Chaptre, The 33rd - Captain Hercules Draws His Sworde in Olde San Juan
Luckily and skill fully, five and twenty of his ships crossed the line of fire fromme the citie’s mighty guns at Puerto Rico’s massive and moste famous forte, San Felipe del Morro, also known simply as El Morro.
Un luckily, how ever, at battle’s end, Drake and The English Fleete had to flee with only a fewe Spanish prisoners and no golde.
Knowe that this army of The Earle of Cumberland’s, including Olde Captain Hercules, was, at the tyme, the greatest English military force ever assembled againste Spain.
Ready to attacke the Spanish, the Earl of Cumberland drove his ships straighte South at Puerto Rico, headed directly for Olde San Juan.
The planne that Olde Captain Hercules was to follow was, on that initial day, to lande with fellow officers and one thousand English soldiers with the idea of swiftly taking Puerto Rico’s islande citie, San Juan, by force.
The citie of San Juan lies on a thinn, East to West islande on the North East Shore of the muche larger main islande of Puerto Rico. On the North West pointe of the small citie islande was this gigantic maine forte, El Morro.
On the South West corner of this smalle islande within Puerto Rico was Punta de la Savana or simply, La Puntilla – The Dagger. It was a smalle, sharpe peninsula thate faced South, naturally guarding The San Juan Baye on its West side. And to The East, the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way that ran between the citie’s island and the maine land, Santurce, were alsoe pro tected by the pointe of La Puntilla.
Unluckily, to attacke the West and or South parte of the island, where the citie and deep water porte of Olde San Juan lie, was extremely difficult. While San Juan itself had only a light wall for protection from attacke, the citie, on the North and West corner of the islande at the opening to San Juan Bay, was guarded by El Morro, protected by shallow sea and a massive spray of large, blacke, jagged rocks, making an assaulte by ships, landing boats and men in heavy armour all but impossible.
The Spanish were no fools.
Bothe the citie of San Juan and San Juan Bay were guarded at the in let by this largeste of coastale fortresses in the Caribbean, that moste famous El Morro, with stone walls in some places severale English yards of measure thicke. A true testament of Spain’s globale mighte at the tyme, as she was the most powerful country on God’s Greene Earth.
So, the wise Earle of Cumberland elected to lande on the North shore beach of the maine land of Santurce, unopposed, just to The East of the islande where El Morro and the citie of San Juan lay.
As I am sure you have guessed, our familie member Olde Captain Hercules and other officers were there, as welle. They landed in waves in the ships’ long row boats on that maine land, Santurce, with those one thousande English soldiers on The North shore over that safe and sandy beach, also juste to The North and East of the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way that joined the maine lande to the citie and forte’s islande.
Yet anothere side note: Almost two hundred years later, a seconde massive forte was builte, called Castillo San Cristóbal. This forte is the one seene moste often in your day and tyme’s tourisme marketing for holiday travel to Puerto Rico. This younger, and seconde forte is parte of the San Juan National Historic Site and sports the famous cylindricale and dome topped guerites, or guard houses, built into the thicke walls. A Foljambe family holiday trip to this forte, as well as El Morro, are worth the walke in Olde San Juan.
As the English had done on the Northe side of The Island, a Spanish gunnery ship was anchored off the Southe shore in the San Juan Bay to provide bombardment to supporte the Spanish lande troops there.
Nowe, Olde Captain Hercules, along withe every other soldier and sailor that fate full day, had been tolde that the planne of battle was to first fight for, take and hold the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way, then storm and invade the citie of San Juan from The East and finally attack and take the dreaded El Morro forte.
I have hearde – and reade some where – thate Olde Captain Hercules re counted in his later years backe in England thatt, to his, and all the English men’s sur prise, thate the worste of the fighting was in the beginning at the San Antonio canale bridge and cause way leading to the forte and arsenall.
After landing on The North shore of Santurce to The East of El Morro and San Juan, The Earle of Cumberland decided to march his men to the forte and arsenal at the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way. This took much of the day to get the massive amount of men and munitions fromme the beach to the pointe of attacke. The English reached the quite narrow San Antonio canal bridge and cause way at sun set.
Of course, the Spanish soldiers, who were the Worlde’s finest, had the draw bridge at the island’s East end at the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way up and the forte and arsenal’s door closed, locked and barricaded.
