From COLLECTIONS OF THE Georgia Historical Society, Vol. VII. 1742 ARREDONDO’S JOURNAL JOURNAL KEPT BY DON ANTONIO DE ARREDONDO, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PRESENT EXPEDITION. June 5, 1742. At sunrise the signal was made to put to sea and executed by the entire convoy, as it was ready to sail. At twelve o'clock, we sallied from the Morro, at which time we hauled up our launches and boats; steady drizzle. June 6th. From yesterday noon until today at the same hour: at one o'clock in the afternoon we ran into a rain squall without wind, which lasted until 5. We stood all night under foresail and mizzen sail until 5 o'clock in the morning. At noon, we took the sun, but as there were great differences in the observations, we took the mean to fix the course which was northeast by north. June 7th. From yesterday until today: at sunset, all the elements of the convoy kept together. At nine in the evening, great signs of a squall which burst upon us with thunder, lightning and rain, lasting until one o'clock in the night. At sunrise two vessels were missing. At noon, we took the sun and found our latitude to 24° 40', and our longitude 295° 16'. At this hour the two boats which had been missing rejoined us. June 8th. From yesterday until today: at one o'clock in the after noon, we sighted Long Key, its northeast head bearing north five and a half degrees toward the east and the southwest point, west. At sunset all the vessels were together. At midday the sun gave us 25° 3' latitude and longitude 295° 40', all the vessels being together. June 9th. At three of the afternoon, signal was made to crowd on all sail which was kept up till four. At six land was discovered from the top and recognized by the pilot as Biscayne Key which bore west by north at a distance of five leagues. At six in the morning, the top announced that only twenty-two vessels were in sight: at seven, land was visible and after examination by the pilot he declared that it was the shore of Jega, bearing west by northwest. At 8 a sloop signaled that she wished to speak to us, and observing that her bowsprit had been injured, the Honduran was sent to find out what was the matter, and returned saying, that it was the royal sloop "St. Joseph," and that the night before, on going about, the guard schooner had fouled her, and thus had damaged her bowsprit, but that she was not making any water nor had suffered any other damage. At noon we took the sun and found ourselves in 26°54' latitude and 295° 25' longitude. On this day a sloop of the convoy was missing. June 10th. From yesterday until today: at 4 of the afternoon, we sighted main land, being the palm grove of Ays [Ais?], according to the pilot. At 5, signal was set to go about, which was executed by the entire convoy, the course being set S. E., with the wind E. N. E. At sunset the top announced that only twenty-two vessels were in sight. At this hour we had lost the land. The whole night remained calm. At sunrise we saw the same vessels as those of yesterday afternoon and found at noon our latitude to be 28° 28' and longitude 292° 15'. June 11th. From yesterday until today: at 1:30 of the afternoon signal was made to put about, which was done, and the course set W. N. W., the wind being north and light. At sunset all the boats visible this morning were still in sight. The whole night a moderate wind blew out of the southwest. At sunrise twenty-one vessels were seen. At noon, we took soundings and found ourselves in twenty-two fathoms, bottom reddish gravel and dark colored sand. At ten, we tacked to the S. S. W., wind west, and at noon our latitude was 30° 1' and longitude 295°^ 10'. June 12th. From yesterday until today: at 2:30 of the afternoon sounded in twenty-six fathoms; found the bottom the same, for which reason we decided to cast anchor because the currents were carrying us to leeward. Signal to this effect was made and obeyed. At sunset only eighteen vessels were seen because apparently the currents had prevented their keeping together, and at the same time it was conjectured that they were invisible because the horizon was overcast. The entire night was calm, with the wind to the southwest, but we found the currents extremely strong; at 5:30 of the morning, signal was made to hoist sail, which was done with the wind to the northwest, course S. W. Only fifteen vessels were visible, being those only that had anchored. At noon, our observation gave us 29° 42' latitude, and longitude 245° 4'. June 13th. From yesterday until today: at one of the afternoon, we set our course W. S. W., with the wind north, northwest, eastern horizon heavily submerged. At three of the afternoon we saw land but could not make out what it was, bearing W. ¼S. W., at a distance of three leagues. At sunset signal to go about and set the course east, wind north, northeast. At this hour only fourteen vessels were in sight. The eastern horizon was strongly overcast, with more or less indications of weather. At ten at night the wind freshened from the north into a squall so that we stood under foresail and mizzensail. At three in the morning signal was made to change our course to the E. S. E. and S. E., with the wind northeast, this on account of having sounded and found only twelve fathoms and a half. The night continued calm with some swell until half past four, when the wind settled in the south and southeast with many squalls and showers. At this hour we set our course to the E, and E. ¼ N. E. At