The Siege of Saint Augustine, 1702 In 1702 Governor Zuniga had to bring together all the resources of his poorly equipped, undermanned garrison to fight off English invaders, intent on seizing the Florida capital. In 1702 war broke out in Europe over the succession to the Spanish throne, and this conflict quickly spread into the colonies as Queen Anne’s War. In Carolina Governor James Moore saw the struggle as an opportunity to mount a combined land-sea attack on Florida. This, he hoped, would destroy Spanish power in the Southeast once and for all. Organizing a force of 600 English volunteers and 600 Yamasee warriors, the English governor personally assumed command of the entire expedition with Colonel Robert Daniel as his chief of staff. [Note 7: The best account of the siege of Saint Augustine is Charles W. Arnade, The Siege of St. Augustine in 1702, 1959.] From its rendezvous point in Port Royal, South Carolina, the English force began its invasion in September, 1702. Colonel Daniel led a group of soldiers and Indians up the Saint John’s River in canoes after seizing the two tiny Spanish outposts of Santa Maria and San Juan near the mouth of the river. Proceeding up the Saint John’s, Daniel’s force moved to a point directly west of Saint Augustine, where he and his men left the river and marched eastward toward the Florida capital. In the meantime, Zuniga made plans to meet the impending attack. Assembling all the soldiers, residents, and Indians of the Saint Augustine area in Fort San Marcos, he brought in enough food, supplies, and powder to last four months. He also saw to it that the residents brought their most valuable possessions into the fort to keep them from falling into the hands of the enemy. [Note 8: gov to king 6/6/1703] Zuniga had acted wisely. Within a few days after the Spaniards had taken refuge in the fort, Daniel’s soldiers and Indians entered Saint Augustine and sacked and looted the town. AN282 Falling back with their plunder, they returned to Saint Augustine on November 10… (Tepaske GSF)