USA > Florida > Saint Johns County > Saint Augustine > The Spaniards in Florida, comprising the notable settlement of the Hugenots in 1564, and the history and antiquities of St. Augustine, founded a.d. 1565 > Part 9
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windows, a balcony in front, and galleries on both sides ; to the back of the house is joined a tower, called in America a look-out, from which there is an extensive prospect to- wards the sea, as well as inland. There are two churches within the walls of the town, the parish church, a plain building, and another belonging to the convent of Francis- can Friars, which is converted into barracks for the garri- son. The houses are built of free-stone, commonly two stories high, two rooms upon a floor, with large windows and balconies; before the entry of most of the houses, runs a portico of stone arches. The roofs are commonly flat. The Spaniards consulted convenience more than taste in their buildings. The number of houses within the town and lines, when the Spaniards left it, was about nine hun- dred; many of them, especially in the suburbs, being built of wood, are now gone to decay. The inhabitants were of all colors, whites, negroes, mulattoes, Indians, &c. At the evacuation of St. Augustine, the population was five thou- sand seven hundred, including the garrison of two thousand five hundred men. Half a mile from the town to the west, is a line with a broad ditch and bastions, running from the St. Sebastian creek to St. Marks river. A mile further is another fortified line with some redoubts, forming a second communication between a stoccata fort upon St. Sebastian river, and Fort Moosa, upon St. Marks river.
" Within the first line near the town, was a small settle- ment of Germans, who had a church of their own. Upon the St. Marks river, within the second line, was also an Indian town, with a church built of freestone ; what is very remarkable, it is in good taste, though built by the Indians."
The two lines of defense here spoken of, may still be traced. The nearest one is less than one-fourth of a mile from the city gate, and the other at the well-known place called the stockades, the stakes driven to form which, still distinctly mark the place; and the ditch and embankment can be traced for a considerable distance through the grounds attached to my residence.
A letter-writer, who dates at St. Augustine, May, 1774, says, " This town is now truly become a heap of ruins, a fit receptacle for the wretches of inhabitants." (Rather a dyspeptic description, in all probability.)
A bridge was built across the Sebastian river by the English, " but the great depth of the water, joined to the instability of the bottom, did not suffer it to remain long, and a ferry is now established in its room; the keeper of
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the ferry has fifty pounds per annum allowed him, and the inhabitants pay nothing for crossing, except after dark."
The English constructed large buildings for barracks, characterized by Romans "as such stupendous piles of buildings, which were large enough to contain five regi- ments, when it is a matter of great doubt whether there will ever be a necessity to keep one whole regiment here. The material for this great barracks was brought from New York, and far inferior to those found on the spot; yet the freight alone amounted to more than their value when landed. It makes us almost believe," says the elaborate Romans, " that all this show is in vain, or at most, that the English were so much in dread of musquitoes, that they thought a large army requisite to drive off these formidable foes. To be serious," says he, " this fort and barracks add not a little to the beauty of the prospect; but most men would think that the money spent on this useless parade, would have been better laid out on roads and fences through . the province; or, if it must be in forts, why not at Pensa- cola ? "
There is a manuscript work of John Gerard Williams de Brahm, existing in the library of Harvard University, which contains some particulars of interest, relative to Florida at the period of the English occupation.
He states the number of inhabitants of East Florida, which in those days meant mostly St. Augustine, from 1663 to 1771, as follows : householders, besides women, &c., two hundred and eighty-eight; imported by Mr. Turnbull from Minorca, &c., one thousand four hundred; negroes, upwards of nine hundred. Of these, white heads of families, one hundred and forty-four were married, which is just one- half ; thirty-one are storekeepers and traders; three haber- dashers, fifteen innkeepers, forty-five artificers and mechan- ics, one hundred and ten planters, four hunters, six cow- keepers, eleven overseers, twelve draftsmen in employ of government, besides mathematicians; fifty-eight had left the province ; twenty-eight dead, of whom four were killed · acting as constables, two hanged for pirating. Among the names of those then residing in East Florida are mentioned Sir Charles Burdett, William Drayton, Esq., planter, Chief Justice; Rev. John Forbes, parson, Judge of Admiralty and Councillor ; Rev. N. Fraser, parson at Musquito ; Gov- ernor James Grant, Hon. John Moultrie, planter aud Lieu- tenant Governor; William Stork, Esq., historian ; Andrew Turnbull, Esq., II. M. Counselor ; Bernard Romans, drafts- man, &c. ; William Bartram, planter ; James Moultrie, Esq.
