CHAPTER IV.
OF THOSE WHO REFUSED TO FOLLOW THE FORTUNES OF RIBAULT.
We have seen that two hundred of the followers of Ribault had refusedto submit to the arrangement, by which that unhappy commander hadsacrificed himself and all those who accompanied him into the camp ofMelendez. These two hundred had been counselled to the more manly coursewhich they had taken, by the youthful but sagacious lieutenant, AlphonseD'Erlach. This young man well understood their enemy. His counsel, iffollowed by Ribault, would probably have resulted in conquest ratherthan misfortune.
"We are strong,"--said D'Erlach to his companions--"strong enough tomaintain ourselves in any position, which we may take and hold withsteadfastness. We have three hundred and fifty soldiers, all with armsin their hands, and it requires only that we shall use our arms andmaintain our independence. Why treat at all with the Spaniards? Theymay assist us across this strait, but why cross it at all? To gain LaCaroline? 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, hehas no available force with which he dares assail us. In the meantime,let us leave this position. Let us retire further to the south, regainthe coast upon which our vessels were wrecked, rebuild them, or oneat least, in which, if your desire is to return to France, we canre-embark; or, as I would counsel, retire to a remoter settlement, wherewe may fortify ourselves, and establish the colony anew, for whichwe first came to Florida. Why abandon the country, when we are insufficient strength to keep it? Why forego the enterprises which offerus gold and silver in abundance, a genial climate, a fertile soil,a boundless domain, in which our fortunes and our faith may be madeequally secure. As for the savages of Florida, I know them and I fearthem not. They are terrible only to the timid and the improvident. Withdue precautions, a proper courage, and arms in our hands, we shall mockat their wandering bands, whose attacks are inconstant, and upon whomthe caprice of the seasons is forever working such evil as will preventthem always from bringing large numbers together, or keeping them longin 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, deliveryourselves, bound hand and foot, in petty numbers, to be butchered indetail, by this monstrous cut-throat!"
His counsels prevailed with the greater number. They left the camp ofRibault at midnight, and commenced their silent march along the coast,making for the bleak shores which had seen their vessels stranded. Herethey arrived after much toil and privation, and, cheered by the manlycourage of D'Erlach, they proceeded at once to build themselves a vesselwhich should suffice for their escape from the country, or enable themto penetrate without difficulty to regions not yet under the controlof the Spaniards. For the work before them they possessed the properfacilities. The fragments of their shattered navy were within theirreach. The expedition had been properly provided with carpenters andlaborers; and in that day every mariner was something of a mechanic.They advanced rapidly with their work, but at the end of three weeksthe clouds gathered once more about their heads. Once more the haughtybanners of the Spaniard were beheld, the vindictive enemy being resolvedto give them no respite, to allow of no refuge upon the soil, to affordthem no prospect of escape from the country.
Advised by the Indians that the surviving Frenchmen were at work atCannaverel, building themselves both fortresses and vessels, Melendezsent an express to the Governor of San Matheo, late La Caroline, withorders to send him instantly one hundred and fifty of his men. Thesearrived at St. Augustine on the 23d of October, under the conduct of DonAndres Lopez Patino, and of Don Jean Velez de Medrano. To these troopsMelendez added a like number from his own garrison, and on the 26thof the month, they commenced their march to the south, on foot. Hisprovisions and munitions were sent in two shallops along the shore, andeach night they came to anchor opposite his camp. On the first day ofNovember, they came in sight of the French. These, immediately abandonedtheir work, and seizing their arms retired to a small sandy elevationwhich they had previously selected as a place of refuge against attack,and which they had strengthened by some slight defences. Here theyprepared for a desperate and deadly struggle. The force of theirassailants was one-third stronger than their own. They had theadvantage, also, of supplies and munitions, in which the Frenchmen weredeficient; but a sense of desperation increased their courage, and theyshowed no disposition to entreat or parley. But Melendez had no desireto compel them to a struggle in which even success would probably befatal ultimately to himself. His main strength was with him, but shouldhe suffer greatly in the assault, as it was very evident he must, theFrench being in a good position, and showing the most determined front,his army would be too greatly weakened, perhaps, even for their safereturn to St. Augustine, through a country filled with hostile Indians,whom, as yet, he had neither conquered nor conciliated. Havingreconnoitred the position taken by the Frenchmen, he generously madethem overtures of safety. He proposed not only to spare their lives,but promised to receive as many of them as thought proper, into his ownranks 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 whollyignorant of the country, and disheartened by the cruel vicissitudes anddangers through which they had passed. Many of them were persons ofwealth and family, who were anxious once more to find themselves in aposition which demanded no farther struggle, and which might facilitatetheir return to the haunts of civilization. Others, again, wereCatholics, whose sympathies were not active in behalf of the Huguenotswith whom they now found themselves in doubtful connection. Others werejealous of the sudden spring to authority, which, in those moments ofperil when all others trembled, had been made by the young adventurer,Alphonse D'Erlach. It was in vain that he counselled them against givingfaith to the Spaniards.
