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6 The Notorious Andrew Gué On 25 July 1843, Andrew Gué, William Hernández, Joe Williams, Robert Williams , James Ashe, Gasper Mickler, and Harvey (alias Henry) Fontané threw St. Augustine “into a state of unusual excitement.” Four of these slaves had served aboard the U.S. schooner Walter M, then anchored in port. The conspirators boarded the vessel and seized a compass, a spyglass, “seven stand of muskets,” and victuals. Then, on one of the schooner’s small boats, they rowed to nearby Fish’s Island. The bondsmen had planned their mission well. Requiring a vessel capable of an ocean voyage, they transferred their navigation instruments, weapons, and provisions to the harbor pilots’ “large whale boat,” which just had been repaired. Since one of the fugitives hailed from the Bahamas, that was their presumed sanctuary.1 Gué and his comrades acted as folk diplomats steeped in history. They would strain relations between the United States and Great Britain , ultimately prodding white elites to promote their agenda and to disseminate their history. It would take a mixture of skill, daring, persistence, and luck to attain freedom in the Bahamas. Fergus Bordewich’s description of a contemporary whale boat illustrates the conditions under which the runaways labored. These vessels were small, perhaps twenty-five feet in length, quite seaworthy, and equipped with “fore and main spritsails.” When the wind was not blowing, they could be rowed. But, they provided no protection from the sun, saltwater, and rain. Sleeping was difficult. Wet clothing, thirst, and “claustrophobic” conditions caused “extreme” discomfort. Moreover, the mariners had to keep a constant watch for captors eager to administer “sure and swift punishment.” At times, they had to land in order to dry their clothes, cook, and gather water.2 120 / The Notorious Andrew Gué Between 25 July and 7 August 1843, the fugitives from St. Augustine reached Key Biscayne, near modern Miami. Under favorable weather conditions, they could have made Nassau after a full day and night of sailing. For some reason, they failed in their attempt to cross the Gulf Stream. Consequently, they decided to return to familiar territory in order to gather supplies for another attempt. “Having suffered much for want of water,” they came ashore at North Beach, ten miles from St. Augustine, where at John Seguí’s place, they filled a “three gallon jug” with water and gathered a “quantity of Water Melons.” Then, they set sail again. Because Seguí was a “simple man” and alone when the fugitives approached him, he dared not challenge them. The Minorcan farmer did send word to town of the appearance of Gué and his comrades. Immediately, two search parties were dispatched, one by land and the other by sea. Four days later, the land party spotted the runaways in the Tomoka region, on the beach opposite Bulow Plantation, in the vicinity of modern-day Daytona Beach. When they discerned their pursuers’ approach, the bondsmen, trapped by high surf, saw themselves forced to carry their pilot boat for a distance of 150 yards to Bulow Creek. From here they hurried down the Halifax River, eluding their pursuers .3 By 1 September 1843, the fugitives were back on Key Biscayne, after a series of unsuccessful supply raids on settlers along the Miami River. In 1804, the Spaniard Pedro Fornills had settled Key Biscayne with several St. Augustine slaves, but he abandoned his 175-acre land grant the next year, leaving behind some blacks who had vanished into a neighboring swamp. For the next twenty years, according to Marvin Dunn, “escaped slaves from Georgia and other southern states” used the island, which “stands nearer to . . . the Gulf Stream, than any other piece of land,” as a way station to Andros Island. More than a hundred slaves and Indians searched for food on Key Biscayne in 1821, while they waited for boats to take them to the Bahamas. Moreover, Cape Florida, on the island’s southern tip, was a well-known source of fresh water.4 Thus, it was no accident that Andrew Gué and company found themselves seeking sustenance along the shores of Biscayne Bay. Between 18 and 22 September, desperately in need of provisions, they entered the dwelling of John Henry Geireen, a German immigrant who had left his wife behind in New York. Here they gathered pork, biscuit, flour, clothing, and a rifle. Only Geireen’s daughter, Anna, about six years of age, was at home. During the intrusion, one of the slaves placed his...

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