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He says, The light house on Anastasia Island had been constructed and built of mason-work by the Spaniards; and, in 1769, by order of General Haldimand, it was raised sixty feet higher in carpenter's work, had a cannon planted on the top, which is fired the very moment the flag is hoisted, for a signal to the town and pilots that a vessel is off. The light house has two flag-staffs, one to the south and one to the north ; on either of which the flag is hoisted, viz., to the south if the vessel comes from thence, and the north if the vessel comes that way.
"The town is situated in a healthy zone, is surrounded with salt water marshes, not at all prejudicial to health ; their evaporations are swept away in the day time by the easterly winds, and in the night season by the westerly winds trading back to the eastward. At the time when the Spaniards left the town, all the gardens were well stocked with fruit trees, viz., figs, guavas, plantain, pomegranates, lemons, limes, citrons, shadock, bergamot, China and Seville oranges, the latter full of fruit throughout the whole winter season; and the pot-herbs, though suspended in their vegetation, were seldom destroyed by cold. The town is three-quarters of a mile in length, but not quite a quarter wide; had four churches ornamently built with stone in the Spanish taste, of which one within and one without the town still exist. One is pulled down; that is the German church, but the steeple is preserved as an orna- ment to the town ; and the other, viz., the convent church and convent in town is taken in the body of the barracks. All houses are built of masonry; their entrances are shaded by piazzas, supported by Tuscan pillars or pilasters, against the south sun. The houses have to the east windows pro- jecting sixteen or eighteen inches into the street, very wide, and proportionally high. On the west side, their windows are commonly very small, and no opening of any kind to the north, on which side they have double walls six or eight feet asunder, forming a kind of gallery, which answers for cellars and pantries. Before most of the entrances were arbors of vines, producing plenty and very good grapes. No house has any chimney for a fire-place; the Spaniards made use of stone urns, filled them with coals left in their kitchens in the afternoon, and set them at sunset in their bed-rooms, to defend themselves against those winter sea- sons, which required such care. The governor's residence has both sides piazzas, viz., a double one to the south, and a single one to the north; also a Belvidere and a grand por-
1
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tico decorated with Doric pillars and entablatures. On the north end of the town is a 'casemated fort, with four bas- tions, a ravelin, counterscarp, and a glacis built with quar- ried shell-stones, and constructed according to the rudi- ments of Marechal de Vauban. This fort commands the road of the bay, the town, its environs, and both Tolomako stream and Mantanzas creek. The soil in the gardens and environs of the town is chiefly sandy and marshy. The Spaniards seem to have had a notion of manuring their land with shells one foot deep.
" Among the three thousand who evacuated St. Augus- tine, the author is credibly informed, were many Spaniards near and above the age of one hundred years, (observe;) this nation, especially natives of St. Augustine, bore the reputation of great sobriety."*
On the 3d of January, 1766, the themometer sunk to 26° with the wind from N. W. "The ground was frozen an inch thick on the banks ; this was the fatal night that de- stroyed the lime, citron, and banana trees in St. Augustine, and many curious evergreens up the river that were twenty years old in a flourishing state."} In 1774 there was a snow storm, which extended over most of the province. The an- cient inhabitants still (1836) speak of it as an extraordinary white rain. It was said to have done little damage.}
. In this connection, and as it is sometimes supposed that the climate is now colder than formerly, it may be stated that the thermometer went very low in 1799. East Florida suffered from a violent frost on the 6th April, 1828. In February, 1835, the thermometor sunk to 7º above zero, wind ftom N. W .; and the St. Johns river was frozen several rods from the shore; all kinds of fruit trees were killed to the ground, and the wild orange trees suffered as well as the cultivated.
Dr. Nicholas Turnbull, in the year 1767, associated with Sir William Duncan and other Englishmen of note, pro- jected a colony of European emigrants, to be settled at New Smyrna. IIe brought from the islands of Greece, Corsica, and Minorca, some fourteen hundred persons, agreeing to convey them free of expense, find them in clothing and pro- visions, and, at the end of three years, to give fifty acres of land to each head of a family, and twenty-five to each child.