"What is your security, my friends? His word? His pledge of mercy toyou, when he showed none to your brethren? Look at the hand which hestretches 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. Trusthim not, if you would prosper--if ye would not perish likewise. Believenone of his assurances, even though he should swear upon the HolyEvangel."
"But what are we to do, Monsieur D'Erlach? We have small provisionshere. He hath environed us with his troops."
"We may break through his troops. We have arms in our hands, and ifwe have but the heart to use them, like men, we may not only saveourselves, but avenge our butchered comrades."
His entreaties and arguments were unavailing. It was sufficient forour broken-spirited exiles that Melendez had volunteered to them thoseguaranties of safety which he had denied to their brethren. Theyprepared to yield.
"Go not thou with these people, my brother," said Alphonse D'Erlach, tothat elder brother whom we have seen, with himself, a trusted lieutenantof Laudonniere. He flung himself tenderly upon the bosom of the other,as he prayed, and the moisture gathered in his eyes. The elder wastouched, but his inclinations led him with the rest.
"He hath sworn to us, Alphonse, that life shall be spared us, and thatwe 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 himas men, we should rather have his life at ours. Oh! would that we weremen. Enter his service! Dost thou think of this? Wouldst thou receivecommands from the lips of him who hath murdered thy old commander!"
"No! surely, I shall never serve Melendez. I seek this only as the meanwhereby to return to France."
"And wherefore return to France? What hath France in reserve for us butthe shot, the torture, and the scourge. Here, brother, here, with thewild F
loridian, let us make our home. Let us rather put on the untamedhabits of the savage, his garments torn from bear and panther; let usanoint our bodies with oil; let us stain our cheeks with ocre; andtaking bond with the Apalachian and Floridian, let us haunt thefootsteps of the Spaniard with death and eternal hatred, till we leavenot one of them living for the pollution of the soil. This is mypurpose, 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 mightbe the event; and when, at morning, the main body of the Frenchmensurrendered themselves to the Spanish adelantado, the Erlachs werenot among them. They, with twenty others, all Huguenots, who detestedequally the power and feared the savage fanaticism of Melendez, haddisappeared silently in the night, leaving as a message for the Spanishchief, that they preferred infinitely to be devoured by the savages,than to receive his mercy. Melendez looked anxiously to the dark forestsin which they had shrouded themselves from his pursuit. He would gladlyhave penetrated their depths of shadow and their secret glooms, insearch of victims, whom he certainly never would have spared if caught;but the object was too small for the peril which it involved; and havingdestroyed the fort and shipping which they had been building, contentwith having broken up the power of the French in the country, hereturned with his captives to St. Augustine. He kept his faith withthem. Many of them joined themselves to his troops, and accompanied hisexpeditions, and others who were Huguenots found new favor with him byundergoing conversion to his faith. With this chapter fairly ends thehistory of the Huguenot colonies of Coligny in Florida; but otherhistories followed which will require other chapters.