Charles Seton Opens a New Window

Stories from Bosque Bello The lives they led… Charles Seton Charles Seton arrived in Old Town Fernandina in the early 1800s during the Spanish era. Seton was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1776 to a prominent family of Scottish descent. Some researchers have suggested that the family is related to Sir Christopher Seton and Lady Christina Bruce, sister of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland. The Setons were fierce supporters of the British Crown. This support had consequences, primarily from neighbors and locals, who directed their frustrations and anti-Loyalist hatred toward the family during the time leading up to the Revolutionary War. As a result, they decided to leave their New York home and settle in what was known then as Spanish East Florida. Seton soon became a respected and popular regional businessman. In 1812, he married Matilda Sibbald. The couple had four children: George, Margaret, Rebecca, and Matilda. Not long after Seton’s marriage, a group calling themselves "The Patriots" crossed over from Georgia intent on causing rebellion. The Patriots declared themselves in revolt against Spain and invited people living in Spanish East Florida to join them. The plan was to declare independence from Spain and then seek U.S. military assistance. Secretly sanctioned by President Madison, the Patriot invasion became an excuse to send troops to Spanish Florida in order to "control anarchy and protect American citizens in the area." The U.S. also wanted the territory in order to prevent Britain from getting a Florida foothold. The rebellion grew, and supplemented with U.S military forces, it expanded into what became known as "The Patriot War" that slowly merged into the U.S.-Britain War of 1812. Ultimately, the rebellion failed, and later, the U.S. troops pulled out, more concerned about the British than the Spanish. It was during the Patriot War that Seton was severely wounded by gunfire. He was initially reported as dead, but he miraculously survived his wound. Seton would carry the Patriot musket ball in his side for the remainder of his life. It has been speculated that the injury played a key role in his death over 20 years later. Soon after the war, Spanish authorities gave Seton a 16,000-acre land grant along with additional property for his loyal and heroic service during the conflict. With that, Seton established a plantation and lumber mill business. In 1817, Seton learned of a possible attack on the town by Gregor MacGregor, an ex-Scottish military officer, adventurer, Latin America soldier of fortune, and some say, con man, who set out to liberate Florida from Spain and set up a new government. One of the key targets of this invasion was Fernandina. Seton passed the invasion threat information on to the Spanish commander at Fort San Carlos - built to protect the strategic harbor of the Amelia River, the town of Fernandina, and Spanish interests in the region. The fort commander quickly formed two militia units -- the "Irish Militia" led by Seton and a Spanish militia to supplement his small contingent of soldiers. Ultimately, the Spanish fort commander surrendered to MacGregor without a fight. He was soon court-martialed in St. Augustine for his inaction, but he accused Seton of exaggerating the number of MacGregor's force. The commander stated that he had sent Seton's Irish Militia to meet the enemy to find out their motive and strength. Militia members subsequently brought back four of MacGregor's fighters to their lines. These men claimed that they had hundreds of armed troops hiding in the woods ready to fight the Spanish soldiers and militia. Based on this information, the Spanish commander stated that he then surrendered the fort. In reality, MacGregor had an attack force of about a 100 men. As part of his attack plan, MacGregor had incorporated deception and psychological warfare against the Spanish commander, and it worked. Ultimately, MacGregor departed Fernandina some months later due to money, disease, and supply issues. Following an official Spanish investigation into the MacGregor affair and subsequent court martial of the Fort San Carlos commander in St. Augustine, Seton was blamed as the cause for the surrender and charged with treason. The Spanish authorities took over Seton's property and placed it in caretaker status with all plantation and sawmill earnings going to Spain. Being shrewd with his finances and with additional borrowed funds, Seton survived his losses. In 1821 Spain formally transferred Florida to the United States, and Seton quickly petitioned the U.S. Land Claims Commission to recognize his property holdings. Soon after, Seton became Fernandina's first mayor. By 1834, the Superior Court of East Florida acknowledged Seton's claims, followed by a positive 1836 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. Unfortunately, Seton died the same year. Interestingly, his headstone death date states "1856." Why that date error was accepted by his family or later never changed, is a mystery lost in time. Who the family was and how they lived, from the perspective of one of Seton's daughters, is captured in the historical novel, Margaret’s Story, by Eugenia Price. Some say that the story is Florida’s own Gone With The Wind . .

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