User:Donald Albury/Santa Lucia

Santa Lucía was a presidio established by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, one of a series of presidios along the coast of Florida intended to prevent the French and other European powers from planting colonies. The presidios were placed at strategic location ranging from Santa Elena (on Paris Island, South Carolina) to Tocobago (on Tampa Bay. The "Presidio Santa Lucía" was first established in November 1565 near Cape Canaveral.

After Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, adelantado of Florida, founded St. Augustine and captured Fort Caroline from the French in 1565, he turned to dealing with the survivors of ships from the French fleet that had wrecked during a storm along the Florida coast. After killing most of the survivors of two ships in the Massacre at Matanzas Inlet, Menéndez returned to St. Augustine.

In October 1567, word reached St. Augustine that a French ship had wrecked near Cape Canaveral, and that the French were building a fort. On October 26, Menendez left St. Augustine with 300 men and three boats to find the shipwrecked French. Menendez reached the fort on December 1. About 150 of the French surrendered, but 20 retreated from the fort and refused to come in. Menendez burned the fort and a ship they were building, and buried cannon they had salvaged from shipwreck.

Expedition traveled south about 15 leagues to a port in Ais territory, where the Spanish were greeted by the chief. The French prisoners traveled with the Spanish, and were given equal rations, so that rations that were intended for 40 days were running out sooner. Ais had only fish, coco plums and palm hearts, and little to spare for the Spanish, Menendez took two boars 50 Spanish spldiers and 20 French prisoners and left for Cuba to obtain supplies. While at Ais, Menedez traveled 15 leagues south to inspect a harbor that the Ais chief said was a good place for a settlement, Menendez did not like it and returned to Ais. The soldiers supplemented their ration of a half-pound of biscuit a day with coco plums and palm hearts. One soldier is said to have eaten so many palmetto berries that he died. Menendez left his men three leagues from the Ais town to prevent conflict between the Spanish and the Ais.

Menendez found survivors of French shipwreck (part of Ribault's fleet) near Cape Canaveral, where they had build a fort. After burning the fort, Menendez moved south along the Banana and Indian Rivers. He made peace with the Ais, and left the bulk of his company, including the French prisoners, with the Ais, while he sailed to Havanna. Presidio Santa Lucia was built after he left, probably in the Jupiter-Salerno area, at a place called Jaega. Captain Juan Vélez de Medrano was left in charge of the fort. By March 1566, Santa Lucia had been abandoned, following starvation, Indian attacks and rumors of cannibalism among the Spanish.

After Matanzas, Menedez moved down coast with his force partly on three small boats, but mostly on land. They found French shipwreck survivors at Cape Canaveral, where they had built a small fort. Solís de Merás said 150 French taken prisoner, Menendez said 70 to 80. Party continued to Ais Inlet. Chief there swore loalty to Philip II. 200, including French, left in area. Menedez took 50 Spanish and 20 French to Cuba to get supplies.

Menendez left Captain Juan Vélez de Medrano in charge of the men at Santa Lucia.

Fort at Ais ran short on supplies, men foraged countryside. Chief of Ais warred on fort. Captain took garrison 20 leagues south.Cacique of Gega offered to trade, then attacked, killing 16 Spanish. Built blockhouse, called Santa Lucia, besieged by Indians. One report says Spanish killed and are French prisoners. All of the French may have died before garrison rescued.

While Menéndez was away procuring supplies for the colony, the garrison at the cape ran out of food, and attempts by the Spanish soldiers to seize food from the local Indians led to attacks on the presidio. In early 1566, about 100 soldiers mutinied, and marched south along the coast, but were stopped when they could not cross the St. Lucie River. Captain Juan Vélez de Medrano, commander of the presidio, using a boat that had been left at the presidio, found the mutineers, and set out for Havana to obtain supplies for them. Soon after leaving the mutineers, he encountered Diego de Amaya, who had been sent by Menéndez with supplies for the Florida posts. Unfortunately, Amaya's ship had been lost at the mouth of the St. Johns River, with much of the supplies still on board, and Amaya was returning to Havana. Amaya and Vélez sailed south along the coast until they reached the Jupiter Inlet, where they decided to re-establish the presidio, doing so on St. Lucy's Day, December 13, 1566. Vélez moved the surviving mutineers (many had died by then) to the new location, while Amaya went to Havana. Cannons were emplaced in the fort, and the garrison began trading with the local Jaega people.

Rations ran short at Santa Lucia, just a bowlful of corn a day for last two weeks before running out completely. Only 75 or original 250 Spanish soldiers and French prisoners were still alive. Four days later Ascención arrived at Santa Lucia (then at Jupiter Inlet) from Yucatan with supplies. Soldiers mutinied, seixed ship, forced Captain Velez to leave with them. On March 19, 1566, Menendez encountered Ascension, made it return to St. Augustine with his fleet.

Garrison at Santa Lucia "reduced to chewing shoes, leather belts, snakes, rats, and dwarf palmettos. Indians killed 23 soldiers using bows and arrows against arquebuses.

Gonzalo Solís de Merás was brother-in-law and nephew-in-law of Menendez (his sister Ana María was married to Menedez, he was married to Menendez's niece Francisca de Quirós). Solís had studied at the University of Salamanca, and was call "Doctor". He is known to have served with Menendez in Florida, and left a manuscript describing Menendez's live and activities in Florida. A copy of the manuscript known as the Ferrera Manuscript, with the title La Conquista de Florida por el Adelantado Pedro Menéndez de Valdés was found in 2012. A week after leaving Santo Antonio (Calusa) Menendez encountered a caraval sailing to Havana. The ship had been sent from Campeche with a load of corn for the Florida garrisons. When ship arrived at Santa Lucia, the soldiers seized the captain and the ship. Captain Velez and his ensign, Pedro de Ayala, tried to stop the mutiny. Ayala was wounded and both were seized by the mutineers. Menedez took over the caraval and had it sailed to St. Augustine.

Jonathan Dickinson was on a ship that ran aground in 1696 on the coast about 5 mi the town of Jobe at the Jupiter Inlet. He expected to find a Spanish settlement called "Santa Lucea" about one degree north of there. He related that the Jobe people chief told them that it was two or three days journey to the town, which was on an inlet, and that Dickinson and his companions would be killed and eaten if they went there.

Remnants of Santaluces people lived two days travel from Miami River in 1743.

Potential sources

 * Ref - Matheson
 * Available - Matheson
 * Matheson
 * Matheson