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[added text (appears to be different ink): No6 ]
Official Letters
from
Don Manuel de Montiano
Governor of East Florida
to
Don Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas,
Captain - General of the Island of Cuba,

September 30th 1737. to
January 2nd 1741
Translated from a copy of
the
Original Archives of the City
of
St. Augustine.


1846.






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(1.)


St Augustine
March 22nd 1737
Sir
Diego de Espinosa [added text: English, Spinosa? ] (one of the most respectable citizens of this Post) has informed me that last year Mr. Charles Dempsis, an Englishman, the second in command over the inhabitants of New Georgia, came here, and desiring to return to them, Don Francisco del Moral permitted him to pass overland, and to facilitate his movements gave him in charge of the Adjutant Don Manuel de Arze, now in this city who permitted him to see a fort which the said Espinosa built at his cost with five falconets in pasturing district including six leagues of this settlement, and allowed him to sleep one night in it; the said Charles Dempsis being an engineer and the first Englishman who visited that fort, the only defense we have in these parts; and that since then he has granted the same privilege to two other Englishmen, which whatever it may import, it is my duty not to conceal from your superior penetration.
Don Manuel Joseph de Justis To Senor Dn. [Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas

(2.)


Florida
Nov 11th 1737
Sir
The news which I despatched by Pedro de Alcantara in his schooner to apply for your assistance, and to inform you how much is required here, which no doubt Dn [Don] Manuel de Justis has told to you; you will [added text: please ] to grant what is necessary to put this place in a state of defense against the premeditated intentions of the English to make themselves masters of it and its Provinces, which [added text: to ] the king of Great Britain has [added text: been ] submitted in his Parliament by My lord Ogletor, (Oglethorpe?) a member of the same, who impressed on it how more useful and convenient


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would be to G. [Great] Britain this place, Apalache and its Provinces, than the other Colonies and Islands which she holds in America. Once secured in its possession, not one of our vessels could pass through the Channel [added text: x ], and consequently we could not export the treasures rendered by Peru and New Spain without their consent; and having heard with approval this proposition they gave him the general command of all the Colonies, Islands of Jamaica, and the others they possess in America, both of the sea and the land, appropriating $125,000. for fortifications, and 480 regular soldiers to operate against these Provinces. And although the Parliament was opposed to making any irruption during the Peace they agreed to these reports, which have reached me; likewise in Apalache the Cacique Sacafaca of the Pueblo Chalacarliche, who came expressly and voluntarily from those remote Provinces to warn us that the Indians friendly to the English will descend in small bodies to harass these coasts, and that the Caciques have been ordered by the English to unite and hold council on different subjects. It is left to you what to infer, nor should we lose sight of what they have at other times attempted, and now [deleted text: to accomplish they ] would strive with greater power [added text: to accomplish ] on account of the pride of lord Ogletor (Oglethorpe?) who is entrusted with the defence [defense] of the Kingdom, and had the sole view to acquire glory in these conquests, it is not to be doubted that he will make the greatest efforts by sea and by land; and to our disgrace, with the least he could employ, he will effect his object; for here we have nothing with which we could resist a moderate force, and the entrance to the bar occupied by one or two frigates, they would cut off all communications from this place and deprive us of the provisions on which we depend for subsistence; they would likewise pursue their plans, not ignorant of the deplorable condition of this place, nor of the few troops it possesses to oppose them, for which I hope


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that having submitted these reasons to you, and seeing that the preservation of this place is of the greatest importance for the preservation of the whole of America (Spanish?) you will favor me by giving the most prompt succour [succor] which I leave to the discretion and will of yourself, who with the professional intelligence acquired by large and signal services will discern what is required here. Without explaining it, it is sufficient to inform you that this Castle, (a single defense) is without bomb-proof vaults to protect the people, nor the elevation requisite for the [: contra escarpa ] [added text: counter-scarp? ] nor a covered entrance, nor ravelins in the curtains, nor other outer works that could make a long defence [defense] ; but it is so denuded that it has no means (soul) within, for it has no canon [cannon] that can fire for 24 hours, and if it had any there are no artillery-men to manage them.
I have ordered 4000 stakes to be cut for the purpose of forming a covered causeway, although I know it will be an imperfect work, from not having a corresponding elevation with the [: contra-scarpa ] ; but as it will be an expensive & laborious work to make it conform with the latter, on account of the quantity of earth required, I will apply myself to make those repairs most easily and least expensively done, for I do not hold more funds than the small quantity of silver taken from Dn [Don] Francisco del Moral, and besides I wish to run the wall to the Castle of Cubo and elevate there a [: Baluarte ] ; for it would now invite an attack which could take from that quarter the Castle; I have [added text (appears to be different ink): negroes ] slaves who could assist. When you resolve, which I hope, to send a body of operatives, some money, slaves or convicts, and engineer to direct the necessary works, arrange it that they bring a sufficient supply of food, because there is


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no doubt that the English will close the port against [unclear text: flour ] with whatever news that may arrive; neither will this satisfy the pride and expectations of my lord Ogletor, (Oglethorpe) but give us time to make repairs and we could deprive him of all hope.
The two confidential [added text: messengers ] agree in this news & recommend strongly not to neglect preparations, for we must expect my lord Ogletor in all
October, and that his intrepidity hurries him every where.
Don Manuel de Montiano. To. Sr Dn [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas [added text: x Channel. Sp. [Spanish] Canal . name given to the passage between the West Indies and the Florida coast, through which all vessels from New Spain passed on their voyage home - the westerly currents & trades rendering the route south of the islands long and tedious. Called sometimes Bahama Channel. ]

(17.)


Florida
February 3rd 1738
Sir
With respect to your letter of the
24th November and the note which it enclosed relating to what was necessary to prosecute the plan of changing the company of Grenadiers, and which furnished me with the news of the Pilot, good reason for sending them to Frederico or New Georgia to secure them, I ought to satisfy you by informing you that on the
18th. January I sent a despatch to the Adjutant Dn. [Don] Juan Jacinto Rodriguez remitting your letter with the pretext of complaining to the commanders of those colonies that the Indians friendly to them had murdered the Cacique Pujoy [added text: pronounced, Puhoy. ] and those who were with him, taking prisoner his wife and 14 persons men & women, violating by this barbarous proceeding the good understanding between us &c [et cetera] that I requested them to return the prisoners and punish the transgressors of this trespass, &c [et cetera] and having arrived at Gualquini, where is the


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plantation of William Horton Esq. the commander of Federico [added text (appears to be different ink): James ] Gascoign captain of the Manual (a Man-of-war), and although he made several requests to let him proceed he could not go farther; that within the 21 days he sent his answer to San Juan and not being able to stop so long without his detention being suspected, he declared that he believed they would not permit him to pass as he had done on other occasions [added text (appears to be different ink): & ] he determined to return; having observed, as far as he was able, that they had no other fortifications than those he had seen last year, and that they appeared to be living carelessly or pretended to do so; that when he was at William Horton's he told him that he knew that five months since 6 ships of 50 and 60 canons [cannons] had left Holland to capture the Revenue cutters ( [: Guarda Costas ] )
life of Ogelthorpe page 216 4th line
of Havana and to intercept these a vigilant vessel, and that likewise he knows that a vessel went out of Cadiz without a national flag with an order of the king that you and Don Antonio de Benavides should hold council to decide if it would be a fair prize: I learned likewise that three frigates had arrived with 350 operatives to cultivate the country; I observed that the Manual (Man-of-war) was not in the place and enquiring they replied that she had gone to Savanah to careen, and added that the Schooner of Devis (Davis?) was loading in Port Royal to come here, and being only forty leagues distant I felt distrustful of a long delay that I might report to you. I beg you will do me the favor to send by the earliest opportunity a cargo of corn to save us from perishing; these being all the news that I have to offer.
Don Manuel de Montiano. To Sr Dn [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas



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(18.)


Florida
4th February 1738.
Sir,
I answer your letter of the
24th November in which you tell me in general terms that the news I give you does not appear to correspond, so far as relates to Mr. James Oglethor comparing his character as Commander general, with the others communicated to you, and that there appears to be some mistake, in which doubts you are confirmed; this the English have explained, that there were several individuals of the Parliament, and not the king, who supported Mr. James Ogletor, and as he may desire that these fraudulent usurpations of foreign dominions which have not been appropriated should be very clearly conceeded [conceded] to the king of Great Britain he has taken them in his name which would be a notorious infraction, and experience proves that notwithstanding our injunctions they hold fast tenaciously to as much as they can, if procured by finesse, fraud or force, and that their monarch does not prevent it though bound by the treaty of peace of the year
1670 in which they sought to define the limits of the two crowns; I am persuaded that they will ever find occasions to acquire by force of arms that which they cannot by precaution, trade and industry, which until now they have employed; for which purpose I communicate to you what our confidential [added text: messengers ] brought; how shall I act so as that at no time I shall be culpable of any omission to place this post in a state of defence [defense], should the king in the mean time [meantime] give me charge of it; foreseeing interests me and you to place a proper value on it; foreseeing it I inform you of what must occur and I will endeavour [endeavor] to take advantage of all occasions that offer [deleted text: that ] to advise you of every thing as soon as possible; and if I should have had other vessels than the one of Ojeda, and I do not expect more than that of Devis which I look for, I could not have acknowledged the receipt of the news of Pujoy, and Matheo Rodriguez being about to leave this place I sent it by him, begging the favour [favor]


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of a vessel of corn, for if this people give up as it possible, we must retreat.
Don Manuel de Montiano To Sr Dn [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(23.)


Florida
February 15th 1738
Sir.
Since the schooner of Matheo Rodriguez has left here, there arrived a small vessel on the 10th inst. [instant] which sailed from Port Royal and an explorator ( [: explorador ] ) who came in her says that a vessel from London arrived at the Port of the Carolina with the news that the Queen of Great Britain had died on the
20th November of the past year; that our embassador at that court, the Conde de Montijo, having represented to it the right which the crown of Spain held to the Colonies, which they certainly possess from 33 1/2 degrees down Southward, [deleted text: and ] that our sovereign had requested them to be given up without opposition, and that the sending of any troops to keep them should be regarded as an act of war. To this the answer was to order 60 ships of the line to be prepared to attack the port of Cadiz, and at the same time to send Mr. James Ogletor 800 regular soldiers, 500 of which are from England, and 300 will be drawn from the garrison of Gibraltar, under the command of a Colonel the best engineer in the kingdom, giving to [added text: now first written [unclear text: thus ] . ] Ogelthorpe the general command of both Carolinas with orders to employ all necessary aids, and that he may look for two frigates, one with 40 canons [cannons] . In anticipation of these he has been ordered to buy a large quantity of provisions to be stored in Georgia at any cost. That the Conde de Montijo had returned to the court of Madrid, and that the english having resolved to send troops war was not doubtful, but every one considered it certain. That likewise they had news in both Carolinas of the designs of Havana against these Colonies in the month of
March, that they were overhauled by an English frigate that left Havana which had spoken one at sea from


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Carolina, where he says they were fortified and had ordered to bring six thousand Chalaque Indians to go to Georgia: that the inhabitants of old Carolina did not like the government of Ogletor on account of his temerity and pride, and for being the cause of the interruption of their commerce: that four thousand men would come from Spain, and some vessels of war which had joined the armada of Barlovento: that the English ask of the Spaniards the prizes made in America: that in Europe the Spaniards had captured an english merchantman and killed all its crew and had carried it to Alicante: that the Hollanders had captured one of our vessels on the coast of America with some persons of note and held them as hostages until they returned the prizes which they had made: that the Germans & French maintained a strict peace, and that the first and the Muscovites had captured many places & provinces from the Turks, killing a great number of them with little loss on their side.
This is the sum of what the confidential messenger has imparted, very similar to what you have written to me, in which he may have had the cunning to bring these news to stop our operations, if it be a true saying "to penetrate a design is not to frustrate it," and it surprises me that the news of the retirement of our ambassador had not reached these parts.
Don Manuel de Montiano To Sr. Dn [Senor Don] Juan Franco [Francisco] de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(25.)


Florida
February 16th 1738
Sir
After having sealed the letter that was to be sent, by the bilunder [bilander] (small vessel) of Ojeda, an answer arrived from the commanders of New Georgia and having read its contents they declare themselves overwhelmed with grief for having killed the king Pujoy; that they would seek for the agressors [aggressors] to punish them, and restore the prisoners if they find them; that they desire to maintain the good intercourse


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and treaty which Genl. [General] Oglethorpe made with Don Franco. [Francisco] del Moral: in relation to your letter which mentions about the Pilot, as only William Horten saw him, and he resides in Gualquini they knew nothing of his answer, and they declare that as they had neither seen him nor heard from him, they would persuade me, that they did not give him permission to correspond with you.
The cavalry soldier who brought the letter says that the sailors of the english periagua (small vessel) stated that Oglethorpe had arrived and that he was in Gualquini: that they searched for Spanish and English vessels on the coast, but that there was none, and they left without giving further news.
Don Manuel de Montiano. [: al ] Sr. Dn [Senor Don] Juan Franco. [Francisco] de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(41.)


Florida
May 28th 1738
Sir
In the two letters dated the
18th March you advise me of the measures that have been taken to dislodge the strangers who have intruded on and settled in these Provinces, and that the general command of the expedition has been confered [conferred] on Colonel Dn. [Don] Juan Baptista de Echeverria, in power of the orders with which you invested him, in which you include that I received from the Marquis of Torrenueva under date of
8th May, on which subjects I cannot sufficiently impress on you the grief that this suspension has caused me, for I believed that with the measures & means you had adopted the expulsion of the enemy would be certain, for which glorious end besides the preparations which this Garrison had made in proportion to its smallness, I would have assisted with all the zeal and pleasure corresponding to the desire I have to render the greatest service to the king, satisfaction to yourself and to redeem my obligations to my friend Dn. [Don] Juan Baptista de Echeverria.
With the same motive to have frustrated this plan, the


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the instructions which the minister Dn. [Don] Antonio de la Mora sent to you for the employment of the ten thousand dollars have not been carried out, and your having sent me six thousand to be employed for the sole purpose of fortifications, I will arrange it with the engineer that he may carry out the directions weekly for the stores & expenses which will have to be made by my assistance, that by this plan the operations will be most open and correct; I have to advise you that the convicts (galley slaves) alone have received their rations in the usual way always practised [practiced] in this Garrison, which is the same recommended to me, likewise you inform me that you send 82 convicts of those forwarded by the Archbishop Virrey, I ought to say that of these only one was wanting, who they informed me escaped from the Morro. Likewise have been received the four canons [cannons] of 24 and 18, and the eight of 5 & 6, and I have recommended to you in my letter of the
25th April that the 6 canons [cannons] of [unclear text: Crugia ], which the schooners carry, may be left here, they being necessary for the service of this place; their exportation would be most opportune nor shall [added text (appears to be different ink and hand): would ] they be exposed to any risk; I would beg the favor that their carriages may be sent, by which the expense of making new ones will be saved. Likewise I would suggest, if Dn. [Don] Pedro Barranco brings four swivels of 3, two of 2, and 10 [: camaras ] , all of bronze, that, if you think it right, they be melted and made falconets which are more easily managed, and not to send the [: camaras ] made there, which are quite useless.
Also, there were delivered from the Reales Almahacenes by the Master, substitute for Dn. [Don] Francisco de Leon Galera, the cloths, shirts, hats, bugles and pipes which came in his cargo; and having withdrawn from the property the pay of the Indians, I will employ the rest towards these works according to your orders, as may seem most proper to me.
Don Manuel de Montiano To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.



