iiiiii^i»iippf?iit?^ 
 
 
 M6 A4
 
 COLLECTIONS 
 
 Georgia Historical Society, 
 
 Vol.. VIT. 
 
 PAHT I 
 
 LETTERS OF MONTIANO 
 SIEGE OF ST. AGUSTINE 
 
 Published by 
 
 Georgia Historical Society 
 
 Savannati^ Ga. 
 
 Savannah, Ga. 
 Savannah Morning News, 
 
 1909.
 
 A4 
 
 LfURARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 SANTA F \?nA'l.A 
 
 NOTE BY THK TRANSLATOR 
 
 The letters, whose translation follows, are contained in a 
 folio volnme, being copies made in St. Augustine in 1844 by 
 Antonio Alvarez, Keeper of the Public Archives, from the 
 originals under his care. These originals must themselves 
 have been retained copies. As the last letter is numbered 
 248, and there are but 36 in this collection, it is clear that 
 either a selection has been made, or else that the other let- 
 ters bore upon subjects not sufificiently important or inter- 
 esting to merit copying. From internal evidence, however, 
 furnished in one or two instances, it appears that one or two 
 despatches have been overlooked, supposing always that 
 the originals were still in existence. Letter No. 198, is not 
 in Alvarez's handwriting, and seems to have been inserted 
 or copied after all the others, as though by a person who 
 objected to its omission. It is not certified to be a true 
 copy, as are all the others ; but a note sets forth that it was 
 copied from the original MS. The insertion of this partic- 
 ular letter, coupled with the internal evidence mentioned, 
 would seem to indicate that the collection might have been 
 enlarged with profit. Each letter, with the exception noted, 
 is accompanied by Alvarez's elaborate certificate in English 
 (see first and second letters) and stamped with his seal as 
 keeper of the Public Archives. It has not been thought 
 v^'orth v/hile to reproduce this certificate with each letter in 
 this translation. And smiliarly of the elaborate and formal 
 close of each letter, in which the author begs his corres- 
 pondent to accept "his assurances of faithful and afifection- 
 ate obedience Avith prayer that our Lord may keep his Ex- 
 cellency many years, and kisses his hand ;" inserted once or 
 twice, the more frequent repetition of these formulas would 
 prove tiresome, and so they are omitted. Spanish and 
 English (Georgia and Carolina) Colonial place-names in 
 general, are left as Don Manuel wrote them, and so of 
 personal names. All these letters are addressed to Don Juan 
 Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas, Governor General of 
 Cuba. When the word "place'' occurs in the following 
 I)ages, it must be understood as representing the Spanish 
 plaza, that is, a fortified position with its own and depen- 
 dencies. C. De W. W. 
 Washingon, July 29, 1908.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 For many years the Georgia Historical Society lias had 
 amoHg its unpublished manuscripts a bound volume of letters 
 written in Spanish, pertaining to the siege of St. Augustine, Flor- 
 ida, by General James Oglethorpe in 1740. These letters were 
 originally written by Don Manuel de Montiano, the Spanish officer 
 then in charge of the military forces at St. Augustine, to his snpe 
 rior officer, Don Juan Francisco de Guemas y Horcasitas, Gov- 
 ernor General of Cuba. 
 
 From the minutes of the Society dated September 11, 1843, it 
 appears that attention had been called to the original letters ''on 
 hearing a letter from Mr. Brown, of St. Augustine," and it is here 
 further stated, "and which Diary is still preserved in the archives 
 office at St. Augustine." A recent inquiry of the St. Augustine His- 
 torical Society shows that the original letters referred to in this 
 communication ar» not now in its possession, and none now con- 
 nected with the Society knows anything of their whereabouts. 
 
 It was resolved, "That the corresponding secretary be directed 
 to ascertain at what cost a verbatim copy of the original docu- 
 ment in the Spanish language can be obtained; and that said sec- 
 retary have full power to act in the matter." 
 
 On November 28, 1843, Wm. B. Hodgson, Esq., a public- 
 spirited citizen of Savannah, and afterwards a great benefactor 
 of the Society, addressed the following letter to Mr. I. K. Tefift, 
 the corresponding secretary: 
 
 "It affords me pleasure to record my acknowledgments to the 
 Rev. Dr. Hawkes, lately of New York and now of Holly Springs, 
 Mississippi, for the advantage of possessing this Spanish manu- 
 script. 
 
 "During the learned Doctor's visit to St. Augustine he obtained 
 a copy of these official letters from the public archives of East 
 Florida. The truth and correctness of the copy is attested by 
 Don Antonio Alvarez, keeper of those archives. The copy, which 
 I send you, is made from that of Dr. Hawkes, and whenever the 
 wish of the Society may be expressed, I should have a sincere 
 pleasure in furnishing a translation of these Spanish documents." 
 
 For some reason Mr. Hodgson never furnished the promised 
 translation, and not until the year 1908 were steps taken to have 
 these letters translated. The Society was fortunate in securing 
 for this purpose the services of Major C. DeWitt Willcox. a native 
 Georgian, now of the U. S. Army, whose scholarly attainments 
 and military training fitted him specially for this work, and to him 
 the thanks of the Society are due for this important contribution 
 to the history of our state. 
 
 It has been thought best to include in tliis volume several 
 maps and illustrations which will throw much light up the opera- 
 tions against St. Augustine by Oglethorpe. The plan of the old 
 fort of San Marco is a photographic reproduction of a tracing made 
 by the United States government in Spain in 1884, the tracing 
 being kindly furnished by Capt. George R. Spalding, in charge 
 of the United States Engineer's Office in Jacksonville. Fla. The 
 other maps are copied from originals in possession of Mr. W. J. 
 DeRenne, of Wormsloe. The thanks of the Society are specially 
 due to this public-spirited gentleman for his generous aid in placing 
 at its disposal the facilities of his rare and excell&nt collection of 
 Georgia history.
 
 Most of these maps are self-explanatory, but the dates of some 
 of" them arc inferred from a close examination of the origmals 
 "The Plan of the Harbour of St. Augustine in the rrovincc of 
 Georgia Composed and Published from Surveys Deposited in the 
 Office of the Right Honourable the Lords of Irade, by J. h. VV. 
 Dcs Barres. Ksqr.." was probably made about 1777- 
 
 The map. showing "South Carolina, Florida and 1 he Western 
 or Xtlantick Ocean." bears upon the original the following legend: 
 
 "The Original of this Map was drawn by Col. P.arnevelt, who 
 Commanded several Expeditions against the Indians in the Time 
 of the Indian War, as also served under Col. Moore in all his 
 Kvpeditions in the said War. It is highly approved of by Lieu- 
 tenant Governour Bull, who is allowed to be the best Judge of 
 Carolina and the Indian Countrys round it of any Person now in 
 the Province." 
 
 The date of this map is not given, but from data given by the 
 map itself it could not have been made l)cfore 1719. 
 
 The future historian of this period will hnd in addition lo the 
 accounts in the well-known histories of Georgia the following 
 references suggestive and helpful. All of these books are in the 
 library of Mr. W. J. DcRenne at Wonnsloe, and some of them 
 cannot be found elsewhere. 
 
 "The Report of the Committee of Both Plouses of Assembly 
 of the Province of South Carolina. Appointed to Enquire into 
 the Causes of the Disappointment of Success, in the late Expe- 
 dition against St. Augustine, Under the Command of General 
 Oglethorpe." I743- 
 
 "A History of the American People," by Woodrow Wilson, 
 Vol. 2, Page 69. 
 
 "Life and Character of Oglethorpe," an address delivered 
 before the Literary Societies of the University of Georgia, August 
 2, i860, by Rev. C. W. Howard. 
 
 "Tlie Making of Georgia," two addresses by Hon. Walter G. 
 Charlton, of Savannah. 
 
 "A Description of East Florida, with a Journal kept by John 
 Bartram, of Philadelphia, Botanist to His Majesty for the Flori- 
 das," MDCCLXIX. 
 
 "An Account of tha First Discover^', and Natural Ilistorj' of 
 Florida," by William Roberts, London. MDCCLXIII. 
 
 "The Spanish Hireling Detected: Being a Refutation of the 
 Several Calumnies and Falsehoods in the late Pamphlet, Entitled, 
 "An Impartial Account of the Late Expedition Against St. 
 Augustine under General Oglethorpe.' by George Cadogan, Lieu- 
 tenant in General Oglethorpe's Regiment." London, MDCCXLIII. 
 
 "An Impartial Account of the late Expedition against St. 
 .\ugustme under General Oglethorpe, occasioned by the Suppres- 
 sion of the Report, made by a Committee of the General Assembly 
 in South Carolina, transmitted, under the Great Seal of that 
 Province, to their Agent in England, in orded to be printed." 1742. 
 
 "Newest and Most Correct Report of the Scenery of Georgia 
 in English America." 1746. (In German.) 
 
 The ' - 
 
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 upon this heroic period of our state's history 
 
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 GEORGE J. BALDWIN, 
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 LETTERS OF 
 
 DON MANUEL DE MONTIANO 
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 
 
 No. I. 
 
 Sir: Diego de Espinosa (one of the most respected cit- 
 izens of this presidio) has informed me that there came to 
 this point last year, one Don Carlos Dempsis, an English- 
 man, second in command of the settlements of New Georgia. 
 As he wished to return to them, Don Francisco del iMorai 
 gave him permission to go overland, directing the adjutant 
 Don Manuel de Arze, who is now here, to accompany him. 
 This officer allowed the Englishman to see a fort built by 
 the said Espinosa at his own expense on his stock farm 
 about six leagues from here, and mounting five falconets, 
 and to sleep one night on the place. Now this Englishman 
 is an Engineer, and is the first of his nation to see the said 
 fort, the only defense in its territory. Moreover the same 
 privilege was later granted by Don Manuel to two other 
 Englishmen. I consider it my duty to report these facts 
 to your excellency such as they are, in order that they 
 may not be hidden from your superior penetration. I beg 
 Your Excellency to honor me with frequent advice to the 
 betterment of my poor abilities in your behalf. 
 
 May God keep Your Excellency many years, as I desire, 
 and is proper. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, March 22, 1737. 
 
 Your Excellency's grateful and obliged servant, who 
 kisses your hand, 
 
 Don Manuel Joseph de Justis. 
 To Senor Don Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas : 
 
 I, Antonio Alvarez, Keeper of the Public Archives of 
 East Florida, do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true 
 and correct transcript from a book in which are recorded the 
 official letters addressed by Don Manuel Joseph de Justis 
 Governor of East Florida, to Don Juan Francisco de Guemes 
 y Horcasitas, Captain General of the Island of Cuba, be-
 
 Letters of Montiano 
 
 tween the 22d March, 1837 ( sic) and the 14th August of the 
 same year, which book belongs to the Archives under my 
 charge. 
 
 Witness my hand and seal of 
 office at the City of St. Au- 
 gustine, territory of Florida, 
 this twelfth day of February, 
 A. D. one thousand eight 
 
 ■jjtlV hundred and forty-four. 
 
 (Signed) Ajitonio Alvarez, 
 K. P. A. 
 
 Letter No. 2. 
 
 My present news compels me to send Pedro de Alcantara 
 in his schooner and to beg for Your Excellency's protec- 
 tion, so that, acquainted with the case, and with our present 
 necessities as douDtless repored to Your Excellency by 
 Don Manuel de Justis, you may be pleased to take the nec- 
 essary steps to put this position in a state of defense against 
 the intentions of the English to seize it with its provinces. An 
 offer to this end has been made to the King of Great Britain 
 in his Parliament by Milord Ogletor, a member of the same. 
 He declared from his seat that this place, with Apalachee 
 and its provinces would be more useful to Great Britain 
 than all its remaining Colonies and Islands in America. 
 For in possession of them, he would guarantee that no ship 
 of ours could pass through the channel* and that conse- 
 quently we could not enjoy the treasures produced by the 
 Kingdoms of Peru and New Spain without his consent. This 
 offer having been favorably received, he was made Com- 
 mander in Chief of all the Colonies, of the Island of Jamaica 
 and others, and lord of land and sea, receiving at the same 
 time 125 #** [thousand] dollars for fortifications, and also 
 480 regular troops for the campaign against these Provinces. 
 
 • Florid* Straight. Tr. 
 
 •• Th s »ymlx)I atf is taken to represent </u>i/,srtrtt/. Tr.
 
 Siege of St, Augustine 
 
 And although Parliament opposed any invasion during the 
 peace, yet on combining the news in question with that 
 just brought me (for these matters are known also in 
 Apalachee) by the Cacique Sacafaca of the town of Chal- 
 acarHche, it is evident we should not overlook what the 
 English have done at other times. The Cacique who comes 
 expressly and voluntarily from these distant provinces, 
 warns me that the Indians attached to the English were 
 descending in small bodies to annoy those regions, and that 
 the Caciques were ordered by the English to assemble so 
 as to treat of various matters. We must to-day, therefore, 
 distrust their efforts, intensified as they are by the pride of 
 Milord Ogletor, who finds himself supported by the peers 
 of the Kingdom for the sole purpose of acquiring glory in 
 these conquests. It is not to be doubted that he will act 
 with the greatest firmness by sea and land; and unfortu- 
 nately for us, his slightest effort will be successful, for we 
 have not here the means to resist a moderate force. Our 
 case is much worse at sea ; for, by holding the mouth of 
 the inlet with one or two frigates, our communications are 
 completely cut on this side, and our supplies stopped. They 
 will succeed in their plan, a fact of which they are well aware, 
 as they are also of the deplorable condition of this place, 
 seeing it has so few troops for its defense. I hope, there- 
 fore, that Your Excellency will heed these reasons and also 
 the fact that the preservation of this post is of the greatest 
 importance to the security of all America, and so be pleased 
 to take the promptest measures, which I leave to the discre- 
 tion and judgment of Your Excellency. Your Excellency's 
 knowledge of the profession, acquired by long and distin- 
 guished service, will enable you to realize what is needed 
 here, being, without further detail, everything. For Your 
 Excellency must know that this castle*, the only defense here, 
 has no bombproofs for the protection of the garrison, that 
 the counterscarp is too low, that there is no covered way, 
 that the curtains are without demi-lunes, that there are no 
 other exterior v^orks to give them time for a long defense ; 
 but that we are as bare outside as we are without life in- 
 side, for there are no guns that could last 24 hours, and if 
 there were, we have no artillerymen to serve them. 
 
 I have ordered 4,000** stakes to be cut for the construc- 
 
 * Fort San Marco. Tr. 
 
 ** In the original 4S' Tr.
 
 to Letters of Montiano 
 
 tion of the covered way, with the full knowledge that the 
 work will be imperfect by reason of the low height of the 
 counterscarp ; but as raising it would be a long and costly 
 task involving much earth work, I shall apply myself to 
 such repairs as are immediately practicable and of least 
 cost. For 1 have no other funds than the small quantity 
 of silver bullion turned over to Don Francisco del Moral, 
 and although I might wish to run the wall from the castle 
 to the Cubo***, and raise here a bulwark to meet the attack 
 they might direct from this point against the castle, yet I 
 cannot do everything, partly from lack of means and partly 
 from lack of workmen, convicts and slaves to do the work. 
 If Your Excellency should resolve, as is my hope, to send 
 troops, workmen, some money, slaves or exiles, and an 
 Engineer to direct operations, let them also bring a suffi- 
 ciency of supplies, for while there is no doubt the English 
 will cut off our bread upon noticing anything unusual, there 
 is just as little doubt that the plans and pride of Milord 
 Ogletor will come to naught, and that if we have time to 
 prepare for defense, we shall rob him of all hope. 
 
 The two spies agree on the qews herewith, and recom- 
 mend strongly that we should not neglect our preparations 
 for Milord Ogletor was expected at the latest all throngh 
 October, and his boldness would trample on all obstacles. 
 This is all I have to bring to the knowledge of Your Excel- 
 lency whom I shall always faithfully serve, desiring that 
 our Lord may preserve Your Excellency many happy years. 
 
 Florida, November ii, 1737. 
 
 Your Excellency's most faithful aflfectionate servant, 
 
 Don Manuel de Montiano. 
 For Don Juan Francisco de Guemes y Horcasitas. 
 
 I, Antonio Alvarez, Keeper of the Public Archives of 
 East Florida, do hereby certify the foregoing to be a true 
 and correct transcript from a book in which are recorded 
 the official letters addressed by Don Manuel de Montiano 
 Governor of East Florida, to Don Juan Francisco de Guemes 
 y Horcasitas, Captain General of the Island of Cuba, between 
 
 •*♦ Ctlbo is a round fortified tower on the wall of a medieval fort or castle. There 
 mus' have been such a tower at Saint Augustine, known as the Cubo. Tr.
 
 isiege of Si. Augustine 
 
 the 30th September, 1737, and the ist of February, 1741,* 
 which book belon gs in the Archives under my charge. 
 
 Witness my hand and seal of 
 
 office at the City of St. Au- 
 gustine, territory of Florida, 
 this twelfth day of February, 
 A. D. one thousand eight 
 hundred and forty-four. 
 
 (Signed) Antonio Alvarez, 
 
 K. P. A. 
 
 No. 17. 
 
 Sir: 
 
 In answer to Your Excellency's letter of November 24, 
 inclosing a note, in which the transfer of the company of 
 grenadiers is regarded as proper, and directing me to employ 
 the news brought by the pilot as a pretext for sending 
 (him) with it to Frederico or New Georgia, in order to 
 make sure I have the honor to make the following state- 
 ment : 
 
 On January 18 I sent the adjutant Don Juan Jacinto 
 Rodriguez with Your Excellency's letter, under the pretext 
 of complaining to the commanding officers of those colonies, 
 that Indians of their allegiance had murdered the Cacique 
 Pujoy and the people with him. I further demanded the 
 return of the Cacique's wife and of fourteen other persons, 
 men and women, taken prisoners, a barbarous violation of 
 good relations, and the punishment of the authors of this 
 infraction, etc. Having arrived at Gualquini, a plantation of 
 Don Guillermo Horton, Esquire, Governor of Frederico, 
 Rodriguez gave him my letter, but was refused permission 
 to proceed in order to deliver the remaining letters to Don 
 Thomas Hauston, Esquire, Governor-in-chief of the entire 
 province of San Jorge, and to Don Diego Gasgoine, Captain 
 
 * It wiU be noticed that the last letter of this coUection is dated January 2, 1741. 
 
 Tr.
 
 Letters of Montiano 
 
 of the Manual^ (man-of-war). In spite of all his eflForts, 
 permission to proceed was still refused, with the statement 
 that within 21 days answers would be sent to San Juan; 
 and as he could not delay so long without exciting suspi- 
 cion, and now felt sure that he would not be allowed to 
 continue his journey, as on former occasions, he decided 
 to return, having verified to the best of his ability, the fact 
 that no new fortification had been added to those he had 
 seen the year before. He noticed, too, that according to 
 appearances, they were living without care, or else making 
 a show of it. 
 
