FRUITLESS ATTACK ON ST. AUGUSTINE. 143 ton, and burning him alive in one of the gallies, which a hurricane had driven so high up on land as to make it impossible to have it relaunched." The intestine troubles which at that period raged in Carolina, prevented their taking any measure of redress; and misinterpreting this silence into fear, the Spaniards planned another and larger scheme for the ruin of the colony. With nine hundred Appalachee Indians, they resolved, in 1702, to fall upon the interior settlements, and so reach Charleston by land. But they were met by a body of friendly Creeks, led on by some English traders, who, by a wily stratagem, killed and captured many, and routed all. To delay retaliation would be cowardice; and Governor Moore, the same year, resolved by one bold effort to capture St. Augustine itself. War was then existing between England and Spain, known as Queen Anne's War; and this, as well as the former depredations of the Spaniards, justified the attempt. With a force of a thousand or twelve hundred men, half whites and half Indians, he sailed direct to the bar of St. Augustine; the remainder, under Col. Daniel, went by land, and entered the town the same day that the Governor with his vessels entered the harbour, and drove the Spaniards into the castle. Unable to dislodge them for want of artillery, Governor Moore sent Col. Daniel to Jamaica, to procure a proper supply; but the arrival off the bar of two Spanish ships, compelled the Governor to raise the siege before the return of Col. Daniel, who, boldly standing into the harbour on his return from Jamaica, narrowly escaped capture. The Spanish Governor, Don Joseph de Zuñiga, Chalmers's Political Annals, 544, Historical Collections, ii. 97. Ramsay, folio, London, 1780. Oldmixon, i. 469. i. 127. Archdale's Description in Carroll's 144 OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE WARS. behaved with credit; and though the English Governor lost only two men, yet the failure of the expedition entailed upon the colony such a debt, that the Assembly could only cancel it by issuing stamped bills of credit, redeemable in three years. "Thus war, debt and paper money were coeval in Carolina." This expedition was gotten up for private ends, prosecuted with languor, and ended in disgrace to its leaders, loss to the colony, and renewed triumph to the Spaniards. 8 In 1704, Governor Moore, now succeeded in office by Sir Nathaniel Johnson, and appointed by him Lieutenant-General of the English forces, marched with a body of whites and friendly Indians against the Spaniards and Indians at Appalachee, about eighty miles west of St. Augustine. He was here entirely successful. The Indians were subdued, and the province freed from frontier danger. A demonstration by the united forces of the French, from Martinique, and the Spaniards, from Cuba and St. Augustine, under Le Feboure, was made against Charleston, in 1706. The attacking fleet consisted of six sail, and nearly one thousand men; but they met with defeat and misfortunes, and retired, after losing many men, having created much alarm, but effected nothing." Though peace was concluded between England and Spain, the colonists still remained in hostile attitudes; and Carolina was frequently menaced with invasion. After the memorable defeat of the Yamassee Indians, in 1715, who, with other tribes, were incited to their attacks by the Spaniards, it was resolved, for the de s Oldmixon, i. 476-7. The History of the British Dominion in North America, part ii. 142, London, 1773, large 4to. Archdale's Description, Hewitt in Car Hewitt, &c. Ramsay, i. 129. JEALOUSY OF SPAIN. 145 A conference of fence of the country, to build a fort in the forks of the Altamaha—claiming the country that far, as the rightful portion of the proprietary grant. This gave great offence to the authorities in Florida. the two governors was held in Charleston, which ended without a proper understanding; and the fort itself was soon after burned down. Yet the aggressions of the Spaniards and Indians still continued; and in 1727, Colonel Palmer again marched almost to the walls of St. Augustine, destroyed the Yamassee town, and chastised them into a temporary peace. But it was the peace of belligerent powers, sleeping upon their arms, ready at the first trumpet-note to grasp their weapons and renew the fight. Such was the state of things when Georgia was settled. Spain and England were nominally friends, though causes of hostility were thickly