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(38)


Florida
May 13th 1738
Sir,
In the letter of the
22nd February and postdated
22nd March you inform me of the departure of the small armament, which although with a long voyage arrived safely with nothing unusual and is now secure in this Port. By it you have sent one particular advice for the plans I should pursue, and precautions to be observed to prevent the enemy learning of our premeditated expedition against the strangers settled in the territories of these Provinces in order to expel them; but these hopes have vanished at the resolution which you have last adopted; I cannot regard this without profound sorrow that these well arranged state of things should be frustrated, and with them the happy results which promised to result from so much wisdom, firmness, and adequate means; but I doubt not that this small armament will be sufficient to spread the greatest consternation among them and put them to flight.
With respect to Dn. [Don] Antonio Diaz Villegas, a dependent of the chief minister Dn. [Don] Antonio de la Mora, and the keeper of provisions (sutler?) I have arranged to give them every aid [deleted text: to ] required so as the better to economise [economize] the rations, to guard and preserve the provisions, charging them particularly to keep ever in view the advice that you gave them for the same object. And according to your order to send a courier to Dn. [Don] Alonso de Toro to advise him to postpone his departure until the middle of
April, as the reasons no longer exist for his instant departure I have only added that in his commission he must use those precautions which the engineer Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo has adopted, contained in his letters to me, and which appear to me very proper, with those sent by the courier who holds himself ready for any urgency that may occur.
Dn. [Don] Manuel de Montiano To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.



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(43)


Florida
June 2nd 1738
Sir
In your letter of the
24th March you informed me of the day on which you intended to embark the troops and militia for the premeditated expedition, and that the
21st same you received a courier with orders from the king to suspend operations; [added text: that ] in the mean time, by means of a conference the two crowns would agree to determine the limits of these Provinces, and that in the interim his majesty desires to advise you [added text: in order ] that you may secure them against any sudden attack they intended, to arrange that this Garrison and that of Apalache may be rendered as respectable as possible.
Dn. [Don] Manuel de Montiano To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(45)


Florida
June 3rd 1738
Sir
In your letter of the
24th March you tell me that if the two Cortes [Courts] do not agree in defining the limits which belong to this city and that of St George, and if consequently ours determine to recover what belongs to us, to procure by every possible means a knowledge of the condition of the new settlements of Port Royal and Purisburg: if they have had any reinforcement of troops, or if any maritime forces have arrived, and of what character they are, with the most minute accounts that can be acquired from the most faithful and careful channels, that we may be able to inform his majesty: I assure you that of all the difficulties which surround one here, the greatest is the want of an intelligent person for these intrigues, or in whom one could confide the management required by the enterprise of an emissary; and although we have confered [conferred] fully with Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo on these subject, and of the way by which he could acquire certain information which would be useful to us, we have encountered so many obstacles, that we want the foundations on which to plan such important


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negociations [negotiations] . That of which I can speak positively now is that [added text: they found ] the english of the new settlements and St George so ignorant of every thing, that until the english pilot arrived, whom you detained in this city, they had not the least knowledge of what was going on, as may be seen by their Gazette, which you will receive with the other information sent by Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo, that they have sent at once a frigate of 20 canons [cannons] and a bilunder [bilander] to this port, to assure themselves of what the pilot had told them, and having been detained the
29 &
30 of April by a heavy Norther (storm) near the Cape they could not send the barge to explain their motives for having come, and to assure themselves on the subject of their voyage; they doubtless will send to Edward Bullard a bilunder [bilander] under pretext to collect the money for a note which they hold upon this house, and promissory notes of other individuals; but before explaining themselves on those subjects they sent to me a letter from the Governor of St George, the copy of which and the answer I have forwarded to you that you might learn their contents.
The letter which the said english Pilot wrote to Devis, informed him that on the
15 May 3 frigates had arrived at St George, the one called Phoenix of 20 canons [cannons], and the other two transports with 600 regular troops, which they received on board at Gibraltar, and occupied six weeks in the voyage: that they likewise brought 40 canons [cannons] of bronze of every size, and that they shortly expect Genl. [General] Oglethorpe; and as this news came by persons of the same nation in whom I cannot place the least confidence, I remain in the same incertitude, but from not having any from our side, one may speculate on these things; it being very expensive, and not having here the means, nor any one worthy, it is impossible for them to gain [added text: the ] information why we may inform them or carry to them, in security, what they desire to know; it cannot be doubted that if this news be correct, our Court cannot be ignorant of it --
Dn. [Don] Manuel de Montiano- To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.



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(57.)


Florida
June 17th 1738
Sir
Since the transports conveying Don Philipe de Yturrieta and his troop have left, I received news that the english were fortified at Frederica on the island St Simons, where they built a fort of bricks which they brought from St George in a great number of piriaguas [periaguas], and employed in these works more than 200 men, and that they worked day and night; and though this news may [added text: be ] feigned I have notwithstanding felt under an obligation not to omit communicating it to you, as it may be of importance to the royal service, and that you might discover something of importance concealed under it, and if there is any intention to take advantage of us, of which, certainly, the work in which we see them now engaged would force on us the conviction, I had thought to send an active agent under some feigned pretext, but I have defered [deferred] using this precaution as absolutely useless, inasmuch as although they might permit him to go ashore they would not permit him to go to their settlements or speak to any one; and for the same purpose I proposed sending the indian Juan Ignacio with other picked companions, and to facilitate the execution of this express, but they made so many objections and spoke of so many difficulties, that for the present, for better security, I have deferred it until the future may present some other opening that will assist in the attainment of the information that we desire; and though Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo and I have consulted fully all the while that he was here, on the means to be used to acquire it, we have not been able to discover a way.
On the 9th inst [instant] Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo, Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto and the Master Portillo left here for Apalache; Don Miguel de Ribas having left two days before with his detachment of 50 men, and the convicts who go with him for the construction of this fort, with 32 loads of supplies for the journey, a cavalry soldier who has come back sick (of the 20 who went) informed me that they had fresh meat in greater abundance than was required, which assures me they will have a good journey.
Don Antonio de Arredondo goes charged to search for the


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place best suited for the settlement of the families destined for this Province, and to execute it with prudence, so that neither the Indians nor the english shall see the object and the intentions we have, that they may not anticipate us and occupy it before the families arrive; or the english, knowing our intentions, might influence the indians to embarrass its execution, and I doubt not his good conduct will adopt the necessary means.
Dn. [Don] Manuel de Mantiano to Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(63)


Florida
July 4th 1738
Sir,
I now answer your letter of the
16th June which I received by Pineto satisfying you on the subjects it contains, and first of the news you got by the vessel of the list of negroes, I wrote to you by Don Phelipe de Yturrieta what then was known and [deleted text: then ] by a letter of the
17th June and a note of the
1st of this month what has since ocured [occurred] in [deleted text: that ] [added text: this ] particular, and I have only to add in this letter that the same person who gave me the news contained in the note declared under an oath, which he took according to his religion, that at the time the bilunder [bilander] came with her cargo eight companies of a hundred men each with their officers came to Frederica from England; and comparing this news with that which they sent to Devis there is a difference of 200 men, also that one troop had been sent to St. George and the other to Frederica, which is all I have to say to you at present, and that the two barges remain below for oarsmen who are to be selected from the Marine, which has given me much trouble; nothing is done here, the execution of which is not attended with difficulty; witness the progress of the works of the Castle for want of day-labourers [day-laborers], whom it is necessary to divide according to the rules expressed in the adjoined; but notwithstanding their small number, they progress as fast as possible, and all the foundation of one side of the castle is finished, though


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for want of hewn stone they have not commenced the vaults, which they could not bring having only two oxen to do the work, and to guide them we were obliged to employ several men; they have demolished the parapet of the curtain corresponding to the foundation, and the inside wall which formed the quarters on the same side; a lime kiln has been made, and I urge them to progress as fast as possible by every practicable means.
Dn. [Don] Manuel de Montiano. To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(70).


Florida
July 22nd 1738.
Sir
At this hour, four in the afternoon, I have received a courier from Pupo, by which Don Pedro Lamberto informs me of his having arrived at that fort, with the loss of two Calvary soldiers whom the Yuchees killed on the roads stating that although he charged on them he could not gain any advantage as they retired into an impenetrable wood which checked the spirit of our Indians, they fell on the return convoy from Apalache, and are the same who came from here; and if we had stopped behind to organise [organize] and attack the enemy, it would not have been possible to execute it without betraying the object of this difficult enterprise, and he therefore hinted that the wounded should come on and resolved to continue his march without chastising them: and at the same time informed me that the English of the neighbouring [neighboring] Colonies had called on the Uchees, and that they had prepared to stop with them. By the same courier I received the letters which Dn. [Don] Miguel de Ribas and Dn. [Don] Antonio de Arredondo wrote to me, in which they informed me of their arrival and of that of the barge & bilunder [bilander] of Dn. [Don] Pedro Barranco without bringing any news, with which he sailed from this city.
The movement of these Uchee Indians, and the news from Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto of the understanding which


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which the English had with these Uchees appears to me worthy of reflection, and I have not only sent you this news by Pedro de Alcantara, but have also sent a duplicate overland by Luis Gomez that he may pass by the keys [added text: islands on the Florida coast are called cayos or keys in English. ] to deliver them to the patroon of the first vessel he encounters, to whom he shall remit the order, that at the place where he receives this letter he shall carry this express, make sail and go to the city to place it in your hands.
Manuel de Montiano- To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Franco. [Francisco] de Guemes y Horcasitas

(74)


Florida
August 8th 1738
Sir
By Marcos de Torres I received 12 letters from you, dated
16,
17,
18, &
21 of July, the contents of which I will answer by the same Captain; and continuing the account of the assault made by the Uchee Indians on the fortification of Pupo, which the departure of Pedro de Alcantara interrupted, I ought to tell you, that to ascertain the number of the Indians that were encamped at a league & a half from this fortification in the proximity of a stream, 29 of our Indians were sent, of which 7 withdrew, and the remaining 22 went on the scout, and effected with much difficulty the reconnoitring [reconnoitering] ; and having cautioned them particularly that they should not rashly expose themselves, they sallied from the said fort to reconnoitre [reconnoiter] the enemy and executed the task; they themselves declared, after their return to this place, that although they took different roads to discover the Indians they could not meet with them, and only encountered the tracks of the four who had followed the last courier sent from Apalache; I have strong doubts if this relation be true, or perhaps fear prevented their making a careful reconnoissance [reconnaissance] ; at the same time they have been unable to inform me of the number of Indians who advanced on Pupo, or of their position.


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Several huntsmen having arrived in this city with cattle, I examined them before me, and they related that while on their excursions they met a small troop of Uchees who hastily mounted their horses, and informed them that the English of New Georgia had sent troops of Indians friendly to them by diferent routs [different routes] with orders to occupy the whole road and kill as many Spaniards as they could; and having received this news they endeavoured [endeavored] to return to their place without meeting them, and that though they had begged them to let them go to their settlement they would not permit them, likewise letting these cowherds that they could retire with the cattle that they could collect; they discovered 14 leagues from Pupo a troop of 10 Indians, and that these molested them until they had the good fortune to join Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto; and believing this news, with the sudden attack on the two scouts of the troop of this Captain, the attack of Pupo, and the meeting the 10 Indians who pursued the cowherds, I transmit it to you as it may be of use to the royal cause.
In my letter of the
18th ultimo I informed you that on account of the desertion of the eight convicts who were employed in burning lime I sent letters to Dn. [Don] Sebastion Sanchez for the commanders of these Colonies with a request to return them if they came into their territories; and taking advantage of this opportunity, I urged this agent with especial care, to inquire and watch with all possible attention the condition of the English settlements, and if he could penetrate their designs to inform himself of them by any possible means, offering a reasonable reward to any person who could give him a correct account of them; this agent having returned to this place, he has given me an account of all that he could find out, I arranged it so as to certify the sum of his story, which is included in the [added text: authentic ] testimony sent to you; at the same time he told me that the deserters had not been found, and that the commanders would restore them if they came to their ports, and I likewise forward to you the letters they wrote in answer to mine. He likewise told me that they had a severe epidemic of smallpox at St George.
This night the two carriers who had gone to Dn. [Don] Miguel de Ribas returned to this place and said there was nothing new at that fort, but from the news they had brought they were very vigilant to


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guard against the movements of the Indians, and they sent a courier with the information to Quilate that they might also know their conjectures, and he passed personally to this fort and ratified the the [the] tenor of the meeting which I forward to you in the letter of
23rd ultimo & that the English of Georgia induced a grand combination of the Talapuches, Chicazaes, Uchees, Chalaques, Catapas and other nations, and though they pressed on him similar proposals he declined accepting them for the present without sending to his chiefs, and of them two in his greatest confidence when acquainted with what the English proposed, came to relate to me all that had passed there.
At the same time the said Dn. [Don] Miguel de Ribas informed me that three soldiers and 18 convicts had deserted from that fort, that as to the soldiers he ordered to search for them at Pensacola, where they found all that had left, and that they soon afterwards caught the convicts and secured them, that the master Portillo and some soldiers and convicts had become sick, and on this account they continued with some interruption the works; in a like manner progress those of this castle, for the mason Cantillo who stoped [stopped] here to continue them, was laid up with the venereal disease and unable to apply himself to work, and for which I have been forced to send to Dn. [Don] Pedro Ruiz Olano to strengthen Pupo, and that they might prosecute it with the ardour [ardor] and rapidity required, I would beg you to send here all the convicts that you can, and a couple of good carts, much wanted for these works, also labourers [laborers], as the work advances very slowly.
I have informed you of the convoking of the Indians, and I will do all that is possible to penetrate their designs, and as soon as the confidential agents from Quilate come here, I will send you all the news which I learn, with the greatest promptitude, and if the event is known, I will send with them one of the two barges to avoid delay and the disappointment of any joint advantage. The Indian Juan Ignacio has not returned and I fear greatly that he has fallen into the hands of those who came to Pupo, and if he escapes I hope that he will bring me very correct information. Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano
To Sr. Dn. J. [Senor Don Juan] Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.



