New Kemet Ch2

Esther

After finally getting settled in Fernandina Beach Florida, Baptiste was ready for his next challenge. He was awakened early one August morning because he was needed on the Isis. There was a great commotion and one person at the center of it. When Baptiste reached the ship, he saw it was a woman causing all of the confusion.

She was discovered in the midst of the crew while Officers were making payments to the men. The Officers didn't recognize her and certainly didn't know she was a woman. She acted as a member of the crew for months. She was thought to be a young man. She fought and fought well in many battles. When she was discovered, she had to fight off three men and had a knife to the throat of the fourth. This is when the Officers sent for Baptiste.

The Commander being a calm and controlled man was angered because the men chose to attack her. He spoke in his deep voice very loudly,

“Do I command men or beasts?”

He told the woman she would not be harmed but she must release his man. When she let go of her captive and dropped her knife many men of the crew leaped on her. After a short struggle he ordered her to be taken to his cabin. Baptiste had his steward bring them breakfast and ordered that they not be disturbed. He spoke with her the rest of the day and learned a great deal from her. She was a runaway slave; her name was Esther, and she swore she would die before she’d go back to that life. He promised her she would never have to go back.

Esther made her way onto the ship during its loading in South Carolina. For nearly a year she passed as a Sailor. She learned to perform her duties simply by watching the other men. She knew how to raise the anchor; help set the sails and aim the canons. Baptiste once said,

“She was a good man to have aboard.”

He couldn't bring himself to put her off the ship. More than that he couldn't bring himself to part with her, and she felt the same for him. This is how our first lady won the heart of our great father. Her story of life as a slave changed our fathers’ view of the Americans. Like many Africans he believed the slave's children would be free. Slavery was only the burden of one generation, to enslave an entire family line was unheard of in Africa. To kill and maim for pleasure and force brother to kill brother was unforgivable. Our father found himself now hating the Americans even more than the British. For everything he hated in the British they were at least men; but these Colonist; these Americans were less than dogs. Baptiste sent a letter to many friends in Africa, those that were in the slave trade with him and to his competitors such as the Ashanti Empire. Here is the letter he sent,

"Brothers if I could place my heart in a box and ship it to you I would, for it is broken; it will take all my life for it to mend. I have traveled to a place where we have sent many souls. Their fate is not what we thought it would be. The fate of their children and their children's children is bleak at best. Every one of us has owned slaves; but our slaves are not as the slaves here. Every one of us has family members that have been slaves; but their slavery was not as the slavery of this place.

The men that have hold of our brothers and sisters are without hearts. These men feel no remorse for causing pain. They feel only joy by causing it, not only to their slaves but to their wives and children. I write to you because of my own guilt. My heart and my head hang low today because of the wrong I have done; but I shall rise early every morning for the rest of my days to free my family and to rid the Earth of these wicked men."

~Baptiste.

After writing this letter Baptiste ordered maps of Florida and Georgia. He studied these maps for days, and talked with local Spaniards to learn all he could about the area. The Spaniards warned him of a group they called the Seminoles. The Seminoles were a group of Native Americans and runaway slaves that escaped from America through Georgia. Baptiste was told the Seminoles were savages and could never be trusted. Baptiste disagreed and believed the Seminoles could be a great ally.

He had the Spaniards point out the last known location on the map. When the Commander set out to look for the Seminoles he only took Africans. He feared any white men with him would be killed on sight, if not by the so-called Indians; certainly by the ex-slaves. What our great father didn't understand, was that you can't find an Indian until he wants to be found. Commander Baptiste and the fifty men with him searched northern Florida for nearly a week, finding only camps that had clearly been left moments before their arrival. Then one September morning in 1809 our great father was awakened by a deep voice that filled his tent.

Osceola “You are not a white man; but you are also not a slave. Who are you? What do you want?”

Baptiste wrote of this in his journal. The man that stood in his tent was Osceola. He was chief of the Seminoles, Osceola somehow got pass the men of the camp unnoticed. He stood next to the Commander's bed and demanded answers.

