Dominique de Gourgue
Encyclopedia
Dominique de Gourgue (1530–1593) was a French
nobleman and soldier. He is best known for leading an attack against the Spanish
in Florida
in 1568, in response to the destruction of the French Fort Caroline
. He was a captain in King Charles IX
's army.
, one of the most important families of the French city of Bordeaux
. He served in the Italian wars
under Maréchal de Strozzi
, was captured by Spaniards
in 1557, and then by the Turks
, and served several years in the galleys. After his return to France, he made a voyage to Brazil
and the West Indies, and then entered the service of Duke de Guise
, and was employed against the Huguenot
s.
was a Catholic
king who hated Protestants and considered them heretics, including the French Huguenot
s. His troops were ordered to kill any they found in the colonies. Thus, in 1565 there was a notorious massacre around Fort Caroline
in what is now Jacksonville, Florida
, by troops under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
. After capturing the fort and slaying nearly all his prisoners, Menéndez hung their bodies on trees, with the inscription, “Not as Frenchmen but as Lutherans.” The massacre aroused indignation in France among Protestants and Roman Catholics alike. The king sent complaints to the Spanish court, but Menéndez and his associates, instead of being punished for the deed, received rewards and honors.
with two hundred men, never telling them the goal of their trip. Once in Cuba
he made his intentions clear, and his crew approved his choice of revenge. Gourgue then moved to attack Spanish-held Fort Caroline, which they had renamed as Fort San Mateo, enlisting the aid of Fort Caroline's old allies, the Saturiwa
and Tacatacuru
, Timucua
peoples from the area. The fort soon surrendered to de Gourgues' forces. The French and Indians killed the Spanish prisoners in retribution for the Fort Caroline and other massacres of Protestants. They hung the garrison with the inscription, “Not as Spaniards but as murderers.”
on 6 June 1568. He was received cordially by Monluc, governor of Bordeaux
, but coldly by the court, which feared a rupture with Spain. For several years he lived in obscurity, almost in misery, at Rouen
with the president of Mariguy, until restored to the king's favor in 1572. He was given command of a vessel, and participated in the Siege of La Rochelle, commanding the largest vessel of the squadron. In 1592 Don Antonio de Crato tendered him the command of his fleet to defend his right to the crown of Portugal
against Philip II. While on the journey, de Gourgue died.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobleman and soldier. He is best known for leading an attack against the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in Florida
Spanish Florida
Spanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
in 1568, in response to the destruction of the French Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline was the first French colony in the present-day United States. Established in what is now Jacksonville, Florida, on June 22, 1564, under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière, it was intended as a refuge for the Huguenots. It lasted one year before being obliterated by the...
. He was a captain in King Charles IX
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
's army.
Youth
De Gourgue's early life is not well known. He came from the old and powerful family of GourgueGourgue (family)
Gourgue, or Gourgues,is the name of an old French aristocratic family. The members of this family where particularly important in France from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century.- Origins and important figures :...
, one of the most important families of the French city of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
. He served in the Italian wars
Italian War of 1542
The Italian War of 1542–46 was a conflict late in the Italian Wars, pitting Francis I of France and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Henry VIII of England. The course of the war saw extensive fighting in Italy, France, and the Low Countries, as well as...
under Maréchal de Strozzi
Piero Strozzi
Piero Strozzi was an Italian military leader. He was a member of the rich Florentine family of the Strozzi.-Biography:Piero Strozzi was the son of Filippo Strozzi the Younger and Clarice de' Medici....
, was captured by Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1557, and then by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and served several years in the galleys. After his return to France, he made a voyage to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and the West Indies, and then entered the service of Duke de Guise
Francis, Duke of Guise
Francis de Lorraine II, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Duke of Aumale , called Balafré , was a French soldier and politician.-Early life:...
, and was employed against the Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s.
Situation in the colonies
Philip II of SpainPhilip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
was a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
king who hated Protestants and considered them heretics, including the French Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
s. His troops were ordered to kill any they found in the colonies. Thus, in 1565 there was a notorious massacre around Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline was the first French colony in the present-day United States. Established in what is now Jacksonville, Florida, on June 22, 1564, under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière, it was intended as a refuge for the Huguenots. It lasted one year before being obliterated by the...
in what is now Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, by troops under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
Pedro Menéndez de Avilés was a Spanish admiral and explorer, best remembered for founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. This was the first successful Spanish foothold in La Florida and remained the most significant city in the region for several hundred years. St...
. After capturing the fort and slaying nearly all his prisoners, Menéndez hung their bodies on trees, with the inscription, “Not as Frenchmen but as Lutherans.” The massacre aroused indignation in France among Protestants and Roman Catholics alike. The king sent complaints to the Spanish court, but Menéndez and his associates, instead of being punished for the deed, received rewards and honors.
Revenge
Embittered by the cruelty and indignity that he had received from the Spaniards, de Gourgue determined to avenge the death of his Protestant compatriots, though he was himself a Catholic. He sold everything he had and borrowed money from his brother Antoine in order to recruit a crew and charter three boats. He sailed to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
with two hundred men, never telling them the goal of their trip. Once in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
he made his intentions clear, and his crew approved his choice of revenge. Gourgue then moved to attack Spanish-held Fort Caroline, which they had renamed as Fort San Mateo, enlisting the aid of Fort Caroline's old allies, the Saturiwa
Saturiwa
The Saturiwa were a Timucua chiefdom centered around the mouth of the St. Johns River in what is now Jacksonville, Florida. They were the largest and best attested chiefdom of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect of Timucuan and lived in the coastal areas...
and Tacatacuru
Tacatacuru
The Tacatacuru were a Timucua chiefdom located on Cumberland Island in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were one of two chiefdoms of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect of Timucuan and lived in the coastal areas of...
, Timucua
Timucua
The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The various groups of Timucua spoke several dialects of the...
peoples from the area. The fort soon surrendered to de Gourgues' forces. The French and Indians killed the Spanish prisoners in retribution for the Fort Caroline and other massacres of Protestants. They hung the garrison with the inscription, “Not as Spaniards but as murderers.”
Later life
De Gourgue returned to the port of La RochelleLa Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
on 6 June 1568. He was received cordially by Monluc, governor of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, but coldly by the court, which feared a rupture with Spain. For several years he lived in obscurity, almost in misery, at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
with the president of Mariguy, until restored to the king's favor in 1572. He was given command of a vessel, and participated in the Siege of La Rochelle, commanding the largest vessel of the squadron. In 1592 Don Antonio de Crato tendered him the command of his fleet to defend his right to the crown of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
against Philip II. While on the journey, de Gourgue died.
English
- Morison, S. E. The European Discovery of America: The Northern Voyages AD 500-1600. New York: Oxford University Press, 1971.
French
- Extraits de l'histoire coloniale de la Floride et de la Louisiane
- Lhoumeau, Hélène "Les expéditions françaises en Floride (1562-1568)"
- Document de la main de Gourgues
- Guerin, Léon "Les navigateurs Français", 1847
- Weiss, Charles, Histoire des réfigiés protestants de France, 1853.