 While with Don Guillermo, he was told of the departure 
 about five months ago from Holland of six ships of 50 or 
 60 guns to capture the coast guard vessel of Habana, be- 
 cause of the latter's seizure of a ship of great importance 
 {muy interesado) and that likewise, a ship of unspecified 
 nationality had sailed from Cadiz, with orders from the King 
 that Your Excellency and Don Antonio de Benavides should 
 meet to decide whether the prize was good. He also 
 learned that three frigates had arrived with 350 laborers 
 to work in the fields, and noticed that the Manual (man-of- 
 war) was not in its usual moorings, and upon asking why 
 was told that she was careened in Savana. He adds that he 
 was informed that the schooner of Devis was loading at 
 Puerto Real for a journey to this point, and as the distance 
 is only forty leagues. Your Excellency's long delay discour- 
 ages me. That is why I renew my prayer to Your Excellen- 
 cy to deign to send as early as possible a vessel loaded with 
 corn to keep us from perishing. This is all that I have by 
 way of news for Your Excellency to whom I am always 
 obedient, ever praying, etc. 
 
 Florida, February 3, 1738. 
 
 No. 18. 
 
 vSir: 
 
 I answer Your Excellency's letter of the 24 of November, 
 in which Your Excellency elaborately disputes the news I 
 gave you that Don Diego Ogletor had been appointed 
 General-in-chief. Your Excellency treats the remainder of 
 my news in the same fashion, alleging that there may be a 
 
 • The word "in.Tii-of-war" is interpolated by thecopyist. "Manuel" is evidently 
 Dou Manuel's transliteration of our "man o' war." Tr.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine ij 
 
 blunder, and that your doubts are confirmed by English 
 explanations to the effect that Don Diego Ogletor's sup- 
 porters were, not the King, but a few members of Parlia- 
 ment, and that any way it has never been established that 
 the King had ever authorized the fraudulent usurpations 
 of foreign dominions now condoned, as this would have 
 been a notorious infraction. But with the fact before me 
 that in spite of the expostulations of ours (i. e. our King) 
 they hold their ground, skillfully seeking every opportunity 
 to advance and to seize whatever they can without let from 
 their King, who should have interfered in accordance with 
 the treaty of peace of 1670 delimiting the boundaries of 
 both crowns, I am compelled to believe that whenever the 
 occasion offers, they will seize by force of arms what they 
 have been unable to get by the craft, skill and persistence 
 so far employed by them. It is for these reasons that I 
 have communicated to Your Excellency the news of our 
 spies, it being my plain duty so to do, that no one may at 
 any time charge me with the omission. It is also my duty 
 to strive to protect this position, as long as the King shall 
 entrust it to me. This is my part : it is your Excellency's to 
 interpret them (news, events) as you may see fit. I shall 
 ever be ready to inform Your Excellency of all fresh events, 
 and try to use all opportunities to send news as rapidly as 
 possible. 
 
 And as I should have had (no) boat other than Ojeda's, and 
 it could not be expected that Devis's, which I am await- 
 ing, would go any farther and as I should give Your Excel- 
 lency the news of Pujoy, I make use of Matheo Rodriguez 
 who starts at once, begging Your Excellency to send us 
 some boat in good time loaded with corn, in case these peo- 
 ple should fail us, as is to be feared. My obedience is al- 
 ways completely yours, etc. 
 
 Florida, February 4, 1738. 
 
 No 23. 
 Sir: 
 
 The departure of Matheo Rodriguez's schooner from this 
 point was followed on the loth inst., by the arrival of a 
 small boat from Puerto Real. An explorer who came in 
 her reports that a ship from London to the Port of Carolina* 
 
 * Charleston. Don Manuel similarly calls St. Augustine, Florida, just as to-day 
 ubans never say Santiago, but Cuba, the full name of the place being Santiago de 
 uba. Tr.
 
 /^ Letters of Montiano 
 
 brings the news of the death of the Queen of Great Britain 
 on November 20 of last year. Further, that the Count de 
 Montijo, our Ambassador \£> that (the EngHsh) court having 
 set forth the indubitable right of the Spanish crown to all 
 the colonies south of latitude '^'^ degrees 30 minutes, our own 
 Sovereign asked that they be released without resistance, 
 the despatch of troops to hold them constituting an act of 
 hostility. The answer to this was an order to prepare 60 
 ships of the line to take station off Cadiz, and at the same 
 time to send Don Diego Ogletor with 800 regulars, 500 from 
 England, and 300 from the Gibraltar garrison under the or- 
 ders of a colonel, the best Engineer of the kingdom, Ogle- 
 thorpe to have the supreme command of both Carolinas, and 
 to receive all necessary assistance. He was expected this 
 month with two frigates, one of 40 guns, and already in an- 
 ticipation ordered the purchase of great supplies, now being 
 stored in Georgia at all hazards. The Count de Montijo 
 accordingly withdrew to Madrid, and the resolution of the 
 English to send troops made war certain. Further, both 
 Carolinas are acquainted with the designs of Habana against 
 those Colonies for the month of March, having obtained the 
 news from an English frigate that left the said port in August 
 and transmitted the news at sea to another frigate encoun- 
 tered on its way to Carolina. Here, he continues, fortifi- 
 cations are under construction, and six thousand Chalaque 
 Indians have been ordered to assemble to go to Georgia : the 
 citizens of Old Carolina do not relish the command of Ogle- 
 tor on account of his boldness and arrogance, and because 
 they fear an interruption of thier business. He reports that 
 4,000 men are said to be coming from Spain and a few war 
 ships to be joined by the Windward fleet ; further that the 
 English are asking the Spaniards to return the prizes taken 
 in America, and that in Europe an English ship was cap- 
 tured by the Spaniards, all its crew put to death, and the ship 
 taken to Alicante ; that the Dutch have captured a ship of 
 ours in American waters, with a few persons of distinction 
 who were being held as hostages until the return of the cap- 
 tures made ; that the Germans and French were bound by the 
 closest ties of friendship, and that the former and the Rus- 
 sians had taken from the Turks many places and provinces, 
 killing many people with but little loss on the part of the 
 allies. 
 
 Tliis is all that is reported by the spy, and it agrees with 
 \vh;tt Your Excellency has written to me. It is possible how-
 
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 APLiVN of theTowaCasde.aiidHaifcour. 
 STAuduSTDJE. 
 land ihc adjaccnlCoastof FLOMDA 
 
 /u/i^./ih.M. ,,,„l^//^.„n,/ OglethOTpe
 
 Siege of St. Augustine /^ 
 
 ever that a visit to this place with this information is a ruse 
 to cause us to suspend operations, if it is certain that he has, 
 as he says, got hold of a plan without their knowledge, and 
 I wonder that such piece of information as the withdrawal 
 of our Ambassador should not have been communicated 
 to these parts, upon which subject Your Excellency will 
 know exactly what to say. 
 
 Having no further news, and begging, etc. 
 
 Florida, February 15, 1738. 
 
 No. 25. 
 Sir: 
 
 Just as I was closing my despatches to send them in 
 Ojeda's sloop, I received the answers of the commanding of- 
 ficers in New Georgia. They may be summed up as express- 
 ions of regret for the murder of King Pujoy and promises 
 to capture and punish the aggressors, and to restore the 
 prisoners if they can be found. They further express the 
 desire to maintain good relations, as well as the treaties made 
 by their General Oglethorpe with Don Francisco de Moral. 
 In respect of Your Excellency's letter treating of the Pilot, 
 which no one saw except Don Guillermo Horton, living at 
 Gualpuini, there is not a hint in his answer. The others say 
 that as they have not seen it, they do not understand the 
 matter; I am persuaded they have not failed to interchange 
 sentiments on the subject. The trooper that brought the 
 letters says that the crew of the English canoe report Ogle- 
 thorpe as arrived, and as being in Gualquini ; that they asked 
 if there were any Spanish or English ship on the coast, and 
 on hearing there were none, returned without going any 
 further. I have no more to report to Your Excellency, etc. 
 
 Florida, February 16, 1738. 
 
 No. 38. 
 Sir: 
 
 In a letter of Feb. 22, and postscript of March 22, 
 Your Excellency gave me notice of the departure of the 
 small expedition. This, in spite of the length of the voy- 
 age, arrived safely with the exception of a canoe, recovered 
 however, as I am informed in that port (Habana). In the 
 aforesaid letter. Your Excellency gave me precise directions 
 upon the course to be followed and precautions taken, to
 
 1 6 Letters of Montiano 
 
 keep from the enemy any knowledge of our intended ex- 
 pedition to dislodge foreign intruders from the territory un- 
 lawfully held by them in these provinces. But as this plan 
 has come to naught, by reason of His Majecty's latest reso' 
 lution, nothing is left to me except to regret most deeply the 
 frustration of these excellent measures and the absence of 
 the results which I had reason to believe would accrue from 
 so fine, strong and adequate an expedition — for there is no 
 doubt that the small one alone would have filled them with 
 consternation and put them to flight. 
 
 With regard to Don Antonio Diaz Villejas, subordinate of 
 the principal agent Don Antonio de la Mora, and to Don 
 Lorenzo Garcia, in charge of stores, I have done all in my 
 power to secure the greatest economy in the distribution of 
 rations, and in the care and preservation of stores, charging 
 them especially to keep ever in mind the directions given 
 them to the same end by Your Excellency. 
 
 In respect of your instructions to send a post to Don 
 Alonzo del Toro telling him to suspend his departure until 
 the middle of April, the reasons therefor having come to 
 an end, I merely told him to observe the directions given 
 him by the Engineer Don Antonio de Arredondo in his 
 letters (communicated to me). These seemed to me to be 
 most proper. With these I sent the post, which he promptly 
 received, preparing him for any emergency that might arise. 
 This is all I have to report to Your Excellency on these 
 matters, etc. 
 
 Florida, 13 May, 1738. 
 
 No. 41. 
 Sir: 
 
 Your Excellency's two letters of the i8th of March give me 
 the dispositions taken by you to oust the foreign intruders 
 in these provinces, and tell me that the general command of 
 the expedition has been given to Colonel Don Juan Bapta. de 
 Echeverria according to orders furnished Your Excellency, 
 among which I conjecture must be included those received 
 by me on May 8 from the Marquis of Torrenueva. In respect 
 of these matters, I am unable to express to Your Excellency 
 my regret at this suspension, because I believe that the 
 measures and rules adopted by Your Excellency would sure- 
 ly have led to the expulsion of the enemy. For this glorious 
 end, and apart from the modest resources offered by this
 
 Siege of SI Augustine 17 
 
 position, I should have striven with all the zeal and love 
 demanded by the service of the King, by my afifection for 
 Your Excellency, and by my sense of what is due my friend 
 Don Juan Bapta. de Echeverria. 
 
 In consequence of the failure of this plan, no effect has 
 been given to Your Excellency's orders to the agent, Don 
 Antonio de la Mora, with respect to the ten thousand pesos 
 entrusted to him. As for the six thousand sent me by 
 Your Excellency to be employed solely in fortifications, I 
 shall arrange that the Engineer in charge make a weekly 
 account of expenditures ordered by me, so that everything 
 may be perfectly clear and thoroughly justified. The con- 
 victs only will draw rations under the forms always followed 
 in this garrison, a course of which I approve. 
 
 Your Excellency tells me of the dispatch of 82 convicts 
 of those furnished by his Grace the Viceroy Archbishop ; of 
 these only one is missing, who I am told, escaped from the 
 Morro. We have also received the four pieces of 24 and 18, 
 and the eight of 5 and 6. I had already informed Your Ex- 
 cellency by letter of April 25, that the six row galley guns 
 carried by the galliots had been left here. Being needed 
 here I thought fit to take them out, being unwilling to ex- 
 pose them to any risk. I beg Your Excellency to send us 
 their carriages, as we shall then avoid the expense of new 
 ones, and to approve this course of mine. 
 
 I inform Your Excellency that Don Pedro Barranco is 
 taking with him four 3-pounder stone mortars, two 2-pounder 
 and ten breech plugs, all of bronze, so that Your Excellen- 
 cy approve, they may be recast into falconets, which are more 
 readily handled. The mortars are useless because their 
 plugs, made here, do not fit. The Royal stores here have 
 also received through the foreman substituted for Don Fran- 
 cisco de Leon Galera, the clothes, shirts, hats, beads and 
 pipes, sent under his charge. I shall take the gross amount 
 from the Indian budget, and carry it to the account of works, 
 in order to employ it in our labors here, which in accordance 
 with your suggestion appears to me the best course. 
 Florida, May 28, 1738. 
 
 No. 43. 
 
 Sir: 
 
 In a letter of March 24, Your Excellency notified me of the 
 day on' which you must have embarked the troops and mili-
 
 /S Letters of Montiano 
 
 tia for our intended expedition, and that the 21st of said 
 month, you received a post with orders from the King to 
 suspend it while conferences between the two crowns would 
 fix the metes and bounds of these provinces. And that at 
 the same time Your Excellency was advised that His 
 Majesty desires they should guard against any sudden at- 
 tack, and that measures be taken to put this fortress and 
 that of Apalachee into as good condition of defense as pos- 
 sible. * * * 
 
 This is all I have to remark in respect of these affairs. 
 
 Florida, June 2, 1738. 
 
 No. 45. 
 Sir: 
 
 In a separate letter of March 24, Your Excellency informs 
 me that if the two courts do not agree on the delimitation 
 or adjustment of the boundaries of this city and of St George, 
 and that if in consequence ours should determine upon the 
 recovery of the boundaries belonging to it, I am to discover 
 by all means in my power the condition of the new settle- 
 ments as well as of Puerto Real and Purisbur, whether they 
 have received rc-enforcemnts, either army or navy, the ton- 
 nage of the ships, and that I must obtain the most minute in- 
 formation through the most trustworthy channels availa- 
 ble, for report to His Majesty. 
 
 I assure Your Excellency that among the many difficulies 
 of life here, the greatest is the lack of persons of intelligence 
 for such business ; there is not a single emissary here to 
 whom it may be intrusted. And although Don Antonio de 
 Arrendondo and I have long conferred in these matters, and 
 on the methods of obtaining the reliable information we 
 need, we have encountered so many obstacles that we have 
 not yet hit on the best way of proceeding in so important an 
 affair. But what is positive in this whole business, is that 
 the English of the new settlements and of San Jorge had not 
 the slightest idea of what was forward, before the arrival 
 in their parts of the English pilot Your Excellency found in 
 this place. This is established by their Gazette, which Your 
 Excellency will see with other news written by Don Antonio 
 dc Arrendondo, and by their having at once sent a 20-gun fri- 
 gate and a sloop to this port, to verify the reports of said 
 pilot. As a norther blew April 29 and 30, requiring j:hem to 
 beat and lie-to. it was impossible to send a launch to ask
 
 Siege of St. Augustine /$> 
 
 them why they had come. To make sure of their fears, 
 they undoubtedly sent Edward Bullard in a sloop under the 
 pretext of recovering a debt due him by these offices, and 
 notes made by a few private individuals. But before open- 
 ing these subjects, he handed me a letter from the Governor 
 of San Jorge, of which I send a copy, as well as my answer, 
 for the information of Your Excellency. 
 
 In a letter written to Devis by the aforesaid English pilot, 
 it is said that on the 15th of May after a journey of eight 
 weeks three frigates arrived at San Jorge, one called "Fenix'' 
 of 20 guns, the other two transports, carrying 600 regulars 
 taken on at Gibraltar and 40 bronze guns of all calibers ; 
 further that General Oglethorpe was shortly expected. But 
 as this news comes from persons of the same nation, in 
 whom we can not have the slighest confidence, we remain 
 in the same state of uncertainty, because we have no one who 
 can make the necessary investigation. This would be costly, 
 and as we have neither means nor trustworthy persons, we 
 have no way of discovering the truth or of receiving news 
 through a safe channel. There can be no doubt, however, 
 that if this news be true, our Government must know it. I 
 have no more to say on this subject, and subscribe myself, 
 etc. , 
 
 Florida, June 3, 1738. 
 
 No. 57. 
 Sir: 
 
 After the departure of the transports with Don Philipe 
 de Yturrieta and his troops, I learned that the English are 
 fortifying Federico on the island of San Simon, where they 
 are building a brick fort, and that they are doing the work 
 from San Jorge, using a great number of pinnaces, and em- 
 ploying more than 200 men, laboring night and day. 
 
 Although this information may be feigned, and intended to 
 alarm us, yet I deem it my duty to communicate it to Your 
 Excellency by reason of any significance whatever it may 
 have for the royal service. In order that Your Excellency 
 might be fully possessed of the matter, and for the purpose 
 also of acquiring a real certainty in respect of the operations 
 actually in hand, I at one time thought of despatching one 
 of my most active officers under some pretext, but I have 
 abandoned this step, because it would be perfectly useless. 
 For although he might be allowed to land, he would not be
 
 Letters of Montiano 
 
 allowed to enter the settlements or converse with any one. 
 To the same end I contemplated sending by land the Indian 
 Juan Ygnacio with companions of his own choice ; after hav- 
 ing made preparations, so many difficulties and hindrances 
 came up, that I thought it best to suspend the matter for the 
 present, waiting to see if time would not open a channel 
 through which we might get the news we need. And al- 
 though Don Antonio de Arrcdondo, while he was here, and 
 I discussed this matter thoroughly, we have been unable so 
 far to find such a channel. On the 9th instant, there set out 
 for Apalachee Don Antonio dc Arredondo, Don Pedro Lam- 
 berto, and the foreman Portillo, preceded two days before 
 by Don Miguel de Rivas with his detachment of 50 men, 
 and the convicts who go with him to work on the fort at 
 that place. They took with them thirty-two loads of pro- 
 visions for the journey. One of the 20 troops of the ex- 
 pedition, returning sick, tells me that they find fresh meat 
 so abundant that they leave it behind at their halts : I take 
 it they will make a good journey. 
 
 Don Antonio de Arredondo is charged to reconnoiter the 
 terrain best adapted for the settlement of the families des- 
 tined for that province, and to execute this task with pru- 
 dence so that neither the Indians nor the English shall de- 
 tect our purpose, and by advancing occupy the ground be- 
 fore the arrival of the families. Another possibility to guard 
 against is that the English, knowing our plans, should in- 
 duce the Indians to embarass their execution. I have no 
 doubt that his good management will secure all proper 
 means to this end. 
 
 Florida, June 17, 1738. 
 