* De Brahm MS., p. 192. + Stork, p. 11.
į Williams' Florida, p. 17.
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After a long passage they arrived out, and formed the set- tlement. The principal article of cultivation produced by them was indigo, which commanded a high price, and was assisted by a bounty from the English government. After a few years, Turnbull, as is alleged, either from avarice or natural cruelty, assumed a control the most absolute over these colonists, and practiced cruelties the most painful upon them.
An insurrection took place in 1769 among them, in con- sequence of severe punishments, which was speedily re- pressed, and the leaders of it brought to trial before the English court at St. Augustine; five of the number were convicted and sentenced to death. Gov. Grant pardoned two of the five, and a third was released upon the condition of his becoming the executioner of the other two. Nine years after the commencement of their settlement, their number had become reduced from 1,400 to 600. In 1776, proceedings were instituted on their behalf by Mr. Yonge, the attorney-general of the province, which resulted in their being exonerated from their contract with Turnbull ; lands were thereupon assigned them in the northren part of the city, which was principally built up by them ; and their de- scendants, at the present day, form the larger portion of the population of that place.
Governor Grant was the first English governor, and was a gentleman of much energy ; and during his term of office he projected many great and permanent improvements in the province. The public roads, known as the king's roads, from St. Augustine to New Smyrna, and from St. Augus- tine to Jacksonville, and thence to Coleraine, were then constructed, and remain a lasting monument of his wisdom and desire of improvement.
Gov. Tonyn succeeded Gov. Grant; and a legislative council was authorized to assemble, and the pretense and forms of a constitutional government were gone through with.
In August, 1775, a British vessel called the Betsey, Capt. Lofthouse, from London, with 111 barrels of powder, was captured off the bar of St. Augustine, by an American pri- vateer from Charleston, very much to the disgust and an- noyance of the British authorities.
At this period, St. Augustine assumed much importance as a depot and point d'appui for the British forces in their operations against the Southern States; and very consider- abe forces were at times assembled.
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In the excess of the zeal and loyalty of the garrison and inhabitants of St. Augustine, upon the receipt of the news of the American Declaration of Independence, the effigies of John Hancock and Samuel Adams were burned upon the public square, where the monument now stands.
The expedition of Gen. Prevost against Savannah was or- ganized and embarked from St. Augustine, in 1779.
Sixty of the most distinguished citizens of Carolina were seized by the British in 1780, and transported to St. Augus- tine as prisoners of war and hostages, among whom were Arthur Middleton, Edward Rutledge, Gen. Gadsden, and Mr. Calhoun ; all were put upon parole except Gen. Gads- den and Mr. Calhoun, who refused the indulgence, and were committed to the fort, where they remained many months close prisoners. Gen. Rutherford and Col. Isaacs, of North Carolina, were also transported hither, and committed to the fort.
An expedition was fitted out from St. Augustine in 1783, to act against New Providence, under Col. Devereux; and, with very slender means that able officer succeeded in cap- turing and reducing the Bahamas, which have ever since remained under English domination.
The expense of supporting the government of East Florida during the English occupation, was very consider- able, amounting to the sum of £122,000. The exports of Florida, in 1778, amounted to £48,000; and in 1772, the province exported 40,000 lbs. indigo; and in 1782, 20,000 barrels of turpentine.
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1
CHAPTER XVI.
RE-CESSION OF FLORIDA TO SPAIN-ERECTION OF THE PARISH CHURCH-CHANGE OF FLAGS. 1783-1821.
IN June, 1784, in fulfillment of the treaty between England and Spain, Florida, after twenty years of British occupation, was re-ceded to the Spanish Crown, and taken possession of by Governor Zespedez.
The English residents, in general, left* the country, and went either to the Bahamas, Jamaica, or the United States. Those who went to the British islands were almost ruined ; but those who settled in the States were more successful.
