass. He found in 
 
90 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 it one mortar to carriage, three small guns and ammu- 
 nition; also one hundred and fifty shell and fifty glass 
 bottles full of gunpowder with fuzes; a somewhat novel 
 missile of war. 
 
 The English general's plan of operation was that the 
 crews and troops upon the vessels should land and throw 
 up batteries upon St. Anastasia Island, thence bombard- 
 ing the town, while he himself designed to lead the attack 
 on the land side. Having arrived in position he gave 
 the signal to attack to the fleet by sending up a rocket; 
 but no response came from the vessels. He had the 
 mortification of being obliged to withdraw his troops. 
 The troops were not able to effisct a landing from the 
 vessels in consequence of a number of armed Spanish 
 galleys having been drawn up inside the bar, so that no 
 landing could be made except under a severe fire, while 
 the galleys were protected from an attack by the ships in 
 consequence of the shoal water. 
 
 He then prepared to reduce the town by regular 
 siege, with a strict blockade by sea. He hoped by driving 
 the inhabitants into the castle to encumber the Governor 
 with useless mouths; to reduce him to the necessity of a 
 surrender to avoid starvation. The town was placed 
 under the range of his heavy artillery and mortars, and 
 soon became untenable, forcing the citizens generally to 
 seek the shelter of the fort. 
 
 Colonel Vanderduysen was posted at Point Quartel 
 and other troops upon Anastasia Island and the North 
 Beach. Three batteries were erected, one on Anastasia 
 Island, called the Poza, which consisted of four eighteen 
 pounders and onr nine pounder ; one on the point of the 
 woods of the island mounting two eighteen pounders. 
 The remains of the Poza battery are still to be seen almost 
 as distinctly marked as on the day of its erection. Four 
 mortars and forty cohorns were employed in the siege. 
 
 The siege began on the 12th of June. On the night 
 of the 25th a sortie was made from the castle against a 
 portion of the troops under command of Colonel Palmer, 
 who was encamped at Fort Moosa, including a company 
 of Scotch Highlanders, numbering eighty-five men, under 
 their chief, Captain Mcintosh, all equipped in Highland 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 91 
 
 dress. This attack was entirely successful; the English 
 sustained a severe loss, their colonel being killed, with 
 twenty higlilanders, twenty-seven soldiers and a number 
 of Indians. 
 
 This affair at Fort Moosa has generally been con- 
 sidered as a surprise, and its disastrous result the conse- 
 quence of cerelessness and disobedience of the orders of 
 Oglethorpe. Captain Mcintosh, the leader of the High- 
 landers, was taken prisoner and finally transferred to 
 Spain. From his prison, St. Sebastian, under date of 
 June 20th, 1741, he gives the following account of the 
 matter: "I listed seventy men, all in Highland dress, and 
 marched to the siege, and was ordered to scout nigh St. 
 Augustine and molest the enemy while the general and 
 the rest of his little army went to an island where we 
 could have no succor of them. I punctually obeyed my 
 orders until seven hundred Spaniards sallied out from 
 the garrison an hour before daylight. They did not sur- 
 prise us, for we were all under arms ready to receive 
 them, which we did, briskly keeping up a constant firing 
 for a quarter of an hour. When they pressed on with 
 numbers, we were obliged to take our swords until the 
 most of us were shot and cut to pieces. You are to 
 observe we had but eighty men, and the engagement was 
 in view of the rest of our army, but they could not come 
 to our assistance by being on the island under the enemy's 
 guns. They had twenty prisoners, a few got oft", the rest 
 were killed; we were informed by some of themselves 
 they had three hundred killed on the spot; besides several 
 wounded. We were stripped naked of clothes and 
 brought to St. Augustine, where we remained three 
 months in close confinement." 
 
 This officer was Captain John Mcintosh, and his 
 son, Brigadier General Mcintosh, then a youth of fourteen, 
 was present in the engagement and escaped without in- 
 jury. The family of Mcintosh have always been con- 
 spicuous in the history of Georgia. 
 
 The large number of persons collected within the 
 walls of the castle, under tlie protection of its battlements, 
 soon gave rise to serious apprehensions on the part of the 
 besieged of being reduced by starvation to the necessity 
 
92 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 of a speedy surrender. The batteries of Oglethorpe were 
 planted at so great a distance that he could produce but 
 little effect by shot or shell upon the castle, although he 
 rendered the city itself untenable. The heat of the season 
 and the exposure to which the provincial militia were 
 unaccustomed soon produced considerable sickness and 
 discouragement in the invading forces, and affected Ogle- 
 thorpe himself. 
 
 The Spanish Governor sent most urgent messages to 
 the Governor of the Island of Cuba, which were trans- 
 mitted by runners along the coast, and thence by small 
 vessels across to Havana. In one of these letters he says : 
 " My greatest anxiety is for provisions, and if they do not 
 come there is no doubt of our dying of hunger." In 
 another letter he says: ''1 assure your Lordship that it is 
 impossible to express the confusion of the place, for we 
 have no protection except the fort; all the rest is open 
 field. The families have abandoned their houses and 
 come to put themselves under the guns, which is pitable. 
 If your Lordship, for want of competent force, cannot send 
 relief, we must all perish." 
 
 With the exception of the Fort Moosa affair, the hos- 
 tilities were confined to the exchange of shots between the 
 castle and the batteries. Considerable discrepancy exists 
 between the Spanish and English accounts as to the 
 period when the garrison was relieved; it was the com- 
 munication of the fact of relief having been received 
 which formed the ostensible ground for abandoning the 
 siege by Oglethorpe, but the Spanish Governor asserts 
 that these vessels with supplies did not arrive until the 
 siege was raised. The real fact, I am inclined to think, 
 is, tliat the vessels with supplies arrived at Matanzas 
 Inlet, where they awaited orders from Governor Mon- 
 teano as to the mode of getting discharged ; that the in- 
 formation of the arrival, being known at St. Augustine, 
 was communicated to the English, and thus induced their 
 raising the siege. In fact, the hope of starving out the 
 garrison was all that w'as left to Oglethorpe. His strength 
 was insufficient for an assault, and his means inadequate 
 to reduce the castle, which was well manned and well 
 provided witli means of defence. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 93 
 
 It was, ill truth, a hopeles.s task, under the circum- 
 stances, for Oglethorpe to persevere, and it is no impeach- 
 ment of his courage or his generalship that he was unable 
 to take a fortress of very respectable strength. 
 
 The siege continued from the 13th of June to the 
 20th of July, a period of thirty -eight day.s. The bom- 
 bardment was kept up twenty days, but owing to the 
 lightness of the guns and the long range, little effect was 
 produced on the strong walls of the castle.' Its spongy, 
 infrangible walls received the l^alls from tlie batteries like 
 cotton bales or a sand battery — almost without making 
 any impression. This may be seen on examination, siftce 
 the marks remain to this day. in places wliere the walls 
 have not been repaired. 
 
 The prosecution of the siege having become imprac- 
 ticable, preparations were made for retiring. Oglethorpe 
 as a pardoiia])le and characteristic protest against the as- 
 sumption of liis acting from any coercion, with drums 
 beating and banners displayed, crossed over to the main- 
 land and marched in full view of the castle to his en- 
 campment, three miles distant, situated at the point now 
 known as Pass Navarro. 
 
 Great credit and respect have been deservedly 
 awarded to Governor Monteano for the courage, skill and 
 perseverance with which he sustained the siege. 
 
 It is well known that the English general had, in a 
 few months, an ample opportuninity of showing to his 
 opponent that his skill in defending his own territory 
 under the most disadvantageous circumstances was equal 
 to that of the accomplislicd Monteano himself. The de- 
 fence of Frederica and signal defeat of tlie Spanish forces 
 at Fort Simons will ever challenge for Oglethorpe the 
 highest credit for the most sterHng (lualities of a good 
 general and a great man. 
 
 Two years subsequently Oglethorpe again advanced 
 into Florida. He appeared before the gates of St. Aug- 
 ustine and endeavored to induce the garrison to march 
 out to meet him ; but they kept within their walls. Ogle- 
 thorpe, in one of his dispatches, says in the irritation 
 caused by their prudence, that they were so "meek there 
 was no provoking them." As in this incursion he had 
 
94 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 no object in view but a devastation of the country and 
 harrassing the enemy, he shortly withdrew his forces. 
 
 A committee of the South Carolina House of Com- 
 mons, in a report upon the Oglethorpe expedition, thus 
 speaks of St. Augustine, evidently smarting under the 
 disappointment of their recent defeat: 
 
 "July 1st, 1741, St. Augustine is in possession of 
 the Crown of Spain, is well known to be situated but a 
 little distance from hence, in latitude thirty degrees, in 
 Florida, the next territory to us. It is maintained by his 
 Catholic Majesty partly to preserve his claim to Florida, 
 and partly that it may be of service to the plate fleet when 
 coming through the Gulf by showing lights to them along 
 the coast, and by being ready to give assistance when any 
 of them are cast away. The castle, by the largest ac- 
 count doth not cover more than one acre of ground, but 
 it is allowed, on all hands, to be a place of great strength, 
 and hath usually a garrison of three or four hundred men 
 of the King's regular troops. The town is not very large, 
 and but indifferently fortified. The inhabitants, many of 
 whom are mulattoes, of a savage disposition, are all in the 
 King's pay; also being registered from their birth, and a 
 severe penalty laid on any masters of vessels that shall 
 attempt to carry any of them off. These are formed into 
 a militia, and have generally been computed to be 
 about the same number as the regular troops. Thus re- 
 lying wholly on the King's pay for their subsistence, 
 their thoughts never turned to trade or agriculture, but 
 depended on foreign supplies for the most common neces- 
 saries of life, they spent their time in universal and per- 
 petual idleness. From such a state mischievous incli- 
 •nations naturally spring up in such a people, and having 
 leisure and opportunity ever since they had a neighbor, 
 the fruits of whose industry excited their desire and envy, 
 they have not failed to carry those inclinations into action 
 as often as they could, without the least regard to peace 
 or war subsisting between the two Crowns of Spain and 
 Great Britain, or to stipulations agreed upon between the 
 two governments." 
 
 Among the principal grievances set forth in this re- 
 port was the carrying off and enticing and harboring 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 95 
 
 their slaves, of which a number of instances are enumer- 
 ated. They attributed the negro insurrection, which oc- 
 curred in South CaroHna in 1739, to the connivance and 
 agency of the Spanish authorities at St. Augustine, and 
 they proceeded in a cHmax of indignation to hurl their 
 denunciations at the supposed authors of their misfortunes 
 in the following terms: "With indignation we look at St. 
 Augustine (like another Sallee), that den of thieves and 
 ruffians, receptacle of debtors, servants and slaves, bane 
 of industry and society, and revolved in our minds all 
 the injuries this province had received from them ever 
 since its first settlement. That they have, from first to last, 
 in times of profoundest peace, both publicly and privately, 
 by themselves, Indians and negroes, in every shape mo- 
 lested us, not without some instances of uncommon 
 cruelty." 
 
 It is very certain that there was on each side enough 
 supposed cause of provocation to induce far from an 
 amiable state of feeling between these neighboring col- 
 onies. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 History of the Inquisition— Ancient and Modern. 
 Its Effect LTpon the Settlement of Florida. 
 
 TO partially explain the cause of the action of Pedro 
 Men( ndez, during his governorship of Florida, I find 
 it important to go back to earlier history to find the 
 motive for such action. To understand the situation, it is 
 necessary to give a part of the history of the Inquisition — 
 both ancient and modern. It is claimed by some that 
 the inquisition originated from God, and that Adam and 
 Eve were the first prisoners brought before that tribunal 
 and furnished the model of the forms observed in the 
 trials of the Holy Office. The sentence of Adam was the 
 mark of the inquisitional reconciliation; his raiment, 
 
96 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 the skins of animals, the model of the kSan-benito, his 
 expulsion from paradise the precedent for the confiscation 
 of their property. This precedent is claimed to have been 
 carried down to Moses, Nebudchanezzer, King David, 
 John the Baptist, and even our Saviour, in which they 
 claim to have precepts and authority for the Holy Office. 
 
 Acts of intolerance have been committed by all de- 
 nominations of the christian faith since Christianity has 
 been know^n, and always will be, without a doubt. The 
 crusaders who swept so fiercely over the southern part of 
 France in the thirteenth century, blasting the country 
 and exterminating the people, first laid the foundation 
 and erected the bloody altars of that tribunal. It would 
 be unjust to say the Catholic church or clergy were re- 
 sponsible for the actions of the Inquisition. It arose 
 during the feudal age, when mankind was undergoing a 
 transition from the barbarous to the civilized state, when 
 a strong attempt was being made to establish a law that 
 would give reasonable protection to all mankind. With 
 what success, we can only tell by looking back at the 
 history of the world, from that time to the present. It 
 was at a period of the world's history wdien might ruled, 
 instead of right; when the baser passions governed instead 
 of the nobler ones; at a time when the greed of power, 
 wealth, and rank, held almost unlimited sway over the 
 world. There have l^een too many brave and noble men 
 among the Spanish clergy to give them the blame of the 
 modern inquisition; maii}^ of their own number fell 
 under the ban of that fatal tribunal. When we look back 
 over the history of Spain, we find too many brave and 
 good men, to believe, for one moment, that it was know- 
 ingly sanctioned by them ; that it was established for 
 political purposes by designing men, I think all will ad- 
 mit. That it ever received the sanction of the churcii, 
 was through the action of a few, brilliant, but misguided, 
 men, whose C'hristian principles were badly warped, and 
 almost completely obliterated, by their greed of power, 
 wealth and rank. 
 
 When we look back over the bloody record of that 
 fatal band, we wonder how it was possible for a people to 
 submit to such an injustice. We can readilv understand 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 97 
 
 after reading the history of the Inquisition, and with the 
 knowledge that Pedro Menendez was a member of the in- 
 quisitional court, what was undoubtedly the cause of 
 his action against the French Huguenots. He had been 
 appointed Adelantado of Florida, with the full under- 
 standing that he was to expel the French from the terri- 
 tory claimed by Spain, which, at that time, extended 
 from the Gulf to the Chesapeake, and westward to the Mis- 
 sissippi. He evidently could not have furnished pro- 
 visions for the two colonics, had he accepted the sur- 
 render of the French. It is evident that it was through 
 the knowledge of the difficulties tliat he was placed in, 
 that he caused the massacre of the French after their ship- 
 w^reck. He was strengthed in this course by the order of 
 the Inquisitor General, as he was a member of the inquis-. 
 itorial court, and received definite orders to banish or 
 exterminate the French colonists, as they were deemed 
 heretical at that time. In looking back, we can see the 
 difficulties that Menendez labored under in the care of his 
 colony, when threatened with starvation. He went to 
 Cuba, before his supplies had become exhausted, and, 
 upon his arrival, he found the governor of Mexico had 
 arrived before him; there had been such a disparaging 
 report made, by the men who had deserted his standard, 
 that the needed supplies were refused him. It was under 
 these adverse circumstances that the manhood of Menen- 
 dez shone out bright and clear as gold. He pawned the 
 jewels and the badge of his order and raised funds enough 
 for the necesary supplies for his colony, and at once hast- 
 ened back to his distressed people. I think there can be 
 no question about the action of Menendez, in the position 
 he was placed, with the Huguenots. 
 
 After several modifications the detection of heretics 
 was committed to the Dominican friars. In 1233, a code 
 for the regulation of their pi-oceedings was formed and 
 adopted in Germany and Italy, and introduced into Ara- 
 gon in 1242, when additional provisions were established 
 by the council of Tarragona, together with tliose of 1233, 
 which were the primitive instructions for the tribunal in 
 -Spain. 
 
 7b 
 
98 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 The ancient Inquisition bore the same peculiarities 
 in its features as the modern ; the same secrecy in its pro- 
 ceedings ; the insidious modes of accusation and use of 
 torture and penalties for the offender. The manual 
 drawn up by Eginerich, an Aragonese inquisitor of the 
 fourteenth century, for the instruction of the judges of the 
 tribunal, prescribed all those forms of interrogations by 
 which the unwary, and perhaps the innocent, victims 
 might be circumvented. The rules of the ancient were 
 no less repugnant to justice than the modern, but were 
 less extensive in their operations. The persecution fell 
 very severely on the Albigenses of Aragon and Provence, 
 who were the principal victims of that time. 
 
 The Inquisition was not fully established in Castile 
 until the reign of Isabella. It was certain that there was 
 no lack of interest by St. Ferdinand who heaped the 
 fagots on the burning pile with his own hand, and John 
 II, Isabella's father, who hunted the Basques like so many 
 wild beasts. 
 
 By the middle of the fifteenth century the Albigensin 
 heresy had been nearly exterminated by the Inquisition, 
 when a new people came into prominence, that were 
 frugal and industrious and had acquired wealth and 
 power by their industry. The inquisitors saw^ at once 
 what a chance there was to wring wealth out of these in- 
 oflFensive people, and Spain can't but blame herself for 
 her loss of power by the expulsion of the Jews and Mo- 
 riscos. That Ferdinand should have listened to the 
 counsel of such men as Alfonso de Ojido, Diego de Mere- 
 las and Nicholas Francisco is surprising. That there was 
 a deep-laid scheme by these men to confiscate most of the 
 property owned by them, is evident. Ferdinand's inter- 
 cession with Isabella caused her to sanction the confis- 
 cation from her people. 
 