 No. 63. 
 Sir: 
 
 In answer to Your Excellency's letter of June 16 re- 
 ceived through Perito, I have the honor to take up the 
 various subjects brought up. With regard to the reports 
 received by Your Excellency from the Negros station ship, 
 I wrote Your Excellency by Don Philipe de Yturrieta what 
 news I had at the time, and I now send by my letter of June 
 17, and the note of the ist instant what has occurred since 
 in respect of this matter. I can only add in this lettgr that 
 the same person who gave me the news contained in the 
 aforesaid note, declared under oath taken in accordance
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 
 
 with his reHgion at the time his sloop was boarded,that eight 
 companies of about one hundred men each, with its com- 
 plement of officers, had come from England to Federico. I 
 remark that as to this statement and that sent Devis, there 
 is a difference of 200 men, and that whereas one says these 
 troops went to San Jorge, the other says they went to Fe- 
 derico. This is all that I can now say on this subject. Thq 
 two launches are under an arbor that I caused to be raised 
 in the dockyard for their preservation. This arbor cost 
 me toil enough, like everything else here ; for example, the 
 work upon the castle through lack of laborers, whom I am 
 obliged to assign in accordance with the annexed schedule. 
 In spite of all these drawbacks, however, the work is going 
 forward as rapidly as possible. All the foundations on one 
 side of the castle are nearly finished, but the arches have 
 not been begun because we have no hewn stone. This part 
 we can not carry on, as we have only two oxen trained to 
 work. Others are being broken in ; an interruption since 
 men must be employed with them. We have thrown down 
 the parapet of the curtain on the side whose foundation is 
 laid, as well as the interior wall forming the barracks on that 
 same side. I have set up a lime kiln and we are pushing on 
 everything by all available means. 
 
 Florida, July 4, 1738. 
 
 No. 70. 
 Sir: . 
 
 At this hour, being four of the afternoon, I have just 
 received a post from Pupo, in which Don Pedro Lam- 
 berto reports his arrival this day at that fort with a loss of 
 two troopers, killed by the Uchee Indians on the way. 
 
 He further tells me that although he charged upon them, 
 he was unable to reap any advantage as they had retired 
 to a very impenetrable wood. He contemplated awaiting 
 the Indians whom he was bringing back with him from 
 Apalachee, (the same he took out with him) who had fallen 
 behind in the march, so as to join hands with them and at- 
 tack the enemy. But he found this impossible, giving no 
 reasons. He intimates that he is returning sick, which I 
 take to be the reason why he continued his march without 
 attempting the operation he had at one time contemplated. 
 He also tells me that the English of the neighboring colonies 
 have invited the Uchises to come in, and that these are pre-
 
 Letters of Montiano 
 
 pared to cross over to the said colonies. In the same post 
 I received letters from Don Miguel de Ribas and Don An- 
 tonio de Arrendondo reporting their uneventful arrival and 
 that of the launch and sloop of Don Pedro Barranco. On 
 this score then I am relieved of anxiety. 
 
 The movements of those Uchee Indians, and the report 
 of Don Pedro Lamberto that the English are having rela- 
 tions with the Uchises, are matter for thought. For the 
 this reason I am not only sending Your Excellency these 
 reports by Pedro de Alcantara but I am duplicating them 
 by hand, dispatching Luis Gomez to the Keys to give them 
 to the master of the first ship he may meet there, with or- 
 ders to the latter to proceed at once to Habana and deliver 
 them to Your Excellency. 
 
 I have nothing more to report at this time. 
 
 Florida, July 22, 1738. 
 
 No. 74. 
 Sir: 
 
 I have received at the hands of Marcos de Torres 12 let- 
 ters of Your Excellency bearing date 16, 17, 18 and 24 of 
 July, whose contents I shall report upon through the same 
 shipmaster. 
 
 I continue therefore the narration of events pending on 
 the departure of Pedro de Alcantara respecting the assault 
 made by the Uchee Indians on Fort Pupo. In order to 
 discover the number of the Indians encamped at a league 
 and a half from that fort near an arroyo, I sent out 29 of 
 our Indians, of whom 7 withdrew. The 22 remaining sent 
 me word that they were eager to make the reconnaissance 
 on which they had sallied ; after having been particularly 
 cautioned not to expose themselves rashly, they reconnoi- 
 tercd from the said fort, and returned here, after, as they 
 report, having carried out their orders. They informed n;e 
 that in spite of their attempt to discover the Indians along 
 the various roads, they had found only the trail of the four 
 who followed the last post that I had sent to Apalachee. I 
 am thus left in doubt whether their report be true, or wheth- 
 er through fear they have failed to reconnoiter thoroughly. 
 I am cfjually ignorant of the numbers of the Indians that 
 advanced to Pupo, and of their halting place. 
 
 A few backwoodsmen having arrived in this city with some 
 live stock, were summoned before me, and informed me that
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 
 
 ^3 
 
 
 '' ' I l>H.Ui.HI 
 
 Florid a 
 
 -H
 
 F L o i( I n I 
 
 O'
 
 Siege of St. Augustine gj 
 
 while out on a trip they had met a small detachment of 
 Uchises busy looking for horses, from whom they learned 
 that the English of New Georgia had thrown out in differ- 
 ent directions bodies of Indians loyal to them, with orders 
 to intercept the entire road to Apalachee, and to kill all the 
 Spaniards possible, and that with this understanding, they 
 were about to return when the meeting took place. Further, 
 that although • invited to return to their villages (by the 
 Uchises), they paid no attention to the offer. The herds- 
 men added that having withdrawn with the cattle they had 
 succeeded in finding, they discovered at a distance of 14 
 leagues from Pupo a body of 10 Indians by whom they were 
 molested until they had the good fortune to fall in with Don 
 Pedro Lamberto. This news, agreeing with the attack on 
 the two rangers of this captain, with the attack on Pupo, 
 and with the meeting of the 10 Indians who pursued the 
 herdsmen, I communicate thus clearly to Your Excellency, 
 for what it is worth to the royal service. 
 
 In a letter of i8th ultimo, I told Your Excellency in re- 
 spect of the desertion of the 8 convicts employed in making 
 lime for the works here, that I had sent Don Sebastian San- 
 chez with letters for the chiefs of these colonies,* asking 
 for their restoration should they arrive in their territory. 
 I profited by this occasion particularly to charge this offtcer 
 to make the most particular inspection possible of the con- 
 dition of the English colonies, to discover their plans, and 
 inform himself about them in every way possible, bidding 
 him to offer some reasonable reward if he should meet any 
 one that could give him trustworth}^ news. This officer hav- 
 ing returned and reported his investigations, I directed him 
 to certify his account, being the same as the authentic tes- 
 timony sent Your Excellency. At the same time, he told me 
 he had not found the deserters, and that those Chi( fs had 
 offered their restoration in case they should come to their 
 ports. I send at the same time to Your Excellency the 
 letters they wrote in answer to mine. He also informs me 
 that there is a great epidemic of smallpox at Saint George. 
 
 Last night there arrived the two posts that I had sent 
 to Don Miguel de Ribas, who informs me that there is noth- 
 ing new in that fort, but that with respect to the news I gave 
 him, he will display the greatest vigilance in the matter of 
 Indian movements. To this end he sent a post to Ouilate 
 
 * English colonies are meant. Tr.
 
 2^ Letters of Montiano 
 
 for his information, who went in person to that fort, and 
 confirmed the purpose of the Junta, as communicated to 
 Your Excellency in a letter of the 23 ultimo. In this Junta 
 the English of Georgia made a great elTort to convene the 
 Talapuches, Chicazees, Uchises, Chalaqucs, Catapas, and 
 other nations. Although they all besought him equally, he 
 remained firm in his resistance to these visits, sending news 
 of this business instead of his chieftains, and in particular to 
 two of especial loyalty, so that he might come and report to 
 me all that might take place there. 
 
 At the same time the aforesaid Don Miguel dc Ribas re- 
 ports the desertion from his fort of three soldiers and 18 
 convicts. As for the soldiers, he has ordered them to be 
 sought in Pensacola, to which point nearly all fugitives go. 
 The convicts were caught at once, and are now under safe 
 guard. The foreman Portillo and a few soldiers and con- 
 victs remain sick, for which reason the work there is being 
 continued with a pause. This is somewhat the case with 
 the work on the castle here, because the mason Cantillo 
 who remained here to take charge of it is simply ruined with 
 a pox. so that he can do no work. Hence it has been neces- 
 sary to send word to Don Pedro Ruiz Olano to fortify Pupo. 
 To carry on here with the energy desirable, I beseech 
 Your Excellency to send here all the convicts possible, a 
 pair of good carts, and a few junta maestras, since for the 
 lack of these things and of peons, the work goes on with 
 great slowness, a source to me of the greatest anxiety. 
 
 I have already given Your Excellency my opinion of the 
 summons of the Indians, and I pledge my utmost powers 
 to discover their plans ; and whether thus or through the 
 disclosures of Quilate's trustworthy friends, I shall give 
 Your Excellency at the earliest possible moment all the 
 news that I may get, and should the case call for it I shall 
 send one of the two launches here, so that no serious del^LV 
 shall occur, or favorable opportunity miscarry. 
 
 The Indian Juan Ygnacio has not returned, and I am 
 very anxious about him, as I fear lest he may have fallen into 
 the hands of those who came to Pupo : if he has escaped 
 them, I trust that he will bring me very sure news. 
 
 Florida, 8th of August, 1738.
 
 Siege of St. Auguslinc ^j 
 
 No. 76. 
 Sir: 
 
 In my letter of Nov. 11, of last year, I gave Your Excel- 
 lency the news I had got from Milord Ogletor's projects 
 made before the English court in respect of helping the cap- 
 ture of this place, such as keeping ships at the mouth and 
 along the keys of the new channel, so as to insult the fleets 
 of merchant ships, galleons, quicksilver ships, and other ves- 
 sels of Spanish commerce. Later on, I gave Your Excel- 
 lency all the information that I had found it possible to 
 collect. Lastly in letters of July 21 and August 8 I com- 
 municated to Your Excellency the assault which the Yuches, 
 friends of the English, made on Fort Pupo the night of July 
 18; the death of the scouts of Don Pedro Lamberto ; and 
 the news given by the Uchises to some hunters of ours that 
 the English had sent out a few parties of Indians witli orders 
 to kill as many Spaniards as possible. I also inclosed a 
 statement of the embassy Quilate sent to the commanding 
 officer at Apalachee telling' him that the EngHsh of New 
 Georgia had twice caused to be summoned all the Indians 
 of the Provinces; as well as an account of Don Sebastian 
 Sanchez (whom' I had sent to the neighboring colonies to 
 recover the eight convicts, deserters) of all that he had been 
 able to see and learn. And now very recently, the Indian 
 Juan Ygnacio has returned v;hom I had also sent to the 
 same colonies to try, by using his native wit, to slip into them 
 and discover as much as he could of the plans of the English, 
 and of their condition. Likewise there have fled hither two 
 Irishmen and one Scotchman. I am accordingly sending 
 Your Excellency a careful account of their statements, and 
 of all that the aforesaid Indian has declared he heard and 
 saw, from the time he reached the English, until he could 
 manage to slip away, in order that Your Excellency may 
 be completely informed of all the news that I have been able 
 to gather. Reflecting on certain portions of this accoimt. 
 I ought to point out to Your Excellency that Lieutenant 
 Colonel Cocram, Governor of San Simon having asked our 
 Indian if there were much money in Florida, and being an- 
 swered that there was, said to him : "Soon that will all l)e 
 the King of England's." With respect to this haughty 
 statement, I may be allowed to point out that this Governor 
 would not make such assertions, were he not informed o* 
 his sovereign's desire to possess himself of this place.
 
 2$ Letters of Montiatio 
 
 In the next sentence, Cocram asked our Indian about the 
 condition of this place and castle, and to his answer remark- 
 ed : "When you hear it said that General Ogletor has ar- 
 rived, whom I am expecting with 700 men, then will you see 
 me put a war ship at the mouth of the bar, to cut ofT supplies ; 
 and another on the keys, to embarrass vessels from Habana." 
 It should be noticed and recollected here, that this plan 
 forms part of Ogletor's dispositions. Further, Lieutenant 
 Colonel Cocram has just come from London, and it is rea- 
 sonable to believe that this officer must have been informed 
 there that Ogletor's plans were approved, and that the lat- 
 ter must have strengthened them by representing the ad- 
 vantages accruing to his Britannic Majesty from the cap- 
 ture of Florida. This plan may be regarded as adopted, see- 
 ing that in another sentence he said affirmatively to our In- 
 dian that before 2 or 3 years he would be seeing them mak- 
 ing wine and aguardiente in this province ; and that for the 
 purpose of mastering it, he had in Sabanto, San Andres and 
 San Simon, 900 men, who with the 700 Ogletor was to bring, 
 and the 5,000 and 6,000 Indians they would call together in 
 less than 2 months would advance and disembark on the 
 river St. John's near the fort of Picolata, the only point, as 
 they say themselves, from which may be counted the 7 leagues 
 to this position. 
 
 In this last paragraph of his account our Indian says he 
 heard Lieutenant Colonel Cocram, and Don Guillermo Haus- 
 ton say that they had offered their Indians 50 dollars for 
 the scalp of every Spaniard they might kill. The truth of 
 this is sufficiently established by the news given our herds- 
 men by the Indians, by the violent death of Don Pedro Lam- 
 berto's two scouts, and by the surprise they attempted 
 against Pupo. And the enlistment of the 5,000 or 6,000 In- 
 dians spoken of in the preceding paragraph is verified by 
 the embassy of the supreme chief Quilate. Upon which I 
 have to remark that the aforementioned Governor Cocram 
 would not have called the meeting for these outrages, with- 
 out express orders from his Government. 
 
 At this hour, half past eleven at night, I have received the 
 report of the chief of a detachment which I am keeping in 
 an armed launch in the river St. John's, that 25 Indians and 
 2 Knglishmen allowed themselves to be seen on the shores 
 of the island of the same name. 
 
 As this point is the very one they have fortified, and the 
 one in which they tried to found a new settlement it must
 
 Siege of St. Aiigustitie 2j 
 
 be two or three years ago, — not only is it plain that there 
 must be more Indians and Englishmen, but also that they 
 have come for the same purpose. But I am firmly resolved 
 not to endure such insolence, and to make them abandon the 
 idea if perchance they should have pitched on it. 
 
 This is all the news I have been able to acquire by the 
 means indicated, for the information of Your Excellency ; 
 it follows that the purposes of the English are verified ; that 
 taking crafty advantage of the time selected for fixing the 
 boundaries of the provinces on both sides, not only have they 
 applied themselves with greatest zeal to the fortification of 
 the ground that they have unjustly occupied, but that they 
 are also taking the most effective measures to take this place, 
 by starving it. I have also learned from Devis, (who vouch- 
 es stoutly for it, on account of the confidence he has in his 
 informant of the island of Barbadoes) that the number of 
 troops Ogletor is to transport is i,ooo men, and that as 
 many as 20 ships of war are to be sent from London for sta- 
 tion ofif Jamaica. It is that Your Excellency may take the 
 best means to guard the fleets now in these American waters, 
 and deign to take all the measures needed for the important 
 work of finishing this castle, as well as the others suggested 
 by Your Excellency's great discretion and knowledge as 
 suited to the execution of these premeditated ideas, that 
 I transmit these reports to Your Excellency. In order to 
 lose no time, I do not answer the letters which 1 promised 
 by Marcos de Torres to answer. I assure Your Excellency 
 that I shall fail in no point to display the utmost vigilance 
 for the safety of this place. To this end, I have asked the 
 purveyor at New York to send me with the utmost despatch 
 supplies for one year, because from now on those needed 
 by the King, and designated by you can not be obtained 
 through other channels. 
 
 I had intended to send Juan Ygnacio the day of sailing 
 to that city, (Habana) so as to give Your Excellency by 
 word of mouth the account he gave me, but having declared 
 to me that he had made a certain promise of vow. in case 
 of a happy issue, to Our Lady of Cobre, I was unwilling 
 to put him aboard with violence, and I let him go at his own 
 free will to present himself to Your Excellency. 
 
 I beg that he may return at the first opportunity. 
 Florida, Aug. 31, 1738.
 
 g8 Letters of Montiano 
 
 No. in. 
 
 Sir: 
 
 In a letter of October lo, Your Excellency is good enough 
 to tell me that the squadron on nine war-ships under the 
 command of Don Joseph Pizarro is now in your harbor, and 
 that although you have received letters ^rom Spain by a 
 despatch boat on its way to Vera Cruz, the official ones throw 
 no light on the question of peace or war, but that the private 
 ones say the English have corrected their schemes. Fur- 
 ther, that it is felt our differences will be compounded by 
 gentle and friendly methods, a feeling shared by Your Ex- 
 cellency for reasons soundly set forth. On this subject I 
 feel it my duty to say to Your Excellency that I am of the 
 same opinion, for I have had a thorough understanding with 
 Devis. and succeeded in making him reveal the present state 
 of these* colonies, their news and plans. He assures me there 
 is nothing new except the arrival of Milord Ogletor, and as 
 this officer is so captious and crossgrained, I am astonished 
 that having come, he should remain quiet, and although I 
 distrust this peaceful attitude as being perhaps only the 
 deepest artifice, yet I regard it as nothing less than miracu- 
 lous. And so I am diminishing in no respect my vigilance 
 over all the measures they may take, nor my watch of the 
 river St. John's and the forts Pupo and^ Picolata. I am ad- 
 vancing these works as much as possible, and searching into 
 the intentions of the English, for Your Excellency's informa- 
 tion in case they should have any significance, while they 
 are not being put into effect, and an agreement is reached 
 in respect of the differences set afoot by their unjust seizure 
 of territory belonging to this Province. And, if I should 
 have any urgent news for Your Excellency and no earlier 
 vessel to send it by, I should despatch a launch, as I have 
 before told Your Excellency, in order that Your Excellency 
 may not be without it, and that such dispositions may be 
 made for the King's service as may in your wisdom seem 
 best. 
 
 Florida, 3 January, 1739. 
 Postscript. 
 
 Don Pedro Lamberto has told me that a soldier fired at 
 Ogletor, and that he got this from Devis, who however con- 
 cealed it from me, and until he left the port said nothing 
 of it to me. 
 
 •The English. Tr.
 
