4. CHAPTER IV.
OF THOSE WHO REFUSED TO FOLLOW THE FORTUNES OF
RIBAULT.
We have seen that two hundred of the followers of Ribault
had refused to submit to the arrangement, by which that unhappy
commander had sacrificed himself and all those who accompanied
him into the camp of Melendez. These two hundred had been
counselled to the more manly course which they had taken, by
the youthful but sagacious lieutenant, Alphonse D'Erlach. This
young man well understood their enemy. His counsel, if followed
by Ribault, would probably have resulted in conquest rather than
misfortune.
“We are strong,”—said D'Erlach to his companions—“strong
enough to maintain ourselves in any position, which we may take
and hold with steadfastness. We have three hundred and fifty
soldiers, all with arms in their hands, and it requires only that we
shall use our arms and maintain our independence. Why treat
at all with the Spaniards? They may assist us across this
strait, but why cross it at all? To gain La Caroline? That,
according to his own showing, is already in his hands. Indeed, of
this, you tell us, there can be no question. What then? Of
what avail to seek the post which he has garrisoned, and which,
properly fortified, is beyond our utmost strength. It is evident
that, fortifying La Caroline and his new post on the banks of the
Salooe, he has no available force with which he dares assail us.
In the meantime, let us leave this position. Let us retire further
to the south, regain the coast upon which our vessels were wrecked,
rebuild them, or one at least, in which, if your desire is to return
to France, we can re-embark; or, as I would counsel, retire to a
remoter settlement, where we may fortify ourselves, and establish
the colony anew, for which we first came to Florida. Why abandon
the country, when we are in sufficient strength to keep it?
Why forego the enterprises which offer us gold and silver in abundance,
a genial climate, a fertile soil, a boundless domain, in which
our fortunes and our faith may be made equally secure. As for
the savages of Florida, I know them and I fear them not. They
are terrible only to the timid and the improvident. With due
precautions, a proper courage, and arms in our hands, we shall
mock at their wandering bands, whose attacks are inconstant, and
upon whom the caprice of the seasons is forever working such evil
as will prevent them always from bringing large numbers together,
or keeping them long in one organization. But, hold the savages
to be as terrible as you may, they are surely less to be feared, are
less faithless and less hostile, than these sanguinary Spaniards. Do
not, at all events, deliver yourselves, bound hand and foot, in
petty numbers, to be butchered in detail, by this monstrous cut-throat!”
His counsels prevailed with the greater number. They left the
camp of Ribault at midnight, and commenced their silent march
along the coast, making for the bleak shores which had seen their
vessels stranded. Here they arrived after much toil and privation,
and, cheered by the manly courage of D'Erlach, they proceeded
at once to build themselves a vessel which should suffice
for their escape from the country, or enable them to penetrate
without difficulty to regions not yet under the control of the
Spaniards. For the work before them they possessed the proper
facilities. The fragments of their shattered navy were within
their reach. The expedition had been properly provided with
carpenters and laborers; and in that day every mariner was something
of a mechanic. They advanced rapidly with their work, but
at the end of three weeks the clouds gathered once more about
their heads. Once more the haughty banners of the Spaniard
were beheld, the vindictive enemy being resolved to give them no
respite, to allow of no refuge upon the soil, to afford them no
prospect of escape from the country.
Advised by the Indians that the surviving Frenchmen were at
work at Carnaverel, building themselves both fortresses and vessels,
Melendez sent an express to the Governor of San Matheo,
late La Caroline, with orders to send him instantly one hundred
and fifty of his men. These arrived at St. Augustine on the 23d
of October, under the conduct of Don Andres Lopez Patiño, and
of Don Jean Velez de Medrano. To these troops Melendez
added a like number from his own garrison, and on the 26th of
the month, they commenced their march to the south, on foot.
His provisions and munitions were sent in two shallops along the
shore, and each night they came to anchor opposite his camp.
On the first day of November, they came in sight of the French.
These, immediately abandoned their work, and seizing their arms
retired to a small sandy elevation which they had previously
selected as a place of refuge against attack, and which they had
strengthened by some slight defences. Here they prepared for
a desperate and deadly struggle. The force of their assailants
was one-third stronger than their own. They had the advantage,
also, of supplies and munitions, in which the Frenchmen were
deficient; but a sense of desperation increased their courage, and
they showed no disposition to entreat or parley. But Melendez
had no desire to compel them to a struggle in which even
success would probably be fatal ultimately to himself. His main
strength was with him, but should he suffer greatly in the assault,
as it was very evident he must, the French being in a good position,
and showing the most determined front, his army would be
too greatly weakened, perhaps, even for their safe return to St.
