The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-06-23
FL.ORIDA'SB WARS.

4 Z . y .
r,nlu,ulsr state Has i;csn no Stranger 10
An, Tramp OF Armed Iio.ts-Invadinr
spsni,h Fnre,s-biany t,ioodv sis.sprrs,.
Denver News: Florida Is no stranger
"a the marshnling OF troops. The sands
a, her pine woods. the morasses oil her
sunmock lands and the islands OF hcr
everglades we're for over three hundred
Years the scene OF small butbloody wars
and frequent nassncres, for this land OF
soyers was a pawn on the chess board
o, nations and It's history q record OF
tragic vlclsslsudcs.
Ponce de Leon was the first white
man to push his way up to the LOVELY
ing shore. This was In 1917, and four
years later, ono Diego Meruelo. landed
on the coast and after kidnapping, a
few natives returned to Cuba, whence
he had come. ~
In 1870 Lucas de Ayllon descended up
on the coast and entrapocd one hum
wards sold MS slaves. On q subsequent
tGlIEb Sap ~ LluI
was betrayed into the error OF thinking
his previous treacherv forgotten. He
DISPATCHED two hundred OF his men to
visit large inland town. OF which the
Indians told him. Here the whites were
90 Hospitality entertained that the last
vestige OF suspicion on their part was
quIcted. It was then the FIRST Florida
massacre took place. The Spaninrds
snt 4.
down to the last man, About tho same
time the coast Indians rose on de jAy-
lions main force, killing all save n few
who managed to get to the ship. De
Ayllon himself was among those /, who
persisted. Z III q !!t3
Navarcz. after having been outwltted
IN Mexico by Cortez, undertook the con-
quest OF Florida. He landed at Tampa
bay with three hundred men and
marched inland, to see his force fade
away beneath the arrows OF the In,
dams For months the Span!ards toiled
on. their dream OF splendid conquest
becoming less vivid day by day. At
last. utterly. discouraged. they set their
faces seward. Arriving at the coast
they built five small boats, forging their.
swords and nrmor into nails and bolts
for the purpose. TSo OF these boats
we're shipwrecked, q third which Nav
arez commanded was blown out to
sea, and this was the last OF Florlda's
captain general"
Dc Soto comes next. He. too, landed
ht Tampa bay ands forced his way up
the state and across TO the Mississippi.
there to find a resting place beneath its
waters otter three years and half OF
reaseless wanderings.
In 1915 Spanish treasure-ship was
wrecked on the Florida coast. and two
hundred Of her crew and passengers
were slain by the Indians. Seven years
later the plate fleet from Vera Cruz
with upwards OF 1000 persons, was
driven ashore. and OF the th-ee hundred
men and women who succeeded In get
ting to land, but one man escaped to
recount the tragic fate OF his fellows.
\ France about this time decided to ex-
tend her possessions In the new world
b. adding Florida 10 her chain OF set
Elements. Jean Ribault commanded an.
expedition that was sent out IN 1862. BE
landed q little north of where the city
OF St. Augustine stands to-day and
erected stoctade which he named
Fort Charles, In honor OF his king. Gar
risoning-lt with a force of twenty-five
soldiers he returned to France. After.
some delay Ribault dispatched Rene
1audonniere with more men to his little
colony and followed himself in 1866 with
five hundred settlers. The news Of this
second French enterprise reached Spain
and q court noble, the Marquis Melen-
dez, prepared q counter demonstration
In behalf OF his king.
He sailed with thirty-four ships and.
1900 men, making port at what Is
now st. Augustine. on the same day the.
French were landing at Fort Charles.
Thus the two hostile fleets were within
fifty miles OF each other. The Spanlards
first heard through the Indians of,their
proximity to the French settlement and
SIclendez at once sailed to the north.
where he saw Ribault's four largest
ships anchored on shore. He crowded
in on them. and the! French holstinS
their Sails slipped their cables and ran
out to sea. Melendez put about In pur-
suit, but finally gave up the chase and
sailed back to st. Augustine.
Rlbault was now seized with the, idea
that he could capture the Spanish fleet.
On the Sth OF September hesre-embarls-
ed,leayIng Landowners with but thirty
seven men to defend Fort Charles. and
sailed to the south. Stress, o. weather.
however, came on and he was driven
Tar down the coast. L..
Melendez, meantime, was preparing to
attack Fort Charles by land. The morn
Ing OF the 10Th was selected for the as
sault, and Just at dawn the Spanish;
soldiers. who had crept up to the out
posts, under cover of the night and
storm that was raging,rushed the works
in the drenching rain. Men. womeii
and children fell in the first savage on
slaught. THE rest were spared" the
chronicle briefly put It. Melendez re-
christened the fort San Mateo, and
leaving q force to bold 1t returned to
St. Augustine while the fate OF his
fort was being decided the unlucky Ri
bault was suffering shipwrecls The
September gales piled his ships up on
the beach one after another. Ee WAS
able to land his force, however. with the
loss OF but one man. News of this was
carried MelendeZ by the Indians, who
told him that the French were at Mat,
anzas inlet and unable to cross! Melen-
dez set out for the inlet. guided. BY. the
Indians. He arrived there at nlghtfali.
The next morning. one of the French
sailors swan across and informed him
that they were but a part of Ribnult's
expedition. the main body being still
with the wrecked ships.
Under promise OF honorable treatment
the French agreed to surrender and
crossed ten at a time in n boat the
SSpaniards brought With them. AS they
landed they were seized and their
hands bound. They, ware. then led
along the beach OF lAnastasIa island In