Fort de la Caroline
Fort Caroline National Monument
"[The Spaniards] made a horrible, tragic slaughter of our forces, so great was the anger and hatred they had for our nation. They vied with one another to see who could best cut the throats of our people..."
1565 la Caroline carpenter Nicolas le Chaileux
Jean Ribault arrived at la Caroline on August 28, 1565, with reinforcements for the failing colony. On Ribault's heels stood a Spanish flotilla bent on ejecting the French. Escaping near-capture, Ribault sailed south to destroy the Spanish. A violent storm wrecked his fleet.
Assuming that la Caroline was now vulnerable, Spanish commander Pedro Menéndez ordered an overland assault; a French traitor led 500 Spaniards through jungle and swamp to capture the poorly guarded French colony. The Spaniards killed 143 French colonists, but spared 70 women and children. Laudonnière, le Moyne, and 40-50 others escaped into the woods and eventually back to France. Only one Spaniard died.
Seeking revenge, a French force led by Dominique de Gourgues returned to Fort de la Caroline (now called San Mateo) in April 1568. With Timucuan help the French surprised the Spaniards and captured the fort, Gourgues sailed home and the Spanish reoccupied the fort until 1569.
Marker can be reached from Ft. Caroline Road, on the left when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
