The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida

by William Gilmore Simms

  XXIII.

  THE FORTUNES OF RIBAULT.

  CHAPTER I.

  Having thus rendered himself master of La Caroline, effectuallydisplacing the Huguenots from the region which they had acquired, andmaintained so long through so many vicissitudes, Melendez prepared tohurry back to his camp on the banks of the Selooe. He but lingered toreview the force of the garrison, and with his own hands, fresh reekingwith the blood of his slaughtered victims, to lay the foundations of achurch dedicated to the God of Mercy, when he set forth with the smallbody of troops, which he reserved to himself from the number thataccompanied his expedition, scarcely a hundred men, impatient forreturn, lest Ribault, escaping from the storm, should visit upon hissettlement at St. Augustine the same wrath which had lighted upon LaCaroline. The heavy torrents from which he had already suffered so muchcontinued to descend as before, and the whole face of the country wasinundated; his people suffered inconceivably upon the march, but theAdelantado was superior to the sense of suffering. He felt himself toomuch the especial favorite of God, to suffer himself to doubt that thetoils and inconveniences of such a progress as that before him, wereanything but tests of his fidelity, and the means by which the Deitydesigned to prepare him properly for the holy service which was expectedat his hands. He reached his camp in safety. His arrival was the sourceof a great triumph and an unexpected joy. Here he had been reported ashaving perished, with all his army, at the hands of the French. Thedeserters, who had abandoned him on the route, in certain anticipationof this fate, had not scrupled to spread this report by way of excusingtheir own inconstancy and fears. His people accordingly passed instantlyfrom the extremity of terror to that of joy and triumph. They marchedout, _en masse_, at his approach, to welcome him as the vanquisher ofthe heretics; the priests at their head, bearing the cross of Christ,the conqueror, and chanting _Te Deum_, in exultation at the twofoldconquest which he had won, at the expense equally of their own, and theenemies of the church.

  His triumphs were not without some serious qualifications. In the midstof their joy, an incendiary, as he supposed, had reduced to ashes theremaining vessels in the harbor. A portion of his garrison, a littleafter, showed themselves in mutiny against their officers, this spirithaving been manifested before his departure for La Caroline. He wasapprised also of a mishap to one of his greater ships, the San Pelayo,which had been sent to Hispaniola, filled with captive Frenchmen takenat different periods, and who were destined to suffer the question asheretics in the Inquisition of the mother country. These had risen uponthe crew, overpowered them, captured the vessel, and carried her safelyinto Denmark.

  While meditating, and seeking to repair some of these mishaps, Melendezreceived intelligence of Ribault and his fleet, which caused him someinquietude. His own shipping being destroyed, his future safety dependedwholly upon the condition of Ribault's armament, since, with theirsmall vessels, his harborage might be entered at any moment, and hissole means of defence lay with his troops upon the land, where hisentrenchments were not yet sufficiently advanced to offer much, if anyobstacle, to a vigorous assailant. But farther advices, brought him bythe savages, relieved him measurably from any apprehensions from theshipping of his enemy. In this respect the condition of the French wasno better than his own. The unfortunate Ribault, driven before thehurricane, had been wrecked with all his squadron, upon the bleak andunfriendly shores of Cape Cannaverel; his troops were saved, withthe exception of the crew and armament of one vessel, containing adetachment under the Sieur de la Grange, all of whom perished but thecaptain. Dividing his troops into two or more bodies, Ribault advancedalong the shore, proceeding northerly, in the direction of La Caroline,and one of his detachments had reached the inlet of Matanzas, whenMelendez was first advised of their approach. He was told by theIndians that about four leagues distant, a large body of white men wereembarrassed in their progress by a bay, over which they had no meansto pass. Upon this intelligence, the Adelantado, taking with him fortypicked soldiers, proceeded with all despatch to the designated place.His proceedings were marked by subtlety and caution. With such a force,he could hope to do nothing in open warfare against the numbers ofRibault, which, after all casualties, were probably six or seven hundredmen. But nobody knew better than Melendez how to supply the deficienciesof the lion with the arts of the fox. He concealed his troop in thewoods that bordered the inlet, and from the top of a tree surveyed thescattered groups of Frenchmen, on the opposite shore. They were twohundred in number, and some of them had been engaged in the constructionof a raft with which to effect their passage. But the roughness of thewaters, and the strength of the current forbade their reliance uponso frail a conveyance, and while they were bewildered with doubt anddifficulties, Melendez showed himself alone upon the banks of the river.When he was seen from the opposite shore, a bold Gascon of Saint Jeande Luz plunged fearlessly into the stream, and succeeded in making thepassage.

  "Who are these people?" demanded Melendez.

  "We are Frenchmen, all, who have suffered shipwreck."

  "What Frenchmen?"

  "The people of M. Ribault, Captain-General of Florida, under commissionof the king of France."

  "I know no right to Florida, on the part of France or Frenchmen. I amhere, the true master of the country, on behalf of my sovereign, theCatholic king, Philip the Second. I am Pedro Melendez, adelantado of allthis Florida, and of the isles thereof. Go back to your general with myanswer, and say to him, that I am here, followed by my army, as I hadintelligence that he too was here, invading the country in my charge."

  The Gascon returned with the speech, and soon after was persuaded againto swim the stream, with a request for a safe conduct from the Spanishgeneral, on behalf of four gentlemen of the French, who desired to treatwith him. It was requested that a batteau which Melendez had broughtalong shore with his provisions, and which was now safely moored besidethe eastern banks, might be sent to bring them over. To all thisMelendez readily consented. The arrangement suited him exactly. Histroop was still in reserve, covered rather than concealed withinthe forest, and so disposed as to seem at a distance to consist ofoverwhelming numbers. But six men were suffered to accompany the Spanishcommander. These, well armed, were quite equal to the four to whom heaccorded the interview. These soon made their appearance. Their leadertold the story of their melancholy shipwreck, the privations they hadborne, the wants under which they suffered, and implored his assistanceto regain a fortress called La Caroline, which the king, his master,held at a distance of some twenty leagues.

