Spanish-English Conflict, 1670-1748
The Treaty of Madrid, 1670, aimed at stopping the Spanish-English contest along the South Atlantic coast by confirming Spanish claims as far north as 32°30′. The English agreed to this but within a few years continued their push southward. Savannah, settled in 1733 was well within Spanish territory.
Selected attacks Nationality Charleston 1670, 1706 Spanish ″, 1706 French Edisto Island, 1706 Spanish Port Royal, 1686 Spanish Santa Catalina Island, 1680 English Fort Frederica, 1742 Spanish St. Simons Island, 1742 Spanish Santa Maria Island, 1683 English San Juan de Puerto, 1683 English Fort San Diego, 1740 English St. Augustine, 1683, 1702, 1728, 1740 English Matanzas Inlet, 1683, 1740, 1741, 1742, 1743 English Little Matanzas Inlet, 1686 French Mosquito Inlet, 1682 French Santa Fe, 1702 English Santa Catalina de Afuica, 1685 English San Juan de Guacara, 1693 English Ayubale, 1704 English San Pedro de Patale, 1704 English Apalache Fort, 1677, 1682 French San Carlos, 1693 English
| Selected attacks | Nationality |
|---|---|
| Charleston 1670, 1706 | Spanish |
| ″, 1706 | French |
| Edisto Island, 1706 | Spanish |
| Port Royal, 1686 | Spanish |
| Santa Catalina Island, 1680 | English |
| Fort Frederica, 1742 | Spanish |
| St. Simons Island, 1742 | Spanish |
| Santa Maria Island, 1683 | English |
| San Juan de Puerto, 1683 | English |
| Fort San Diego, 1740 | English |
| St. Augustine, 1683, 1702, 1728, 1740 | English |
| Matanzas Inlet, 1683, 1740, 1741, 1742, 1743 | English |
| Little Matanzas Inlet, 1686 | French |
| Mosquito Inlet, 1682 | French |
| Santa Fe, 1702 | English |
| Santa Catalina de Afuica, 1685 | English |
| San Juan de Guacara, 1693 | English |
| Ayubale, 1704 | English |
| San Pedro de Patale, 1704 | English |
| Apalache Fort, 1677, 1682 | French |
| San Carlos, 1693 | English |
Defending the Fort
The most serious attack on the Castillo took place when James Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, arrived off Saint Augustine on June 13, 1740, with 7 warships and 1,400 troops. Oglethorpe’s arrival was not entirely unexpected. The English and Spaniards were rivals in Europe and continued their contest in the New World, with the Spaniards becoming increasingly restive as the English penetrated into the lands south of Charleston. By the time Oglethorpe arrived in Georgia, only about 150 miles north of the Castillo and on land the Spaniards considered their own, tensions were high. Oglethorpe wanted to guarantee that his new settlements would be secure from Spanish attack, so he decided to capture and occupy Spain’s base in Florida—before they decided to attack him. Oglethorpe had his work cut out for him, because the Castillo was superbly sited. Creeks and marshes protected it to the west and south. On the east the bay stretched to a shallow bar across the harbor entrance that kept heavy warships out of range. The only land approach was from the north. An English spy for Oglethorpe reported that the fort was well supplied and staffed. There were “22 pieces of Cannon well mounted on the Bastions from 6 pound’rs to 36.... There is a guard of a Lieutenant, a Serjeant & 2 Corporals & 30 Soldiers here who is relieved Every Day.... There is a Mote Round it of 30 foot wide & a draw Bridge of about 15 foot long, they draw every Night & Lett it down in the Morning.” With this kind of information Oglethorpe knew what he was up against and came prepared. Fortunately for the defenders, the attackers were divided. Some had landed on Vilano Point and on Anastasia Island, opposite the Castillo and were setting up batteries there. Some troops were on the mainland where they had seized vacant Fort Mose, a free black settlement just north of the Castillo. Though the total British force outnumbered the defenders, Gov. Manuel de Montiano reasoned that his forces could attack one segment before it could be reinforced by the other two. This is exactly what the Spaniards did, overwhelming the British force at Fort Mose. Undecided about further land attack, the British then began shelling the Castillo and the town from their siege batteries in a bombardment that lasted 27 days. But the British mortars and siege guns were too far away to be totally effective and the damage they did was slight. Some of the newer stonework was damaged. Only two Spanish soldiers were killed during the attack and another had a leg shot away. Among the British there was no agreement regarding another course of action. Oglethorpe himself was down with a fever, and the troops had become unnecessarily tired by purposeless maneuvering. With the approach of the hurricane season, the naval commander refused to continue the blockade, and British forces left. The Castillo and its defenders had done what they were meant to do.
The construction of the bombproof vaults in 1738-40 and 1751-56 provided a substantial room for the guard. Bedding was laid on the raised platform at left.
Cuba’s governor was a resourceful administrator eager to meet his responsibilities. He sent guns, soldiers, artisans, convicts, provisions, and money. The walls would be raised five feet and masonry vaults, to withstand English bombs, would replace the rotting beams of old rooms in the Castillo. Stronger outworks would be built, too. To supervise the project, Engineer Pedro Ruiz de Olano came from Venezuela. The work began in April 1738 rather inauspiciously. The master of construction, one Cantillo, was a syphilitic too sick to earn his 16-real daily wage. Much of his work fell to his assistant, a 12-real master mason. All six stonecutters were Negroes. One was an invalid, and none of them as yet had much skill with coquina. For moving stone, there was but one oxcart. The labor gang—52 convicts—was too small. Nevertheless, quarry and kiln hummed with activity, and in the Castillo the crash of demolition echoed as the convicts pulled down old structures and began trenching for the new bombproofs. They started on the east, because this side faced the inlet where enemy action was likely.
As usual, misfortunes beset the work. Cantillo’s illness worsened and Blas de Ortega came from Havana to replace him. Eight convicts working at the limekiln deserted. Engineer Ruiz moved a crew of carpenters, sawyers, and axemen from work on the Castillo to rebuild a blockhouse where the trail to Apalache crossed the St. Johns River.
The oxcart driver broke his arm. Quarrying and stonecutting dragged. The old quarry played out. Luckily, a new one was found and opened, even though farther away. And Havana sent two more carts and more stonecutters and convicts.
It was well into October before the carpenters began setting the forms for the vaults. The masons followed close on their heels and finished the first of the massive, round-arched bombproofs before the year ended. Just a year later all eight vaults, side by side along the east curtain, were done. Each one spanned a 17- by 34-foot area, and had its own door to the courtyard. Windows above and beside the door let in light and air.