 Isabella's serious temperament naturally disposed. 
 her to religious influences, notwithstanding the independ- 
 ence exhibited by her in all secular affairs. In her own 
 spiritual concerns she evinced humility and deferred im- 
 plicitly to what she deemed the superior sagacity of her 
 instructor. An instance of this is worth recording. Fray 
 Ferdinand de Talavera, archbishop of Grenada, w^as ap- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 99 
 
 pointed confessor to the queen; he remained seated. Isa- 
 bella remarked that "it was usual for both parties to 
 kneel." "No," replied the priest, "this is God's tribunal; I 
 act here as his minister, and I should keep my seat; your 
 highness should kneel before me." Isabella complied at 
 once, and afterwards said "this is the confessor I wanted." 
 
 It would have been well for Spain if this office had 
 been held by Talavera instead of being transferred to 
 Thomas de Torquemada, a man who contained more 
 pride, bigotry and intolerance in his heart than any man 
 in Spain. His teaching went far to pervert the natural 
 kindness of heart shown in most of Isabella's actions in 
 life. 
 
 It is due to Isabella's name, to say that it was through 
 the influence of this man that she solicited from Sextus IV 
 a bull for the introduction of the tribunal. It was 
 through this intercession that he issued a bull November 
 1st, 1478, authorizing the appointment of two or three 
 inquisitors for the suppression of heresy throughout Spain. 
 
 On the 2nd of January, 1481, the court commenced 
 operations and published an edict requiring all persons 
 to aid in apprehending all known, or suspected of heresy. 
 Every mode of accusation was indicated, and the numbers 
 increased so rapidly that it was difficult to find prisons 
 for them. 
 
 The inquisitors adopted the policy of the ancient tri- 
 bunal, and proceeded with a despatch that could have 
 paid little regard to legal form. Six convicts were burned 
 on the 6th of January, seventeen in March ; no less than 
 298 had been sacrificed in the auto de fe of Seville, (See 
 page 252, Prescot, Vol. I, Inquisition), which was pre- 
 pared on a stone pile, erected in the suburbs of the city, 
 with four stakes attached to the corners to which the un- 
 happy sufferers were bound for the sacrifice, and cele- 
 brated as the place where heretics were burned, and ought 
 to burn, as long as any could be found. 
 
 Many of the persons convicted were persons esti- 
 mable for learning and probity; and among these three 
 priests are named, together with individuals filling judi- 
 cial and high municipal stations. The sword of justice 
 is observed particularly, to strike at the wealthy, the least 
 L.ofC. 
 
100 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 pardonable offenders in times of proscription; which is 
 evident was the cause of their persecution. 
 
 The plague which desolated Seville this year, sweep- 
 ing off fifteen thousand inhabitants, as if in token of the 
 wrath of Heaven at these enormities, did not paralyze the 
 arm of that fatal tribunal. A similar persecution went 
 forward in the province of Andalusia, in 1481 , two thou- 
 sand were burned, and a large number in effigy, and 
 17,000 reconciled. 
 
 In 1483, Torquemada was appointed Inquisitor gen- 
 eral with power to frame a new constitution for the In- 
 quisition. This was the origin of the modern Inquisition, 
 which, for three centuries, has extended its fatal sway 
 over Spain and Portugal. When arrested they were cut 
 off from all external communication. Counsel was al- 
 lowed by the judges, but they were not allowed to confer 
 together. If the prisoner did not confess his guilt, or at- 
 tempted to conceal the truth, he was subjected to the 
 torture. This was administered in the deep vaults of the 
 Inquisition where the cries of the victim could be heard 
 only by his tormentors. The most odious feature was the 
 confiscation where all the expenses of the court had to be 
 paid before the crown received one farthing. 
 
 The last scene in this dismal tragedy was the auto 
 de fe. The most important actors in this scene were the 
 unfortunate convicts who were now disgorged for the first 
 time from the dungeons of the tribunal. They were clad 
 in coarse woolen garments, styled san benitos, brought 
 close around the neck and descending to the knee. These 
 were of a yellow color, embroidered with a scarlet cross, 
 and well garnished with figures of devils and flames of 
 fire, which were typical of the heretics, which served to 
 make them more odious to the multitude. The greater 
 part of the convicted, however, were reconciled. If the 
 culprit acknowledged his guilt, his crime then bore the 
 character of sin, and punishment was commuted to pen- 
 ance. The culprit prays, fasts, and mortifies his body; 
 instead of going to the place of execution, he recites pen- 
 itential psalms, hears mass, duly examines the state of 
 his conscience, becomes contrite, confesses his sins, and 
 finally is restored to his family and to society. Those 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 101 
 
 who refused to recant were delivered over, as impenitent 
 liereties, to the secular arm, in order to expiate their of- 
 fense by the most painful death, with the consciousness 
 still more painful, that they were to leave behind them 
 names branded with infamy, and their families irretriev- 
 ably ruined. That a man like Torquemada, who had 
 been the author of such crimes, should have been allowed 
 to live to an old age and die quietly in his bed, seems 
 impossible in this age. It would strengthen the belief in 
 the Divine Power, if this person had received a fair pro- 
 portion of all the torture that he had inflicted on man- 
 kind, before his death ; perhaps his constant apprehension 
 of assassination was a small portion of his punishment. 
 It is fortunate for mankind that the civil jurisdiction of 
 Inquisition was practically abolished in 180.S. After 
 looking over the history of the men that Pedro Meuendez 
 was associated with, prior to his appointment as adelan- 
 tado of Florida, it is not surprising that he massacred the 
 French colonists. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 COMPLETIOX OF THE CaSTLE. 
 
 DON ALONZO FERNANDEZ DE HERRERA was 
 appointed governor of Florida in 1755, and com- 
 pleted the exterior works and finished the castle. 
 The fort and defences of St. Augustine were 191 
 years in construction, and cost the Spanish Government 
 over thirty millions of dollars. The castle has never been 
 taken by a besieging enemy. It is a noble fortification, 
 requiring one hundred cannon and one thousand men to. 
 defend it. Since it came into the possession of the United 
 States it has been strengthened by the water battery, which 
 is a very formidable defence. The fort at St. Augustine was 
 designated Fort Marion, in honor of the memory of P>rig- 
 adier General Francis Marion of the Revolution, pursuant 
 
102 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 to general order No. 1, Adjutant General's Office, January 
 7th, 1825. . 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 The History of Fort Marion. 
 
 THE 29th of June, 1565, Pedro Menendez de Aviles 
 sailed from Spain in the San Playo, with nineteen 
 vessels, carrying fifteen hundred persons, including 
 mechanics of all kinds, for the purpose of establishing a 
 colony in Florida. Other vessels followed, under the 
 command of Stephen de las Alas, with quite a number of 
 colonists, several Franciscan fathers, and priests of other 
 orders — twenty-six hundred and forty-six people embarked 
 for Florida. Menendez expended a million ducats in fit- 
 ting out his colony. 
 
 He reached Porto Rico with only one-third of his 
 fleet, they having been dispersed by a storm. There he 
 learned that the French admiral had sailed before him 
 and capturing a Spanish vessel in the West Indies thus 
 opening hostilities. Menendez held a council of war and 
 decided to proceed, and attack the French, who had 
 planted a colony on the St. Johns. He reached the coast 
 of Florida on the 28th of August — the feast of St. Augus- 
 tine. The Te Deum was chanted with great solemnity. 
 Menendez sailed up the coast in search of the French. 
 Coming upon Ribaut's vessels at the mouth of the St. 
 Johns, he announced his determination to put them all 
 to death. No quarter at that time was shown to the 
 Spaniards on sea or land by the French or English 
 cruisers. Those who escaped from the wreck of the ar- 
 mada on the coast of Ireland were all put to death with- 
 out mercy by the English, unless they were rich enough 
 to ransom their lives. Only a few years before Jacques 
 Sarie, a French commander, had burned Havana and 
 hung his prisoners amid the smoking ruins. The terms 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 103 
 
 :iinnounced by Menendez to the French were precisely 
 those given to the Spaniards by the French and EngHsh. 
 
 After an ineffectual pursuit of the French vCvSsels, 
 ^Menendez sailed down the coast to the harbor of St. Aug- 
 ustine, where he had determined to plant his settlement. 
 His resolution was to fortify his position there and hold 
 out until the rest of his fleet arrived. 
 
 Entering the harbor on the 6th of September, he 
 sent three companies of soldiers ashore, under two cap- 
 tains, who were to select a site and begin a fort. A cacique 
 gave the new comers a large cabin near the seashore; 
 around it the Spanish officers traced the lines for a fort, 
 the soldiers, with their hands and anything they could 
 fashion into an implement, digging the ditches and 
 throwing up the ramparts. The next day, September 
 7th, Menendez landed amid the thunder of artillery and 
 the blasts of trumpets, with the banner of Castile and Ar- 
 agon unfurled. The priest, Mendoza Grajales, who had 
 landed the previous day, took a cross and proceeded to 
 meet him, followed by the soldiers chanting the Te Deum. 
 Menendez advanced to the cross, which he kissed on 
 bended knee, as did all who followed him. The solemn 
 mass of Our Lady was then offered at a spot the memory 
 of which has been preserved on Spanish maps. It re- 
 ceived the name of Nombre de Dios, as there the name of 
 God was first invoked by the awful sacrifice of the new 
 law. There, in time, the piety of the faithful erected the 
 primitive hermitage or shrine of Nuestra Senora de la 
 Leche. Thus began the permanent service of the Catholic 
 church in the oldest city in the United States, maintained 
 now, with but brief interruption, for more than three hun- 
 dred years. The name of the celebrant is not stated. 
 We know that, besides Grajales, there was present Dr. 
 Salis Meras, brother-in-law of Menendez. 
 
 The work of landing the supplies for the settlers, and 
 arms and munitions for the soldiers, went steadily on 
 directed by Menendez himself. His vessels could not cross 
 the bar to enter the harbor, and were exposed to the 
 attack of the French. In fact, his boats while landing 
 supplies were nearly captured by the French, who sud- 
 denly appeared. The Spaniards ascribe their escape to 
 
104 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 Our Lady of Consolation at Utrera, whom they invoked 
 in their sore strait. As soon as all needed by his settle- 
 ment was disembarked, Menendez sent off his vessels and 
 prepared to act on the defensive. His forces consisted of 
 six hundred men at arms. The French were superior in 
 numbers and had their ships. 
 
 The first line of defence at St. Augustine was an 
 octagon. The entrenchments were built with fascines, 
 filled with earth and faced with logs, with ditches and 
 slope. Earth and wood was the only material found at 
 that time in this country that could be used in the con- 
 struction of lines of defense. Menendez extended his 
 lines and made an entrenched camp connecting with the 
 fort for the protection of his colony. They landed eighty 
 cannon from the ships ; the lightest of them weighed two 
 thousand five hundred pounds. 
 
 The Spaniards kept their people at work extending 
 and strengthening their lines. Menendez appreciated hi& 
 situation and the immense amount of labor it would take 
 to put his fort in a state of defence, and complete an 
 entrenched camp large enough to protect his colony in 
 the event of an attack from the French. 
 
 The fort was named San Juan de Pinos. In 1586, 
 Sir Francis Drake landed on Anastasia Island. He sent 
 his troops across the river and burned the city and cap- 
 tured two thousand pounds sterling in the fort. This 
 money had been sent from Spain for the payment of the 
 troops. The Spaniards retreated in haste when the Eng- 
 lish crossed the river, making but little resistance. The 
 fort had been stockaded inside of the embankments, 
 with loop holes for riflemen and platforms for cannon, 
 built of large pine logs. 
 
 In 1640, the Spaniards having subdued and cap- 
 tured the Apalachian Indians, they were brought to St. 
 Augustine and forced to labor upon the fortifications. At 
 this period the fort and defenses of the town were built of 
 earth and wood. The governor finding that there was 
 a great need of stronger and more permanent defences,, 
 commenced the use of the coquina rock for the reconstruc- 
 tion of the fort and for building houses. The fort was 
 strengthened by two large towers, mounting twenty-six 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 105 
 
 guns. This gave them a much wider range for their 
 guns than they had previously. They constructed an 
 exterior and interior wall, sixteen feet apart, filling 
 between with earth well rammed. 
 
 In 1665, Captain Davis came up the coast with a 
 fleet of eight vessels. He landed and sacked the town 
 without meeting opposition, the inhabitants retiring into 
 the fort for protection. Davis did not attack the fort, 
 although at that time it was incomplete. After Captain 
 Davis' attack on the city the Spanish governor again 
 changed the plan of the fort to a trapezium, with outer 
 walls nine feet at the terrepleins and twelve feet at the 
 base, built of coquina, with an interior wall three feet 
 thick. The space between the two walls was filled with 
 earth, covered with rock for the terreplein. It was tw^enly- 
 one feet high, with ramparts and an interior wall about 
 two feet above the terreplein, on which the guns were 
 mounted. There were four bastions filled wath earth. 
 The ditches were forty feet wide, the covered way, glacis, 
 ravelins and place of arms were complete. 
 
 The Spaniards worked diligently on the castle until 
 the siege of 1702 by Governor Moore. It was then in a 
 fair state of completion. It withstood the siege without 
 material damage. 
 
 Between 1703 and 1740, the fort was casemated and 
 placed in a splendid condition for defence, with ample 
 water supply for all the people it could hold. The town 
 was defended by a series of lines of stockades and re- 
 doubts. The north by three lines of defence — one from 
 Fort Moosa to the St. Sebastian, one from the chapel of 
 Nuestra Senora de la Leche, where the Catholic cemetery 
 is now located, and one from the fort to tlie city gates, 
 thence to the St. Seba.stian river. This line bad an 
 embankment and moat forty feet wide. There were five 
 redoubts on the Fort Moosa line, and three redoubts on 
 the other two north lines — one on the west side between 
 the inner and middle north lines, also a line running 
 from the west point of the fort in and along the St. Sebas- 
 tian marsh, thence turning to the eastward, making the 
 south line, with five redoubts on the west and two on the 
 south line. There were five interior lines; the south inte- 
 
106 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 rior line running from the Mantanzas west, connecting 
 with the west hne the New Smyrna road and ferry across 
 the St. Sebastian river. The next interior line ran from 
 the Matanzas westward, connecting with the St. Sebas- 
 tian line on Little Bridge street, with a cross line forming 
 a V, with the point near the monastery, and a redoubt 
 facing the south on each of these east and west lines. The 
 third interior line connects this second east and west inte- 
 rior line about two-thirds of the distance from the Ma- 
 tanzas to the St. Sebastian, with five angles. The next 
 interior line connects the first redoubt on the fort line 
 with the Matanzas, with two redoubts and two angles. 
 
 There was a large battery oil Anastasia Island, cover- 
 ing the main entrances to the harbor. In vain Ogle- 
 thorpe directed the fire of his large number of guns 
 against the solid walls of the castle. The shot, at such a 
 long distance, did not penetrate more than thirty-three 
 inches. This soft shell rock did not fracture or splintei" 
 in the least, but impacked the same almost as the shot 
 did that was thrown into the redoubts. The Spaniards 
 had about fifty cannon, many of them brass, ranging from 
 twelve to forty-eight pounders, and commanded by the 
 brave and skillful General Monteano. On the twentieth 
 day of July, after thirty-eight days' siege, General Ogle- 
 thorpe found it was impossible to breach the walls of the 
 castle sufficiently to make an assault practicable; he 
 abandoned the siege and returned to his territory. 
 
 Governor Monteano repaired the walls of the castle 
 where they had been injured by the besiegers. In 1755, 
 Don Alonzo Fernandez de Herreda was appointed Gov- 
 erner of Florida, and completed the exterior works and 
 finished the fort as it now is, with the exception of the 
 Avater battery, which was constructed by the United 
 States; also the hot-shot furnace, which was completed in 
 1842; also the reconstruction and extension eof the sea 
 wall. 
 
 The Apalachian Indians were compelled to work on 
 the castle for sixty years. To their efforts are probably 
 due the evidence of the immense labor in the construction 
 of the ditches, ramparts and glacis, and the approaches, 
 the huge mass of stone contained in its solid walls. It 
 
PoNCK DE Leon Land. 107 
 
 required the labor of hundreds of workmen for many 
 years, procuring and cutting the stone in the quarries 
 on the island, transporting them to the river and across 
 the bay and fashioning and raising them to their places ; 
 besides the Indians compelled to labor on this structure, 
 some labor was constantly bestowed by the garrison. For 
 a considerable period convicts were brought here from 
 Mexico to work on the defences and other public works. 
 During the repairs and extensions effected by Monteano 
 previous to the siege by Oglethorpe, he worked one hun- 
 dred and forty Mexican convicts. The southwestern 
 bastion is said to have been completed by Monteano. The 
 bastions bore the names of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Charles 
 and St. Augustine. 
 
 It took one hundred guns for its complete armament, 
 with a garrison of one thousand men. It is completed on 
 the Vauban plan of fortification. It is one of the best of 
 this plan of defence. Its strength for resisting shot and 
 shell has been thoroughly tested in earlier days. It has 
 never been taken, although twice besieged and several 
 times attacked. 
 
 Its frowning battlements and sepulchral vaults will 
 long stand after we, and those of our day, shall be num- 
 bered with that long past of which it is a memorial. Of 
 the legends connected with its dark chambers and prison 
 vaults, the chains, the instruments of torture, the skele- 
 tons walled in its secret recesses, of Coacoochee's escape, 
 and many other tales, there is much to say; but it is bet- 
 ter said within its grim walls, where the eye and the im- 
 agination can go together in weaving a web of mystery 
 and awe over its sad associations to the solemn sound of 
 the grating bolts and clanking chains. 
 
