By your Royal dispatch of last year you ordered me to immediately establish friendly relations with the English of the Carolinas, and that your Majesty had asked that the Court of London should pass efficacious measures to have the order repeated, which was given in virtue of the suspension of arms between your Majesty’s crown and that of England, to the end that these vessels be not disturbed by the English of the Carolinas, nor the Indians of their Province, so that they may derive the benefits of the land and live in tranquility and love as your Majesty desires. That for this purpose I should in my ministerial capacity go to the Governor of Carolina instigating him to make them observe punctually the treaty of suspension of arms. I executed this order immediately and sent the Auditor Don Francisco Menendez accompanied by other Officers of the Garrison of this Post, with orders to adjust a firm agreement with the Governor that on the part of the English they should cease to incite the Indians, and thus they and the laborers might live without injury one from the other; that this agreement was equally important for both Nations. To this proposition, and others certified, in the testimony of the letter which the referred to Don Francisco Menendez carried and on this occasion I remit to you. The Governor and parliament of the Carolina replied that they had received no orders from the King of Great Britain, but that notwithstanding they would try to maintain friendly relations with this Government during the suspension of arms. Immediately upon the arrival of Auditor Don Francisco Menendez in Carolina, he was informed that the English had built a wooden fort at the mouth of Talaje, one of your Provinces, where for many years were settled the Indians, and on account of the blockade we put upon it, they retired. Don Francisco immediately demanded of the Governor and Parliament the reason for building there; that it was your Majesty’s Territory, etc., and stating that it might cause trouble between the two Nations and once that war was started it would be difficult to stop on account of the Indians. His reply was simply that to secure his dominions from invasion and harm, the King of Great Britain had ordered it built, and that they should found Towns in the best and most approved manner. The Auditor requested its removal from your Territory, but they refused to do so, stating that his orders were not sufficient, and expressed nothing whatever in regard to this Fort. I infer that with the incoming of this new Governor in the Carolinas, not only will the Fort be completed, but they will settle all the Islands belonging to your jurisdiction, and thus make the Carolinas impregnable and reduce this Garrison to a more lamentable condition than it is, and the Indians watching their opportunities will come upon us and also takes sides with the English, who will supply them with arms and ammunition, a thing they most ardently desire. The Auditor was also informed that in the Carolinas they were waiting the arrival of large quantities of arms and ammunition from England. They can in time of war easily invade this Castle, the only desire and aim they have, on account of the great importance it would be to the preservation of their colonies in this New England and the facility it would give them for capturing vessels coming and going through the Bahama Channel, the nearness of this Castle being just what they most desire. In giving you this information I not only appease my conscience but fulfilled my obligations to you by showing you the great danger which threatens you and the terrible results it might cause, and I leave it to the intelligence of your Royal Highness to act in this matter as best pleases you.
May God save you.
Antonio Benavides.
St. Augustine, Fla., April 21st, 1622.
1627
Sire:
After having written your Majesty giving an account of having faithfully fulfilled all the instructions of your different Royal Cedula, I will, in this, give a detailed account of what occurred on August 25th of this year. I ordered Captain Diego del Pozo to embark in one of the frigates of your Majesty’s Service in this Garrison, and proceed to Havana, to help bring over the supply for this Garrison, which was to come on the fleet from New Spain. Following his journey and coasting along these Provinces, near the Cape of Canaveral, on Sunday, the 13th of September, in the morning, he discovered thirteen vessels, ten large ones and three smaller ones. Believing it to be the Fleet, he made signals and hoisted the flag, but as no answer was returned he saw clearly that it was the enemy. At the same time one of their three smaller vessels came forward and gave him chase. The Frigate being small went so near in shore that the vessel could not reach it, seeing which they lowered two rowboats to chase and attack the Frigate, each boat carrying twelve soldiers and ten mariners. The Frigate resisted the attack with arquebuses. The enemy not making any headway, called for more aid, which was sent them by two more larger launches with a hundred men. Captain Diego del Pozo finding himself in such a tight place, and the pilot and soldiers thinking they would stand a better chance on land, he decided to land. The enemy followed close, he fought them step by step until they came to a thick forest, when the enemy decided to leave them. The skirmish lasted about two hours. On returning to their launches the enemy first stripped the Frigate of all they wanted and burned the hull. When Captain Pozo saw that he would have to abandon the ship, he threw the two pieces of artillery he carried overboard. All this occurred about forty leagues from this Garrison. In a few days I was notified of this misfortune and I sent a launch with infantry to get the men from the Frigate. All arrived safely without the loss of a single man. I had the testimony taken and ascertained