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(76)


Florida
August 31st 1738
Sir
In a letter of the
11th November of last year I related to you the news I learned of the projects that lord Oglethorpe had suggested to the court of London relating to the taking of this place, and to keep vessels at the mouth and about the keys of the Channel by which to molest the fleet of merchantmen, the Galeons [Galleons], quicksilver ships and and [and] other Spanish commercial vessels, and since then I have transmitted to you on several occasions whatever news I have heard. Lastly in my letters of
21st July and the 8th inst. [instant] I informed you of the advance made by the Indians friendly to the English on the fort of Pupo the night of
18th July, their killing the two scouts of Don Pedro Lamberto's troop, and the information given by some Uchees to one of our huntsmen, that the English had sent here some troops of Indians with orders to kill all the Spaniards that they could, and I transmitted an affidavitt [affidavit] of the envoy that Quilate sent to the commander of Apalache, informing him that the English of New Georgia had ordered to call together [added text: all ] the Indians of the Provinces; likewise I enclosed another certificate given by Dn. [Don] Sebastian Sanchez, who had been sent to the neighbouring [neighboring] colonies to search for eight convicts, deserters expressing all that he could see or learn. And now, lately, from the return of the Indian Juan Ignacio who was likewise sent to the same Colonies to use his sagacity to learn there and unravel the intentions of the English, as far as he could, and two Irish men and one Scotchman, fugitives, having arrived here from the said Colonies, I transmit to you an authentic [deleted text: k ] testimony of what they have done, and an account including all that the said Indian has testified of what he heard and saw from the moment that he entered among them until he left them, that you might participate in all the news I have been able to get. I must also inform you that the Lieut. [Lieutenant] Colonel Cocran (Cochran?) Governor of St Simons having asked our Indian if they had much silver in Florida, and he replying that they had an abundance, for every month the soldiers were paid, he said, that soon all would belong to the king of England; and this haughty observation has induced me to consider that this Governor would not thus express himself if he did not know the intentions of his sovereign to proceed to conquer this place.


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After a pause that followed the preceeding [proceeding] Cochran asked our Indian the condition of this place and castle and receiving his answer said, when you hear of the arrival of Genl. [General] Ogelthorpe, whom I expect with 700 men, then you will see me at the mouth of the bar a vessel of war to stop the introduction of provisions into Florida, and another at the keys to check the embarcations [embarkations] from Havana. And on this point you should consider and remember the character of Ogelthorpe whose scheme this is: that the Lieut [Lieutenant] -Colonel Cochran has just come from London, and it is reasonable to believe that this officer has learned from that court that they have adopted the projects of Ogelthorpe, and that he has excited them by the utility and profit which he insinuated would accrue to the British king by the fall of Florida, which he earnestly desired to attain, in as much as at other times after this he said positively to our Indian that before two or three years they would see wine and rum in these provinces; and, to magnify himself in his eyes, he stated that there were in Sabanato, San Andres (St Andrews) and St George 900 men, with which and the 700 to be brought by Ogelthorpe, and five or six thousand Indians which he will convene in a shorter time than two months, he will come and disembark on the river St John and the fort Picolata, which is the same place, and from which he said there were only 7 leagues of distance to this Garrison.
In the last portion of his story our Indian said, that he had heard it stated to Lieut [Lieutenant] -Colonel Cochran and to William Huston that fifty dollars had been offered to their Indians for each scalp of a Spaniard whom they had killed; and this is sufficiently proved to be true by the news told our cowherds by the Indians, by the violent death of the two scouts of Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto's troops, and the surprise of Pupo which they tried. And the recruiting of the five or six thousand Indians, mentioned in the preceeding [preceding] paragraph is verified by the embassy of the ( Cabo general ?) [added text: cabo, the lowest general officer. ] brigadier general Quilate: on which points I insist that the said governor Cochran, would not cause this convention, nor these insults without express orders from his court.


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At this hour, half past eleven at night, a courier has been received from the leader of the detachment, which in an armed barge went up the river St John, informing me that they had seen on the beach of an island of the same name, 25 Indians and two Englishmen; this being the place which they had fortified, and where, two or three years since, they intended to form a settlement, they not only supposed they saw a larger number of Indians and Englishmen, but that they had come for the same object; but I am determined not to permit this boldness, and to make them abandon the idea if I have an opportunity of going there.
This is the news which I have been able to collect to send to you, from which the intentions of the English are verified; that they artfully take advantage of the delay requis [edge of page: ite ] to decide on the limits of [deleted text: both ] each Province, not only using every means to fortify the lands which they have unjustly occupied, but taking the most certain measures to overpower this place by starvation. And though I have learned by Davis assuring me with all certainty, from the confidence he places in his correspondent, who has informed him from the island of Barbadoes that the troops that Oglethorpe will transport [deleted text: from ] to these Colonies are a thousand men, and that from London they have sent and keep at Jamaica 20 vessels of war; and that you might use every precaution to protect the Armadas (fleets) which are now in this part of America, and be pleased to give the necessary means for the important object of finishing the works of this Castle, and whatever else your great discretion and knowledge may consider necessary to the consideration of these premeditated ideas, I send you this information without stopping to look at the letters by Marcos de Torres which I have answered, and promised not to neglect [added text: in ] a single point [deleted text: all ] the vigilance for the security of this place; for which purpose I begged the purveyor at New York would send as soon as possible the necessary provisions for one year, because at present I cannot select other channels than those the king desires, or you


Page: [24]23
appoint for me.
I had thought on the day of sailing to send Juan Ignacio, that he might go to that city and inform you personally of all the contents of the news which he brought me; but having declared to me that for good success he had offered a vow & certain promises to our Lady of Cobre [added text: Cobre, a town in Cuba near south coast. Our Lady de Cobre presides among other things, over the cure of ulcers, etc. ], I did not force him to go, and permitted him to visit you at his pleasure, that he might be rewarded in the first occasion. Manl. [Manuel] Montiano -- to J. F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(113)


Florida
January 3rd 1739.
Sir
In your letter of the
10th October you advise me that the squadron of nine vessels commanded [added text: by ] Dn. [Don] Joseph Pizarro remained yet in that port, and that though you had two letters from Spain, left in Cuba by an express sent to Vera Cruz the official did not add any thing to the preceeding [preceding] news respecting the project of peace or war; but all the private letters said that the English had corrected their proposals, and there was a disposition to arrange the differences by mild peaceable means, to which opinion you informed me, you incline for reasons you have explained to me. Not doubting your inteligence [intelligence], I ought to say that I have the true account, for having had an intimate conversation with Davis and learned from him the present condition of those Colonies and their news & designs, I am certain that nothing else could have made lord Oglethorpe return; and as this officer is so captious and restless, I am surprised that he has come and remained quiet, and though I distrust this calm, as it might be the highest effort of his cunning, notwithstanding the repose of his restlessness is a miracle, I do not neglect to watch all the steps, and movement that he may try, by guarding the St John river and the forts Pupo & Picolata, by advancing these works as much as possible, and investigating the intentions of the English, to inform you of them, whatever they may import, that they may not hold effectually the unjust possessions they have taken in the proper territories of these


Page: [25]24
Provinces. And if I receive any thing new to send to you, and have no vessel, I will despatch a barge as I said before, that it may not be delayed.
Postscript. Don Pedro Lamberto has informed me that Ogelthorpe had shot a soldier, which he said was told him by Davis, but he hid it from me, and said nothing to me when he left the port. On the
21st of November 23 negroes small & large of both sexes arrived here, fugitive from Port Royal; nineteen belong to Davis, eight are labouring [laboring] men. I have striven with all the free (negroes?) to settle in Moze a half league north of this, that they might form a settlement and cultivate the lands, to direct them I have named Dn. [Don] Sebatian Sanchez; and that they might be instructed in the mysteries of our holy religion I have appointed Dn. [Don] Joseph de Leon a well informed man servant who is pursuing an ecclesiastical course and acts as notary to the Bishop, he has placed him in this employment as a mark of his approbation, giving him the appointment of a teacher of the Christian religion ( Doctrinero ) until the pleasure of the king assigns him another. There are altogether 38 free negroes here who could form a good pueblo.
Manuel de Montiano to Sr. Dn. J. F. [Senor Don Juan Francisco] de Guemes-

(126)


Florida
March 3rd 1739
Sir
A man having appeared on the other side of the river St John the guard boat went to reconnoitre [reconnoiter], and having made them understand that he was a fugitive from the English Colonies they took him in to carry him to this Place, where he arrived the
16th ultimo; and I received from him the testimony which accompanies this, that you may see the condition of Georgia and its fortifications, with all which has besides occured [occurred] to me worthy of sending; and I am certain from what he said that Genl. [General] Ogelthorpe advances but little his projects; [deleted text: for ] then it is clear to me from another source that in New York he owes more than twelve thousand dollars, and for this cause they do not desire to furnish any supplies to his Colonies, and for all it was [added text: a ] dark prospect from his cash disposition, and his reputation as a bad paymaster.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano to Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes.



Page: [26]25

(133)


Florida
April 2nd 1739.
Sir
On the
9th of last march a bilunder [bilander] arrived here from St George which brought here a Lieut-Colonel a member of Parliament, and an interpreter, who presented to me instructions and authority from certain citizens of those Colonies, and two letters from Mr. James Ogelthorpe General Commander of all the Provinces of Carolina, and from Mr. William Bull, governor of St George, requesting an audience for their embassy, who were directed to request a restitution of the runaway negroes, who, I had informed you had deserted from the neighbouring [neighboring] Colonies and had come to this city; and having entertained them in my own house and listened to their representations through three interpreters, replied to them, that I felt [added text: the ] greatest pain not to be able to grant [added text: a ] so reasonable favor, as the orders of the king did not grant me the liberty to deliver up fugitive slaves who fled to this garrison; without the express condition to make them free I could not agree to the exchange which they proposed of our eight convicts, deserters, for their slaves; that they could apply to the court to designate the principles for a reciprocal intercourse which should be maintained between us, and that I would execute justice according its advises. And seeming, according to external appearances, much satisfied with my desire, and with the courtesy shown in these conferences during the seven days they remained here without quitting my side for a moment, they returned gratified to their Colonies, giving many signs of their acknowledgements [acknowledgments], and manifesting their gratitude by very courteous compliments. That you might understand well their pretentions [pretensions], and the answer I gave to the letters they brought me, I send you copies of theirs, and one of mine, which are similar in the chief points, and will be pleased if they have your approbation.
Manuel de Montiano to Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes-



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(151)


Florida
August 14th 1739.
Sir,
In your favor of the
9th June you tell me that by orders you received from his majesty they gave the same advice which you sent me respecting the eight convicts deserters, and consequently it appeared indispensable to you to make new negociations [negotiations] on those points; and that you may know its execution with its results, with all that I could acquire and learn, to inform his majesty of them. An order having come from the king to inform the commander of the Carolinas of the 2nd article of the convention, I sent a barge to St George authorising [authorizing] what you will see in the adjoined copy, and permitting the Captain of cavalry Don Pedro Lamberto to go in to consult the doctors of that city on the surgical disease of a daughter who has suffered many years. And having executed his commission, he informed me that he did not meet Mr. James Ogelthorpe at St George, to whom, as general commander, I directed the notice remitting to him the 2nd article, and that they assured him that he had gone on a journey of more than 300 miles, on which account he carried my letter [unclear text: to ] the one who was in his place as commander, and though he insisted that he should open it, he would not do so, excusing himself because he had received orders only to receive letters, and to forward them which he did; and taking a receipt for having carried it, they gave [added text: him ] the other written as a dupli [edge of page: cate ] and the answer to that I gave the commissioners who came, sent by that city and the Parliament; which copy I forward to you, that you may learn its contents and I advise you that they have not been possessed of the eight convict deserters, and as they did receive a reception corresponding to that I gave the commissioners, nor the liberty with which, on other occasions, they were permitted to walk about the place, they did not get any information worthy to be sent to you; only that they had been better


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treated by the first settlements whence they could learn the discord that these intruders had with those of St George, and those of the city with Mr. James Ogelthorpe to whom they denied the general command.
I am assured that they did not give more liberty to Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto, nor did his people go on shore, which comes from the fear in which they live of their negroes, and that some of us might hint to them mischief or excite them to runaway [added text: against ] which they would so much guard, for on them depends their prosperity or their ruin
P.S. Since writing the above Don Pedro Lamberto has informed me that he had seen at St George Juan Zevallos, one of the eight convicts who deserted form the lime-kiln, and that having demanded that he should go back with him, the governor would not permit it; and that according to the information of the said Zevallos, the others went about freely among the plantations, to which Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto has certified, and I send it to the court with copies of the letters that I spoke of on this subject.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano - to Sr. Dn. J. F. [Senor Don Juan Francisco] de Guemes-

(157)


Florida
August 19th 1739
Sir
A courier, Dn. [Don] Diego Pablo has come from Apalache advising me that [added text: he had heard ] the English had come with more than 100 negroes to build a fort; that they had routed and killed all the English and houghed the horses; that [added text: two ] large bodies of Indians had appeared, one going by the road to St Marks the other towards this place; that Quilate had sent them this news, and that they were determined to revenge themselves on every one, and for this purpose they came to take the fort; that the negroes had scattered and that two, (Portillo says four) had arrived at a Pueblo of the Provinces, and had soon after disappeared; that they searched for the negroes with an Indian they met in the woods; that they guard this secret with great care; but it appears tome that the fort in the vicinity of the Carolinas might be repaired to restrain the negroes from deserting, and that it is certain they have sent troops of Indians to hunt them and capture them, so that it has not given me much anxiety. Nevertheless


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I have to reconnoitre [reconnoiter], if contrary to the convention, they have occupied any new post. Dn. [Don] Jose Leonar has been directed to reconnoitre [reconnoiter] at Santa Maria (Amelia Island?)
Life of Ogelthorpe page 140.
and I have spies in other parts, but have received as yet, no news; and no courier having come from Apalache [added text: I remain in doubts, ] and more, Dn. [Don] Diego Pablo having concealed from us that Quilate remained in the fort, to which I have sent Juan Ignacio with three other Indians and two or three Uchees friendly to us. I will punctually send you the result, which I may do, as a bilunder [bilander] came yesterday from New York.
Manuel de Montiano to Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes.