Augustine, through a country filled with hostile Indians, whom,
as yet, he had neither conquered nor conciliated. Having
reconnoitred the position taken by the Frenchmen, he generously
made them overtures of safety. He proposed not only to spare
their lives, but promised to receive as many of them as thought
proper, into his own ranks as soldiers.
This offer led to a long and almost angry conference among the
French. Their councils were divided. Many of their leaders
were men wholly ignorant of the country, and disheartened by
the cruel vicissitudes and dangers through which they had passed.
Many of them were persons of wealth and family, who were
anxious once more to find themselves in a position which
demanded no farther struggle, and which might facilitate their
return to the haunts of civilization. Others, again, were Catholics,
whose sympathies were not active in behalf of the Huguenots
with whom they now found themselves in doubtful connection.
Others were jealous of the sudden spring to authority, which, in
those moments of peril when all others trembled, had been made
by the young adventurer, Alphonse D'Erlach. It was in vain
that he counselled them against giving faith to the Spaniards.
“What is your security, my friends? His word? His pledge
of mercy to you, when he showed none to your brethren? Look
at the hand which he stretches out to you; it is yet dripping
with the blood of your people, butchered, in cold blood, at La
Caroline, and the Bay of Matanzas. Trust him not, if you
would prosper—if ye would not perish likewise. Believe none
of his assurances, even though he should swear upon the Holy
Evangel.”
“But what are we to do, Monsieur D'Erlach? We have
small provisions here. He hath environed us with his troops.”
“We may break through his troops. We have arms in our
hands, and if we have but the heart to use them, like men, we
may not only save ourselves, but avenge our butchered
comrades.”
His entreaties and arguments were unavailing. It was sufficient
for our broken-spirited exiles that Melendez had volunteered
to them those guaranties of safety which he had denied to their
brethren. They prepared to yield.
“Go not thou with these people, my brother,” said Alphonse
D'Erlach, to that elder brother whom we have seen, with himself,
a trusted lieutenant of Laudonniere. He flung himself
tenderly upon the bosom of the other, as he prayed, and the
moisture gathered in his eyes. The elder was touched, but his
inclinations led him with the rest.
“He hath sworn to us, Alphonse, that life shall be spared us,
and that we shall be free to enter his service or return to
France.”
“Would you place life at his mercy?”
“It is so now!”
“No! never! while the hand may grasp the weapon. If we
would defy him as men, we should rather have his life at ours.
Oh! would that we were men. Enter his service! Dost thou
think of this? Wouldst thou receive commands from the lips of
him who hath murdered thy old commander!”
“No! surely, I shall never serve Melendez. I seek this only
as the mean whereby to return to France.”
“And wherefore return to France? What hath France in reserve
for us but the shot, the torture, and the scourge. Here,
brother, here, with the wild Floridian, let us make our home.
Let us rather put on the untamed habits of the savage, his garments
torn from bear and panther; let us anoint our bodies with
oil; let us stain our cheeks with ocre; and taking bond with the
Apalachian and Floridian, let us haunt the footsteps of the
Spaniard with death and eternal hatred, till we leave not one of
them living for the pollution of the soil. This is my purpose,
brother, though I go forth into the wilderness alone!”
“Thou shalt not go alone, Alphonse. We will live and die
together.”
The brothers embraced. The bond was knit between them,
whatever might be the event; and when, at morning, the main
body of the Frenchmen surrendered themselves to the Spanish
adelantado, the Erlachs were not among them. They, with
twenty others, all Huguenots, who detested equally the power
and feared the savage fanaticism of Melendez, had disappeared
silently in the night, leaving as a message for the Spanish chief,
that they preferred infinitely to be devoured by the savages, than
to receive his mercy. Melendez looked anxiously to the dark
forests in which they had shrouded themselves from his pursuit.
He would gladly have penetrated their depths of shadow
and their secret glooms, in search of victims, whom he certainly
never would have spared if caught; but the object was too small
for the peril which it involved; and having destroyed the fort and
shipping which they had been building, content with having
broken up the power of the French in the country, he returned
with his captives to St. Augustine. He kept his faith with
them. Many of them joined themselves to his troops, and accompanied
his expeditions, and others who were Huguenots found new
favor with him by undergoing conversion to his faith. With this
chapter fairly ends the history of the Huguenot colonies of
Coligny in Florida; but other histories followed which will require
other chapters.
