USA > Florida > Duval County > Jacksonville > History of early Jacksonville, Florida; being an authentic record of events from the earliest times to and including the civil war by Thomas Frederick Davis > Part 1
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GENEALOGY COLLECTION
1
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02309 6925
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OR AN AUTO
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Jax.Baggage & Cabo
THE ONLY AUTHORIZED AND BONDED TRANSFER AGENTA FOR ALLRR, AND S.S. LINES ENTERING JACKSONVILLE V.S. 24 (
Our draycheck .is the only check that is recognized at the Union Station for a Railroad Check DELIVERIES AND PICKUPS - 7A.M. 9A.M. 11A.M. P.M. 3 P.M. 5 P.M. G P.M.
Jacksonville Light Infantry, Disbanded During World War, Was Originally
FOR REORGANIZATION OF CO. A WILL DISCUSS PLANS TONIGHT
generous share, a biological calamity investigation institute is to be estab. lished at the Tokio imperial univer. sity. The researches to be undertak. en by the institute will be supported by the colleges of medicine, technics literature an'd economics. Primarily methods of research and the applica. tion of the results of such researcher will be studied.
POSTEf ALLINERY
Fall Hats are Here
lis store invites you to view utiful Hats.
ts a Specialty)
Irs. Sadie Hill, formerly with Shop, is now located with us veryone for a visit to our store.
Brotherton
ecialty Shop for Smart Millinery.
WILL DISCUSS PLANS TONIGHT FOR REORGANIZATION OF CO. A
Jacksonville Light Infantry, Disbanded During World War, Was Originally Organized Here on April : 30, 1857 -- Unit Served Through Civil and Spanish-American Wars-Many Prominent Citizens Have Been Mem- bers of Command. Jim- Un
Former members, as well as all others interested in the reorganiza- tion of Company A of the old First Florida infantry, are requested to meet tonight at & o'clock in the chamber of commerce auditorium for the purpose of discussing plans to reorganize the unit.
The company, which was better known locally as the Jacksonville Light Infantry, was originally organ- ized on April 30, 1857. The unit served throughout the Civil war, and was disbanded when the Confed- erate armics surrendered, but was reorganized on September 20, 1880. It was in existence continuously from that date until the World war, when the unit was broken up at Camp Wheeler, and its personnel fed into other units.
Many of Jacksonville's most prom- inent citizens have served in the unit, and there is a strong disposi- tion here to reorganize the. com- mand.
Original Members.
The charter members of the unit when it was originally organized in 1857 vere as follows:
Captain, Holmes Steele; first lleu- tenant, F. C. Sollee; second lieuten- ant, George Flagg; third lieutenant, J. C. Buffington; firet sergeant, Wil- liam Grohe; second sergeant, S. B. Flin'1; third sergeant, William Hous- ton; fourth sergeant, H. W. Fitch; fifth sergeant, A. W. DaCosta; first corporal, Thomas R. Webb; second corporal, S. BuffIngton, Jr .; third corporal, C. H. Collins; fourth corpo- ral, L. Warrock; privates, P. Bren- nan, W. E. Livingston, Watson Ash- urst, Byron E. Oak, John C. Hous- ton, R. R. Rushing, William Caulk, S. Forbes Doggett, Frank Smith, D. P. Smith, L. I. Fleming, John G. But- ler, E. Aubert, W. Haddock, P. H. Talle, Charles C. Eberle, W'llliam A. Dupont, Francis Depue, James I. Winter, O. L. Keene, E. A. Oak, J .. D. M .. Shad, F. B. Pappy. H. M. Moody, Aristides Doggett, J. Y. Wil- son, A. A. Ochus, F. G. Hirtler, W. W. Moore, J. 'Burkheim.
Soon after its organization Col. J. J. Daniel, Capt. Thomas E. Buckman, Eugene Bigelow and others, whose names cannot now be ascertained, joined the company. .
