Le Challeux (1565)

Chauveton, Urbain (XVIe siècle). Brief Discours et histoire d'un voyage de quelques François en la Floride & du massacre [...] exécuté sur eux par les Hespagnols, l'an mil cinq cens soixante cinq [...]. Genève: E. Vignon, 1579.

A carpenter by trade, Nicolas Le Challeux volunteered to join the 1565 expedition led by Jean Ribaut to consolidate the French colony in Florida. At the time Le Challeux was fairly advanced in years. In fact, according to Laudonnière, he was "at least sixty years of age", and Le Challeux describes himself as "the old man that I am, all grey". To embark on such a risky adventure at such an age may seem surprising. But like most of the other members of the expedition, Le Challeux must have believed the rumour, then circulating in France, "that Florida promised enough satisfaction in everything a man could desire on earth." In Brief discours Le Challeux describes the atrocities committed by the Spanish when they took Fort Caroline.

After their arrival in Florida at the end of August 1565, the Spanish fortified themselves in Saint Augustine. Upon learning this, Ribaut set out with several ships carrying 200 sailors and 400 soldiers to dislodge the Spanish, but he was surprised at sea by a violent storm lasting several days. Menéndez de Avila took advantage of this, marched his troops overland and, at dawn on September 20, surprised the Fort Caroline garrison, which then numbered about 200 to 250 people. The Spaniards massacred them all, except for about 50 women and children who were taken prisoner. Only 26 defenders managed to escape, including Le Challeux, Laudonnière and Lemoyne de Morgues. As for the men of Ribaut's fleet, several had drowned. The Spanish picked up about 350 survivors only to put them to the sword, sparing only about 20. This massacre put an end to France's attempts at colonization in Florida.

Homepage

Previous      Next

Previous      Next