Oglethorpe arrives in England--Trustees petition the King for military
aid to the new Colony--A regiment granted--Oglethorpe appointed
Commander in Chief of South Carolina and Georgia--Part of the regiment
sent out--Oglethorpe embarks for Georgia the third time--Remainder of
the regiment arrive--And two companies from Gibraltar--Prospect of war
with Spain--Military preparations at St. Augustine--Oglethorpe makes
arrangements for defence--Treason in the Camp--Mutiny, and personal
assault on the General.
"At a meeting of the Trustees of Georgia, Wednesday, January 19th,
1737, Mr. Oglethorpe, newly returned hither, had the unanimous thanks
of the board. He informed them that Savannah had greatly increased in
building, and that three other towns had been founded within a year;
namely, Augusta, Darien, and Frederica; that a new town, called
Ebenezer, had been laid out for the Saltzburgers; and that there were
several villages settled by gentlemen at their own expense. He
gave them the pleasing intelligence that the remoter Creek nation
acknowledged his Majesty's authority, and traded with the new
settlers; and that the Spanish Governor-General and Council of War of
Florida had signed a treaty with the Colony."[1] He added, however,
that notwithstanding these seeming auspicious circumstances, the
people on the frontiers were in constant apprehensions of an invasion,
and that he had strong suspicions that the treaty would not be
regarded; that the Spanish government at Cuba was wholly opposed to
it; and that the indignant demand of the commissioner from Havana, and
the threat which followed, implied an infraction, and would lead to
consequences against which it was necessary to provide.
[Footnote 1: Extract from the Record of the Trustees, published in the
_Gentleman's Magazine_, for 1737, Vol. XII. p. 59.]
Upon this communication some able remarks were made in the London
Post. They were introduced by a statement of the benefits likely to
accrue to the English nation from settling the colony of Georgia; and
go on to mention that the colony was in the most thriving condition in
consequence of royal patronage and parliamentary aid, seconded by the
generosity of contributors, "whose laudable zeal will eternize their
names in the British annals; and, carried into effect under the
conduct of a gentleman, whose judgment, courage, and indefatigable
diligence in the service of his country, have shewn him every way
equal to so great and valuable a design. In the furtherance of this
noble enterprise, that public spirited and magnanimous man has acted
like a vigilant and faithful guardian, at the expense of his repose,
and to the utmost hazard of his life. And now, the jealousy of the
Spanish is excited, and we are told that that court has the modesty to
demand from England that he shall not he any longer employed. If this
be the fact, as there is no doubt it is, we have a most undeniable
proof that the Spaniards dread the abilities of Mr. Oglethorpe. It is,
of course, a glorious testimony to his merit, and a certificate of his
patriotism, that ought to endear him to every honest Briton."[1]
[Footnote 1: _Gentleman's Magazine_, Vol. VII. p. 500. See, also,
_History of the British Provinces_, 4to. p. 158.]
Reference is here made to the memorial of Don Thomas Geraldino,
the Spanish ambassador at the British Court, in which, among other
demands, he insisted that no troops should be sent over to Georgia,
and particularly remonstrated against the return of Oglethorpe.
About the same time intelligence reached England that the Spaniards at
St. Augustine had ordered the English merchants to depart, and were
setting up barracks for troops that were daily expected; that an
embarkation was preparing at Havana, in which two thousand five
hundred soldiers were to be shipped in three large men-of-war, and
eight transports; and that great quantities of provisions had been
laid in for them. Upon this, and other hostile indications, of which
the Trustees were apprised, they petitioned his Majesty that a
regiment might be raised for the defence and protection of the
Colony. This was granted. Oglethorpe was appointed General and
Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's forces in Carolina and Georgia;
and commissioned to raise a regiment for the service and defence of
those two Colonies, to consist of six companies of one hundred men
each, exclusive of non-commissioned officers and drums; to which a
company of grenadiers was afterwards added. "This regiment he raised
in a very short time, as he disdained to make a market of the service
of his country, by selling commissions, but got such officers
appointed as were gentlemen of family and character in their
respective counties; and, as he was sensible what an advantage it was
to the troops of any nation to have in every company a certain number
of such soldiers as had been bred up in the character of gentlemen, he
engaged about twenty young gentlemen of no fortune, to serve as cadets
in his regiment, all of whom he afterwards advanced by degrees to be
officers, as vacancies happened; and was so far from taking any money
for the favor, that to some of them, he gave, upon their advancement,
what was necessary to pay the fees of their commissions, and to
provide themselves for appearing as officers."[1]
[Footnote 1: _London Magazine_, for 1757, p. 546.]
