upon the St. Johns. With four hundred of his regiment,
Oglethorpe, on May 3d, left Frederica, in boats, and on the 9th reached
the Cow-ford. The Carolina regiment and the Highlanders having failed to
make the expected junction at that point, Oglethorpe, who would brook no
delay, immediately proceeded against Fort Diego, which surrendered on
the 10th, and garrisoned it with sixty men under Lieutenant Dunbar. With
the remainder he returned to the Cow-ford, and there met the Carolina
regiment and McIntosh's Highlanders. Here Oglethorpe massed nine hundred
soldiers and eleven hundred Indians, and marched the whole force
against Fort Moosa, which was built of stone, and situated less than two
miles from St. Augustine, which the Spaniards evacuated without offering
resistance. Having burned the gates, and made three breaches in the
walls, Oglethorpe then proceeded to reconnoitre the town and castle.
Assisted by some ships of war lying at anchor off St. Augustine bar, he
determined to blockade the town. For this purpose he left Colonel
Palmer, with ninety-five Highlanders and fifty-two Indians, at Fort
Moosa, with instructions to scour the woods and intercept all supplies
for the enemy; and, for safety, encamp every night at different places.
This was the only party left to guard the land side. The Carolina
regiment was sent to occupy a point of land called Point Quartel, about
a mile distant from the castle; while he himself with his regiment and
the greater part of the Indians embarked in boats, and landed on the
Island of Anastatia, where he erected batteries and commenced a
bombardment of the town. The operations of the beseigers beginning to
relax, the Spanish commander sent a party of six hundred to surprise
Colonel Palmer at Fort Moosa. The Spaniards had noted that for five
nights Colonel Palmer had made Fort Moosa his resting place. They came
in boats with muffled oars at the dead of night, and landed unheard and
undiscovered. The Indians, who were relied on by Palmer, were watching
the land side, but never looked towards the water.

Captain Macintosh had remonstrated with Colonel Palmer for remaining at
Fort Moosa more than one night, until it produced an alienation between
them. The only thing then left for MacIntosh was to make his company
sleep on their arms. At the first alarm they were in rank, and as the
Spanish infantry approached in three columns they were met with a
Highland shout.

The contest was unequal,