(180)


Florida
January 31st 1740
Sir
In letters of the
4th &
14th of October of the preceeding [preceding] year I gave you a punctual account of what occured [occurred] on this coast, with the embarcation [embarkation] of the English until the second day of that month, and have now to inform you that on the
22nd December there came to this place a cavalry soldier of the guard of the bar of St John, which is twelve leagues north of this port, with the news that he had seen in the cane-brakes, ( [: cañuelos ] ) half way on this road, tracks of 25 0r 30 men; and soon after another cavalry soldier arrived from the same guard with information that one of our Indians had brought the news that he had seen on the shores of the said river St John tracks of more than 300 white men.
On the
23rd Dn [Don] Lorenzo Joseph de Leon, ensign of cavalry, and a soldier brought the news that they had seen in the said cane-brakes a large number of Indians & whites.
On the
24th they had a consultation whether it were best to demolish the fort of San Diego or strengthen it with a garrison, and if our force was strong enough to attack them; they concluded to introduce additional aid of eleven men, and that it was not prudent to dismember the garrison for the reasons they explain in the context of the consultation, and the same day they began to urge on fatigue parties to guard


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the place and put it in a state of defence [defense] .
The
25th a cavalry soldier and several Indians fled here with the information that they had discovered fresh tracks of 30 men at a distance of 4 leagues from this garrison; and the padre F. Francisco Gomez, doctrinero of the Pueblo of Ayamon, where last year the Indians of Pozotalaca were settled to cultivate the more fertile lands, informed me that in that neighbourhood [neighborhood] 6 or 7 leagues from this Place he had seen ten Uchee Indians.
The
26th I sent the said Cavalry Ensign Don Lorenzo Joseph to to [to] go over the country and collect all the cattle possible to be carried to the island of St Anastacia; I have likewise sent out four Indians to overrun the country diligently with the charge to make prisoner an Englishman or Indian of the enemy for whom I offer a premium of 25 dollars; the said cavalry ensign returned the same day with 93, and in the evening I sent the overseer Don Manuel Garcia with four small embarcations [embarkations] to cut stakes for the Royal service and the defence [defense] of this place.
The
27th I sent the Ensign Don Antonio Solana to collect horses, to go to Dn. [Don] Christobal de la Torre, Bartalome Ramirez, and other citizens with the greatest diligence. I charged Dn. [Don] Francisco Menendez and other citizens to carry the cattle to the island of St. Anastacia, and dispatched the Indian Juan Ignacio with five other Indians by the river [added text: St John ] to Picalata to observe the movements of the enemy.
The
28th I dispatched by land four other Indians, the night of the same day two of the indians that went with Juan Ignacio returned with the information that the same 240 English and Indians atacked [attacked] the fort of Picolata, and that its garrison of seven [added text: seven - [: siete ] a mistake for [: diez y siete ] , seventeen? ] men had defended it bravely from 10 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, and that at that hour the enemy shamefully withdrew.
The
29 I sent the Cacique Chislala with 8 picked Indians to go over the country charging them to take prisoner an Englishman or Indian alive; this day there came a soldier who had been in the battle of the fort Picolata, and with him the indians Juan Ignacio & Juan Savina, who stated that


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the english who attacked the fort numbered 150, and the indians 30, that the fire lasted four hours; that on our side an artillery man was wounded, and that of the enemy two were seen to fall, one of whom appeared to be an officer, as he had a hat with trimmings, and that four men carried him off; and the said soldier informed me that they had used two mortars of Royal size, and gave me several shells that had fallen in the fort.
On the
30th the said padre, doctrinero of Ayamon came here with the information that on the
29th they killed the Uchee indians at Fayaquisca in the neighbourhood [neighborhood] of that pueblo; the same say the four indians sent on the
26th returned, and stated that they had been in St Matthew ( St. Matheo ) which is on the banks of the river St John, and that they had met with traces of indians who passed about those parts; that although they used every means to find out if they had made, or were making a fort in the vicinity of this river, they could only discover several piriaguas [periaguas] which were going towards St John ( San Juan ) and they discovered that the indians and whites whom they had seen the past days were there, from the trails of the indians led to the said parts of San Juan .
On the
4th January the Cacique Chislala returned with all his indians, and assured me that he had been in San Juan, that he had well examined those parts, and that he had only seen the huts which the enemy's indians had erected, that according to the signs which they had left they numbered 134, that they made 36 fires the midst of which were the english, whom he discovered to be 200.
The
7th I sent Juan Ignacio & Geronimo with three other indians to watch the landings and examine the country.
On the
8th the artillery-man who was wounded in the combat of Picolata died, and the same day I sent Captain Pedro Lamberto Horratiner with 25 cavalry of his company, 25 infantry and 30 indians and free negroes, runaways from the english colonies to go over the country, and charged them to try to make prisoner some Indian scouts who it was believed were about this neighbourhood [neighborhood], and they returned in the night without any news.


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On the
13th the padre doctrinero of the said Pueblo of Ayamon informed me that on the
9th 46 Uchee indians had attacked him and badly wounded him, and that they had scalped an indian they had caught from the small fort they had.
On the
18th Juan Ignacio and several of his indians returned and said that they had seen in the river St John at a place called San Nicholas 12 vessels composed of 3 schooners, 2 bilunders [bilanders] and 7 periaguas, and that it appeared that 700 men had come: the same day I sent two cavalry soldiers with two indians to observe if the vessels landed any persons at Salamatoto, and that the two indians should go to Picolata and watch the movements of the enemy.
On the
19th the indian Geronimo the companion of Juan Ignacio, returned with news that he had seen in the river St John two piriaguas [periaguas] which remained in the middle of the river without approaching this side, and that he discovered that they were placed there to watch if any of our armament entered the bar of the St John, when one would be sent to inform the neighbouring [neighboring] Colonies, and the other to the 12 vessels which were up the said river near San Nicolas : The same day came the two indians who went out the preceeding [preceding] day and said that though they had gone about Picolata they could not discover anything, and then I found that the two indians had not gone half the way; and the two cavalry soldiers who went with them examined the creek of Nicoloa, and finding it evacuated returned. The same day
19th I sent Laureano Solana, sergeant of cavalry with eight soldiers and four indians to see if the vessels remained in the river of Picalata, or had taken the fort Pupo.
On the
20th at one in the morning the said sergeant came back saying that he had seen a large number of people and fire, in Picalata, and it being at night when he reconnoitred [reconnoitered] them he could not discover the fort nor speak positively of the number of the people. This same day
20th I sent Juan Ignacio with eleven indians to make the necessary examinations and to try to catch an englishman or an indian alive.


Page: [33]32

On the
21st Juan Ignacio and his squad returned and assured me they had gone to Picalata; that they had reduced that fort to ashes, and that they then saw that the vessels of the english were in the vicinity of the fort Pupo: than all about it [deleted text: [illegible text] ] were much people with red jackets; and that the said fort was in the possession of the enemy, for they had seen many of the said people enter and go out and round about it.
On the
22nd I sent Diego de Espinosa, a citizen best acquainted with the country and six dragoons to examine it, and look at the landings of San Juan, San Matheo & San Nicholas.
On the
24th Diego de Espinosa returned with his six soldiers, and informed me that on the other side of the river St Johns, named San Nicholas, he had seen three country shops, and that, undertaking to approach them & see what they contained, he continued his way, until he heard several shots close by him from there, which showed that they had been advised that enemies were about, one or more having seen our people; he quickly retreated fearing that they would cut him off.
On the
27th I sent the Lieutenant of dragoons Dn. [Don] Romualdo Ruiz with 25 horse, 25 indians, and 25 free negroes with the greatest secresy [secrecy] and precaution to use all diligence to catch alive an englishman or Indian; to harass those on this side when it was possible, and to use all the caution necessary for a vigilant march and an exact reconnoissance [reconnaissance], going close by the river to guess at the number of people on this side, that according to his judgment [judgement] he might or not attack them, or commit hostilities on any side that he could without fearing considerable injury to our force.
On the
29th the said Lieutenant Dn. [Don] Romualdo Ruiz del Moral and his troop returned with the news that they had gone to the landing of Picalata, and that from much rain and mist they could learn well the condition of the fort of Pupo, but that it seemed that they saw it, and that they had come across a block house.
In this condition I find myself obliged to send you shortly


Page: [34]33
our bilunder [bilander] with this news, that by its receipt, and the orders which you have from the king, you might apply yourself to use every means conducive to supplying and fortifying this place, which it is here totally impossible to effect; with respect to the said river St John or Picalata, it is an arm of the sea three quarters of a league wide, exactly measured by different engineers which enters by the bar of the same name, and passes out by the entrances of Apalache or Southern coast; according to the best informed Indians [added text: who knew nothing about it ] ; and I have, speaking truly no maritime force with which to oppose their; and if I had them they could be easily brought in over the right bar, could pass out to encounter the enemy, to exercise and guard the coasts, but for want of it every means fails; and this is the true reason why I have not sent a large detachment from this place by land, because I would wish at the same time to send a strong expedition by sea; supposing that the English should direct their attentions towards blockading this port, as they have threatened to do, and to accomplish this it would be of the greatest importance to attack suddenly the forts of Picolata & Pupo, with the object [deleted text: of ] by those attacks, by way of feints, to induce a large body of troops to be sent from here, it is certain that they and their allied indians being masters of the [added text: whole ] country would dispute the passage of ours with a small force, and if they did not succeed, would retreat in good order, and then without opposition and without trouble their vessels would enter this port, having prepared them for it in the creeks, which from the bar of the St John pass into the interior through the lands by which it flows, and consequently could enter this place with greater security, for I should have nothing to defend it if they should defeat our troops: and although I might with the greatest zeal and firmness, approaching even to temerity, defend myself, no glory could be conferred on our arms, because the English having possession of the river St John, with vessels in which they could carry heavy artillery, and being able to introduce them and protect them at any time from the creeks [added text: or inland seas (see map of the coast.) ] which from bar to bar pass


Page: [35]34
between their islands and the main land to Port Royal, 50 leagues from here, any but a Maritime force would be useless; and respecting the danger I have mentioned, in case they should disembark their troops at this place and approach within gun-shot of ours, they might rush on us from their small vessels, fire on us from their large one & sadly defeat us, when this place would be in a worse condition than before its reenforcement [reinforcement], which would be to the royal disappointment, and the commencement of its ultimate destruction.
These are not the only reasons which induce me to protect this place, there are others of equal importance and weight, supposing that neither you nor I received any orders from the king, from which it would be concluded that the English had occupied the seas with their vessels, I ought first of all to take care of all provisions in the place, that the people might not perish, on which subject I can assure you that I dispense them like to the detachment and from consideration, that to drive from here 400 or 500 men from this population, into impenetrable and, dangerous forests which might be occupied by the enemy, could not be done without great detriment for the future.
For the important object for preserving this place for his mgesty [majesty], to provide and fortify it as much as possible I have heretofore sent my appeal to you on several occasions, and I now repeat them with greater urgency, begging that you will give your aid in every thing requisite to that end, according to the orders which, for that object, you have received from the king; I testify that besides the weighty reasons I now have that you should give your attention to it, I add at the same time the doleful circumstance of being with pay since
1736 as must be clear to you, likewise the ensign Dn. [Don] Pedro de Escobedo, whom I have just recovered, from the begining [beginning] from
1837 - it has not come nor do we know where it is, and it is sadly agreed to have been shipwrecked or fallen into the hands of the English. For all these reasons I humbly implore you to make use of every means to provide


Page: [36]35
for and fortify this place in the way that the King wishes, for which purpose I will apply myself to preserve it with the greatest zeal and care, even to the loss of my life, which I have offered and vowed to his majesty.
I likewise inform you that the said forts Picalata and Pupo were erected for the sole purpose to defend and shelter the couriers who went to & came from Apalache from the continual attacks of the Indians friendly to the English, and that they are both situated on the banks of the river St John, one on the north and the other on the south, at the distance of three quarters of a league, which is the breadth of the river, without the ability to reciprocally aid each other: that small and of wood they have several times repelled the Indians who attacked them, and that, now, that of Picalata sustained without injury a seige [siege] of four or five hours from 200 men, the garrison of which, obliged to demolish the fort by grenades, and taking advantage of the retreat of the enemy and the death of their chief, assisted the fort of Pupo, until in the same canoe in which they went to it, they retreated by my order to this place, by a creek that empties itself three leagues from here: that the said fort of Pupo defended itself valourously [valorously] for [added text: about ] two days, and then, although until now no news has been received of the fate of the garrison, consisting of a sergeant & ten men, nor of one of our Indians who they had to inform us of what occured [occurred], I have been informed by the partisans, who in their scouts were [added text: about ] there two days, that they heard much obstinate and continued firing of artillery until half past two in the afternoon of the second day, when they heard a salvo of seven canons [cannons], and the firing then ceased, leaving me the grief of a sad loss of eleven men, without the power at present of taking my revenge; because although I gave the chief a written order to defend himself with honor if attacked, and that only if his amunition [ammunition] and supplies failed to capitulate for the lives of his men and the arms to be sent to this place with the honors of war, it appears they have acted treacherously


Page: [37]36
with them, as until now I am ignorant of their fate
Manuel de Montiano to Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas.

(181)


Florida
January 31st 1740
Sir,
By the adjoined diary you will comprehend the movements of the enemy, the English, how they appeared on the
22nd December on the St John, going up not farther than the canebrakes, and about as I thought, to attack the fort San Diego, I reinforced its garrison with more men, with the belief that if they invested them in the regular way, it would be reduced by a few charges on account of its bad construction, without a fosse, and with only two opposite [: baluartes ] , which Espinosa (Spinosa) considered sufficient when he built it to shelter in it his slaves from the sudden attacks of the Indians; without considering that, placed at the distance of a league from the landing, it could not be succoured [succored] without much risk, from the naked plains of the country; and the enemy having had no intentions to attack it, unless perhaps to make a feint that [added text: might ] detach a small portion of troops equal to that which appeared in the canebrakes, to find them in the field and entice them into the woods which surround it, and destroy them: I remained quiet until I received more authentic [added text: news ] of their number from the scouts who had fled, and it was thus, when on the
28th they had attacked Picalata with 150 English and Indians carrying two colours [colors], drums, and two mortars for grenades of which two entered and finished the demolition of the fort, which was propped up and falling to the ground, and the canon [cannon] was dismounted at the first fire, yet they defended themselves from ten in the morning until five in the afternoon when they retired with some wounded among them an officer; and the defenders seeing the bad condition of the fort, abandoned it from the fear that they would return with a larger force, or that the roof would fall down; on our part they wounded an artillery man in the foot by a musket ball, from which he died here.


Page: [38]37

The 18th on which a detachment of infantry, cavalry and convicts were to have gone out to rebuild the fort of Picalata, I ordered them to postpone their march until Juan Ignacio returned who had gone to reconnoitre [reconnoiter] the River; he returned the same day and reported that he had seen three schooners, 2 bilunders [bilanders], and 7 piriaguas [periaguas] all heavily ladened [laden] and full of men enter and pass up the river, all of the men dressed in red coats, according to his judgment in number 700, and that this armament seemed directed against the fort Pupo, and as neither my force nor its condition would authorise [authorize] it, I could not introduce into it any succour [succor] nor use any possible means for it.
From the information given by the partisans, it is probable that the 10 men and their sergeant who garrisoned Pupo did defend themselves two days, as during that time the cannonade did not cease; and that the Indian, who had entered the fort to convey to me news, had either fallen into the hands of the enemy or could not get out.
In this state [added text: wishing ] to learn if they had fortified themselves in that part, Espinosa informed me that at San Nicholas which is the narrowest part of the river, 16 leagues from here, he had discovered three country shops on the other side and a large number of men but no vessels; that wishing to approach the banks of the river, he heard several gunshots, and this part of the river being in the form of a horseshoe, he went to the projection of the land to place himself in safety, and they agreed that the advanced guard had fired, but finding that they could do nothing no others had come out and the fire slackened.
On account of the many thickets and ponds, and various [deleted text: other ] other obstacles it is very difficult to learn the news, which is almost impossible, and indeed the Spaniards cannot undertake it without the risk of being lost or in a short time being disabled for they have to march to their middle in water the greater part of the day, and the Indians from their small number cannot engage in it.


