James Moore

From Native American Information Superhighway Alltribes™ Wiki

In 1704 James Moore, the ex-governor of South Carolina, launched an invasion of the Apalachee territory in western Florida. His forces consisted of 1,000 Creek and 50 English colonists. He targeted the Apalachee as allies of the Spanish because the Spanish had 14 Franciscan missions in their territory. They had been established there for nearly a century. The Creek, traditional enemies of the Apalachee, joined in to defeat their rivals. Moore's forces defeated the combined Spanish and Apalachee forces (which consisted of about 30 Spaniards and 400 Apalachees) led by Captain Mexia.

All but one of the Spanish missions was destroyed in the Apalachee Massacre. Moore's forces looted the area, capturing about 1,400 Catholic Apalachees, who were sold into slavery. Many other Apalachees were killed during the invasion. Some survivors fled westward and accepted a French offer to live in their colonial city of Mobile, which was mostly Catholic. Other Apalachee were forced to resettle along the Savannah River in Carolina to live in a state of semi-serfdom.