 Siege of SI. Augustine 2g 
 
 On Nov. 21, 23 negroes of both sexes and children came 
 here fleeing from Puerto Real, nineteen belong to Devis ; 
 eight are workmen. I am struggling with all the freemen to 
 establish them in Moze half a league from here to the n(3rth, 
 so that they may there form a settlement, and cultivate 
 those lands. I have appointed Don Sebastian Sanchez to 
 take charge, and Don Joseph de Leon to instruct them in 
 the mysteries of our holy religion. He is a young man of 
 parts, in the church, and serves as notary to the Lord Bishop, 
 with whose approval he has undertaken this work. He is 
 acting as parish priest until the King shall have made known 
 his good pleasure. The free negroes here are 38 in all : and 
 it is not impossible they may form a good village. 
 
 No. 126. 
 Sir: 
 
 A man having appeared on the edge of the other bank 
 of the river Saint John's the guard launch crossed over to 
 examine him, and took him aboard to bring him here. He 
 arrived on the i6th ultimo, and we got from him the declara- 
 ton herewith. From it Your Excellency can determine the 
 condition of Georgia and of its fortifications, with all the 
 other points that seemed to me worthy of inquiry. If what 
 he says is true, it is possible that General Ogletor is mak- 
 ing but little progress, since I know through another channel 
 that over 12,000 dollars are owing in New York, and that 
 for this reason, they are unwilling to send him supplies from 
 any of their colonies where, on account of his daring dispo- 
 sition, he is in disfavor, as well as from the reputatiin he 
 has acquired of being a poor paymaster. This is all T have 
 to offer on this point, remaining, etc. 
 
 Florida, 3 March, 1739. 
 
 No. 133. 
 Sir: 
 
 On March 9 last, a sloop arrived in this port from San 
 Jorge having on board a Lieutenant Colonel, a member of 
 Parliament and an interpreter, who presented a letter of 
 instructions and authority to act from various citizens of 
 those Colonies, and two letters from Don Diego Ogletor, 
 commanding General of all the colonies of Carolina and from 
 Don Guillermo Bull, Governor of San Jorge, asking for an
 
 ^ Letters of Montiano 
 
 audience on the subject of their mission. This was to ask 
 for the restoration of the negro fugitives, deserters from the 
 neighboring colonies. I received them into my own house 
 and having heard their case through the medium of three 
 interpreters, I answered that I deeply regretted my lack 
 of authority to grant their wishes, inasmuch as the orders 
 of the King contained no authority to deliberate on the 
 matter of returning fugitive negroes who might take refuge 
 in this Presidio, but on the contrary the express direction 
 to set them at liberty. I could not thus make the exchange 
 they offered of the eight convicts deserters from us for their 
 slaves. I suggested that they apply to their own Govern- 
 ment for a statement of the principles set forth in respect of 
 the reciprocity they wish to establish with us, and that 
 for my part, I should do the same, and make a report to the 
 council of their request. 
 
 From the expression of their countenances, they were very 
 much pleased with my decision, and with the courtesy shown 
 them during the week they remained here without leaving 
 my side for a single moment, and so returned well satisfied 
 to their colonies, giving many signs of gratitude with very 
 courteous compliments. And in order that Your Excellency 
 may be informed of their claims and of the answers that I 
 gave to the letters they brought, I send Your Excellency cop- 
 ies of tlicir letters, and of one of mine, these being all alike 
 on the principal subject. I shall be very glad to receive the 
 approval of Your Excellency in this matter. 
 
 Florida, April 2, 1739. 
 
 No. 151. 
 Sir: 
 
 Under date of June 9, Your Excellency is good enough 
 to tell me, that by royal order Your Excellency recommends 
 the same course as that decided on by me in respect of the 
 eight convicts, deserters, and that in consequence it seems 
 indispensable that fresh negotiations should be opened in 
 the matter. Your Excellency further directs that I should 
 communicate their results separately with anything else that 
 I might obtain and learn on good foundation, in order to 
 make report to his Majesty. Having thus a royal order to 
 bring to the notice of the commander of Carolina under some 
 indifTerent pretext. Article 2 of the convention, I took advan- 
 tage of it to send a launch to San Jorge, assuming what
 
 Siege of St. Augustine ?/ 
 
 Your Excellency will see in the copy herewith, with the 
 Captain of Horse Don Pedro Lamberto aboard. He 
 was to consult the physicians of that city in reg^ard to 
 the serious illness of a girl who has been ailing for many 
 years. Having executed his mission, he reports to me that 
 he did not meet Don Diego Ogletorp in San Jorge, to 
 whom as commanding General, I addressed the notice in- 
 viting his attention to Article 2. They told him the General 
 was absent on a journey of more than 300 miles, for which 
 reason he delivered my despatches to his lieutenant, who 
 though invited to, nevertheless declined to open them, ex- 
 cusing himself on the plea that he had been ordered only to 
 receive despatches of whatsoever nature, and to send them 
 on, which he did. Having receipted for the despatches, they 
 gave him (Lamberto) other despatches in duplicate, being 
 an answer to mine that I sent by the deputies from that city 
 and their Parliament. A copy of this I am enclosing for 
 Your Excellency's information : inviting attention to the 
 omission of all mention of the eight convicts, deserters. As 
 he (Lamberto) was not received as were their deputies here, 
 nor was allowed, as on former occasions, to walk about the 
 place, he was unable to learn anything worthy of commu- 
 nication, except that in the first settlements he was better 
 treated, and thus could learn of the discord prevailing be- 
 tween the latest squatters and the people of San Jorge, and 
 between the latter and Don Diego Ogletorp, whose su- 
 preme command they refuse to recognize. 
 
 I believe that Don Pedro Lamberto's restraint, and the 
 refusal to allow his people to walk about are due to the 
 fears of the negroes in which they live, and also lest some 
 of our people should make suggestions or incite them to 
 flight, a thing against which they guard mightily, since they 
 depend on the negroes for success or failure. 
 
 This is all I have to send to Your Excellency, etc. 
 Florida, August 14, 1739. 
 
 Since writing the foregoing, Don Pedro Lamberto tells 
 me that while in San Jorge he met Juan Zevallos, one of the 
 eight convicts that deserted from the lime kiln ; that he 
 tried to return with him, which the Governor would not al- 
 low: and that the rest go about freely in those plantations, 
 according to the said Zevallos. I have caused Don Pedro 
 Lamberto to certify this news, and I am sending it to the 
 Court, with copies of letters treating of the matter.
 
 j2 Lettei s of Montiano 
 
 No. 157. 
 Sir: 
 
 Don Diego Pablo sends me despatches from Apalachee, 
 savin.s: that he has learned that the English had set out with 
 more than 100 negroes to build a fort; that the negroes rose, 
 sle^Y all the English, and hamstrung all the horses ; that two 
 large bodies of Indians, had gone forth, one in the direction 
 of the road to San Marcos, and the other toward this point. 
 That this "news comes from Ouilate, and that he was inves- 
 tigating everything particularly, and where they intended 
 to build the fort; that the negroes had scattered, and two 
 of them (Portillo says four) had arrived at a village of the 
 Provinces, and afterwards disappeared ; that they asked a 
 few Indians encountered in the woods, the road to the 
 Spaniards ; that this news caused him much anxiety. It 
 appears to me that the fort must be a means in the neigh- 
 borhood of Carolina to keep the negroes from deserting, and 
 that having rebelled, troops of Indians were sent out after 
 them, and so the news causes no great anxiety. But nev- 
 ertheless, in case they were occupying some new post in 
 violation of the Convention, I sent out Don Jose Leonor to 
 reconnoiter, and he has returned from reconnoitering St. 
 Mary's, and I have scouts in other parts. 
 
 So far there is no other news ; no despatches having fol- 
 lowed from Apalachee, there is nothing to fear : Don Di- 
 ego Pablo having concealed from me Quilate's presence 
 in his fort, I have Juan Ygnacio there with three other In- 
 dians and two or three Uchises loyal to us. 
 
 The results I shall communicate promptly to Your Excel- 
 lency as I now report the arrival yesterday of a sloop from 
 New York. 
 
 Florida, Aug. 19, 1739. 
 
 No. 180. 
 Sir: 
 
 In letters of the 4 and 14 of October of last year, I gave 
 Your Excellency an exact account of what had been done 
 in these parts by the different English ships, from the sec- 
 ond day of the said month and year, and* I have now to in- 
 
 • A considerable portion of this dispatch beginning at this point is to be found 
 rnnslated in the SoiilhTn Qiiarterly Review for April, 1^44, pp. 394 et seq. This 
 JranRla- ion very consideralily modified and altered, is re])roduced here, with omis- 
 sions supplied and errors correcte'l. Tr.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine jj 
 
 form \our Excellency, that on the 22d of December, there 
 arrived at this place, a cavalry soldier, of the guard of St 
 John's Bar, which is about twelve leagues north of this port 
 who says, that he saw the tracks of 25 or 35 men, at the small 
 creeks about half way of the road ; and immediately another 
 cavalry soldier of the same guard, came with the news, that 
 one of our Indians had reported, that on the banks of the 
 St. John's, he had seen the tracks of more than three hundred 
 white men. 
 
 On the 23d, the Ensign of cavalry Don Lorenzo Joseph 
 de Leon, and one soldier, arrived at this place with report 
 of having seen at the same small creeks, a great number of 
 Indians, and white people. 
 
 On the 24th council was held to decide whether it would 
 be advisable to demolish the fort of Diego, or reinforce it, 
 and whether our force was sufficiently strong to attack the 
 enemy. We resolved to send a relief of eleven men, and that 
 it would not be expedient to weaken this garrison, for the 
 reasons set forth in the minutes of the council. The same 
 day, we began to hasten various works looking to the se- 
 curity, and defence of the place. 
 
 On the 25th, a trooper came in and some of our Indians, 
 bringing intelligence, that they had discovered the fresh 
 tracks of 30 men, at the distance of four leagues from this 
 place ; and Father Francisco Gomez, parish priest, of the 
 village of Ayamon, where the Indians of Pozatalaca estab- 
 lished themselves last year to cultivate more fertile lands, 
 reported that in the neighborhood of that place, seven or 
 eight leagues from this, about 10 Uchises Indians had shown 
 themselves. 
 
 On the 26th, I sent the Ensign of cavalry, Don Alonzo 
 Joseph, to scout the country, and collect all the cattle pos- 
 sible, to be crossed to Santa Anastacia Island ; I also sent 
 out four Indians on the same scouting mission, charging 
 them with the promise of twenty-five dollars to take an En- 
 glishman, or hostile Indian prisoner. In the afternoon, the 
 Ensign returned with 93 head of cattle, and I sent the Sub- 
 lieutenant Don Manuel Garcia, in four small boa-ts, to cut 
 stakes for different uses of the Royal service, and for the 
 defence of the place. 
 
 On the 27th, I despatched the Ensign Don Antonio So- 
 lana, to bring in the horses. Don Cristobal de Torres, Bar- 
 tolome Ramirez, and other residents went out on the same 
 business. I charged Don Francisco Menendez. and other
 
 34 Letters of Montiano 
 
 residents, with the business of crossing the cattle over to 
 Santa Anastacia Island already mentioned. I sent the In- 
 dian Juan Ygnacio, with five other Indians, to the river of 
 Picotala, which is that called St. John's, to observe the 
 movements of the enemy. 
 
 On the 28th, I sent out four other Indians by land, on 
 the same errand ; and in the night, two of the Indians who 
 went with Juan Ygnacio, returned with the news, that on 
 that day. the fort of Picolata was attacked by 240 English, 
 and Indians, and that its garrison of seven men, had de- 
 fended it valiantly, from ten in the morning, till 5 in the 
 afternoon, at which hour the enemy made a shameful re- 
 treat. 
 
 On the 29th. I despatched the Cacique Chislala, with 
 eight Indians of his choice, to scout the country, and 
 charged to take hostile Indian, or Englishman prisoner alive. 
 This same day, one of the soldiers in the affair of the fort 
 of Picolata, came in and with him the Indians Juan Ygnacio, 
 and Juan Savina. who said that those who attacked the fort, 
 were 150 English, and 30 Indians, that the fire lasted four 
 hours ; that our casualties were the wounding of the artillery- 
 man and, that two of the enemy were seen to fall, one of 
 whom appeared to be an of^cer, for he wore a laced hat, and 
 was taken ofT by four men. The soldier informed me, that 
 the fort was attacked by two mortars firing large shell (Gre- 
 nadas Reales) and gave me a few splinters of those that fell 
 within the fort. 
 
 On the 30th, the beforementioned Father, parish priest of 
 Ayamon. arrived with the news, that on the 29th Uchises In- 
 dians had killed Fayaquisca, in the neighborhood of that 
 town. On this same day the four Indians sent out on the 
 26th, returned, and informed me, that having been at St. 
 Mateo, which is on the St. John's, they saw the tracks of 
 Indians who had passed back and forth, and though they 
 made every exertion to discover whether they had made, or 
 were constructing a fort in the vicinity of that river, they 
 could see only boats going to this part of the Saint John's, 
 and they debated whether the Indians and whites lately 
 seen could be found there, because the tracks of the Indians 
 all made for the said part of the Saint John's. 
 
 On the 4th of January, 1740, the Cacique Chislala re- 
 turned with all his Indians, and assured me that they had 
 been to the St. John's, that they had thoroughly reconnoiter- 
 cd those parts and had seen there only the camps (ranchos)
 
 Siege of St. Augustine jj 
 
 where the hostile Indians had been, and that according to the 
 signs left behind there were 134 of them. They made thir- 
 ty-six fires, which covered the English, who' were, they 
 thought, in number 200. 
 
 On the 7th, I despatched Juan Ygnacio, and Geronimo. 
 with three other Indians, each to scout, and examine the 
 landing places. 
 
 On the 8th, the artillery man, wounded in the affair of 
 Picolata, died. The same day, I sent Don Pedro Lambcrto 
 Horrutiner with 25 horsemen of his company, 25 infantry, 
 and 30 Indians and free negroes (of those who are fugitives 
 from the English Colonies), to scout the country, and use 
 diligence to capture a few Indian scouts who are supposed 
 to be in this neighborhood, and they returned at night with- 
 out any news. 
 
 On the 13th, the parish priest of the before mentioned 
 town of Ayamon, informed me that at 9 in the morning, they 
 were attacked by 46 Uchises Indians, who badly wounded, 
 and scalped an Indian who was outside of the little fort they 
 have there. 
 
 On the i8th, the Indian Juan Ygnacio returned with some 
 of his Indians, and report having seen in the St. John's river, 
 at a place called St. Nicholas, 12 vessels consisting of 3 
 schooners, 2 sloops, and 7 canoes ; and that it seemed to 
 him they must have had 700 men aboard. This day, I des- 
 patched two troopers, with two Indians, to see if the ves- 
 sels landed people at Salamatoto, and the two Indians to 
 pass to Picolata, to watch the movements of the enemy. 
 
 On the 19th, the Indian Geronimo, companion of Juan Yg- 
 nacio returned, to report that he had seen in the St. John's 
 two boats which kept in the middle of the river, without 
 moving; it is a question if they are posted here to discover 
 if any armament of our enters the bar, in which case one 
 would be detached to alarm the neighboring Colonies, and 
 the other to alarm the 12 vessels at St. Nicholas. The In- 
 dians returned who went out yesterday, and say, they went 
 near to Picolata and could see nothing ; afterwards, it was 
 discovered that these two Indians did not go half the way. 
 The two troopers who went out with them reconnoitered 
 the estuary of Nicoloa, and finding it unoccupied returned. 
 
 On the same 19th day, I sent out Laureano Solana, Ser- 
 geant of cavalry, with eight soldiers, and four Indians, to 
 discover if the before mentioned boats were still in the 
 Picolata River, and whether they had taken the fort of Pupo.
 
 j6 Letters of JSIontiano 
 
 On the 20th, the Sergeant returned at i in the morning, 
 with report of having seen a great number of men and fires 
 at Picolata ; but as he made his reconnaissance at night, he 
 could not see the fort, nor can he say precisely how many 
 men there were. 
 
 On the same day, I sent out Juan Ygnacio, and eleven 
 Indians, to make proper reconnoisance, and endeavor to 
 take an Indian, or Englishman alive. 
 
 On the 21 St, the Indian Juan Ygnacio returned with his 
 party, and assured me, that on arriving at Picolata, they 
 found the fort in ashes, and from there, saw that the En- 
 glish vessels were near the Fort of Pupo. That all about 
 it, were many people in red coats and that the said fort was 
 in the hands of the enemy, for they saw many people go out 
 and in, up and down. , , 
 
 On the 22d, I despatched Diego de Espinosa, who is a resi- 
 dent of this place, well acquainted with the country, with 
 six cavalrymen to reconnoiter, and mark the landings of 
 St. John's, St. Matheo, and St. Nicholas. 
 
 On the 24th, Diego de Espinosa returned, with the six 
 troopers that accompanied him, who reports that he saw- 
 three soldiers' tents on the St. John's, opposite St. Nicholas. 
 He endeavored to get near to discover what they 
 contained, but hearing the discharge of a gun, which ap- 
 peared to be a signal that his party was discovered, he re- 
 tired quickly, fearing lest they should cut off his retreat. 
 
 On the 27th, I sent out the Lieutenant of cavalry, Don 
 Romualdo Ruiz del Moral, with 25 horsemen, 25 Indians 
 and 25 free negroes, to scour the country, to reconnoiter 
 Picolata and Pupo, and with the greatest circumspection, 
 and precaution, to make a most serious effort to capture 
 an Indian, or Englishman alive, by attacking those on this 
 side if it could be done, having due regard for the prudence 
 necessary in a viglant march, and for an exact examination 
 of the river, in order to estimate the n;uTiber of people on 
 this side. And according to information acquired, he was to 
 attack them or not, or annoy them on some side, at no special 
 risk. 
 
 On the 29th, the Lieutenant Don Romualdo Ruiz del Mor- 
 al returned with his party, with report that they reached 
 the landing of Picolata, but could not on account of rain 
 and fog, inform themselves of the state of the fort of Pupo, 
 but they thought they saw it, and heard the sound of a drum
 
 Siege of SI. Augustine jy 
 
 from it.* In this state of affairs I am compelled to send 
 Your Excellency shortly our launch with this intelligence 
 so that in possession of it, and of orders from the King, 
 Your Excellency may see fit to take all the steps suitcJ to 
 the victualling and fortification of this place, points in re- 
 spect of which it is absolutely impossible to do anything 
 whatever here. 
 