At the beginning of the war for secession the company tendered its services to the governor of Florida, and was the first company whose services were accepted by the etate. It was ordered to the mouth of the St. Johne river, and for eeveral months garrisoned a battery at that point. Upon the organization of the Third regiment of Florida Volun- teers, it became a part of that regl- ment, and entered the service of the Confederate States ae Company A, Third Florida. It wae organized In
May, 1862, with an aggregate strength of seventy-five men, and was officered as follows:
Captaln B. F. Ollveras, First Lleu- tenant A. Doggett, Second Lieutenant F. H. Sabal, Third Lieutenant J. G. Butler. After the battle of Perry- vllle, Lieutenant A. Doggett was
promoted to captain. It served through the war, and took part in the following actions, to-wit: Perry- ville, Murfreesboro, Jackson, Mies.,
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, sev- eral combats around Dalton, Ga4' the various combats on Johnson's re- treat from Dalton to Atlanta, the battles around Atlanta, Jonesboro and Franklin, Tenn., and surrendered with the army under Geenral J. E. Jonnson.
Was Disbanded.
It was disbanded at the surrender of the Confederate armles, and on the 20th of September, A. D. 1880, it was reorganized with an aggre- gate strength of sixty men, under the following named officers:
W. B. Young, captain; A. W. Ow- ens, first lieutenant; Charles Stew- art, second lieutenant. In February, 1881, the company was ordered to Madison to preserve the peace and protect certain prisoners in jail there. It remained on duty in Madi- son four days, and then went to Tal- lahassee as a guard for the sheriff and his prisoners. After performing this duty it was ordered home. In July of the same year it was ordered to Fernandina to restore order, and remained on duty in that place for twenty-four hours. In February. 1884, it was atended to the First Flori la battalion. Later, in 1886, the company comprised officers as follows:
W. B. Young, captaln; R. M. Call, first lieutenant; J. M. Barre, second licutenant; J. H. Burroughs, flrst sergeant; George Everson, .second sergeant; C. H. Ashmead, third ser- geant; P. M. Wethington, fourth ser- geant; J. M. Mahoney, fifth sergeant; J. C. Cooper, first corporal; Barton Pope, second corporal; H. G. Aird, third corporal; W. H. McCall, fourth corporal; C. H. Ashmead, treasurer; H. G. Alrd, secretary.
It performed service in a riot at the county jail in 1892, under com- mand of Captain S. C. Boyleston, Jr., and also served in the Spanish-Amer- ican war, 1898, under command of Captain John S. Maxwell; aleo did service during the fire of 1901, while Jacksonville was under martial law.
This company was called to Pen- sacola April 11, 1908, as part of the First regiment of Infantry, account of the strike of the street car em- ployes, returning on the 20th. The company was again called for a slm- ilar duty at Jacksonville on October 30, 1912. while under the command of Captain A. Wright Ellis, being T'elleved on November 12. 1912.
The company dld not go to the Mexican border when the national guard was mobillzed there just prior to America's entrance In the World war, but It was called to the colors in May, 1917, as a unit of the First separate battalion, National Guard of Florida, the First regimental forma- tlon having been disbanded follow- ing the passage and operation of the national defense act of June 3, 1916.
The company performed guard
duty on the railroads and bridges the first few months of the war, and then again became a unit of the First Florida Infantry when the regiment was reorganized for war purposes. The company went to Camp Wheeler, in Macon, Ga., late In the summer of 1917, where it was soon broken up, and thus it lost its identity.
W
TRAIL RIDGE
Where the Gulf Kissed the At- lantic Goodbye a Million Years Ago. J. U .- any. 27, 1922
By AVERY G. POWELL.
Winding like a snake
Through pinee that sigh.
There's a ridge where the gulf
Bade the Atlantic goodbye. Years ago through shimmering sand, Brave Seminoles trailed
Toward the Flower Land.
Trail Ridge, a snake-like eleva- tion starting at the lower edge of Georgia and winding diagonal through the northern part of Flor- ida to finally reach a mean level west of Putnam county, is one of the most interesting relics. of the formation of Florida that can be found in the state.
Thousands of Floridians have heard of Trail Ridge, but few of them know that thousands of yeare ago this; was the first strip of land that appeared above the vast ocean that was busy forming the peninsu- lar of Florida.
When the Indiane were the only inhabitants of Florida and Georgia they used this elevation as a trail to reach the lower part of the state where the swamp lande lay and where game and fish were to be found in abundance. Ocean shells that can be picked up on top of this ridge furnish proof conclusive that it once formed the original back- bone of the state, and it derived its name from the fact that the Indians used it as their main trail south.
