Montiano's Certification of Captain Menendez

Included with Mendendez's petition of 12/12/1740: Page 5 Translation Don Manuel de Montiano and sovereign Colonel of the armies of Your Majesty and your Governor and Captain General of this city of St. Augustine of Florida and its Provinces. I certify that I am acquainted with and I have seen the service for three years on the part of Francisco Menendes, Captain of the Free Black Company, with all exactness and punctuality with regard to what he has offered to the Royal Service, having been present during this time in different functions and particulary in the garrison that the enemy had in Moze where they were completely defeated killing seventy-five men and capturing thirt-five, in which he fought with great valor, and therefore I am told that having been Page 6 Translation approached by the enemy he left the fort of this town the referred to Fransisco Menedez was present with his company firing upon them (the enemy) until they withdrew (retreated), as under my orders he made different sallies of great risk to connoiter the enemy, the English and the Indians, and that on all occasions he has manifested great zeal and love of the Royal Service and defense of this town, and that the tasks and jobs that I have assigned him in the Royal Service, in all he has complied much to my satisfaction and has meticulously worked in the establishment and refinement of the place of Moze, so that he developed that population, doing on his part all possible efforts so that the rest of his subordinates from his example they applied themselves Page 7 Translation to the work, teaching them good examples, and so that it is told where it may matter (be important), I give the present at whose end is signed by my hand, sealed with the seal of my coat of arms and countersigned below by my secretary in St. Augustine of Florida on the 16th of September, 1740. Don Manuel de Montiano By Command of the Lord Governor and Captain General Ramon de(l) Ochandatequi