Article Title: "East Florida.'Historical Notes from [Andrew] Ellicott's Journal, published in 1814.'"
Author:
Published in: Connecticut Gazette
Place of Publication: New London, CT
Publication Date: 3/24/1819




EAST FLORIDA.
Historical Notices.From Ellicott's Journal, published in 1814.
" The discovery of East Florida is generally attributed to Juan Ponce de Leon, in 1512 ; but is
probable that the eastern coast was discovered about fifteen years before that time, by Sebastian
Cabot. After the coast of East Florida had been discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon, the country was
visited by a number of adventurers ; but the first patent was obtained by Francis de Geray, who did not
live to take possession of the province. Francis de Geray was succeeded by Luke V. de Allegon, who
visited Florida about the year 1524, and was succeeded by Pamphilo de Narvanez, in 1528 or 1529,
who died on the coast, and was succeeded by that celebrated adventurer Ferdinando de Soto; who
traversed both the Floridas and part of our western country, from the year 1539 to 1542, and died at
the Forks of the Red River, or, as some writers state, on the Mississippi. The first permanent
settlement in East Florida was attempted by some French protestants, in the year 1562, to secure of
themselves a retreat from religious persecution. But as soon as the King of Spain received an
account of the commencement of this infant settlement, he dispatched Don Pedro Matendez de Aviles
into East Florida, with a considerable force to destroy it; which he effected, in a most barbarous
manner, in the year 1565, and established a colony at St. Augustine. For this service, it appears that
Matendez obtained a grant for all Florida, which grant included the whole coast on the Gulf of Mexico,
and as far north and east as Newfoundland, to which was added a number of privileges, for which he
was to perform some signal services ; one was to make a chart of the coast of Florida, for the use of
the Spanish navigators who visited those seas ; but this service was never performed ; nor does it
appear that any measures were taken for that purpose until about 1718, when Don Gonzalez
Carrenza, the principal pilot of the Spanish flotilla, undertook it; but his observations remained in
manuscript, and were little known, until published in London, in the year 1740 : they are however, very
imperfect. In 1586, St. Augustine, the capital of the province, was taken and pillaged by Sir Francis
Drake ; and in 1665 it was again taken and plundered by Capt. Davis, who headed and commanded a
company of buccaneers. In 1702, an expedition was carried on against it by Col. Moore, Governor of
Carolina ; his force consisted of 500 English troops and 700 Indians, with whom he besieged the city
for three months, without success and then retired. Except those incidents the history of East Florida,
from the settling of the colony in 1565, is little more than a succession of Governors, until General
Oglethorpe took possession of Georgia, which circumstance excited considerable jealousy at the
court of Madrid, and a large force was sent against him, which he not only defeated, but, after various
encounters, carried his conquests to the gates of St. Augustine, and had siege to that city in 1740 ;
but being badly supplied with almost every article necessary to give success to such an undertaking,
he was obliged to relinquish his design."