Page: [39]38

The fatigue of the Uchees who went to the south coast in search of negroes, and at their return passed by Ayamon or Las Rosas, where the Yamasees had established themselves compelled them to retreat here, because coming out the fort they would kill them, and every part was surrounded by enemies and they could not continue their engagements without risk; in the mean time if this country is not settled by us before the English, who are the chief fomenters of this evil, we shall not be able to keep these Provinces in quiet.
This neighbourhood [neighborhood] may be depopulated, because the greater number have begged permission to come to this city, alleging that they suffered from the want of provisions, and they feared to experience, if the war continued, the calamities and miseries which they would undergo from the want of the allowance; and though the reasons are weighty and should make me condescend to [deleted text: send ] [added text: send away ] all [added text: the ] useless mouths from the place, the total absence of news of the condition of the difficulties which might be settled prevents my complying with their request; as the king's intention is to populate those Provinces, it consequently would displease him to let any leave them, and it would be difficult to make them go back if they left, and they would, above all, embarass [embarrass] me if they [deleted text: came to ] besieged this place, from the small space of this Castle, and the scarcity of provisions, and as one and the other reason weigh [deleted text: s ] much, the Royal magistrates and I have consulted and agreed that for the present no change shall take place, if when better informed they may decide to grant their request.
Manuel de Montiano To Sr. Dn. [Senor Don] Juan Francisco de Guemes-

(187)


Florida
February 23rd 1740
Sir,
The departure of the bilunder [bilander] having been delayed from the 15th inst. [instant] on account of the unsettled state of things,


Page: [40]39
I am able to inform you by her of the return of Juan Ignacio to this place on yesterday night, he having gone out with ten other Indians for the important purpose of reconnoitring [reconnoitering] the country and the river of Picalata; and notwithstanding that I gave them the strictest charge, and offered them a full reward if they would capture an Englishman or one of the Indians friendly to them, that I might learn the state and condition of the citizens of those colonies, as well as their ideas and intentions. The said Juan Ignacio assured me he could not accomplish that object, that at the first step a thousand obstacles presented themselves. That having left the creek of Tocoy, that empties in the St John river in a small canoe, that some one had hid they navigated the southern side close to the banks the better to execute their object, and carefully following this course, they discovered a lighter which had gone on shore on the same side which they followed, and judging that they could see them notwithstanding the great fog, they put about and landed farther back, and dividing themselves into two squads, they surrounded the English of the lighter who were in an orange grove collecting the fruit, and discharged a shot to frighten them; they fled precipitately, and when they collected on board their lighter, our Indians, who followed them swiftly, began to fire sheltered by the pine trees, by which they killed at least two Englishmen, without being able to learn if more had fallen, for having seen that the helmsman fell first, they who rowed with the oars had no one to obey punctually, and the Indians did not cease to fire with effect from the woods on the oarsmen; and that while furiously engaged in this combat they heard the report of a cannon with a ball and saw that a schooner painted red had come under sail from the southern side of the same river with a large guard and that they intended to land a portion of them; that on seeing this they retreated to place themselves in safety, and at the begining [beginning] of the night they took up their march for this garrison with the loss of


Page: [41]40
their canoe, which they could not recover on account of the danger to which they would be exposed.
I have thus to inform you that the English have occupied the whole river of St John with their vessels, and that their navigation on the southern part tends to embarrass the communication with Apalache, to render the Uchees friendly to them, and to make captive any courier who may go or come. Tolerating this would subject to scorn the sacred honor of the king, give a hideous stain to the Catholic arms, and offend the pride of the nation, I therefore implore you to send here the [deleted text: g ] schooners of the expedition manned with good sailors, in charge of a seaman of known courage and experience to direct them; because without this aid it is physically impossible to put in execution what I intend, and it will follow that we shall see ourselves surrounded, without having a man who will dare go out the garrison for any purpose, from which will arrive [deleted text: the ] fatal consequences, from the want of a few necessary trifles for the preservation of the community. With due attention to these things and to the glory of the king, I reiterate to you all my hints for the purpose of holding and preserving this place and give the greatest merited satisfaction. At the same time time [time] I beg the favour [favor] of you to [added text: have ] sent here two blocks with three sheaves with five fathoms of cable in place of the 50 which I requested in the letter of the 15th inst. [instant] .
That you might have no doubts about the object to which my intentions are directed, I inform you that on the river St Johns or Picalata there is a place named Mojoloa, where, those acquainted with the country affirm, vessels which attempt to enter the southern part of the river would be exposed to gun shot from a musket, whether they went to succour [succor] Pupo or to take with a maritime force any other part, for though the river is wide here, the only channel is in the immediate neighbourhood [neighborhood] of this side, and the rest cannot be navigated by the smallest canoe. And I have thought to build here a fort with six or more eight pounders, with a garrison of a captain and 50 men, when that of Pupo is shut up without our being able to succour [succor] it, and I have resolved to put this plan in execution. And to accomplish it I beg you to send three schooners which are just the thing for this purpose, to transport artillery, to


Page: [42]41
clear the river of the enemy's vessels, sieze [seize] those they find in it, and retake the fort of Pupo, for without fighting its garrison would surrender, and having accomplished those ends, the schooners could return to this port to defend its entrance and dispose and assist to incline the larger number of Indian, which to me seems easy, to form a pueblo in the vicinity of the new fort of Mojoloa, and I will make the citizens go out with their slaves to cultivate the plantations which they began two years ago. I believe with much pleasure that this project will be approved of by you, and I hope you will condescend to give me the aid I ask, so zealous as you are for the service of the king, and interested in the progress of these provinces in virtue of the confidence placed by his majesty particularly in you, no doubt from the great proofs you have given of your great talents, conduct & firmness.
P.S. The English are with their boats as far as Pirigirigua 15 leagues from this place to the south, and it is probable will try to go out by the keys, as it is possible they will, and by Charles' Bay (Bahia de Carlos) and Tampa by this unknown river, by which they could injure us greatly, and if it did not affect the honor of our arms it would have an influence on the whole length of the river, and they would possess the lake by force to which shelter they would close the entrance and prevent the passage into it, without which nothing could be executed. [added text: Note The St John's leads into several inland lakes connected into a chain, which may have given rise to the belief that it connected Tampa bay with the Atlantic. ] I hope your zeal for the Royal service will move you to extend that aid which I ask. etc-
Manuel de Montiano to J. F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes

(191)


Florida
March 24th 1740
Sir,
In my letter of the
23rd of last month I sent you all I had then heard had occurred, and among other subjects mentioned the idea of constructing a new fort on the river St John at a place named Mojoloa, to intercept the passage of the english vessels, because the river there narrows and the channel runs so close to this side that they would be exposed to musket shot. And judging that such a project should not be put in practice without first ascertaining all


Page: [43]42
about the said parts, I sent the engineer Dn. [Don] Pedro Ruiz de Olano escorted by the captain of cavalry Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto, 25 men of his company and ten picked Indians, that they might make a formal reconnoissance [recconnaisance] ; and having left this garrison on the 9th inst. [instant] and returned on the 12th, the engineer has informed me that he has revisited the place carefully the place Mojoloa and that he found it in the same condition which he had related to me except that the space across the river had more water than he had said, and that he had observed the banks [added text: boggy ] for a half rod, notwithstanding that the spot was concealed; that with this knowledge he went to inspect the narrows of San Nicholas and found there that the solid earth extended on each side the distance of about a musket shot, and that no place was more suitable for the fort adding a chain or palisades to render the pass inaccessible; and according as circumstances may occur, another fort could be built on the other side, the fires of which would cross those of this, and thus establish the communication with Apalache. In respect to all this I must inform you that I cannot put my plans into execution without a maritime force; I send by this bilunder [bilander] of Ojeda the captain Dn. [Don] Manuel Montero de Villasente that he might present to you all the difficulties of this enterprise without the said force, also the recovery of Pupo, the making ourselves masters of the river to aid us from here to Picalata; it being the nearest route from this place the English would try to act on it. and though by land we might use the most active & energetic force, it is impossible that any advantageous result would follow us as long as the river was commanded by their vessels. Any other plan would be useless, and even it, if not adopted at the proper time, as the necesary [necessary] care and labour [labor] will retard its execution, I must use foresight to preserve and guard the preservation of the supplies we have, as without them we cannot subsist in this garrison; and when you learn that it is more than eight days since all that came here has been consumed, except a small quantity of goat's meat and beef, you will easily be persuaded that I ought to attend to nothing so much as the economy and judicious management of the supplies to not expose us to one of the most irreparable calamities.


Page: [44]43
In consideration of what I have hinted I would humbly supplicate you to favour [favor] me with the aid for which I begged you in the letter of the
23rd February, which is the only means which can contribute to or facilitate an honorable settlement and the other favorable consequences I have mentioned. I would repeat the particulars that the small vessels you shall send me may be manned by sailors commanded by a brave and intelligent man, and well provided with provisions, and that all that can be forwarded here with stores should come as quickly as possible, that the English might not again succeed in occupying these coasts with their squadrons and we become then deprived of all communications.
I sincerely assure you that I am alone stimulated by a nice sense of the honor resulting from the lustre of our arms, the glory of God first, the protection of these Provinces, and lastly the public welfare of this garrison. With these views I am not influenced by any interested motives, if you can entrust the management to any one in your confidence and favor, who without being subject to my orders will carry out the expedition [added text: against Georgia ] conformable to the plans projected since the equinox of
March 1737, and will only be guided by my advice on the condition of the country, and my cooperation in yielding to him all the means and aid that I can, with the knowledge that I desire nothing more than to execute the best service to the king, and in this way you can arrange it with that great prudence & elevated talents which inspire you, and I promise to attend carefully and with the greatest pleasure to the rules and plans [added text: with which ] you will charge the person who will be entrusted with this operation, without altering them under any pretext, observing invioably [inviolably] with the same tone and harmony the regulations of the king for the effectual execution of the anterior premeditated enterprise, and to whatever else you may think necessary to the most useful advantageous attainment for the present, for I have no other object but the most favorable consequences for the service of God and of the king, with the firm belief that your great discretion and proper conduct will know to adopt the most concerted secure means.
The great caution of the English has [added text: been ] betrayed by the results that have reached us without advices [advises] from our court before this year, and from this arises that unexpectedly they might drive us out besides, although we are agreed to observe the good faith


Page: [45]44
promised in the convention of the
14 &
15 January of the past year. And it being the desire of the king, as you will learn from the adjoined copy, that we shall only watch the operations of the English to check their designs and progress on the territories of these provinces, opposing them in this case by force, I have recourse thus to you, as to the [: Virrey ] of New Spain to solicit all that may be necessary for this purpose, I find myself brought to the necessity of recurring to you who alone can give me the necessary aids, with the promptitude required and called for by the present urgency, because without them I cannot make any resistance nor retaliate without a maritime force, and consequently the means, vessels, and seamen which compose it.
Manuel de Monitano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes

(192)


Florida
March 25th 1740
Sir
I am sure that my continued importunities and petitions tend to give you much vexation, but at the same time I cannot conceal from your prudence, elevated talents & zeal for the royal service so many indispensable appeals for the care of necessities, the unfortunate condition and the misfortunes of this miserable garrison, which, if you do not relieve it promptly of its anguish and oppression, I believe will be in the future exposed to loss, and with these conjectures & the commenced progress of the enemy, it appears to me proper to intercept them in their advancement, and for this purpose you will please send small vessels to enter the river St. John, which will compel them to evacuate it, by which we will gain possession of the pass of St Nicholas, one or both side (which is best) and shelter the vessels by fortifying it, and narrow the river by a chain or palisades of heavy wood, by which undoubtedly they would evacuate Pupo, or be blockaded without the necessity of besieging it, because if left quiet now they will become impregnable, especially if the Uchees declare for them who have witnessed our despondency and inaction.
For this enterprize [enterprise] I have here the eight companies and the one belonging to the place, consisting of 462 men exclusive of the detachment of Apalache comprising 80 men; besides these I have 60 militia, 40 free negroes and 50 Indians, as will be shown by the


Page: [46]45
adjoined schedule, which collected is only sufficient to secure the river, but if it appear to you right you can send 100 militia, 100 mulattoes, and 100 negroes, leaving to your judgment the whole arrangement that they might come according to the supplies you may send for the subsistence of all, as we are dependent solely on what is in this city and without an abundance of provisions we can undertake nothing. The misfortune of not having taken any prisoners prevents my telling you of the exact condition of their forces, for according to them this plan could be more knowingly arranged; but I am persuaded that when our armament arrives, they will believe [added text: it ] very powerful, and will not expose themselves to an attack, or venture to oppose it with all their forces.
In case that you comply the pay for the reinforcements could be sent with all security, and if you resolve to send it I beg you to send at the same time some money to continue the works of this castle as that destined for it is about to be exhausted. And if you can find any firelocks for the Indians or could send them from Pensacola, I will thank you to send those that you can, as I have none to give them, nor breath to give you more trouble.


Statement of the effective force actually in this place of Florida.
Of the eight companies 308. Militia 61.
Of the three of this place 080. Armed Indians 50.
Of Artillery 032. Free Negroes 40.
Of Cavalry 042. 151.
462. Total 613.



