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The 1740 Expedition Against St. Augustine
If Georgia owed its existence to any one man, there is no question that this
man was James Oglethorpe.
While serving in Parliament, to which he was elected in 1722 at the
relatively young age of 26, Oglethorpe became deeply troubled by the practice
in England of imprisoning debtors and by the oppressions suffered in Europe by
religious dissenters. In 1732 he persuaded Parliament to allow these people to
settle in an area below South Carolina where they would be given land on which
they could make a fresh start at working out their destinies. At the same time
they would act as a buffer between the Spaniards in Florida and the English
colonies to the north.
So intense was his desire to see the grand experiment succeed, Oglethorpe
lead the first boatload of settlers over in 1733, picked out the site of
Savannah, helped lay it out, and stayed on the scene ten years as political
and military leader to help nurture the infant colony and defend it against
all enemies. The hot, humid climate of the area constantly took its toll on
the new arrivals. Indians were certainly a danger; however, Oglethorpe’s
ability to win their favor minimized their threat to the colony. The Spanish
to the south presented, by far, the greater danger to the colony’s survival.
Spain had a colony along the Southeast coast long before the establishment of
Georgia. They had founded St. Augustine in 1565 and had controlled the area
for many years before a band of English settlers arrived in 1670 to settle
Charles Town. The Spanish resented this intrusion into what they considered to
be their territory and proceeded to harass the new town and the outlying
settlements that were rapidly springing up around it along the Carolina coast.
Oglethorpe, in September, 1739, proposed to Lt. Governor Bull of South
Carolina that the two colonies join forces to attack St. Augustine and drive
the Spanish threat from the Southeast once and for all. A lengthy debate
between the two over the proposed cost of the expedition and its leadership
ensued, and an agreement was not reached until April, 1740.
On May 9, 1740, after several communiqués between Oglethorpe and Bull
negotiating the strategy to be employed against St. Augustine, the expedition,
though not yet up to planned provisions and men, got under way. According to
an entry in Oglethorpe’s journal which was reproduced in "Colonial Records of
South Carolina - The Journal of the Commons House of Assembly," he reported,
"On the 9th, General Oglethorpe passed into Florida, campt [camped] upon the Spanish
side of the River St. John's and sent the Indians to reconnoitre the Country
"The expedition reached the south shore of Florida's St. John's River, the
last water obstacle in its quest, then marched half way to St. Augustine
before stopping for the night. Several cannon were abandoned in the soft sand
along the way because of a lack of horses to pull them.
"The next day the invaders took Fort St. Diego, an outpost four hours march
from St. Augustine. Another victory quickly followed with the capture of
Moosa, a crude fort within shouting distance of the old town. Leaving about
seventy men at Moosa, the expedition moved on toward St. Augustine to prepare
an assault on the “castle,” Castillo de San Marcos, a formidable fort that had
taken 23 years to build. A few days later a Spanish force of an estimated 500
men attacked Moosa in the pre-dawn hours of June 15, killing fifty or more of
the surprised English. They took another twenty as prisoners while losing 132
themselves.
