Mateo González Manrique

Mateo González Manrique (1745 - ?) was a soldier who served as governor of West Florida between 1813 and 1815. During this time, the colony lacked military resources at a time when American expansionism had seen Spanish territory annexed, and the crushing of their Indian buffer state neighbors. Manrique's attempt to counterbalance American aggression, by inviting the British to garrison Pensacola, would have disastrous consequences. Whilst unable to prevent the early British incursions into Florida, his stance of neutrality was undermined by the partisan behavior of the belligerent British commander Edward Nicolls. Seduced by an implied omnipotence and size of the British, it was, with the benefit of hindsight, a poor choice. He thereby earned the enmity of Andrew Jackson, who invaded the city in 1814, although he returned it to Manrique after the British fled.

Career
Manrique was a commissioned officer of the Spanish army, starting his career in 1765 with the regimiento de infantería Saboya rising to the Field ranks of teniente coronel capitán in 1799, and then Sargento mayor in August 1803. On May 5, 1813, Manrique was appointed governor of Spanish West Florida, reporting to Juan Ruiz de Apodaca the Captain General of Cuba and Florida. He held this post until March 31, 1815. Manrique was succeeded by José de Soto as governor of West Florida.

War of 1812
In July 1813, during the Creek War, Peter McQueen, a Métis and Creek chief, prophet, trader and warrior from Talisi, decided to broaden the war against the Americans over their frequent incursions on Creek lands. Manrique informed his superiors of the intention of McQueen and the Red Sticks to broaden the war against the Americans. McQueen demanded that Manrique supply him with ammunition, and warned that he would burn Pensacola to the ground if the governor did not cooperate. This was to lead to an ultimatum, to support the Red Sticks and to break relations with the Americans. McQueen's warriors were unruly, and at one point Manrique used his troops to face down some impatient Creeks.

At this time there were only about 500 Spanish troops in West Florida. Substantial reinforcements would not be forthcoming from mainland Spain, engaged in combat against Napoleon. One way of countering the American threat could be to arm and provision the Indians, so as to bolster the weak Spanish defences.

Woodbine's military mission in May 1814
Captain Woodbine of the Royal Marines made contact with Indians. After a meeting of various elders held aboard HMS Orpheus (1809) on May 20, weapons and other gifts were provided by the British. Woodbine was appointed as British Agent to the Creek Nations. He was advised to respect the Spanish, and to communicate this to the Creeks. A declaration from the Chiefs of the Creek Nation to Cochrane alluded to this.

Upon receiving reports that Manrique had allowed the British to land on Spanish soil to arm natives at war with the United States, and had not intervened, Jackson's letter to Manrique dated July 12 warned of “disagreeable consequences” if this intelligence was true. Manrique's response dated July 26 referred to the site of the landing as being in the territory of the Indians, not the Spanish. Regarding the surrender of two chiefs to the Americans, their presence being denied, he deplored the hypocrisy with which Spanish fugitives had been allowed to roam free by the Americans. He was critical that Baratarian pirates led by Jean Lafitte were undertaking their operations from American soil, and had not been apprehended by the authorities, resulting in losses to Spanish citizens.

Manrique was in a precarious situation. Whilst too weak to confront the Americans, he did not want to antagonise the Americans, and to maintain the remaining goodwill. Yet, at the same time, did not want to weaken his position by cutting connections with his Creek allies. He appealed for assistance to his superior in Havana, but none was forthcoming. He reported to Apodaca that he would not be able to prevent the British from landing. He took the initiative, and in August 1814 approached the British, inviting them to Pensacola. This was a radical change from the existing policy of holding small populated enclaves with the meager garrison, and avoiding confrontation with either the Americans or the British.

It has been theorized that Manrique was anticipating a substantial British force would be deployed to the Gulf Coast, to which Woodbine and Nicolls were a prelude. The evidence indicates this was promised to him by Nicolls. Rumors were circulating in Pensacola that this would be taking place.

It became apparent that the Americans would be prepared to attack Pensacola. Jackson would force the issue, being well aware of Manrique's position of weakness. In his letter dated August 24, Jackson criticized Manrique for allowing British agents to operate in Pensacola and warned him that he would consider him personally responsible for any depredations suffered by American citizens, and that he would encourage the Indians to take revenge against him.

Nicolls's military mission in August 1814
At Bermuda, on July 4, 1814, Carron and HMS Hermes (1811) embarked a company-strength force of Royal Marines, commanded by Edward Nicolls, for deployment on the Gulf Coast. When the British stopped at Havana on August 4, prior to sailing to the Florida coast, they made contact with Apodaca, the Captain General of Cuba and Florida. An anonymous letter sent from Havana, authored by American merchant and vice-consul Vincent Gray, which found its way into the hands of the Governor of Louisiana William C. C. Claiborne, mentioned that permission to land in Pensacola had been denied to the British. On August 5 Hermes, with HMS Carron (1813) accompanying, departed from Havana. They arrived at the mouth of the Apalachicola River eight days later, on August 13, 1814. From August 13 through August 21, Hermes was in the river. A vessel arrived from Pensacola, having been hired by Captain Woodbine, to transfer warlike stores from Prospect Bluff to Pensacola, with the tacit approval of Manrique. When Nicolls arrived at Prospect Bluff in August with 300 British uniforms and 1000 muskets, Manrique, fully aware of the threat the Americans posed to Florida, requested the redeployment of British forces to Pensacola. During this time, HMS Sophie arrived at Prospect Bluff, her commander, Lockyer, was met by Major Nicolls Woodbine decided to remain at Pensacola, but dispatched Lockyer to Apalachicola with orders to return with all the remaining arms and a request for all British forces arriving there to join him at Pensacola.