Shunned by motorists, and refer- red to by the natives as the "sor- riest strip of land on earth," Trail Ridge, Florida's pocket edition of the California Mohave, is dotted with scrub palmetto and slender-11ke pines with scrub oak sprinkled about at intervals. The elevation is consid- dered the highest this side of the red clay hills of Leon, and no Flor- ida farmer so far has had the nerve to clear acreage on top of this ridge and plant a crop, although on the lower slope of this elevation on state road No. 1 a man by the name of A. B. Hart, cultivates about twenty acres and grows some of the best crops to be found anywhere, and he seems to be well pleased with his location, proving that some
mighty fine land is to be. found along the bottoms of Trail Ridge.
Modern man with improved road machinery concrete. rock and sand, is now engaged In conquering the very worst stretch of Trail Ridge, and before Christmas an eighteen- foot band of glimmering concrete will stretch itself acroes this deeert of sand from east to west, and
where once the noble Seminole trailed to better hunting grounds, gas-driven automobiles trucks, and busses will dot. the floor-like turn- pike in an endless sweep of traf- fic from the Great Divide of the Rockies to the palm-dotted ehores of the East Coast of the Land of Flow- ers.
Who knows that in yeare to come, Trail Ridge, once considered a worthless stretch of untillable land, with proper cultivation, will not be made to produce abundant crops of that which will find a ready sale on the markets?
When state road No. 1 Is comple- ted there will be one consolation: On top of this ridge where hun- dreds of motoriste have "lost thelr religion" trying to coax a "tin liz- zie" to churn a passage through sand two feet deep. they will soon be able to step on the gas, top the rise and skid down with the plne- laden breezes fanning the brow that once dripped the sweat of labor in an effort to navigate this desert hor- ror. Thue will pass the dread of "'lizzieing" over Florida' Mohave, thanks to the skill and achlevement of modern man
M.D. JOHNSON,
GOVERNOR
FLA.
J.H.MCLAURIN, GOVERNOR.
C.P. LOVELL, GOVERNOR
FRANCIS P. CONROY, PRESIDENT
G.L. DREW, ISTVICE PRES
HERBERT B. RACE. 2ººVICE PRES.
H.H.RICHARDSON
SEC, & TRES.
CECIL WILLCOX.
GOVERNOR:
-
HARRY B . HOYT , GOVERNOR .
WILLIAM FOOR, GOVERNOR.
OFFICERS OF JACKSONVILLE BOARD OF TRADE
1911
At the meeting of the Board of Governors of the Jacksonville Board of Trade held this date the generous offer of the compiler of this work, Mr. Thomas Frederick Davis, to turn over the publica- tion of and revenue from this work to this orga- nization was unanimously accepted and a vote of thanks was tendered to him for his patriotic labors in the interest of the City of Jacksonville in the gathering together of its most interesting history. FRANCIS P. CONROY, President.
Attest :
H. H. RICHARDSON, Secretary. July 28th, 1911.
HISTORY OF EARLY JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA
BEING AN AUTHENTIC RECORD OF EVENTS FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO AND INCLUDING THE CIVIL WAR
BY
THOMAS FREDERICK
DAVIS
Gc 975,902 J13 da
JACKSONVILLE THE H. & W. B. DREW COMPANY
1911
Copyrighted 1911 by THOMAS FREDERICK DAVIS (All rights reserved)
+ 9-8-9
1257265
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
MRS. SUSAN A. HARTRIDGE (1829-1910)
ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF DANIEL MEMORIAL ORPHANAGE AND HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS, AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS ITS PRESIDENT; ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL, AND FOR MANY YEARS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE WORK OF MAIN- TAINING THAT INSTITUTION; WHOSE RESIDENCE IN JACKSONVILLE OF FIFTY-SEVEN YEARS WAS CHARACTERIZED BY GIVING AID TO THE SUFFERING AND THE NEEDY; AND WHOSE INFLUENCE FOR GOOD IN THIS COMMUNITY WAS SUCH THAT IN RESPECT TO HER MEMORY THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE CLOSED ITS DEPARTMENTS DURING THE HOUR OF HER FUNERAL, AND THE MAYOR, BY PROC- LAMATION, REQUESTED THE BUSINESS HOUSES TO DO LIKEWISE. THE AUTHOR.
