War of Jenkin's Ear - Update

Well, the book is mostly done. I have some editing to do on the text and I am still fiddling with the To Covet Glory addendum. What am I working on then? Well, I got a new to me book called British Drums on the Southern Frontier that is about the history of Georgia during the period. It is just fantastic. The problem is, I really haven't made the time to dig deep enough in it. The author, Larry Ivers, covers the establishment of the colony as a military colony. He details the forts that existed prior to Oglethorpe's arrival and the changes he made to the defense of the Colony. He dives into the political animosity that existed between the leaders of Georgia and South Carolina and the lack of support offered between the two. He covers the dynamics of the relationship between the settlers and the Indians and the role Oglethorpe played in turning some hostile tribes into allies.

It is a fantastic resource on the period and also covers the earlier actions of the War of Jenkin's Ear in Florida. A topic that I may revisit later. But for now, I am keen to create a new map detailing the Fort Locations in South Carolina and Florida. One thing that struck me, is the concern expressed by South Carolina in the 1730s about the possibility of a French incursion from Louisiana into South Carolina. Several of the South Carolina forts were established to create an early warning system to protect not only against Indian attack but for the French as well. That is a war game possibility that I hadn't really considered. While nothing really came out of it, it was a real and present threat as the War of Jenkin's Ear (1739 to 1748) gave way to the War of Austrian Succession (1740–1748). With the British joining in by 1742, they turned their attention towards the French elsewhere. Following the failed Spanish invasion of Georgia, Oglethorpe's troops were really in no condition to take up the offensive again. But what if they did? A raid into French Louisiana was theoretically possible. Had greater cooperation existed with South Carolina, it might even have been possible.

What is really interesting is the detail on the troops availible to Oglethorpe in the whole of the colony and not just in the particular battles of the WOJE. All in all, it is a great read and well worth digging into.