ARRIVAL OF THE FLEET AT CADIZ. 317 СНАР. IX. 1625. Oct. 8. Oct. sailed, as it had been gathered together, without any definite plan. There were general instructions that a blow should be struck somewhere on the Spanish coast before the treasure ships arrived, but no special enterprise had been finally selected. At a council held in the King's presence at Plymouth, San Lucar had been mentioned as a point of attack. But objections had been raised, and the whole question was reserved for further discussion on the spot. As soon, therefore, The 20as the fleet rounded Cape St. Vincent, Wimbledon called cil of war a council, and was assured by seamen of experience that it would be dangerous to enter the harbour so late in the year. Upon this Argall observed that an easy landing could be effected at St. Mary Port in Cadiz Bay. From thence a march of twelve miles would bring the troops to San Lucar, and their object would thus be obtained without difficulty.1 at sea. Oct. 22. Cadiz Bay. Argall's advice was adopted, and orders were given The fleet in to anchor off St. Mary Port. But as the fleet swept up to the station a sight presented itself much too tempting to be resisted. Far away on the opposite side of the Bay lay twelve tall ships with fifteen galleys by their side,2 covering a crowd of smaller vessels huddled under the walls of Cadiz. Essex, who led the way in 1 Wimbledon's Journal, printed in 1626, has been usually accepted as the authority for the voyage. But it should be compared with his own despatches, and with the letters of other officers, such as Sir W. St. Leger, Sir G. Blundell, and Sir T. Love, which will be found amongst the State Papers. The Journal of the 'Swiftsure' (S. P. Dom., xi. 22) gives a full narrative of the proceedings of the squadron under Essex, whilst the proceedings of Denbigh and Argall are specially treated of in an anonymous journal (S. P. Dom., x. 67). In Geronimo de la Concepcion's Cadiz Ilustrada, we have the Spanish story. In the Tanner MSS. (lxxii. 16) there is a MS. copy of Wimbledon's Journal, annotated by some one hostile to the author, thus bearing witness to the correctness of his assertions where they are not questioned. 2 There is a discrepancy about the numbers. I take them from Wimbledon's Journal. CHAP. Argall's ship, the 'Swiftsure,' dashed at once upon the IX. 1625. Oct. 22. the Spa niards. prey. It was not Wimbledon's fault that Essex narrowly escaped a grave disaster. Sailing through Essex's division, he shouted orders to, right and left to crowd all sail after the Vice-Admiral. But he shouted now as vainly in Cadiz Bay as he shouted a few weeks before in Plymouth harbour. The merchant captains and the merchant crews, pressed unwillingly into the service, had no stomach for the fight. Essex was left alone to his glory and his danger, and Wimbledon, who did not even know the names of the vessels under his command, was unable to call the laggards to account. Of all this the Spanish commanders were necessarily Flight of ignorant. Instead of turning upon the unsupported 'Swiftsure,' they cut their cables and fled up the harbour. It was a moment for prompt decision. Had a Drake or a Raleigh been in command, an attempt would doubtless have been made to follow up the blow. But Wimbledon was no sailor, and he allowed his original orders for anchoring to be quietly carried out. Puntal to be attacked. At nightfall a council of war was summoned on board the flagship. The project of marching upon San Lucar was tacitly abandoned. Had it been known that a mere handful of three hundred men formed the whole garrison of Cadiz,1 some voices would perhaps have been raised for an immediate attack upon the town. As it was, the pursuit of the ships was regarded as the preferable alternative. But it was resolved first to attack the fort of Puntal which guarded the entrance, barely half a mile in width, leading to the inner harbour where the vessels were. The obstacle did not seem a serious one. "Now," said one of the old sailors, 1 Geronimo de la Concepcion, 458. ATTACK ON FORT PUNTAL. "you are sure of these ships. They are your own. They are in a net. If you can but clear the forts to secure the fleet to pass in safely, you may do what you will." Nothing could be easier, it was thought, than to take the fort. Sir William St. Leger alone protested against the delay. Part of the fleet, he argued, would be sufficient to batter the fort. The remainder might sail in at once against the ships whilst the enemy's attention was distracted. But St. Leger, like his commander, was not a sailor, and in a council of war composed mainly of sailors, his advice met with no acceptance. once. Five Dutch ships and twenty small Newcastle colliers were accordingly ordered to attack the fort at As Wimbledon watched the flashes of the guns lighting up the night, he flattered himself that his orders had been obeyed. But when morning dawned he learned that the English colliers had taken advantage of the darkness to remain quietly at anchor, whilst the Dutchmen, overmatched in the unequal combat, had been compelled to draw off at midnight with the loss of two of their ships. 