 No fortress in all our broad land has as many quaint 
 legends as this thrice named structure — San Juan de Pinos. 
 San Marco and Marion. The entrance is over a draw- 
 bridge to the ravelin and across a bridge to the portcullis. 
 Over the entrance is the court of arms of Spain, with an 
 inscription which is translated : "Don Fernandez the Sixth 
 being King of Spain, and the Field Marshal Don Alonzo 
 Fernandez de Herreda, Governor and Captain-General of 
 the city of St. Augustine, Florida, and its province, this 
 
108 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 fortress was finished in the year 1756. The works were 
 directed by the Captain Engineer, Don Pedro de Brazas y 
 Garay." 
 
 On crossing the portcullis you pass through the mass- 
 ive door into the sallyport; on the right are two guard 
 rooms and a dungeon. The first guard room has a very 
 large fireplace, the next having a smaller one. This dun- 
 geon was evidently used for the confinement of prisoners 
 for minor oft'ences. It was in this cell that Coacoochee 
 and Talums Hadjo were confined. These Indians starved 
 themselves for several days, until they were very much 
 emaciated. They complained to the commanding officer 
 that the confinement in the dark cell made them sick ; 
 they were transferred to the court room with Osceola where 
 they made their escape through iron bars eight inches 
 apart, running horizontally across the ventilator. Next 
 to the door are three niches cut in the wall by Osceola to 
 enable him to climb up and sit on the ledge of the win- 
 dow over the door looking into the quadrangle. The case- 
 mate to the left of the sallyport was the commandant's 
 quarters and had a small fireplace. The next casemate 
 was for the staffs and other officers of the garrison. The 
 next was used for the same purpose, except when the 
 bishop came to Florida to visit his diocese it was used for 
 his quarters; as he came but seldom it was used for officers' 
 quarters principally. The next casemate was the court 
 room ; it was a raised platform for the officers composing 
 the court. On the next door is the last one of the origi- 
 nal Spanish locks of very large dimensions, which was first 
 locked, then a large bolt with a hasp closed the first key- 
 hole and locked with a padlock ; this door is strapped in- 
 side and out and bolted through the straps about five inches 
 apart, so arranged that if the woodwork should be burned 
 or cut away no one could get through the bars. The wood- 
 work has been renewed ; the lock and bars are original ; 
 the doors were thus constructed to all of the casemates. In 
 the northwest corner is the casemate that leads into the 
 magazine; in this room there is a niche very peculiarly 
 shaped. For what purpose it was constructed no one can 
 tell. There is a tradition that the first room was used for 
 the council. If the commandant wished to find out what 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 109 
 
 action any member of that body took on any measures 
 that he put before them, he could conceal himself in this 
 niche in the magazine and find out what action each mem- 
 ber of the council had taken. There is a small aperture 
 from the niche into the council room, but not discernable 
 from that room. 
 
 The next room of historical im}K)rtance is the chapel. 
 In this is the niche for the patron saint, 8t. Augustine, and 
 the altar. The adjoining rooms were used ordinarily for 
 the dormitories and the records of the colony, and for con- 
 demned ])risoners to hear mass before they were executed. 
 At that time they could not bring a condemned prisoner 
 into a chapel; the moment he had a chance to kneel at 
 the altar he could claim the right of sanctuary. In the 
 wall near the spring of the arch is a part of the old tim- 
 bers that crossed the room to support the platform for the 
 choir; on the right are the old timbers wdiere the confess- 
 ional was fastened to the wall — a round, circular place for 
 the priest and for the person to confess ; next is a portion 
 of the two founts for holy water. Who can give the his- 
 tory of this chapel? We know that some of the brightest, 
 best and most patriotic of the Spanish clergy have cele- 
 brated mass within its walls. During the attacks and 
 sieges of this fortress, when they have been driven from their 
 monastery, church and chapels, they gathered within these 
 walls to minister, assist and console their flock. Can we es- 
 timate the value of the labor of this noble band of brothers 
 during the long sieges, when the weeping mothers, wives, 
 sisters and daughters were expecting every moment to 
 have some one of their loved ones brought to them dead 
 or wounded? They were not safe at tlie altar from the 
 flying shot and bursting shell. Nor when celebrating 
 mass or giving the last sad rites to the dead were they 
 secure from danger. 
 
 The next room of historical importance is the pennan- 
 carrah. There were six crosses fastened to the wall on 
 the right hand side of this room, and a large cross at the 
 back with two large shrines, and two smaller shrines to 
 the right and left of the large cross. This was used for 
 the punishment of {)risoners ; they were chained under 
 these crosses for punishment ; the chains were attached to 
 
110 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 a bolt in the wall, it was fastened under the arms with 
 cross chains over the shoulders, holding the prisoners in 
 an upright position so they could neither sit nor lie down. 
 There are two parallel lines at the spring of the arch with 
 large half circles above and small circles below. At the 
 entrance to this dungeon is a large circle with small cir- 
 cles centering on it ; this entrance has been cut out at some 
 time and then made narrower again ; a small part of this 
 wall has been broken away. The door was composed of 
 three tiers of iron bars on broad iron plates; two tiers ver- 
 tical and one tier horizontal intersecting every two inches. 
 
 This dungeon was evidently used for general prison- 
 ers. The room is thirty feet long on the west side, sixteen 
 feet on the east side, seventeen on the south and twenty 
 on the north, making a part of a triangle. The entrance 
 to the next room is through an aperture six feet high and 
 two feet four inches wide. This room is five feet wide at 
 the east end and seven at the west, and twenty feet long, 
 fifteen feet high to the center of the arch. The next room 
 is entered through an aperture thirty inches in height by 
 three feet wide ; this room is twenty feet in length, thirteen 
 in width and seven feet high. These two rooms have 
 been the wonder ot thousands of people since they were 
 first discovered in 1835. Some very curious legends have 
 been related about them. Some historians claim that one 
 was the magazine, others sa}^ that it was the place for the 
 disposal of rubbish for the garrison. 
 
 The magazine was in the northwest bastion. This 
 is shown on a copy of the plan from the Spanish Govern- 
 ment to the War Department. These two rooms wera 
 built to cover a secret entrance to the castle, and were 
 evidently built for that purpose after several attempts had 
 been made to build a gallery from this inner room to 
 some point outside the castle. It was found to be im- 
 practicable. They had to sink a shaft nearly twenty feet 
 to connect with a gallery under the moat. They found 
 they could not drive the piling for the foundation of the 
 gallery in the limited space they had to work in or keep 
 the water from penetrating into the shaft and gallery. 
 The work was abandoned. No one outside the officials 
 and the troops of the garrison knew that the attempt was 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. Ill 
 
 made to build a secret passage-way from this inner room 
 to the outside of the fort. After abandoning the work the 
 entrance to the first secret room was walled up. It was 
 evidently closed with a solid iron door on the outside, 
 and walled up solid on the inside. There was a small 
 concealed entrance from the terreplein into this room ; it 
 was by this giving away while they were moving one of 
 the heavy cannon across this man-hole these rooms were 
 discovered in 1835, fourteen years after it had been trans- 
 ferred to the United States. In this room were cross- 
 timbers and racks for the punishment of prisoners in ex- 
 treme cases. There were two solid iron doors closing the 
 entrance to the next room that opened in and out and 
 could be opened only from the side when they were closed. 
 It is in this room, tradition says, that two skeletons were 
 found in iron cages bolted to the wall — the skeleton of a 
 man and woman. The evidence remaining are the two 
 places in the wall where the cages were fastened. If they 
 were confined there, what was it for? Who were they? 
 What crime had they committed, if any? 
 
 It is probable that the crime committed was that of 
 being in the way of some person of rank and power. If 
 they had committed a crime against the laws of the land 
 they could have brought them to trial and disposed of 
 them without the trouble of immuring them in these 
 secret dungeons. 
 
 I am told by those who have been through all the 
 note ddungeons in the Old World that there are none there 
 to equal these two rooms. Once confined within its gloomy 
 walls death was certain within a few hours, without the 
 least passible chance of escape. It was a strong rod to 
 hold over a people to threaten them with the acquaint- 
 ance of these rooms, knowing that if they were sentenced 
 by the court, or Inquisition, to be confined within their 
 gloomy walls they would never more be heard of in this 
 world. None but the officials know what became of them. 
 What a terror to evil doers to threaten them witli the ac- 
 quaintance of these terrible dungeons. 
 
 The next room of historical importance is the room 
 to the right, under the arch, which was used for the hos- 
 pital. There is a niche in this room on the left hand side 
 
112 Ponce de Leon Land, 
 
 as you go in, where, tradition says, there was found eight- 
 een thousand dollars concealed. At the end is a very pe- 
 culiar niche, which is supposed to have been used for the 
 dead until they were sent to their last resting place. This 
 is the last room that has historical interest. In the moat 
 facing the Matanzas, to the right and left on the inner 
 sides of the bastions, are a large number of bullet holes, 
 which were made in the execution of prisoners. There is 
 no fortress in our country that has so quaint a history as 
 San Juan de Pinas, San Marco and Fort Marion. It 
 should be remembered that within these walls served some 
 of the best and bravest of the Spanish nobility, and at its 
 altar some of its best missionaries have celebrated mass 
 and preached the word of our Redeemer. 
 
 No one that has not visited this old fortress can con- 
 ceive what it is. One should sit within one of its case- 
 mates and listen to the screech of those peculiar birds that 
 nest and hatch their young within its walls — the monkey- 
 faced owl, one of the quaintest birds on this continent-— 
 and view the peculiar shadows cast on its gray and aged 
 walls, or from its lofty watch tower see the moon rising 
 out of the broad Atlantic, casting a flood of light like burn- 
 ished silver over the water. . This is one of the few places 
 on this continent that takes us back to the feudal ages. 
 On this broad terreplein is one of the finest promenades 
 in the United States. Who can say that this is not one 
 of the most historical points in all our broad land? 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 118 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Descriptive Plan of Fort Marion, Florida. 
 
 FORT MARION is built on the plan of a trapezium af- 
 ter the pattern established by Marshal Vanban, of 
 France. It has four bastions, lour curtains, twenty- 
 six casemates, one magazine, four dungeons and two small 
 rooms under the rampart leading to the terreplein, para- 
 pet and rampart, corridor, banquet superior slope, scarp 
 and counter scarp wall connects demilune and two half 
 demilunes, covered way extending from the counter scarp 
 to the glacis, except on the water front, which has a water 
 battery, built by the United States in 1842; one watch tower, 
 three sentry towers, two drawbridges and one port cullis. 
 Tiie watch tower is a higher elevation tlian the fort or any 
 portion of the surrounding country, enabling the sentinel 
 to see every vessel or person approaching, in time to give 
 warnino:. It overlooked the Indian villages of Tolomato 
 and Toi)i<[ui. The three sentry towers are at the extreme 
 •outer angle of the bastion, and are erenelled for riflemen 
 to fire through, and to enable the sentinels to sec any one 
 approaching the fortress. 
 
 The terreplein is the place where the guns are mounted. 
 The Spanish guns were mounted on large field carriages. 
 The fort has embrasures on three sides only. On the wa- 
 ter front the parapet is lower than on the other sides, so 
 as to allow them to bring their heaviest guns to bear on 
 tlie water front, as they had most to fear from an attack 
 by water. The parapet is the wall above the rampart, 
 and extends from the banquet to the scarp; the superior 
 slope is the top of the parapet, with a fall of one foot in five; 
 the cordon is a coping of dressed stone projecting eight 
 inches from the face of the scarp; it is rounded, so as to 
 leave no sharp corners that a hook might catch hold on, 
 and to increase the difficulty in scaling ; it gives the scarp 
 a finished appearance; the scarp wall inclines in from the 
 .ground to the rampart, with a sloj)e of one-fifth : the mag- 
 istral is where the face of the searp meets the under sur- 
 face af the cordon. From this line all distances are meas- 
 8b 
 
114 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 Tired; it is the most important line about the work. The 
 counter scarp is the face wall of the moat; the water runs 
 into the moat at high tide, and runs out at low tide. Dur- 
 ing the Spanish occupation there were automatic gates that 
 opened when the tide came in and closed when it started 
 out, thus retaining the water. The cuuette is the center 
 of the moat, with the earth sloping to it in a regular grade 
 to carry the water away. The quadrangle, or interior 
 court, is one hundred feet square; the terreplein is thirty- 
 eight feet wide; there are four bastions, one at each cor- 
 ner, which enables the defence to concentrate the fire of a 
 whole front on any point within range, and also to sweep 
 its own moats. The line of the fronts is broken up into a 
 number of lines in a peculiar manner, and the result is 
 what is known as a bastion front. 
 
 The demilune is V-shaped, the salient of which is 
 toward the middle of the south curtain, and protects the 
 entrance. It has a moat surrounding it. The walls are 
 several feet lower than the main work. The two sides 
 are called faces; the interior is called the gorge of the 
 demilune. There are two half demilunes, one on the 
 north and one on the west curtains. 
 
 Places of Arms. — To make a sortie, with any chance 
 of success, troops must be assembled in considerable num- 
 bers, and columns of attack must be organized as close 
 to the enemy as possible without discovery. There are 
 two places on each front for such assemblies: (1) The 
 salient place of arms; (2) the right re-entering place of 
 arms; (3) the left re-entering place of arms. 
 
 The salient place of arms is the part of the covered 
 way in the angle immediately in front of the salient of the 
 demilune. 
 
 The right re-entering place of arms is where the cov- 
 ered way in front of the right face of the demilune meets 
 the covered wa}^ of the main work. There both covered 
 ways are widened considerably, and the quadrangle (four- 
 sided) space thus obtained is the right re-enterir.g place 
 of arms. 
 
 The left re-entering place of arms occupies a similar 
 position in front of the left face of the demilune. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 115 
 
 A salient augle is an angle that projects outward ; a 
 re-entering angle is an angle that projects inward. 
 
 The Glacis is to protect the scarp wall as much as 
 possible from an enemy's fire. It is a mass of earth thrown 
 up outside the covered way, and sloping with the same 
 inclination as the superior slope of the parapet of the 
 main work. To the gunner looking over the })arapet of 
 the main work, this slope should look like a continuation 
 of the superior slope. The glacis extends outwanl always 
 at the same inclination until it meets the natural surface 
 of the ground upon which the fort is built. The crest, or 
 highest point of the glacis, is on the side of the covered 
 way, where it ends abruptly in a wall of masonr}^ just 
 like a parapet. 
 
 The main gate, or entrance, is in the middle of the 
 south curtain. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 SlKGK OrKKATlONS. 
 
 THE BESIEGING ARMY.— When it has been deter- 
 mined to reduce a fortified place by regular ap- 
 proaches, an army is toled off for tlie work. The 
 army should consist of inftmtry, cavalry, field artillery, 
 siege artillery, and engineer troops, and should be suffi- 
 ciently strong for the work it has to do, for not only must 
 it be able to execute nil the siege operations required, but 
 at the same time to repel any possible sorties from the 
 garrison and to stand off any outside army that might 
 attemj)t to raise the siege. 
 
 Strength of the Besieging Ahmy. — This will vary 
 with circumstances. As a rule, however, exf)erience has 
 shown that 0,5<'0 infantry per mile of investments are 
 none too many in a siege of first-class itnportance. 
 
 Field Artillery. — The number of field guns re- 
 quired depends upon the number and character of the 
 
ll<i Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 infantry troops. The better the infantry the fewer field 
 guns are needed. On an average, five guns per thousand 
 infantry ought to be enough. 
 
 Cavalky. — Cavah'Y are indispensable in siege opera- 
 tions. The country behind the besieging army, in all 
 directions, must be constantly scouted and thoroughly 
 picketed during the siege, and should a relieving army 
 show itself anywhere within threatening distance, contact 
 with it must be maintained by cavalry troops and the 
 commanding general kept fully informed of all its move- 
 ments. As it is not unlikely that a portion of the besieg- 
 ing army will be called upon to join battle with the 
 relieving army during the progress of the siege, the former 
 should have at least the usual proportion of cavalr}'' — say 
 from one-eighth to one-fifth the number of its infantry. 
 
 Thio Cokps of Observation. — Is that portion of the 
 besieging arm}' detached to watch the movements of a 
 relieving force, and to fight it if necessar3^ 
 
 Siege Artillery. — Siege guns' in sufficient num- 
 bers, and artillerymen to serve them, should be on hand, 
 or within easy reach, before siege operations are under- 
 taken. There is no fixed rule as to the number and cali- 
 ber of guns required, unless it be " more the better." 
 The greater the number of guns in action the easier it is 
 to maintain an overwhelming fire with the accuracy 
 which requires deliberation. There is economy in it. 
 The Germans had 200 rifled siege guns and 88 mortars 
 at the siege of Strasburg, and they could have used more 
 to advantage. 
 
 The Investment. — The investment should be sud- 
 den and complete. The cavalry of the besieging army, 
 supported by the corps of observation, advances rapidly, 
 drives the enemy inside the works, capturing as many 
 prisoners as possible, and seizing all the roads and by- 
 paths leading into it. The main body of the besieging 
 army follows the corps of observation. 
 
 The Camps. — Having got as close to the work as it 
 is safe to go, the besieging army is distributed in conveni- 
 ent positions on all sides of the work, where camps are 
 established facing outward and out of sight of the enem3^ 
 The camp faces outward — that is, away from the work — 
 because any serious attack must come from that direction. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 117 
 
 The Line of Circumvallation. — As tlic j^reatest 
 danger to the besieging army is apt to come from the 
 outside, it first fortifies itself in that direction. After the 
 camps are estabhshed, facing outward as already said, a 
 line of entrenchments is thrown up about 100 yards in 
 front of the camp. Of course due advantage is taken of 
 all the natural features of the ground. Commanding 
 points — key points as they are called — Avill be crowned 
 with redoubts, armed with field artillery, and joined to 
 each other by an ordinary trench for riflemen. 
 