"A description of the attack, pieced together a year later by a committee of
the South Carolina House from depositions of men who had participated in it,
rivals the script of a John Wayne cavalry movie. According to the report a
mixture of Georgia Rangers and Highlanders, South Carolina Rangers, and
Indians were left to man Moosa and to keep nearby St. Augustine in a state of
alarm as a diversionary measure. South Carolina's Colonel Palmer, commander of
the Rangers of his province and the Indians, and who had two sons under his
command, elected for him and his men to sleep outside the confines of the fort
for safety's sake. Ignoring Palmer's advise to do likewise, the Georgia
Rangers and Highlanders and their two captains slept inside:
"On the 15th, about one in the Morning some of the rangers, who had been
out to burn a House close by the Town, but it being very dark could not find
it, returned to Fort Moosa and reported that they had heard the Spanish
Indians dancing the War Dance. Thereupon Col. Palmer said they must expect a
Brush before Day; ordered them to lie down and take a Nap and that he would
awake them at three or four o'Clock. Accordingly he did, and almost all the
Rangers got up immediately and stood to Arms. Then the Colonel went into the
Fort, roused them up, argued the Danger they were in and advised them to stand
to Arms. "But as usual, not regarding him, most of them lay down again. This
put him into a great Passion, and coming out he said that they did not know
what they trusted to, that the Spanish would surely attack them after the
Indian Manner, and repeated that the General had sent them there for a
Sacrifice. He stood some Time after in the gate-way talking to Jones On a
sudden one of the advance Centinels called out that there was a Party of Men
coming. "Col. Palmer called out aloud, “Stand to your Arms! Not a man of you
fire, but receive their first Fire; then half of you fire and fall back,
making Room for the rest to come up, and we will kill them like Dogs “ Some of
the Highlanders, then upon Guard in one of the Bastions, fired notwithstanding
directly. "The Enemy then poured in a large Volley. Upon which the Colonel
said, “Are these the Men I have to trust to? I thought so before.” And betook
himself to the Ditch, The Rangers, who were about twelve Yards without it,
did the same; for the Colonel had before directed them in case of an Attack to
do so, because they would be in as much Danger from the Fire of the
Highlanders within the Fort as from the Enemy without. Jones run into the
Fort, and got all the Indians together in one Flanker, there being a great
Hurry and Confusion amongst the Men, some being dressed and same undressed. He
went into every Flanker three Times, yet could not find Capt. McIntosh, nor
see any of the Soldiers; but found Capt McKay in one of them just got up in
his Shirt with a small Sword and a Musket, whom he advised to support the
Gate. But it was so well defended during the constant smart Fire on all Sides
for a Quarter of an Hour from the two Flankers that commanded that Side and by
Col. Palmer in the trench, who kept firing and encouraging the Men aloud,
that they were repulsed twice." "At length they came again Sword in Hand and
entered the Gate, being led by an Officer whom Jones at his entrance shot. At
the same Time another Party entered one of the Breaches; so that the Fort was
at once full of Spaniards, it being about Half an Hour before day. McKay
immediately jumped over into the Ditch with a small Sword in his Hand, and
advised all to shift for themselves. Soon after McIntosh was carried out
Prisoner. They continued within some Time at Clubwork, cutting and slashing as
fast as they could, till the Spaniards being evidently, Masters, all that
were able jumped over on all Sides into the Ditch, and made the best of their
Way off through the Enemy that surrounded the Fort, amongst which Jones with
six Indians jumping over was joined by Col. Palmer's two sons (the Captain
and his Brother) and another of the Rangers who all together, firing as they
marched and opening a Passage to themselves through the Enemy made their
Escape, Capt. Palmer in particular killing a Spanish Indian by the Way who was
just ready to knock down Jones. "All this Time Col. Palmer maintained the Ditch
where he was, though but with two of the Carolina by his Side. At length he
Was shot by one within the Fort. Bleeding inwardly very much at the Mouth, he
yet loaded his Gun, and when almost gone, reeling and panting, he still
cried out as he fell, “Huzza my Lads! The Day's our own, I have been in many
Battles and never lost one yet.” Thereupon those two Men, being the last,
quitted the trench and escaped through the Enemy with many Wounds to the
River Side opposite to Point Cartell, being about Mile and Half from the Fort.
"There almost all that had escaped, except a few that could swim over, remained
at a Stand. The Spaniards, as it pleased God, did not pursue their Victory;
but marched back to the Castle in great Triumph, shouting and firing in Sight
of the Camps with the Prisoners and Colours that they had taken in the Fort .
. ."
The great expectation of capturing or destroying Castillo de San Marcos
faded rapidly from then until mid-July as the undertaking dissolved into a
fiasco. Oglethorpe, succumbing to threats of mass desertion, pulled out and
returned home.
Contributed by:
J. G. (Jerry) Braddock Sr.
Charleston, SC. Author of Wooden Ships - Iron Men .
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