(193)


Florida
April 27th 1740
Sir,
I inform you that on the
14th inst. [instant] the six schooners of Dn. [Don] Juan Fandiño and Dn. [Don] Francisco del Castillo very fortunately arrived at this port, for which I owe you many thanks. And at the same time I must inform you that on the morning of the next day I gave the canon [cannon] of [unclear text: Crugia ] in charge of four of them, I made a foresail


Page: [47]46
which had been returned, supplied them with many trifles, and supplied them all with arms.
On the
18th two English frigates from the north were seen off this port.
The
19th both manoeuvred [maneuvered] off this bar at the same point, north, they remained here all day and sent a boat for water which came near the point and shore of San Matheo ( [word(s) omitted] ) and when they rested on their oars the Captain fired a canon [cannon], and seeing our two barges coming down on them, he fired other canon [cannon] shots and retreated.
The
20th only one of the two frigates was seen at anchor off the bar.
Don Juan Fandiño, Dn. Franco. [Don Francisco] del Castillo and the Pilot, encouraged by the retreat of one of the frigates, intended to surprise the one that remained in eight, and having arranged between the three the facility with which they could accomplish it, they proposed it to me with so much assurance, that I permitted them to undertake it, that they might not attribute to me the loss of this good luck, and I gave them leave to go out on the night of the same day with 50 men of the troops & three officers in the six schooners and the two barges well armed; after it grew dark the chief of the look-out on St Anastacia succeeded in coming here, with information that he had discovered at dusk a bilunder [bilander] to the north, and with this news the chiefs of the schooners deferred their departure until the dawn. And having gone out from the bar to manoeuvre [maneuver], and seen that the frigate was alone and becalmed, they bravely approached it with the firm resolution to board, with the belief that she did not mount more 18 or 20 canons [cannons] ; but they found, according to one, 32, according to others, 36, and opened a fire on her for two hours without being able to reach her poop or conquer her; and the wind arising from the east, our schooners commenced using their oars to get the weathergage [weather gauge] and with their


Page: [48]47
sails retreated to Matanzas and then from there the two barges came along the coast, without more injury than a ball of no consequence in one of the schooners, although the frigate tried very hard to command the coast, and for this purpose canonaded [cannonaded] furiously, but with effect.
There is no doubt that had they gone out the same night, and they had had no time to prepare, as they had from dusk until half past eight, when they went out, they would have reduced her or driven her ashore, but the English manoeuvred [maneuvered] so well that they could not approach her, for the oarsmen of her barge went slowly and took time to prepare themselves, while our people [added text: were ] fatigued by rowing there, and when they fired, they were bothered in getting at the sides instead of the poop, and although our schooners made many manoeuvres [maneuvers] they did not effect any thing. In this state they remained two hours exchanging grape shot from both sides. All her cabin was destroyed to arrange rudder guards which they should not have, for at the entrance of this port were births [berths], windows, tables and other fragments, also a canon [cannon] port knocked out by the canonade [cannonade] . They said that she had a large crew and regular troops with red uniforms.
In this attempt Dn. [Don] Juan Fandiño showed his good conduct and bravery, having given the orders for each to perform for an honorable retreat; nor must I less give credit to Dn. [Don] Francisco del Castillo for bravery who was the only one who could attain the poop and put several shots in it drawing on him 14 from the frigate without any hitting him. All the officers of the [unclear text: piquets ] & of the place also distinguished themselves by the desire to be the first to board, and the soldiers and seamen, not less valorous shouted obstinately "let us board them." The artillery men of the place assured me that they bore themselves well, and made good shots. --
The frigate remains always in sight, apparently


Page: [49]48
the same that was in the action, and on the
24th another was seen from Matanzas which had run down from Cape Canaveral, and we dont know if she spoke her companion, and that which is now here, appears to be the one seen from Matanzas; and on the 26 a packet boat joined this one with information of what had happened to the other, and to advise her not to approach the coast least she might be becalmed, and it appears they intend to remain on this coast many days.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.
(Here see letter No. 198 on last page .)

(200)


Florida
May 15th 1740.
Sir
At this hour, seven in the morning, at which the schooner undertook to go out, two men from the bilunder [bilander] of Marcos returned to this place, saying, that the English had taken our bilunder [bilander], had put a crew on board from her own, and placed her to the leeward of the bar of Peñon, so close to the land that in the quiet of the night they heard the murmur of those who spake [spoke] on board. With this news I have deferred the departure of the schooner, and have sent a Spaniard and three Indians in a canoe to the keys by the inside passage from which it is easy for the Indians to pass their small canoe by [added text: the ] skids, that they might go to key Biscayen or Matacumbe, to use a fishing boat to transport them to your port, and failing in this, to solicit the Cacique Dn. [Don] Diego that he might aid them in this important affair, for which end I wrote him a courteous letter with the most endearing expressions; for they count much on these friendly demonstrations. And I must tell you that if these two frigates, the packet boat and the bilunder [bilander] do not return from this coast, we cannot communicate any news, unless vessels of force come to this port, for the route by the keys is doubtful and dangerous, and besides there are few Indians in these parts who can execute the task. And with the belief that you will well understand that this


Page: [50]49
place has no [added text: other ] means of subsistence than the aid and supply of provisions at the least for 6 months, which you could send to us in vessels of force; for, as to myself, I cannot say if they will be of use to use to [use to] us if the aid does not come, at the latest on the
20th June, it seems natural that this garrison will perish.
In this letter you [added text: have ] the duplicate of the sheet which Dn. [Don] Joseph de Ribes carries.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano to D. J. F. [Don Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(201)


Florida
June 11th 1740
Sir
The
25th of the last month I sent you by a soldier and three Indians coastwise the news the news [the news] contained in the adjoined duplicate, and one of the indians having returned with three balls in him on the
4th inst. [instant] informed me that the Indians of Mayaca had killed the soldier and his two companions in Gega; and a mayoral of Espinosa has since brought the news that at San Diego, while his master and other labourers [laborers] were at work in the fields they were surrounded by 50 indians friendly to the English, giving them a discharge of musketry by which they wounded a dragoon and a negro of Espinosa, but that all escaped into the fort except a negro of the convent of Sn [San] Francisco who went into the woods, and who believe dead, and the Indians not having succeeded in taking any one retreated; on which occasion I sent a sergeant and 12 men with a surgeon that they might convey the wounded, and if necessary, leave some of the men as a reinforcement to repair the place; and the seargent [sergeant] not having returned in two days, I sent a leader of a squad of cavalry with six men, to learn what had occurred and return the same day, and he says he could not reach the fort, for the enemy did not give him room being scattered about, and having sent other scouts none has brought me certain information if the fort has fallen, or still belongs to us; on this occasion I called a council of war of the captains and resolved to send a detachment of 300 men of the eight companies of the place, of cavalry of militia, Indians and


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negroes under the command of the captains Dn. [Don] Miguel de Ribas, Dn. [Don] Fulgencio de Alfaro, and Dn. [Don] Pedro Lamberto, with 4 schooners, one barge and 4 piriaguas [periaguas] which carry the Infantry and two canons [cannons] that if the fort required to be battered, they could [deleted text: beat ] demolish one side and retake or succour [succor] it, but the captains, being informed of the number of the enemy that were drawn up, fearing them to be much superior to our detachment, returned to this place. I have since received news by another scout, that they had fortified the fort, and besides that their small parties had repeatedly and frequently been seen a league from here, which makes me believe they have a large force, and that at San Diego they have a storehouse of provisions and arms to undertake the siege of this place; and I am sure they have seen five vessels besides the two, which for a long time have kept in view of this bar and Matanzas. With the present news, and almost the condition of a siege, I send to you by the barge in the bar of the Mosquitos waiting for aid, that you advise me by the same barge if you are disposed to send me succour [succor] ; for in consequence of this condition of things and of the straightened state of this garrison, you will have to succour [succor] it with the greatest quickness, and, if you can, by vessels of force which will overcome those of the enemy, as I doubt if you can introduce aid by any other way, nor that we can subsist much longer without supplies and straightened by the enemy on sea and land; then though 7 vessels have as yet been seen, I am sure that the Vizarra the San Juan & the Pingue could resist this force, some of them appearing to have been merchantmen
P.S. So many things occur to keep me occupied that I cannot answer the letters from you by the barge nor the preceeding [preceding] ones which I have commenced. As the bar of Matanzas is not occupied there will be a force there to resist as much as possible with three schooners and land troops.
Manuel de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(202)


Florida
June 24th 1740
Sir
Considering that, in case this arrives in time, it will be of some importance to the end, that on reflection on its contents you will use the most regulated measures, I inform you that the enemy


Page: [52]51
command this bar, that of Matanzas, the island of St. Anastasia and its watch-tower, and all the coast from the shores of St Matheo ( [word(s) omitted] ) and have their camp in the Pueblo of Moze. We are besieged by 7 frigates of 23 to 30 canons [cannons] ; 2 packet boats of 10 to 12; 3 bilunders [bilanders] ; 6 schooners and 12 barges, exclusive of the boats and barges of the said vessels. And at this hour, 9 A.M., they have undertaken to fire on us from a mortar of grenades of which some of the shells have fallen into the castle, and the most have passed to the land as far as the lines, some farther.
I cannot express to you the confusion of this place, because [deleted text: it ] here the only defence [defense] is its fortress, and all the rest is open country; the families have left their houses and have taken shelter below the artillery which is pitiable to behold; but nothing gives me anxiety save the failure of provisions, and if, from the want of competent force, you cannot aid us, we must perish, for we have no other resource. In this condition of things I am sure that hyperboles are not required to depict the conflict in which we find ourselves, and I hope you will give all your attention to make the necessary means to suspend a so great danger, which is marked with so much gravity, and is of so much consequence to the service of the king.
Manuel de Montiano - to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(203)


Florida
July 6th 1740
Sir
The
24th of last month I sent you a correct account, by the way of Apalache, of the siege of this place by the English by sea and by land, the duplicate of which accompanies this; and I have now to inform you that at 11 o'clock of Saturday night, the
25th of the same month, 300 men sallied from this garrison to attack the fort of Moze, and Having approached it on Sunday and reduced it fortunately, dashing on with so much impetuosity, that in the action, which was the attack, they killed 68 men and took 34 prisoners. I have learned that the body of men maintained in that place was 140 according to some, and 170, according to others; that they were composed of a company of Scotch militia of 72 men including


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officers, 15 Infantry, 40 Cavalry, and 35 Yuchees or Uchices, Indians with a white man for chief, that this detachment or garrison was commanded by Colonel Palma (Palmer) who with his son, we have certain assurances, were killed in the action; an Indian prisoner affirms that he saw Colonel Palma killed, and without a head, and believes, though he did not see it, that his two sons were likewise killed, for he saw their hats in our possession. On our side 10 were killed, among them the ensign Dn. [Don] Joseph de Aguilera, and having obeyed the orders to demolish the fort, they buried the dead.
From enquiries made of the prisoners three or four have agree in their testimony that they had received both verbal news and by gazettes that they prepared in England a considerable armament against Havana, composed of 30 ships of the line with ten thousand men to disembark; it is to send you this news that I have despatched this express, as it may be important for the royal service. The prisoners also declare that the armament that blockades us consists of 7 frigates, one of 50 canons [cannons] called the Bermuda, another of 40, another of 27, and the others of 20; and that they do not know the number of the packetboats, bilunders [bilanders] nor of the other numerous boats. The number of the men in the armament is made to vary, for some count it 2000, others, 1500, 1200, and others 900; and that in their bateries [batteries] they have among others three 18 bronze pounders brought from the Carolinas. Until this day they have made no attack, but from the action of Moze it appears that they have moved from San Matheo, and have collected all in the island of San Anastasius, where they have planted eleven small mortars, two of 20 pound grenades ( [: quintal ] ) and 9 of smaller size; with which and other larger from the coast of San Matheo, in all 12, they fired on the
30th June from 6 in the afternoon until 10 at night. My greatest anxiety is for provisions, and if they do not come there is no doubt of our dying by the hands of hunger.


Page: [54]53

Since the commencement of their fire to this day they have showered on us 122 shells of royal size and 31 small ones, from which, glory be to God, we have received no corporeal damage. In the island of St Anastasia they have erected a battery of 5 canons [cannons], 3 of 18 pounders and 2 of 8; the first to beat down this castle and place, the others for the schooners, the fire from them is incessant but ours corresponds to it, and we have heard that they receive more injury than we do.
On the 1st inst. [instant] they sent a parley with a white flag, their demands are included in the three accompanying letters, to which we replied, ours being also included in the letters to you; and since then until now they have increased their fire, but in vain, for it appears that God has given greater accuracy to ours.
The advance guard has found four more dead men killed in the action of Moze (Moosa?) two white and two Indians.
By a deserter who came here on the
14th of last month we learn that Genl [General] Ogelthorpe brought 900 men, 300 of his regulars and 600 Carolina militia; he did not know if more were coming from Virginia or other parts; that the Carolina Militia had joined for 4 months, but the prisoners at Moze say that if it required a year to reduce this place, Genl. [General] Ogelthorpe would compel them to stay until its reduction.
Manuel de Montiano, to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

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Florida
July 13th 1740
Sir
By a deserter who came here from St. Anastasia I have learned that the frigates of the armament are six in number; the admiral's ship of 40 canons [cannons] with two hundred men, and the other of 20 with 150 men; the deserter said that he had not been on board, but had heard this from some of their seamen. As this news may be of service to you I send it that you may reflect on it, and what the prisoner said of the Frigate Bermuda of 50


Page: [55]54
canons [cannons], and another of 40 of which he did not know the location. I must inform you that when the prisoner told me this, he said he had not visited the vessel of 50 canons [cannons], but that a frigate was anchored in front of the bar of St John's and that the Genl. [General] said it was the Bermuda of 50 canons [cannons] .
Manuel de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(205)


Florida
July 28th 1740
Sir
The 6th inst [instant] I informed you by the Adjutant Dn. [Don] Juan Jacinto Rodriquez of all that occurred until then. The night of the next day Dn. [Don] Luis Gomez came to this place with the news that 3 bilunders [bilanders] one small one and 2 schooners with provisions sent by you had entered the Mosquito bar, under the command of Juan de Oxeda, and consigned to the care of Captain Manuel de Villasante. The pleasure which this news gave me is indescribable, but this joy excited my heart for but a short while, for I have been informed that Pedro Chapuz having approached in front of this bar with the french bilunder [bilander], a frigate and packet boat boarded him, they did not injure him, but got news of our supplies and of its landing place; it happened at the same time that a deserter came form the enemy's camp, who assured me that it being spring-tide this night Genl [General] Ogelthorpe would attempt to advance on this place by sea and by land; on account of this news I have stopped the preparations I was making to transport the provisions little by little here, and apply myself solely to the object of resisting whatever attempts his pride and arrogance may prompt him to make, but the proper days are passed without the execution of his projects, and I turned my attention to the vessels with our supplies which were in a great danger, and only by the barges and boat were they unloaded of the provisions to be secured in this place; for though I likewise sent with them a piriagua [periagua] of a large size for the same purpose, it happened that in going by the bar, four boats & barges,


Page: [56]55
on frigate and one packetboat sallied, and surrounded them and attacked the small ones; but ours defended themselves without flinching from four o'clock in the afternoon until night, they had the misfortune to lose the piriagua [periagua] which was cut to pieces by the barges; and transfering [transferring] her crew they continued the voyage and happily returned loaded with flour; pursuing this task until releived [relieved] . For the enemy having struck their tents on the 20th inst. [instant] and shamefully fled with precipitation, I sent an order to our bilunders [bilanders] to examine carefully if the country were free and the coast unoccupied they might undertake the voyage and enter Matanzas with safety; and on the
25th and on this day I have finished the entire discharge of the bilunder [bilander] Campecheana and of the [added text: two ] schooners, and I ordered Palomarez the captain of one of them to hasten with this news to you.
I assure you that I cannot comprehend the conduct nor the rules of this General, for I have been informed by 12 deserters from him in this place, that his camp was composed of 370 soldiers of his regiment, 600 Carolina militia, 130 Indians, 200 Sailors who were encamped and armed on St Anastasia, and of as many more seamen from the bilunders [bilanders], schooners and barges. I am surprised above measure that this gentleman should have retreated so precipitately as to leave behind 4 canons [cannons] six pounders in the battery of San Matheo, one schooner, two barrels of gun powder and several guns and swordbelts, and burned a diversity of provisions as boxes of bacon, cheese and butter, dried beef, rice and beans, one schooner and a beautiful gun carriage for a mortar, leaving other trifles which the Indians and convicts have taken, some of them had the good fortune to find several barrels of butter and flour and some bacon.
Notwithstanding what I have mentioned I assure you that all the deserters and two Indians make prisoners say uniformly that Mr. James Ogelthorpe has gone