The two men talked for a short time and walked out of the tent together. Osceola went to the edge of the camp and raised his right hand. The moment that his arm was straight, over 300 Indians began coming out of the woods. Some mounted on horses but most on foot. The Seminoles were following the Commander and his men the entire time. I give thanks to the ancestors that Osceola decided to talk rather than attack.

Osceola and Commander Baptiste agreed to meet again and to fight the Americans together. Baptiste had little understanding of military maneuvers. He had to learn quickly, his small army would soon be tested by Andrew Jackson. Jackson was a powerful General for the Americans. He defended Georgia and was threatening to attack Florida. American slave owners wanted the slaves back from the Seminoles. The Seminoles accepted them as brothers and wouldn't send them back to slavery. The Spanish who had control of Florida felt it wasn't their problem to recover American slaves.

Johnathan Baptiste continued to build alliances. By mid-October of 1809 he convinced the Commander of the fort to help him. He wanted the Seminoles to have a place where their families would be safe. Our great father learned from the Seminoles how Jackson killed women and children when he attacked. If the Indians knew their families were safe in the fort, they'd be more willing to join the fight.

Baptiste also had the French Officers on his side. They knew how close Napoleon was to him and they liked him as well. He had 500 Marines, the men from his Navy and the Seminoles. That was a total of 1500 men ready to fight. This was a small force, but it proved to be strong enough. With the combination of the French Marines knowledge in artillery and the Seminoles knowledge of the territory, Jackson was easily defeated on his first attack of Florida.

The Seminole fighters set up camp in an area they were known to hunt. They made as much noise as they could, beating drums, firing their guns in the air and yelling. It was known that Jackson had an attack force in the area and they were hoping to draw his attention. It was November 15th 1809 when scouts reported Jackson leading 150 cavalrymen toward the Seminole camp. Jackson wasn’t aware that there were Frenchmen with artillery hidden in the camp. There were also marksmen hiding in the trees of possible escape routes, lastly there were Seminoles on horseback that would charge Jackson’s group after the first volley of artillery fire.

At that time the place of the battle was called Cowford, Florida. Jackson was accustomed to riding into an Indian camp and attacking before they had time to respond. This time the Seminoles had rifles and horses for every man. Jackson also didn't expect to face artillery so he charged in as usual. Once in range the French artillery opened fire then the Seminole Warriors went riding out after the Americans as planned. There were nearly 100 Braves involved on the attack, they painted their bodies and faces yellow. Yellow paint for the Native Americans usually meant they would fight until victory or death.

The battle didn't last very long, the artillery struck center of their formation slowing their advance. The sudden appearance of the Native Americans caused confusion in the ranks of Jackson's men. The men amongst them that were militia broke and ran. They headed north toward Georgia and were killed by our marksman as they rode into the woods. Jackson and his few regulars surrendered; more than likely it was the site of the French soldiers that made him believe that surrendering was possible.

All but Jackson and 10 of his men were killed before Osceola could calm his fighters. Osceola may have felt sorrow for the results of the battle. He allowed Jackson and his 10 men to give up their weapons and return home to Georgia. Baptiste and the French Officers felt this was a mistake; however, no one would challenge Osceola; it was his victory. It was the first victory for his people in a while.

Jackson wouldn’t attack with so few like that again. As soon as he returned home, he began raising a large force. Jackson’s pride was hurt to be defeated so badly. He wrote to his countrymen, that the Indian and the Negro were united, that Napoleon was helping them and so were the Spanish; while this wasn’t yet true, it helped him gain volunteers. It also had an effect that he didn’t expect.

Many of the slaves could read and saw these posters. The word spread quickly. Instead of going north many slaves began heading to Florida. Many encountered the Seminoles first and were guided to Fort San Carlos. At first the Commandant was angry. He didn’t want slaves or Indians in his fort. He also didn’t want war with America. He was ready to put all of them out until he laid eyes on them.

General Juan Ramirez was the Commandant of Ft. San Carlos. He became a full supporter once he saw the scars on the backs of both men and women. He saw men’s feet half hacked off. He listened to the women tell of breast torn away from them by dogs, the stories of young children both boys and girls who were forced to do things no child should. He decided not only could these people stay in the fort, but he would also protect them with all his authority. As Commandant only the king had greater power, so he would not be questioned.