sunrise, the sun being invisible, the top announced that fifteen vessels were in sight. Afterwards two others, small ones, were discovered and a frigate to the windward which made a signal of recognition which was answered, and we found it to be the Sacra Familia, so that we were now eighteen, all told. At ten we sounded in fifteen fathoms and the skies having cleared and the rain stopped, signal was made to head south, the wind being east-southeast. At midday we took the sun and found our position to be latitude 29° 28', and longitude 297° 7'. June 14th. From yesterday till today: at six of the afternoon, signal made to set the course N. E. by N., with the wind east southeast. At this hour there was a flurry of rain. At sunset seventeen vessels were in sight, the two small ones that were seen this morning having been unable to come up. The night continued calm, and the currents proving more powerful than the wind, we cast anchor in twelve and a half fathoms of water at half past one in the morning. At six, signal to make sail was set, which we all did, with the course S. S. W.; wind east-southeast, which all sixteen vessels executed. At 8 :00 land was seen at a distance of four leagues and a half, continuous coast. At midday the sun gave us 29° latitude and at the same time we recognized that we were off the bar of Mosquito Inlet, for which reason we set our course N. N. W. June 15th. From yesterday till today: at six of the afternoon, the packet boat "Diligent" was signaled to come up within speaking distance and ordered to press all sail and hasten to reconnoiter the bar of Matanzas and inform us by cannon shot and to hoist a signal lantern for our guidance; and that as soon as she should be off the bar of Saint Augustine, she should anchor, and from time to time make a smoke signal. We continued with the rest of the vessels on the same course and at one o'clock in the morning anchored east and west on a line with the tower of St. Anastasia in twelve fathoms of water. As soon as it dawned we discovered at anchor the seven vessels which had been missing. They had succeeded in getting in two days before, so that we were finally all reunited. At 8:00 there came alongside a boat from the garrison to take ashore the second in command, Don Francisco Rubiani and myself. The officer who came off told us that: • on the 5th, the first division of small vessels that had set out from Havana on the first day, having run into an English frigate, our galley called upon her to show her colors and as she failed to do so, • we cleared for action and opened fire on her with our guns, to which • the frigate made no answer, and under her courses alone, advanced upon our galley, and prepared to attack her. But this design was perceived, and the wind being fresh, • the galley rejoined the convoy under a signal to press on all sail; • but her commanding officer seeing that the Saint Augustine sloop, in which were embarked the sub-lieutenant and the artillerymen of Havana, was far astern, gave orders to stick close to the sloop and resist the launch and boat of the hostile frigate, which she had just put overboard and was directed to cut off two schooners which were somewhat delayed behind the remainder of the convoy. • As the wind continued to freshen, the galley sent a boat with the ensign and ten men of his garrison to re-enforce the aforesaid schooners. In fact, • the launches of the Englishman had come alongside to board, • but were by the help of the officer and ten men just mentioned, formally beaten off in the three attempts that they made. • In this affair we suffered no damage, except that Don Francisco Molina, the lieutenant of the militia of Guanabacoa, was wounded in the thigh. • The hostile ship, seeing that her launches had not succeeded in their attempt, now directed them to attack the Saint Augustine bilander and the launch from the convoy sent by the commanding officer of the galley to support the vessels that were far astern. • Although the utmost defense possible had been made, they were unable to resist the fire of the ship which was at anchor in three fathoms of water, and so ran ashore, the sub-lieutenant, Don Domingo de la Cruz, having been killed in the action by a gun-shot, as well as the corporal, Manuel del Pino, by another. • When they saw our people had got ashore, the enemy leaving their boat, swarmed over the bilander in order to loot the cargo which they supposed she carried. • From the shore, we opened fire on them, encouraged by seeing that the English boat had sunk in the surf on the shore, and assisted by two Indians who happened to be fishing, and who had come up at the sound of the guns. • We succeeded in overcoming our adversaries who, after a moment or two of struggle, asked for quarter. • Of the English in the boat, six were wounded and nine unhurt. • The ship when it saw her people captured set sail. • The dragoons who went to the help of the bilander were clever enough on going ashore to take their arms with them and from the shore diverted the hostile launches, so as to permit the artillerymen also to go ashore. Without this, the affair would not have succeeded. • The prisoners have been brought to this place and among them, the officer in command, who is a brother of Captain Makay. From these we learned all about the fight and that the ship is one of the men-of-war of Carolina. I have had word of mouth with one of them but have learned nothing more than what we already know. In