Siege of St. Augustine
Encyclopedia
The Siege of St. Augustine took place in July 1740 during the War of Jenkins' Ear
, in which Britain
and her colonies attacked Spanish
colonies in the Americas
.
of the colony of Georgia raised a mixed force of British regulars, the 'Old' 42nd Regiment of Foot, colonial militia from Georgia
and Carolina
, Hugh MacKaye's Highlanders and native American Creek
and Chickasaw
, or Uchees. The campaign began in December 1739, by January Oglethorpe was raiding Spanish forts west of St. Augustine. By May, 1740 he led this force on an expedition into Spanish Florida
in an attempt to capture St. Augustine, first capturing Fort San Diego, Fort Picolotta and Fort Mose, the first free black settlement in America.
while the naval squadron blockaded the port. Oglethorpe began a 27 day bombardment on 24 June. On 26 June, a sortie by 300 Spanish and free blacks attacked Fort Mose held by 120 Highlander Rangers and 30 Indians. The garrison was taken by surprise with 68 killed and 34 captured while the Spanish loss was 10 killed.
The Spanish managed to send supply ships through the Royal Navy blockade and any hope of starving St. Augustine into capitulation was lost. Oglethorpe now planned to storm the fortress by land while the navy ships attacked the Spanish ships and half-galleys in the harbor. Commodore Pearce, however resolved to forgo the attack during hurricane season. Oglethorpe gave up the siege and returned to Georgia; abandoning his artillery
during his withdrawal.
Florida°N conflict=yes°W
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
, in which Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and her colonies attacked Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonies in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
Background
After some mutual minor skirmishes, Governor OglethorpeJames Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
of the colony of Georgia raised a mixed force of British regulars, the 'Old' 42nd Regiment of Foot, colonial militia from Georgia
Province of Georgia
The Province of Georgia was one of the Southern colonies in British America. It was the last of the thirteen original colonies established by Great Britain in what later became the United States...
and Carolina
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
, Hugh MacKaye's Highlanders and native American Creek
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
and Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
, or Uchees. The campaign began in December 1739, by January Oglethorpe was raiding Spanish forts west of St. Augustine. By May, 1740 he led this force on an expedition into Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
in an attempt to capture St. Augustine, first capturing Fort San Diego, Fort Picolotta and Fort Mose, the first free black settlement in America.
Siege
Oglethorpe deployed his batteries on the island of Santa AnastasiaAnastasia Island
Anastasia Island is a barrier island which is approximately long located off the northeast Atlantic coast of Florida in the United States. The island is located east and southeast of St. Augustine. It is separated from the mainland by the Matanzas River, part of the Intracoastal waterway, Matanzas...
while the naval squadron blockaded the port. Oglethorpe began a 27 day bombardment on 24 June. On 26 June, a sortie by 300 Spanish and free blacks attacked Fort Mose held by 120 Highlander Rangers and 30 Indians. The garrison was taken by surprise with 68 killed and 34 captured while the Spanish loss was 10 killed.
The Spanish managed to send supply ships through the Royal Navy blockade and any hope of starving St. Augustine into capitulation was lost. Oglethorpe now planned to storm the fortress by land while the navy ships attacked the Spanish ships and half-galleys in the harbor. Commodore Pearce, however resolved to forgo the attack during hurricane season. Oglethorpe gave up the siege and returned to Georgia; abandoning his artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
during his withdrawal.
See also
Florida°N conflict=yes°W