Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 151
they had rallied, Lieut. Cadogan with an advanced party of the Regi
ment, and soon after the whole Regiment, Indians, and Rangers, I
marched down to a causeway over a marsh very near the Spanish Camp
over which all were obliged to pass, and thereby stopt those who had
been dispersed in the fight in the Savannah from getting to the Span
ish Camp. Having passed the night there, the Indian scouts in the
morning advanced to the Spanish Camp and discovered they were all
retired into the ruins of the Fort and were making Intrenchments
under shelter of the cannon of the ships. That they guessed them to be
above 4,000 men. I thought it imprudent to attack them defended by
Cannon with so small a number but marched back to Frederica to
refresh the soldiers, and sent out Partys of Indians and Rangers to
harrass the Enemy. I also ordered into arrest the officers who com
manded the Platoons that retired.
"I appointed a General Staff: Lieut. Hugh MacKay and Lieut.
Maxwell Aids de Camp, and Lieut. Sutherland Brigade Major. On
ye llth of July the Great Galley and two little ones came up the river
towards the Town. We fired at them with the few Guns so warmly
that they retired, and I followed them with our boats till they got under
the cannon of their ships which lay in the sound.
"Having intelligence from the Spanish Camp that they had lost
4 Captains and upwards of 200 men in the last Action, besides a great
many killed in the sea-fight, and several killed in the night by the
Indians even within or near the camp, and that they had held a Council
of War in which there were great divisions, insomuch that the Forces
of Cuba separated from those of Augustine and the Italick Regiment
———— of Dragoons separated from them both at distance from the
rest near the woods and that there was a general Terror amongst them,
upon which I was resolved to beat up their Quarters in the night and
marching down with the largest body of men I could make, I halted
within a mile and a half of their camp to form, intending to leave the
Troops there till I had well reconitred the Enemy's disposition.
'' A French Man who without my knowledge wa.s come down amongst
the volunteers fired his Gun and deserted. Our Indians in vain pur
sued and could not take him. Upon this, concluding we were discovered,
I divided the Drums in different parts and beat the Grenadiers march
for about half an hour, then ceased, and we marched back with silence,
"The next day I prevailed with a prisoner, and gave him a sum of
money to carry a letter privately and deliver it to that French Man who
had deserted. This letter was wrote in French as if from a friend of
his, telling him he had received the money; that he should strive to
make the Spaniards believe the English were weak. That he should
undertake to pilot up their boats and Galleys and then bring them tinder
the'Woods he knew the Hidden Batterys were; that if he could bring
that about, he should have double the reward he had already received.
That the French Deserters should have all that had been promised to
them. The Spanish Prisoner got into their Camp and was immediately
carried before their General Don Manuel de Montiano. He was asked
how he escaped and whither he had any letters, but denying his having
any, was strictly searched and the letter found, and he upon being par
doned, confessed that he had received money to deliver it to the French-