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French Expedition of Ribaut to relieve Fort Caroline - 1565 The settlement at Fort Caroline, although neglected by France, had not been forgotten by its illustrious patron; but the civil commotions which distracted the country had rendered it impossible to forward the succors which were so much needed. Reports had reached France from the little colony, bearing unfavorably upon Laudonniere, set on foot by those who had been in the conspiracy against him. Among other things, they had accused him of playing the viceroy, of living in great state, and of aggrandizing himself. As soon as the admiral was enabled to devote his attention to the subject, an expedition of considerable magnitude was set on foot, to be under the command of Captain Ribaut, who had been in command in the first voyage. A fleet of seven vessels, some of considerable size, was provided, and ample provision made for a permanent occupation of the country. Some six hundred and fifty persons were embarked, and among the adventurers were representatives from many of the first families of France. By some means, and, as is charged by many, in accordance with direct information from the French court, the expedition of Ribaut destined to succor and insure the permanent establishment of the French Huguenots in America was made known to Philip II. There was at the Spanish court at that period, unemployed, a man of considerable distinction, Menendez by name, who had acquired a high reputation by the success of many naval expeditions in which he had been engaged. He had shortly before learned that a son who had sailed from Mexico on board a treasure-fleet bound for Spain, which had been wrecked upon the coast of Florida, was a captive among the savage tribes who inhabited its shores. This man, soured by some difficulties and annoyances he had encountered, sorrowing over a favorite son whose fate presented itself to his imagination as worse than death, and largely imbued with the spirit of the military propagation of the faith, was led to seek the command of an expedition to Florida. His own principal thought was undoubtedly the recovery of his son, but the leading consideration he placed before the king was the salvation of the souls of the tribes of Florida. The coast of Florida had already acquired a bad reputation, on account of the numerous shipwrecks which had occurred there, and it was thought that a more thorough examination and acquaintance with its shores, harbors, currents, and soundings would enable such disasters to be avoided for the future. The Spanish crown had long claimed an exclusive right to Florida, and under this designation included all of the country in North America which had been or might be discovered. The existence of the settlement made in 1564 by the French, on the St. John's River, must have been well known to the Spanish court, and would naturally have been considered an aggression upon their rights, although they had never been able themselves to occupy or take possession of any portion of the immense country claimed by them. It added not a little, undoubtedly, to their sensitiveness relative to this settlement, that it was made by the Huguenots of France, who were regarded by the Spaniards as the most detestable of the human race and beyond the pale of humanity. In view of the misfortunes which had attended every expedition to the shores of Florida, it seems as though it would have been a hopeless effort to procure the means or the men for another enterprise in that direction, and so undoubtedly it would have been, but for the character of the man who undertook it and the religious motives which urged him, and which have so often proved that no stronger passion can control the human heart than religious zeal, even among those who conform to none of the obligations of a religious life. Although the sad fate of Narvaez's and De Soto's expeditions must have been fresh in their minds, yet the name of Florida had not lost its charm, and the appeal of Menendez was responded to by greater numbers than he could provide transportation for. The number to be furnished at the expense of the crown was to have been five hundred men-at-arms, but only two hundred and forty-nine of the force were actually provided. Notwithstanding this, a force amounting to two thousand six hundred persons were embarked on board of thirty-four vessels of various sizes, the largest of which was of near one thousand tons, and carried over one thousand persons, - a large vessel and a very large complement of passengers for that day. Menendez had expended in the equipment of the expedition nearly a million of ducats, the crown having provided but a single ship, and had embarked in the expedition all of his own means and all that he could obtain either by loan or gift from his friends. Although he had made the religious welfare of the natives of Florida the principal object of his mission in his interviews with the king, the number of the clerical party provided was not commensurate with so extensive a work, - twenty-six priests, brothers, and monks being the entire number mentioned out of the two thousand six hundred and fifty who embarked. The agreement with the king had authorized Menendez to take with him five hundred slaves, the third part to be men for his own service and that of his people, in order that he might build, settle, and cultivate Florida with more facility, and plant corn and put up sugar- works ; but so great was the anxiety of the people to accompany him, it is said, that he found it unnecessary to carry with him the five hundred slaves. The expedition of Ribaut, which set sail from Dieppe on the 23rd of May, 1565, consisted of five hundred men, besides some families of artisans who accompanied the expedition ; the fleet numbered seven sail, some of which must