GLOUCESTER


many of us can even imagine the anxiety, conflicting emotions and elation that Don Louis must have felt, knowing that he was finally going home.


Shortly after arriving at what the Civil war monument


missionaries hoped would become the Ajacán (Axacán) Mission, near present day Queens Creek, Don Louis defected and returned to his native people. Realizing that Don Louis had returned to his people, the Jesuits did the best they could to survive while they waited for a supply ship to return. In a tragic twist, Don Louis returned to the mission with members of his tribe, brutally killing the nine Jesuit missionaries. What led up to this is unknown. Perhaps it was retribution for the abduction, perhaps Don Louis realized what would become of his people if the mission succeeded on a large scale. We will never know the dynamics in play that led up to the massacre. Only Alonso was spared, perhaps


(Above) Gloucester business section.


(Right) W. C. Stubbs with Gloucester courthouse in 1908.


out of pity, as Don Louis could certainly identify with him. After the massacre, Alonso was helped by a rival Chief until 1572, when the boy was rescued by the Governor of Florida, who had come to find out what had happened to the Spanish mission. The Governor, having heard from Alonso what transpired, searched for Don Louis, who proved to be elusive. Eight Indians were captured and identified as having participated in the brutal massacre as they were wearing some of the crucifixes and had other items that had belonged to the monks. The judgment against them was swift and sure. As a result of these events the Spanish left the area to concentrate on mission work in Mexico.


Had the Jesuit mission been successful and England not beat the Spanish in colonizing the coastal region of Virginia, we might all be speaking Spanish right now. It is utterly amazing how one event, one day and one decision can affect the lives of people for centuries to come, without even knowing it at the time.


The English Make Their Move


It was no accident that the English headed for and landed in the Chesapeake Bay, not far from Gloucester County. Although originally financed by investors and set up as a for-profit venture, the riches sought and found in the New World were not spices, silver or gold,


34 March/April 2011


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100