 As regards the said river St. John's or Picolata, it is an 
 arm of the sea some three quarters of a league in width, 
 measured accurately by different Engineers, entering over 
 the bar of the same name, and emptying at the entrance 
 of Apalachee, or the southern Coast, according to the belief 
 of the most experienced Indians. I declare categorically 
 that I have no naval forces to oppose to the enemy's ; but 
 having them, it were easy to introduce them over the same 
 bar, to go out to meet the enemy and punishing him severe- 
 ly, to guard these dominions. Lacking such forces how- 
 ever, there is no remedy, and that is precisely why I have 
 not sent out by land, a large detachment, for it would re- 
 quire at the same time, a strong expedition by sea. Now 
 supposing the English should blockade this position, as 
 they have threatened, and should for the success of this 
 plan make a great effort to attack the forts of Picolata and 
 Pupo, as a feint to force me to throw out a large body of 
 troops, it is not to be doubted that, being with their Indian 
 allies masters of the country, they would endeavor strenu- 
 ously to cut their (our troops') communications with us. If 
 unfortunately these should fail to retire in good order, the 
 English would then with slight opposition and no hindrance 
 force the entrance of the Port with their boats, keeping them 
 ready for this purpose in the channels running from the 
 aforementioned bar of Saint John into the interior which 
 would be under their control. 
 
 They would thus take possession of this position with 
 great ease, seeing there would be no one to defend it, if they 
 had first routed our troops. 
 
 Moreover, even if I had without any zeal come to such 
 a decision, one that I should myself call rash and illogical, 
 no glory would have befallen our arms. For the English 
 controlling the said St. John's with their heavy launches able 
 to carrv guns of medium caliber, and being thus enabled to 
 enter this river and give support at any time by these same 
 
 * The extract in the Southern Quarterly Review ends here. Tr.
 
 j8 Letters of Montiano 
 
 channels intersecting the land of their islands from bar to 
 bar as far as that of Puerto Real fifty leagues distant, no 
 effort not maritime in character was of the slightest use. 
 In respect of the danger that I have mentioned, even if their 
 troops in these parts had been disembarked and had allow- 
 ed ours to approach within gun-shot range, they could have 
 played us the trick of jumping aboard the small boats, and of 
 opening fire from the larger ones, and so beat us in a piteous 
 fashion. ,And then this place would have been in a worse 
 state than it was before the reenforcement, which would have 
 given rise to the royal displeasure, and would have been the 
 beginning of its ultimate destruction. 
 
 These are not the only reasons ins])ired by the safeguard- 
 ing of this position, for I have others palpably of equal im- 
 portance and weight. For under the supposition that neith- 
 er Your Excellency nor I have received orders from the 
 ring leading us to believe that the English would occupy 
 the seas with their ships, my duty first of all is to economize 
 the stores of this place so that its inhabitants may not per- 
 ish. And I may remark most frankly to Your Excellency 
 that nothing expends them so much as detachments : and for 
 one of importance, such as would be the case with sending 
 400 or 500 men, through deserts, uncultivated thickets, im- 
 penetrable and dangerous woods possibly occupied by the 
 enemy, certain special supplies would be indispensable, which 
 could not be furnished without serious loss for the future, 
 to say nothing of the sally being probably fruitless. 
 
 To the important end of keeping this place for His Ma- 
 jesty, of supplying and strengthening it as much as possible, 
 I have had recourse to Your Excellency on various oc- 
 casions : and I now with the greatest emphasis repeat my 
 supplications, begging Your Excellency to help it with all 
 that is needful to this end, in conformity with the orders 
 which the King has given Your Excehency for this purpose. 
 
 I further declare to Your Excellency that to the excellent 
 strong reasons why Your Excellency should give it at- 
 tention, must be added at the same time the lamentable 
 circumstance that this place has gone without pay since 
 '36, as Your Excellency must know. *For the agent who 
 went over to receive it, Don Pedro de Escobedo, since the 
 beginning of '37 neither has arrived here nor do we know 
 his whereabouts ; there is a melancholy rumor that he has 
 
 • This passage is obscure in llie original. Tr.
 
 i^?^-./. 
 
 MA 
 
 The w k s t h h 
 
 I ///f/ //{///, 
 
 () R 
 
 
 A N r I c K o rr i^ ^ 
 
 CO
 
 ^ \-iy''h/^ 
 
 
 r^;?^ . 
 
 The W >: s t k r > , 
 
 'A? 
 
 () R 
 
 FLORiDlA \ ATI.ANTICK O C t: ^ 
 
 X
 
 Siege of St. Augustine jg 
 
 been shipwrecked or fallen into the hands of the EngHsh. 
 All these reasons induce me humbly to supplicate Your Ex- 
 cellency to take the measures so urgently needed to supply 
 and fortify this place as the King desires : in the mean time 
 I shall apply myself diligently to its preservaton with the 
 greatest zeal and firmness, even to giving up my life with it, 
 according to my oath made and sworn to His Majesty. 
 
 1 likewise invite Your Excellency's attention to the fact 
 that the two aforesaid forts of Picolata and Pupo were con- 
 structed solely for the purpose of defending and sheltering 
 from the continual attacks of Indian allies of the English, 
 the mails that go to and come from Apalachee, and that 
 both were situated on the banks of the aforesaid St. John's, 
 one to the north and the other to the south, at a distance 
 of three-quarters of a league, the width of the river, without 
 being able to help each other. In spite of being small and 
 built of wood, they have defended themselves various times 
 against the Indians that have attacked them. Even now 
 that of Picolata resisted four or five hours in spite of being 
 invested by more than 200 men. The garrison being com- 
 pelled by the destruction of the fort through shell fire, took 
 advantage of the retreat of the enemy, their chief so they 
 say, having been killed, to shelter itself behind Pupo, until by 
 my order it withdrew to this place in the same canoe tliat 
 took it over, by a channel that empties (into the river) three 
 leagues away. The said fort of Pupo defended itself va- 
 liantlv nearly two days : for although at this moment I do 
 not know where its garrison is, ten men and a sergeant with 
 an Indian kept to report on anything unusual, yet partisans 
 who went out there during those two days, tell me they 
 heard much obstinate and continuous artillery fire, until 
 on the second day, at about half-past 'two of the afternoon, 
 they heard a salvo of seven guns, and that afterward the fire 
 ceased. I am deeply grieved over the loss of those twelve 
 men, without being able to take any satisfaction, for al- 
 though! gave the commander a written order to defnd him- 
 self with honor if attacked, and only in case of lack of am- 
 munition and stores, t capitulate life and arms safe, so as 
 to return to this place with honor, yet it would seem as 
 though they had suffered from some perfidy, whose purpose 
 so far I am ignorant of. 
 
 I have no more to report on these matters to Your Ex- 
 cellency whose obedient servant I am. etc. 
 
 Florida, January 31, I740-
 
 40 Letters of Mcnliano 
 
 No. i8i. 
 Sir: 
 
 From the journal herewith Your Excellency will under- 
 stand the operations of the English, and how they showed 
 themselves on December 22, near San Juan, coming no 
 farther in than the little creeks. As I believe they might pro- 
 ceed to the attack of the fort of San Diego, I increased its 
 garrison, with the understanding that if invested in regular 
 form, it would be surrendered in short time, by reason of 
 its faulty construction, lack of a ditch, and possession of 
 but two ramparts opposed to the enemy, (which Espinosa had 
 thought am])le, when he built the work to shelter his slaves 
 against Indian surprises) to say nothing of the fact that 
 situated as it was at a league from the landing, it could not 
 be succored save at much risk, on account of the country 
 being open and flat : and it was perhaps not the intention of 
 the enemy to attack it; but, in case I sent some small body 
 equal in number to that seen in the creeks, to surprise this 
 body in the plain, inclosing it from the woods surroundng 
 the fort, and so destroy it. Accordingly I remained easy on 
 this score until I got better information as to their numbers 
 from the scouts that I kept outside ; and in this condition of 
 affairs I got news that on the 28th, 150 Englishmen and In- 
 dians had attacked Picolata, having with them two standards, 
 chests, and two mortars for shells. Two of these (shells) 
 fell inside the fort, and finished its ruin, shored up as it was 
 and ready to fall: at the first fire, the gun was dismounted, 
 and nevertheless they maintained themselves with valor from 
 ten in the morning to five in the afternoon, when they (the 
 enemy) retired with a few wounded, among them an officer. 
 The defenders seeing the bad condition of the fort, aban- 
 doned it, fearing the return of the enemy in greater force, 
 or lest it fall upon them. 
 
 On otir side the artilleryman was wounded in the 
 ff)ot by a musket ball from which he died there. 
 
 On the 18th as a detachment of infantry, cavalry and con- 
 victs was about to set out to rebuild the fort of Picolata, I 
 ordered it to suspend its march until the return of Juan Yg- 
 nacio, who had gone out to reconnoiter the river. The same 
 day he returned, reporting having seen coming into the 
 river, 3 schooners, 2 sloops and 2 canoes heavily laden and 
 filled with people, the greater part dressed in red, in his 
 opinion some 700 men. It appeared to me that this expedi- 
 tion was directed against the fort at Pupo, and as neither
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 41 
 
 my forces nor its situation were sufficient, nor admitted of 
 sending any support, I undertook nothing from the impos- 
 sibility of the case. 
 
 From the reports of the scouts there is reason to bchcvc 
 that 10 men and one sergeant garrisoning Pupo held out 
 two days, because for that length of time cannon fire never 
 ceased; and that the Indian who was within to bring news, 
 must either have fallen into the hands of the enemy, or was 
 unable to come out. 
 
 In this conjuncture, wishing to know if they were forti- 
 fying on this side, Espinosa told me at San Nicholas, the 
 narrowest part of the river some 16 leagues from here, he 
 had discovered three tents, and many people, but not a single 
 boat : that trying to approach the bank, he heard various gun- 
 shot : and as that part of the country is shaped like a horse- 
 shoe, he withdrew to a point of safety, asking himself if the 
 advance guards were making signals. He assures me that 
 no other inexperienced person would have gone forth, be- 
 cause of the musket fire. 
 
 As for the sight of troops in San Nicholas, I believe they 
 were fortifying at that point, because of the care they took 
 not to be seen, and because the place is advantageous and 
 narrow. 
 
 The difficulty of getting information in our numerous 
 thickets, lagoons and swamps, is so great as to make the 
 thing almost impossible ; absolutely none but Spaniards can 
 succeed here without risk of loss or of useless effort, be- 
 cause it is necessary to advance through water the greater 
 part of the da}', and even the Indians are unavailable, be- 
 cause they are so few in number. 
 
 The harassing of the Uchises, who go down to the south- 
 ern coasts looking for slaves, and returning pass through 
 Ayamon or las Rosas, where the Yamases have established 
 themselves, has caused a withdrawal to this point : to leave 
 the fort is to invite death. We are thus surrounded by en- 
 emies, unable to leave the place without danger. As long 
 as our territory is not peopled, thus driving out the English, 
 the chief cause of these evils, these Provinces will have no 
 rest. 
 
 Our residents cause me much annoyance, for most of them 
 ask permission to go to that city (Habana) alleging the lack 
 of food from which they are suffering, as well as that to which 
 they will be subjected v/ith the continuance of the Vvar, and 
 also the misfortunes and privations due to the lack of pay.
 
 Letters of Montiano 
 
 Although these reasons are sound, and might induce m? to 
 senil away hence all useless mouths, yet the total absence 
 of all information as to the state the present differences may 
 produce, keeps me from approving them. As it is the wish 
 of the King that these provinces be peopled, it is clear he 
 would be displeased if any one were allowed to withdraw. 
 Moreover, it will be very difificult to make them return once 
 away, and the burden will be extreme if this position should 
 be besieged on account of the small enclosure of the cas- 
 tle, and the scarcity of food. For all these reasons the roy- 
 al oiincers and I after conferences have decided that for the 
 present no one shall be allowed to move, until better infor- 
 mation enables us to come to some settlement. 
 Florida, January 31, 1740. 
 
 No. 187. 
 Sir: 
 
 I profit by the delay in the departure of our launcii, caused 
 by the uncertainty of the times, and running from the 15th 
 instant, to inform Your Excellency of the return last night 
 of Juan Ygnacio. I sent him out on the 19th with ten oth- 
 er working Indians on the important mission of recon- 
 noitering the country and river near Picolata, and notwith- 
 standing my most particular instructions, and ofifer of a 
 suitable reward for the capture of an Englishman or Indian 
 ally, so that I might learn something in respect of the con 
 ditions' surrounding the settlers of those colonies, and of 
 their ideas and intentions, the said Juan Ygnacio tells me 
 he could not so freely carry out this plan, because at the 
 very outset he encountered a thousand difficulties. Having 
 put out of the inlet of Tocoy, which empties into the Saint 
 John's, in a small canoe which he kept hidden there, he went 
 south along the banks thereabouts so as better to carry out 
 his ideas. While carefully proceeding thus, he discovered 
 a scow moored on the very banks he was skirting, and de- 
 ciding they could be seen in spite of the thiclc mist, they p ' 
 about, and landing a little farther back, divided into t\' 
 squads. They then approached the English, who were in- 
 side an orange grove collecting the fruit thereof, and who 
 on being fired at, hastily took flight. As they were assemb- 
 ling <^o go on board the scow, our Indians who were following 
 at luil speed, opened a continuous fire on them from the 
 shelter of the pine tree trunks, killing at least two of them,
 
 Siege of St. Augustine ,;j 
 
 and possibly more. For the first to fall havinrj been the 
 helmsman, they carefully observed that no one took to the 
 oars; the Indians keeping up an incessant fire on the mass 
 of those who were rowing, and growing more and more 
 absorbed in the struggle, heard a cannonshot fired, and dis- 
 covered that it had proceeded from a schooner painted red, 
 coming up under sail from the south on the river itself, and 
 having many people on board, part of whom undertook to 
 disembark. On remarking this, they (the Indians) with- 
 drew to a place of safety, and night coming on, they returned 
 to this Presidio with the loss of their canoe, the recovery 
 of which was impossible by reason of the danger involved. 
 
 In respect of all this, I must tell Your Excellency that the 
 English have occupied with their boats the entire river at 
 Picolata, and that their navigation southward is for the pur- 
 pose of embarrassing communication with Apalachee, of 
 winning over the Uchises, and of capturing any mail coming 
 or going. And as our suffering this state of afifairs is a re- 
 buff of His Majesty's sacred honor, a foul stain on his cath- 
 olic arms, and an insult exciting the rage of our nation, I 
 humbly supplicate Your Excellency to be good enough to 
 send me here the galliots of the expedition well manned with 
 good crews, under a mariner of proved valor and skill, for 
 without this help, it is a physical impossibility for me to car- 
 ry out my plans, and as a matter of fact we shall see our- 
 selves shut up in a corner, without a single man that dares 
 leave the place for any purpose whatever. For both rea- 
 sons, there will ensue the fatal results consequent on a lack 
 of whatever small matters a commonwealth needs for its 
 preservation. Heeding these matters and the glory of the 
 King in satisfaction for his insults, I renew Your Excel- 
 lency the suggestions looking to the maintenance and pre- 
 servation of this fortress, and to our most complete amends. 
 
 At the same time, I supplicate Your Excellency to be 
 good enough to order the sending here of two three-fold 
 blocks with a hundred fathoms of hawser instead of the fifty 
 that I asked on the 15th instant. 
 
 In order that Your Excellency may remain in no doubt, 
 respecting my plans, I have to report that on the river St. 
 John's or Picolata there is a stretch called Mojoloa such 
 that, according to the people who know the country, all boats 
 trying to go south on the said river, whether to succor Pupo, 
 or to dominate it on all sides by maritime force, would be 
 necessarily exposed to musket fire. For although the river
 
 44 Letters of Montiano 
 
 is quite wide along li^rc, the channel runs very close to the 
 said stretch, the rest being shoal impassible even by a small 
 boat. 
 
 Seeing that a fort here with six or seven eight-pounders, 
 and a garrison of fifty men under a captain would shut in 
 Pupo be3'ond all possibility of succor, I have resolved to 
 carry out this idea ; and to that end beg Your Excellency 
 for the galliots which alone can execute it, transport the 
 artillery, free the river of hostile boats, capture those already 
 in it, and recover the fort at Pupo, since its garrison would 
 surrender without assault. These results accomplished, I 
 shall bring the galliots, or some of them, to this port, for 
 the defense of its bar, and strive to induce the greatest num- 
 ber of Indians available to go and settle in the immediate 
 neighborhood of the new fort of Mojoloa, and cause the set- 
 tlers to go forth with their slaves to continue the cultivation 
 of the plantations they have been developing these past two 
 years. The approval of these ideas by Your Excellency 
 would give me the liveliest satisfaction ; and I hope Your 
 Excellency will be good enough to send me the help I am 
 asking for, jealous as Your Excellency is of the better ser- 
 vice o[ the King, and interested in the growth of these pro- 
 vinces in virtue of their having been entrusted to you by His 
 Majesty, principally, doubtless, because of the many proofs 
 Your Excellency has given of great talents, leadership and 
 firmness. 
 
 Florida, February 2-^, 1740. 
 
 Postscript. 
 
 Sir: 
 
 The English have gone in boats as far as Pirigirigua 15 
 leagues south of this, and there is reason to believe they are 
 seeking an exit to the Keys, such as it is possible this un- 
 known river may have, and to the Bay of Carlos and Tam- 
 pa. This would be most hurtful to us, and even if the honor 
 of our arms is of no concern, it is important to drive them 
 out of the river ; this calls for a sea force, under whose pro- 
 tection the pass would be closed to them, and introduction 
 made impossible : without such forces nothing can be done. 
 I trust that Your Excellency's zeal in the royal service will 
 give the help I am begging, so that this place may be freed 
 of the restraint from which it is sufifering.
 
 Siege of Si. Augustine ^j 
 
 No. 191. 
 Sir: 
 
 In a letter of the 23d of last month I reported to Your 
 Excellency all that had occurred up to that date, and among 
 other matters, Your Excellency must have noticed the plan 
 of building a new fort on the river St. John's at the part called 
 Mojoloa, in order to attack the passage of English boats, 
 the river being narrow here, and the boats exposed to mus- 
 ket fire, since the channel runs close in. 
 
 But as it seemed to me that such a determination should 
 not be put into execution without examining the country 
 in question, I sent the Engineer Don Pedro Ruiz de Olano, 
 escorted by the Captain of cavalry Don Pedro Lamberto, 
 25 men of his company and 10 trusthworthy Indians, to 
 make a most formal reconnaissance. The party left the 9th 
 inst., and returned the 12th ; the Engineer tells me he made a 
 careful survey of Mojoloa, and found it as reported to me, 
 except the broad shoal running over to the other side of 
 the river carries more water than was said; for a fall of a 
 half yard* having been noted at the bank, still the entire 
 shoal was covered. Having determined this, they went on 
 to inspect the narrows of San Nicolas, and remarking that 
 here the ground runs hard from one bank to the other at 
 musket range and a little more, they decided that no other 
 place would be so suitable for a fort as this, especially with 
 the addition of a chain or estacade to close the passage. 
 According to the turn of events, it might be decided to build 
 a fort on the other bank, thus providing for a cross fire, 
 and here establish communication with Apalachee. 
 
