A. D. 1680-1685.

A. D. 1680.

Sire:

In a letter of April last year I stated to you the misgivings I felt about the English who have populated the Province of Carolina and River St. George. In November of the following year I repeated this with some evidence, and such a plan or a map from the River St. George to Mobile. Afterwards I was notified that five Englishmen had put to flight one of the Towns and penetrated as far as the Province of Guale, which belongs to the jurisdiction of this Garrison, where they came to take declarations and give information concerning the coming of the English to those parts; all of which I submit to your Majesty.

My duty today is to give an account of what happened in the Province of Guale this year. The Chuchumacos, Bechizes and Chulucas who were at war among themselves, but had maintained friendly relations and trading with this Province, became friendly with the English and have declared themselves our enemies. They made an invasion first on the Island of Guadalquiri in Guale, then on the main land they killed and scalped a number of the Natives until these latter rallied and, with one of our Lieutenants at the head, sallied forth and repulsed them. A few days later they made an entrance on the Island of St. Catherine, one of the frontiers, with a force of over three hundred men. They killed the Sentinels who were six in number, one only escaping, who gave the alarm and the citizens were able to defend themselves. There were forty-five Spaniards from this Garrison and about a hundred Natives. They took refuge in the Convent of the Friar, who teaches the Gospel in that Province, Captain Francisco Suentes, whom I sent two years ago to take charge of that place, who defended himself and army with great valor and distinction from daylight until four o’clock in the afternoon against these Indians, who were armed with firearms. Instantly upon receiving information of the danger I sent aid to the number of thirty soldiers on foot and a vessel with eighteen marines. When they arrived the enemy had retired. I am assured that among them were several Englishmen who instructed them in the use of the firearms, which consisted of long guns. This caused great consternation and horror among the natives who at first evacuated the Island of St. Catherine, but am informed have since returned doubling their forces. I had sent eight men to them from this Garrison and I am resolved to send twenty—it being a place of the utmost importance to this Garrison, as a protection against invasions and also to obtain food and supplies. The entrance to the Bar of Zapola is easy and distant from it, as you can see on the map, only two leagues. Information has been brought me by a pilot, who left here and was taken prisoner by the French, that he overheard them say they would come to this Province, possess themselves of the Island and Bar of Zapala. This is damaging news, and my greatest trouble is lack of troops, for altogether I have only some two hundred and ninety. I have increased this with a few natives of seemingly good disposition, should a fight occur in this Fort, but so inexperienced that they could not support us. This Post is mainly composed of mariners, pilots, shipmasters and mates, twelve artillerymen, six widows and a few children to whom, through your mercy, you grant pay, and ten or twelve decrepit old men who by age are exempt from toil. I have twenty-four men in Apalache, distant eighty leagues, and two in Timuqua, two in the pass of Salamatoto, ten leagues distant from this Garrison. The sentinels of Matanzas and the Bar. All this causes me great distress as I should be obliged to repair to the field and I have no resources possible with so few people. Notwithstanding, I propose, with the help of God, to improve it, and thus will the conversions advance and secure the road to Mexico. It is expedient to run the English out of that land, and there are not two hundred firearms in the armory nor among the soldiers and natives. If the thirty lancers and hundred infantry I sent for three years ago had come, things would be in a different shape. With a hundred families to protect, a good deal of aid is needed as speedily as possible and your Majesty will send them promptly as to the interest of your service. God protect you.

Pablo Ita Salazar.

St. Augustine, Fla., May 14th, 1680.

A. D. 1682.

Sire:

Don Juan Marquez Cabrera, your Governor and Captain-General of the Provinces of Florida, gives you an account of how since last February of this year they have experienced many hostilities in these Provinces from two French and English fleets who, since they discovered and settled with ten vessels they brought on these coasts towards the south, have taken and settled all the entrances and Ports, having seized seven vessels that were coming and going to the City of Havana, entered and plundered the Fort of Matanzas with no resistance from those within, and on another occasion in the same place, where there were forty-five Spaniards, captains, lieutenants and soldiers, there came four hundred Indians with firearms and arrows to one of the trenches at the edge of the two rivers at the foot of the Fort and this time they did not discharge a single shot, but set fire to the Fort and burned it, being of wood. I am again rebuilding it in the shape of a bonnet or cap with its inclinations bias, which it did not have before, with twenty-five stone houses, so that twelve or sixteen soldiers can defend it. On retiring they entered the River of Point Martin in Laungara, eighteen leagues inland and forty from this Garrison; thirty-five Frenchmen entered and plundered the estate Lachua, imprisoning the owner and some of his slaves and other persons and their servants. They were assisted in this by three of the neighbor Casiques, with sixteen Indians. As they retired they were met by an ambush who liberated the owners of the estate with the loss of one Indian. Although there were five Spaniards, with the degree of Captain who enjoy the rank and pay, excused themselves on the occasion because they feared if they had any one to encourage them the enemy would not have left one. As soon as I received the news, although I am very scarce of people for the defense of the Castle, I made every effort possible to send the Sergeant-Major of this Post with forty soldiers as quickly as possible. Finding the enemy already embarked, I ordered him to obstruct the river, seeing the danger to this Province, not having had any orders from you to keep it open. Notwithstanding all the Sergeant-Major’s efforts to place obstructions, I fear the enemy will invade this Garrison if only to see the Fort that is being built. It is to be in the shape I have shown you on the map, and plan I have given the Adjutant Alonzo Solano, superintendent of the work, a man of much intelligence and quite capable of carrying it on. At the time the French were destroying the estate Lachua the English landed at the bar of Mosquito Inlet; they killed ten Indians and captured eighteen. They had also captured the frigate that left this Post for New Spain; they captured it with a pirate vessel which had come from Jamaica, as testified to by the “Autos” I sent, in which I also stated the other hostilities and depredations as you can see in the Office of the Royal Council. It is a source of grief to me to see the manner in which they take these poor Indians and sell them into slavery, as they have done with many, selling them on the Island of Barbado. They even take the mixed ones, children of Spaniards and Indians. Although I am quite advanced on the building and defense of the Castle, I feel disconsolate when I think of the scarcity of troops and the inferior quality of those I have who are cowardly and pusillanimous as I have before represented them to you. I repeat it, in hopes that you will send me at least two good Captains and a hundred first class men. Besides being dastardly those I have, many of them are too old to be of service, having been retired and pensioned off. I am heartily sick of those who have been pensioned off, and of the children who have been pushed into service with no other object than to receive the pay. While mindful of the humane interests, this at times is exceedingly trying to my patience. And so, since the Fort is assuming such shape, I implore you to give the order needed of sending more men. I also implore your Majesty that having served you so many years without complaint against me, that you will replace me in this Garrison and give me permission to retire.

God grant you a long and prosperous life.

Juan Marquez Cabrera.

St. Augustine, Fla., July 16th, 1682.

Charles II, Our Principal Casique, to the King.

God, who with His power has created us from nothing, it being His will—we live, although with work and misfortune, it matters not how, so we live, with our limited understanding, every day without ceasing as we are commanded by our Creator, since He so wishes it, we praise and reverence Him. Leaving this apart we also, the nobility and all in general, old men and old women, children, orphans and disabled, as many as are found in this territory called Habalache, every day we say it seems to us, we do not reverence, embrace and receive in our hearts our principal Casique and King and his noble words. Saying this among ourselves it seems to make us more humble and disposed to receive your words when it reaches our ears. As at present, we could long since have written you, for the obedience we show you, and not waited for your many noble works, and to make known to you of what we are here seeing and suffering, being not only ourselves, but all in this world, who were created from nothing by the will of God. Our priests whose duty it is to care for our souls, cleanse them and absolve them, teaches us good things, and takes away and quenches in us ugly and evil things helping us on to be good Christians, as it is for this you have shown us such great mercy, and so we recognize it, and are believing with one heart. Second: Although we are ignorant people, we think that our hearts and souls belong to our Creator—our bodies and their government, and to whom they belong to teach and punish is to our Head, whom thou art, and whom we recognize as our chief Casique and King, and as the grass grows and has roots, bathed by the dews of night, so we and all your miserable vassals are nourished by your noble words, and although bodily we do not see you with our eyes, we take it from the one who represents you as your Governor and Captain-General—and to him we look as to you and as your words coming from him who we see, hear and understand, and guard, believing and obeying him—