FOREWORD.
In the preparation of this work every effort has been made to use only reliable, authentic data. References are given whenever possible, and where the reference work is thoroughly indexed, only the title is named. A considerable portion of the matter has never been published before, being the recollections of old citizens, to whom the thanks of the author, and others finding pleasure or profit in these pages, are due; and especially to Mrs. William M. Bostwick, who has given much data and most valuable assistance in the preparation of this book. Some years ago, it was the custom of several of the oldest residents to meet and talk over "early days." Many of these old timers have since passed away, but Mrs. Bostwick possesses notes made at the meetings, and much of this matter appears in this book.
The author is in no way connected with the sale of this book and receives no remuneration there- from, he being content with the privilege of thus placing in permanent form what is believed to be an authentic history of our city during a period for which data are now scarce and becoming more difficult to obtain with the passing of every year.
THOMAS FREDERICK DAVIS. Jacksonville, Fla., July, 1911.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I-EARLY HISTORY OF THE LOWER ST. JOHNS:
Discovery of the St. Johns by the French Hugue- nots-Erection of Fort Caroline-Capture of Fort Caroline by the Spanish and destruction of the French colony-Re-capture of Fort Caroline by the French and retribution of De Gourgues- Location of Fort Caroline-Fort San Nicholas- The St. Johns River. Pages 1 to 12
CHAPTER II-THE COW FORD:
Indian name-The King's Road-English land grants-John H. McIntosh-Spanish land grants- First settlement on site of Jacksonville-The Patriot war in Florida. Pages . 13 to 20
CHAPTER III-PERMANENT SETTLEMENTS ON SITE OF JACKSONVILLE:
Lewis Zachariah Hogans-The Taylor grant-Juan Maestre-East Jacksonville-Springfield-River- side-Talleyrand. Pages 21 to 28
CHAPTER IV-THE FOUNDING OF JACKSON- VILLE:
First hotel-John Brady-First store-Dawson & Buckles-Isaiah David Hart-Increasing travel- Jacksonville surveyed - Streets named - Lots sold-The founder of Jacksonville. Pages
CHAPTER V-ORGANIZATION OF LAW AND ORDER:
Courts established-First grand jury-First civil case-First lawyer-Public buildings erected- First mills-Local conditions-Ferry across the St. Johns River-The early mail-Incorporation of Jacksonville and copy of charter-List of mayors-The Peninsular and Jacksonville Rail- road-Newspaper started-Organization of Bank of Jacksonville-Great freeze of 1835 and complete list of severe freezes subsequently. Pages
29 to 38
39 to 62
CONTENTS
CHAPTER VI-THE SEMINOLE WAR PERIOD: Opening of the Seminole war and conditions at- tending-The old block house-Attacks by the Indians-Attack on the Johns family-Panic of 1837-Spectacular effort of Bank of Jacksonville to weather the panic-Osceola Nikkanoochee- Mulberry and silk worm culture-Dr. Abel Sey- mour Baldwin. Pages 63 to 78
CHAPTER VII-THE EARLY CHURCHES:
Founding and early history of the Methodist, Protestant Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches at Jacksonville. Pages 79 to 91
CHAPTER VIII-IN THE FORTIES:
Population of Jacksonville and rate of increase- Early newspapers-Great storm of 1846-Excite- ment in the quiet town-Local conditions during this period-First epidemic. Pages 92 to 96
CHAPTER IX-THE EARLY RIVER STEAMERS: History and romance of steam navigation on the St. Johns River-Jacksonville-Savannah steamers -Jacksonville-Charleston steamers-Jacksonville- New York steamers. Pages 97 to 103
CHAPTER X-JACKSONVILLE ABOUT 1850:
Describing the location of practically every house in the town with the names of those who occupied them (Much local history and tradition is given in this chapter). Pages . . 104 to 116
CHAPTER XI-1850 to 1855:
Rapid growth of the town-Business-Curfew and crime-Relation between master and slave-Trans- portation-The plank road-Small-pox epidemic of 1853-Local conditions of this period-Property valuation-Great fire of 1854-Scarlet fever epi- demic of 1854-Real shot-gun quarantine-Re- building the town-The Judson Hotel-Hotel history-Trade and commerce. Pages .117 to 138
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XII-1855 to 1860:
Continued growth-Fire of 1856-Jacksonville Light Infantry-Yellow fever epidemic of 1857- General town improvement -- Gas works-Tele- graph-Florida, Atlantic and Gulf Central Rail- road-Town bonded for $50,000-Ceremonies at- tending completion of railroad-Aurora of 1859- Conditions prevailing just prior to the civil war. Pages . 139 to 149
