The Story of St. Augustine

The interior of the colony, however, would never again be secure under Spanish rule. Similar ot the last years of ht esixteenth century, after 1702, St. Augustine survive as an almost isolated seaport station with only a few outposts north and west of the city. For the remainder of the First Spanish Period (1565-1763), British army excursions and Indian uprisings persisted, making life in St. Augustine extremely precarious. The setlement’s resients lived in what seemed like a constant state of terror and military readiness for the next sixy years.

The departure of the English soldiers permitted the Spaniards to rebuild St. Augustine on the foundations of the flattened city. Once again, building and houses were restored out of the wreckage left behind the retreating army. By 1718, the Floridians from St. Augustine established a new frontier outpost, San Marcos de Apalache (near today’s city of Tallahassee) to defend the Florida Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley. In an effort to protect the southern sea entrance into the bay of St. Augustine, they also built a small fort at Matanzas Inlet.

The Carolinians argued that “Carolina must take St. Augustine, or St. Augustine would take Carolina,” and Benavides watched with apprehension the signs of settlement at the Savannah River led by General James Oglethorpe. The departure of the English soldiers permitted the Spaniards to rebuild St. Augustine on the foundations of the flattened city. Once again, building and houses were restored out of the wreckage left behind the retreating army. By 1718, the Floridians from St. Augustine established a new frontier outpost, San Marcos de Apalache (near today’s city of Tallahassee) to defend the Florida Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley. In an effort to protect the southern sea entrance into the bay of St. Augustine, they also built a small fort at Matanzas Inlet. (Source lost) The interior of the colony, however, would never again be secure under Spanish rule. Similar ot the last years of ht esixteenth century, after 1702, St. Augustine survive as an almost isolated seaport station with only a few outposts north and west of th ecity. For th eremainder of th eFirst Spanish Period (1565-1763), Bitish army excursions and Indian uprisings persisted, making life in St. Augustine extremely precarious. The setlement’s resients lived in what seemed like a constant state of terror and military readiness for the next sixy years. (Same source)

In 1740, another English army attacked the city. Governor James Oglethorpe of Georgia led 1,400 soldiers and Indian allies against St. Augustine with the support of a fleet of seven British warships. Although the ships blasted the Castillo for twenty-seven days, the cannonballs and shot did not seriously damage the fort. An English observed that the coquina (shellstone) “…will not splinter but will give way to a cannonball as though you would stick a knife through cheese.” The Georgia governor never attempted an infantry assault on the Castillo and, after thirty-eight days of siege, the frustrated English forces left Florida and returned home.