 The Line ofCountervallation. — In rear of cam[)s — 
 that is, toward the work — another line of entrenchments 
 is thrown up. This will be about the same distance in 
 rear as the line of circumvallation is in front of the 
 camp, with such variation as the features of the ground 
 may demand. The two lines are exactly alike, so far as 
 their construction is concci'ued. The key [toints are 
 crowned with redoubts armed with artillery and con- 
 nected by rifle trenches. This new line of entrenchments 
 is called the line of circumvallation. 
 
 Of course the line of countervallation, being intended 
 to stop any sortie from the work which might succeed 
 in getting so far, will be constructed on ground best 
 suited for that purpose. Still it is not wise to have it too 
 far away from the outer line. Any desperate attem|)t to 
 raise the seige wall consist of attacks from both direc- 
 tions, and it is an advantage to be able to rajiidly 
 reinforce one line from the other. Care should be taken, 
 however, that the line should not l)e placed so that an en- 
 in front of one could not take the other in reverse. 
 
 The SiRVEY. — While the camps, roads and lines are 
 being constructed, an accurate survey of the work and its 
 surroujidings is made, and a plan thereof prepared for 
 the information of the commanding general. This plan 
 should show the position of the salients and as many of 
 the details of the work as can be accurately ascertained, 
 especially on the fronts selected for attacks. The plan 
 should show such interior features of the works as have 
 been ascertained to exist. 
 
 Siege Material. — When the camps, roads and lines 
 have been completed, the besieging army is set to work 
 
118 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 preparing and collecting siege material. Gabions, fas- 
 cines, faggots and sap rollers are made : logs are cut, 
 hewed and hauled ; siege guns and mortars, ammunition, 
 intrenching tools, and stores are brought up ; work shops 
 storehouses, and magazines are built ; necessary roads are 
 made, and everything done that can in any way help 
 along the siege when it is once begun. 
 
 Gabions. — A gabion is a rough cylindrical wicker- 
 work basket, open at both ends. It is two feet in diame- 
 ter, and two feet, nine inches high. Gabions are needed 
 in immense quantities during the siege. They are made 
 by the troops. If there be any woods in the vicinity of 
 the camps, soldiers may provide themselves with the nec- 
 essary material ; if not, material is brought to the camps 
 in wagons. The material consists of stakes or pickets 
 three feet long and about one inch in diameter, and wat- 
 tHng twigs not quite so thick as the pickets, but as long- 
 as can be procured. 
 
 To Make a Gabion. — A direct circle, which the 
 soldiers make for themselves, and a hatchet are all the 
 tools required. The directing circle consists of two con- 
 centric hooi)s, tlie minor one two feet in diameter and 
 the outer one four inches larger. Three blocks, two inches 
 thick, are inserted between the hoops and lashed securely 
 ill position by means of pack thread. In making the 
 gabion, the directing circle is laid on the ground and 
 seven or nine pickets are driven at equal distance apart 
 in the open ring, space of the directing circle. These 
 pickets are the ribs of the gabion. When pickets are all 
 driven the directing circle is slipped up about halfway to 
 the top of the pickets and the upper half of the gabion is 
 completed by wattling twigs between the pickets until the 
 rough basket work reaches nearly to the top of the stakes. 
 The gabion is then turned upside down, the directing cir- 
 cle is removed, the other half of the gabion is wattled in 
 iiH before, and the gabion is complete. 
 
 Fascines is a bundle of twigs nine inches in diamter 
 and ten feet long, firmly bound at intervals with 
 wire spun yarn or tough withes. When withes are used 
 for binding their pliability can be increased by warming- 
 over a Hame innnediately before using them. Fascines 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 119 
 
 are also made by the troops. The tools required are a 
 fascine horse, a fascine chocker and a hatchet. The horse 
 and the chocker are made by the men. 
 nUliJil'JA fascine horse is made by driving stakes obliquely 
 in the ground in pairs, the stakes crossing each other 
 about two feet above the ground, thus making something 
 like an improvised sawbuck ten feet long. The pairs of 
 stakes should be two feet apart. 
 
 A fascine chocker is simply two stakes or hand-spikes 
 and a piece of rope, with loops at the end sufficiently 
 long to go around the loose bundle of twigs, which, when 
 choked, bound and trimmed, becomes a fascine. 
 
 To make the fascine, lay a sufficient number of twigs 
 lengthwise in the facine horse, choke and bind at inter- 
 vals of two feet and then trim the ends. 
 
 Fagots are bundles of twigs nine inches in diameter 
 and two feet nine inches long. They are bound in the 
 same way as fascines, around a central stake, which pro- 
 jects six inches at each end. One end of this stake is 
 sharpened, the other .serves as a handle. 
 
 A sap roller is simply an enormous gabion, four feet 
 four inches in diameter and seven feet six inches long, 
 and stuffed with short fascines. It is used in running a 
 full sap. 
 
 Planning Approaches. — While the work above de- 
 scribed is going on, the commanding general, assisted 
 by the proper staff officers, and the plan of work al- 
 ready described, selects the bastion to be attacked and 
 plans the approaches. He selects sites for the artillery 
 park, the magazines, the engineering depot and the bat- 
 teries. In short, he lays down the siege operations on 
 paper. 
 
 The Artillery Park. — The artillery park is the 
 ground arsenal of the siege. It should be established at 
 some place where it will be safely hidden and conve- 
 nient. It is fenced in with a close board fence, at least 
 eight feet high, is guarded and occupied by artillery 
 troops, and it contains artillery storerooms, magazines, 
 wheelwright shops, blacksmith shops, saddlers' shops, and 
 carpenter shops. The magazine should be carefully sepa- 
 rated from the rest of the park, and every precaution 
 
120 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 should be taken to prevent fire, or to extinguish it 
 promptly should it break out anywhere. The artillery 
 park is kept as secret as possible. No one is allowed tO' 
 enter without proper authority. Its business offices are 
 situated some distance from the park. Orders for sup- 
 plies are delivered to the guard at the gate, and stores 
 or ammunition are delivered to applicants at the same 
 place. Only the artillery troops on duty at the park are 
 permitted to enter. 
 
 The Engineering Depot. — The engineering depot 
 is an enclosure somewhat similar to the artillery park. It 
 contains the entrenching tools, engineering instruments, 
 materials for a siege, and is occupied by engineer troops. 
 
 The First Parallel. — When the artillery park and 
 engineering depot are finished and stocked with at least 
 ten days' supply of ammunition and material, when tlie 
 guns are all up, and the plan of the siege completed, the 
 first parallel is established. 
 
 Tracing the Parallel. — The first parallel is traced 
 by the engineers of the trenches. A dark night is selected; 
 a foggy day would answer the purpose better. The en- 
 gineer of the trenches, with a plan of the approaches in 
 his hand, and accompanied by the necessary assistants, 
 finds his way to the middle point of the parallel. This 
 point has been previously determined and marked thus: 
 ^ on the plan. From that point he starts an assistant 
 to run the right half and another to run the left half 
 of the parallel. He sees that these assistants start, each 
 with the correct bearing of his branch. Guided by the 
 compasses these assistants march slowly along the lino of 
 the parallel, followed by a man carrying a tape reel. The 
 ends of the tapes have been made fast to the initial point, 
 and the tape on each reel is the exact length of the half- 
 parallel. The tape is ordinary white tape, about three- 
 quarters of an inch in width. As it runs off" the reel it is 
 permitted to lie On the ground, and is distinctly visible, 
 even in the darkness. When the tape is all paid out the 
 engineers know that they have reached the end of the 
 parallel, and the ends are made fast at B and C. 
 
 The First Guard of the Trenches. — While the 
 first parallel is being traced a guard of sufficient strength 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 121 
 
 to occupy the parallel from end to end is drawn u{) in 
 line some distance behind the line of the parallel. The 
 men are instructed to advance directly to their front in 
 perfect silence to and twenty yards beyond the white 
 tape, and there to lie down and watch. They are the 
 guard of the trenches. 
 
 The Working Party. — A working party of suffi- 
 cient strength to occupy the parallel at one yard intervals 
 is assembled at the engineer depot at a short time before 
 dark, and provided with intrenching tools. They are 
 deployed at dusk in rear of the groand first occupied by 
 the guard of the trenches, and instructed to follow the 
 guard in its advance until they came to the white tape, 
 and there to dig, throwing the dirt toward the enemy. 
 By daylight a good servicable trench will be thrown up 
 forming the first parallel. 
 
 Enfilading Batteries — P'^irst Parallel. — Before 
 the approaches can be driven forward it is necessary that 
 the artillery fire of certain faces of the work be subdued. 
 For this purpose enfilading batteries arc constructed. 
 The faces to be subdued are those of the attacked bastion 
 and the inner faces of the adjacent demilunes. The enfi- 
 lading batteries of the first jxxrallel are placed .so as to 
 sweep these faces. On the plan Nos. 1 and o on the 
 right of the parallel enfilades the inner face of the left ad- 
 jacent demilune, Nos. 5 and 7 the right face of the at- 
 tacked bastion. On the left parallel Nos. 2 and 4 enfi- 
 lade the inner face of the right adjacent demilune, and 
 and 8 the left face of the attacked bastion. Each bat- 
 tery should contain four siege guns. The positions for 
 these batteries are .selected during the day and the bat- 
 teries carefully staked out. At night they are thrown up 
 by artiller\' trooi)s, and the platforms are laid and the 
 guns placed in position. On the morning of the second 
 (lay then eight batteries of the first parallel, containing 
 thirty-two siege guns, should be ready for action. If it 
 ,be deemed advisable, more batteries may be constructed. 
 There is room for any number of them. 
 
 Mortar Batteries — First Parallel. — In order to 
 annoy the besieged garrison, to break up its bombproof 
 shelters and generally demolish the protections, and if 
 
122 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 possible blow up its magazines, a number of mortar bat- 
 teries are constructed in front of the lEirst parallel. The 
 heaviest mortars are placed so as to fire along the capitals 
 of the attacked bastions and adjacent demilunes. Thus 
 eight mortar batteries are placed on the line a b, four on 
 c d, and four on e f, and, as each battery should contain 
 four mortars, there would be sixty-four mortars in front of 
 the first parallel. 
 
 These mortar batteries are constructed by artillery 
 troops during the second night of the siege. They should 
 be sunken batteries, so as not to mask the fire of the par- 
 allel, and they should all be ready to open on the second 
 morning. 
 
 Road-Making. — During the first day the working 
 party on duty perfects and completes the first parallel, 
 digs the necessary drains and ditches, and makes a good 
 macadamized road in the bottom of the trench through- 
 out the whole extent of the parallel. Other working par- 
 ties build roads, also macademized, connecting the ap- 
 proaches with the artillery park. All these roads should 
 be finished before night. The batteries on the right of 
 the parallel have exclusive use of the left road. The 
 mortar batteries must use the middle road. 
 
 The First Bombardment. — On the second morning 
 of the siege fire should be opened from every gun and 
 mortar in position, each battery directing its fire upon its 
 assigned target, and the fire should be kept up until the 
 guns of the works on the face attacked are practically 
 silenced. It is not to be assumed that the casualties will 
 be on one side during this bombardment. Guns and car- 
 riages will be disabled in the siege batteries as well as in 
 the work. But the besiegers are better prepared to replace 
 guns than the garrison. A number of guns stand ready 
 near the siege batteries, under the shelter of the parallel, 
 and whenever a gun is disabled another is run forward to 
 replace it, and the fire is delayed but a few minutes. Dis- 
 abled guns and material are immediately sent back to the 
 artillery park, strong detachments of park artillerymen 
 being always on hand near the batteries for this kind of 
 work. 
 
 Road Regulations. — The road from the artillery 
 
PoNCK DE Leon Land. 123 
 
 park to the batteries must always be kept open for traffic. 
 To this end everybody connected with the siege must con- 
 fine themselves strictly to their alloted roads. Infantry 
 troops, ambulances, and all supplies other than artillery 
 material and ammunition, should never use the artillery 
 roads, and the rule "keep to the right" should be strictly 
 enforced on all roads. 
 
 The Approaches. — Three approaches are driven 
 forward from the first parallel on the third night of the 
 siege ; one along the capital of the attacked bastion, and 
 one along the capital of each adjacent demilune. They 
 are known as the right, left and center attack, according 
 to their position in line. These approaches are not 
 driven straight along the capital, as that would expose 
 them to a sweeping fire from the work. To avoid such 
 an enfilade tlie}^ zigzag like a ship beating to windward, 
 and never present an end to any portion of the besieged 
 work. The rule is that the prolongation of every branch 
 of the approaches must pass in front of every salient 
 of the besieged work. 
 
 Working Parties. — The approaches are driven for- 
 ward by working parties detailed by company from the 
 infantry of the besieging arm}^, in such numbers as the 
 engineer of the trenches may require. Batteries and artil- 
 lery communications are made and repaired by artillery 
 troops assigned to that work by the chief of artillery. 
 The tour of duty for working parties should be eight 
 hours. The reliefs on duty during the night drive the 
 approaches as far foivvard as practicable, doing the work 
 in the rough as it were. Those on duty during the day 
 deepen and widen the trench, attend to its drainage 
 and construct a good, practicable macadamized road 
 along it. The road and the drainage are very important 
 features. If they be neglected the trench is apt to become 
 an impassable quagmire. It must be remembered that 
 the approaches are the great highways of the siege, and 
 that there is a constant stream of heavy traffic passing 
 along them to and from the front. 
 
 The Simple Tken<'H. — As long as the danger from 
 the enemy's fire is inconsiderable — that is, at long range — 
 the approaches are driven forward by means of the 
 
124 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 simple trench ; that is, the men distribute themselves on 
 the line marked out, and cover themselves as quickly as 
 possible by digging and throwing the earth toward the 
 enemy. The trench should be at least five feet deep and 
 nine feet wide at the bottom. No gabions should be used 
 in its construction. 
 
 Tracing the ArrKOACHES. — The engineer of tho 
 trenches sees that sufficient work is laid out for every 
 working party in advance. He has an assistant with each 
 party, and it is his duty to trace the ap})roaches. This is 
 done by stretching a white tape along the line of the ap- 
 proach. The men of the working party, if the advance 
 be by means of the simple trench, arrange themselves 
 along the tape and dig, throwing the earth over the tape 
 in the direction of the enem3^ As a rule, the simple 
 trench can be used up to the second parallel. 
 
 Guarding the Working Parties. — While working- 
 parties always have their arms stacked within reach, and 
 are ready in some measure to defend themselves in case 
 of attack, still a strong guard is always necessary to pro- 
 tect not only the workmen, but their work. The force 
 thus empLn'ed is known as the guard of the trenches. It 
 is detailed by battalions, the I'oster being kept at the head- 
 quarters of the besieging army; and its tour of duty is 
 twenty-four hours. A sufficient number of battalions are 
 detailed to completely occupy the parallel, and, in addition, 
 several field batteries and battalions of cavalry are detailed 
 to cover flanks. These take up a convenient position, 
 hidden from the enemy, outside of and some distance be- 
 hind the batteries, on the flank of the first parallel. While 
 the approaches are being driven forward from the first 
 parallel, the guard of the trenches occupy the parallel. 
 
 The Second Parallel. — The working parties in the 
 approaches are safe from attack as long as they are nearer 
 the guards in the parallel than the enemy in his outworks, 
 but in course of time they get so far to the front that they 
 are liable to be jumped on by a sortie before the guard 
 can come to their assistance. To avoid this danger, the 
 second parallel is constructed at a point a little short of 
 the danger point — that is, less than half-way to the ene- 
 my's nearest outwork. There is no regulation distance 
 between parallels. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 125 
 
 The second parallel is similar to the first, but shorter, 
 so that the flanks of the parallel are covered by fire from 
 the first parallel, and the artillery fire from the infilading 
 batteries will pass outside its extremities. If the work on 
 the approaches has progressed favorably, the second par- 
 allel should be thrown up on the fifth night of the siege. 
 The guartl of the trenches move into it before daylight on 
 the hfth morning. Still work continues on it after its 
 occupation until it becomes a safe, serviceable and conve- 
 nient avenue of communication and lodgment of troops. 
 
 To enable the guard of the trenches to advance 
 promptly over the parallel against any sortie that may be 
 sent out by the besieged garrison, the side of the trench 
 toward the enemy and the interior slope of the parapet, 
 or cut into steps and riveted with fascines. 
 
 Batteries ok the Second Parallel. — To help the 
 batteries of the first parallel in finishing the work as- 
 signed them, and also to counterbatter the curtains and 
 inner face of the collateral bastions, batteries are con- 
 structed on the flanks of the second parallel similar to 
 those on the Hank of the first. These batteries should be 
 so placed as not to mask the fire of the batteries of the 
 first parallel. The batteries of tlie second parallel may 
 be armed with guns and mortars of smaller calil)re than 
 those of the first. 
 
 Breachi.vo thk Demilune. — Before the introduction 
 ■of rifled canon, it was necessary to drive forward the ap- 
 proaches to the very crest of the glacis and there establish 
 batteries to breach the scarp. P>ut this is no longer nec- 
 essary. Indeed a breach can be made at one mile range 
 with greater facility than at shorter ranges, and the work 
 might be done at still greater distances. If, therefore, the 
 first parallel has been established within 2, ()()() yards of 
 the works, the batteries of that pai'allel will be favorably 
 situated for breaching batteries. If, however, the first 
 parallel was established at a greater distance, f^ay 8,000 
 yards, then the breaching butteries would be on the second 
 parallel. The batteries on the first ))arnllel two within 
 easy breeching distance. 
 