This meant Ramirez would commit his men to the fight, with regulars and militia that added nearly two thousand men. The slaves also wanted to fight, they were strong and without fear. Because of our great father Jonathan Baptiste, Native Americans stood equal with Frenchman. Africans in America were free from bondage and were ready to free their brothers and sisters. The young America had many enemies and few friends. America would soon fall, and no one would miss her.

The runaway slaves loved Baptiste. Many called him Moses because of their Christian training. Our Father hated this, he didn't want to be worshipped. He would chastise them when they fell to their knees in front of him. He was once quoted,

“I don't need your gratitude I need your anger!”

This problem ended as the word spread, he didn't want this behavior. The former slaves needed to be trained to fight, Jackson would be coming soon.

The French Marines stepped up to train these men. French training normally would start with a fitness test. The French sergeants attempted to run the men until exhaustion. The men ran nearly 20 miles in 3 hours without tiring. After a short time to rest the Sergeants had the men move heavy equipment up and down the beach. The former slaves still did not tire after doing this for over three hours. For most of the day the French Sergeants tested the men and they never tired. This impressed one of the French Officers so much he said, "With 50,000 men like these Napoleon could take all of Europe, maybe even Asia”.

When the Sergeants realized that getting the men in shape wasn't needed, they moved on to military training. In one week the men could march in unison. After a month they could fire and reload their weapons to the satisfaction of the Sergeants. The one problem the Sergeant had with training was hand-to- hand fighting. They wouldn't defend themselves against the white men. Nothing the Frenchman did could get them angry enough to fight back.

Baptiste came to the training area with several pair of slave shackles; he threw them to the feet of the men. He told them if they could not strike a white man in training, what hope was there on the battlefield. He told them to look at their wrist, to feel the scars on them. He also told them, “Look at your brother's back; see the scars. Close your eyes; look into your own hearts; feel the scars." He then told the men, “I promise you for every one of the enemies you kill, a scar will disappear.”

The men open their eyes, one of them picked up a set of shackles. He went to the shore and cast them into the ocean. He went back to the pile and grabbed another set and threw them into the ocean. He continued until they were all gone. As the last pair hit the surface of the water every man cheered. They no longer hesitated to defend themselves during training.

With each passing day more runaway slaves appeared. There were freed slaves and amazingly Irishmen who traveled from the northern states. Osceola also gathered many Native Americans that were ready to fight. This didn't go unnoticed by the Americans. Jackson was getting ready to march on Florida. Before leaving Georgia, he gave a speech in front of many slave owners and American citizens. Here is part of that speech,

“My Christian brothers, my fellow southerners: Your wicked servants have fled from you. They were not only disobedient to you; they were disobedient to the word of God. I will not bring them back to face your judgement. I promise you; I will send them to face the judgment of one greater than you. His judgment is true, and they cannot escape it.”

That speech was given the day after Christmas 1809. January 3rd 1810 Jackson began his march at the head of over 3,000 men. His three battalions included artillery and Cavalry men. Their target was Fort San Carlos Florida. They marched from the city called Savannah Georgia. Such a large force would be difficult to defeat, even from a fort as strong as San Carlos. But once again Jackson's aggression was his downfall.

It was Osceola that wanted to attack Jackson before he reached the fort. He believed that the idea of getting in lines and firing away at each other was foolish. He told Ramirez the Indian braves could wipe out Jackson's attack and never be seen. Osceola also wanted to take the trained ex-slaves with him. He told Baptiste, “I will not waste them in lines.”

Baptiste told Osceola that the men weren't his to give and they could go or stay as they pleased. Some of the former slaves went with Osceola ready to fight. Ramirez began to prepare the fort for battle. He had nearly 2,000 men at his command in a fort that could not be surrounded. Fort San Carlos set on the beach in Northern Florida and its shores were protected by the Royal Trinity. The General was sure the fort could be defended if Jackson somehow got past Osceola's attack. The French Marines volunteered to stay outside of the fort and slow Jackson’s advance with artillery fire if needed. All of these groups worked together and won a great victory.