respect of the condition of affairs in Saint Augustine, I also learned that the day before our arrival a schooner had allowed itself to be sighted on the north and that she had changed her course as soon as she had seen the seven vessels at anchor. At one o'clock of the afternoon, the second in command, Don Francisco de la Pena and I went ashore, and we passed the rest of the day informing ourselves of the state of the preparations of this place. June 16th. Today we convened the pilots, white as well as Indian, and examined them carefully in regard to everything we should know for the purpose of our expedition. Later we held council, the commanding officers and the naval ensign, Don Francisco de la Pena, in which we agreed upon the method of attacking the north and south entrances of St. Simon's in order to cut off the communication between the various stations of the enemy, deciding to detach three galliots with their canoes to the more northerly entrance and two to enter by the Bar of Whales; these two to post themselves within the river between the Fort of St. Andrew and Frederica. Today we had squalls from the northeast and more or less water was sent on board, in spite of the fact that all the launches were busy unloading stores. June 17th. Another council was held between the commanding officers and Don Francisco de la Pena, in which was discussed the question of the point at which we should disembark to invade the Isle of St. Simon; and after various reflections upon the matter, and weighing all the circumstances with the greatest attention, it was unanimously agreed that the disembarkation should take place on the east coast at the most sheltered point of the shoals north of the Bar of Gualquini and that from this point a cordon should be formed with part of the troops to reach as far as the careening ground in order to maintain free communication within the river with our ships and to receive supplies and whatever else might be needful from that point in full security. It was further agreed that the ships and the remaining vessels should enter in good order and force the hostile battery, and should string themselves across the river of the harbor in the formation to be prescribed by the senior naval officer, Don Antonio Castaneda, and that afterward operations should conform to the turn of events. I caused lists to be given to me of the troops, the convicts, the Indians and the negroes of the garrison, the first being composed of five pickets of the re-enforcement and of one of the garrison, well equipped; of ninety convicts, of fifty-five Indians and of fifteen negroes, all armed. Then I promptly made the lists of distribution of all these classes according to the capacity and quality of the vessels and they were so allotted. We continued today sending as much water as we could on board, having regard to the necessities of the vessels and especially those of the royal frigates. Today we had squalls from the northeast and some of them gave us real concern, by preventing communication and because our vessels were so completely exposed out beyond the bar. Our arrangements were thus delayed. Today we saw a schooner off in the north and the commanding officer Don Antonio Castaneda, made signal to the Honduran ship to chase her, and after some time, she declared herself to be English and put her boat overboard and sent it to us with the French captain who was captured on this bar at the beginning of March of this year, with three Spanish prisoners and a negro of Espinosa's. Don Diego Ogletorp was returning these people with a letter to the Governor of St. Augustine, with directions to leave these prisoners at that place. I learned from the French captain that the schooner in which he had come is the same that was seen on the fourteenth; that on account of the bad weather she had not approached the shore to carry out the order of Oglettorp and that having recognized our sloop, the English captain had taken the resolution to leave aboard of her both the French captain and the prisoners. These declared that they had been kept confined and deprived of all communication. The French captain, a reasonably just, fair man, had been kept on board of the bilander which, from the description he gave, is the one from this place which they captured after it had come to anchor in the river of St. Simon. He was not permitted to set foot on shore more than twice, when he was taken before a Board, presided over by a Doctor, to make a declaration in respect of certain effects and bilanders. These he lost, for the verdict was adverse although it was established that he had come to bring supplies to the garrison. In spite of the closeness of the confinement in which he was kept, they nevertheless treated him with the greatest distrust as though he had been an enemy. He understood that Oglettorp had not the forces to resist ours because, all told, they have not more than six hundred English, divided between troops and farmers, and that these are distributed in different posts. He relates further that the battery of the city or town of Frederica is dismounted and he reports the deep poverty in which they are living, without fresh meat, the soldiers without money and without any relief, except that a French officer has a few sheep and cattle. The negro of Espinosa, however, enjoyed a little liberty and says that a storm and heavy rains have gradually destroyed the battery at the entrance of Gualquini, so that he saw it, at least