Capt. William Dry and the Spanish Attack

Capt. William Dry and the Spanish Attack. . , When Maurice Moore planned Brunswick in 1725, conflict between England and Spain was imminent. The War of Jenkins' Ear, later King George's War, began in 1739. As the war progressed, Spaniards began attacking English settlements up the Cape Fear River. On the evening of September 3, 1748, three Spanish sloops dropped anchor at the mouth of the Cape Fear. The flagship, La Fortuna boasted 24 guns. At daybreak, colonial pilots boarded the ships, only to discover that they were Spanish. Once on board, they were forced to guide the enemy ships into the river., The Spanish announced themselves to Brunswick with a barrage of cannon fire. A force came ashore downstream and rushed into the town. Panicked colonists fled, leaving behind valuables, weapons, and several ships anchored in the port. Outraged, they quickly regrouped under the command of Capt. William Dry, leader of the local militia. By September 6, other British colonists from throughout eastern North Carolina had joined them. The force, which included several African Americans, numbered about eighty, only sixty of whom were armed. Soon, they rushed back into Brunswick, with the element of surprise on their side. The colonists killed ten Spaniards and captured thirty more. The remaining few escaped to La Fortuna. Captain Dry's small band had retaken Brunswick!, Within minutes La Fortuna began a bombardment of the town. While the colonists hunkered down, a fire of unknown origin broke out on board La Fortuna and, seconds later, an enormous explosion ripped her apart, killing about half of the 260 Spaniards. The colonists sustained only five fatalities. The remaining Spanish ships sailed away with several captives, most likely members of the enslaved population, who were never heard from again. Captain Dry spent the following days organizing a crew to recover guns and stolen goods from La Fortuna. The proceeds from the sale of the goods, as well as captured enslaved people, went into a fund to construct St. Philips Church in Brunswick and St James Church in Wilmington., (captions) , Above: An Account of the Spanish attack on Brunswick Town from the Boston Gazette or Weekly Journal dated October 18, 1748. , Above Right: A bottle fragment with the bottle seal of Capt. William Dry, found in Brunswick Town archeological excavations. , Right: Sloops like La Fortuna and the one represented here sailed in the Caribbean and off the east Coast of America in the early to mid 18th century. Illustration by Dr. John A. Tilley, A mosaic mural by artists Claude Howell and Catherine Hendricksen depicting the Spanish attack on Brunswick Town., The recovered goods included a painting of Christ entitled Ecce Homo which the North Carolina Assembly eventually gave to St. James Church in Wilmington.