- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Extract of a translation of the judicial ratification, by affidavit, of Mr. Richard Lang, of the verbal declaration he made to his Lordship, 1794 Jan. 21, St. Augustine, Florida
- Date of Original:
- 1794-01-21
- Subject:
- United States--Foreign relations--1789-1797
Prisoners of war
Florida--History--Spanish colony, 1784-1821 - Location:
- United States, Florida, Saint Johns County, Saint Augustine, 29.89469, -81.31452
- Medium:
- affidavits
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document is an extract from an affidavit given on January 21, 1794 by Richard Lang, a prisoner of the Spanish in St. Augustine, Florida. Lang relates everything he knows relative to troop movements and military plans among the Americans in Georgia, South Carolina, and Cumberland in preparation for a march against St. Augustine. Among other morsels of information, Lang tells his captors that the American troops intended to march in the direction of Indian country and then attack St. Augustine from the west.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- krc167
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc167
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc167#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc167/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Keith Read, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 5 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 29, folder 39, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Extract of a translation of the Judicial Ratification, by affidavit, of Mr. Richard Lang, of the Verbal declaration he made to his Lordship. -- --
In the City of Saint Augustine of Florida on the same day, month and Year [being the
twenty first day of January seventeen hundred and ninety four] his Lordship went to the Castle of this City, where the Prisoner Richard Lang is, under arrest, accompanied by his honor the Assessor General, the Public Interpreter and by me, the [: Escrivano ], for the purpose of taking the affidavit of the said Mr Richard Lang; in conformity to the foregoing decree, and having arrived in the Said Castle he caused the said Richard Lang to appear before him, to whom an oath was administered by the said Interpreter, and having sworn by God Almighty, and by his beleif [belief] in the according to the rules of the Protestant sect, which is his profession, he thereby promised to tell the truth, so far as he knew; and whereon he might be interogated [interrogated] ; and being asked now to declare that which he had told his Lordship the preceeding [preceding] evening, relative to the news he had, of the Enlistments making in the State of Georgia and South Carolina of a number of Americans at the instigation of the French, in order to come against this Province: -- He sayeth, that having learned, from John Baylie an American who lives here, that Troops were enlisting in Georgia to come against this Province, he went to New Town about fifteen days ago to gain a further intelligence as to the truth thereof; Where One Rheuben Pitcher, formerly an inhabitant of this Province, but since his flight hence, a Residenter [Resident] [deleted text: of ] in Georgia, informed this deponent, that such enlistments were certainly carrying on, not only against this Province but also against Luiziana and Pensacola, which were to be invaded by Americans and French Settlers; and that recruits were raising in the districts of Cumberland and Kentuckie; and the said Rhueben Pitcher further added the he would give this deponent more particular information in a few days; which in fact he did, having come to this deponents house in about eight days afterwards, where he told him [the Deponent] that he had received a letter from Declinghan, one of the recruiting captains in the state of Georgia, enclosing him a French commission, as a Subaltern officer, under which he was to enlist Some Troops: that at the same time the said Pitcher farther informed this Deponent, that the whole number would consist of 1100 Men, who were to come in, and be landed from three Ships, then at anchor and ready in the Bay of Port Royal ; besides 700 Horsemen, to be commanded in [unclear text: chief ] by Brigadier Genl. [General] Samuel Hammond; one Brigade of them to be under the command of his Brother Abner Hammond ; and the other under that of Colonel Carr; and further added that the Expedition would be ready in three or four weeks, And this Deponent farther saith, that afterwards, bringing on a conversation with the Sd [Said] Abner Hammond, upon the same subject, at the House of William Jones His father in Law; the said Hammond confirmed the inteligence [intelligence] of such Expedition, to this Deponent ; telling him he beleived [believed] it would undoubtedly take place; because the French were desirous of having a port of their own, wherein to bring their prizes, And this Deponent further saith, that in discourse about fifteen days ago, or upwards, in the American settlements on the other side of Saint Marys, with Henry Wright, he asked this Deponent the number of Troops and quantity of provisions which might be here, and how long this fortress could hold out a seige [siege] ; to which questions this Deponent replied, Always magnifying our force, in every particular that was enquired of him; and then the conversation turned to the subject of this Deponent having heard, that Abner Hammond wished to bring the provisions and Military Stores to St. Johns River, and there sell them to the King; upon which the said Henry told this Deponent he did not beleive [believe] any such thing ; for that these provisions and Military Stores did not belong to Hammond who was only Commissioner by the French to purchase them; that during this conversation the said Rheuben Pitcher came in, who told this Deponent he would give him notice of the day and hour, when the Troops were to march, which he must of course be acquainted of That according to what he understood, the intention was not to cross St Marys River; but to head it marching as if towards the Indian Country, and so fall down upon the city from the westward; which is all that he knows regarding the subject of the interogatory [interrogatory] and the same he related to his Lordship.....................
I do hereby certify= [: Quesada ] = the Licentiate Ortega= Richard Lang= Miguel Yenardy= Before me
[Signed] Joseph de Zubizaretta [: Escrivarno ] of Government [added text (appears to be different ink and hand): Copied ]