have been of considerable size, as four of the vessels were obliged to anchor outside the bar of the river May, now known as the St. John's. For nearly a month after their getting to sea they were detained on the coasts of France by contrary winds, and, when fairly on their course, were two months in reaching Florida. Making first one of the Bahamas, they came upon the coast of Florida north of Cape Canaveral, and probably first landed at Mosquito, where they found a Spaniard, who had been wrecked upon the coast twenty years before, and who informed them, upon the report of the natives, that Laudonniere's colony was about fifty leagues northward. Coasting along, they sounded the bar of the River of Dolphins, at St. Augustine, and, proceeding farther north, entered the river May (St. John's) on the 29th of August, 1565. The three smaller vessels only were able to enter the river, as has been already stated. For several days they were employed in landing the stores and provisions intended for the colony, and disembarking the most of the people, leaving on board the vessels outside the bar but little more than their ordinary crew. Menendez had pushed forward his preparations with the greatest vigor, and was extremely anxious to reach Florida before the French should be enabled to fortify and intrench themselves. He made all possible dispatch, and, leaving a portion of his fleet to follow after him, set sail from Cadiz on the 1st of July, 1565, with about two-thirds of the whole number who were to join in the expedition. A severe tempest which they encountered after leaving the Canaries wrecked and dispersed a portion of the fleet, so that when the general arrived at Porto Rico, on the 9th of August, he had but a third part of his expedition under his command. He learned here that a dispatch-vessel, sent with orders to him from Spain, had been intercepted by the French, and intelligence of his movements probably conveyed to the French colony in Florida. Menendez at once decided to pursue his voyage with all expedition, without awaiting the coming up of his other vessels ; and, refitting as well as he was able, he sailed northward, by an untried route, among the Lucayan Islands, and on the 28th of August, being the day devoted in the calendar of the Roman Church to the memory of St. Augustine, they came in sight of Florida and landed on her coast. Upon the same day the French fleet, under Ribaut, had cast anchor at the mouth of the St. John's River, - the two hostile fleets being thus within fifty miles of each other, and landing simultaneously at two neighboring points, each unconscious of the proximity of the other. It adds not a little interest to this concurrence of events to recall the fact that on the 4th of the same month the English fleet, under the celebrated Sir John Hawkins, had anchored and landed at the St. John's, thus bringing into close proximity the fleets of the then three great maritime powers; although upon all the great continent lying north of the Gulf of Mexico neither of them possessed a single foot of ground, except that occupied by the feeble detachment of the French at Fort Caroline, which was preparing to return to France on the very day that Ribaut's fleet appeared. Another day's detention, and Ribaut probably might not have landed to occupy the deserted fort. Menendez would have found no heretical colony to extirpate, and would probably not then have remained, and the first chapter of the colonization and permanent settlement might have been deferred for a long period. The Spaniards, on landing, had learned from the Indians that the French were at twenty leagues' distance to the north, and, re-embarking eight leagues beyond, they arrived at the harbor of St. Augustine, to which, in honor of the day upon which they arrived on the coast, they gave the name which it has now borne for nearly three hundred years. Again coasting northward, on the 4th of September they descried the four large vessels of the French anchored at the mouth of the St. John's River. A council of war was now held by the Spanish captains, and the opinions of a majority were in favor of withdrawing to Hispaniola and preparing a more powerful expedition to attack the French in the spring. The Adelantado could not, however, brook this timid counsel, and declared his intention of making an attack at once. Preparations were accordingly made, and about daybreak the Spanish vessels began to move up towards the French transports. These, distrusting the intentions of the Spaniards, hoisted sail and prepared to slip their cables. Confirmed in their suspicions by the actions of the Spaniards, the officers of Ribaut's fleet put to sea, and the Spaniards, perceiving this, fired upon them from their heavy guns, at too great a distance, however, to effect any injury. Pursuit was kept up all day, but they were unable to overtake the French vessels, and at nightfall they abandoned the pursuit, sailed to the southward, and cast anchor in the river Seloy, called by the French the River of Dolphins, now known as the port of St. Augustine, whither they were followed at a distance by one of the French vessels, in order to observe their further movements. There they were seen to disembark their forces, victuals, and munitions, three of their vessels entering the harbor and three remaining outside. Having made a reconnaissance, the French vessel returned, and reported to Ribaut that the Spaniards had landed and commenced fortifying themselves. That zealous officer at once conceived the idea of surprising them, and by the capture of their ships so far disabling them as to prevent any molestation of his colony on their part. Calling a council of his officers, he laid his views before them. Laudonniere and his other captains remonstrated against his enterprise, deeming it altogether too hazardous and uncertain in