"He carried with him, also," says a writer of that day, "forty
supernumeraries, at his own expense; a circumstance very extraordinary
in our armies, especially in our plantations."
With a view to create in the troops a personal interest in the Colony
which they had enlisted to defend, and to induce them eventually to
become actual settlers, every man was allowed to take with him a
wife; for the support of whom some additional pay and rations, were
offered.[1] In reference to this, Governor Belcher, of Massachusetts,
in writing to Lord Egmont, respecting the settlement of Georgia, has
these remarks; "Plantations labor with great difficulties; and must
expect to creep before they can go. I see great numbers of people who
would be welcome in that settlement; and have, therefore, the honor to
think, with Mr. Oglethorpe, that the soldiers sent thither should all
be married men[2]."
[Footnote 1: _Gentleman's Magazine_, Vol. VIII. p. 164.]
[Footnote 2: Manuscript Letter Book of Governor Belcher, in the
archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society.]
Early in the spring of 1738, some part of the regiment, under the
command of Lieutenant Colonel Cochran, embarked for Georgia, and
arrived at Charlestown, South Carolina, on the 3d of May. They
immediately proceeded to their destined rendezvous by land; as the
General had taken care, on his former expedition, to have the rout
surveyed, and a road laid out and made passable from Port Royal to
Darien, or rather Frederica itself; and there were a sufficient number
of boats provided for passing the rivers.
As soon as Oglethorpe obtained the proper stores of arms, ammunition,
military equipments, and provisions, he embarked for Georgia, the
third time, with six hundred men, women, and children, including the
complement of the new raised regiment, on the 5th of July, in the
Hector and Blandford, men-of-war; accompanied by five transports. They
arrived at St. Simons on the 9th of September, where their landing at
the soldier's fort, was announced by a discharge of artillery, and
cheered by the garrison. The General encamped near the fort, and staid
till the 21st, to forward the disembarkation, and give out necessary
orders.[1]
[Footnote 1: _Letter from Frederica, in Georgia_, dated October 8th,
1738, in the _Gentleman's Magazine_, for January, 1739, p. 22.]
He then went to Frederica, and was saluted by fifteen pieces of cannon
at the fort. The magistrates and townsmen waited on him in a body, to
congratulate him on his return.
On the 25th the inhabitants of the town went out with the General, and
cut a road through the woods down to the soldiers-fort, in a strait
line; so that there is an open communication between them. This work
was performed in three days, though it is a distance of three miles.
Several Indians came to greet the General. They hunted in the
vicinity, and brought venison every day to the camp. They reported
that the chiefs from every town of the Upper and Lower Creek nation
would set out to visit him as soon as they received notice of his
return.
The arrival of the regiment, so complete and in so good order, was
a great relief to the people of Frederica, as they had been often,
during the summer, apprehensive of an attack by the Spaniards, who
had sent large reinforcements of troops to St. Augustine, and were
understood to be providing a formidable embarkation at the Havana,
notwithstanding the treaty which had been so lately concluded with
Oglethorpe. Nay, the Floridians had actually attacked one of the Creek
towns that was next to them; but, though the assault was made by
surprise, they were repulsed with loss; and then they pretended that
it was done by their Indians, without their orders.
Under circumstances of so much jeopardy, the people were so often
diverted from their daily labor, that their culture and husbandry
had been greatly neglected; and there was the appearance of such a
scarcity, that many would be reduced to actual want before the next
crop could be got in. But, in consequence of the measures now taking
for their security, and of some supplies which were brought, in
addition to the military stores, and of more that would be sent for,
the anxiety was removed, and they resumed their labors.