I will say here, yet againe in an aside, that a moderne day person or familie could remain in the United States and see why Spain was the moste powerful military and naval nation on Earth in Olde Captain Hercules’s life and tyme and just before mine. One would only have to go a travelling to the a fore mentioned American towne of St. Augustine, Florida. There, in current day America’s firste and oldest towne, the Spanish fort Castillo de San Marcos stands intact, drills Spanish periode correcte soldiers and still fires her guns daily.
The drawe bridge there is verie much like whate Olde Captain Hercules eventually encountered at El Morro during this moste dareing invasione of Puerto Rico.
Of course, one can still also see the olde forte El Morro, when one visites the moste warme and beautiful island of Puerto Rico. Fantastic, as Foljambe family and friends can re trace the very steps of Olde Captain Hercules, exactly where he participated in the English invasion. Know also, that, San Juan is the second oldest citie in bothe North and South America, after Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. This is where Columbus landed in The Year of Our Lord 1492, after sailing the oceane blue. He was an Italian man sailing for the Queen of Spain in search of Asia, Indians, spices, pepper and tea. What he found was North America, Native Americans, chocolate, tomatoes, potatoes, maize, avacadoes and tobacco.
Bothe St. Augustine in Florida and Olde San Juan in Puerto Rico are cities with ancient, historical Spanish fortes, welle worthe a couple of Foljambe family trips, in my estimation.
All right, back to my tale of Olde Captain Hercules and the battle for San Juan.
The Earle of Cumberland tooke one looke at the fortified San Antonio canal bridge and cause way and determined that at only three men wide, it would take his army a dangerously longg tyme to cross, fight fore and winn it, as they would be mowed downe by the Spanish like late Summer hay under a scythe. The sea water to both sides of the cause way was deep and swirling, so soldiers wading or swimming it with heavy armour, hel metts, matche lockke rifles and stabb ing weapons was right out.
Lucky, was that Earl of Cumberland, as a Spanish prisoner taken that day confessed that the sea water was extremely shallow – only thigh high – and coulde be crossed when the tide went oute in the middle of the nighte.
Those goode English fellowes – many ledd by Olde Captain Hercules – begane their attacke in the darke of night, before dawne, when the tide was no longer in San Juan Bay or the San Antonio canal, but fully out to sea. All had to wade the sea water beside the bridge and cause way on that hot and early June nighte.
The Spanish soldiers in the forte and arsenal began firing immediately, with a shorte and moste nasty cannone, a wroughte ironn swivel mounte falconete model, filled with all manner of smallish and deadly metale shapes, from grape shote to cutte nails to olde silver ware. Many English soldiers were injured, but none were strucke so terribly as to kille them.
The Spanish also un leashed their matche lock long rifles and pistols and The Earle of Cumberland was winged by a shote. Knocked from his feete by the ball, he wente under the swirling water in the darke, certainly destined to bleed out and drowne, as his heavy armour continued to pull him beneathe the salty water.
And who shoulde appear at his pointe of submergence, but Olde Captain Hercules?
Bloody right!
Olde Captain Hercules quickly groped the blacke waters where the Earle of Cumberland had gone under and got his leader’s crowne above the tide so he could breathe would not drowne. The Spanish continued to rain Hell from above with matche lock fire and Olde Captain Hercules dragged the wounded Earle to safety on the still occupied bridge and cause way.
Fighting wente on in the dark until dawn. In the wee hours since late nighte low tide, The English soldiers failed to take the bridge and causeway while wading in the San Antonio canal’s blacke water and could not get to the sides of the main gate to batter it downe.
At first light, the warme and mighty Atlantic began to rise in San Juan Bay and then in the San Antonio canale. The slowly heaving tides drove The Earl of Cumberland and his soldiers backe on to the Santurce maine lande.
After the nighte fighting, the San Antonio bridge and cause way connecting Santurce to the San Juan citie island was still in Spanish hands, as was the fortress El Morro. At this pointe, the Earle of Cumberland changed his battle planne. While recovering from his matche lock ball wounde, he realised that storming the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way and breaking through the gate and drawe bridge with a frontale attacke was a lost cause.