 When the guns on the faces of tlie attacked bastions 
 iand those on the inner faces of the adjacent demilunes 
 
126 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 have all been silenced and the fire from other parts of 
 the works is well under control, the two demilunes are 
 subjected to a steady shower of shell from the mortars in 
 the first and second parallels. This fire is intended to 
 drive the enemy out of the demilune and its covered way 
 and places of arms, and should be kept up night and day. 
 Meantime the batteries of the second parallel are assigned 
 the duty of keeping down the fire of the work and pre- 
 venting repairs, and the batteries of the first parallel pre- 
 pare to breach the demilunes. 
 
 The Third Parallel. — Assuming that the second 
 parallel was established about 1,200 yards from the 
 work, further approaches by means of simple trench will 
 be too dangerous and resort must be had to the flying sap. 
 The flying sap is the simple trench plus a pair of gabions. 
 The approaches having been traced with tape as before, 
 each man of the working party at the head of the sap 
 provides himself with a couple of gabions. These he car- 
 ries, one on each side, by passing the handle of his pick 
 through one and the handle of his shovel through the 
 other, the lower edge of the gabions resting on the shovel 
 and the pick. At the word, perhaps a dozen men so 
 equipped rush forward, plant their gabions on the ene- 
 my's side of the tape, and fill them with earth as fast as 
 possible. When the gabions are filled the digger has 
 tolerable shelter, and proceeds with his work more leis- 
 urely. Such method is not free from danger ; but as the 
 work is done at night and the men need not all rush for- 
 ward at the same time, the danger is not very great, and 
 is more than counterbalanced by the celerity of the opera- 
 tion. 
 
 The third and all subsequent parallels are constructed 
 in the same way as the second, special care being given 
 to the ste|»es in tlie parapet and trench. These parallels 
 are merely lodgments for troops, and they are constructed 
 with that purpose in view. 
 
 The Full Sap. — Beyond the third parallel it may 
 be found necessary to resort to the full sap, or rather a 
 modification of that contrivance. The sap roller should 
 not bo necessary as the head of the sap is not exposed to 
 any direct fire. But modern arms and modern marks- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 127 
 
 manship are such that the flying sap will have to be 
 abandoned when the third parallel is reached. 
 
 The full sap, minus tlie sap roller, should be run by 
 trained men, called sappers. Eight sa})pers constitutes a 
 brigade, or rather the brigade consists of four sappers and 
 four assistants. 
 
 No. 1 sa])per stands in the trench already dug, and 
 well covered by the gabion and parapet already con- 
 structed, tosses anotlier gabion into position, and fills it 
 by throwing the earth forward into it. When the gabion 
 is filled he gives place to No. 2 sapper, who contin- 
 ues the digging, throwing the earth over the gabion 
 until he is exhausted. Nos. 3 and 4 follow in the same 
 way, and then the assistants take up the work, widening 
 and deepening the trench, while No. 1 fills another gabion. 
 In this way the sap can be advanced at the rate of two 
 feet in ten minutes without much danger. Of course the 
 approaches are not complete wiien the assistant sapf)ers 
 are through with it. The regular working party com- 
 pletes it in the usual way. 
 
 In this way the approaches are driven forward, and 
 parallel after parallel is constructed until assaulting dis- 
 tance is reached. Assaulting distance is about fifty yards. 
 
 When the last parallel is finished and occupied, the 
 demilunes is breached, batteries 1, -3, 5 and 7 direct their 
 fire u])on the scarp of the demilune on their side immedi- 
 atel}' behind the pancoupes, marked X in plan. Batteries 
 2, 4, 6 and 8 direct their fire on the scarp of the other 
 demilune in a similar manner. Batteries 9, 11, 13 and 
 15 counterbatter and keep down the fire of the main work 
 in their front, and batteries 10, 12, 14 and IG do the same 
 for their front. The gunners are guided by observers in 
 the parallel nearest tlie work, receiving reports by tele- 
 graph, telephone or signal. A practical breach should 
 be efiectcd in a few hours. 
 
 Breaching the Main Work. — When the di^miluncs 
 have been breached, the breaching batteries turn tl)eir 
 attention to the attacked bastion, directing their fire on 
 its salient, in accordance with the report of the observer 
 in the nearest panillel. This salient, being subjected to 
 a. cross fi re from all the batteries in the })arallel, will be 
 
128 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 breached in u very short time. Meantime the demilunes 
 should have been assaulted and carried, and the infantry 
 should be ready to storm the breach in the attacked bas- 
 tion the moment it becomes practicable. 
 
 The artillery operations subsequent to breaching the 
 attacked bistion will vary in each siege. The fire of the 
 work must be kept down, and every breach must be pre- 
 pared for assault by showers of shell from the mortars 
 upon the position immediately behind the breach, and 
 wherever the defenders may be supposed to find lodg- 
 ment. Should the demilunes or bastions be found to be 
 retrenched the entrenchments must be subjected to a ver- 
 tical and carved fire until they are finally assaulted and 
 carried. Machine guns will no doubt play a prominent 
 part on both sides during the later stages of the conflict. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXL 
 
 The Transfer of Florida to England, in 17(33. 
 
 THE Province of Florida was ceded to England by 
 treaty in 1763. The Spanish inhabitants very gen- 
 erally left the country, which had been under Span- 
 ish rule for nearly two hundred years, and certainly in 
 no portion of this country had less progress been made. 
 Beyond the walls occupied by its garrison little had been 
 attempted or accomplished in these two hundred years. 
 This was in part, attributable to the circumstances of the 
 country, the frequent hostility of the Indians and tlie want 
 of that material support given by neighborhoods, which in 
 Florida are less practicable than elsewhere; but it was still 
 more owing to the character of the Spanish inhabitants, who 
 were more soldiers than civilians, and more townsmen 
 than agriculturists; at all events, at the cession of Florida 
 to Great Britain the number of inhabitants was not over 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 129 
 
 five thousand. The English Governor made several ex- 
 tensive improvements. During their occupation they 
 constructed large barracks for troops and a bridge across 
 the St. Sebastian. It is stated the number of inhabitants 
 of East Florida, which in those days meant mostly St. 
 Augustine, from 1603 to 1771, was as follows: House- 
 holders, besides women, two hundred and eighty eight; 
 imported by Mr. Turnbull, from Minorca, one thousand 
 four hundred ; negroes, upwards of nine hundred ; of the 
 Tvhite heads of ftimilies one hundred and forty-four were 
 married, which was just one-half; thirty-one wore store- 
 keepers and traders, three haberdashers, lifteen inn keep- 
 ers, forty-five artificers and mechanics, one hundred and 
 ten planters, four hunters, six cowkeepers, eleven over- 
 seers, twelve draftsmen in the employ of the Government, 
 besides mathematicians; fifty-oight had left the province, 
 twenty-eight died, of whom four, acting as constables, 
 were killed ; two were hanged for piracy. Among the 
 names of those then residing in East. Florida were Sir 
 Charles Burdet, William Drayton, planter, C'iiief Justice ; 
 Rev. John Forbes, parson. Judge of Admiralty and Coun- 
 seller ; Rev. M. Eraser, parson at Mosquit ; Governor 
 James Grant, Honorable John Moultre, planter and Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor; William Stark, Esq., historian; Andrew 
 Turnbull, Esq., His Majesty's Counsellor ; l>arnard Ro- 
 mans, draftsman ; William Bartram, planter, and James 
 Moultre, Esq. 
 
 The lighthouse on Anastasia Island had been con- 
 structed of coquinaby the Spaniards. In 17(39, by order 
 of General Haldiman, it was raised sixty feet liigher wi-th 
 frame work ; and had a cannon planted on top, which was 
 fired the moment the flag was hoisted for a signal to the 
 town and pilots that a vessel was in sight. The light- 
 house had two flag-staffs, one to the south and one to the 
 north ; on either of which the flag was hoisted, to the 
 south if the vessel was coming from there, and to the 
 north if the vessel was coming from that direction. 
 
 The town is one of the healthiest in the United States. 
 It is nearly surrounded by salt water, with plenty of 
 fruit, figs, guavas, })lantains, pomegranates, lemons, limes, 
 
 9b 
 
130 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 citrons, shaddocks, bergamot, China and Seville oranges, 
 the latter full of fruit through the winter. On the third 
 of January, 1776, the thermometer sunk to 26°, with the 
 wind from the northwest. The ground was frozen an 
 inch deep. This was the fatal night that destroyed the 
 lime, citrus and banana trees in St. Augustine. In 1740 
 there was a snow-storm, and again in 1836. It did no 
 damage. 
 
 Dr. Nicholas Turnbull, in 1767, associated with Sir 
 William Duncan and other Englishmen of note, projected 
 a colony of European emigrants to be settled at New 
 Smyrna. He brought from the islands of Greece, Corsica 
 and Minorca some fourteen hundred persons, agreeing to 
 convey them free of expense, finding them in clothing- 
 and provisions, and at the end of three years to give fifty 
 acres of land to each head of a family and twenty-five to 
 each child. After a long passage they arrived and founded 
 the settlement. The principal article of cultivation was 
 indigo, which commanded a higli price at that time, and 
 was assisted by a bounty from the English Government. 
 
 After a few years, Turnbull, as it is alleged, either 
 from avarice or naturally evil mind, assumed control the 
 most absolute over these colonies, and practiced cruelties 
 most painful to them. 
 
 An insurrection took place in 1769 among them, in 
 consequence of severe punishment, which was speedily 
 repressed, and the leaders brought to trial before the court 
 at St. Augustine. Five of the number were convicted 
 and sentenced to death. Governor Grant pardoned two of 
 the five, and a third was relea.sed upon the condition of 
 his becoming the executioner of the other two. Nine 
 years after the commencement of their settlement their 
 number had becoirK^ reduced from one thousand four 
 hundred to six hundred. In 1776 proceedings were in- 
 stituted in theirbehalf by Mr. Younge, the Attorney-Gen- 
 eral of the province, which resulted in their heing exon- 
 erated from the contract with Turnbull; and they were 
 thereu))on assigned lothe noithern f)ait "f the city, wliich 
 was )»rincipally built up by them, and their descendants 
 at the present day form the largest part of the population 
 of the place. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 131 
 
 Governor Grant was the first English governor, and 
 was a gentleman of much energy. During his term of 
 office he projocted many great and permanent improve- 
 ments in the province. 
 
 The public road, known as the King's road, from St. 
 Augustine to Smyrna, and from St. Augustine to Jack- 
 sonville, and thence to Colerayne, was then constructed, 
 and remains a lasting monument of his wisdom and 
 desire for improvement. 
 
 Governor Tanyn succeeded Governor Grant, and a 
 legislative council was authorized to assemble, and a pre- 
 tence and form of a constitutional government were gone 
 through with. 
 
 In August, 1775, a British vessel called the Betsy, 
 Captain Lofthous, from London, with one hundred and 
 eleven barrels of powder, was captured off the bar of St. 
 Augustine by an American privateer from Charlestown, 
 very much to the disgust and annoyance of the British 
 authorities. 
 
 At this period St. Augustine assumed much import- 
 ance as a depot and point d'appui for the British forces in 
 their operations against tiie Southern States, and very 
 considerable forces were, at times, assembled here. 
 
 The expedition of General Provost against Savannah 
 was organized and embarked from St. Augustine in 1777. 
 Sixty of the best citizens of Carolina were seized by the 
 British in 1780 and transported to St. Augustine as pris- 
 oners of war and hostages, among whom were Arthur 
 Middleton, Edward Rutledge, General Gadsden and Mr, 
 Calhoun. All were put upon parole, except General 
 Gadsden and Mr. Calhoun, who refused this indulgence 
 and were committed to tlie fort, where they remained 
 months close prisoners. General Rutherford and Colonel 
 Isaacs, of North Carolina, were committed to the foil also. 
 
 An expedition was fitted out from St. Augustine 
 in 1783 to act against New Providence, under Colonel 
 Devereux. With very slender means, that able officer 
 succeeded in capturing and reducing the Bahamas, which 
 have since remained under Enghsh domination. 
 
 The exi)ense of supporting the Government of East 
 Florida during the English occupation was very consider- 
 
132 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 able, amounting to the sum of £122,000. The exports of 
 Florida in 1778 amounted to £48,000, and in 1772 the 
 province exported forty thousand pounds of indigo, and 
 in 1782 twenty thousand barrels of turpentine. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 Recession of Florida to Spain — The Erection of the 
 Cathedral, 1783 to 1821. 
 
 TN June, 1783, in fulhllment of a treaty between Eng- 
 I land and Spain, Florida, after twenty years of British 
 ^ occupation, was receded to the Spanish Crown, and 
 taken possession of by Governor Zespedez. 
 
 The English residents generally left the country and 
 went either to the Bahamas, or Jamaica, or the United 
 States. Those wlio went to the British islands w^ere al- 
 most ruined, but those wdio settled in the United States 
 were more successful. 
 
 In April, 1793, the present Catholic church was com- 
 menced, the previous church having been in another por- 
 tion of the city. It was constructed under the direction 
 of Don Mariana de la Rocque and Don P. Berrio, govern- 
 ment engineer officers. The cost of the church was 
 $10,650, of which about $6,000 was received from the 
 proceeds of the material and ornaments of the old church, 
 about $1,000 from contributions of the inhabitants, and 
 the remaining $10,000 was furnished b}^ the Government. 
 One of its four bells has the following inscription, show- 
 ing it to be the oldest bell in the country. The inscrip- 
 tion is: "Saint Joseph Ora Pro Nobis D. 1682." 
 
 In the spring of 1818, General Jackson made his 
 celebrated incursion into Florida, and by a series of ener- 
 getic movements followed the Seminoles and Creeks to 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 133 
 
 their fastnesses, and forever crushed the power of these 
 formidable tribes for offensive operations. 
 
 In the latter part of ISIT, a revolutionary party took 
 possession of Amelia Island and raised a soi-disant pati'iotic 
 flag at Fernandina, supported mainly in the enterprise by 
 adventurers from the United States. McGregor was as- 
 sisted by officers of the United States army. An expedi- 
 tion was sent from St. Augustine by the Spanish Govern- 
 ment to eject the invaders, which failed. 
 
 One Aury, an English adventurer, for a time held 
 command there, and also a Mr. Hubbard, formerly sheriff 
 of New York, who was the civil governor, and died there. 
 The United States troops eventually interfered. Negotia- 
 tions for the cession of Florida put a stop to further hos- 
 tilities. 
 
 The King of Spain, finding his possessions in Florida 
 utterly worthless to his crown and only an expense to sus- 
 tain the garrison, while the repeated attempts to disturb its 
 political relations prevented any beneficial progress towards 
 its settlement, gladly agreed, in 1819, to a transfer of Flor- 
 ida to the United States for five millions of dollars. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Transfer of Florid.v to the United States. 
 
 ON the 10th of July, in the year 1821, the standard of 
 Spain, which had been raised two hundred and 
 fifty-six years before over St. Augustine, was finally 
 lowered forever from the walls over which it had so long 
 fluttered. The stars and stripes of the youngest of nations 
 rose, where sooner or later the hand of destiny would as- 
 suredly have placed it. 
 
 It was intended that the change of flags should take 
 place on the Fourth of July. Owing to a detention this 
 
134 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 was frustrated, but the inhabitants celebrated the Fourth 
 with a handsome public ball at the Governor's house. 
 
 Tlie Spanish garrison and officers connected with it 
 returned to Cuba, and some of the Spanish families, but 
 the larger portion of the inhabitants remained. A con- 
 siderable influx of inhabitants from the adjoining States 
 took place, and the town speedil}- assumed an American 
 character. The proportion of American population since 
 the change of flags has been about one-third. Most of the 
 native inhabitants converse with equal fluency in either 
 language. 
 
 In the year 1823, the Legislative Council of Florida 
 held its second session in the Government House at St. 
 Augustine. Governor W. P. Duval was the first governor 
 after the organization of the territory. 
 
 In December, 1835, the war with the Seminole In- 
 dians broke out, and for some years St. Augustine was 
 full of the pomp and circumstance of war. It was dan- 
 gerous to venture beyond the gates, and many sad scenes 
 of Indian cruelty took place in the neighborhood of the 
 city. 
 
 The extensive barracks built during the English 
 occupation were destroyed by fire in 1792. The Fran- 
 ciscan Convent was occupied, as it had been before, as a 
 barracks for the troops not garrisoned in the fort. The 
 appearance of these buildings has been much changed by 
 the extensive repairs and alterations, made by the United 
 States Government. It had formerly a large circular look- 
 out, from which a beautiful view of the surrounding- 
 country was obtained. Its walls are among the oldest in 
 the city. 
 
 The present postoffice building was tlie residence of 
 the Spanish Governor. It has been rebuilt by the United 
 States ; its former quaint and interesting appearance has 
 ))een lost in removing its balconies and the handsome 
 gateway, which is said to have been a fine specimen of 
 Doric architecture. 
 
 Trinity Episcopal Church was consecrated in 1833 by 
 Bishop Bowen, of South Carolina. The Presbyterian 
 Church was built in 1830, and the Methodist Chapel about 
 1840. The venerable building on the bay, on the corner 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 135 
 
 of Green Lane and Bay street, is considered one of the 
 oldest buildings in the city, and has evidently been a fine 
 building in its day. It was the residence of the Attorney- 
 General in English times. 
 
 The monument on tlie public square was erected in 
 1812, upon the information of the adoption of the Spanish 
 Constitution, as a memorial of that event, in pursuance of 
 a royal order to that effect directed to the public authori- 
 ties of all the provincial towns. The plan was made by 
 the father of the late General Hernandez. A short time 
 after it was put up, the Spanish Constitution having a 
 downfall, orders were issued by the government that all 
 the monuments erected to the Constitution throughout its 
 dominions should be demolished. The citizens of St. 
 Augustine were unwilling to see their monument torn 
 down, and, with the passive acquiescence of the Governor, 
 the marble tablet inscribed " Plaza de la Constitution " 
 being removed, the monument itself was allowed to stand ; 
 and thus remains the only monument in existence to 
 commemorate the farce of the Constitution of 1812. In 
 1818 the tablet was restored without objection. 
 