CHAPTER XIII-LIFE IN JACKSONVILLE BE- FORE THE WAR:
Character, pleasures, and pastimes of the people of Jacksonville "in the happy days before the war." Pages .150 to 155
CHAPTER XIV-THE CIVIL WAR:
Organization of local troops-Fort Steele erected at mouth of the St. Johns-Troops depart for the front-News of the contemplated Federal occu- pation of Jacksonville, received-Mayor's procla- mation to the citizens-Flight of the residents- First Federal occupation-Proclamation of the "loyal" citizens of the United States-Skirmishes and first blood of the war near Jacksonville- Orders and reports of the Federal and the Con- federate officers-The evacuation-Capture of the Confederate batteries on the St. Johns below Jacksonville-Second Federal occupation of Jack- sonville-Federal gunboats go in search of river steamers-The evacuation-Third Federal occu- pation of Jacksonville-Town fortified against attack-Reports of Confederate and Federal officers-Skirmishes-Lieutenant Buckman's rail- road battery-Events during the occupation-The evacuation and burning of the town-Fourth Fed- eral occupation of Jacksonville-Reasons therefor -Return of the Federal army after defeat at Olustee-Arrival of reinforcements-Confederate fortifications at McGirt's Creek-Skirmishing- Torpedoes placed in the river near Mandarin by
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XIV-Continued
the Confederates, and destruction of three Federal transports at that point-Draughts made on Federal and Confederate armies near Jacksonville- Only small detachment of Confederate cavalry left in front of Jacksonville-Wonderful achieve- ments of this remnant-Federal raiding parties- Evacuation of Camp Milton by the Confederates- Close of the war. Pages .156 to 192
CHAPTER XV-AFTER THE WAR:
Return of the old residents and conditions that confronted them-Military and civil city govern- ments-Riot of the United States troops-Perma- nent withdrawal of the United States troops from Jacksonville. Pages 193 to 197
History of Early Jacksonville
CHAPTER I.
THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE LOWER ST. JOHNS.1
Authentic history of the lower St. Johns River begins with May 1st, 1562, when Jean Ribault* and his French Huguenot colonists, sailing along the coast of Florida, came to the mouth of a large river, which they named the River May, in com- memoration of the day on which the discovery was made. Crossing the bar in one of his smaller boats, Ribault landed on the northern side of the river and exchanged friendly greetings with the natives that had assembled to meet the strange white men; but after giving the Indians a few presents, he crossed the river and on a knoll near the shore he erected a stone column bearing the arms of France. The French then returned to their vessels outside the bar and sailed away to the north, eventually establishing the unfortunate colony of Charles Fort, on the coast of what is now South Carolina.
FORT CAROLINE.
About two years later, in 1564, Rene de
*Some historians spell the name Ribaut.
2
HISTORY OF EARLY JACKSONVILLE
Laudonniere, who was with Ribault on the former expedition, and who, with Ribault, had in the mean time gone back to France, returned to the River May. With him came another colony of Huguenots, these people preferring the unknown dangers of the new country to the religious perse- cutions of the old world. Laudonniere landed and was directed to the monument left by Ribault, around which the Indians had placed wreaths in token of friendship, and baskets of fruit and grain as a peace-offering to the new-comers. The Frenchmen went up the river a short distance to observe the country, then boarded their vessels and coasted as far as Amelia Island; but they decided to return to the River May and establish their colony on the southern bank, near a high bluff that they had previously examined. This was in June, 1564. The French at once began to fortify the place, by building a fort of logs and staves. It was in the form of a triangle and was of good size, since the colonists all lived within its walls. Soon after their arrival, a party of these Frenchmen sailed up the river twenty leagues, and it is safe to assume that these were the first white men to behold the site upon which Jack- sonville now stands. There is a pleasing tradition that Ponce de Leon, in searching for the fabled "Fountain of Youth", camped for a while on the ground now occupied by South Jacksonville, but history does not record the incident with sufficient clearness to warrant its acceptance as fact.
