AN HISTORICAL SKETCH.


for their operations against Savannah.


out of hostilities between
Galvez, the Spanish Gov
Rouge, which was then
and in 1781 attacked


Upon the breaking


a England and Spain in 1779, De
ernor of Louisiana, captured Baton
within the limits of West Florida,
and captured Pensacola. At the


conclusion of the general peace in 1783, England, feeling
that Florida thus isolated was no longer worth retaining,.
exchanged it for the Bahama Islands, and the Spanish flag
once more floated over the peninsula.
 With the passage of the country under foreign domina-
tion most of the English settlers abandoned their homes
and went to the "States" ; and a truly Spanish lethargy
settled down over the land, broken only by Indian wars,
and by the occasional attempts of filibusters" to get pos-
session of the country and erect a "republic." In 1795
Spain ceded to France all that portion of Florida lying
west of the Perdido.River; and when, in 1803, Louisiana
was sold to the United States, all this valuable territory
passed into the possession of the latter power. In 1812
Fernandina was captured by a band of "patriots" whose
actions are thought to have been connived at by the United
States Government; and in 1814, the British having sent
a fleet to Pensacola and manned the forts, General Jackson
stormed the town and destroyed the fortifications. Again,
in 1818, General Jackson invaded Florida in order to chas-
tise the troublesome Seminole Indians; and finally, by a
treaty concluded on the 22d of February, 1819, and rati-
fied on the 19th of February, 1821, the Floridas were ceded
to the United States.
 Upon the change of flags the administration of affairs
devolved for a time upon the military authorities; but on
March 3, 1822, Congress passed an act establishing the Ter-
ritory of Florida, and the machinery of free representative
government was soon in regular working order. Several
counties were organized, the capital was located at the for-