As Jackson approached the border of Florida, Osceola and his men were watching. Osceola had only 800 fighters at his command. He decided to attack at dawn; it was the morning of January 6th, 1810. He had his men attack the camp of the militia and saw little to no resistance. American militia were known cowards and often ran once shots were fired. In their hasty retreat, the militia damaged some of the cannons and scared off most of the horses.

Now the American regulars would stand their ground against Satan himself. With their cannons damaged and no cavalry they held their positions. Because he was outnumbered Osceola disappeared into the woods with his men and headed back to the fort. The attack reduced Jackson's numbers to less than 2,000 men. His artillery and cannon equipment was damaged, yet functional. The attack angered Jackson's men and they would not rest. After gathering the horses, they moved non-stop toward the fort covering about 30 miles in one day. They set up camp outside of the fort’s gun range.

Baptiste: now back in command of the Royal Trinity, launched the first attack. Jackson didn't know the fort had naval support and set up camp to close to the shore. The Royal Trinity opened fire and caused a great deal of damage. Jackson lost more men and equipment and had to retreat to another position. His position near the woods was another mistake. Osceola led raids against him; he moved quickly without taking many losses. The Lieutenant in charge of the French Marines also joined the fight.

While Jackson's men were forced into the woods, the French Marines took what was left of the American artillery. The French Marines continued their attack with the cover of cannon fire. Jackson found himself being attacked from the south by the French. He had to defend against raids by Osceola from the northern woods. He also had to keep his distance from the eastern shores because of the Royal Trinity. Jackson's attack turned to a continuous defense. He was never a real threat to the fort and signaled his surrender. This great Victory took place on January 8th, 1810. Jackson and his remaining men were taken prisoner.

President James Madison of the United States demanded Jackson's release with his men. Ramirez refused to release them until he had a guarantee that the Americans would never return. He also demanded that all Indians and slaves that arrived to Florida not be pursued. Ramirez demanded payment for the families of the fallen soldiers. The General told Madison if these things weren't agreed to, Jackson’s men would be put on trial for war crimes. Jackson himself would face a committee of Native Americans and ex-slaves that he persecuted for so long. President Madison of course wouldn't agree to these terms. He believed that the Spanish and the French had committed an act of war. Ramirez simple reply was, ” So be it.”

The American Congress declared war on Napoleon's French Empire and King Ferdinand the 7th of Spain; after hearing the declaration from Congress King Ferdinand asked the question sarcastically, "What troubles the children of George?” When Napoleon got word he nearly laughed himself to tears. The Americans begin to mobilize their forces and strengthen their forts. They also began improving their Navy and putting defenses at their ports. America was a young nation but one thing they excelled at was fighting; however, even the bravest army cannot defeat greater numbers and better fighters.

Baptiste saw his plan coming together. He long wanted to attack the Americans but couldn't get the Spanish or French to do it. Now with war declared he could use his influence to destroy everything American. He began to plan an attack on an American port. He was glad to be back aboard his ship and was eager to hit fast. He knew his small navy would be a target for the Americans. He decided to hit the port near Savannah; it would be the weakest.

The Royal Trinity set sail for the Savannah Port. They encountered only one American ship. It was a simple cargo ship with small cannons attached to the railing. Captain Cheron fired a warning shot over its bow but the crew wouldn’t yield. All three ships of the Royal Trinity opened fire and destroyed the vessel. They continued to Savannah and captured the port fairly easily. The city sent most of their men and weapons with Jackson, so they weren’t able to fight. Baptiste captured the port of Savannah on January 18th, 1810.

His first action after capturing the port was to free every slave that he could find. Many of the slave owners protested and demanded payment for their slaves. Baptiste ignored their protest not only freeing the slaves but armed them as well. Some of the slave owners tried leaving with their slaves. They were told they were free to go but could not take any slaves. Many left without a fight, but Esther warned Baptiste; they’d be back. She went on to explain that the slave owners strongly felt that God gave them the right to their slaves.

Esther also told him to watch the slaves closely. Some slaves loved their masters more than their own lives. Esther put on tattered clothing and spent time amongst the slaves. She talked with the women first, because they knew the character of the men. She stayed with the slaves for the next few days. In that time, she discovered her worst fears were true. Late one evening she saw two of the male slaves sitting near a fire away from the group. She believed they would be first to betray them.