 The bridge and causeway are the work of the United 
 States Government. The present sea-wall was built be- 
 tween 1835 and 1842 by the United States, at an expense 
 of one hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 The house on St. Francis street, opposite the monas- 
 tery building, is considered the oldest building in the city ; 
 it is owned by Dr. C. P. Carver, dentist. There was, until 
 five years ago, a peculiar date palm tree growing in the 
 yard; the heavy freeze that winter killed it. This house 
 gives one the idea of the style of architecture used at the 
 early period of the settlement of this country. It is one 
 of the many quaint attractions of the Ancient City. 
 
136 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 The Seminole War. 
 
 THE early history of Florida Territory soon after it 
 came into the possession of the United States being 
 written in characters of blood for years, it is consid- 
 ered both appropriate and interesting to intersperse a 
 sprinkling of historical facts in this work, to the authen- 
 ticity of which some now living can testify. 
 
 The Indians were intensely opposed to emigrating 
 West, as that country offered them no such means of idle- 
 ness as Florida, where they lived with as little solicitude as 
 the buzzards that lazily flew above their heads, while in 
 Arkansas the}' would have to work. They were a race of 
 hunters and fishermen, with no habits of industry, gliding 
 on the surface of lakes and rivers with as little idea of lo- 
 cating as the watery inhabitants the}' captured. 
 
 The movements of the Indians and American troops, 
 encumbered with their wagons or field pieces, compared 
 unfavorably with the agile foe they had to meet in war- 
 fare, who could swim the streams and leap over the logs 
 of the wide forest and vanish like the whooping crane that 
 made its nest far from the spot where it dashed the dew 
 from the flowers in the morning. 
 
 One of the occasions of the Seminole War, like our 
 own late struggle, was on account of the fugitive slaves 
 which the Indians harbored instead of returning to their 
 owners, or permitting their masters to come and get them. 
 
 The following is a correct copy of an interesting docu- 
 ment, to which frequent reference was made during the 
 Florida War as a compact which had been violated. We 
 have transferred it as an item of interest. As the whites 
 found the Indians becoming troublesome neighbors, this 
 treaty was drawn up in order to rid the country of them ; 
 its violation being the true cause of the war: 
 
 ''Treaty of Payne's Landing, Concluded May 9, 1832,. 
 and Ratified April, 1834. 
 
 "Article I. That the Seminole Indians relinquish 
 to the United States all claim to the land they at present 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 137 
 
 occupy in the Territory of Florida, and agree to emigrate 
 to the country assigned to the Creeks, west of the Missis- 
 sippi river — it being understood that an additional extent 
 of territory, proportioned to their number, will be added 
 to the Creek country, and that the Seminolcs will be re- 
 ceived as a constituent part of the Creek Nation, and be 
 re-admitted to all the privileges as a member of the same. 
 
 "Article II. For and in consideration of the relin- 
 quishment of claim in the first article of this agreement, 
 and in full compensation for all the improvements which 
 may have been made on the lands thereby ceded, the 
 United States stipulates to pay to the Seminole Indians 
 fifteen thousand dollars, to be divided among the chiefs 
 and warriors of the several towns, in a ratio proportioned 
 to their population, the res})ective portions of each to be 
 paid on their arrival in the country they consent to move 
 to; it being understood their faithful inter})reters, Abra- 
 ham and Cudjo, shall receive two hundred dollars each 
 of the above sum, in full remuneration for the improve- 
 ments to be abandoned now cultivated by them. 
 
 "Article III. The United States agree to distribute, 
 as they arrive at their homes in the Creek territory, west 
 of the Mississippi river, a blanket and homespun frock 
 to each warrior, woman and child of the Seminole tribe 
 of Indians. 
 
 "Article IV. The United States agree to extend tlie 
 annuity for the support of a blacksmith, provided for in 
 the Sixth Article of the Treaty at Camp Moultrie, for ten 
 years beyond the period therein stipulated, and in addition 
 to the other annuities secured under that treaty, the 
 United States agree to pay three thousand dollars a year 
 for fifteen years, commencing after the removal of the 
 whole tribe. These sums to be added to the Creek annu- 
 ities, and the whole sum to be divided, that the chiefs 
 and warriors of the Seminole Indians may receive their 
 equitable portion of the same, as members of the Creek 
 Confederation. 
 
 "Article V. The United States will take the cattle 
 belonging to the Seminolcs at the valuation of some dis- 
 creet person appointed by the President, and the same 
 shall be paid for in money to the respective owners after 
 
138 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 their arrival at their new homes, or other cattle, such as 
 may be desired, will be furnished them ; notice being 
 given through their agent of their wishes on the subject 
 before their removal, that time may be afforded to supply 
 the demand. 
 
 "Article VI. The Seminoles being anxious to be 
 relieved from certain vexatious demands for slaves and 
 other property alleged to have been stolen and destroyed 
 by them, so that they may remove to their new homes 
 unembarrassed, the United States stipulates to have the 
 same properly investigated, and to liquidate such as may 
 be satisfactorily established, provided the amount does 
 not exceed seven thousand dollars. 
 
 "Article VII. The Seminole Indians will remove 
 in three years after the ratification of this agreement, and 
 the expenses of their removal shall be paid by the United 
 States, and such subsistence shall also be furnished for a 
 term not exceeding twelve months after their arrival at 
 their new residence, as in the opinion of the President 
 their numbers may require; the emigration to commence 
 as early as practicable in A. D. 1833, and with those In- 
 dians occupying the Big Swamp and other parts of the 
 country beyond, as defined in the Second Article of 
 the Treaty, concluded at Camp Moultrie Creek, so that 
 the whole of that portion of the Seminoles may be re- 
 moved within the year aforesaid, and the remainder of 
 the tribe in about equal proportions during the subsequent 
 years, 1834 and 1835. 
 
 "Done at Camp at Payne's Landing, on the Ockla- 
 waha river, in the Territory of Florida, May 9, 1832. 
 
 "James Gadsden, 
 "Commissioner, and Fifteen Chiefs. (L.S.)" 
 
 Osceola figured very conspicuously during the early 
 history of our Florida troubles. Indeed, we consider the 
 following statements connected with his movements as 
 items of unsurpassed interest to those who are more fond 
 of facts without fiction than the wondrous legends of any 
 day-dreamer. 
 
 The mother of Osceola belonged to the Red Stick 
 tribe of Indians — a branch of the Creeks. She was mar- 
 ried to Powell, who was an English trader among the 
 
PoxcE i)E Leon Land. 139 
 
 Indians for twenty years, and for this reason lie is some- 
 times called Powell instead of Osceola. He was born in 
 the State of Georgia, on the Tallapoosa river, about the 
 year 1800. In 1808 a ([uarrel occurred among the 
 Indians of the Creek tribe, when the mother of Oseola 
 left, taking him with her, and retiring to the Okefinokee 
 swamp. Powell remained in Georgia with his two 
 daughters and emigrated to the West with them. 
 
 In 1817, Osceola retreated before General Jackson 
 with a small party, and settled on Peace creek. A few 
 years afterwards he removed to the Big Swamp, in the 
 neighborhood of Fort King, uniting himself with the 
 Miccosukees. The greater portion of his life was spent in 
 disquietude, when there was neither peace nor war, but 
 depredations in various ways. He was oppo.sed to the 
 Payne Treaty, declaring he would fight before signing it, 
 or kill any of his followers who made a move towards 
 its ratification. 
 
 When the Indians held a council at Fort King, con- 
 sisting of thirteen chiefs, only eight of them were willing 
 to leave for the West. Hoithlee Matee, or Jumper, a sworn 
 enemy of the whites, who was called "the lawyer," and 
 for wliom General Jackson had offered a reward of five 
 hundred dollars, rose in the council with all the dignity 
 of a Roman orator, after which he announced his intention 
 in thundering tones: "I say there is no good feeling be- 
 tween Jumper and the white man. Every branch he 
 hews from a tree on our soil is a limb sapped from Hoith- 
 lee's body; every droj) of water that a white man drinks 
 from our springs is so much blood from Hoithlee's heart." 
 
 After the return of Charlie Fmathla from the West, 
 who was the most intelligent of their chiefs, he met the 
 whites in council that he might give expression to his 
 opinion. "Remain with us here," .said he to the whites, 
 "and be our father. The relation of parent and child to 
 each other is peace; it is gentle as arrowroot and honey. 
 The disorderly among us have committed some depreda- 
 tions, but no blood has been spilled. We have agreed 
 that if we met a brother's blood on the road, or even found 
 his dead body, we should not believe it was by human 
 violence, but that he snagged his foot, or that a tree had 
 
140 Ponce de Leon Land, 
 
 fallen upon him ; that if blood was spilled by either, the? 
 offender should answer for it." 
 
 Previous to this period the Indians were lords of the- 
 soil, and considered themselves located in a land of undis- 
 puted titles as entirel}" their own property, by right of' 
 possession, as though they held registered deeds. 
 
 The following is an effort at Indian poetry, descriptive 
 of their condition previous to hostile demonstrations : 
 
 " We were a happy people then, 
 Rejoicing in our hunter mood; 
 No footsteps of the pale-faced men 
 Had marred our solitude." 
 
 Osceola was not tall, but of fine figure and splendid 
 physique. His head was always encircled with a blue 
 turban, surmounted by the waving tafa luste. or black 
 eagle plumes, with a red sash around his w^aste. He was 
 a time-server — a self-constituted agent — and a dangerous 
 enemy when enraged. In 1834, the United States Survey 
 Corps, while camping at Fort King, was visited by Osceola, 
 Fred. L. Ming being their captain. Indians always show 
 their friendship by eating with their friends. On this 
 occasion he refused all solicitations to partake of their 
 hospitality, and sat in silence, the foam of rage resting in 
 the corners of his mouth. Finally he arose to retire, at 
 the same time assuming a menacing manner, and seizing 
 the surveyor's chain, said: "If you cross my land I will 
 break this chain in as many pieces as there are links in 
 it, and then throw the pins so far you can never get them 
 again." Like most of his race, he was possessed of a 
 native eloquence, of which the following is a specimen, 
 after the Payne's Landing treaty was framed and signed 
 by some of the chiefs: "There is little more to be said. 
 The people have agreed in council; by their chiefs they 
 have uttered it ; it is well ; it is the truth, and must not 
 be broken. I speak ; what I say I will do ; there remains- 
 nothing worthy of words. If the hail rattles, let the 
 flowers be crushed ; the stately oak of the forest will lift 
 its head to the sky and storms, towering and unscathed." 
 
 The whites continued to urge the stipulations of the 
 treaty to be enforced, while the Indians continued opposing 
 it in every way. It is the law of our nature that the- 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 141 
 
 weak should .suspect the strong; for this reason the Semi- 
 iioles did not regard the Creeks as their friends, but feared 
 them. Captain Wiley Thompson, the agent, kept remind- 
 ing the Indians that they had made a promise to leave 
 for the West. Messages were also sent to Micanopy, who, 
 •after much debate, .said he would not go. Sometime after- 
 ward General Thompson ordered Osceola to come up and 
 sign the emigration list, which request moved the indigna- 
 tion of the savage to the highest pitch of desperation, and 
 he replied: ''I will not!" General Thompson then told 
 him he had talked with the Big Chief in Washington, who 
 would teach him better. He replied: "I care no more for 
 Jackson than for you," and rushing up to the emigration 
 treaty as if to make his mark, stuck his knife through the 
 paper. For this act of contempt he was seized, manacled 
 and confined in Fort King. When Colonel Fanning 
 arrested him he was heard to mutter: '-The sun is over- 
 head; I shall remember the hour. The agent has his 
 day — I will have mine." After he was first imprisoned 
 he became sullen, but soon manifested signs of penitence 
 and called the interpreter, promising, if his irons were 
 tiiken off, to come back when the sun was high overhead 
 and bring with him one hundred warriors to sign the 
 paper, which promise was fulfilled. The great mistake 
 was made in releasing him from Fort King. If he had 
 then been sent West much blood and treasures would 
 have been spared. He had one talk for the white man 
 and another for the red, being a strange compound of 
 duplicity and superiority. After his release he com- 
 manded his warriors to have their knives in readiness, 
 their rifles in order, with plenty of powder in their 
 pouches, and commenced collecting a strong force, not 
 eating or .sleeping until it was done. 
 
 The first direct demonstration of hostility was on 
 June 19, 1835, near what is called Hogg's Town settle- 
 ment, at which time one Indian was killed, another fa- 
 tally injured : also, three whites wounded. The fray com- 
 menced by some whites whipping a party of five Indians, 
 whom they caught in the act of stealing. Private Dalton. 
 a dispatch rider, was killed August 11, 18;3."), while carry- 
 ing the mail from Fort Brooks to Fort King. This wa.s 
 
142 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 an act of revenge for an Indian killed in a former en- 
 counter. Dalton was found twenty miles from Fort King, 
 with his body cut open and sunk in a pond. The In- 
 dians commenced snapping their guns in the face of the 
 Government, at the same time expressing their contempt 
 for the laws, and threatening the country with bloodshed 
 if any force should be used to restrain them. November 
 30, 1«35, the following order was issued by the agent: 
 "The citizens are warned to consult their safety by guard- 
 ing against Indian depredations." Hostilities were soon 
 inaugurated in a most shocking manner with a tragedy of 
 deep import — in the killing of Charlie Emathla, November 
 26, 1835, which act was a cold-blooded murder, Osceola 
 heading the band of savages. Charlie Emathla was shot 
 because he favored emigration, and was preparing to move 
 West. 
 
 Osceola afterwards selected ten of his boldest warriors, 
 who were to wreak vengeance on General Thompson. The 
 general was then camping at Fort King, little dreaming 
 that the hour of his dissolution was so near, or that Osceola 
 was lying in wait to murder him. Although a messenger 
 was sent to tell Osceola of the Wahoo Swamp engagement 
 being in readiness, no laurels won on other fields had any 
 charms for him until Thompson should be victimized by 
 his revengeful machination. After lingering about for 
 seven days, the opportune moment presented itself when 
 Thompson was invited away from the fort. On the after- 
 noon of December* 28, 1836, as he and Lieutenant Smith, 
 who had dined out that day, were unguardedly walking 
 toward the sutler's store, about a mile from the post, the 
 savages discovered them. Osceola said : " Leave the agent 
 for me; I will manage him." They were immediately at- 
 tacked by the warriors. They both received the full fire 
 of the enemy and fell dead. 
 
 Thompson was perforated with fourteen bullet holes 
 and Smith with five. The Indians then proceeded to the 
 store, where they shot Rogers and four others. After the 
 murder they robbed the store and set fire to the building; 
 the smoke gave the alarm, but the garrison at Fort King 
 being small, no assistance could be rendered them. 
 
 On the same day, December 28th, and nearly the 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 143 
 
 same hour, Major T. L. Dade, when live miles from Wa- 
 hoo Swamp, was attacked while on his way from Fort 
 Brooks to Fort King. The Indians were headed by 
 Jumper, who had previously warned those who were 
 cowards not to join him. Micanopy, their chief, who was 
 celebrated for his gluttony, and, like the Trojan heroes, 
 could eat a whole calf or lamb and then coil up like a 
 snake for digestion, on a previous occasion, when an ap- 
 peal was made to him, by the argument of bullet force, 
 replied: "I will show you," and afterward stationed him- 
 self behind a tree awaiting the arrival of the Fort Brooks 
 force, while his warriors lay concealed in the high grass 
 around them. When Major Dade arrived opposite where 
 the chief and his men were ambushed, Micanopy, in honor 
 of his position as head chief, leveled his rifle and killed 
 him instantly. Major Dade was shot through the heart 
 and died, apparently, without a struggle. The savages 
 rushed from their covert, when Captain Frazier was the 
 next victim, together with more than a hundred of his 
 companions. The suddenness of the attack, the natural 
 situation ot the country, with its prairies of tall grass, each 
 palmetto thicket being a fortress of security, from which 
 they could hurl their death-dealing bullets, were all for- 
 midable foes with which the whites had to contend. 
 Within a few hours' march of Fort King, under Ijhe noon- 
 day splendor of a Florida sun, were one hundred and 
 seven lifeless bodies which had been surprised, murdered 
 and scalped, with no quarter and far from the sound of 
 human sympathy. 
 
 The night after the "Dade Massacre" the Indians 
 returned to Wahoo Swamp with the warm life-current 
 dri])})ing from the soaljis of those they had slain. These 
 scalps were given to Hadjo, their medicine man, who 
 placed them on a pole ten feet high, around which they 
 all danced, after smearing their faces with the blood of 
 their foes and drinking freely of fire-water. One instance 
 is mentioned worthy of remark, in regard to linding 
 Major Dade's men with their personal property untouched. 
 Breasti)ins of the officers were on their breasts, watches 
 in their places, and silver money in their j)Ockets. They 
 took the military coat of Major Dade and some clothing 
 
144 PoNXE DE Leon Land. 
 
 from his men, with all their arms and ammunition, 
 which proved they were not fighting for spoils, but their 
 homes. The bloody eight hundred, after they had com- 
 mitted the murder, left the bodies unburied and without 
 mutilation, except from scalping. They were buried by 
 the command of Major General Gaines, who also named 
 this tragic ground " The Field of the Dead." 
 
