SIR FRANCIS DRAKE'S ATTACK UPON ST. AUGUSTINE--ESTABLISHMENT OF
MISSIONS--MASSACRE OF MISSIONARIES AT ST. AUGUSTINE--1586-1638.
Nine years had elapsed from the death of Menendez, and the colony at St.
Augustine had slowly progressed into the settlement of a small town; but
the eclat and importance which the presence of Menendez had given it,
were much lessened; when, in 1586, Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet
returning from South America, discovered the Spanish look-out upon
Anastasia Island, and sent boats ashore to ascertain something in
reference to it. Marching up the shore, they discovered across the bay,
a fort, and further up a town built of wood.
Proceeding towards the fort, which bore the name of San Juan de Pinas,
some guns were fired upon them from it, and they retired towards their
vessel; the same evening a fifer made his appearance, and informed them
that he was a Frenchman, detained a prisoner there, and that the
Spaniards had abandoned their fort; and he offered to conduct them over.
Upon this information they crossed the river and found the fort
abandoned as they had been informed, and took possession of it without
opposition. It was built entirely of wood, and only surrounded by a wall
or pale formed of the bodies or trunks of large trees, set upright in
the earth; for, says the narrative, it was not at that time inclosed by
a ditch, as it had been but lately begun by the Spaniards. The platforms
were made of the bodies of large pine trees (of which there are plenty
here), laid horizontally across each other, with earth rammed in to fill
up the vacancies. Fourteen brass cannon were found in the fort, and
there was left behind the treasure chest, containing L2,000 sterling,
designed for the payment of the garrison, which consisted of one hundred
and fifty men. Whether the massive, iron-bound mahogany chest,[21]
still preserved in the old fort is the same which fell into the hands
of Drake, is a question for antiquaries to decide; its ancient
appearance might well justify the supposition.
On the following day, Drake's forces marched towards the town, but
owing, it is said, to heavy rains, were obliged to return and go in the
boats. On their approach, the Spaniards fled into the country. It is
said, in Barcia, that a Spaniard concealed in the bushes, fired at the
sergeant major and wounded him, and then ran up and dispatched him, and
that in revenge for this act, Drake burnt their buildings and destroyed
their gardens. The garrison and inhabitants retired to fort San Matteo,
on the St. Johns river. Barcia says that the population of the place was
then increasing considerably, and that it possessed a hall of justice,
parochial church, and other buildings, together with gardens in the rear
of the town.
An engraved plan or view of Drake's descent upon St. Augustine,
published after his return to England, represents an octagonal fort
between two streams; at the distance of half a mile another stream;
beyond that the town, with a look-out and two religious houses, one of
which is a church, and the other probably the house of the Franciscans,
who had shortly before established a house of their order there. The
town contains three squares lengthwise, and four in width, with gardens
on the west side.
Some doubt has been thrown on the actual site of the first settlement,
by this account; but I think it probably stood considerably to the south
of the present public square, between the barracks and the powder-house.
Perhaps the Maria Sanchez creek may have then communicated with the bay
near its present head, in wet weather and at high tides isolating the
fort from the town. The present north ditch may have been the bed of a
tide creek, and thus would correspond to the appearance presented by the
sketch. It is well known that the north end of the city was built at a
much later period than the southern, and that the now vacant space below
the barracks, was once occupied with buildings. Buildings and fields are
shown upon Anastasia Island, opposite the town. The relative position of
the town with reference to the entrance of the harbor is correctly shown
on the plan; and there seems no sufficient ground to doubt the identity
of the present town with the ancient locality.
The garrison and country were then under the command of Don Pedro
Menendez, a nephew of the Adelantado, who, after the English squadron
sailed, having received assistance from Havana began, it is said, to
rebuild the city, and made great efforts to increase its population, and
to induce the Indians to settle in its neighborhood.
In 1592, twelve Franciscan missionaries arrived at St. Augustine, with
their Superior, Fray Jean de Silva, and placed themselves under the
charge of Father Francis Manon, Warden of the convent of St. Helena. One
of them, a Mexican, Father Francis Panja, drew up in the language of the
Yemasees his "Abridgment of Christian Doctrine," said to be the first
work compiled in any of our Indian languages.
The Franciscan Father Corpa established a Mission house for the Indians
at Talomato, in the northwest portion of the city of St, Augustine,
where there was then an Indian village. Father Blas de Rodriguez, also
called Montes, had an Indian Church at a village of the Indians called
Tapoqui, situated on the creek called Cano de la Leche, north of the
fort; and the church bearing the name of "Our Lady of the Milk" was
situated on the elevated ground a quarter of a mile north of the fort,
near the creek. A stone church existed at this locality as late as 1795,
and the crucifix belonging to it is preserved in the Roman Catholic
Church at St. Augustine.
These missions proceeded with considerable apparent success, large
numbers of the Indians being received and instructed both at this and
other missions.
Among the converts at the mission of Talomato, was the son of the
cacique of the province of Guale, a proud and high-spirited young
leader, who by no means submitted to the requirements of his spiritual
fathers, but indulged in excesses which scandalized his profession.
