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From: "Ronald Jaudon \"Don\" Berry" <>
Subject: [Huguenot] The First Thanksgiving (Part 2 of 3)
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 01:53:20 -0500


THE FIRST THANKSGIVING (Part 2 of 3)

Who were these Huguenots? Or, should I say--"Who are these Huguenots"---

I are one ! ~

The Huguenots were-are Protestant Religious Refugees, followers of
John Calvin, who started fleeing France in the 1560's and flooded
England, F!anders, Holland, Switzerland,South Africa, Germany, the
Carribean Islands and ultimately "America". NY, and South Carolina

My Jaudon family to Charleston in 1686 after the Revocation of the Edict
of Nantes.

The Huguenots were strong in their faith. Given the choice of becoming
Roman Catholic or execution---many were burned at the stake and
thousands died in the many massacres.
Their tongues were cut out to prevent them singing
hymns as they were burned. Forced to tear down their Churches with their
own hands, they buried their dead at night and used "secret" symbols in
order to enter their underground church services.

Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, a Huguenot, was a trusted advisor
to Roman Catholic King Charles IX of France. In 1562
after years of religious
conflict which divided France into two armed camps there was peace.
Coligny wanted France to claim and colonize The New World. He also
wanted his Huguenot bretheren to have their own !and where they could
have RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

Ribault explored the river and area around St. Augustine and the St.
John's river at Mayport (Jacksonville)Florida.

Returning to Europe Ribault !eft a 30 soldiers under Albert de ia
Pierria (58 years before Pilgrims) on the Broad River, SC, on Paris
Island. He called it Port Royal and named the log blockhouse
Charlesfort.

Arriving in France, Ribault discovered conflict between Huguenots and
Roman Catholics. He went to Queen Elizabeth in England for supplies for
Charlesfort and she put him in prison for violating Spanish Territory.

With Ribault imprisioned in London, Rene Laudonnierre was sent from
France to
rescue the Charlesfort Colony, 1564.
After Ribault's release from
prison he sailed to Florida to succor the new colony Landonnierre had
established at Ft. Caroline, present day Jacksonville, Florida.

Phillip II of Spain, sent ships out from
Cuba on a search and destroy mission. And ultimately, in 1565,
Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Captain General of
the Ocean Sea and Adelantado of la Florida and St. Augustine captured
Ft. Caroline and executed, at Matanzas (place of slaughter) Ribault and
almost all of his men.

So, St. Augustine becomes the oldest continuosly inhabited city in the
USA,---and not Jacksonville.

On June 30th, 1564, after building earthen and log huts, and digging a
well, at Ft. Caroline the French Huguenots

sang a hymn of Thanksgiving,

gave thanks to God, and prayed for the future of their new home.

Another most important enterprise took a little longer. When they
discovered the wild scuppernog grapes growing on the high bluffs
overlooking "The River of May ,now called the St. Johns River, and being
French, naturally they set about making wine. (For sacramental purposes
only, I'm sure). Ah, those French.

And this was not the only "first" for Fort Caroline.
The first European child born in what was to become The USA
was probably born at the fort, as some historians speculate.


to be cont'd

Don

--
Huguenot Ft. CarolineJacksonville,Fl Here 1565 The FIRST Thanksgiving.
READ,SUBMIT POETRY: http://www.christianpoets.com MORE OF MINE AT:
http://www.ohills-ag.org http://www.raindrop.org/hishands/hhpoem.shtml
http://www.NewOrleansWeb.org/easter1.html Jaudon BerryJacksonville,Fl

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