Esther hated the slave masters but would kill a traitorous slave on site. She heard these two men were overseers and loyal to their master. She wanted to be sure of their betrayal so she hid herself and listened to them. No one knows for sure what she heard, but her actions were well known. She jumped from the darkness armed only with a blade. Both men towered over her young and strong. She thrust her blade into the belly of one and struck him to the ground. The second young man grabbed hold of her and began to choke her. Esther fought out of his grasp and struck him to his knees. She cut his throat with her blade. Esther went back to the Isis and told Baptiste everything that occurred.

Baptiste rushed to the encampment of the freed slaves. He found the two men exactly where Esther said they would be. He fired a shot in the air to gain their attention. As they gathered around him, he showed them the dead bodies. He told them that freedom was at their fingertips; but anyone that preferred the love of their master should leave. He couldn’t understand why anyone wanted to be a slave. He often turned to Esther concerning slaves after that day. Her understanding of living in slavery gave her a unique perspective.

Esther had great understanding of the white Americans as well. She spent years as a slave and learned a great deal from it. Esther had very dark skin and lacked the features that white men lusted after. She was grateful for that after speaking with many mulatto women. White male Americans spoke freely when they were alone with these women. Their greatest weakness was lust. They couldn’t restrain themselves from a mulatto woman. With her lite skin and African curves, he would lose all control. Esther knew how this weakness could be used.

Two weeks past and thanks to Captain Cheron and Salvatori, strong defenses were in place. In that time several trips were made back to Ft. San Carlos in Florida. They brought back supplies and men. The port could be defended from land, and the Royal Trinity defended the sea. Baptiste used his Pirate connections to have more ships defending the shore. Captain Lafayette had control of two powerful ships in the Gulf of Mexico. He agreed to help defend the Savanna port. Baptiste agreed to let him keep what he captured from American ships and to supply him with black powder and other supplies.

Baptiste decided he would go to Ft. San Carlos to convince Ramirez to request naval support from Spain. He knew that the American navy would be ready soon and looking for a fight. His three ships and his Pirate allies wouldn’t be enough to stop them; however, if Spain sent some of their ships-of-the-line, victory could be possible. It would take time to convince the General to make the request; but Baptiste would see it through.

Esther stayed behind and put into motion a plan that helped save lives. She knew of two young women from the group of freed slaves that could help with her task. These three ladies were the beginning of our espionage force. They took great risk to gather information on the enemy. Esther acted as a madam and pretended that the two young mulatto ladies were her girls. It was common for these kinds of people to show up on military bases. They left the Savannah port in February of 1810 heading for Marthasville(Atlanta). This large city in the center of Georgia is where an attack would likely come from.

The two ladies that Esther chose had a history of servicing men at the command of their master, who was also their father. The oldest lady was Mildred, and her younger sister was Agatha. They wanted to help in the fight and asked Esther to show them how. The three of them planned to find where American Officers were encamped and set-up shop. Gaining the interest of the Americans wouldn’t be difficult; however gaining their trust would be.

Acting as protector of the young ladies, Esther had to be frightening enough to keep the white men from taking what they wanted, yet soft enough so that the officers wanted to deal with her. Mildred and Agatha often said that they felt far safer with Esther than with any man. Mildred wrote in her diary about an exchange between Esther and a young Officer. The Officer asked Esther if he could have a free sample as he raised Agatha’s dress. Esther swept the man’s feet from under him with one kick. She placed her foot on his chest and replied, “The only free sample is the heel of my boot.” The other men roared in laughter as they helped the man to his feet.

Getting to Marthasville was the first of many challenges. Esther believed the two young ladies could pass for white with her as their servant. The first thing she did was acquire two tight fitting dresses for the young ladies and a modest one for herself. The plan was to travel north first then catch a stagecoach to Marthasville. Esther used her own money to get to a town north of Savannah where they boarded a stagecoach.

