Pensacola to 1705
Plagued by a host of obstacles-not only hurricanes but
also fires, malnutrition, diseases, severed supply lines and Indian attacks-Presidio
Santa María de Galve enjoyed a notorious reputation as one of the worst
places to be sentenced as a convict labor or stationed as a soldier in the Spanish
empire (Bense, forthcoming). Compounded by the harsh environs around the bay--an
eroding bluff of sand and red clay, backed by miles of coastal pine, barren-Santa
María attracted few settlers. Moreover, the presidio's distance from
the silver mines of northern New Spain (Mexico) encouraged indifference on the
part of Mexican officials. Nonetheless, this small, neglected settlement, battered
by the elements, endured for almost a decade and a half after the Rosario
sank off its shores.