Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega

Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega
Acting Governor of La Florida
In office
December 30, 1664 – July 6, 1671
Preceded by Nicolas Ponce de Leon II
Succeeded by Manuel de Cendoya
Personal details
Born Unknown
Unknown
Died unknown
Unknown
Profession governor

Francisco de la Guerra y de la Vega was the governor of Florida between December 30, 1664 and July 6, 1671. He participated in the war against the British buccaneers who sacked and plundered Saint Augustine, Florida in 1668.[1]

Career

Francisco De la Guerra y de la Vega was appointed governor of Florida by Philip IV on December 30, 1664.

Guerra forced the Timucua to perform certain labors in St. Augustine, the capital of La Florida, and threatened to condemn to forced labor on the royal construction projects those who were absent from their assigned tasks without his consent. The caciques, or chiefs, of the Timucua were subject to public punishment if they allowed Timucua fugitives from these assignations to return to their own villages.[2]

On May 29, 1668, Saint Augustine was invaded by the English privateer Robert Searle[3] (alias John Davis) of Jamaica. Searle's fleet had already captured St. Augustine's own frigate near Havana, as well as the situado ship from Vera Cruz carrying flour to St. Augustine.[4] Searle's men marauded and looted the city, killing 60 of its residents.[5]

During the raid, Searle had captured about 70 men, women and children. On May 30, Searle sent the governor a message, indicating that he would release the captives in exchange for water, meat and wood. The governor accepted the proposition, asking in return that the Captain provide him with some flour from the Veracruz ship. The same day, the women were released. During the next six days the ransom was paid and the other prisoners were released on June 5.[5]

Small arms were in short supply after the town's sacking, as the English had destroyed most of the munitions stored in the main guardhouse. Food was scarce as well, since they had also seized the flour carried by a Spanish ship from Nueva Espana, and the maize crop had failed due to drought. In response to the situation, Guerra canceled the rations issued to former soldiers and seized a frigate belonging to Ignacio de Losa of Havana to bring maize from Apalachee. 0n July 7th, Guerra reported the raid to the viceroy of Nueva Espana (New Spain) and requested supplies and funds to relieve his people. He asked the governor of Havana to purchase a frigate for St. Augustine, in order to secure provisions and feed the population.[6]

Following Searles' raid on St. Augustine, the Queen Regent Marianna gave the order for the construction of a new fort, the Castillo de San Marcos,[7] construction of which started under the administration of Governor Manuel de Cendoya in 1672.

De la Guerra left the governorship on July 6, 1671.

Personal life

Although the Spanish law Royal forbade colonial governors marrying into a local family, Guerra y de la Vega married a local woman,[8][9] Lorenza de Soto y Aspiolea,[9][10] and had three children[8][9][10] out of wedlock.[10] Within a week of the arrival of Manuel de Cendoya to Florida as new governor of the colony, Guerra and Soto y Aspiolea were married.[10]

References

  1. ↑ The Archaeology of Mission Santa Catalina de Guale. University of Georgia Press. 1994. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-8203-1712-0.
  2. ↑ The Struggle for the Georgia Coast. Written by John E. Worth. Page 78.
  3. ↑ Jon Latimer (1 June 2009). Buccaneers Of The Caribbean. Harvard University Press. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-674-03403-7.
  4. ↑ Theodore Corbett (2012). St. Augustine Pirates and Privateers. The History Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-60949-721-7.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 David Marley (2010). Pirates of the Americas. ABC-CLIO. p. 354. ISBN 978-1-59884-201-2.
  6. ↑ Luis R. Arana (July 1970). "Aid to St. Augustine after the Pirate Attack, 1668-1670". El Escribano 7: 1.
  7. ↑ Events that Changed America Through the Seventeenth Century. Edited by John E. Findling and Frank W. Thackeray. Page 50.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nations Oldest City: Pirate's attack convinced crown to build Castillo. Posted by Susan Parker in 5/6/2005. Retrieved in July 22, 2014, to 16:30pm.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Hidden History of St. Augustine. Written by Drew Sappington.Page 44.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Private and Privateers: The Pirates of San Augustín. Posted by Cindy Vallar.