the truth and found that the Captain and his men were here and did their duty faithfully. Further proof and truth was ascertained a few days later from the soldiers I sent by land to reconnoitre the coast where the Frigate was lost—they brought word that the thirteen vessels which had been sent to chase the Frigate were coasting along slowly taking on water and wood. They had disembarked and taken up lodging in the Indian huts, the Indians fleeing with fear. Some, by gifts, had been induced to return, others came to me for protection. Following this, I received further news that three of the thirteen vessels were lost and the crew on land. This proved not to be true—in going over the Bar three launches were lost and a few of the men drowned. Feeling it was not right to have the enemy land on your Majesty’s domain, where we are at present safe and on friendly relations with the Indians, I immediately gave orders and gathered a large force of Indians and, with a hundred and fifty of our men, I set out determined to find the enemy and thrust them out. I appointed Captain Melchar Durante to take command here during my absence, he being an old man of much experience. I was continuing my pursuit of the enemy when I received news of their having re-embarked and sailed off, so I returned sending one of the Sergeants with a squad of twenty men to the Bar, and that they might recover the three launches if they were worth it. This they did promptly, returning with two of the launches in fair condition, the third they left as it was too badly injured to be of use. They brought the same news of the enemy’s proceedings. On the 20th of said month a Frigate arrived. On sending out to recognize her, we found it to be Spanish. It was one of the fleet which was overtaken by the enemy and brought in forty-seven persons, mariners and passengers, among them an Augustinian Monk. It was what was left of the three vessels taken by the enemy of the thirteen vessels. They were captured off Cape San Antonio. On one of the vessels were the papers and information sent by the Viceroy to Don Carlos Ybarra, General of the Spanish fleet, which was coming from Spain. They captured it near Cape Catoche, and the papers for General Ybarra and your Majesty were thrown overboard to prevent the enemy from getting them. They were in the enemy’s power for twelve days, when they put them on this small Frigate with scant rations, and told them they were free to come to this Garrison, where they arrived half-starved. I took them in and fed them at your Majesty’s expense, as part of them had lost their lives in your service and they were your vassals. They remained here a month, and on the first opportunity which presented itself, I gave them passage for Havana. Among the forty-six persons were four pilots and four boatswain who gave a long account of what they heard while prisoners. They particularly spoke of the Armada in charge of Tomas Raspuro, which they had been waiting for, but on seeing so many large vessels of war and knowing they would be outnumbered, they desisted and retired along the coast—it was then they captured these three frigates of this Garrison of which I have given you detailed account. These Pilots informed me that these thirteen vessels came with supplies and ammunition and provisions for the Dutch fleet, which was in Havana, but they learned it had departed and they were too late. Being unable to assault our Fleet as she entered the mouth of the channel, they decided to take one of the Pilots who was experienced in the Honduras waters and there await the Admiral and Captain of our fleet and make them prisoners. They questioned them the whole time they were prisoners and asked their advice, finally turning them loose on the small frigate, so that it was a miracle they were saved. The thirteen vessels were manned by very young men, most of them boys, and they could not tell the name of the squadron, but the Admiral was Pedro Yanez, a German, a native of Amsterdam. They got all the information possible regarding this Garrison, and say that next summer they will come and ransack and burn the City. At that time there were only forty men, less than the three hundred you should always maintain here—so, I selected others, forced them into service and have them drilled and armed. I have given you a full account of all the happenings on the coast this summer. I hope I have done so, as a good vassal, and for this reason I should warn and advise your Majesty to build a Fort at the Bar at a place they call Jega—it being the place where vessels all come to cast anchor when they want to take on water, wood, and to await the merchant ships and others they wish to capture. Many of your ships and nearly all those bringing supplies to this Garrison are lost in this way. A Fort at this place would act as a sentinel, and guard against their landing and helping themselves. It would also be well to have it in case of vessels being wrecked along this coast, as so many are, to be able to rescue and save the crews and passengers, who so often perish at the hands of pirates and cruel Indians. One cannot trust the Indians, they are children born of traitors. I am sure the Germans would not approach if they saw the place occupied by Spaniards. For this you would be obliged to increase a hundred soldiers more than are in this Garrison. Besides the men would have to be relieved from time to time from there as the work would be arduous, and no soldier or any one could withstand the mosquitoes which are so bad they kill the men, and destroy much of the food. The cost of this Fort you would have to send some one to estimate. I could not feel that I had properly complied with my duty until I have notified you of this great and urgent need. Hoping your Majesty may spend many happy years, as your vassals need you.
Luis De Rojas.
St. Augustine, Fla., February 13th, 1627.