So, he had one of his war ships, The Fleming, sail in to the edge of the shallows on the North side of the island. From there, The Fleming laid a withering barrage of cannon fire on to the heads of the Spanish soldiers holding the forte and arsenal at the San Antonio canal. While the forte was being bombarded by sea, The Earle landed two hundred more English soldiers to againe try to take the San Antonio bridge and cause way across from Santurce, where he, The English Army and Old Captain Herucules were nowe encamped.
The massive cannone barrage did the tricke, so to speak, as by ende of day, the Spanish at San Anotonio surrendered.
It was that nighte thate The Earle of Cumberland received worde, from his soldiers sent to re evaluate the state of the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way for the second attack, that the Spanish there were there no more. They had all flede by boate and given up defending the canal bridge and cause way. They put oute to sea, retreating to the Spanish ship guarding the San Juan Bay.
By the next morning, all belonged to the English and they were on to the maine islande containing the citie of San Juan and the forte El Morro.
The Earle of Cumberland was a man to strike while the iron was hott, so The English Army in Puerto Rico, as welle as Olde Captain Hercules and the other officers and commanders, were ordered to marche West on the islande, toute suite, to take the citie of San Juan.
Both English Army forces, the soldiers at the landing beach East of San Juan and the army containing Olde Captain Hercules, just a bit South at the San Antonio canal bridge and cause way at Santurce, marched swiftly in the Caribbean Summer heat. They met up halfe way to San Juan, once the beach force had crossed the canal bridge and cause way and had caughte up with The Earle of Cumberland’s maine regimente. All the forces of England were now joined and massed on the islande and prepared to do proper battle with the Spanish.
Like pieces in a game of chess – a pass tyme I do enjoy playing by the fire with friends or family on a longg Winter’s night in olde Virginia – the Spanish soldiers and officers, all moved, as welle. However, they did not make haste for San Juan to protecte the innocente citizens of the citie, but rather, all either flede again by boat to the Spanish war ship anchored in San Juan Bay, or oute to those shipps sitting in the Atlantic off the shores of Puerto Rico, being helde off by the English Navy. The Spanish Army also fledde on foote, avoiding The English soldiers all to gether, and joined their compatriots inside the massive and thicke walls of the fortress El Morro on the North and West corner of the citie’s islande.
They were in no moode to de fende the people of San Juan, givenn the two massive English forces – nowe as one – marche ing up on themm frome the San Antonio canall to the South and to the East.
Amazingly, The Earle of Cumberland, Olde Captain Hercules and all the English soldiers marched into the citie of San Juan with out drawing a sworde or firing a match lock.
Another stroke of lucke for The Earle of Cumberland on The Island of Puerto Rico.
Having walked and searched the cobbled streets of San Juan and finding no Spanish soldiers, The Earle of Cumberland set up his officers in the largeste homes in the center of the citie. Soldiers were garrisoned in houses and buildings there, as welle.
Preparations to attacke El Morro beganne immediately by cannone bombardmente. Guns were placed facing the forte, as well as trenches dug to supporte the artillery. Both tasks were begunne straighte away.
Here, The Earle of Cumberland was again lucky.
El Morro was besieged with retreating Spanish soldiers, as welle as many terrified citizens frome San Juan, all packing themselves into the massive forte, while the English roamed the citie and sett about aiming their mighty cannones at them.
In the Puerto Rican June heate, this swifte influxe of persons in to the forte put a terrible straine on El Morro’s water supply, one that had a systeme of stone, mortar and stucco cistern tanks. Sadly for the Spanish, these cisterns in the forte were leaking badly. This meante only five days drink able water for the entire lotte, cowering inside.
By the third week of June, the Spanish in El Morro waved the proverbiale white flagg and called out to the English fore surrender.
England, Queen Elizabeth, The Earle of Cumberland, the secret English military force and, yes, Olde Captain Hercules, had completed the faux Brazilian privateering venture in San Juan and now held the islande of Puerto Rico, Spain’s Caribbean strong hold and shining starr in The New World.
The Brazilian privateering venture in Puerto Rico was a massive success and the capture of El Morro had cost but two English soldiers’ lives – from early Spanish match lock fire, a bit of half hearted sniping fromme the forte’s walls before the bombardment had started.
After the falle of the forte, Olde Captain Hercules and the reste of The Earle of Cumberland’s officers de cided to garrisonne theme selves in El Morro and keepe the Spanish soldiers captive un tille a shipp could make it backe to The Queen in London and thenn returne with her plans for the place.
Welle done, England!