so he says, fallen over on one side. On asking the French captain what opinion Oglettorp's people had formed on seeing our seven vessels anchored in front of the bar, he said, that they thought it was the privateer, Estrada (who has as yet not come in from his cruise), with a few prizes; and that the captain of the English man-of-war, whom a few days before he had met, had told them of the combat which he had had with our galley and the boats of the first division, and that he had given them an account of the prisoners which the Spaniards had taken from them at the Bar of Mosquitos, telling them that they had come with stores for the garrison escorted by the galley; so that it seems they have not perceived the purpose for which our expedition is intended. The letter of Oglettorp to the Governor [Montiano] reduces itself to communicating to him the fact that he is returning the prisoners aforementioned, claiming credit for having rescued them from the power of the Indians who had captured them [at Fort Diego?]; and to saying that the others which he holds in his power must, by order of the king, his master, be sent to London, Don Romualdo Morales being of the number; and makes frivolous excuses for not having before given an answer to our Governor. June 18th. We drew up plans of battle, divided the troops into columns, and selected the reserve; the three naval lieutenants, Don Vicentte Quintta, Don Carlos Regio, and the Marquess de Casinas, were appointed to take over as many other pickets* belonging to the Captains Don Bernardo Quena and Don Gregorio Bermejo, on duty as regimental staff captains,** and that of Don Francisco Palafox, chosen as aide-de-camp by the commanding general. [*The piquete at the beginning of the XVIII century, wee a provisional and temporary company forming up on the left, and made up of men drawn from all the companies. Later in the text It has its regular meaning of picket, i.e. guard.] [** Sargentos maiores, [or mayors, in modern form]. The sargento mayor was charged with duties of administration, accountability, inspection and discipline. He took rank after the captains, but they nevertheless were under his orders in matters relating to his office. The title is rather that of an office than of a grade. There is no English equivalent.] Ballast was sent out to the frigate, Escalera, assigned to the fleet by direction of the commanding general and in agreement with his royal officers and the agents of the Royal Exchequer. Besides we continued to send out water and I made a distribution of cartridges, at the rate of twenty rounds for the disembarkation, and ordered them to be distributed to each vessel by the adjutants.* [*Ayudantes, In all probability the assistants of the sargentos mayores, who were called ayudantes. The term used in the translation "adjutant," must not be taken to mean what we actually understand by it in the military service, but is used in a more general way. Strictly speaking we have no English equivalent for ayudante, any more than we have for sargento mayor.] I also ordered the issue of 183 muskets and bayonets to the militia but these orders could not all be carried out because there was not time during this day on account of the great distance to be covered and because the tide did not serve. The supply of water has continued and the ballast for the frigate of Escalera. I ordered the negro of Espinosa to be held a prisoner with directions that he should be allowed to speak to no one because I suspected some knavery. June 19th. I have drawn up the order of disembarkation and the stores have been transported to the frigate of Escalera for the troops which are embarking, namely, the detachment of Don Gregorio Aldana. The schooner, Guaraia, has succeeded in entering this port. It has on board a part of the supply of stores for the schooners and other vessels of the garrison [of Saint Augustine]. The baggage of the officers of the pickets has been ordered on board, and the supply of water and ballast to the boats has continued with the greatest energy, each of these being about completed. Today we saw a schooner to which chase was given, by order of the senior naval officer, by the bilander of Fide and the Honduran. They did not succeed in overtaking it, but we have formed the opinion that it is the same one which brought the Frenchman and prisoners sent by Ogletorp and that it has come to spy us out and observe our movements. June 20th. While we were completing the distribution of stores, I passed the day writing to the Captain General of Havana, giving his Excellency an account of all that had passed up to the present day. Orders have been given for the embarkation tomorrow afternoon of the troops of the garrison, and that they should set out at the first tide and come to anchor near the flagship, in order that each may receive its sailing instructions from the naval commander and that there may be nothing more to do than to put to sea. Today we saw a brigantine which we have decided must be that of Estrada, because it seems suspicious that so large a vessel off this bar could have disappeared. We are copying out the order of disembarkation in order that each one of the vessels may have its own copy. June 21st. Yesterday we finished supplying the vessels of the garrison with their proper stores. The watering of the ships, too, has been finished. At dawn, we saw a brigantine which we decided to be the same as that seen yesterday: and in fact, at one o'clock of