 Fights now followed each other in rapid succession. 
 Long impending hostilities burst upon the white settlers, 
 who, in turn, sought every opportunity of gratifying their 
 revenge for outrages committed. No person was safe; 
 death lurked in every place, and there was security to 
 none. Acts of fiendish barbarity were of common occur- 
 rence; houses burned, the labor of ^^ears gone forever, 
 while many of the missing were consumed in the flames 
 of their own dwelling, the savages dancing around the 
 funeral piles. The Lidians appeared seized with a kind 
 of desperation which knew no quarter and asked lor none, 
 constantly posting themselves in the most frequented 
 highways with the intention of slaying or being slain. 
 
 On the olst of December, the same year, the Lidians 
 receiving information that the troops under General Clinch 
 were approaching and would cross the Withlacoochee, 
 posted themselves at the usual fording places for the pur- 
 pose of intercepting them. General Clinch was surprised 
 b}' them, as they had greatly the advantage, being among 
 the trees, while the troops were in an open space with 
 only an old leaky canoe to cross in, under constant fire of 
 the enemy : some of them being obliged to swim. The 
 soldiers, accustomed to Lidian warfare, never forded twice 
 in the same place. Captain Ellis, now a worthy citizen 
 of Gainesville, Florida, who commanded a company during 
 the Seminole War, being present when the attack was 
 made, says: "I was so much afraid the war would be 
 over before I had a chance to be in a fight, I was glad 
 when I saw the Indians coming, but I got enough fight- 
 ing before it was through with." When he saw the sav- 
 ages at the commencement of this engagement, not know- 
 ing of the massacre, he said: "Boys, the Lidians have 
 been killing our men, for they have got on their coats." 
 
 Osceola was tlie prime leader in this first battle of 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 145 
 
 Withlacoochee, and, although a whole platoon fired at 
 him, he seemed to be bullet proof. From behind the tree 
 where he was stationed he brought down his man at every 
 fire to the number of forty. He ordered his warriors not 
 to run from the pale faces, but to fight. The contest was 
 n close one, but General Clinch held his ground. After 
 the Indians retreated the troops buried their dead and 
 built log fires over their remains to keep the enemy from 
 digging them up and scalping them. 
 
 During September, 1H37, Osceola sent in negotiations 
 ■of peace to General Hernandez through an envoy, accom- 
 panied with presents of a bead pipe and a white plume as 
 an assurance that the path of the pale face was peaceful 
 and safe. General Hernandez, with tlie sanction of General 
 Jessup, returned presents and friendly messages request- 
 ing the presence of Osceola, with the distinct understand- 
 ing that it was for the purpose of making arrangements 
 for the emigration of his peo[»le. The messenger returned 
 in accordance with his previous contract, reporting that 
 Osceola was then on his way to St. Augustine with one 
 hundred warriors. Osceola had never heretofore regarded 
 the sacredness of a flag of truce as binding, besides, being 
 engaged in the abduction of Mieanopy and others, who 
 would otherwise have complied with the terms of the 
 treaty. General Jessup intended before his arrival to 
 have him detained. General Hernandez, who was the 
 soul of honor, remonstrated with him, when he re- 
 plied : "I am your superior; it is your duty to obey." 
 •General Hernandez met them at Fort Peyton, neai" Peli- 
 cier creek, about seven miles southwest of St. Augustine. 
 From the inquiries of General Hernandez in regard to 
 the other chiefs and their locality, Osceola soon compre- 
 hended the situation, and when asked for replies to the 
 General's questions he said to the interpreter, " I feel 
 choked. You must speak for me." The place where 
 they were assembled for parley being surrounded by a de- 
 tachment of dragoons, they closed in on them, cai)turing 
 the whole band without firing a shot. 
 
 This strategy in taking Osceola did not tarnish the 
 'laurels of General Jessup in the least; a much great-er 
 
 10b 
 
146 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 blunder was committed in turning him loose after his first 
 capture. Those who have condemned him must think of 
 the anxiety by day and horrors at night through which 
 these poor settlers struggled, while time passed like a be- 
 wildering dream of terror ; improvements of all kinds 
 languishing with a sickly growth, while the dragon of war 
 sowed the seed of discord and desecrated the golden fleece 
 of the harvest with a bloody hand. 
 
 When Osceola was first captured he was imprisoned 
 in Fort Marion, but was afterward removed to Sullivan's 
 Island, where his wife and child accompanied him. He 
 was a sad prisoner — never known to laugh during his 
 confinement, but often heard to sigh. During his last ill- 
 ness he had the best medical attention from Charleston, 
 whose skill he refused, believing they intended poisoning 
 him. To one of his wives he was very much attached, 
 and his spirit passed away while leaning on her bosom. 
 He died in l<So8 from an inflammation of the tliroat. 
 
 Osceola had always lived among the Seminoles, and 
 regarded their lot as his. The name of his wife was 
 Checho-ter, or Morning Dew. She was a Creek, and their 
 family consisted of four children. Osceola had two sis- 
 ters livinof in the Creek nation. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 The Seminole War Near St. Augustine. 
 
 TRAVELERS who imngine themselves greatly incon- 
 venienced and have so much to complain about, for 
 more profitable em|)loyment, after riding in the 
 pleasantsteam cars from Jacksonville to St, Augustine, will 
 ppruse the following, from which thev can form some idea 
 of the contrast within fifty years in Flr)rida : 
 
PoNX'E DK Leon Land. 147 
 
 December, 1840. 
 
 " Notice to Travelers St. Augustine and Pico lata Stage : 
 
 " The subscriber has commenced running a comfortable 
 carriage between St. Augustine and Picolata twice a week. 
 A military escort will accompany the stage going and re- 
 turning. Fare each way, five dollars. The subscriber 
 assures those who may patronize this undertaking that his 
 horses are strong and sound ; his carriages commodious 
 and comfortable, that none but careful and sober drivers 
 will be employed; also every attention will be })aid to their 
 comfort and convenience. Passengers will be called for 
 when the escort is about leaving the city." 
 
 We have selected from the many one of the atrocious 
 acts of violence committed by the savages previous to this 
 arrangement upon a worthy and respected citizen. Dr. 
 Philip Weedman, whose three most estimable daughters 
 are still living in St. Augustine. 
 
 "November 2"), 18.39. — Shortly after the mail wagon 
 left the city Dr. Philip Weedman, Sr., accompanied by his 
 little son, a lad about twelve years of age, both in an open 
 wagon, with Mr. Graves on horseback, left for the purpose 
 of visiting his former residence, now occupied as a garri- 
 son by a part of Captain Mickler's company. On arriving 
 at the commencement of Long Swamp, without any pre- 
 vious warning, he was fired upon and killed, having re- 
 ceived two balls in his breast ; his little son was wounded 
 in the head, baring his brain ; also cut with a knife. The 
 mutilated youth, with the remains of the dead father, 
 were brought in town to-day. The express returned for 
 medical aid, causing the Indians to run, as the wagon 
 containing the mail was fired into, wounding Captain 
 Searle and killing a Polander who was riding horseback." 
 
 "Tuesday, November 26, 1839.— The funeral of Dr. 
 Philip Weedman took place to-day, attended by all of 
 our citizens, who sympathize deeply with his numerous 
 family." 
 
 The Polander, Mr. Possenantzky, was buried the 
 same day according to the Hebrew form. The Indians 
 continued firing on the covered wagon trains, calling 
 
148 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 them "cloth houses;" their object being to obtain supphes. 
 When a proposition was made to have fortified wagons 
 hostile Indians were something which could not be 
 worked by any rule. They were the exception. 
 
 On Saturday, February 15, 1840, we find a record of 
 two mail-carriers having been murdered, one seven and 
 the other nine miles distant — G. W. Walton, from South 
 Carolina, while on his way to Jacksonville, and Mr. J. 
 Garcias, near Live Oak Camp. The letters were undis- 
 turbed, although carried some distance. Botli of the 
 murdered men were buried in St. Augustine. Afterwards 
 the mail was accompanied by an escort of five men. 
 
 "We have tried to hold up some cause, with the 
 semblance of a shade, to delude us into the belief that the 
 Indians have less activity and enterprise than the white 
 men, but facts stand forward in bold relief denying us 
 even the poor consolation which such delusions might 
 atford us. The lifeless bodies of our brethren speak 
 trumpet-tongued in favor of their removal, and the wail 
 of hearts blighted by their successes is stronger and more 
 piercing than the fictitious surroundings of excited fancies." 
 
 Here is another thrust at the bloodhounds: "These 
 distinguished auxiliaries have received more attention 
 than their service deserves, while great apprehension fills 
 the minds of many for fear they should perchance bite a 
 Seminole. We would state as a quietus that a competent 
 tooth-drawer will accompany them, entering u|)on his 
 dental duties very soon." 
 
 Another shocking murder occurred between Picolata 
 and St. Augustine, before the St. Johns Railroad was sur- 
 veyed between Tocoi and St. Augustine: 
 
 "May 29th, 1840. — On Friday last a carriage and 
 wagon had been obtained to proceed to Picolata, for the 
 purpose of bringing some baggage and gentlemen con- 
 nected wnth the tlieatrical company of W. C. Forbes, from 
 Savannah. Leaving Picolata on Saturday morning, May 
 23d, in addition to their own party they were joined by 
 Mr. D. G. Vose, of New York, and Mr. Miller, of Bruns- 
 wick, who all reached the eleven-mile military post in 
 safety. When within seven miles of St. Augustine they 
 were fired upon by Indians, severely wounding Vose, 
 
Ponce dk LkOxV Land. 14!) 
 
 Miller and Wigger, a young German musician. While this 
 work of death was going on, a wagon which had left the 
 barracks that morning was seen approaching; it con- 
 tained three persons besides tlie driver — Mr. Francis 
 Medicis, of St. Augustine, Mr. A. Ball and Mr. Beaufort. 
 The Indians fired upon them near the six-mile post, when 
 Mr. Beaufort and the driver escaped. The mules i-an away 
 with the wagon. The firing being heard at the little gar- 
 rison of .seven men, the}' turned out, when they saw dis- 
 tinctly twent}'' Indians. News having been received in 
 town by a lad coming in on one of the horses, a party of 
 gentlemen repaired thither; on reaching the ground there 
 lay Mr. Ball dead, while further on was the body of Mr. 
 Medicis, lying on his side, his hands clenched as if in the 
 attitude of supplication, his right shirt sleeve burned with 
 powder and covered with blood. Mr. Francis Medicis was 
 murdered the 2od oi May, 1840, between the hours of 
 eleven and twelve o'clock. The bodies of Messrs. Medicis, 
 Ball and Vose were brought in at dusk ; that of Mr. Mil- 
 ler about nine o'clock. The bodies of the strangers were 
 placed in the council chamber. Mr. Forbes and his com- 
 pany passed over the Picolata road on the 22d of May, 
 except Messrs. Wigger, German and Thomas A. Line. Mr. 
 Wigger was murdered, Thomas A. Line hid himself in a 
 swamp, sinking up to his neck and covering his face with 
 a bonnet leaf, which he raised, to the great surprise of his 
 companions when they were searching for the survivors 
 and gathering up the wounded." 
 
 The oldest citizens in St. Augustine now say that 
 when Mr, German, vocalist, one of the theatricals, arrived 
 in the city, after his escape, his hair was standing perfectly 
 erect on his head, and in twenty-four hours turned entirely 
 white. As the Indians rifled the baggage- wagon, they car- 
 ried off a considerable portion of the stsige dresses and 
 other paraphernalia. 
 
 Now we can peruse these tragic events as the visions 
 of .sorne wild romancer, or relate them to children as 
 nursery tales, partaking enough of the terrible to excite a 
 desire for the wonderful. Wearied with waiting, and 
 heart-sick of bloody murders, we find the following piece 
 of composition written on this solemn occasion : 
 
150 Ponce DE Leon Land. 
 
 "How long shall the earth drink the blood of our 
 women and children, and the soil be dyed with the ebbing 
 life of manhood? Could they have looked with us upon 
 the mangled corpses of Indian wrath as they were laid 
 upon the public highway, or gone to the council room 
 and surveyed on its table, where side by side the marble 
 forms of four men lay, who a few hours before were look- 
 ing to the future as filled with bright enjoyment, they 
 would then have whistled their philanthrophy to the 
 winds and cried aloud for vengeance. That was a sight 
 never to be forgotten. We have seen men killed in battle 
 and perish by disease on the ocean, but amid the many 
 affecting and unpleasant incidents that have met our gaze 
 we have never seen a spectacle like that. Here, in the 
 rigidity of death, lay the youthful German, on whom man- 
 hood had just dawned, also the compact forms of muscular 
 health, with the less vigorous frames of more advanced 
 years. A casual glance might mistake it for a mimic 
 scene, where art had exhausted lier power in its produc- 
 tion. But there was the pallid hue of faces ; there was 
 the gash the knife had made in its course to the heart ; 
 the cleft fort'liead parted by the tomahawk in its descent 
 to the brain, and there the silent drop, dropping of crim- 
 son tiuid to the Hoor, while our secretary, with his usual 
 imbecility, issues orders to muzzle the bloodhounds. The 
 funerals of these unfortunate victims took place on Sun- 
 day, attended by a large concourse of people, who ex- 
 pressed the keenest indignation at the repetition of such 
 a scene so near our city. Wild Cat was the leader of this 
 band, as he stopped afterward at the plantation of E. S. 
 Jencks, Esq., and told the servants he had committed the 
 murder." 
 
 The troupe tilled their engagement at St. Augustine, 
 as only a musician had been killed from their number. 
 History says: "The sterling comedy of 'The Honey- 
 moon ' was performed to a crowded house."' Afterwards 
 the following notice appeared : " During the winter 
 months we have no doubt that a troupe embodying the 
 same amount of talent which the present company possess 
 would find it profitable to spend a month with us each 
 season." 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 161 
 
 Coacoochee, or Wild Cat, was captured with Osceola 
 in 1836, and afterward made his escape, or he never would 
 have been permitted to commit such a series of appalling 
 atrocities as those which we have recorded. Wild Cat fre- 
 quently visited the residence of General Hernandez, who 
 lived on Charlotte street. He also very much admired 
 one of his beautiful daughters, and, like lovers at the 
 present day, wanted an excuse for returning; consequently, 
 on going away he would leave one of his silver crescents, 
 which he wore on his breast as a defense and for orna- 
 ment, to be polished, and, when he returned, taking the 
 one he left before and leaving another. He delighted to 
 stand in front of a large mirror which General Hernan- 
 dez had in his parlor and admire his person. He said if 
 Miss Kitty Hernandez would be his wife she should never 
 work any more, but always ride on a pony wherever she 
 went ; that Sukey, his present wife, should wait on her, 
 but Miss Kitty would be queen. He frequently made as- 
 sertions of his friendship for the family. When on one 
 occasion some of them remarked that he would kill them 
 as quick as anybody if he should find them in the Indian' 
 nation, he replied : " Yes, I would ; for you had better 
 die by the hand of a friend than an enemy." 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVL 
 
 Coacoochee and Hadjo's Escape and Recapture. 
 
 THE following is an account of Coacoochee's escape 
 and recapture : "In all ages of the world there have 
 lived those who laugh at iron bars and defy prison 
 doors — among whom we find the Seminole Chief Wild 
 Cat, who appeared to be proof against bullets, with a body 
 no dungeon could hold. He was very indignant on ac- 
 count of his imprisonment, denouncing his persecutors in 
 no measured terms. He said the white man had given 
 
152 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 one hand in friendship while in the other he carried a 
 snake with which he lied and stung the red man. While- 
 in Fort Marion he planned his escape in a most remark- 
 able manner. He complained of illness, at the same time 
 manifesting signs of indisposition, and made a request 
 that he might be permitted to go in search of a curative 
 agency. Accompanied by a guard, he was again per- 
 mitted to breathe the pure air of his native home, but not 
 in freedom. This movement furnished him with an op- 
 portunity for reconuoitering and measuring with his eye 
 the distance outside the fort from the ventilator in his 
 cell. After his return he resorted to the use of his herbs 
 and abstained from food, which had the effect of reducing 
 his size, which was unnecessary, for he easily got through 
 the eight inch bars. He selected a stormy night for the 
 undertaking, when the guards would be the least inclined 
 to vigilance, and commenced making preparations by 
 tearing his blanket into strips to make a rope, which he 
 made fast inside his cell, and by w^orking a knife into the 
 masonry formed steps. This with the aid of his com- 
 panion's shoulders enabled him to reach the ventilator, 
 a distance of eighteen feet, through which he escaped by 
 taking a swinging leap of thirty feet into the ditch, skinn- 
 ing his back and chest effectually. His companion, Ta- 
 lums Hadjo, was less fortunate than himself. After a 
 desperate effort to get through he lost his hold and fell 
 the whole way to the ground. Wildcat thought him 
 dead, but his ankle was only sprained, and after enlisting 
 the service of a mule grazing in the vicinity he was soon 
 far away from bolts and bars which could restrain his 
 wild, freeborn movements. 
 
 Wildcat had a twin sister, to whom he was much at- 
 tached. He said she visited him after her death in a white 
 cloud, and thus relates her appearance : " Her long hair, 
 that I had often braided, hung down her back. With 
 one hand she gave me a string of white pearls ; in the 
 other she held a cup sparkling with pure water, which 
 she said came from the fountain of the Great Spirit, and 
 if I would drink of it I should return and live forever. As 
 I drank she sung the peace-song of the Seminoles, while. 
 White Wins:s danced around me. She then took me by 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. loo 
 
 the hand and said, 'All is peace here.' After this she 
 stepped into the cloud again, waved her hand, and was 
 gone. The pearls she gave me were stolen after I was 
 imprisoned in St. Augustine. During certain times in 
 the moon, when I had them, I could commune with the 
 spirit of my sister. I may be buried in the earth or sunk 
 in the water, but 1 shall go to her and there live. Where 
 my sister lives game is abundant, and the white man is 
 never seen." 
 