its results - Laudonniere, by his own account, especially opposing it because of the severe gales which prevailed along the coast at that season of the year. But to all of these objections Ribaut replied that he was instructed not to allow his colony to be encroached upon, and that the landing and fortifications commenced by the Spaniards indicated that hostile intentions were entertained. He accordingly, on the 8th of September, re-embarked all of his effective force, and with them most of the able- bodied men of Laudonniere, to the number of thirty-eight, leaving him an invalid force with which to defend Fort Caroline. Ribaut did not anticipate an absence of more than two days, as the Spaniards were within fifteen leagues of him. He was, however, by a fatal mischance, two days too early or too late, for, sailing on the 10th of September, on that very day he encountered a terrible tempest, which drove him, helpless to resist, far down the coast. In the mean time, his rival, Menendez, was influenced by similar wishes to act promptly, and discussed with his captains an expedition by land to attack the Huguenots in their fort. His own force was estimated at six hundred, and he supposed the French garrison to be about the same number perhaps a little stronger. Having secured guides, Menendez determined, against the advice of his officers, to undertake the expedition. The storm which now raged along the coast, accompanied with a deluge of rain, seemed to favor his design of surprising the French at a time and by a mode of attack which they could hardly anticipate. He felt almost confident, however, that the French fleet was at sea, and that even if it escaped shipwreck it would be hardly possible for it to regain the harbor for several days. On the 17th of September, Menendez set out at the head of five hundred men, to pursue a most difficult march over an almost impassable country, guided by two Indian chiefs who were enemies to the French. Their march was much impeded by the effects of the heavy rains, which had overflowed the streams and made the marshes almost impassable. They were three days in reaching the vicinity of Fort Caroline, and during the whole march were exposed to heavy rains. Many of the officers and men wished to return, and much dissatisfaction was felt, but the character and energy of their leader restrained them from deserting him. In the mean time, Laudonniere had done his best to repair the injuries to his works which had been made preparatory to their abandonment, and endeavored to infuse some spirit into and restore some order to his invalid garrison. He was himself very ill, and had only sixteen or seventeen well men in the fort. Of Ribaut's men, whom he had left behind, there were some who had never drawn a sword four being boys who kept Ribaut's dogs; one cook; a carpenter, Nicholas Chaleux, who wrote an account of his escape ; a beer-brewer ; an old cross-bow maker ; two shoemakers; four or five men who had wives; a player on the virginals in all, about fourscore and five or six, counting lackeys and women and children. Two captains of the watch were appointed, and a strict guard was kept up for several days. But the terrible tempest which prevailed relaxed their vigilance, they thinking it absurd to expect an attack at such a time. The night of the 19th of September was very stormy, and at dawn the sentinels were withdrawn under shelter, and the officer of the watch himself retired to his quarters. At break of day the forces of Menendez reached the fort, and commenced the attack. A sudden rush, a quick alarm, a surprise, a feeble resistance by a bewildered garrison, and the fort was taken. Laudonniere, by his own account, tried to rally his men, and fought in person, as long as there was hope; but, finding himself recognized and pursued, he fled to the neighboring forest, and there fell in with other fugitives from the fort. With much difficulty they made their way through the sedge that lined the banks of the river, and, reaching some vessels that lay at its mouth, they escaped. In the first assault on the fort, many of the garrison were cut down, without regard to age or sex; a statement which may well be believed, in view of the more deliberate cruelty afterwards practiced. When we recall in how many instances religious rancor has carried men into the extremes of cruelty, it will not seem incredible that even women and children fell victims to the ferocious soldiery who accompanied Menendez. The Spanish account of the massacre admits that an indiscriminate slaughter took place until checked by an order from Menendez that no woman, child, or cripple, under the age of fifteen, should be injured, - by which it is said that seventy persons were saved. "The rest were killed." Some of the prisoners were hung upon the neighboring trees, and this inscription placed over them, - ''No por Franceses, sino por Luteranos." ("Not as Frenchmen, but as Lutherans.") Menendez changed the name of the fort to San Mateo, in honor of the apostle whose festival occurred on the day subsequent to its capture. The Spaniards also changed the name of the river May to San Mateo. Menendez repaired the fort, and made such arrangements as were necessary to fortify the post against an attack should Ribaut return; garrisoning it with three hundred men-at-arms under Gonzalez de Villareal. Before leaving, he had crosses erected in prominent situations, and marked out the site of a church, to be built of the timber which Laudonniere had prepared for building vessels. Taking a small number of his men with him, he returned to St. Augustine, finding even greater difficulty than before in crossing the swamps and creeks. His arrival at St. Augustine was signalized by great rejoicings, and a solemn mass was celebrated, and a Te Deum sung, in commemoration of the victory. Table of Contents |
