This Day in Jekyll History, July 8, 1742
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009On This Day in Jekyll History…
July 8, 1742, The Spanish threaten island safety.
In his journal, Georgia president William Stephens continued to record his concerns about the Spanish threat to Georgia, not knowing that the Battle of Bloody Marsh had been fought the previous day:
“July 8. Thursday. This morning we were alarmed by Mr. Habershams arrival, who . . . acquainted me with the Information he had by a Boat passing thro the Narrows in the Evening, bound for Savannah . . . the Substance of the Intelligence was, that the Enemy with upwards of thirty sail were come over the Bar and at Anchor in Jekyll Sound;
that they were all Vessels of War . . . that the General thereon, doubting not that they would land, thought it best to blow up what must otherwise fall into their hands, and retire towards the town. . . . Upon this Advice, I order’d to beat to Arms early at the break of day, when I told our men what Intelligence I had received, exhorted them to unity and Steadfastness, whereby only we could preserve ourselves . . . .”
The Spanish would threaten Jekyll Island just days later, burning the home of Major William Horton on July 13.
Source: E. Merton Coulter (ed.), The Journal of William Stephens, 1741-1743 (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1959), p. 106. (Courtesy of the GeorgiaInfo website http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/welcome.htm “This Day in Georgia History”)
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