José de Soto
José de Soto | |
---|---|
11th Governor of West Florida | |
In office March 31, 1815 – March 3, 1816[1] | |
Preceded by | Mateo González Manrique |
Succeeded by | Mauricio de Zúñiga |
Personal details | |
Born | c. 1775 Castile, Spain (possibly) |
Occupation | Colonial Administrator, Soldier |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Spain |
Rank | Colonel[2] |
José de Soto (born c. 1775), also known as Joseph de Soto, was a Spanish military officer who served as the Governor of West Florida from 1815 to 1816.[3][4]
War of 1812
[edit]During the War of 1812, American officials accused de Soto of "supplying arms and other support to Seminole and Creek Indians at war."[5]
In January 1815, he surrendered Fort St. Michael during the Spanish restoration efforts, occurring in the aftermath of the war.[6]
Later, in July 1815, de Soto complained that the Negro Fort, left armed by the British, had become a refuge for "villains of all classes and Nations," and was impacting the region's trade. He subsequently ordered a delegation to Prospect Bluff to recover Spanish-owned slaves and gather intelligence on the forces still under British command.[7]
In a letter dated August 19, 1815, de Soto requested from Don V. S. Pintado, the surveyor general, a duplicate copy of the plan of Pensacola. This plan was created by the ex-ayuntamiento after examining the town for its subdivision into lots, including the military square and other plots intended for churches and military buildings. It reads the following:
Please to furnish me, as soon as possible, with a duplicate copy of the plan of this town, which was made by you in consequence of the new figure which was given to it by the ex-ayuntamiento for the subdivision into lots of what was the military square, and the other ground plats destined for the church and military buildings. God preserve you many years.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, Volume XVIII" (PDF). 1940.
- ^ Congress, United States (1859). American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. Gales and Seaton. pp. 244, 249.
- ^ Caro, Joseph (1927). "Governors of Spanish West Florida".
- ^ "THE FLORIDA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, Volume XVIII" (PDF). 1940.
- ^ Adams, John Quincy (2017-06-20). John Quincy Adams: Diaries Vol. 1 1779-1821 (LOA #293). Library of America. ISBN 978-1-59853-523-5.
- ^ Rerick, Rowland H. (1902). Memoirs of Florida: Embracing a General History of the Province, Territory and State; and Special Chapters Devoted to Finances and Banking, the Bench and Bar, Medical Profession, Railways and Navigation, and Industrial Interests. Southern Historical Association. pp. 124–125.
- ^ Clavin, Matthew J. (2021-05-01). The Battle of Negro Fort: The Rise and Fall of a Fugitive Slave Community. NYU Press. pp. 59, 95. ISBN 978-1-4798-1110-6.
- ^ Congress, United States (1859). American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. Gales and Seaton. pp. 244, 249.