(Worth SGC) DOCUMENT 14: INVESTIGATION OF THE LIMITS OF FLORIDA, 1726 INTRODUCTION In 1721, nearly four decades after the effective abandonment of the Georgia coast by the Spaniards, English colonists from Charles Town established yet another fortification in Spanish territory, this time on the actual site of a former Guale mission. In July, a small wooden fort was constructed on the banks of the Altamaha River, precisely on the ruins of Mission Santo Domingo de Talaje, abandoned since 1661 (see Overview). This outpost, named Fort King George, proved to be the source of years of diplomatic controversy (see Crane, 1956: 235-247; Cook, 1990), and ultimately it was dismantled after only six years. Nevertheless, the dispute prompted the Governor of Florida Don Antonio de Benavides to initiate an investigation into the historical basis for Spain's territorial claims to the Georgia coast, and the documents that resulted appear below. This original auto comprises testimony from six elderly veterans in St. Augustine, all of whom were questioned regarding their own knowledge and experience relating to the Spanish occupation of the coastal strip to the north of St. Augustine. The six men, their ages ranging from 60 to 82, provided an abundance of information regarding the Guale coast during the late 17th century, some of it remarkably accurate. Nevertheless, inasmuch as the following text is based on the oral testimony of old soldiers remembering both hearsay and personal experiences, this document must be viewed more as oral history than as a contemporary historical account. Consequently, there is some confusion in the testimony, and outright errors in fact, but the material nonetheless serves as a fascinating retrospect of the struggle for the Guale coast. In this sense, the 1726 investigation also foreshadows the Montiano auto of which it ultimately formed a part, displaying yet another facet of Spain's attempt to hold back the English onslaught in the diplomatic and legal realm. AN478 Year of 1726, Number 14 Jesus, Mary, Joseph Original investigation made in order to ascertain the limits and ownership of these provinces of Florida. Autos and declarations about the justification of where the jurisdiction of this presidio reaches to the north. Auto: Benavides… Declaration of Captain Don Juan Ruiz Mexia… Declaration of Sergeant Major Don Juan de Ayala… Declaration of Juan de Sandobal… Declaration of Adjutant Joseph Rodriguez Melendez… Declaration of Adjutant Don Alonso de Avila… Declaration of Captain of Cavalry Don Francisco Menendez Marquez… Certification…