 With respect to all this, I have to say to Your Excellency 
 that as it is absolutely impossible to execute my ideas with- 
 out sea forces, I am sending in this launch of Ojeda's, Cap- 
 tain Don Manuel Montero de Villasante to Habana, to de- 
 scribe vividly to Your Excellency if no sea forces are sup- 
 plied, all the difficulties of this plan, of our purpose of re- 
 capturing Pupo, of making the river safe, and relieving us 
 of anv attempt the English may make from Picolata. whence 
 the distance to this point is least. For although most vig- 
 orous warm affairs are taking place every day. it is useless 
 to expect any advantageous result so long as they control 
 the river with their boats. And apart from the fact that anv 
 
 * Media Vara: exactly which Vara i-^ meant here, there ■:«= of course no means of 
 knowing. The Cuban Vara is 33''. 3*56. Tr.
 
 ^6 J.etters of Montiano 
 
 Other plan would be useless, and that this one itself would 
 naturally be inefificient.* however well thought of, prudence 
 and forethought call for the conservation of such stores as 
 we have, for without them this garrison can not subsist. 
 And when Your Excellency understands that it is now over 
 a week since those that came from Habana, are with the ex- 
 ception of a small quantity of corn, exhausted, Your Ex- 
 cellcnc}- will easily realize that nothing else so much deserves 
 our attention as the economy and good management of our 
 stores, in order to avoid exposure to irreparable harm. 
 In view of what I have suggested, I humbly beseech Your 
 Excellency to condescend to be willing to send me the help 
 I asked for in my letter of February 23, for this is the only 
 way to bring about an honorable solution, and the other 
 favorable results mentioned. And I especially again request 
 that the small boats Your Excellency may send should be 
 well manned by skilled sailors and commanded by a man of 
 intelligence and valor, and well supplied with stores ; and 
 that all that can be sent to this garrison should come as 
 quickly as possible, in order that the English may not again 
 repeat the occupation of our coast with their squadrons, 
 leaving us unprovided, without power of revictualing or of 
 communication. 
 
 I beg leave most sincerely to assure Your Excellency that 
 I am actuated and inspired by no other motive than the most 
 punctilious resolution to maintain the luster of our arms, 
 the glory of God first, and the protection of these provinces, 
 with the welfare of the garrison next. In this point of view, 
 and without any concern on my part for any worldly in- 
 terest. Your Excellency may entrust the operations to any 
 person whatsoever in whom Your Excellency may lip.ve con- 
 fidence, and satisfaction, to conduct them independently of 
 me, according to the conditions of the expedition projected 
 against Georgia after the equinox of March, 1737. My 
 co-operation will be limited solely to offering accurate ad- 
 vice on the state of the country, and to giving him all the 
 benefit possible resulting from experience. I desire nothing 
 but the best service of the King: under this assumption. Your 
 Excellency may make any disposition suggested by your 
 great prudence and lofty talents. I ofYer with all my heart 
 the most cheerful compliance with any method and regula- 
 
 • I'resiiitiahlv, without the iKiv.nl reFOurces for wliicli Don M.imiel is pleading. 
 
 Tr.
 
 Siege of Si. Augustine ^7 
 
 tions imposed by Your Excelelncy on the person selected 
 for these operations, without resistance of alteration on 
 my part, agreeing to observe them inviolable in the spirit 
 and harmony demanded by the King for the effective execu- 
 tion of the former expedition just mentioned. And I say 
 the same of anything else Your Excellency may deem best 
 suited to the successful issue of the present (trouble). For 
 my soul holds no thought foreign to the service of God and 
 the honor of the King, in the firm belief that Your Excellen- 
 cy's great discretion and approved character will adopt the 
 most harmonious proper measures. 
 
 From the cautious procedure of the English it follows 
 that until this year we have had no news from our capital : 
 it follows also that without intending it, they have got the 
 better of us, even when we believed that they were keeping 
 the good faith set forth in the preliminaries of the conven- 
 tion of January 14 and 15 of the last year. It being the de- 
 sign of the King, as Your Excellency may see from the copy 
 herevvith, that we should fix our attention on the operations 
 of the English of Carolina merely to check their plans and 
 progress in the territory of our provinces, using force if 
 necessary, and having applied to Your Excellency, as to the 
 Viceroy of New Spain, for all that was needful for this pur- 
 pose, I find myself under the necessity of recurring to Your 
 Excellency, the only person that can give me the assistance 
 I must have, with the promptness required by the present 
 urgency. For without this assis.tance, it is clear I shall be 
 able neither to offer any resistance, nor to take any satis- 
 faction, since I lack sea forces, and therefore, stores, boats, 
 and seamen for their organization. 
 
 Florida, March 24, 1740. 
 
 No. 192. 
 Sir: 
 
 I am convinced that my continued requests must be 
 very annoying to Your Excellency ; but I am also convinced 
 that Your Excellency's prudence, lofty talents, and zeal in 
 the royal service, will cause Your Excellency to forgive mv 
 frequent applications, on considering the necessities, the 
 unhappy situation, and the misfortunes of this wretched 
 garrison. If Your Excellency does not soon rescue it 
 from its afflictions, I contemplate it as lost in the future. 
 Under this view then, and with regard to the recent progress 
 of the enemv, it seems proper to me that we should check it.
 
 ^ Letters of Montiano 
 
 And to that end, T bes^ Your Excellency to make the greatest 
 effort to send small boats for service in the river of St. 
 John's, thus compelling them to abandon it. This result 
 can be accomplished by our seizing the pass of San Nicholas, 
 one bank or the other, (as may suit), fortifying them as a 
 shelter for the boats, and by closing the river with an esta- 
 cade or chain of heavy timbers. All this done, T feel sure 
 they would have either to abandon Pupo, or allow them- 
 selves to be blockaded without the necessity of a siege. If 
 left alone, however, they will become inexpugnable, especial- 
 ly if the Uchises declare for them, which they will, on seeing 
 our indifference and inaction. 
 
 For this undertaking, we have here the men of the eight 
 companies, and tliose of the fort, 462 in all excluding the 
 detachment of Apalachee, 80 men ; in addition, we have 60 
 militiamen, 40 free negroes, and 50 Indians, as appears from 
 the return herewith. These men are sufficient. I take it, 
 only to make the river sure. But with Your Excellency's 
 consent, we could receive here (in order that regulars might 
 not be wanting where of most importance) 100 militiamen, 
 100 mulattoes and 100 negroes, the entire disposition of this 
 dependency remaining in Your Excellency's hands with re- 
 spect to the stores that Your Excellency might send for the 
 subsistence of all, seeing that we depend entirely for these 
 upon your city, and that without them we can do nothing. 
 
 Our unfortunate failure to take a single prisoner de- 
 prives me of the power of saying to Your Excellency ex- 
 actly in what strength they are, else we might more intel- 
 ligently develop this idea accordingly ; but I believe that 
 whenever they see our armament, they are compelled to re- 
 gard it as very strong, and that they must not expose them- 
 selves at one time to the chances of risking all of their 
 forces. 
 
 Should Your Excellency think it safe to send the funds for 
 the re-enforcements, and resolve to send them, I beseech 
 Your Excellency on the same occasion to send some for 
 continuing the work on the castle, for the amount in hand 
 for this purpose is well-nigh exhausted. And if Your Ex- 
 cellency could find any muskets f9r Indians, or if it were 
 possible to get them from Pensacola, I should be grateful 
 to Your Excellency for the favor of sending me as many as 
 you could, for I have none to give them, nor the courage to 
 cause you any more annoyance. 
 
 Flr)rida. 25 March. 1740.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine ^p 
 
 Return of men who are actually available in the Plaza of 
 Florida : 
 
 Of the eight companies. .308 Of the militiamen 61 
 
 Of the three of the Place. .080 Armed Indians 50 
 
 Of the artillerymen 032 Free Negroes 40 
 
 Of the cavalry 042 
 
 151 
 
 462 
 
 Total 613 
 
 No. 193. 
 Sir: 
 
 I communicate to Your Excellency the happy arrival on 
 the 14th instant of the six galliots under the charge of Don 
 Juan Fandino, and Don Francisco del Castillo, for sending 
 which I offer you my repeated thanks. At the same time, 
 I have to say to Your Excellency, that the next day we 
 mounted broadside guns on four of them, made a foremast 
 for one that had sprung hers, fitted them with many small 
 parts, and repaired all the arms. 
 
 On the 18th two English frigates came in sight from the 
 north. On the 19th at dawn, they were both off the bar, at 
 the same point of the compass, remaining in that neighbor- 
 hood all day, and sending a boat for water to the vicinity of 
 the point and coast of San Mateo. As the boat was resting 
 on its oars, the flagship fired a gun, and on seeing our two 
 launches making for it, fired another shot and withdrew. 
 
 On the 20th, only one frigate could be seen ; at dawn it 
 was at anchor on the bar. Being encouraged by the with- 
 drawal of one of the frigates, Don Juan Fandino, Don Fran- 
 cisco del Castillo, and the Pilot Don Domingo de la Cruz 
 formed the plan of surprising the one remaining in sight ; and 
 having discussed among themselves the ease with which we 
 could bring about its surrender, they laid the matter before 
 me with so much assurance, that I authorized the under- 
 taking, with the stipulation that I was not to be responsible 
 for failure. On the night of the same day, 50 soldiers and 
 3 ofBcers being readv to set out in the six galliots and the 
 two launches well armed, it happened that after nightfall the 
 lighthouse keeper of Santa Anastacia came in with the news 
 of having discovered, as evening fell, a sloop to the north, 
 which induced the Captains of the galliots to put ofif their de- 
 parture until dawn. Crossing the bar, then, at dawn, and 
 seeing that the frigate was alone and becalmed, they ap-
 
 50 Letters of Montiano 
 
 preached it with intrepidity with the tirm intention of board- 
 ing it in the beHef that it mounted only i8 or 20 guns. But 
 discovering that it had according to some, 32, according to 
 others, 3O guns, they fired on it about two hours ; and hav- 
 ing failed during this time to take the poop, and not having 
 brought on a surrender, and the wind coming on to blow 
 out of the east, our galliots by sail and oar promptly executed 
 the important maneuver of getting the weather gauge, and 
 so made a lucky retreat by way of Mantanzas, and thence 
 along the coast the two launches, with no damage other than 
 a shot of no consequence in one of our galliots, in spite of 
 the extreme efforts of the frigate to hug the coast so as to 
 embarrass the entrance, firing vigorously but without result 
 to secure this end. 
 
 I have no doubt that if the boats had gone out the same 
 night, and no warning had been given, as was the case from 
 dawn until half past eight, when the affair began, the frigate 
 would have been either surrendered or sunk ; but the En- 
 glishman manuevered so skilfully, that he did not allow them 
 to approach, for by towing out his ship, he kept on getting 
 farther away and getting time for his preparations ; while 
 our people were exhausting themselves by pulling, and when 
 they began to fire, he boldly presented his broadside, without 
 giving them a chance at his poop, and so in spite of their 
 various manuevers, they never got it. And in this condi- 
 tion they fired at each other for more than two hours, grape- 
 shot crossing from both sides. He dismantled his entire 
 cabin to mount a few stern-chasers, which he could not have 
 had, because here he used cabin doors, windows, tables, and 
 other pieces, and a gun port carried away by a cannon shot. 
 They say he had a large crew and regular troops in red 
 uniforms. 
 
 In this attempt Don Juan Fandino displayed good leader- 
 ship and valor having given in advance the orders for each 
 man's duties in an honorable retreat ; Don Francisco de Cas- 
 tillo gave proof of no less valor, being the only one who suc- 
 ceeded in attacking the poop, and firing a few shots into it; 
 he received 14 shots himself, all of which missed him. All 
 the other officers of the parties and of the garrison distin- 
 guished themselves equally, each one wishing to be the 
 first to board, and the soldiers and sailors no less valoriously 
 cried out in competition "Let us board !" The artillerymen of 
 the garrison assure me they did their duty well, and made 
 good practice. A frigate has remained constantly in view,
 
 Siege of St. Augusline 5/ 
 
 and seems to be the one of the affair just described ; on the 
 24th another one was seen from Matanzas, returning proba- 
 bly from a cruise as far as Cape Canaveral. We do not 
 know that it has spoken its companion : the one now present 
 seems to be one seen from Matanzas. It was joined on the 
 26th by a despatch boat which probably came to report what 
 had happened to the other, and to notify it to keep away 
 from the coast, so as not to be becalmed. According to all 
 appearances, they are going to keep off this port many days. 
 Florida, April 27, 1740. 
 
 No. 198. 
 Sir: 
 
 On the night of the 9th inst., the sloops of Marcos de 
 Torres, and ours under the charge of Don Domingo de la 
 Cruz left this port : the first on its way to that city (Habana), 
 the second having the colony of Guarico as its destination, 
 and carrying 6 thousand dollars in coin to be laid out in flour 
 and other stores for the support and maintenance of this 
 garrison. Last night at one o'clock a soldier arrived here 
 from the watch on the bar of Matanzas, with sad news to 
 the efifect that Pedro de Echeverria, the master of the said 
 Marco de Torres's sloop had come to that point (Matanzas), 
 to say that our sloop, at dawn of the loth was about 2 or 3 
 leagues beyond the bar of Mosquitoes, and close to a frigaie 
 carrying, it seemed to him, 40 guns. The frigate, being m 
 shore opened fire ; our sloop defended itself with valor, re- 
 turning the fire : when the frigate gave chase, and drove 
 our sloop aground a little on this side of the said bar. 
 
 On the loth I sent Your Excellency by way of Matanzas 
 bar, the schooner of Bartilome de Espinosa, with the sub- 
 lieutenant Don Joseph de Rivas aboard carrying despatches, 
 duplicates of which are inclosed, setting forth the desperate 
 state in which we find ourselves through lack of supplies. 
 This new unhappy occurrence compels rrie to lay before 
 you the fact that we are in extreme want, without food, and 
 besieged by sea. For as there are on this bar one frigate 
 and a despatch boat, seen the nth and 12th, and another 
 frigate is stationed in the channel off Cape Canaveral on this 
 coast, it follows infallibly that no small boats sent by Your 
 Excellency can reach us. Under these circumstances, we 
 have decided in a meeting just held to send Your Excellency 
 a galliot with this news, so that knowing the unhappy ex-
 
 ^2 Letters of Motitiauo 
 
 tremity to which we have come, Your Excellency may see 
 fit eagerly to succor us with the greatest possible amount 
 of supplies in vessels strong enough to cope with the three 
 on our coast, for in no other way do I see any help, and con- 
 sequently an irreparable calamity is hanging over us. 
 
 It is my duty to tell Your Excellency that for the present 
 this will be the last despatch on our unhappy state that I 
 shall be able to send, because, fearing lest the English intend 
 assaulting us by sea, 1 can assure Your Excellency that I 
 have no force for the defense of this bar, and that of Ma- 
 tanzas. other than the galliots. And noting that against 
 the attack of any small boat whatever they may have in the 
 Keys, our remaining launch is insufficient, we have used one 
 of the six galliots to cross over to that port (Habana) and 
 carry our melancholy news. 
 
 Through authentic reports of affairs in Apalachee, Your 
 Excellency will understand that in order to keep the In- 
 dians faithful to us, or at least prevent them from joining 
 either side, nothing is of such great value as the maintenance 
 of the storehouse, furnishing all necessaries in abundance. 
 With regard to both of these points, I beseech Your Ex- 
 cellency out of your great zeal in the service of the King, 
 to make the most ample provision, to the important end of 
 terminating both emergencies, at the very earliest date, see- 
 ing tliat in its present state, the preservation of this place 
 depends solely on the succor of Your Excellency, because 
 without supplies it is not possible that we shall preserve 
 our lives. 
 
 It is unnecessary to exaggerate to Your Excellency the 
 agony of our situation, for in respect of the amount of sup- 
 plies in hand, and of the fact that the population of this city 
 exceeds 2,400, Your Excellency will easily perceive that we 
 most urgently need help at the first possible moment. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, May 13, 1740. 
 
 Postscript. 
 
 I omitted to say to Your Excellency, that from a post sent 
 to Apalachee on the 13th of April to find out the state of 
 the Uchises, and back here after great effect on the loth in- 
 stant, by reason of the numerous Indian allies of the English 
 distributed over the whole country, I have learned that an 
 English sloop at Cayo de Huesos* gave chase to Pablo Rod- 
 
 • Kev West.
 
 Siege of St. Aug upline jj 
 
 riguez on his way with supphes to that fort (Apalachee) ; that 
 the sloop going- aground, and so being unable to pursue the 
 other, sent against Pedro Rodriguez an armed launch with 
 12 men on board, among them several Indians, against which 
 he defended himself with his two stone-mortars, and es- 
 copette, and succeeded in getting clear, although wounded 
 in the breast with a musketball. I am anxious to point out 
 to Your Excellency, that they are holding even that coast, 
 perhaps to cut ofif assistance sent to Apalachee. 
 
 No 200. 
 Sir: 
 
 At this hour, being seven of the morning, at which the 
 galliot was just about to sail, there arrived two men of Tor- 
 res' sloop with the news that the English who took our 
 sloop, have put a crew on board, and have posted her to the 
 leeward of the bar of Penon so close to the shore, that in 
 the quiet and silence of the night, conversation aboard can 
 be heard. And so I have suspended the departure of the 
 galliot, and have arranged to send a Spaniard and three In- 
 dians in a small canoe to the Keys, by the inside coast chan- 
 nel, where it will be easy for the Indians to take the little 
 canoe across the shoals ;* on arriving at Biscayne Key or at 
 Matacumbe, they are to try to find a fishing boat, to trans- 
 port them to that Port (Habana) or failing that, to ask the 
 Cacique Don Diego to undertake this important matter, to 
 which end I wrote him a letter of direction of the greatest 
 affection, because they set great store by these friendly dis- 
 plays. I feel it my duty to say to Your Excellency that un- 
 less those two frigates, the despatch boat and the sloop with- 
 draw from this coast, we shall be unable to send any reports, 
 so long as strong vessels do not come from that port (Ha- 
 bana), because the way through the Keys is uncertain and 
 dangerous, besides which there are but few Indians in those 
 parts with whom these matters can be carried on. While 
 on this subject, I give Your Excellency clearly to under- 
 stand that this place now contains no other resources for 
 its subsistence than the provisions for at least six months, 
 that Your Excellency can send in strong vessels. I have 
 
 « Varaderos. None r,f the usual meanings of this word applies here. Ii may 
 mean "poi tage." Tr.
 
 j^ Letters of Moutiauo 
 
 no expedient left that is of any value and unless help can 
 come by June 20 at the latest, it is the most natural thing in 
 the world that this garrison perish. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida. !\Iay 15, 1740. 
 