accumulating, and the pent-up flame of war was soon to burst forth with volcanic fury." The settlement of Georgia by General Oglethorpe gave great offence to the court of Spain, because of its infringement upon their asserted boundaries. So long, however, as the settlements were confined to the Savannah, and its adjacent rivers, nothing was done; but when, on his return from England, in 1735, he determined to colonize the banks of the Altamaha, and fortify some of the islands on the sea-board, their ancient jealousy revived; and minor acts of offence were not wanting as precursors and provocatives of more serious outbreaks." The aim of Oglethorpe, from the first, was to secure peace by gentle means; and with this view, he obtained from the Spanish minister in London the appointment of a com 10 Ramsay, i. 138. Territory, State Paper Office Docu 11 The Right of England to this ment, i. 62, 74. 146 TREACHERY OF THE SPANISH AUTHORITIES. missioner who should act as an internuncio between himself and the Governor of St. Augustine, in settling the boundaries of their respective frontiers. This gentleman, the Hon. Charles Dempsey, accompanied him on his return to Georgia, in 1736; and on their arrival was immediately sent to St. Augustine, with letters to Don Francisco Moral Sanchez, Governor of St. Augustine, assuring him of his amicable feelings, and of his desire to preserve the tranquillity already existing, by cultivating friendly relations. The reply of the governor was courteous, but guarded, and plainly evinced the irritation which the proceedings of Oglethorpe had caused, encroaching, as he declared, upon the lands of the king, his master. Several letters passed, containing, on the side of the Spaniards, complaints of savage incursions and trespassing on their land; and on the part of Oglethorpe, vindications of his right to the occupied territory, and assurances of succour and redress of the former. In the fulfilment of his promises, Oglethorpe stationed guard-boats along the St. Johns, to patrol the river, and thus prevent any Indian difficulties; and sent Major Richard to treat with the Governor of St. Augustine, and establish if possible the amicable relations which both seemed so earnestly to desire. Major Richard was well received by the governor, and carried back with him letters of mingled compliments and crimination. Oglethorpe replied to these again, despatching Major Richard and Mr. Horton to St. Augustine to explain and settle these harassing matters. But they now met with a very different reception. They were soon arrested and placed under a sergeant's guard, as spies; and because they refused to answer 12 State Paper Office, i. 16. FEAR AND SUBMISSION OF THE SPANIARDS. 147 the interrogatories of the governor, as to the military strength and resources of the colony, were threatened with the mines. The troops were then put under arms, and the cavalry ordered out on various scouting expeditions along the frontier. So soon as Oglethorpe learned this, he set out at once for the southward, determined to act promptly and vigourously at this breach of international law and courtesy. On his way he met the garrison of St. George's fort, which had mutinied, returning to Frederica. He led them back, and resettled them in their duties, and by means of what he calls "some small stratagems,"13 impressed the Spaniards who were near with an idea of their numbers far beyond their true force. This, with the driving away of a large launch carrying four guns, and laden with soldiers, sailors and Indians, under the command of Don Ignatio Rosso, lieutenant-colonel of the garrison, by the fort near Jekyll sound and at fort St. Andrews, alarmed the Spaniards, as the scouting parties on all sides had exaggerated ideas of the strength and numbers of the English; and the popular alarm thus spread abroad compelled the governor to call together a council, in which the bishop, the officers, and the people declared unanimously that they were for preserving a good harmony with the King of Great Britain's subjects, and desired the governor to release the messengers and send up an officer with them to apologize for their having violated the law of nations and of hospitality. This was done, and Mr. Charles Dempsey, Don Pedro Lamberto, captain of horse, and Don Manuel De Arcy, adjutant of the garrison,1 were sent as commissioners to Oglethorpe. They were received with due atten13 State Paper Office, i. 30. 14 Georgia Hist. Collections, i. 148. |