Page: [57]56
for reinforcements and to still greater excite the Indians; and yet I compare this rumour [rumor] with an idea that helps to render it probable, and that he left his subjects in doubt, to quench the dissensions that burned between them, particularly between the Carolinians & Scotch, as they experienced the greatest blow; yet it appears to me that we may not be wanting in foresight that you should reinforce me with men and with the munitions and warlike stores contained in the adjoined petition. I will take care to send immediately an express to the Uchees to give them information of all that they may separate themselves from the friendship and service of the English, and to offer to regale them if they chose to come and visit me.
The formal seige has lasted 38 days, counting from the
13th June to
20th of this month; the fire from the batteries and bombardment 27 days, numbering from the
24th June to the 20th inst [instant] ; the batteries were three; one in the mud on the island of St Anastasia of 4 canons [cannons] 18 pounders and one nine pounder; another on the edge of the woods of the same island of 2 eighteen pounders; another on the shores of the inner side of San Matheo of 7 six pounders, the five of them of iron and two of bronze. There were 34 mortars and small mortars; two 10 lb [added text: Note. I have translated [: quintal ] as the fifth of a hundred lbs, so a mortar of one [: quintal ] would be a 20 pounder etc. ] mortars and two [added text: of ] 20 lb, and the 30 small mortars which the deserters called cowhorns (cohorns) were for small [added text: hand ] grenades and for others of 10 and 12 lbs. The injury done us consists in two killed and wounded, those from canon [cannon] balls were an artillery man and the convict son of Ordoñez, who with the other, named Contreras, were sent me in the first barges from Mosquitos. Of the other two wounded by the shells, a soldier and a negro, the latter is quite cured, and [added text: for ] the first we have good hopes that he will escape, though with the loss of one leg.
The firmness, bravery and honor of the officers


Page: [58]57
the love, valor energy of the troops, militia, free Negroes & convicts have been great, and of these last I can assure you that they bore themselves like veteran soldiers and humble, for without leaving the work of the day, they have persevered at night like old soldiers with all their caution and vigilance, and even to the negro slaves a particular anxiety & desire have been observed in all to see the enemy here, to advance and attack them; and it has gratified me very much that under all the circumstances in which we were placed and during the whole time of the siege not one deserted from here; and lastly believe that the small galleys have been of much service to me, for it I could have raised the siege without them they have done better than those of the English, if I could not [added text: have ] used the barges except for the guarding of the port; also they have been indispensable to me to execute other requisite preparations, and at a heavy cost, and I repeat my many thanks to you for having aided me with them, though contrary to the opinion of all the members of the council you called on the subject of sending them or not.
On the return of the vessels with provisions under the care of Dn. [Don] Juan de Ojeda I will write to you more fully than I can now, unless the captain Palomares carries to you this news.
P.S.
Sir, all the 12 English deserters say that Genl [General] Ogelthorpe goes to reinforce to return to this place the next spring, and though I am not sure that the citizens of carolina will give him more aid, from the disgust and inconveniences this campaign gave them, his authority and restless spirit might induce them to do so, and the number of troops it is said he expects from Europe, composed according to some of two thousand men, and according to others of two regiments; and with the knowledge of this news you can decide on the best means to put this place in a new state of defence [defense], more than 300 men having been lost in the attempts on Pupo, San Diego, the bilunder [bilander] and the sally at Moze, and killed or taken prisoners by the Indians.
The enemy stated that on their retreat they destroyed the forts of San Diego and of Pupo, but the last deserter says that Genl [General] Ogelthorpe has the intention to build a battery of six canons [cannons] at the entrance of the St John's river on the other side, to put a check on the small galleys and preserve Pupo; all, besides, assure me that he intends to


Page: [59]58
retreat with all his regiment (that he has not more than 370 men of the 600 who came with him) to the fort of Frederica and fortify there, abandoning all the others which he has in the different islands. Other deserters say that the General will go to London for new forces, and in case the war continues it is requisite to learn his intentions to guard against them. The fort of San Diego was abandoned by the enemy without having been destroyed as reported. It was our good fortune that no bomb fell within the Castle, but the artillery broke down the parapet.
This would be the time to destroy General Ogelthorpe & his regiment and to drive them out of Georgia with a little more forces than we have here; for his troops are disgusted, and he will not receive aid from Carolina [deleted text: for ] by reason of displeasure and the fear of the negroes.
Until just now the french bilunder [bilander] could not enter, and I have only seen Monsieur Paran; I will speak with them to-morrow [tomorrow] .
In the orders before the last I received from the co [added text: u ] rt I was prohibited supplying [added text: myself ] with provisions [added text: from ] any of the Colonies of strangers, from a wrong understanding that I had winked at the admission of a schooner [added text: which ] during a time of scarcity Benavides had let in; but in the last which I have received by Dn. [Don] Juan del Canto placed to your care, the king commanded me to supply [added text: myself from ] the french Colonies, by which extension you can fulfil the contract without fear that you have made, to which I agree fully although the price of the flour is great, and we must labour [labor] to reduce it as much as we can.
We are extremely careful here, but it is certain that [added text: of ] the troop (I cannot explain to you their bravery, firmness and sufferance in the continued fatigue) a large portion has left me, and in the midst of so may [many] dangers, there was a difference of opinion on the subject.
Don Antonio Salgado who commanded the sally at Moze worked like a very labourer [laborer], advancing to draw their fire to take them unarmed, with those who went into the fort to save it and passed over the top, notwithstanding they knew the fort capable of great resistance.
By this action Ogelthorpe lost the confidence of the Scotch settlers


Page: [60]59
and of the people. Although here it is public, I tell you privately that Fandiño is not to command the small galleys; on the contrary all the [added text: other ] captains, he having been remiss in obeying my orders, and it was possible with little risk to dismount the principal batteries, and the last day to have prevented the departure of any of the English vessels, and other valuable things, and it is well for you to know this.
The garrison's bilunder [bilander] only brought six thousand dollars on account of this garrison & the eight pickets and other commissions of small amount, but it is the custom here to enlarge every thing. Some of our prisoners have returned from the camp and the vessels, of the enemy, and speak illy of Dn. [Don] Domingo, and I like him much, but these signs are bad.
Manuel de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(207)


Florida
August 3rd 1740
Sir
The
28th July I sent you the news than just received which you will find in this, that on the
20th of the same month the enemy raised the siege, and having sent a frigate and packetboats to maintain it, the Bilunders [Bilanders] & schooners with provisions could not enter before the
27th day of July, and now I have to inform you that Palomares from his carelessness & neglect cannot leave before sunday the
31st; and that now, the
3rd August, I received your letter sent by Dn. [Don] Juan Ruiz de Canto, who, as may be infered [inferred] by the letter enclosed, told me he had left it in his house, and with the purpose of informing me that it had been arranged for the frigate Sta [Santa] Catarina under the command of Dn. [Don] Joseph de Herrera, two other vessels of war, two transports and one bilunder [bilander] with provisions, I sent this day the boat with 11 men to guard the bar of Mosquitos and to give the necessary information of the condition of this place, to the said commander Dn. [Don] Joseph de Herrera, and [added text: that ] at the proper time Bartolome de Espinosa may go out to carry to you the duplicate of the news of the retreat of the generals Ogelthorpe and Pierse (Pearce?)
Still, we have not received any certain news that the enemy has retreated from the St John although the last deserters have assured me, that they were [added text: to ] embark the 5th inst [instant] on friday; and to


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render me sure of this news, and because they had sent more barges to bring away the artillery from Pupo and demolish it, I have sent different patrols of Cavalry and Indians charged to observe their movements, to guard against any treacherous attempt, should the news be confirmed that all their troops, militia & small vessels remain at St John.
I have not thought proper to follow their rearguard on account of the small force that would be left here, as five hundred men would have been taken from the eight companies, and the troops would have been fatigued and this place exposed, for a doubtful success, to ruin or the greatest danger; moreover by your plans and aid I hope to punish them and strike a blow that will exterminate them; which is all I have to send you in this despatch, etc.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano to Dn. J.F. [Don Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(210)


Florida
August 7th 1740
Sir
I have returned answers to all your letters, which from my many embarasments [embarrassments] were left unanswered; and now proceed to inform you that besides the news which the twenty two deserters uniformly [added text: gave there ] has been brought here that Genl [General] Ogelthorpe has propagated the news that he will return to besiege this place in four or five months or next spring, adding that they have advertised to construct other schooners like ours but of greater bulk. And although it seems impossible to me that Ogelthorpe will repeat the like enterprise from the difficulty of drawing out a second time by his commands the citizens of Carolina, yet as the whole system of the natives of those colonies and of the adjacent ones consists in the desire to conquer this place, which is the rock on which they ordinarily stumble, and the obstacle which checks the course of their proud inhuman projects to exterminate the Indians from the continent of Apalache and its limits, to occupy all these provinces without difficulty, it appears to me reasonable not to despise this news; for in case the war is continued


Page: [62]61
they might undoubtedly succeed, as there is a great jealousy of the conduct of Ogelthorpe, and they pretend that the king of Great Britain will engage another soldier in whom will be found the art to conciliate and give greater satisfaction. And if this takes place, which is possible; or if the same Ogelthorpe is again placed in command, he might bewitch them, and stronger defences [defenses] will be indispensable to this place; for we must naturally believe that the new attempts to attack this place will be made with, at least, double the force. And if his court should give him the two regiments or the two thousand troops which they have published abroad, for the advantage the possession of this place would give to that crown, it will be the most necessary that an equal force should be sent, as this place being an open country its defence [defense] should above all be guarded. For should it inevitably be taken, I could not present a more deplorable state, than to be reduced to the limits of this fortress; should they succeed, which God forbid, it will naturally be impossible to subsist a long time. For without other causes, the sad cries and floods of tears from the women and children before the eyes of their fathers would destroy the most harmoniously adjusted means. I have presented to me the [unclear text: grave ] engagements you are under for the defence [defense] of the island (Cuba), which is a beautiful Dame courted by all nations, yet I am sure that with so much zeal in the service of the king you will make the speedy succour [succor] of this place your special study.
In the circular of the
30 January of this year governing the Council of these Indies, the king especially charged it with the defence [defense] of his American possessions, offering to send at the proper time troops from those kingdoms, that a more vigorous resistance may be made; but if it should happen, from some serious obstacle by sea or land, that they could not be conducted here, or from some other cause, I am bound to lay before you, from my obligations and the repeated commands of the king, & I repeat my appeals to you, supplicating for the necessaries to defend this place, which, in case the war continues, I find myself in the condition of losing for you, as I have 370 [deleted text: men ] Infantry and 24 Artillery, respecting whom during the seige [siege]


Page: [63]62
and before it, including the useless ones in the [added text: troops & ] the other reinforcements sent here, this garrison was so diminished, that of the first I had only 116 effective men left, and of the second 240, which together amounted to 356; while those that ought to compose both bodies should be 750, the 350 of the old garrison and the 400 of the eight companies of reinforcement, and as at present no more than 356 remain in this fortress you will see that 394 men are wanting, which are what I ask you, the smallest number appointed by the king for this place, but considering the great vexation that the english experienced from the injuries they received in the siege they laid to us this year, I am obliged to ask of you, as preventive means, should the war continue other 300 men with arms mulattoes and free negroes of these militia, holding it important to the more effectual service of the king that as they come forward they should be accepted, that they may be furnished with arms when they offer themselves, and be employed constantly as labourers [laborers] in the works, for which two purposes it is intended they should be sent. But if it appears to you that this contract would be too rigorous, you can bargain with them that they be divided into two quarters, that one half may be idle, that they might work by weeks or months, employing their vacant time according to their pleasure, or in seeking, each one, what he may find to his account. And if you can send them armed, it will be most useful to the royal service, as we have nothing here to arm them, as this is a perfect hospital. I would likewise suggest to you that it would be best that the negroes & mulattoes should come [added text: by the ] first opportunity, to place this fortress in the proper condition, and that the troops and artillery should be here at the latest, by the
20th of december.
To this and your great penetration will understand that the king cannot lay any charge on me for which I must not look to you, as I have been commanded, asking of you all the necessaries to place this fortress in the state that his majesty desires, and these continued appeals are the true


Page: [64]63
fulfilment [fulfillment] of my obligations and obedience in observance with the royal orders, which urge me to ask of you what is necessary for the safety of this place, in consequence of which, I am sure you have a desire to send here those succours [succors], to dispatch promptly all the requisite means for its most effectual executions; and if it is impossible [added text: with you ] to dispense with so large a number of troops and militia, you will know how to satisfy fully the king, and I will [deleted text: not ] have complied with his sovereign command, without their being able to calumniate me with laziness or carelessness; resting in the firm belief that your elevated talents will not remain ignorant of the legitimacy & justice of my appeals for the royal cause from which they spring, and if the king destines any troops for this place for its greater security, my appeals will always remain enforced, as his majesty counts naturally on this garrison, and on what he had before ordered to be sent, which he believes has been done.
Manl. [Manuel] de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.