 This chieftain was afterward induced to come in for 
 a parley to a depot established on the head waters of Peace 
 creek. The following is a description of his appearance 
 on that occasion : 
 
 "About midday on March 5, 1841, Wildcat was an- 
 nounced as approaching the encampment, preceded by 
 friendly Indians, and followed by seven trusty warriors. 
 He came within the chain of sentinels boldly and fear- 
 lessly, decorated, as were his companions, in the most 
 fantastic manner. Part of the wardrobe plundered from 
 the theatrical troupe the year previous was wrapped about 
 their persons in the most ludicrous and grotesque style. 
 The nodding plumes of the haughty Dane, as personated 
 in the sock and buskin boasting of his ancestry and re- 
 venge, now decorated the brow of the unyielding savage 
 whose ferocity had desolated the country by blood, and 
 whose ancestors had bequeathed the soil now consecrated 
 with their ashes, which he had defended with unswerving 
 fidelity. He claimed no rights or inheritance but those 
 he was prepared to defend. Modestly by his side walked 
 a friend wound up in the simple garb of Horatio, while 
 in the rear was Richard III, judging from his royal purple 
 and ermine, combined with the hideous visage. Others 
 were ornamented with the crimson vest and spangles ac- 
 cording to fancy. He entered the tent of Colonel Worth, 
 who was prepared to receive him, and shook hands with 
 the officers all around, undisturbed in manner or language. 
 His speech was modest and fluent. His child, aged twelve 
 years, which the troops had captured at Fort Mellon dur- 
 ing the fight, now rushed into his arms. Tears seldom 
 give utterance to the impulse of an Indian's heart, but 
 when he found the innate enemies of his race the protector 
 
154 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 of his child he wept. With accuracy and fecHng he de- 
 tailed the occurrences of the past four years. He said the 
 whites had dealt unjustly by him. ' I came to them ; they 
 deceived me. The land I was upon I loved ; m}^ body is 
 made of its sands. The Great Spirit gave me legs to walk 
 it, hands to help myself, eyes to see its ponds, rivers, for- 
 ests and game : then a head, with which to think. The 
 sun, which is warm and bright, brings forth our crops, 
 and the moon brings back the spirits of our warriors, our 
 fathers, wives and children.' Wildcat admitted the neces- 
 sity of his leaving the country, hard as it was. After 
 remaining four davs he returned with his child to the 
 tribe." 
 
 General Worth commanded the army in Florida at 
 this time. He established the headquarters of his com- 
 mand in the saddle, only asking his troops to follow where 
 he should lead. 
 
 Wildcat had a subtle, cunning disposition, which gave 
 the whites much trouble. They had deceived him, and 
 his confidence in the pale faces was much shaken, but, 
 being induced by General Worth, he was prevailed upon 
 to meet in council. The general made a direct appeal to 
 his vanity by telling him he had the power to end the 
 war if he chose, as they were all tired of fighting. 
 
 Wildcat was finally captured during the month of 
 June. His camp was thirty-five miles from Fort Pierce, 
 on the Okeechobee Swamp. He abandoned the idea of 
 emigration, and his name was a terror to all the white 
 settlers. He agreed to leave with the Seminole and Mic- 
 cosukie tribes, who elected him their leader. His parting 
 address, as he stood upon the deck, was as follows: "I am 
 looking at the last pine tree of my native land. I ani 
 leaving Florida forever. To part from it is like the sep- 
 aration of kindred, but I have thrown away my rifle. I 
 have shaken hands with the white man, and to him I look 
 for protection." 
 
 Wildcat, after being sent to New Orleans, was brought 
 back to Tampa, that he might have a talk with his band, 
 which numbered one hundred and sixty, including ne- 
 groes. He was too proud to come from the vessel with 
 his shackles, but when they were removed he talked freely 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 155 
 
 with his people, and wanted all to be sent West without 
 •delay. He died on the way to Arkansas, and was buried 
 ■on the bank of the Mississippi river. War to him was 
 •only a source of recreation. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVn. 
 FoKT Marion Taken Possession or by Florida Tkooi'S. 
 
 JANUARY 7, 18(31, Fort Marion was taken possession 
 of by Florida troops, by order of the Governor, even 
 before the ordinance of secession was past. It had 
 been used for an arsenal for years. The stores fell 
 into the hands of the insurgents. The fort was used for 
 •a rendezvous for recruits most of the time up to its sur- 
 render to Commander C. R. P. Rodgers, U. S. N. On the 
 11th of March, 1862, he crossed the bar in the Wabash 
 with a flag of truce. The city and government property 
 was surrendered by the mayor, who informed him that 
 the two companies of Florida troops who had garrisoned 
 the fort had left the place on the previous evening, leav- 
 ing tlie public property in his charge. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 ■Confinement of the Comanche, Kiowa, Arrapaho 
 AND Chiricahua Apache Indian Prisoners of 
 War in the Fort. 
 
 IN 1875, Fort Marion was used for the confinement of a 
 number of Comanche, Kiowa and Arrapaho Indians, 
 comprising a number af leading chiefs and head men, 
 who had been taken prisoners by the United States troops 
 serving on the Western frontier. Captain Pratt, U. S. A., 
 
156 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 had charge of the Indians while they were confined in 
 Fort Marion. 
 
 April 13, 1886, seventy-seven Chiricahua Apache Indian 
 prisoners of war were sent to Fort Marion for confinement. 
 The Chiricahua Apaches are one of the many bands of 
 the Apache nation, which at that time numbered about 
 47,000 people. This band numbered over five hundred, 
 and had the best warriors in the Apache nation. Chi- 
 huahua was the head chief of this part of the band, and 
 was retained as head chief of all the Indians while they 
 remained here. He was a very skillful fighter, and un- 
 derstood the whites thoroughly, he having been First Ser- 
 geant of a company of Indian scouts for two years. He 
 had served his time, and was discharged before he joined 
 the hostiles. The Indians had promised to come in and 
 surrender at a point near San Barnardina. They came 
 in, but the night before the surrender was to take place 
 Geronimo got his band drunk and induced them to go on 
 the war path again. Chihuahua kept his word and sur- 
 rendered with his band. 
 
 During the thirteen months that I had the immedi- 
 ate care of these Indians, I found most of them trustwor- 
 thy, truthful and honest in every respect. 
 
 With this part of the band was old Nanna, the greatest 
 war chief of the Apache nation. He probably has more 
 scars on his body than any man in this country. It was 
 Nanna that tried to save Victory. He sent a small squad 
 with Victory into the mountains, and tried to obliterate 
 their trail, thinking that the troops would follow the large 
 party, but instead, they found the small trail and followed 
 it, attacked the band, killing Victory and a number of 
 his braves. 
 
 Nanna was the oldest war chief of the baud. He was 
 six feet in height and strongly built, and was always pleas- 
 ant while here. He spent hours in teaching the Apache 
 language and their dances to my son. Nanna was origi- 
 nally a Warm Spring Apache. It was his old band that 
 were our scouts against the Modoc Indians. 
 
 Natchez was the head chief of this band. Chihuahua, 
 Geronimo, Chatto, Nanna, Loco, Bastuea, Cheve, Mangus 
 and Kituna were the other chiefs. Of these, Natchez. 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 157 
 
 Geronimo and Mangus and fourteen braves were sent to 
 Fort Pickens, Fla. This was tlie part of the band that 
 went on the war path again after promising to surrender. 
 There were live hundred and five all told, brave, squaws 
 and children. There was no interpreter sent with Chi- 
 hauhua's band. When the large squad from Arizona was 
 sent here there were two interpreters with them, Sam Bo- 
 man and Conce})tion. With a few exceptions, the Indians 
 behaved very well while in confinement here. On the 
 26th of April they were transferred to Mount Vernon, 
 Ala. They still remain prisoners of war and have been 
 sent to the Indian Territory. 
 
 Captain Pratt, United States Army, was the first to 
 attempt the education of Indian prisoners of war. He 
 was ably [assisted by Mrs. Mathers. This lady took a 
 great interest in the instruction of the Apaches, assisted 
 by Mrs. Dr. Caruthers and the Misses Clark. A large 
 class was instructed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. All the 
 above were very successful in their endeavors to educate 
 these prisoners. The following is a part of the names as 
 near correct as can be translated in English : Today, 
 Cona, Lanzea, Nausen. Cisner, Shunarclay, Chechet, Sta- 
 loch, Fritz, Johnnie, Kasochon, Darkei, Toy.ski, Charlie, 
 Phil, Kroshega, Spudy, Bender, No Slin, Stun, Conaenato, 
 Donshedan, Soz, Goody-Goody, Goso, Joshya, Parlo, So- 
 zone, Jim, Nigharzen, Xotar, Wlienoshe, Bezenas, Coupo- 
 ral, Siele, Sizzen, Kaleson, Harry, Katar, Kerozona, Bash- 
 ozon, Bizha, Josanan, Coyonhe, Chatto, Kashonar, Baha- 
 ley, Fatty, Shiltinoo, Bachlom, Natchez, Eeskeney. 
 
 Will give a few words in Apache and English trans- 
 lation : 
 
 Lomry, fire; to, water: buckshay, beef; potsesha, 
 axe; a, shirt; anate, trowsers; ka, shoes; chess, wood; ow. 
 yes; chetta, blanket; tlago, night; dozuda, no good; va 
 shindau, do you see; hi-u-den-ya, where are you going, 
 no day yet; que do wo ga, what your name; ou-chisty, 
 come here; youychey, go; edlo, thread; doque, how 
 many; do da, no; bakechee, ink; elshinero, baby or 
 child; is congo, to-morrow; pesh, knife; kash bea cay, 
 shovel; montocho, orange; nantan, commander; oujue, 
 good; noy oustee, rain; nato, tobacco; tinco, matches; 
 
168 Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 nad e ste, pipe; basque, brush; bagazuda, broom; queah, 
 sick. 
 
 The following is the system of counting by the 
 Apaches: One, dath la; two, nock ke; .three, ti; four, te; 
 five, ashli ; six, goston ; seven, gostid ; eight, sapee ; nine, 
 gost i; ten, gones nan; eleven, thla zotta; twelve, nock 
 ke zotta ; thirteen, ti zotta; fourteen, te zotta; fifteen, ashli 
 zotta; sixteen, goston zotta; seventeen, goste zotta; 
 eighteen, spee zotta, nineteen, gosta zotta; twenty, nat 
 teen; twenty-one, nateen thla; twenty-two, nateen nocke; 
 twenty-three, nateen ti; twenty-four, nateen te; twenty- 
 five, nateen ash li. 
 
 The Apaches do not use the sign language except in 
 writing. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 The Hotels in St. Augustine, Franklin W. Smith 
 Designed and Built — The Climate. 
 
 THE Ponce de Leon, Cordova and Alcazar stand with- 
 out a peer in any part of the world. The construc- 
 tion of the first of these magnificent buildings was 
 commenced November 30th, 1885, and finished May 30th, 
 1887. Architects, Carrere and Hastings; builders, Mc- 
 Guire and McDonald; frescoes and mural decorations, 
 Maynard and Hastings; superintendent of concrete con- 
 struction, William Kennish; superintendent of architec- 
 tural department, J. W. Ingle. The other hotels are the 
 San Marco, St. George, Florida, Magnolia, Barcelona, Va- 
 lencia, Columbia, Abbey, Ocean View, Lynns, The Pal- 
 metto, American and others. The climate of Florida 
 s})eaks for itself, of St. Augustine especially. 
 
 In concluding this work the author finds a peculiar 
 fascination in the early history of Florida that no other 
 part of our country possesses. When we look back to 
 
Ponce de Leon Land. 
 
 .159 
 
 1512, the date of the discovery of Florida by the galhmt 
 cavaUer Ponce de Leon, the explorations of Narvaez and 
 DeSoto, the permanent settlement by Mcnendez,the French 
 and English colonies, the massacre of the Hugnenots 
 by Menendez, the retribution and massacic of Spaniards 
 by DeGourgues, the attacks of Sir Francis Drake and 
 Captain Davis , on St. Augustine, the siege of Governor 
 Moore and Colonel Palmer, the brave Oglethorpe's bom- 
 bardment and siege, the attack on the Highlanders at 
 Fort Moosa, the defence by the gallant and accomplished 
 Monteano, the completion of the fortress, which was one 
 hundred and ninety-one years in construction, the Semi- 
 nole war, the confinement of Indian prisoners of war in 
 the fort, the construction of the most magnificent hotels 
 in the world, by Mr. H. M. Flagler, making this one of 
 the central points of colonial and modern history in the 
 United States. If this book awakens an interest in the 
 colonial history of our country the author will be par- 
 tially repaid for his ten years work. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 GEORGE M. BROWN, 
 Ordnance Sergeant, United States Army, 
 
HETH CANFIELD 
 
 E. L. BARNES 
 
 ...•••«i 
 
 
 S#^ 
 
 »%^\B ^' 
 
 
 LYON BLOCK 
 
 KINO STREET 
 
 Si Aufiistioe 
 
 ( Drawer 13.) 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA. 
 
 <$><5>^<S>'»<^<3>^ 
 
 CITY AND COUNTRY PROPERTY FOR 
 SALE ON THE INSTALLWIENT PLAN 
 
 PROPERTY TAKEN CARE OF ANO 
 RENTS COLLECTED, LOANS NECO- 
 
 FOR CASH 
 
 REAL 
 
 bS 1 A I b TAXES PAID FOR NON-RESIDENTS 
 
 Buildiug's of all kinds fini.shed complete 
 by Contract or on Commission. 
 
 PLHNS m SPECIFICIITI0N8 PROMPTLY FlIRNlSflED. 
 
 CAPITAL $100,000. 
 
 Helh Canfleld, 
 
 President and Manager. 
 Erskine H. Reynolds. 
 
 Secretary and Treasurer. 
 
 Directors 
 
 S Henry > 
 Heth Ca 
 Geoi-ge ' 
 E. H. R( 
 
 Henry Warden, 
 'antield. 
 Old. 
 Reynolds. 
 
J. H. LYNN & CO., 
 
 Wholesale and Retail Liijiioi' Dealers 
 
 AND IMPORTERS OF 
 
 FINE LIQUOKS AND mm 
 
 Cor. King and Charlotte St., 
 
 SOUTH SIDE OF SLAVE MABKET, 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, - - - FLORIDA. 
 
 P. F. CAf^CABfl & CO., 
 
 Manufacturers of 
 
 HAVANA CIGARS 
 
 LEADING BRANDS; 
 
 El Mas Noble, 
 La Perla Espanola, 
 Flor de P. F. C. y Ca., 
 Merciless 
 
 ST, AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, 
 lib 
 
C OHORT 
 
 ^ LIN 
 
 Florida 
 Central ^ 
 Peninsular 
 
 Through the Mountains 
 and Valleys of Virginia 
 and the Carolinas, 
 
 To ASHEYILLE and the RESOKTS. 
 
 To NEW YOKK and the EA8T via COLUM- 
 BIA, S. C. 
 
 To MACON, ATLANTA, CHATTANOOGA, 
 CINCINNATI, CHIt AGO, via EVERETT, 
 GA., and the NORTHWEST. 
 
 To BIRMINGHAM, HOLLY SPRINGS, MEM- 
 PHIS, ST. LOUIS, KANSAS CITY, via 
 EVERETT. 
 
 To NEW ORLEANS via BEAUTIFUL MID- 
 DLE FLORIDA, and to TEXAS, MEXI- 
 CO, CALIFORNIA and PACIFIC COAST. 
 
 Send for best Indexed Township Map of Florida to 
 
 A. 0. MacDonell, G, P. A., 
 
 Jacksonville, Pla. 
 
 jg^|*Hunting and Fishing Resort List. 
 
ALCAZAR— St. Augustine. 
 
 Jo5. P. Greaves, Manager. 
 
 Open November first to May first. $3.00 and upward per day. 
 
CORDOVA— St. Augustine. 
 Kooms only. Open during February and March. 
 
ORMOND— Ormond-on-the-Halifax. 
 Anderson & Price, Managers. 
 
 Open December to April. $4.00 and upward per day . 
 
ROYAL POINCIANA-Palm Beach. 
 H. W. nerrill, Manager. 
 
 Open January to April. ^5.00 and upward per day 
 
PALM BEACH INN-WestlPalm Beach. 
 Fred. Sterry, rianager. 
 
 Open December to May. $4.00 ami upward per day. 
 
TIMBEIR . . 
 
 GRAZirsiGi . 
 
 FRUIT AND 
 
 "TRUCKING 
 
 AND8 
 
 ON 
 THE 
 
 h 
 
 im GOflST OF FLORIDA 
 
 kFROM 
 
 S ^ ^ 
 
 JACKSONVILLE 
 
 TO 
 
 BI5CAYNE BAY 
 
 BUSINESS ,.... 
 RESIDENCE 
 
 L0T8 
 
 FOR SALE AT 
 
 ST. AUGUSTINE, OW-IOND, DAYTO- 
 NA, PINEDA, EAU GALLIE, lYBST 
 PALM BSACH, FT. LAUDERDALE, 
 MIAMI AND OTHER TOWNS. ' 
 
 If you ai^ seeking a home ou the East Coast of Florida, either in 
 towjj or country, call on or atldress the undersigned. PRICES AND 
 TERMS REASONABLE. 
 
 J. E. INQRAHAM, 
 
 General Af?ont and Land Comm'r Florida East Coast Railway, 
 
 St. Augustine, Blorida. 
 
LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 
 
 <& 
 
 PONCE CW?>LEON-St. Augustine. 
 Gillis& Hurray, flanagers. 
 
 Open January to Appl. $5.00 and upward per day.