Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-14

| west OF the bluff and on a somewhat lower
| elevation was Fort Caroline II had been
| built for more than "A year, of logs and
! earth surrounded by ditch and inclosiug
| quite Il large area, giving ample room for
| the quarters of the commanding officer and
The garrison, with a number of women and
chlurcn. Cannon irOWned from it's ram
parts, and II It's postern gate a marsh
creek. coming close to the landing. gave
easy transportation from the River of MAY.
with the departure of R.haut. Laudonn.ore
! was left in command, but he was ii with
fever although Still making an effort To re-
main on active duty.
Toward the fort the object of his at
tack came Menendez. leaving the crude be-
ginning of Fort San Marco at ST. Angus
tine to a few men in charge Of his hrot her
with instructions to push the work Of the
defensos as rapidly possible. The SEN
ttmDer gaze had already begun. Leading
ms command on foot. and bearing himself
ms full share of wine and provisions as
wei as arms and accoUterments he pushed
ON, following what is now San Marco ave-
nue., and plunginS into the forest began a
march, which for grim determination has
tnnk, never been surpassed Every hour
saw the storm Of wind and rain Increasing
Rlbauts s fleet was even then cndeayuring 10
stand off shore. but, unable to res st its
Jury, was being driven to destruction on tho
shore below Matanzas inlet and scattered
all the way to Canaveral.
In the face of this terrific storm of wind
ana RAIN. Menendez pus@ed on with a de-
VI.
The swamps were filled with water and the
tangled thicket, that had only been ira
VerSed by the narrow trail of the Indian
was only broken through with the greatest
dlfhculty by the heavily burdened men-at-
arms. In the open pine woods amid the
downpour of rain, the fearful gale sent the
dead limbs of the pines flying over Their
heads. The water rose so high In the
swamp that the path had to be left and
detours made, and even then it was difficult
TO make any progress whatever. If they
stopped at all for rest or food, 1t must have
been to lie on the ground flooded with water
and without any shelter. And so toiling
ana struggi ns, with a mutinous spirit rife
among the men, on the evening of the third
day they reached the high ground near the
bluff and waited for the dawn to make the
attack. The fury of the storm had in no
wise abated, and Laudanniere, thinking Il
Impossible that any attack should be made
in such storm, allowed the sentr.es to re-
tire, so that when up from the morass and
from the tangled thicket in the dim light OF
the early morning the Spaniards appeared
bearing their scaling ladders, and s:ormed
the fort, the French we're taken by sur
prise, and able to offer but feeble resist
ance We're for the most part slain A few
escaped and were taken on board some of
the ships still remaining in the mouth of
the river. One of the ships lying not far
away from the fort. was sunk by the guns
Of the fort being turned upon It.
Menendez returned in triumph to ST.
Augustine to celebrate his victory with
mass and re Deum, and to complete his
success by the slaughter of Ribaut and his
men a Matanzas few days later.
This article is written simply to show the
quckness of perception of a situation and
promptness of execution that tells of a
great commander Had Spain succeeded in
establishing a permanent colony on these
shores, this would have come down to us
as a remarkable achievement AS she failed
it is only a side-lght of history