Father Corpa, after trying private remonstrances and warnings in vain,
thought it necessary to administer to him a public rebuke. This aroused
the pride of the young chief, and he suddenly left the mission,
determined upon revenge. He gathered from the interior a band of
warriors, whom he inspired with his own hatred against the missionaries.
Returning to Talomato with his followers under the cover of night, he
crept up to the mission house, burst open the chapel doors, and slew the
devoted Father Corpa while at prayer; then severed his head from his
body, set it upon a pikestaff, and threw his body out into the forest
where it could never afterwards be found. The scene of this tragedy was
in the neighborhood of the present Roman Catholic cemetery of St.
Augustine.
As soon as this occurrence became known in the Indian village, all was
excitement; some of the most devoted bewailing the death of their
spiritual father, while others dreaded the consequences of so rash an
act, and shrunk with terror from the vengeance of the Spaniards, which
they foresaw would soon follow. The young chief of Guale gathered them
around him, and in earnest tones addressed them. "Yes," said he, "the
friar is dead. It would not have been done, if he would have allowed us
to live as we did before we became Christians. We desire to return to
our ancient customs; and we must provide for our defense against the
punishment which will be hurled upon us by the Governor of Florida,
which, if it be allowed to reach us, will be as rigorous for this single
friar as if we had killed them all.--For the same power which we possess
to destroy this one priest, we have to destroy them all."
His followers approved of what had been done, and said there was no
doubt but what the same vengeance would fall upon them for the death of
the one, as for all.
He then resumed. "Since we shall receive equal punishment for the death
of this one, as though we had killed them all, let us regain the liberty
of which these friars have robbed us, with their promises of good things
which we have not yet seen, but which they seek to keep us in hope of,
while they accumulate upon us who are called Christians, injuries and
disgusts, making us quit our wives, restricting us to one only, and
prohibiting us from changing her.--They prevent us from having our
balls, banquets, feasts, celebrations, games and contests, so that being
deprived of them, we lose our ancient valor and skill which we inherited
from our ancestors. Although they oppress us with labor, refusing to
grant even the respite of a few days, and although we are disposed to do
all they require from us, they are not satisfied; but for everything
they reprimand as, injuriously treat us, oppress us, lecture us, call us
bad Christians, and deprive us of all the pleasures which our fathers
enjoyed, in the hope that they would give us heaven; by these frauds
subjecting us and holding us under their absolute control. And what have
we to hope except to be made slaves? If we now put them all to death, we
shall destroy these excrescenses, and force the governor to treat us
well."
The majority were carried away by his address, and rung out the war-cry
of death and defiance. While still eager for blood, their chief led them
to the Indian town of Tapoqui, the mission of Father Montes, on the
Cano de la Leche; tumultuously rushing in, they informed the missionary
of the fate of Father Corpa, and that they sought his own life and those
of all his order; and then with uplifted weapons bade him prepare to
die. He reasoned and remonstrated with them, portraying the folly and
wickedness of their intentions, that the vengeance of the Spaniards
would surely overtake them, and implored them with tears, that for their
own sakes rather than his, they would pause in their mad designs. But
all in vain; they were alike insensible to his eloquence, and his tears,
and pressed forward to surround him. Finding all else vain, he begged as
a last favor that he should be permitted to celebrate mass before he
died. In this he was probably actuated in part by the hope that their
fierce hatred might be assuaged by the sight of the ceremonies of their
faith, or that the delay might afford time for succor from the adjoining
garrison.
The permission was given; and there for the last time the worthy Father
put on his robes, which might well be termed his robes of sacrifice. The
wild and savage crowd, thirsting for his blood, reclined upon the floor
and looked on in sullen silence, awaiting the conclusion of the rites.
The priest alone, standing before the altar, proceeded with this most
sad and solemn mass, then cast his eyes to heaven and knelt in private
supplication; where the next moment he fell under the blows of his cruel
foes, bespattering the altar at which he ministered, with his own life's
blood. His crushed remains were thrown into the fields, that they might
serve for the fowls of the air or the beasts of the forest; but not one
would approach it, except a dog, which, rushing forward to lay hold upon
the body, fell dead upon the spot, says the ancient chronicle; and an
old Christian Indian, recognizing it, gave it sepulture in the forest.
From thence the ferocious young chief of Guale led his followers against
several missions, in other parts of the country, which he attacked and
destroyed, together with their attendant clergy. Thus upon the soil of
the ancient city was shed the blood of Christian martyrs, who were
laboring with a zeal well worthy of emulation, to carry the truths of
religion to the native tribes of Florida. Two hundred and sixty years
have passed away since these sad scenes were enacted; but we can not
even now repress a tear of sympathy and a feeling of admiration for
those self-denying missionaries of the cross, who sealed their faith
with their blood, and fell victims to their energy and devotion. The
spectacle of the dying priest struck down at the altar, attired in his
sacred vestments, and perhaps imploring pardon upon his murderers,
cannot fail to call up in the heart of the most insensible, something
more than a passing emotion.
The zeal of the Franciscans was only increased by this disaster, and
each succeeding year brought additions to their number. They pushed
their missions into the interior of the country so rapidly that in less
than two years they had established through the principal towns of the
Indiana no less than twenty mission houses. The presumed remains of
these establishments are still occasionally to be found throughout the
interior of the country.