"The utmost care was taken by the General, that in all the frontier
places the fortifications should be put in the best state of defence;
and he distributed the forces in the properest manner for the
protection and defence of the Colony; assigning different corps for
different services; some stationary at their respective forts; some
on the alert, for ranging the woods; others, light-armed, for sudden
expeditions. He likewise provided vessels, and boats for scouring the
sea-coast, and for giving intelligence of the approach of any armed
vessels. He went from one military station to another, superintending
and actually assisting every operation; and endured hardness as a good
soldier, by lying in tents, though all the officers and soldiers had
houses and huts where they could have fires when they desired; and
indeed they often had need, for the weather was severe. In all which
services, it was declared that he gave at the same time his orders and
his example; there being nothing which he did not, that he directed
others to do; so that, if he was the first man in the Colony, his
preeminence was founded upon old Homer's maxims, 'He was the most
fatigued, the first in danger, distinguished by his cares and his
labors, and not by any exterior marks of grandeur, more easily
dispensed with, since they were certainly useless.'"[1]
[Footnote 1: HARRIS'S _Voyages_, II. p. 332.]
But there was treachery lurking in the camp, which, though for some
time suspected, had been so vigilantly watched and guarded against,
that the conspirators found no opportunity for carrying into effect
their insidious purpose.
It seems that among the troops lately sent over, there was one soldier
who had been in the Spanish service, and two others who were Roman
Catholics and disclaimed allegiance to the British Government, who had
enlisted as spies, and been bribed to excite a mutiny in the corps,
or persuade those among whom they were stationed to desert the
service.[1]
[Footnote 1: _Gentleman's Magazine_, Vol. IX. 739, p. 22.]
Their attempts, however, to gain over accomplices, were unavailing;
for those with whom they tampered had the fealty to reject their
overtures, and the honesty to make a discovery of their insidious
machinations. Upon this the traitors were seized, convicted, and, on
the beginning of October, 1738, sentenced to be whipt and drummed out
of the regiment.[1]
[Footnote 1: Appendix, No. XX.]
Hardly had this secret plot been defeated, when an affray took place
at Fort St. Andrews, in which an attempt was made to assassinate the
General, who was there on a visit.
Some of the soldiers who came from Gibraltar had been granted six
months provisions from the King's stores, in addition to their pay.
When these rations were expended, about the middle of November, one
of the murmurers had the presumption to go up to the General, who
was standing at the door with Captain Mackay, and demanded of him a
continuance of the supply. To this unceremonious and disrespectful
requisition the General replied, that the terms of their enlistment
had been complied with; that their pay was going on; that they had no
special favor to expect, and certainly were not in the way to obtain
any by such a rude manner of application. As the fellow became
outrageously insolent, the Captain drew his sword, which the desperado
snatched out of his hand, broke in two pieces, threw the hilt at him,
and made off for the barrack, where, taking his gun, which was loaded,
and crying out "One and all!" five others, with their guns, rushed
out, and, at the distance of about ten yards, the ringleader shot at
the General. The ball whizzed above his shoulder, and the powder burnt
his face and scorched his clothes. Another flashed his piece twice,
but the gun did not go off. The General and Captain were immediately
surrounded by protectors; and the culprits were apprehended, tried at
a Court-Martial, and, on the first week in October, received sentence
of death. The letter which gives a circumstantial account of this
affair, written from Frederica, and dated December 26th, adds, "Some
of the officers are not very easy, and perhaps will not be till the
mutineers are punished, _in terrorem_; which has been delayed by the
General's forbearance[1]." I quote, with pleasure, this testimony
to his lenity, given by one who must have intimately known all the
aggravating circumstances, because some accounts state that he took
summary vengeance.
[Footnote 1: _Gentleman's Magazine_, Vol. IX. p. 215.]
By the defeat of insidious plottings to induce the desertion of the
frontier garrison, and the suppression of the insurgent mutiny, the
spirit of insubordination was entirely quelled; and the people of the
Colony were relieved from their apprehensions of an attack from the
Spaniards, "as they had Oglethorpe among them, in whom they and the
Indians had great confidence."