Sire:

From information that I was able to gather by means of gifts to the native Indians, I succeeded in finding out the designs of the settlers of St. George and of the new settlement in St. Elena, where this Garrison was first—distant from here some sixty leagues. About 50 Indians, with orders from the Governor of St. Elena, were to enter the Province of Tamaqua, do all the damage and hostilities they could, taking prisoners and killing the natives. I immediately sent a dispatch by carrier to the Lieutenant of that Province to be on guard and care for the towns. It seems that some six hours before he received my notice, they had entered and destroyed the town of Afinca, a place of about sixty natives. About fifty men entered with sixteen guns and the balance with bows and arrows and machetes, everything exactly as I had been informed. They belong to the Yamares nation who have retired from this dominion and gone over to the English. They killed and carried off the prisoners as certified by a letter from the Lieutenant. I have restored as far as possible the Garrison of Tamaqua for the peace of its natives. If I had had the force sufficient I would have sent the vessels that I have to the settlement of Santa Elena and done them some damage, but, as it is, I have not sufficient forces for anything. The two Captains experienced in that part of the country are old, one of 70 and the other 60 years old. I am sorry to say, the enemy are settling in the interior, where they find the lands so rich and productive of all kinds of fruit. Should they come here they could easily capture us for the lack of men—we need men—more troops. I am informed that forty days ago, eleven vessels with seven hundred men, had been sent out from England. I am awaiting them with fear, for lack of men and ammunition we have. I also distrust my sentinels. I hope you will immediately send me re-enforcements.

God preserve you, etc.

Juan Marquez Cabrera.

St. Augustine, April 15th, 1685.

The King.

To my Governor and Captain-General of the City of St. Augustine in the Province of Florida, and Field Marshal Don Diego de Quiraga y Lasada, in whose charge that Government is now:

The Royal officers of that City have given me an account in different letters of their having arrived at that Garrison ten remaining negroes, eight males and two females, from St. George. That they asked for the waters of baptism, it was given them, after which a Sergeant-Major from St. George came to claim them. Not appearing to be the proper thing to return them after becoming Christians, it was agreed upon with the Sergeant-Major to buy them with the money from my Royal exchequer for the sum of sixteen hundred dollars, granting a writing to that purpose, to pay said sum at a stated time specified. To satisfy this I sent to the new city of Vera Cruz for this sum of money which was brought and deposited in my Royal coffers of that city, advising the Governor of St. Augustine and notifying the Governor of St. George to send for it. It seems they came for it at the time the Governor was distributing aid to the soldiers. He had notified me of the receipt of this money, but not receiving a reply, he supposed I was not satisfied with the transaction, imploring I should tell him what to do with the negroes. The men had been put to work on the Fort, and the women the Governor had retained as servants in his household. He paid the cost of them, and he only awaited my orders. In view of all that he asks, through the judge of my Council of the Indias, it occurs to me to say to you that Don Diego Quiraga was wanting in his duty by not sending to pay the money deposited in the Royal coffers for the purchase of said negroes and in the word he had given the English. He should have considered that in refusing to deliver them to the English, it was done to protect the religion; this alone would have sufficed, being as I am such a Catholic. For any excess expended in their purchase, notwithstanding my failure in replying to him on this point, and so, it appears strange what this Governor has done. And so, that you perfectly understand what I order you, as I do order you, that of the first money which comes into my Royal coffers of that City you immediately pay up the whole amount, and give the Governor of St. George perfect satisfaction for the 1,600 dollars agreed upon for the sale. The defraying of this to be done as quickly as possible. And as a reward for having come to these provinces to live under the laws of the Gospel and become Catholics, I order that immediately upon receipt of this, you give them all their liberty in my name, giving each one, males and females, a document to that effect, so that seeing their example others may do likewise. As soon as you have accomplished this you are to send me a full account, as this is my will.

I, the King, sent by the King our Lord,

Don Juan de la Vea,
Chairman of the Council.