In April, 1793, the present Roman Catholic church was commenced, the previous church having been in another portion of the city .; It was constructed under the direction of Don Mariana de la Rocque and Don P. Berrio, govern- ment engineer-officers. The cost of the church was $16,650, of which about $6,000 was received from the proceeds of the materials and ornaments of the old churches, about $1,000 from the contributions of the inhabitants, and the remaining $10,000 furnished by the government. One of its four bells has the following inscription, showing it to be probably the oldest bell in this country, being now 185 years old.
Sancte Joseph. Ora Pro Nobis. D 1682.
Don Enrique White was for many years governor of Flor- ida, and died in the city of St. Augustine. IIe is spoken of by those who knew him, in high terms, for his integrity
* Among the families remaining were the Fatios, Flemings, and a few others.
t The old parish church was on St. George street, on west side of the street.
.
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and openness of character; and many amusing anecdotes are related connected with his eccentricities.
In 1812, the American government, being apprehensive that Great Britain designed obtaining possession of Florida, sent its troops into the province, overrunning and destroy- ing the whole country. The manner and the pretenses under which this was done, reflect but little credit on the United States government; and the transparent sham of taking possession of the country by the patriots, supported by United States troops, was as undignified as it was futile. It is for the damages occasioned by this invasion, that the "Florida claims " for "losses" of its citizens have been presented to the government of the United States. The principal of the damages sustained, that is to say, the actual value of the property then destroyed, has been allowed and paid; but the interest, or damages for the detention, has been withheld upon the ground that the government does not pay interest. The treaty between the United States and Spain in reference to the cession of Florida to the United States, requires the United States to make satisfac- tion for such claims; and the payment of the bare amount of actual loss, after a detention of thirty years, is considered by the claimants an inadequate satisfaction of a just claim.
In the spring of 1818, General Jackson made his cele- brated incursion into Florida, and by a series of energetic movements followed the Seminoles and Creeks to their fast- nesses, and forever crushed the power of those formidable tribes for offensive operations.
In the latter part of 1817, a revolutionary party took pos- session of Amelia Island, and raised a soi disant patriot flag at Fernandina, supported mainly in the enterprise by adven- turers from the United States ; M'Gregor was assisted by officers of the United States army. An expedition was sent from St. Augustine by the Spanish governor to eject the invaders, which failed. One Aury, an English adven- turer, for a time held command there; and also a Mr. Hub- bard, formerly sheriff of New York, who was the civil gov- ernor, and died there. The United States troops eventually interfered; but negotiations for the cession put a stop to further hostilities.
The king of Spain, finding his possessions in Florida utterly worthless to his crown, and only an expense to sus- tain the garrisons, while the repeated attempts to disturb its political relations prevented any beneficial progress towards its settlement, gladly agreed, in 1819, to a transfer of Florida to the United States for five millions of dollars.
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An English gentleman who visited St. Augustinein 1817. gives his impressions of the place as follows : "Emerging from the solitudes and shades of the pine forests, we espied the distant yet distinct lights of the watch towers of the fortress of St. Augustine, delightful beacons to my weary pilgrimage. The clock was striking ten as I reached the foot of the drawbridge; the sentinels were passing the alerto, as I demanded entrance; having answered the preliminary questions, the draw-bridge was slowly lowered. The officer of the guard, having received my name and wishes, sent a communication to the governor, who issued orders for my immediate admission. On opening the gate, the guard was ready to receive me ; and a file of men, with their officer, escorted me to his Excellency, who expressed his satisfac- tion at my revisit to Florida. I soon retired to the luxury of repose, and the following morning was greeted as an old acquaintance by the members of this little community.
"I had arrived at a season of general relaxation, on the eve of the carnival, which is celebrated with much gayety in all Catholic countries. Masks, dominoes, harlequins, punchinellos, and a great variety of grotesqe disguises, on horseback, in cars, gigs, and on foot, paraded the streets with guitars, violins, and other instruments; and in the evenings, the houses were open to receive masks, and balls were given in every direction. I was told that in their better days, when their pay was regularly remitted from the Havana, these amusements were admirably conducted, and the rich dresses exhibited on these occasions, were not eclipsed by their more fashionable friends in Cuba; but poverty had lessoned their spirit for enjoyment, as well as the means for procuring it; enough, however, remained to amuse an idle spectator, and I entered with alacrity into their diversions.