319 CHAP. 1625. Oct. 22. Failure of attack. the first Oct. 23. A rope at the yard-arm would doubtless have been Drake's recipe for the disease. Wimbledon was of a milder nature. Rowing from ship to ship, he adjured the cowards to advance for very shame. Finding that he might as well have spoken to the winds, he went on board the Swiftsure' and directed Essex to attack. The Swiftsure' was at once placed opposite the Second enemy's batteries, and was well seconded by her comrades of the Royal Navy. But nothing would induce the merchant captains to venture into danger. Clustering timidly behind the King's ships, they contented themselves with firing shots over them at the fort. At last one of them clumsily sent a shot attack. CHAP. right through the stern of the 'Swiftsure,' IX. 1625. Oct. 23. Surrender of Puntal. ments for Cadiz. and Essex, losing patience, angrily ordered them to cease firing. Such an attack as this was not likely to compel the garrison to surrender, and it was only upon the landing of a portion of the troops that the fort capitulated. The Spanish commander was struck by the gallant bearing of the 'Swiftsure,' and asked who was in command. “Do you know," was the reply, "who took Cadiz before?" "Yes," he said, "it was the Earl of Essex." "The son of that Earl," he was told, "is in the ship." "Then," replied the Spaniard, "I think the devil is there as well." A request that he might be allowed to pay his respects to Essex was promptly accorded, and his reception was doubtless such as one brave man is in the habit of giving to another. It was late in the evening before Puntal was in the hands of the English. By that time all hope of taking Reinforce Cadiz by surprise was at an end. Whilst Essex was battering Puntal, Spanish troops were flocking into Cadiz, and that night the town was garrisoned by four thousand soldiers. It was true that the place was only provisioned for three days, but the Spanish galleys soon learned that they could bring in succours in spite of the English, and Cadiz was soon provisioned as well as guarded. Oct. 24. Denbigh For the present, however, the ships at the head of the harbour were the mark at which Wimbledon aimed. But he contented himself with directing sent after Denbigh to see that the work was accomplished. He himself saw to the landing of the greater part of the troops still on board on the following morning, and called a council of war at noon to decide what was next to be done. the ships. The march northwards. Scarcely, however, had the council met, when a WIMBLEDON'S MARCH TO THE BRIDGE. scout hurried in with intelligence that a large force of the enemy was approaching from the north, where the island, at the southern end of which Cadiz was situated, swelled out in breadth till it was cut off from the mainland by a narrow channel over which a bridge was thrown. Fearing lest he should be taken between this force and the town, Wimbledon gave hasty orders to advance to meet it. But the Spaniards were in no hurry to bring on an action against superior numbers, and prudently drew back before him. After a six miles' march the English discovered that no enemy was in sight. But Wimbledon did not appear to be in the least disconcerted. "It seemeth," he said to those who were near him," that this alarm is false. But since we are thus forwards on our way, if you will, we will march on. It may be we may light on some enemy. If we do not, we may see what kind of bridge it is that hath been so much spoken of." 1 321 СНАР. IX. 1625. Oct. 24. soldiers Wimbledon, in fact, lighted on an enemy upon The whose presence he had failed to calculate. In the among the hurry of the sudden march no one had thought of wine casks. seeing that the men carried provisions with them. Many of the soldiers had not tasted food since they had been landed to attack Puntal the day before. Ever since noon they had been marching with the hot Spanish sun beating fiercely on their heads. Wimbledon, in mercy, ordered a cask of wine to be brought out of a neighbouring house to solace the fasting men. Even a little drop would have been too much for their empty stomachs, but the houses around were stored with wine for the use of the West India 1 This would be almost incredible, if it did not stand on Wimbledon's own authority. The marginal note in the copy amongst the Tanner MSS. remarks: "The first time an army marched so far to answer a false alarm, and it were fit his Lordship would name those some of the council he spake to, that were not against his going to the bridge." |