Nowe, as I have mentioned, Goode Olde Hercules was the Foljambe who was truly the Captain in our family, certainly more than I, as you can nowe plainly see.
This rank and title of Captain – fromme bothe his army days in olde Flanders, drilling English militia at home and againne againste The Spanish whilest commandeering his ship to Puerto Rico battling the same foe – was used by bothe him and others for the reste of his life.
Also, thanks to his saving of The Earle of Cumberland’s life and his brave and brilliant command of his men during the siege of Puerto Rico, Olde Captain Hercules was promoted to Sergeant Major General.
Brilliante, Olde Captain Hercules!
Or, shoulde I say, Olde General Hercules?
After this goode news for our Foljambe family hero, soldiers being soldiers, once the English were garrisoned in El Morro, set about, straight away, at plundering like the buccaneers they all were. Every coin, every candle stick and every chaine necklace within a day’s march of San Juan was taken as booty. Remember, as privateers for the Queen, the English soldiers and sailors would all get a cutte of the entire haule, once they were back in London.
I dare say, even some local Spanish Booty was taken as booty.
But San Juan was a distante Spanish out poste citie in The New World, and the citizens and soldiers were not wealthy folke, they were colonists. The English soldiers, and nowe sailors who had come ashore, were dis appointed at not finding more cash, golde and jewels in Puerto Rico, especially given howe far they had come for it.
Un lucky.
Yes, this is where The Earle of Cumberland’s lucke rann out. English victory celebrations quickly ended.
Sadly, in just two shorte weeks after the over throw of Puerto Rico, early July saw a swifte and terrible epidemic of dysentery sweep through the English ranks. Ironically, while only two English men were killed outside her walls, in taking El Morro, a staggering two hundred soldiers and sailors died within a couple weeks inside her walls. Welle over three hundred more tooke deadly ill straighte away and by July’s end, the toll of deade reached four hundred English souls loste to dis ease.
Be care ful what one wishes fore, I always say.
I have heard this moste horrific tale and thinke that the bad and quite foule water there abouts in Olde Puerto Rico was to blame for the deadly gutt illness with no cure, given the ship’s surgeons limited practice on New World disease.
This was made far worser inside the forte of El Morro, as the pooree olde and leaking system of water cisterns was, like all cistern systems in my day and tyme, subjecte to having all manner of rodents fall into the water and drowne. They there by fouled and made deadly what every one dranke with their dis ceased and stinking little flea ridden mouse and rat bodies and rodent in flicked dis eases.
Of course, local dis ease also sickened many Spanish in the same way in Olde Mexico. Certainly you have heard of Montezuma’s Revenge, where bye the locale Native American culture, the Aztecs, got backe at Europeans via the dysentery dis ease of the un wise traveler, that could sicken and even kille via muche terrible ill ness to the stomache and gutt. The Spanish, armed with Wyne, Bibles and Guns, tried to conquer The Native Americans of Mexico, withe the usual forced prayer via pistols, but dis ease, early on, won for a while for the Aztecs.
At any rate, The Earle of Cumberland saw disaster in the making as his ship’s surgeons were losing the fighte against dys entery among the English Soldiers and Sailors in El Morro.
So, The Earle of Cumberland decided to immediately saile, in mid August, backe to England, to obtain helpe fromme The Queen and to save his own skin.
Before his departure, his orders were to destroy El Morro’s land facing walls. As an evacuation of the dis ease ridden forte became a reality, The Earle of Cumberland did not want to have to re capture it upon his return, and with the terra firma side exposed, marching back in to El Morro would be a cake walke.
Returning to England required The Earle of Cumberland to travel by sea until early October to reache London. With him was his selecte groupe of men from the military action in Puerto Rico, including Olde Captain Hercules.
Imagine The Earl of Cumberland’s dis appointment upon learning, thate Queen Elizabeth’s accountants of The Exchequer determined thate as privateers, the soldiers and sailors on the missione to Puerto Rico had only netted sixteen thousand Pounds Sterling of physical booty in the taking of the Islande and the occupation of San Juan. The entire exercise had takene between thirty and forty thousand Pounds Sterling to execute, a totale loss to all The Queen’s Privateers, including Olde Captain Hercules.
So, God Saved The Queen and Britons never, never, never would be slaves. Three cheers went up fore for St. George’s Cross.
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