140 University of California Publication in History
the inhabitants have not the means to submst; that from the three thousand
inhabitants it had in 1800, it is redneed to les than four hundred, that he is
without money, with a small garrison, with stores for only fifteen days, and
that from this I ean understand why it is impossible for him to defend the
city, unless aid is sent him from Havanaz.

Three days after writing that despatch, Onfs received word that
Pensacola had fallen before the fiery general on May 24.
 With what he considered to be tacit approval from Monroe of his
notorious ambition to seize the Floridas, Jackson in March had
led his troops over the Spanish border. Hearing that the Seminoles
were gathered at St. Marks, he hastened overland to that post. The
small Spanish garrison, greatly outnumbered, surrendered to the
invaders. Among his prisoners Jackson found a seventy-year-old
Scotchman, Alexander Arbuthnot, who had lived with the Indians
and had carried on what was evidently an honest trade with them,
becoming their friend and confidant.
 The Indians had fled eastward, and the United States forces set
out after them, penetrating some hundred miles farther into Span-
ish territory to the village of Chief Bowlegs on the Suwanee. Again
the soldiers found no Indians, but they did capture another British
subject, Robert C. Ambrister (mentioned earlier as Woodbine's
agent for his plan of an invasion through Tampa Bay). Ambrister
had reached Tampa Bay in March, appropriating stores which be-
longed to Arbuthnot, and then had come northward to work among
the Seminoles. Jackson found at Bowlegs' village a letter from
Arbuthnot, advising the Indians not to resist Jackson's greater
force (about 3,000), and asking his son to move his property to a
safer place.
 Jackson destroyed Indian settlements and property all along the
way, wreaking vengeance on the natives, who had successfully
eluded his men. Then, late in April, he returned to St. Marks and
set about the disposition of his various prisoners. Two captives,
the Indian chiefs Francis and Himollimico, had already been
hanged. Now there occurred the famous courts-martial in which
officers of Jackson's army decided that both Arbuthnot and Am-
brister were guilty of inciting the Indians to hostilities. The case
against the former was not clear, although evidently he had warned
the Indians, permitting them to escape. The disappointment of the
soldiers at not catching the Indians prejudiced them against him.