The history of Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine

On September 20, 1565, Spaniards captured Fort Caroline, Florida and massacred the French near modern day St. Augustine. An excerpt from the article:

"Taking advantage of the weather, Menendez marched his men north to Fort Caroline through a driving rain. They easily captured the lightly-guarded fort and killed 130 civilians and soldiers who had not accompanied Ribault. They claimed the fort for Spain and renamed it Fort San Mateo. The women and children were sent by ship to Puerto Rico. A few Frenchmen, including Laudonniere and the artist Le Moyne, had managed to board a ship and escape to France. No Spanish soldier was killed in this attack.

Meanwhile, the French ships were driven against the shore and wrecked, some near present-day Daytona Beach and others at Cape Canaveral. The survivors started north on foot toward Fort Caroline only to be stopped at an inlet south of St. Augustine.

Menendez led about 70 Spanish soldiers to the inlet and convinced the French that their only hope was to allow themselves to be taken prisoner. Never promising to spare their lives, Menendez said he would do to them whatever God directed him to do. Famished and exhausted, the French surrendered. The Spanish ferried them across the inlet in small groups and led them into the dunes where they were killed. In this first wave 111 died, and 16 were spared. Menendez reportedly told the French that he was killing them not because they were French but because they were Luteranos, the Spanish term for all Protestants."