The town was in madness with people trying to leave. The rumors of slave and Indian savages were on all of their lips. Esther somehow knew to play the humblest slave just trying to get her young mistresses west. She convinced a stagecoach driver to believe they were only trying to get to Texas; but would settle for the best he could offer. Esther knew that all the stagecoaches heading west would likely stop in Marthasville. It was the largest town before the open frontier. She paid the price for a trip to Texas knowing the driver wouldn't ask many questions for such a high fee. Once in Marthasville they simply missed the call to re-board and stayed there.

Esther found a place for the girls to stay and one for herself nearby. She thought it best to wait for all those that were on their stagecoach to leave before doing anything. While they waited Esther would go to the girl’s room under the guise of being their servant. During that time she taught the ladies all they needed to know such as numbering large groups of men without writing it down and important things to listen for when Officers talked amongst themselves. She also taught them how to conceal a blade and where to cut a man to ensure death.

Esther made her first contact with an American Officer in March of 1810. He was an angry drunk who stopped random women in the streets with a wad of money in his hand. When Esther approached him, he swung to strike her. As a natural reflex she dodged his punch and landed one of her own. Luckily no one saw this as it was late evening and the roads were clear. She managed to drag the fellow to the girls’ room. Esther told the girls to find out where the other Officers were stationed. The girls did not fail her.

After the young Officer left the girls room Esther went to check on them. The girls couldn't wait to tell Esther all that they learned. The Officer not only gave the location where his fellow men were stationed, he also asked the ladies to visit. He told the ladies any price they asked would be gladly paid. The three ladies left that night for the Officers camp. Esther managed to gain a meeting with the Colonel of the encampment. His only demands were decorum, and that his Officers not know he agreed to the ladies being there. There were 10 Lieutenants stationed there. They made frequent trips to the girls’ room. By the second week of March 1810, Esther knew a great deal. She knew the number of troops that would attack the Savannah port, and from what direction they would attack.

The last report Esther received from the girls caused her to buy a team of horses and a carriage. She loaded the girls and some supplies, and they headed for the Savannah Port. Esther drove the team herself only stopping to sleep and to let the horses rest. The trip took 6 days. The moment she arrived at the Port she ran for the docks. Captain Cheron was the first to greet her, Baptiste still hadn’t returned from Florida. Esther told the captain all she knew about the coming attack. The Americans had mounted a large force and would be arriving very soon.

Americans were both angry and frightened by the fall of the Savannah Port. The papers in New York City wrote articles of slaves and savages taking advantage of white women. The Articles claimed that white children were being cooked over campfires. These claims caused many to volunteer for the American Army. It also caused American Generals to stop all forward actions in Canada. Everything was to be committed to taking back the Savannah Port and pushing through to Florida.

The work Esther, Mildred, and Agatha did in Marthasville brought to light the nature of the coming attack. The Americans had committed 15,000 men to the attack along with two of their new naval ships. Only 5,000 of the troops were seasoned soldiers, the remaining 10,000 were volunteer militia; however, the militia were not simple farmers that would run at the first shot fired. Amongst them were some of the filibusters out of Texas, as well as men that fought in the Indian wars. All the men were told to give no quarter, the men Mildred heard speaking of this seemed almost joyful about it.

Mildred and Agatha told Esther that all 10 officers said they'd be in Savannah by the 1st of April. That was the report that caused Esther to move with such haste. When she gave the report to Captain Cheron, he wanted to leave the port with all the men and supplies they could carry. Captain Salvatori felt they could defend the port and should make the Americans fight for it. The two men came close to drawing their pistols on each other. They couldn't agree on what should be done. Esther suggested that both actions could be taken. The two Captains agreed.

Captain Cheron loaded all the supplies and every man he could to head back to Florida. He took the cotton, tobacco and rice that were on the docks. The only military equipment he took is what the men could carry. He felt if Captain Salvatori was going to fight, he’d need every ounce of black powder. The two men strongly disagreed on this; but still respected each other. Before leaving Captain Cheron helped Captain Salvatori plan a defense of the port.

The artillery defenses that were in place could be manned by as few as 300 men. Salvatori sent an additional 300 rifleman to protect the artillery teams. He sent out Indian scouts to watch for the Americans. He also began loading the freed slaves on one of Lafayette's ships. They were taken to Fort Santo Domingo in Haiti. Esther and the two sisters went with them. Salvatori took command of his ship to help Lafayette defend the port at sea. He put Tom Freeman in charge of the land defense. Mr. Freeman spent time in the American military until they refused to give him the rank he earned.