  Melendez replied--

  "Senor, I have made myself the master of your fort. I have laid stronghands upon the garrison. I have slain them all, sparing none but thewomen, and such children as were under fifteen years."

  The Frenchmen looked incredulous.

  "If you doubt," he continued, "I can soon convince you. I have broughthither with me the only two soldiers whom I have admitted to mercy. Ispared them, because they claimed to be of the Catholic faith. You shallsee them, and hear the truth from their own lips. In all probability youknow them, and will recognise their persons. Rest you here, while I sendyou something to eat. You shall see your compatriots, with some of thespoils taken at La Caroline. These shall prove to you the truth of whatI say."

  With these words he disappeared. Soon after, refreshments were broughtto our Frenchmen, and when they had eaten, the two captives at LaCaroline, who had been spared on account of their faith, were allowed tocommune with them, and to repeat all the facts in the cruel history ofLa Caroline. Nothing of that terrible tragedy was concealed. Melendezhad a policy too refined for concealment, when the revelation of hisatrocities was to be the means for their renewal. To strike the heartsof the Frenchmen with such terror, as to have them at his mercy, was aprofound secret of success in dealing with the wretched, suffering, andalready desponding outcasts in his presence.

  After an hour's absence he returned.

  "Are you satisfied," he asked? "of the truth of the things which I havetold
you."

  "We can doubt no longer;" was the reply; "but this does not lessen ourclaim upon your humanity as men, and your consideration as Frenchmen.Our people are at peace, there is amity and alliance between oursovereigns. You cannot deny us assistance, and the vessels necessary forour return to France."

  "Surely not, if you are Catholics, and if I had the means of helping youto ships. But you are not Catholics. The alliance between our kings isan alliance of members of the true Church, both sworn against heretics."

  "We are members of the Reformed Church," was the reply of the officers;"but we are men; human; made equally in the image of the Deity, andserve the same God, if not at the same altars. Suffer us, at least, toremain with you for a season, till we can find the means for returningto our own country."

  "Senor, it cannot be. As for sheltering heretics, that is impossible. Ihave sworn on the holy sacrament, to root out and to extirpate heresy,wherever I encounter it--by sea or land--to wage against the damnableheresy which you profess a war to the utterance, as vindictive aspossible, to the death and to the torture; and in this resolution Iconceive myself to be serving equally the king of France as the king, mysovereign. I am here in Florida for the express purpose of establishingthe Holy Roman Catholic Faith! I will assist no heretic to remain in thecountry."

  "Assist us to leave it, senor: that is in truth what we demand."

  "Demand nothing of me. Yield yourselves to my mercy--atdiscretion--deliver up your arms and ensigns, and I will do with you asGod shall inspire me. Consent to this--these are my only terms--or dowhat pleases you. But you must hope nothing at my hands--neither trucenor friendship."

  With this cruel ultimatum, he quitted them, giving them opportunity toreturn and report to their comrades. In two hours they reappeared, andmade him an offer from the two hundred men gathered on the oppositebanks, of twenty thousand ducats, only to be assured of their lives. Theanswer was as prompt as it was characteristic.

  "Though but a poor soldier, senor, I am not capable of governingmyself, in the performance of my duties, by any regard to selfishinterests. If I am moved to do an act of grace, it will be done frompure generosity. But do not let these words deceive you. I tell you asa gentleman, and an officer holding a high commission from the king ofSpain, that, though the heavens and the earth may mingle before my eyes,the resolution which I once make, I never change!"

  It will scarcely be thought possible that any body of men, having armsin their hands, and still in possession of physical powers sufficientfor their use, would, under such circumstances, listen to such a demand.But the forces of Ribault had been terribly demoralized by disasterand disappointment. Privation had humbled their souls, and the utterexhaustion of their spirits made them give credence to vain hopes ofmercy at the hands of their enemy, which at another period they couldnever have entertained. The report of their envoy found them ready tomake any concessions. It required but half an hour to determine theirsubmission. The returning batteau brought over with four officers alltheir ensigns, sixty-six arquebuses, twenty pistols, a large number ofswords and bucklers, casques and cuirasses, their whole complement ofmunitions, and a surrender of the entire body at discretion. Melendezgladly seized upon these spoils. He embarked twenty of his soldiersin his batteau, with orders to bring over the Frenchmen, in smalldivisions, and to offer them no insult; but, as they severally arrivedon the eastern side of the bay, they were conducted out of sight, andunder the guns of his arquebusiers. They were then given to eat, andwhen the repast was ended, they were asked if any among them wereCatholics. There were but eight of the whole number who replied in theaffirmative. These were set apart, to be conducted to St. Augustine. Therest frankly avowed themselves to be good Christians of the ReformedChurch. These were immediately seized, their arms tied behind theirbacks, and in little squads of six, were conducted to a spot in thebackground, where Melendez had traced, with his cane, a line upon thesand. Here they were butchered to a man, each succeeding body sharingthe same fate, without knowing, till too late, that of their comrades.There was no pause, no mercy, no relentings in behalf of any. Allperished, to the number of two hundred; and Pedro Melendez returned tohis camp at St. Augustine, again to be welcomed with _Te Deum_, and theacclamation for good Christian service, from a Christian people.