Correspondence from Nicolls to Cochrane advised that upon Woodbine's arrival at Pensacola, 'he was received by the Spanish Governor in the greatest terms of friendship, and solicited by the Governor for his assistance in protecting the town of Pensacola from the immediate attack of the Americans.' Notwithstanding the rosy picture presented by Nicolls, relations between Nicolls and Manrique became strained in the following months.

The British were observed docking the 25th and unloading the 26th. At Pensacola on August 26, 1814, Nicolls issued an order of the day for the 'First Colonial battalion of the Royal Corps of Marines', and at the same time issued a widely disseminated proclamation to the people of Louisiana, urging them to join forces with the British and Indian allies against the American government. Both proclamations were reproduced in Niles' Register of Baltimore. These were a ruse as to the real strength of the British. The "numerous British and Spanish squadron of ships and vessels of war" he described comprised two sixth-rates and two sloops of the Royal Navy (Hermes, Carron, Sophie, Childers), the "good train of artillery" comprised three cannon and twelve gunners, whilst the "battalion" was a company-strength group of 100 Royal Marines infantry, detached from Major George Lewis's battalion.

Nicolls trained and equipped Creek refugees. The British had armed and recruited 500 Indians and 100 blacks as of September 10.

Nicolls set out from Pensacola, for a demonstration of force, in attacking Fort Bowyer near Mobile. (This was Spanish territory that been annexed by United States General James Wilkinson in 1813 just prior to Manrique's tenure.) The attack was a failure, resulting in a loss of face.

Pensacola attacked by Jackson




In a letter to Manrique dated September 9, Jackson expressed his consternation that the British flag was flown at Pensacola when Florida was 'under the most strict plea of neutrality.'

Jackson, believing that the British were conspiring with the Spanish and the Creeks against American interests, demanded that Manrique expel them from Florida. He then led an American army to seize the city, and arrived there on November 6, 1814. During the battle, the Spanish garrison offered little resistance to Jackson's assault. The British consequently abandoned Fort Barrancas and left Florida, fleeing with several hundred Indians in a British ship. Jackson considered that he had extinguished the conspiracy and returned Pensacola to Manrique.

The capture of Pensacola forced Nicolls to retreat to the Apalachicola River. There, Nicolls regrouped at Prospect Bluff, and rallied Indians and refugee ex-slaves.

Upon leaving Pensacola on November 9, Nicolls took with him a large proportion of the Spanish garrison, 363 soldiers, who did not return to Pensacola until 1815.

Restitution of Spanish property
According to historian Eric Beerman, in December 1814 prior to the Battle of New Orleans, Nicolls moved once again into Pensacola where he took Spanish soldiers and enslaved persons as prisoners of war to use against the Americans in New Orleans campaign. Andrew Jackson, however, returned to Pensacola with his forces, forcing the British to retreat and Nicolls to keep the prisoners in the British headquarters at Prospect Bluff on the Apalachicola River, 250 kilometers east of Pensacola. Manrique sent Lt. Luis Urcullú with transport ships to negotiate a return of the prisoners, but was rebuffed. After the British defeat at the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815, Manrique instructed Captain Vicente Sebastian Pintado to travel to Apalachicola and confer with British vice-admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. Cochrane agreed with Pintado, and ordered the return of all Spanish troops and slaves taken by the British to Pensacola aboard one of his ships under the command of Richard Spencer.

Manrique protested to Admiral Alexander Cochrane on January 25, and Cochrane responded on February 10, aboard HMS Tonnant, off Mobile. Writing from HMS Royal Oak, off Mobile Bay, on March 15, 1815, Rear Admiral Pulteney Malcolm, Cochrane's subordinate commander of the Mobile Squadron, assured Manrique that Post-Captain Robert Cavendish Spencer (a son of George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer) of HMS Carron (1813), had been detailed to conduct a strict enquiry into the conduct of Nicolls and Woodbine, regarding the property losses of Spanish inhabitants of Florida. Malcolm believed that in cases where formerly enslaved persons could not be persuaded to return to their owners, the British government would undertake to remunerate the owners.

Pintado, accompanied by Spencer, traveled to Prospect Bluff. His correspondence from April and May 1815 was sent to the new governor, José de Soto, who now succeeded Manrique. Pintado interviewed 128 Spanish slaves, he was able to persuade only 10, all women, to return voluntarily. He estimated 250 runaways to be present.