[Letter] 1812 Apr. 12, Milledgeville, [Georgia to] Governor [of Georgia, David B.] Mitchell, Sandersville, [Georgia] / Anthony Porter

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Milledgeville
12th. April 1812-
Dear Sir,
By the Darien Mail, which arrived here yesterday evening about sunset, two letters from General Floyd were received, detailing the events which have occurred in East Florida up to the
4th of April Instant, the date of his last letter, their very great length has rendered it out of my power to send you Copies of them by the present opportunity, and to send the original I am fearful would not be correct, because they might by accident or some other means not reach you, and when you returned here they would have been sent away & by that means you would not see them at all
Genl. [General] Floyd says in his last letter, "Your Excellency will perceive from the Geography of E.F. [East Florida] that Colo. [Colonel] Smith being stationed at Picolata will expose him to the Alachawa Indians should they be disposed to act offensively, as well as to any superior force which may be thrown into St. Augustine


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It is reported that a British Government Schooner has arrived at that place with information that a reinforcement of 700 Troops from the West Indies would [deleted text: be ] soon arrive for the defence [defense] of that place, St. Augustine, I am however not inclined to believe that the report is strictly correct altho [although] it has been said in corroboration of the report that three British armed vessels have been seen during this week on the Coast supposed to contain the Troops spoken of, &c. [et cetera] "
"Your Excellency must be aware of the defenceless [defenseless] situation of Savannah in the event of marching all the Volunteer Companies from it, which unless guarded against might invite insubordination among the domesticks [domestics] of the place and neighbourhood [neighborhood] "
"I must repeat my solicitations, as to the means of supporting the Militia in the event of their being put under marching orders, which will certainly be done very shortly -- I shall go immediately to Savanh. [Savannah] on that business, from which place I shall


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communicate to you whatever transpires worthy of notice."
He also says that he "has ordered out from the 7.th and 8.th Battalions of the Militia 100 men for the purpose of guarding the frontiers in its present defenceless [defenseless] state in consequence of a considerable proportion of the inhabitants having gone as volunteers against Augustine." he also says "that information has just been received from the patriots who made their appearance before St. Augustine on Wednesday
the 25 March last about 12 Oclock, and on making a [illegible text] with about 70 men, were fired on from the Fort. the number of the patriots are actually about 230, reports to the contrary notwithstanding, and many of them badly armed. an advance guard ventured within 1/2 a mile of the Fort, and a man who had been sent after them to recall them from an apprehension of their being ambuscaded by a party of 60 or 70 negroes who are in


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arms with the Spaniards, has not returned."
"The presumption is that the messenger has fallen into the hands of the ambuscading party who had suffered the advance party to pass with the expectation of drawing the whole party into their powers."
Genl [General] Mathews has made a requisition of him of 250 men [deleted text: of him ] the object of which is to leave [deleted text: 200 ] [added text: 50 ] at Fernandino and proceed on with the balance, 200 [added text: to ] the vicinity of the patriotic camp near St. Augustine, which request the Genl. [General] of course is about to comply with, and seems very solicitous to know of you how the men are to be provided with Camp equipage and provisions, as no doubt but that the Agents of the U.S. are not provided with [deleted text: those things ] every necessary they may want
The darien Mail will leave this place on Wednesday next about 12 OClock and if you could be here in time to answer these dispatches by its departure it would no doubt very much relieve Genl. [General]


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Floyd not only in mind but in many other ways- This has been the motive with me in writing to you on the subject, together with that of letting you know that such intelligence has been received, and [added text: knowing ] [deleted text: of course ] that you were anxious to know what was going on there.

I am Dear Sir
In great haste
Your Very Obt. Sert. [Obedient Servant]
[Signed] Anthony Porter





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Anth: [Anthony] Porter

12 April 1812

His Excellency Governor Mitchell Sandersville
Favor of}
Messr. Howard


1812
About War with
Spaniards in Florida

Locations