 In this letter were sent duplicates of the despatches taken 
 by Don Joseph de Rivas. 
 
 No. 201. 
 Sir: 
 
 On the 25th ultimate, 1 sent Your Excellency by a soldier 
 of this garrison and three Indians of the coast, the news con- 
 tained in the duplicate herewith. One of these Indians re- 
 turned on the 4th, with three gunshot wounds, and the news 
 that the Indians of Mayaca slew the soldier and two of his 
 companions at Gega. Since then, I learn in addition from 
 a foreman of Espinosa's, that while his master and some 
 other workmen were busy at San Diego on field works, 50 
 Indian allies of the English suddenly surrounded them, firing 
 a volley into them, and so killing one trooper and a negro 
 of Espinosa's. Nevertheless the others managed to get into 
 the fort, except a negro of the monastery of Saint Francis, 
 who took to the woods. Him they consider dead. The 
 Indians having failed to capture anyone withdrew. These 
 things being so, I took the resolution of sending a sergeant 
 and 12 men with a surgeon, to bring back the wounded, and 
 if necessary, to leave some people as reenforcement, and then 
 return. The sergeant not having returned in two days, I 
 sent a corporal of cavalry with six men, to discover anything 
 that might have occurred since in those parts. He returned 
 the next day, saying that he was unable to reach the fort, 
 the enemy by spreading out far and wide having given him 
 no chance. Having then sent out other scouts, not one 
 brought me any formal news as to whether the fort was tak- 
 en, or was still holding out. The captains were then called 
 together in a council, and it was resolved to send a detach- 
 ment of 300 men from the eight companies, from three of 
 the place, militiamen, Indians and negroes, under Captain 
 Don Miguel de Ribas, Don Fulgencio de Alfaro, and Don 
 Pedro Lambcrto. with four galliots, one launch, and 4 pi- 
 rogues, to transport the troops and carry two guns in case 
 it was necessary to batter the fort, demolish a side of it, 
 rind recover or succor it. But the captains having learned
 
 Siege of St. Augustine jj 
 
 that the enemy, drawn up waiting for us, was much superior 
 in numbers to our detachment, withdrew to this place. I 
 have since learned by another scout, that they were strength- 
 ening the fort. And others who frequently reiterate, say that 
 their small parties are at a league from here; which makes 
 me think they are present in force, and that they are es- 
 tablishing storehouses at San Diego for food and stores, in 
 preparation for the siege of this place. 1 am persuaded of 
 this too from their having shown to-day live vessels in ad- 
 dition to the two that have now been watching this bar and 
 that of Matanzas for a long time. With this news, proof, as 
 it were of a siege, I am compelled to report these occurren- 
 ces to Your Excellency by the launch that I am keeping on 
 the bar of Mosquitoes waiting for the succor, which by the 
 same launch Your Excellency told me you were going lo 
 send. For informed of them, and of the desperate strait in 
 which this garrison finds itself. Your Excellency may be 
 good enough to succor it at the earliest moment by sen ling 
 strong vessels to overcome those of the enemy. I dr)i:bt 
 very much if help can be got in in any other way, or if we 
 can exist much longer without supplies, shut in by the ene- 
 my on sea and land. Although the vessels so far seen are 
 seven, I firmly believe that the Vizarra, the San Juan and 
 the Pingue can resist their force, since some of their vessels 
 appear to us to be merchant. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, June ii, 1740. 
 
 Postscript to the letter proper. 
 Sir: 
 
 I am so occupied with business, that I cannot answer \ >'ur 
 Excellency's letters received in the launch, nor others. :'ns- 
 wers to which have been begun. As they are not occupying 
 the bar of Matanzas, there yet remains a means of succor, 
 and we shall there make all possible resistance with tlu'ee 
 galliots and land troops. 
 
 No. 202.* 
 
 Sir: . • u • 
 
 Considering that in case this arrives m time to be o; nnv 
 benefit. Your Excellency may, after reflection upon its con- 
 tents, take the most suitable measures, I give notice tint the 
 
 * Translation from Southern Quarterly Review, AT^ril. 1S44. p. 406. an>1 usp.I l.cre 
 after many corrections and alterations. Tr.
 
 5<5 Letters of Montiano 
 
 enemy remains stationed on this bar, and on that of Ma- 
 tanzas, and is in possesion of the Island of Santa Anastacia, 
 and its watch-tower, of all the beach of San Mateo, and 
 maintains a camp at the village of Moze. The ships block- 
 ading us are seven frigates of 23 to 30 guns, two packets of 
 10 or 12 guns, three sloops, six schooners, and twelve scows 
 exclusive of boat, and launches belonging to the vessels. 
 
 At this moment, which is nine o'clock in the forenoon, they 
 have opened with a mortar firing large shell (granadas reales) 
 a few splinters of which have fallen into the fort, but most 
 of them have passed over the lines, and beyond them, 
 
 I assure Your Excellency that it is impossible to express 
 the confusion of this place, for we have here no protection 
 except the fort, and all the rest is open field. The families 
 have abandoned their houses, and come to put themselves 
 under protection of the guns, which is pitiable, though noth- 
 ing gives me anxiety but the want of provisions, and if Your 
 Excellency for want of competent force, cannot send relief, 
 we must all indubitably perish. With this information, I 
 am assured Your Excellency will excuse the hyperboles in 
 which the conflict we are in, may be portrayed, and I hope 
 every attention will be given to measures conducing to re- 
 lieve this eminent peril, as a matter of such moment, and of 
 the first service to the King. 
 
 St. Augustine, in Florida, 24th June, 1740. 
 
 No. 203. 
 Sir: 
 
 On the 24th ultimate, I sent Your Excellency by way of 
 Apalachee an accurate account of the siege by sea and land 
 of this place by the English, a duplicate of which I enclose. 
 
 *I have now to inform Your Excellency, that at eleven 
 o'clock on the night of Saturday the 25th of June, I sent out 
 from this garrison, 300 men to make an attack on the fort 
 of Moze, which was executed at day-break on Sunday morn- 
 ing. Our people swept over it, with such impetuosity that 
 it fell, with a loss of 68 dead, and 34 prisoners. 
 
 I have ascertained that the garrison of this place, consisted 
 of 140 men according to some of the prisoners, and of 170 
 according to others. It was composed of one militia com- 
 
 • This extract is to be found in Southern Quarterly Review for April, 1844, p. 406; 
 it is used here with many corrections and alterations.
 
 Siege oj St . A ugusline ^j 
 
 pany of Scotchmen, 70 men, including officers, of 15 infantry 
 40 horsemen, and 35 Indians, Yaches and Uchices, with a 
 white man for chief. This detachment or garrison was 
 commanded by Colonel (Palma) who with one of his sons 
 was evidently left dead in the action. An Indian prisoner 
 affirms positively that he saw Colonel Palma dead, and his 
 head cut off. He further infers that both of his sons were 
 dead, though he did not see them dead ; because he saw their 
 hats in the hands of our people; of whom ten have died, 
 among them the Ensign, Don Joseph de Aguilera.* The 
 affair being terminated, I ordered the fort to be demolished, 
 and the dead buried. From such investigation as I have 
 been able to make among the prisoners, I have acquired the 
 following news. Three or four prisoners agree in saying, 
 that both by rumor and by gazette, they have learned of the 
 preparation in England of a considerable expedition against 
 Havana, consisting of 30 ships of the line, and of a landing 
 party of 10,000 men — and I am sending this despatch to give 
 you this information as possibly of great importance to the 
 service of the King. , 
 
 Of the armament besieging us, the prisoners say it is 
 composed of 7 frigates, one of 50 guns from Bermuda, anoth- 
 er of 40, another of 2J, and the rest of 20; the number of 
 despatch boats, bilanders, or of other small boats they do 
 not know. They vary in their estimate of the main body 
 of troops, some putting it at 2,000 others at 1,500, or 1,200, 
 and still others at 900. In respect of batteries, they have 
 brought among others, three bronze i8-pounders from Car- 
 olina. Up to to-day they have made no assault, but it would 
 seem that by reason of the blow at Moze, they have all as- 
 sembled on the Island of Santa Anastacia, where they have 
 collected eleven small mortars, two of them for shells of half 
 a cjuintal, and the other 9 for smaller ones. With these, and 
 one other larger one formerly on the coast of San Matheo, 
 12 in all, they fired on us the 30 of June, from 6 in the even- 
 ing, until 10 at night. 
 
 My greatest concern is for supplies, and if we get none, 
 there is no doubt we shall die of hunger. 
 
 *From the beginning of the fire up to this day they have 
 thrown 122 large shell and 31 small, from which, glory he 
 to God, we have received no corporal injury. On the Ts- 
 
 * This paragraph and the next may be found in Soiitliern Onarterly Review of 
 April, 1844, p. 409.
 
 j8 Letters of Montiano 
 
 land of Santa Anastacia, they have emplaced a battery of 5 
 guns, three of 18 and two of 6-pounders, the first to batter 
 the fort and town, and the others for the gaUiots, and with 
 them they make incessant fire; but ours answers them, and 
 we are informed that they receive more damage than our- 
 selves. 
 
 On the first day of the month, after beating a call, they 
 sent us a white fiag, with three letters, making a demand 
 the nature of which Your Excellency will perceive by their 
 tenor. Our answer Your Excellency will learn from the 
 enclosures ; and from that day they have fired with increased 
 vigor, but in vain, for it appears that God has given greater 
 accuracy to our fire. 
 
 My outposts have found four more men killed in the af- 
 fair of J\Ioze, two of them white, the others Indian. 
 
 From a deserter that arrived here on the 14th ultimate, 
 we learn that General Oglethorpe brought 900 men, 300 of 
 his regiment of regulars, and 600 Carolina militia ; that it 
 was unknown if others would come to him from Virginia or 
 other parts ; that the Carolina militia came supplied for four 
 months. But the prisoners of Moze say that even if neces- 
 sary to remain one year before this place. General Ogle- 
 thorpe will do it, until he subdues it. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, July 6, 1740. 
 
 No. 204. 
 Sir: 
 
 From a deserter crossing over from the island of Santa 
 Anastacia I have just learned that the frigates of the squad- 
 ron are six in number, the flagship of 40 guns, and two hun- 
 dred men ; and the remainder of 20 with one hundred and 
 fifty men. The deserter declared he had not been on board 
 of any of them, but that he had got his account from some 
 sailors with whom he had talked. I send this to Your Ex- 
 cellency to weigh any significance it may have ; so that, with 
 reference to it, and to the statement of the prisoner that 
 there was a frigate of 50 guns from Bermuda, and another 
 of 40 or origin unknown to him, Your Excellency may draw 
 the conclusion that seems l^est to you, premising that when 
 the said prisoner made this remark, he said he had not seen 
 the 50-gun frigate but that a frigate having anchored before 
 the Ijar of St. John's, the General told them she was from 
 Bermuda and carried 50 guns. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, July 13, 1740.
 
 Siege of St. Augusline 59 
 
 No. 205.* 
 Sir: 
 
 On the 6th of the present month 1 informed Your Excel- 
 lency, by the Adjutant Don Juan Jacinto Rodriguez, of what 
 had then occurred. On the night of the day subsequent, (the 
 7th of July,) Louis Gomez arrived at this place, with intel- 
 ligence that he left within the bar of Mosquitoes, three 
 sloop, one small sloop, and two schooners, with provisions 
 sent by Your Excellency, in charge of Juan de Oxeda, and 
 addressed to the Captain Don Manuel de Villasante. The 
 pleasure with which I received this news, is indescribable ; 
 but the joy subsisted but a short time in my heart ; for I 
 was also informed, that when Pedro Chepuz, and the French 
 sloop in which he came as pilot, arrived of¥ this bnr, he was 
 seen and chased by an English ship, and packet, which did 
 no harm, but got notice of our provisions, and of their 
 v.'hereabouts. At the same time came a deserter from the en- 
 emy's camp, who said that on some night, during spring tides, 
 it was the intention of General Oglethorpe, to mrike an at- 
 tack on this place by sea and land. On this I suspended the 
 execution of the plan I had fixed on for bringing the pro- 
 visions, little by little, and applied myself entirely to the pur- 
 pose of resisting whatever attempts his pride and arrogance 
 might undertake ; but the days of opportunity, passed, with- 
 out his executing his idea, and I turned my eyes upon our 
 relief vessels, v»'hich were manifestly in danger. Using only 
 the launches and the boat, we carried on the work of un- 
 loading and transporting to this place ; for although I also 
 seni; with them a pirogue of considerable capacity for the 
 same purpose, it so happened that on making that bar, four 
 boats and launches', one frigate and a despatch boat crossed 
 their path, separating themi and attacking the small ones. 
 But our people defended themselves stoutly, from four of 
 the afternoon until nightfall, suffering only the loss of our 
 pirogue, which splintered itself against the launches ; the 
 crew having shifted over, they continued their journey, and 
 returned happily loaded with flour, and continued their task 
 until it was no longer necessary, for on the 20th, the enemy 
 having raised his camp, and taken to hasty and shameful 
 flight, I promptly ordered our bilanders after making the 
 most careful inspection to see if the pass was open and the 
 
 * Portions of this letter are published in the Southern Quarterly Review of Apiil, 
 
 1844, pp. 409, 410.
 
 6o Letters of 3/ontiaiio 
 
 coast clear, to resume their voyage and come in by Matanzas, 
 if they had at the least a moral certainty of safety. This 
 they accordingly did on the 25th ; and to-day the sloop from 
 Campeche and the two schooners have completely discharg- 
 ed their cargo. And I have consequently directed Paloma- 
 rez, Captain of one of them, to prepare to take this news to 
 Your Excellency. 
 
 I assure Your Excellency, that I cannot arrive at a com- 
 prehension of the conduct, or rules of this General ; for I 
 am informed by at least twelve deserters from him present 
 here, that his camp was composed of 370 men of his regi- 
 ment, 600 militia of Carolina, 130 Indians, and 200 sailors 
 armed, and encamped on the Island of Santa Anastacia, and 
 as many more sailors for the management of the sloops, 
 schooners, and launches. My wonder is inexpressible that 
 this gentleman should make his retreat with such precipi- 
 tation, as to leave abandoned, four 6-pounders on the bat- 
 tery on the point of San Mateo, one schooner, two kegs 
 of gunpowder, several muskets and escopettes, and to set 
 fire to a quantity of provisions, such as boxes of bacon, 
 cheese, lard, dried beef, rice and beans, to a schooner, and 
 to an excellent mortar carriage ; besides many things that 
 have profited the Indians, and galley slaves who have had 
 the fortune to pick up several barrels of lard and flour, and 
 some pork.'-" Notwithstanding all this, I can assure Your 
 Excellency that all the deserters, and two squaws of ours, 
 prisoners of theirs that escaped, agree in saying that Don 
 Diego Oglethorpe is going to reorganize his forces, and 
 make a great effort to stir up the Indians. And although 
 I appraise this rumor as something to placate and leave 
 in doubt his people, moderating the fire that may be burning 
 among them, and especially the Carolinians and Scotchmen 
 as having Ijeen the hardest hit, yet I believe there would be 
 no harm in taking precautions, and in Your Excellency 
 sending me such reenforcements as may be suitable, and 
 the munitions and stores as set forth in memorandum here- 
 with. I shall send a post at once to the Uchises, to draw 
 them, in view of all this news, from their allegiance to the En- 
 glish, and I shall ofTer to treat them handsomely if it will 
 please them to come see me. 
 
 •This paiaj^raph corrected, etc., may be fouml in Southtfrii Quarterly Review 
 :oc. dt.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 6i 
 
 The formal seige has continued 38 days, counting from 
 the 13th of June, to the 20th of July, and the fire of the bat- 
 teries and bombardment 27 days, from the 24th of June, to 
 the said 20th of July. The batteries were three; one in the 
 pool on the Island of Santa Anastacia, of four i8-pounders 
 and one 9-pounder ; another on the point of the hammock on 
 said island, of two i8-pounders, and the other on the coast 
 of the interior part of the point San Mateo, of seven 6- 
 pounders, five of iron, and two of brass. The mortars, and 
 small mortars were thirty-four, two mortars throwing shell 
 of half a quintal, and two others of about a quintal. The 
 thirty small mortars, which the deserters call cow horns,* 
 were, some small hand grenades, and others for those of ten 
 or twelve pounds. 
 
 The loss we have suffered is reduced to two men killed, 
 and wounded. Those (wounded) by gun fire who died were 
 . . artilleryman and the convict, son of Ordonez, whom 
 with the other one named Contreras I received in the first 
 launch-loads from Mosquito. Of the other two wounded 
 by shellfire, to wit, a soldier and a negro, the negro is per- 
 fectly well, and the other has a good chance of pulling 
 through, though with one leg fewer. 
 
 The constancy, valor and glory of the officers here are 
 beyond all praise ; the patriotism, courage and steadiness of 
 the troops, militia, free negroes, and convicts, have been 
 great. These last I may say to Your Excellency, have 
 borne themselves like veteran soldiers. I especially com- 
 mend their humble devotion, for without ceasing work by 
 day, they have persevered by night with the care and vigi- 
 lence of old soldiers. 
 
 Even among the slaves a particular steadiness has been 
 noticed, and a desire not to await the enemy within the place 
 but to go out to meet him. In short, I have been thoroughly 
 satisfied with all during the siege, and especially with the 
 circumstance that during the entire siege no one has de- 
 serted. And lastly, Your Excellency may believe that the 
 galliots have been of great service to me: for if the siege 
 had caught me without them, the English would have given 
 me much work to do, as the launches could have been used 
 for nothing but the guard of this port, to say nothing of the 
 necessity of taking other indispensable measures, at great 
 
 •The name of the mortar is Coehoru, from the inventor. As pronounced it 
 sounded to Don Manuel like cow horn, and he accordingly so translates into his own 
 speech, cuemos de vaca. Tr.
 
 62 Letters of Montiano 
 
 cost. And so I renew my thanks to Your Excellency for 
 having sent them to my relief, even against the common 
 opinion of the entire torrent of members of the Jimta held 
 by you to decide vi'hether or no they should be sent. 
 
 On the return of the boats under the charge of Don Juan 
 de Ojeda I shall write at length to Your Excellency : to-day 
 I can do no more than send this great news by the ship- 
 master Palomares. 
 
 Saint Augustine, in Florida, July 28, 1740. 
 
