José María Callava

José María Callava was the final governor of Spanish West Florida, serving from February 1819 to the time of Spain's transfer of the territory to the United States on 17 July 1821. Callava was an officer in the Spanish military who had been rapidly promoted due to his service in the Peninsular War — the Battle of Almonacid in particular, for which he was knighted into the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild in 1811.[1][2] He became a colonel and governor before the age of 40.[3]

José María Callava
17th Governor of West Florida
In office
February 1819 – July 17, 1821
Preceded byWilliam King
Succeeded byAndrew Jackson
as Military Governor of American Florida
Personal details
ProfessionSoldier and Politician
Military service
Allegiance Viceroyalty of New Spain
 Kingdom of Spain
Branch/serviceSpanish Army
Battles/warsPeninsular War

James Parton's Life of Andrew Jackson describes Callava thus: He was a Castilian ... of light complexion, a handsome, well-grown man, of dignified presence and refined manners.[3]

After the transfer of Florida to the United States as part of the Adams–Onís Treaty, Callava remained for a time in Pensacola acting as a representative of Spain and overseeing the embarkation of artillery and other unfinished business.[3] During this time, Callava came into conflict with Andrew Jackson, the newly appointed military commissioner and governor of the Florida Territory, due to a dispute over the estate of Nicolás María Vidal, a Spanish official in Louisiana and Florida. Callava was ordered to hand over documents related to the disposition of the estate to Vidal's daughters; when he did not comply, Jackson had him jailed and had the records removed from Callava's house.[3][1][4] Once the records were in American hands, Jackson released Callava. Callava blamed the dispute, in part, on a lack of translators to aid in communication between himself and the Americans.[3] Following his release, Callava headed to Washington to lodge a formal complaint against Jackson through the Spanish minister.[5]

References
  1. Campbell, Richard L. (1892). Historical Sketches of Colonial Florida. Cleveland, Ohio: The Williams Publishing Co. pp. 260–281. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  2. Brevard, Caroline Mays (1924). A History of Florida from the Treaty of 1763 to Our Own Times: From the treaty of 1763 to the admission to statehood. Deland, Florida: Florida State Historical Society. p. 57. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  3. Parton, James (1861). Life of Andrew Jackson, Volume II. New York City, New York: Mason Brothers. pp. 614–615.
  4. Doherty Jr., Herbert J. (1955). "Andrew Jackson vs. The Spanish Governor: Pensacola 1821". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 34 (2): 142–158. JSTOR 30139745.
  5. Cavalla, Joseph (1901). "144. Complaint of Arbitrary Government in a Dependency (1821)". In Albert Bushnell Hart (ed.). American History Told by Contemporaries: Volume III -- National expansion, 1783-1845. London: The Macmillan Co. pp. 483–487. Retrieved 7 April 2019.


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