the afternoon it anchored off our bar, and we discovered it to be that of Estrada. At six of the afternoon the ship's writer came ashore with a letter from the said Estrada, giving us an account of what had happened on his cruise. He reports having captured a schooner of rice which has already arrived here and a packet boat, and reports further having been attacked by a Carolina war vessel on the third instant at about six of the afternoon, when the combat opened; that it lasted until midnight and that each damaged the other more or less, with the loss on the part of the Spaniards of one man killed and four wounded; among them, the captain in the hand, the lieutenant in the head, and two sailors. As for the loss of the English, he knew nothing. He judges merely that the damage must have been great because the fire of all sorts which he opened on him was incessant, and because the Englishman, dropping astern, was the first to cease the combat, so that this action may be compared to that which Don Pedro Goycochea had with the English frigate between the islands of San Domingo and Porto Rico, because the circumstances were almost the same. He also says that he has learned from prisoners that two hundred sailors have been sent from Boston to re-enforce the fleet of Admiral Vernon which it is known was occupied, according to current reports, before Cartagena; and that it was common rumor that additional forces were to come out to join those of Oglettorp and that if these should arrive, he would doubtless use them before St. Augustine; that Carolina was not of a mind to give the help which Oglettorp was seeking, unless there should be some order from the King to that effect, and the command of the expedition committed to some other chief. The brigantine comes in short of meat and for that reason cannot form part of the convoy; only as soon as it shall have entered, we shall try to shift its arms and equipment to the guard schooner, and if Captain Estrada shall have recovered from his wound, we shall give him the command of her. This night we had squalls, winds and showers. June 22nd. Frequent rains, squalls and thunderstorms have today impeded the embarkation of the troops, nor was Estrada's brigantine able to come in; and as the horizons indicated foul weather, all the pilots were assembled and gave their opinion that the vessels should not set out, but should remain until tomorrow when the embarkation would take place and the ships put forth, but only if the weather should be good. In a gazette from Boston, brought by Estrada, there is a ridiculous article as follows: It says that a gentleman, of Georgia, who had arrived in Boston on the 26th of March, had given trustworthy news that General Oglettorp with eight hundred men had gone to lay siege to St. Augustine, that among these men he had three hundred Indians who had resolved to burn the place; and he added that the motive of Ogleltorp's expedition was that he had got news that the Spaniards were weak and in great need of stores, caused by the presence of Admiral Vernon's fleet in the waters of Cuba. June 23rd. Although we had thought that today we could set forth, the morning dawned with a strong wind from the northeast, accompanied by squalls and showers, and the water on the bar had become so rough that it was impossible to cross it; notwithstanding which two attempts were made, in order to bring in the brigantine of Estrada, which is causing us concern, on account of its bad condition. It fired a few guns of distress but it was not possible to reach it. At ten of the morning, we had the unhappy news that Father Domingo, chaplain of the packet boat "Diligente," and a sailor of its crew, who were going on board, had been drowned at the exit of the bar, but that fortunately the vicar general of the expedition had miraculously saved his life by happily seizing hold of the launch and keeping himself on it until she came ashore. We have also seen ashore on the beach a boat without knowing which boat it is, nor how many people have been drowned. This afternoon it became calm so that the Commanding General [Montiano?] assembled the commanding officers and naval officers and the pilots of the garrison, and requested that each should give his opinion in respect of our sallying forth, as it was important that our trip should be short, and clear that the inconveniences of delay would be serious; in general, each person should give reasons for and against. The pilots were unanimous in declaring that it was not possible to cross the bar as long as the sea was still up, agitated as it was by the squalls and wind that had prevailed. After various reflections on the subject, and after taking into account the fact that the small boats, which were to follow the fleet without losing land from view were absolutely necessary to the success of our operations, and therefore should not expose themselves to separation from the convoy, on account of the contrary winds that had been blowing, and the great variation of the weather, and considering further that the journey from this point to the hostile coast was so short, it was decided to be absolutely necessary that we should set out in settled weather. Accordingly, all minds were of the opinion that we should wait until things were safe and that if the wind should shift tomorrow we should go out. With this opinion, the order was given that at the beat of the drum everyone should go on board his ship. [End of Arredondo's Journal.]