CHAPTER VII. THE HUGUENOTS IN THE SOUTH. Their settlement destroyed.-The Colony of St. Augustine.-De Gourges. VII. WHILE these contests were going on in Europe between CHAP the friends of religious liberty and the Roman Catholics, Coligny, the high-admiral of France, a devoted Protestant, 1562. conceived the idea of founding a colony in the New World, to which his persecuted countrymen might flee, and enjoy that which was denied them in their native land; the inestimable privilege of worshipping God according to the dictates of their own conscience, enlightened by his holy word. The French government took no interest in the matter. Those influences were then at work, which a few years 1572 later produced their dire effect in the massacre of St. Bartholomew. Coligny, however, easily obtained a commission from Charles IX. Preparations were soon made, and the expedition sailed under the direction of John Ribault, a worthy man, and a sincere Protestant. They knew the character of the country and of the climate in the latitude of the St. Lawrence, and they wished to find a region more fertile and a climate more genial. They made land in the vicinity of St. Augustine, Florida; then continued further north along the coast, and landed at Port Royal entrance. They were delighted with the May. country, its fine climate, its magnificent forests, fragrant VII. CHAP. with wild flowers; but above all with the capacious har bor, which was capable of floating the largest ships. Here 1562. it was determined to make settlement: a fort was built on an island in the harbor, and in honor of their sovereign called CAROLINA. Leaving twenty-five men to keep possession of the country, Ribault departed for France, with the intention of returning the next year with supplies and more emigrants. He found France in confusion; civil war was raging with all its attendant horrors. In vain the colonists looked for reinforcements and supplies-none ever came. Disheartened, they resolved to return home; they hastily built a brigantine, and with an insufficiency of provisions, set sail. They came near perishing at sea by famine, but were providentially rescued by an English bark. Part of these colonists were taken to France, and part to England, there they told of the fine climate and the rich soil of the country they had attempted to colonize. We shall yet see the effect of this information in directing English enterprise. Two years after, there was a treacherous lull in the storm of civil discord in France; Coligny again attempted to found a colony. The care of this expedition was intrusted to Laudonière, a man of uprightness and intelligence, who had been on the former voyage. The healthfulness of the climate of Florida was represented to be wonderful: it was believed, that under its genial influence, human life was extended more than one-half, while the stories of the wealth of the interior still found credence. Unfortunately proper care was not exercised in selecting the colonists from the numerous volunteers who offered. Some were chosen who were not worthy to be members of a colony based on religious principles, and founded for noble purposes. They reached the coast of Florida, avoided Port Royal, 1564. the scene of former misery, and found a suitable location for a settlement on the banks of the river May, now called 1 FORT CAROLINA. 31 VII. 1564. the St. Johns. They offered songs of thanksgiving to God CHAP. for his guiding care, and trusted to his promises for the future. They built another fort, which like the first they called Carolina. The true character of some of the colo- June. nists soon began to appear,-these had joined the enterprise with no higher motive than gain. They were mutinous, idle, and dissolute, wasting the provisions of the company. They robbed the Indians, who became hostile, and refused to furnish the colony with provisions. Under the pretext of avoiding famine, these fellows of the baser sort asked permission of Laudonière to go to New Spain. He granted it, thinking it a happy riddance for himself and the colony. They embarked, only to become pirates. The Spaniards, whom they attacked, took their vessel and made most of them slaves; the remainder escaped in a boat. They knew of no safer place than Fort Carolina. When they returned Laudonière had them arrested for piracy; they were tried, and the ringleaders condemned and executed;-a sufficient evidence that their conduct was detested by the better portion of the colonists. Famine now came pressing on. Month after month passed away, and still there came no tidings-no supplies from home. Just at this time arrived Sir John Hawkins from the West Indies, where he had disposed of a cargo of negroes as slaves. He was the first Englishman, it is said, who had engaged in that unrighteous traffic. Though hard-hearted toward the wretched Africans, he manifested much sympathy for the famishing colonists; supplied them with provisions, and gave them one of his ships. They continued their preparations to leave for home, when suddenly the cry was raised that ships were coming into the Ang. harbor. It was Ribault returning with supplies and families of emigrants. He was provided with domestic animals, seeds and implements for cultivating the soil. The scene was now changed; all were willing to remain, and CHAP. the hope of founding a French Protestant State in the New World was revived. VII. 1564. Philip II., the cruel and bigoted King of Spain, heard that the French-French Protestants-had presumed to make a settlement in Florida! Immediately plans were laid to exterminate the heretics. The king found a fit instrument for the purpose in Pedro Melendez; a man familiar with scenes of carnage and cruelty, whose life was stained with almost every crime. The king knew his desperate character; gave him permission to conquer Florida at his own expense, and appointed him its governor for life, with the right to name his successor. His colony was to consist of not less than five hundred persons, one hundred of whom should be married men. He was also to introduce the sugar-cane, and five hundred negro slaves to cultivate it. The expedition was soon under way. Melendez first saw the land on the day consecrated to St. Augustine; some days after, sailing along the coast, he discovered a fine harbor and river, to which he gave the name of that saint. From the Indians he learned where the Huguenots had established themselves. They were much surprised at the appearance of a fleet, and they inquired of the stranger who he was and why he came; he replied, "I am Melendez, of Sept. Spain, sent by my sovereign with strict orders to behead and gibbet every Protestant in these regions; the Catholic shall be spared, but every Protestant shall die!" The French fleet, unprepared for a conflict, put to sea; the Spaniards pursued but did not overtake it. Melendez then returned to St. Augustine. After a religious festival in honor of the Virgin Mary, he proceeded to mark out the boundaries for a town. St. Augustine is, by more than forty years, the oldest town in the United States. His determination was now to attack the Huguenots by land, and carry out his cruel orders. The French supposing the Spaniards would come by sea, set sail to meet them. Melendez found the colonists unprepared and de VII. fenceless; their men were nearly all on board the fleet. A CHAP. short contest ensued; the French were overcome, and the fanatic Spaniards massacred nearly the whole number,- 1564. men, women, and children; they spared not even the aged and the sick. A few were reserved as slaves, and a few escaped to the woods. To show to the world upon what principles he acted, Melendez placed over the dead this inscription :-" I do not this as unto Frenchmen, but as unto heretics." Mass was celebrated, and on the ground still reeking with the blood of the innocent victims of religious bigotry and fanaticism, he erected a cross and marked out a site for a church-the first on the soil of the United States. Among those who escaped, were Laudonière and Le Moyne, an artist, sent by Coligny to make drawings of the most interesting scenery of the country; and Challus, who afterward wrote an account of the calamity. When they seemed about to perish in the forests from hunger, they questioned whether they should appeal to the mercy of their conquerors. "No," said Challus, "let us trust in the mercy of God rather than of these men." After enduring many hardships, they succeeded in reaching two small French vessels which had remained in the harbor, and thus escaped to France. A few of their companions, who threw themselves upon the mercy of the Spaniards, were instantly murdered. While these scenes of carnage were in progress, a terrible storm wrecked the French fleet; some of the soldiers and sailors were enabled to reach the shore, but in a destitute condition. These poor men when invited, surrendered themselves to the promised clemency of Melendez. They were taken across the river in little companies; as they landed their hands were tied behind them, and they driven to a convenient place, where at a given signal they were all murdered. Altogether nine hundred persons perished by shipwreck and violence. It is the office of |