3
HISTORY OF EARLY JACKSONVILLE
The story of the colony at Fort Caroline is one filled with pathos and tragedy. In the beginning, the French enjoyed amicable relations with the Indians; from the red men they drew largely for their subsistence, themselves neglecting to make provision for the emergencies that were bound to come. As a result of this inactivity, misfortunes began to multiply, and, naturally, discourage- ment then entered the ranks of the little band. A serious mutiny followed. Laudonniere, while he lay ill with fever, was seized and imprisoned on a vessel in the river, when the conspirators boarded two other vessels and set out upon a free-booting expedition along the coast. One of these vessels, after an eventful voyage, eventually returned to Fort Caroline, where four of the leaders met with summary punishment at the hands of Laudon- niere, being hanged upon gibbets at the mouth of the river.
After a while, the Indians refused to share fur- ther of their stores, partly because their own stock of provisions was running low, and partly from the fact that nothing was given in exchange, the French by this time having exhausted their supply of exchangeable articles. The colonists were on the verge of famine. Laudonniere was persuaded to seize the great Indian Olata-Utina, chief of the country, and hold him as ransom for supplies. This scheme resulted disastrously to the French, inasmuch as little benefit was derived from it, while the enmity of their Indian allies and friends
4
HISTORY OF EARLY JACKSONVILLE
was incurred. Thoroughly disheartened, they decided at last to return to France. On August 4, 1565, Sir John Hawkins, returning from an expedi- tion to the West Indies, unexpectedly appeared at the mouth of the River May. He visited Laudon- niere, and seeing the plight of the Frenchmen, he supplied their immediate needs and sold them a vessel in which to make the voyage to France, tak- ing in payment therefor a number of cannon from Fort Caroline. After the departure of the Eng- lish, Laudonniere hurried his preparations for leaving Florida. When all was ready for the de- parture, Ribault, with seven vessels and more than 500 men, dropped anchor at the mouth of the river. Laudonniere was not aware that this ex- pedition had been dispatched for his relief, and its arrival, near the end of August, 1565, caused him to change his plans.
CAPTURE OF FORT CAROLINE BY THE SPANISH.
News of the French colony in Florida had already reached Spain. The Spanish king claimed the country by right of discovery, and this settle- ment at Fort Caroline incensed him to no small degree. Consequently, he fitted out an expedition and placed it in command of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, with instructions to drive the French from the shores of Florida. It was a peculiar coinci- dence that Menendez reached Florida in the vicinity of the present St. Augustine on the same day that Ribault's relief expedition arrived at the
5
HISTORY OF EARLY JACKSONVILLE
mouth of the River May, each unaware of the presence of the other. Menendez was not long, however, in learning from the Indians that Fort Caroline was not far away, and immediately he sent his vessels to reconnoiter. Several of Ribault's ships were at anchor outside the bar, but when the Frenchmen saw these strange vessels of war approaching, not knowing their intent, they slipped their cables and sailed away. And well for them that they did, as the Spaniards opened fire upon them and gave chase. After a pursuit lasting several hours, the chase was given up. A French ship followed the Spaniards at a distance, observed their landing, and then hastened to re- port the facts to Ribault. Ribault and Menendez made their plans simultaneously: the French sailed to attack the Spaniards, while the Spaniards marched to take Fort Caroline. Ribault's fleet encountered a tropical hurricane and was wrecked on the coast between Matanzas and Mosquito Inlet; yet the same fateful storm contributed to the success of Menendez. On account of the tem- pest, the vigilance at Fort Caroline had been temporarily relaxed, and the Spanish forces ex- perienced little difficulty in entering the fort and surprising the garrison, most of which was yet asleep. The assault was made about dawn, and after a feeble resistance the fort was captured.
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