In the early morning hours of March 28th, 1810, one of the Indian scouts rode into the port. It has been said that the Indian rode his horse so hard until the animal dropped dead shortly after being dismounted. The Indian scout reported to Freeman that the Americans were camped less than a day's march to the west of the port. Before Freeman could get word to Salvatori, the blast of cannon fire came from the east of them.

The American Navy sent two powerful frigates to help take the port. The defenders to the north of the port sent word that the Americans were approaching. The Americans plan was to attack from the north to draw resources from the western position; then they would send in the men from the west overtaking the port. The northern attack would be close to shore which is why the American frigates were needed. The plan may have worked if not for the report given to Freeman by the Indian Scout. He knew the force coming from the west was larger than the one coming from the north so he pulled half his riflemen from the north to the western position. Tom Freeman then moved all his artillery defending the southern positions to create a second line of defense to the north. This was risky if the Americans attacking from the west flanked to the south. Nothing would be able to stop them from taking the port.

At Sea Salvatori and Lafayette were pulled away from the port by the American ships; both Captains knew they needed to assist Freeman and his men. They also could not let the two American ships pass and possibly catch the ships heading towards Florida, and Haiti. The canons of the American frigates had greater range than those of Lafayette and Salvatori; however, the smaller cannon balls could not breach the hull of Lafayette ship. Salvatori used the speed and turning ability of the Horus to lay continuous fire on the American ships. The two American Captains put all of their focus on the Horus. They managed to damage its cannons and breach its hull.

Lafayette put his ship between the Horus and the attacking American ships. Salvatori ordered his men to abandon ship. They first covered the deck with black powder per Captain's order. When the men from the Horus were aboard, Lafayette gave the order to pull away from the battle. Captain Salvatori then guided the Horus toward the two American ships. Under heavy fire from the American ships, Captain Salvatori set his ship ablaze. The American ships tried to turn away, but it was too late. The black powder on board the Horus exploded, causing significant damage to both ships.

On March 28th, 1810, we lost this great man. Captain Luis Cortez de Salvatori gave his life for his men and to save those who would become our countrymen. His sacrifice was remembered throughout the rest of the war. The men from his ship made famous the phrase “ Recuerde la Horus y su Capitan.”(remember the Horus and her captain.) The Mexicans and Spaniards song this cry when they joined the fight against the Americans. When Salvatori damaged these two ships, he halted the naval support for the Americans. That delayed their advance from the north on Tom Freeman’s position.

The first wave of Americans from the north was a small cavalry team. They moved too fast for the artillery teams to properly target them. The rifleman did well holding them back but the Americans achieved their purpose. These American Calvary men simply wanted them to fire so they could get the range of their cannons. The Americans had new cannons with longer range and better accuracy. They set up their cannons outside the range of the northern defenders. When the Americans opened fire, they destroyed the first front of Tom Freeman's men.

A few riflemen from the second northern line fell back to the Western defenses to give Freeman the news. When Freeman learned that his cannons couldn't hurt the Americans he decided to retreat. He gave orders to leave explosives around the cannons at both the northern and western fronts. The best marksmen were left to fire on the explosives as the Americans approached. The explosions slowed the Americans long enough for Freeman to organize an escape. He used a few carriages to get his men and supplies out. Three days later they made it to Fort San Carlos, in Florida. The Americans did not pursue once they had control of the port in Savannah. Lafayette brought the men from the Horus to Ft. Santo Domingo and then he returned to the Gulf of Mexico.

Baptiste regretted losing the port in Savannah and losing his friend Captain Salvatori. He understood that he moved too fast to take the port; although it was taken fairly easily; there was no support to keep it. He wouldn't attack again without first having a supporting force. He had men that were trained and ready to fight. He also had the full support of Spain and of course Napoleon. The Americans won the day with better equipment and better planning. It was one of the few victories for the Americans in the war.

True History Note:

The Seminole Freemen were a group of free blacks and runaway slaves that joined with the Seminole Indians. They fought alongside the native American in northern Florida during the three Seminole Wars.