 Postscript. 
 Sir: 
 
 All the 12 English deserters say in confirmation of one 
 another that General Oglethorpe has gone for reenforce- 
 ments, with the intention of returning upon this place next 
 spring. Although I do not believe that the settlers of Car- 
 olina will give more help on account of the vexation and 
 annoyances of this campaign, yet his authority and restless 
 spirit may move them, as well as the numbers he is said to 
 expect from Europe, according to some, two thousand, to 
 others, two regiments. Relative to this, Your Excellency 
 may consider the best measures to put this place in a new 
 state of defense, lacking as I do more than the remaining 
 300 rien, on account of the losses encountered at Pupo, 
 San Diego, the sloop, the sortie of Moze, and of Indian 
 prisoners and killed. 
 
 The enemy spread the news that on their retreat they 
 would burn the fort of San Diego, and that of Pupo. But 
 the latest deserter says that General Oglethorpe is going 
 to construct a battery of 6 guns at the entrance of the Saint 
 John's on the other side, to prevent the entrance of galliots, 
 and in order to maintain Pupo. All the others declare that 
 it was his intention to withdraw with his entire regiment 
 (nov.- of 378 men out of 600 it originally contained) to the 
 fort of Federico, and fortify himself there, abandoning the 
 remaining forts he has in other islands. Other deserters 
 have said that their general was going over to London for 
 fresh reenforcements. Should the war continue, we m.ust 
 take measures to oppose his plans. 
 
 The fort at San Diego was abandoned without being burn- 
 ed, reported. Luckily for us, no shelll fell within the fort, 
 hut their guns injured our parapets. 
 
 This was the moment to exterminate General Oglethorpe 
 with his regiment and force him out of Georgia, with forces 
 
 I
 
 'y--'' F 
 
 ■^^'A^ "vn ^ 'V. 
 
 / /V../.V 
 
 I III, 
 
 HAUJiOl |< ol ,S:Ai;< 
 
 
 01 
 
 fr<mi 
 
 ■'I il>, 
 H»(;//TU().V(H'H.\n/.K,(,r/,OKI))l
 
 Ill<;/IT||ONIMFIAII1.K,I„I,0«DI
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 6j 
 
 but little stronger than those I have here, for his troops are 
 discontented, and he would get but little help from Carolina 
 by reason of the same discontent, and fear of their negroes. 
 
 So far the French sloop has been una]:»le to enter, nor 
 have 1 seen anyone other than Monsieur Paran. 1 have 
 appointed to-morrow for an interview with them. 
 
 In the latest orders but one from the capital, I received 
 one forbidding the supply of stores from any foreign colony, 
 on account of a mistake here over the admission of Beuavides 
 of a schooner in a time of scarcity. But in the latest ones, 
 received by me with Don Juan del Canto, to whom Your 
 Excellency entrusted them, the King directs me to supply 
 myself in the French colonies, which authority permits with- 
 out any misgiving the contract made by you, to which I fully 
 accede, although the price of flour is high, and we shall try 
 to cut it down as much as possible. 
 
 I have been most anxious, but it is certain that the troops 
 (I can not set forth to Your Excellency their valor, steadi- 
 ness and sufifering under our continuous labor) relieved me 
 in great part. In the midst of such great dangers, gossip 
 ran riot. 
 
 Don Antonio Salgado, who commanded the sortie on 
 Moze, acted like a true officer, profiting by their discharge 
 to take them disarmed, as it were ; on which he entered the 
 work in safety, and overthrew them, although the fort is 
 capable of much resistance. 
 
 This afifair destroyed the settlement of Scotchmen and 
 people in whom Oglethorpe had complete confidence. Al- 
 though the matter is common property here, I inform Your 
 Excellency confidentially that Fanclino is not fit to command 
 the galliots, and on the contrary all the other captains are, 
 because he has been remiss in obeying my orders, and could 
 with but little risk have dismounted "their principal battery, 
 and the last day have prevented the escape of some of the 
 English vessels, and other good tilings, and it is well that 
 Your Excellency should know this. 
 
 The garrison sloop only took six thousand dollars on gar- 
 rison account and the eight pickets, and a few * groups of 
 people from the underbrush but it is the habit here to aug- 
 ment evervthinsf. 
 
 * Encoynie ml ilia s de particular e depocamonte. Precisely what is meant by 
 these words is not clear. Encomiendilla is a diminutive of enconuenda, on which as 
 an instiUition, <te Foreman "The Philippine Islands," y- edition, p. 211, and also De 
 Morga "The Philippine Islands," pu. 323. 3^5, London, printed for the Hakluyt 
 Society, 1868. The reference of the ei.lire passage is obscure. I'r.
 
 64 Letters of Montiano 
 
 A few of our prisoners have returned hither from the 
 camp and from the boats of the EngHsh, and speak ill of Don 
 Domingo. I marvel at this greatly, but the signs are bad. 
 
 May God preserve our judgment, and Your Excellency's, 
 as is mv wish. 
 
 No. 207. 
 Sir: , 
 
 On July 28, I sent or had ready the report sent to Your 
 Excellency in a letter of that date, and reduced to the state- 
 ment that on the 20th of the same, the enemy raised the 
 siege ; and that on account of the presence or station of a 
 frigate and despatch boat to the south on this coast, the 
 entrance of the sloops and schooners with supplies could 
 not be made before July 2^. I now^ have to tell Your 
 Excellency that Palomares failed or was unable to sail, 
 through his carelessness and neglect before Sunday the 31. 
 
 To-day, August 3, I have received Your Excellency's prin- 
 cipal letter entrusted to Don Juan Ruiz del Canto who, as 
 may be inferred from the foregoing letter included herewith, 
 tells me that he had remained in his cabin : and with regard 
 to Your Excellency's advices, in it, to the effect that Your 
 Excellency is preparing the frigate Sta. Catarina under the 
 command of Don Joseph de Herrera, two other frigates 
 equipped for war, two transports and a sloop with stores. 
 I have sent out the boat to-day, to take station with 11 men 
 on the bar of Mosquitoes, in order to give the necessary 
 notice of the state of this place to the said Captain Don Jos- 
 eph de Herrera, and so that at the proper time Bartolome 
 de Espinosa may set forth to bear to Your Excellency a du- 
 plicate of the report of the withdrawal of the Generals Ogle- 
 thorpe and Pierse. I have so far not yet received positive 
 news that the enemy has withdrawn from San Juan, although 
 the latest deserters have assured me that they were to em- 
 bark on the coming Friday, 5th instant. To the end of 
 verifying this news, and that of their having sent a few 
 launches to take up the guns at Pupo and demolish it, I 
 am kecj)ing out various patrols of cavalry and Indians, the 
 principal purpose and most especial charge being to observe 
 their movements in order to guard against any treacherous 
 design, seeing that I had received a verification of the re- 
 port that they were maintaining themselves at San Juan, with 
 all the troops, militia and smaller boats.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 65 
 
 I have not thought it proper to follow the rearguard, be- 
 cause of lack of troops; out of the < ight companies alone 
 more than one hundred men are lacking. The troops more- 
 over are worn out, and I do not wish to expose this place, 
 in a matter of doubtful issue, to late ruin, after having res- 
 cued it from the greatest danger. But I hope finally with 
 the disposition and assistance of Your Excellency to chas- 
 tise them, and give them an exterminating blow. 
 
 As this despatch must go promptly, I have no more to 
 report to Your Excellency. 
 
 Florida, August 3, 1740. 
 
 No. 210. 
 Sir: 
 
 I shall now proceed to answer Your Excellency's letters 
 necessarily laid aside on account of my pressing duties. 
 Besides the intelligence given by the two and twenty desert- 
 ers that have come here, to the effect that General Ogle- 
 thorpe has circulated the rumor that he means to return id 
 the siege of this place within four or five months, or next 
 spring, they add that he will cause other galliots to be built, 
 like ours, but of greater burden. And although it appears 
 impossible to me that the said Ogletorpe should repeat the 
 enterprise, on account of the arduous difficulties he will en- 
 counter in bringing the settlers of Carolina a second time 
 to his way of thinking, nevertheless as the entire system of 
 the citizens of those colonies and of their neighbors, consists 
 and dwells in the desire to capture this place, the reef on 
 which ordinarily they break, and the obstacle to the course 
 of their inhuman and haughty plan of exterminating the 
 Indians of the continent of Apalachee and its confines so as 
 to occupy all these provinces without let or hindrance, it 
 seems logical to me not to spurn their warnings, because it 
 may of course happen that, thoroughly distrusting the con- 
 duct of Oglethorpe, they may in case the war continue, ask 
 the King of Great Britian to commit the direction of af- 
 fairs to some other soldier whose conciliatory character may 
 give them better satisfaction. If this happens, as is possible, 
 or if the same Oglethorpe should again have charge, he may 
 succeed in bewitching them into the belief that another 
 greater expedition is necessary against this place, for ob- 
 viously we must assume that the new attempt and attack 
 would be undertaken with double forces at least. And if 
 his court should be inclined to grant the two regiments or
 
 66 Letters of Montiano 
 
 the two thousand troops, as divulged, because of the advan- 
 tage to that Crown of holding this province, then will it be 
 most necessary to send equal forces ; for, seeing that this 
 place is an open country, its defense should be guarded more 
 than any other thing. There can infallibly be no other worse 
 nor more deplorable condition, than our reduction to the 
 limits of the fort ; if this happens, which God forbid, it is 
 equally infallible that we could not exist for any length of 
 time. \Mthout taking into consideration any other reason 
 or principle, the sad voices and tears of the women and 
 children, were enough to distract their fathers from the best 
 laid, logical plans. I keep in mind Your Excellency's grave 
 preoccupations with the defense of that island (Cuba), beauti- 
 ful woman whom all nations are wooing, but 1 also be- 
 lieve that Your Excellency, zealous in the ling's service, will 
 make a special study of coming to the relief of this place 
 with all that it needs. 
 
 In a circular of January 30 of this year, sent to all coun- 
 cils of the cities of these Indies, the King especially recom- 
 mends the defense of all his American dominions, offering 
 at the same time to send troops from the Kingdom for the 
 making of a more vigorous resistance. But if it should hap- 
 pen that these can not be supplied, either by reason of some 
 serious obstacle by sea or land, or for any other good reason, 
 then, in obedience to my duty, and to the reiterated com- 
 mands of the ;. ing to report to Your Excellency, I must set 
 before Your Excellency my resources, begging for whatever 
 may be necessary to the defense of this place ; because, if 
 the war continues, I am under the necessity of asking for 370 
 infantrymen, and 24 artillerymen. During the siege and be- 
 fore, and counting the men not fit for duty, the troops of this 
 garrison and of the reenforcements were reduced by this 
 number, there remaining of the former only 116 fit for duty, 
 and of the latter ony 240, making 356. As both corps should 
 amount to 750, 350 of the old garrison, and 400 of the eight 
 companies of the reenforcements, and as there are in this gar- 
 rison no more than 356 between the two, it is plain that I 
 need 394 men. just the number T am asking for, and having 
 reference to the terms under which the King held this place. 
 But as it is now threatened v^ath the most furious anger rea- 
 son of the damage inflicted upon the English in their siege 
 of it, it is my duty at the same time to ask Your Excellency, 
 should the war continue, for 300 armed men more, mulattoes 
 and free negroes from the militia of Cuba. T regard it as
 
 Siege of St Augustine 67 
 
 important to tlie best and most useful service of the King, 
 that in the agreement made to this end, it be stipulated and 
 arranged with them, that they are to do armed duty when 
 necessary, and manual labor all the time, these being the 
 two purposes they must understand they are coming for. 
 But if this should appear to Your Excellency to be too heavy 
 a task, an agreement might be reached with them to divide 
 them into two shifts, giving to one half indulgence, in order 
 to have them work for weeks or months, and allowing them 
 to employ their spare time in rest or amusement, or in the 
 pursuit of anything that might appeal to the intelligence of 
 each one. 
 
 And if Your Excellency could send them armed, it will be 
 and is of significance to the King's service, there being no 
 one here to perform it, because this is now a Hospital. At 
 the same time, I must point out to Your Excellency that it 
 would be most profitable to send the negroes and mulattoes 
 at the very first opportunity to put the position into the 
 proper condition, and that the infantry and artillery should 
 be here by December 20 of this year at the latest. 
 
 The great penetration of Your Excellency will perceive 
 from these terms, that the King can impose no charge upon 
 me without my recurring to Your Excellency, as he com- 
 manded, for all that is necessary to put this place in the con- 
 dition His Majesty desires, and that in following this course 
 1 am discharging my obligation in obedience to the royal 
 orders directing me to apply to Your Excellency for all that 
 the custody of this place demands. With respect to all this, 
 I believe that if it be possible, all measures will promptly be 
 taken to send me the succor in question : and that if it be 
 impossible to send the number of troops and militia. Your 
 Excellency will fully satisfy the King on this point, and I 
 shall have fully complied with his sovereign commands, and 
 no one can caluminously charge me with omission, indolence 
 or neglect. 
 
 I firmly believe that Your Excellency's lofty talents will 
 not disavow my legitimate and just petitions in behalf of the 
 royal principle whence they flow; and that if the King des- 
 tines troops for the better defense of this place, my petitions 
 would still remain in force; for His Majesty will naturally 
 count upon his garrison, and upon what he had before direct- 
 ed to be sent, because he will think that his directions have 
 been obeyed. 
 
 Florida, August 7, 1740.
 
 6S Letters of Montiano 
 
 No. 248. 
 Sir: 
 
 After learning of the loss of the Convoy of supplies sent 
 by Your Excellency to this place, in the brigantine of Andres 
 Gonzales and the sloop of the King, I managed successfully 
 to arm the Campeche sloop as a privateer. It went out the 
 17th of October and having captured a Carolinian schooner 
 sent her here under the charge of Domingo Quintana, Don 
 Juan de Hita, tw^o boys, and a negro. And although she 
 came to the entrance of this port six days afterward, and 
 our launch went out to pilot her having made no attempt to 
 speak her, as neither did the port, since she was going to 
 the southward, and was taken for an Englishman, she with- 
 drew, but so far we have not the slightest news of her. We 
 believe either that she must have been lost in some storm, or 
 that three Englishmen she had aboard, the two boys and a 
 woman were killed while drunk, as the first were, the rest 
 being taken asleep. A few days later, Oglethorpe's ser- 
 geant major was captured, and through bad management I 
 lost two men, one killed and the other wounded by the 18- 
 pounders of the frigate and despatch boat. A pink was cap- 
 tured ofY Carolina,* on its way to Hamburg, and having on 
 board over nine thousand arrobas (quarters) of rice, which 
 has been the salvation of this city, because from the 28 of Oc- 
 tober when she came in, the troops and entire neighborhood 
 have lived on it, baking it into roscas (ring-shaped biscuits 
 or cakes). The said Joseph Sanchez having declared that 
 he wished to leave off privateering and sell his sloop, I ar- 
 ranged to buy and arm it, rigging it anew with captured 
 tackle, to the satisfaction of Fandino, who it was suggested 
 wished to go privateering. Equipping it according to his 
 judgment, and leaving him freedom of action, the sloop was 
 fitted out much to the satisfaction of everybody that not 
 even from the ways could she have gone forth better equip- 
 ped. With 80 men picked out by him, the 50 of the gal- 
 liots, and 30 from this place, and a sergeant and six soldiers 
 he asked for, she hoisted sail on December 3 with a good 
 wind, and on the 5th at dawn found herself on the bar of 
 Carolina* itself, although it was his intention to station him- 
 self off Cape Ferro, out of sight of land ; but finding himself 
 so near to Carolina,* as well as to the pilot on the bar, he 
 captured him. Keeping in view at the same time a priva- 
 
 • Charleston.
 
 Siege of St. Augustine 6g 
 
 teering sloop which had just left the port on its way to Ja- 
 maica, the two privateers closed, and according- to the report 
 of three men succeeded in bringing the launch, went ofif to- 
 gether cannonading each other ; from time to time there was 
 musketry fire. The men say they were unable to follow their 
 privateer and fearing lest the Englishman should capture 
 them if he tacked, they tried to make the coast. The 
 EngHshman was seen to tack toward the land and returned 
 to his port : our ship was lost to view standing out to sea. 
 Before going aboard, Fandino was heard to say he would 
 go farther north because now they were discovered in those 
 parts. 
 
 The three men who brought in the launch (which re- 
 sembles our boat here with its deck) separated from the pri- 
 vateer with only two ship biscuit : with what they could catch 
 with a hook, they succeeded in arriving safely. A little ne- 
 gro of lo or 12, taken in the launch says that the largest and 
 best part of Carolina, to wit the houses of the Mariyia (water- 
 front) has been burned, the fire having lasted two weeks ; 
 that the powder magazine blew up, and that there were three 
 mamiales ** in the harbor. 
 
 On the 19th a schooner much larger than that of Muga- 
 guren anchored on our bar, captured by our privateer Fan- 
 digo, who writes me from Cape Ferro what Your Excel- 
 lency may see in copy herewith. Two prisoners sent in 
 her bring no special news other than what Your Excellency 
 may get from the declaration they made. 
 
 On the 29th instant, our privateering sloop returned be- 
 cause the crew could not stand the rigors of the winter, 
 which has been cruel. Fandino came ashore, and told me of 
 another schooner he had captured, but without supplies, only 
 a few useless things, such as aguardiente, honey-cakes, and 
 flag stones ; and that she must be well out to sea, as she was 
 caught in a storm in the Bahama Channel. The captains 
 of the two schooners, and the Carolina pilot whom Fandino 
 took aboard the privateer, and whom I caused to be examin- 
 ed to-day, have no more news to give than the short paper 
 of the said 29. 
 
 Yesterday we caught sight of an English frigate seemingly 
 of 20 to 24 guns : to-day it has remained in view until 3 of 
 the afternoon. Bearing in mind Fandino's performance on 
 
 ** I. e. men o' war. See note, ante. Tr.
 
 JO Letters of Moniiano 
 
 the bar of San Jorge, I infer that they must have armed one 
 of their mayiiiales to pursue the privateer, or to come and 
 wait here, as it were to hamper the entrance of the boats 
 saiHng from this city. With reference to this, if on receipt 
 of this, there should be some strong- boat, capable of at- 
 tacking this one, I beseech Your Excellency to send it, to 
 clear the coast ; because it is very possible they will be chas- 
 tised, and from the fear so engendered, will not so lightly 
 undertake to blockade us. 
 
 Florida, Jan. 2, 1741. 
 Postscript. 
 
 I have just heard that the Carolina pilot says this frigate 
 was to leave for the purpose of remaining four months off 
 this port, and that her captain had so promised the Parlia- 
 ment. And I fear lest the small boats missing from the last 
 shipment, and that of Escalera may fall into its hands.
 
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