Background
Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere was of a noble family of Poitou. His birthdate and family origins are currently unknown.
( Title: A notable historie containing foure voyages made...)
Title: A notable historie containing foure voyages made by certayne French captaynes unto Florida ... Author: Laudonnière, René Goulaine de. Publisher: Gale, Sabin Americana Description: Based on Joseph Sabin's famed bibliography, Bibliotheca Americana, Sabin Americana, 1500--1926 contains a collection of books, pamphlets, serials and other works about the Americas, from the time of their discovery to the early 1900s. Sabin Americana is rich in original accounts of discovery and exploration, pioneering and westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War and other military actions, Native Americans, slavery and abolition, religious history and more. Sabin Americana offers an up-close perspective on life in the western hemisphere, encompassing the arrival of the Europeans on the shores of North America in the late 15th century to the first decades of the 20th century. Covering a span of over 400 years in North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean, this collection highlights the society, politics, religious beliefs, culture, contemporary opinions and momentous events of the time. It provides access to documents from an assortment of genres, sermons, political tracts, newspapers, books, pamphlets, maps, legislation, literature and more. Now for the first time, these high-quality digital scans of original works are available via print-on-demand, making them readily accessible to libraries, students, independent scholars, and readers of all ages. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ SourceLibrary: Huntington Library DocumentID: SABCP01915100 CollectionID: CTRG96-B1146 PublicationDate: 15870101 SourceBibCitation: Selected Americana from Sabin's Dictionary of books relating to America Notes: Includes index. Collation: 10, 64 leaves : ill
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(SIGNED By Bennett with note. Owner's book plate. Accounts...)
SIGNED By Bennett with note. Owner's book plate. Accounts of Laudonniere's exploration of South Carolina & Florida in the 1500's. Translated into Modern English my Charles E. Bennett, notable Florida Congressman & Historian. Pg edges lightly foxed, DJ has very slight edgeware shelfware.
https://www.amazon.com/Three-voyages-Rene-Goulaine-Laudonnie/dp/0813004233?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0813004233
Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere was of a noble family of Poitou. His birthdate and family origins are currently unknown.
Laudonniere had apparently seen service in the navy. In 1562, Admiral Coligny, head of the French Huguenot party, determined to found a colony in the New World. Since he was then in favor at Court, he persuaded the King to allow him to send out several shiploads of colonists under the charge of Jean Ribaut, whom Laudonnière accompanied as his lieutenant. Entering St. John's River, Florida, early in June, the expedition moved up the coast and settled at the present Port Royal, South Carolina, naming their colony Charlesfort. Then Ribaut and Laudonnière returned to France, where they entered the port of Dieppe July 20, 1562.
The religious wars in France and perhaps other matters hindered Coligny from sending aid to his colony in 1563, but in April 1564 Laudonnière was sent out with three ships and three hundred colonists. Meanwhile, however, the settlers at Charlesfort, having become discouraged, had killed their commander, built a ship, and set sail for France. Learning that the settlement was abandoned, Laudonniere decided to found a colony on St. John's River, then called Rivière de May, where he built Fort Caroline, named for King Charles IX.
Although the French were kindly received by the Indians of the region, Laudonniere forfeited the friendship of their chief by establishing relations with an enemy chief who had access to a supply of gold. Dissensions within the colony arose when rations were reduced, and when the nobles in the group protested against the labor required of them. Some threescore mutineers, with two barques, sailed for the Spanish colonies. Most of them were captured by the Spaniards; a few returned to Fort Caroline, where Laudonniere promptly hanged the ringleaders. In spite of all these difficulties, however, the fort was maintained for over a year.
On August 3, 1565, the fleet of Sir John Hawkins entered the river. Laudonnière, his colony sadly reduced by famine, gave Hawkins four pieces of artillery and a supply of ammunition in exchange for a vessel in which to take his people home. They were ready to sail on August 15, but were delayed by contrary winds. Meanwhile Ribaut had been sent to their aid with a large fleet and many supplies. His ships were sighted August 28 and arrived August 29, bearing orders for Laudonnière to return to France, to reply to criticisms of his care of his colony. Before he could sail, a Spanish fleet appeared off the coast and Ribaut with most of the able-bodied men sailed in pursuit, leaving Fort Caroline almost defenseless.
On September 20, a Spanish force under Menendez came overland from St. Augustine, fell upon the fort, and massacred most of the inhabitants. Laudonnière, although wounded, escaped, made his way to one of Ribaut's ships, and sailed for Europe. After being wrecked and cast ashore in Wales, he finally reached France in January 1566. Coldly received by the royal authorities, he retired to his estates, where he lived quietly, engaged in writing an account of the expeditions to Florida. It was published under the title L'Histoire notable de la Floride (Paris, 1586), after the author's death. His mistakes were due to his lack of judgment and the poor quality of the colonists whom he took with him; his misfortunes were the result of international jealousies, for which he was not responsible.
In Laudonniere's company was an artist, Jacques Le Moyne, whose drawings of natives and animals are among the best and earliest made of the New World.
( Title: A notable historie containing foure voyages made...)
(SIGNED By Bennett with note. Owner's book plate. Accounts...)
Le Moyne characterized Laudonniere "of varied abilities, though experienced not so much in military as in naval affairs a man too easily influenced by others".
