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Content Enable editor Use plain text Code entry Two Spanish diaries tell us what happened.2 [Note 2 These are the diaries of Montiano and Casinas (ibid., 5287).] One of them was written by Arredondo. On June 1 a flotilla of ten small vessels left Havana. Five days later the main fleet set sail. At San Agustin the vessels reassembled and took on the Florida contingent. Now for a few days the old harbor presented a lively scene. Busiest of all was Arredondo, chief-of-staff. When all was ready it was an imposing force that stood out to sea. The fleet consisted of fifty vessels carrying eighteen hundred soldiers and about a thousand seamen. The main Georgia targets were St. Simons and Frederica. These destroyed, the fleet would continue by the Inland Passage to Savannah and Port Royal. The first day out from San Agustin the vessels were scattered by a storm. Oglethorpe rushed down the coast to meet the Spaniards, and their attacks on Fort St. Andrews and Fort William failed. Returning to Frederica Oglethorpe assembled his troops and organized a fleet in the harbor of Gualquini.1 [Note 1 For Oglethorpe's preparations, see Wright, Robert, A Memoir of General James Oglethorpe (London, 1867), pp. 293300; Stevens, History of Georgia, I, 180-184; Jones, History of Georgia, I, 341-346; Ga. Col. Rec., III, 131-132; XXIII, 409,438; Jones, C. C, The Dead Towns of Georgia (Savannah, 1878), 102105.] For six days Montiano was prevented by a storm from entering that bay. On the sixteenth he forced an entrance in the face of fire from forts and flotilla. It was a bold enterprise, such as Oglethorpe had tried in vain at San Agustin. Oglethorpe retreated to Frederica; his fleet dispersed. The invaders landed and occupied the forts and village of St. Simons.1 [Note 1 Diaries of Arredondo and Casinas, Ga. Hist. Soc. Col., VII, Pt. Ill, 53-64, 65-69; Montiano's reports, ibid., 48-49, 88-91; Wright, Memoir, 302-303. Ga. Hist. Soc. Col., Ill, 125, 140-141, 143-145. For a manuscript copy of Arredondo's diary, see Phillips, The Lowery Collection, 273-274.] Montiano planned next to advance on Frederica, and two detachments were sent out to learn the trails. The only road to Frederica was a narrow path cut through the woods along the edge of a great marsh. The men had to go single file, but they managed to get within two miles of the town. Oglethorpe leaped on a horse, led out Highlanders, Rangers and Indians, and rushed to the spot. The Spaniards, defeated, fled in confusion. Montiano hurried three companies of grenadiers to cover the retreat. With shouts and drum beat they advanced to the marsh and halted within a hundred paces of some of Oglethorpe's men in ambush. Stacking arms, they kindled fires and prepared to cook a meal. It was gross carelessness. Suddenly they were set upon and routed. Many fled without their muskets, others were left dead on the field. In the two engagements the Spanish loss was two hundred. These combats are famed in Georgia history as the Battle of Bloody Marsh.1 [Note 1 For the Battle of Bloody Marsh, see Casinas's diary, loc. cit., 72; Montiano's report, ibid., 91-92. Stevens, History of Georgia, I, ch. 5; Jones, History of Georgia, I, ch. 22; Wright, Memoir, ch. 16; Jones, C. C, The Dead Towns of Georgia, 107-115.] The tide of war had turned. Montiano tried to effect a landing at Frederica by the river but was driven back. Oglethorpe in turn attempted a night assault but was betrayed by a French deserter. Next day Spanish lookouts in the masts reported an English fleet approaching from the north. Fearing attack by both land and sea, the Spaniard hurriedly retreated to San Agustin.2 [Note 2 For events after the defeat at Bloody Marsh, see Wright, Memoir, 308-312; Casinas, Ga. Hist. Soc. Col., VII, Pt. III, 76-87; Montiano, ibid., 94; Jones, Dead Toums of Georgia, 110-113.] Oglethorpe and Montiano were now even.

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