" About thirty of the hunting warriors of the Seminoles, with their squaws, had arrived, for the purpose of selling the produce of the chase, consisting of bear, deer, tiger, and other skins, bears' grease, and other trifling articles. This savage race, once the lords of the ascendant, are the most formidable border enemies of the United States. This party had arrived, after a range of six months, for the pur- . pose of sale and barter. After trafficking for their com- modities, they were scen at various parts of the town, assembled in small groups, seated upon their haunches, like monkeys, passing round their bottles of aque dente (the rum of Cuba), their repeated draughts upon which soon ex-
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hausted their contents ; they then slept off the effects of in- toxication, under the walls, exposed to the influence of the sun. Their appearance was extremely wretched; their skins of a dark, dirty, chocolate color, with long, straight, black hair, over which they had spread a quantity of bears' grease. In their ears, and the cartilages of the nose, were in- serted rings of silver and brass, with pendants of various shapes ; their features prominent and harsh, and their eyes had a wild and ferocious expression.
" A torn blanket, or an ill-fashioned dirty linen jacket, is the general costume of these Indians ; a triangular piece of cloth passes around the loins; the women vary in their apparel by merely wearing short petticoats, the original colors of which were not distinguishable from the various incrustations of dirt. Some of the young squaws were tol- erably agreeable, and if well washed and dressed would not have been uninteresting; but the elder squaws wore the air of misery and debasement.
"The garrison is composed of a detachment from the Royal regiment of Cuba, with some black troops; who together form a respectable force. The fort and bastions are built of the same material as the houses of the town, coquina. This marine substance is superior to stone, not being liable to splinter from the effects of bombardment ; it receives and imbeds the shot, which adds rather than de- tracts from its strength and security.
"The houses and the rear of the town are intersected and covered with orange groves; their golden fruit and deep green foliage, not only render the air agreeable, but beautify the appearance of this interesting little town, in the centre of which (the square) rises a large structure dedi- cated to the Catholic religion. At the upper end are the remains of a very considerable house, the former residence of the governor of this settlement; but now (1817), in a state of dilapidation and decay, from age and inattention.
" At the southern extremity of the town stands a large building, formerly a monastery of Carthusian Friars, but now occupied as a barrack for the troops of the garrison. At a little distance are four stacks of chimnies, the sole re- mains of a beautiful range of barracks, built during the oc- cupancy of the British, from 1763 to 1783; for three years the 29th regiment was stationed there, and in that time they did not lose a single man. The proverbial salubrity of the climate, has obtained for St. Augustine the designation of the Montpelier of North America; indeed, such is the gene- ral character of the Province of East Florida.
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" The governor (Copinger), is about forty-five years of age, of active and vigorous mind, anxious to promote by every means in his power the prosperity of the province confided to his command; his urbanity and other amiable qualities render him accessible to the meanest individual, and justice is sure to follow an appeal to his decision. His military talents are well known, and appreciated by his sovereign ; and he now holds, in addition to the govern- ment of East Florida, the rank of Colonel in the Royal Regiment of Cuba.
" The clergy consist of the padre (priest of the parish), Father Cosby, a native of Wexford, in Ireland; a Francis- can friar, the chaplain to the garrison, and an inferior or cure. The social qualities of the padre, and the general tolerance of his feelings, render him an acceptable visitor to all his flock. The judge, treasurer, collector, and notary, are the principal officers of the establishment, be- sides a number of those devoted solely to the military occu- pations of the garrison.
The whole of this society is extremely courteous to strangers; they form one family, and those little jealousies and animosities, so disgraceful to our small English communities, do not sully their meetings of friendly chit-chat, called as in Spain, turtulias. The women are deservedly celebrated for their charms; their lovely black eyes have a vast deal of expression ; their com- plexions a clear brunette ; much attention is paid to the ar- rangement of their hair; at mass they are always well dressed in black silk basquinas (petticoats), with the little mantilla (black lace veil) over their heads; the men in their military costumes; good order and temperance are their characteristic virtues ; but the vice of gambling too often profanes their social haunts, from which even the fair sex are not excluded. Two days following our arrival, a ball was given by some of the inhabitants, to which I was invited. The elder couples opened it with minuets, suc- ceeded by the younger couples displaying their handsome light figures in Spanish dances."*
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