(248)


Florida
January 2nd 1741
Sir,
Since I have learned the loss of the convoy of provisions that you sent to this place in the brigantine of Andres Gonzalez and the bilunder [bilander] of the king, I had most effectually armed as privateer the bilunder [bilander] Campechana of Joseph Sanchez Rodriquez; and having gone out the
17th of October, and taken a schooner of Carolina he sent it here in charge of Domingo de Quitana, Dn. [Don] Juan de Hita, two boys and a negro, and although he passes by this fort these six days, and a barge has been sent out to bring him in, it has not been able to speak to him, nor could we from this port, as he navigates on the southern side. the english believing that he has retired, and until now I have had no news of him, either he has been lost in some storm, or the three english he carries with him, the two boys and one woman, have killed them while drunk, or might have captured them while sleeping. A few days since the sergeant major ( [: sargento mayor ] ) of Ogelthorpe was taken prisoner, and by bad management two men lost, one


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killed and the other wounded by the 18 pounders of the packetboat and the Frigate. After this we took a vessel near Carolina going to Hamburg with more than nine thousand arrobes [arrobas] (each 25lbs) of rice, which has been the resource of this city, for since the
28th of October when it arrived at this port, it has been the food of all the troops and the citizens, using it on the pinch as bread. And the said Joseph Sanchez having determined to quit cruising and sell his bilunder [bilander], I have arranged to buy [added text: & arm ] it, and fit it up [added text: a new ] with tackle which has been taken in the prizes, and to please Fandiño, who intimated that he would like to go on a cruize [cruise], I placed it under his command, and letting them arm the bilunder [bilander] fully, that she may be equipped in every point, and with 80 men at least; 50 from the schooners and 30 from the country, with a sergeant and six soldiers who begged me to permit them to go, she made sail on the
3rd December with a fair wind, and on the
5th cruized [cruised] off the bar of Carolina, although his intention was to anchor in sight of land; but having sailed so close to Carolina, to seize by his boat the pilot of the bar, and a privateer bilunder [bilander] being in sight at a short distance which had succeeded in getting out of port, and pursued her voyage to Jamaica, the two cruisers came together, and according to the information which has been given by the three men who brought the boat here, they went on, ready for action, firing from time to time; they stated that they were not able to follow their cruiser, and fearing that if they tacked towards their ship they would be taken by the English, they made for the coast; that they saw the English come near the land and return to port, and that ours was lost sight of sailing from shore; that before they had left their vessel they had heard Fandiño say that he would go farther north as he would be discovered in this place.
The three men who have brought the boat (which is like the boat here with its deck) left the cruiser with only two buiscuits [biscuits], and with what fish they caught with a hook they were enabled to come here with safety. A young negro of 10 or 12 years whom they caught in their boat, said that the larger and


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better part of Carolina, which are the houses of the Marine, has been destroyed by a fire that lasted fourteen days, and that the powder magazine had blown up; also that three men-of-war were in port.
On the
19th a schooner much larger than that of Mugaguren anchored in this bar, taken by our Cruiser Fandiño, who from his anchorage wrote to me what you will learn by the adjoined copy, and two prisoners sent in her told me nothing more new than what you will find in the declaration that they made.
On the
29th our bilunder [bilander] entered this port, the crew not having been able to stand the [deleted text: vigo ] severity of the winter which had been great; and having come ashore, Fandiño told me that he had taken another schooner, but without provisions except some useless articles, as rum, honey, and earthenware; that he considered her secured having succeeded in conquering her but that a storm had carried her off in the Bahama Channel (gulf stream)
The captains of the two schooners, and the Carolina pilot whom Fandiño made come aboard the cruiser, have been examined, but give no more news than that contained in the paper dated
29th.
Yesterday a frigate of 20 or 24 canons [cannons] showed herself here, and to-day [today] remained in sight until 3 P.M.; and recollecting the success of Fandiño at the bar of St George, I infered [inferred] that they had armed in that port on [one] of their men-of-wars to drive off the cruiser, and to remain here and stop the entrance of vessels that come to this city. I would therefore beg you, when you receive this, to send some vessels of force, which will be able to attack this frigate, and you will please to expedite them, that this coast may be open, which is very easy when they have been thrashed, and with the fear and dread they will then have, they will not undertake so easily to blockade this port.
P.S. The Carolina pilot has just told me that he heard that this frigate had gone out for the purpose of cruising off here four months, that the parliament had thus instructed her captain.


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I fear therefore that the small vessels missing in the last envoy and that of Escalera may have fallen into their hands.
Manuel de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes-

(The following letter was translated from another manuscript copy of the Archives of St Augustine; & not having been included in the first, is not placed in proper order)

(198


Florida
May 13th 1740
Sir
On the 9th inst. [instant] there went out from this port the bilunder [bilander] of Marcos de Torres, and ours under the command of Dn. [Don] Domingo de la Cruz; the first to pursue her voyage to your place, and the second destined for the Colony of Guarico, carrying six thousand dollars to buy flour and other provisions for the subsistence of this place, and at the begining [beginning] of the night a soldier came here from the watch-tower of the bar of Matanzas with the sad news that Pedro de Echeverria master of the bilunder [bilander] of the said Marcos de Torres had come to that place, stating that on the morning of the
10th our bilunder [bilander] was sailing two or three leagues beyond the bar of Mosquitos very close to a frigate which seemed to carry 40 canons [cannons] ; and that the frigate being on the land side began to fire and the bilunder [bilander] to defend herself bravely; and having captured her, she gave chace [chase] to the bilunder [bilander] of Marcos until they forced him to run her aground this side of the said bar.
On the
10th I sent you, by the bar of Matanzas, the schooner of Bartme. [Bartalome] de Espinosa, and in her the 2nd lieutenant Dn. [Don] Joseph de Rivas with a note for you, the duplicate of which accompanies this, showing to you the distress we are in from the want of provisions; and with this new fatal success of the enemy I find myself obliged to declare to you that we are in the extremest misery, without means of subsistence and blockaded by sea; for off this bar are a frigate and a packetboat, which have shown themselves on the
11th &
12th and another frigate is stationed of [off] the Cape Carnaveral on this coast; and thus it is certain that no small vessels you may send me can come here; under these circumstances we have agreed in a council


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of war to send you a schooner with this news; because with the knowledge of the extreme condition to which we have come, you will be pleased to send us succour [succor] by the greatest quantity of provisions possible in vessels of sufficient force to resist the three vessls [vessels] on this coast, for no other method of remedying it presents itself, and consequently an irreparable desolation will be spread over this place. I must inform you that this is the last news that I can send to you of the lamentable condition in which we are, for we fear that the English will attack us by sea, and I assure you that I have no other force to defend this bar and that of Matanzas than the two schooners, and the barge that has [deleted text: been ] left us not being sufficient to guard against an attack of the small vessels of the enemy that may be stationed among the keys, we have sent one of the six schooners to carry this melancholy news to you.
From the authentic account sent from Apalache you will learn, that to keep in our side the Indians, or at least to make them remain neutral, nothing is so influential as a shop furnished with an abundance of all necessaries, and with a knowledge of these two subjects I supplicate you to do me the favor, with your great zeal in the service of the king, to despatch the most effective means for the important object to remedy both these pressing wants in the shortest time possible; because in its present condition this place depends solely on your aid for its preservation, as being without provisions it is impossible for us to preserve our lives.
I avoid making hyperboles or exaggerations to you of the trouble in which we are, for knowing the quantity of provisions here and [added text: the ] the people that compose this population surpass 2400 you will understand, with your great discretion, the urgent necessity we have to be succoured [succored] with the greatest possible despatch.
P.S. I had forgot to say to you that from a courier I sent [deleted text: from ] to Apalache the
13 of April I learn the condition of the Uchees and that he had hard work to come here by the
10th of this month on account of the number of Indians friendly to the English, who had overrun the whole country; he brought the news that


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Pablo Rodriguez who came with provisions to this fort was chased by an English bilunder [bilander] near Key West (Cayo [added text: de ] Huesos [added text: Cayo de Huesos, key of bones, so called from the number of human bones found on it by the first Spanish discoveries. It is said that two tribes of Indians chose this island to settle an old feud by battle, and their remains thus gave a name to the island- it is now called by the English Key West, and by the Spanish, still, Cayo Hueso or bone key. ] ) which run ashore, and not being able to follow, Pablo Rodriguez sent a piragua [periagua] with 12 men and among them some Indians against whom they defended themselves with their two swivels and one firelock, and he escaped from them, although wounded in the breast by a ball; to fulfill my duty, I inform you that unless we occupy this coast it will be by chance that succour [succor] will come from Apalache-
Manuel de Montiano to J.F. [Juan Francisco] de Guemes.





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Index.
Letter page
1. Charles Dempsis visits the fort of Spinosa - its strength 1.
2. Informs of the intentions of the English and the rumoured [rumored] appro- 1.
priations by Parliament to capture St. Augustine; the Cacique 2.
Sacafaca brings news of the disaffection of the Indians; the bad 2.
condition of the fortress and measures to repair it; Ogelthorpe is 3.
expected in
October, aid is asked of the Captain General of Cuba. 4.
17. Sends to the English colonies protesting against the murder of 4.
the cacique Pujoy and his retinue; William Horton stops the courier; 5.
arrival of 3 frigates with 350 labourers [laborers] for Georgia; Davis' Schooner. 5.
18. Asks for corn; expects Davis' schooner from Port Royal with supplies of food. 6.
23. News of the preparations of the English against Florida; troops for Ogelthorpe; 7.
exciting the Chalaque Indians; disaffection of the Carolinians; 8.
25. Commanders of New Georgia exculpate themselves from the murder of Pujoy. 9.
41. Requests aid in provisions and guns; the force of the fortress. 10.
38. Arrival of a small armament; with proper means will astonish the English. 11.
43. Orders from the king of Spain to suspend hostilities to fix boundaries. 12.
45. Emissaries sent to learn the state of St George & Puyrosburg; arrival 13.
of three frigates at St George; receives a letter from the Gov. of St George. 13.
57. News that the English had fortified Frederica; sends a detachment to 14.
build a fort at Apalache; and families to settle there before the English do. 15.
63. Repairs of the fortress of St. Augustine proceed slowly; arrival of 8 companies 15.
from England at Frederica, one sent to St George; Davis an informer. 15.
70. The detachment of Lamberto arrives at Pupo, two of his men killed by the 16.
Uchees; the English are believed to have and understanding with them. 17.
74 Sends spies to ascertain the number of Indians; attack of Pupo; troops 17.
of Indians overrun the county; Small pox at St George; the English 18.
convoke the Uchees, Chalaque & other nations; desertion of convicts & soldiers. 19.
76. Two Irish and one Scotchman, deserters, arrive at St Augustine; Cochran very 20.
[illegible text] about the condition of St Augustine; rumour [rumor] that soldiers and Indians 24
would attack Picalata; Davis gives information of the plans of the English; Juan 22.
Ignacio, an Indian, and spy successful from a run to Our Lady of Cobre 23.
113. Pupo and Picolata watched with great vigilance to prevent a surprise 23.
23 negroes fugitives from Port Royal arrive, and are settled at Moze under 24.
Sebastian Sanchez and Joseph de Leon a coloured [colored] Doctrinero to instruct them religiously 24.
126. An English deserter gives further information; Ogelthorpe has lost his credit in New York 24.
133. An embassy arrives from Ogelthorpe & Wm. [William] Bull to demand the runaway negroes, 25.
and proposed to exchange for them our eight convicts; declined doing so. 25.



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Letter Page
156 Pedro Lamberto sent to St George, but when there was not allowed to communicate with 26
the people; Ogelthorpe having gone on a journey of 300 miles into the interior he did not see him. 76
157. The English come to Apalache with more than 100 negroes to build a fort there. 27.
180. Signs of more than 300 Englishmen seen on the St John's river; San Diego reinforced, collects cattle for Island St. Anastasius; English attack Picolata their force and its strength; 29.

English periguas [periaguas] seen in the St. John; a detachment sent out to capture an Englishman; 30.
News of an English fleet at San Nicholas up the St Johns; their force estimated at 700; 31.
Fort Pupo taken; Diego Espinosa & reconnoitring party shot at, and they retreat.- 32.
The English have full possession of the river St John; Montiano much alarmed for 33.
Picolata and Pupo; St. Augustine perfectly defenceless [defenseless] at this time; fears 33.
he will have to send away 500 useless persons; complains of his pay being due 34.
since
1736; attack on Picolata and Pupo, their forces and defence [defense] . 35.
181. News received of the capture of Picolata, loss of the Spanish; capture of 36.
Pupo and its garrison of 10 men; his detachment fired on by the English; 37.
a scouting party of Uchees come to St Augustine unable to return home; fears 38.
the country will be depopulated of Spaniards, being overrun by [deleted text: [illegible text] ] the enemy. 38.
187. Return of Juan Ignacio with his party; their attack on a party of English; 39.
the English in full possession of the St. John's with their boats; Mojoloa selected 40.
for a Spanish fort; it is thought the English will sail through the country to Tampa 41.
191. An engineer sent to examine the site of Mojoloa, but prefers San Nicholas; 42.
all the supplies in Augustine consumed except a little goat's meat and beef; 42.
asks earnestly for small vessels and provisions; will retire from the command 43.
if required; seems to be in perfect despair for want of means. 44.
192. Reiterates his demands for supplies; his project to fortify San Nicholas; 44.
asks for more troops; the effective force now in St. Augustine; wants money 45.
193. Six schooners arrive with supplies; two English frigates off the port; they send 46.
a boat for water which is driven off; one of the frigates leaves; the other 46.
remains at anchor, a plan formed to surprise and take her, the attack; 46.
The injury alone to the frigate and to the boats & schooner, the retreat. 47.
198. A [deleted text: schooner ] bilunder [bilander] leaves the port with money to buy flour and other supplies; 66.
news brought that she was attacked by a frigate of Matanzas (Flo.) and captured; 66.
more vessels blockade the port; The garrison is greatly reduced, 2400 persons in the city; 67.
The English chase a vessel with provisions off Key West- 68.
200. The port strictly blockaded by sea; sends a courier in a canoe by inland passages 48.
201. Indians attack Spanish plantation near San Diego; resolve to send a detachment 49.
of 300 men with boats; they return finding the English force too large for them. 50.



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Letter Page
202. The English occupy all the coast from St Matheo, the bars of Matanzas, 51.
and St Augustine and island of Anastatia, and have a camp at Moze 51.
they commence firing on the town, the number of their vessels & force 51.
203. 300 men sally to attack Moze, capture it with great loss of the enemy; 51.
loss of the enemy, Col. Palma killed; loss of the Spaniards; blockading 52.
force; firing from Anastatia; great danger of famine in St Augustine; 52.
a flag summons the city; deserters from the English come to the town 53.
204. a deserter from Anastatia brings news of the naval force of the English; 53.
205. several Spanish vessels with provisions enter the Mosquito bar; 54
receives information by a deserter that Ogelthorpe intends an assault [unclear text: of ] the 54
city by sea and land; the English attack the boats at Mosquito; the 55
English retreat hastily to the great surprise of the Spaniards; [deleted text: [illegible text] ] 55.
the [unclear text: seige [siege] ], injury done to fort force employed, killed and wounded; the 56.
future designs of Ogelthorpe; the English abandon the fort San Diego, money 58.
brought for the troops, their gallantry, etc. 59.
207. The English after having raised the seige [siege] sent two vessels to maintain the blockade 59.
his reasons for not pursuing the English rearguard, his small force. 60.
210. Rumour [Rumor] that Ogelthorpe intends to repeat the attack in the next spring; 60.
to prepare for this supplicates farther supplies, men and munitions 61.
the force of the garrison, how much diminished, asks for 300 more men; 62.
248. Sends out a privateer under Joseph Sanchez Rodriguez, capture of a vessel 63.
the [: sargento mayor ] of Ogelthorpe taken prisoner, another captured vessel; 64.
the bilunder of Rodriguez bought and Fandiño appointed to command her; 64.
has an engagement with an English cruiser off Charleston; captures a pilot; 64.
a frigate of 20 guns appears off Augustine, and cruises along the coast; 65.
fears that the small vessels missing in the last envoy fell in with her 66.


Finis.