Chapter I: Preface

The inducement to write this book was to supply, in a slight measure, the want of any particular history of British rule in West Florida. With that inducement, however, the effort would not have been made but for the sources of original information existing in the Archives of the Dominion of Canada, as well as others, pointed out to me by Dr. William Kingsford of Ottawa, author of the ‘History of Canada;’ to whom I take this occasion of making my acknowledgments.

An account of British rule necessitated one of Spanish colonial annals, both before and after it.

If any apology be necessary for the space devoted to the Creeks, it will be found in the considerations that for twenty years the body of the nation was within the limits of British West Florida; that their relations with the British, formed during that period, influenced their conduct towards the United States until after the War of 1812; and above all, that the life of Alexander McGillivray forms a part of the history of West Florida, both under British and Spanish rule.

The prominence given to Pensacola is due to its having been the capital of both British and Spanish West Florida, and therefore the centre of provincial influence.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

CHAPTER I 9

The Discovery of Pensacola Bay by the Panfilo de
Narvaez. The Visits of Maldonado, Captain of the
Fleet of Hernando de Soto.

CHAPTER II 19

The Settlement of Don Tristram de Luna at Santa
Maria—His Explorations—Abandonment of the
Settlement—The First Pensacola.

CHAPTER III 31

Don Andrés de Pes—Santa Maria de Galva—Don Andrés
d’Arriola—The Resuscitation of Pensacola—Its
Consequences.

CHAPTER IV 36

Iberville’s Expedition—Settlement at Biloxi and
Mobile—Amicable Relations of the French and
Spanish Colonies from 1700-1719.

CHAPTER V 41

War Declared by France against Spain—Bienville
Surprises Metamoras—Metamoras Surprises
Chateauqné—Bienville Attacks and Captures
Pensacola—San Carlos and Pensacola Destroyed—
Magazine Spared.

CHAPTER VI 51

Sketch of Island Town—Its Destruction—The Third
Pensacola—The Cession of Florida by Spain to Great
Britain—Appearance of Town in 1763—Captain Wills’
Report—Catholic Church.

CHAPTER VII 59

British West Florida—Pensacola the Capital—
Government Established—Johnstone first Governor—
British Settlers—First Survey of the Town—Star
Fort—Public Buildings—Resignation of Johnstone—His
Successor, Monteforte Brown.

CHAPTER VIII 71

General Bouquet—General Haldimand.

CHAPTER IX 78

Governor Elliott—Social and Military Life in
Pensacola—Gentlemen—Women—Fiddles—George Street—
King’s Wharf on November 14, 1768.

CHAPTER X 87

Governor Peter Chester—Ft. George of the British and
St. Michael of the Spanish—Council Chamber—Tartar
Point—Red Cliff.

CHAPTER XI 93

Representative Government.

CHAPTER XII 97

Growth of Pensacola—Panton, Leslie & Co.—A King and
the Beaver—Governor Chester’s Palace and Chariot—
The White House of the British and Casa Blanca of
the Spanish—General Gage—Commerce—Earthquake.

CHAPTER XIII 111

Military Condition of West Florida in 1778—General
John Campbell—The Waldecks—Spain at War with
Britain—Bute, Baton Rouge and Fort Charlotte
Capitulate to Galvez—French Town—Famine in Fort
George—Galvez’s Expedition Against Pensacola—
Solana’s Fleet Enters the Harbor—Spaniards Effect
a Landing—Spanish Entrenchment Surprised—The Fall
of Charleston Celebrated in Fort George.

CHAPTER XIV 131

Fort San Bernardo—Siege of Fort George—Explosion of
Magazine—The Capitulation—The March Through the
Breach—British Troops Sail from Pensacola to
Brooklyn.

CHAPTER XV 142

Political Aspect of the Capitulation—Treaty of
Versailles—English Exodus—Widow of the White
House.

CHAPTER XVI 150

Boundary Lines—William Panton and Spain—Indian
Trade—Indian Ponies and Traders—Business of
Panton, Leslie & Co.

CHAPTER XVII 158

Lineage of Alexander McGillivray—His Education—Made
Grand Chief—His Connection with Milfort—His
Relations with William Panton—His Administration
of Creek Affairs—Appointed Colonel by the British—
Treaty with Spain—Commissioned Colonel by the
Spanish—Invited to New York by Washington—Treaty—
Commissioned a Brigadier-General by the United
States—His Sister, Sophia Durant—His Trials—His
Death at Pensacola.

CHAPTER XVIII 200

Governor Folch—Barrancas—Changes in the Plan of the
Town—Ship Pensacola—Disputed Boundaries—Square
Ferdinand VII.—English Names of Streets Changed
for Spanish Names—Palafox—Saragossa—Reding—Baylen
Romana—Alcaniz—Tarragona.

CHAPTER XIX 217

Folch Leaves West Florida—His Successors—War of
1812—Tecumseh’s Visit to the Seminoles and Creeks—
Consequences—Fort Mims—Percy and Nicholls’
Expedition.

CHAPTER XX 227

Attack on Fort Boyer by Percy and Nicholls—Jackson’s
March on Pensacola in 1814—The Town Captured—Percy
and Nicholls Driven Out—Consequences of the War to
the Creeks—Don Manuel Gonzalez.

CHAPTER XXI 243

Seminole War, 1818—Jackson Invades East Florida—
Defeats the Seminoles—Captures St. Marks—Arbuthnot
and Ambrister—Prophet Francis—His Daughter.

CHAPTER XXII 252

Jackson’s Invasion of West Florida in 1818—Masot’s
Protest—Capture of Pensacola—Capitulation of San
Carlos—Provisional Government Established by
Jackson—Pensacola Restored to Spain—Governor
Callava—Treaty of Cession—Congressional Criticism
of Jackson’s Conduct.

CHAPTER XXIII 267

Treaty Ratified—Jackson Appointed Provisional
Governor—Goes to Pensacola—Mrs. Jackson in
Pensacola—Change of Flags—Callava Imprisoned—
Territorial Government—Governor Duval—First
Legislature Meets at Pensacola.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERRATA.

Page 10. _Sixteenth_ for Eighteenth.
“ 61. _Distant_ for District.
“ 113. _Journal_ for Journey.
“ 117. _1779_ for 1789.
“ 225. _Barrataria_ for Banataria.
“ 276. _Domingo_ for Doningo.
“ 233. _During_ for Doing.

------------------------------------------------------------------------