Page 24 - Pilgrims in Georgia

Menendez destroys the French Colony

Menendez later attacked Fort Caroline when he learned that the French defenders had left in their ships looking for him.
The fort was taken by surprise as the defenders were in a storm and wholly unprepared, and soon it was captured. Of the
two hundred and forty French in the fort, one hundred and thirty-two were killed outright, fifty women and children were
captured, and the rest escaped, dying in the jungle or making it to safety with a French ship anchored nearby. Later
Menendez learned that the French ships had been caught in the storm, wrecked, and that the French sailors were stranded

on a beach south of St. Augustine. He sailed to the location and after capturing them peacefully, killed all of them, sparing
only Catholics and their musicians. Since then the inlet near the beach has been called Matanzas- which means “slaughters”.

A quote from the account of the Menendez's Priest/Chaplain
“Finding they were all Lutherans, the captain-general ordered them all put to death; but, as I was a priest, and had bowels of
mercy, I begged him to grant me the favor of sparing those whom we might find to be Christians. He granted it; and I made
investigations and found ten or twelve of the men Roman Catholics, whom we brought back. All the others were executed,
because they were Lutherans and enemies of our Holy Catholic faith. All this took place on Saturday (St. Michael's Day),
September 29, 1565. I, Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, Chaplain of His Lordship, certify that the foregoing is a

statement of what actually happened."

"In 1565 some 300 French castaways, under Jean Ribault, were
massacred here by Spaniards, crushing their attempt to occupy Florida.
The French ships, sailing from Fort Caroline to attack St. Augustine, were
driven ashore by a storm. At this inlet most of the survivors were put to
the knife by Don Pedro Menendez. Hence it was named Matanzas,

meaning Slaughters.“ Marker Matanzas Inlet