| The Illustrated Drake's Raid | |
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The following illustrations are from a facsimile copy of Walter Bigges' account of Drake's 1585-86 West Indian Voyage published in London in 1589. The five original maps included in the book are fold out pages measuring approximately 20"x20". To help pick up details I've magnified some detail areas. As with many period maps there is little in the way of directional convention and so for clarity I've rotated some of the pictures from their original positions on the map. A copy of the overall map (in color, no less!) can be found on-line at Drake's Attack on St. Augustine. The text from the Map's Legend (in Boldface) has been modernized both as to typeface and spelling; the authentic run-on sentences have been left intact.
The geography presented in this series of maps is compares quite well
with the layout of the cities involved. Recognizable, are the
general outlines of the coastlines, port entries and sometimes even the
structures, such as fortifications and streets, as much as 400 years later.
I can only conclude that the cartographer, Boazio, who is known to have
been on the voyage, had at least sketched the outlines, if not completed
them while in port. At the very least his engravings were completed
by 1589. This gives me at least a moderate amount of confidence
that the other details depicted in his illustrations are reasonably correct.
| E. The Place where our Pinnaces put our ordinance on land.
F. A low plain or meadow ground through the which our troops passed to go towards the woods right against the Spaniards fort. G. A wood growing hard by the riverside, having between it and the riverside a high bank of sand, in which wood our men encamped themselves, and in the said great bank of sand, being fitted for the purpose was placed also two pieces of ordinance to beat the Spanish fort, which was done with such expedition as they were planted and discharged twice or thrice the same day we landed, meaning the next day to have had more ordinance brought, and to have it planted on the same side of the river wherein the fort is, whither Master Carleill our Lieutenant General was minded the same night to transport himself & some part of the army, to lodge himself in some trenches close by the fort, but the Spaniards perceiving the approach abandoned the place before the day. |
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Two cannon, dug into the sand dunes are firing upon the Spanish Fort across the inlet. Most of the troops apear to be armed with caliver sized matchlocks, although a few appear to be carring halberds or billhooks (Officers, Sergeants?). Almost all of the men appear to be wearing cabbasset or morion style helmets. A couple of "St. George's Cross" Flags are clearly in evidence. I note though that in the deposition of Francisco Hernández he stated that, "they marched in formation with six flags flying, all red, without any other colour whatsoever." |
| H. A Pinnace which the Spaniards had lying hard by their fort in
the little river.
I. The fort which the Spaniards had made of the bodies of Cedar trees, they placed therein some fourteen great and long pieces of artillery, which at our arrival there to the sand bank played upon us, the fort was called Saint John de Pinos which afterward we burned. |
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Flying the Spanish Burgandian Cross flag, the fort of Juan de Pinos
puts up a valiant, if short lived defense. This was the sixth in
a series of wooden forts that guarded St. Augustine before the construction
of the stone Castillo de
San Marcos
in the late 17th Century. The previous fort built in 1579 was only a few years later in 1585 described as, " nothing more than a decaying wooden building, apt to crumble at any moment-a storehouse for mice." The constuction began on Juan de Pinos, hen word reached the town that Drake had captured and sacked Santo Domingo in early 1586. This fort was situated specifically to guard the St. Augustine inlet. Although hastily constructed, evidently the earthworks were not yet completed when Drake's fleet arrived a few months later, it did prove effective is slowing the attack. The English were forced to dismount shipboard cannon and lay seige to the fort before lauching their attack on the village itself, giving the townspeople a chance to escape off into the woods. |
| North is to the right. The fort is thought to have been located at what is today the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. |
| B. The place where the Pinnaces and Ship's boats did set us
on shore.
C. A Beacon or high scafold standing on the sand hills, wherein the Spaniards did use to discover ships at sea. D. The way which our army marched along the sand by the sea side towards their fort. |
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Landing the pikemen. I note that the pikes are in an upright position in the boats. I have to wonder if this is artistic license on the illustrator's part. Laying them down in the ship's boats would seem much more practical than holding them up whist rowing in to shore. |
| K. Our Pinnaces rowed up the river being all full of men,
who because the way was not passable were faine to embark themselves to
take the town of Saint Augustine, which being wone was at our departure
burned to the ground.
L. The town of Saint Augustine where dwelled a hundred and fifty Spanish Soldiers. M. The town house. N. A high scaffold for a watchman. O. The Church. |
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The English are attacking from the North, although just what they are shooting at is unclear since the lack of any Spanish defenders is quite noticeable. The village depicted in this scene corresponds with the southern portion of today's St. Augustine historical district. The area between the Church "O" and the town house "M" is the dowtown plaza on King Street with Aviles, Cordova, Granada Streets to the south. |
| This episode is not listed in the map legend, but evidently is depicting the unhorsing and subsequent clubbing to death of Captain Anthony Powell. |
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Some soldiers engaging in close order milling about in another unlisted episode. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be Spaniards scattering off into the woods or Drake's men patroling. |
Scenes from some of the other places visited by Drake on his 1585-86 West Indian Voyage
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St. Iago
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| Some of Drake's Men can seen carrying off loot and Plunder from the city of St. Iago, Cape Verde Islands. A number of the men appear to be wearing capes or short cloaks. The usual mix of musketeers and polearmsmen is shown. |
Santo Domingo
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| The English and Spanish forces engage outside the city walls of Santo Domingo, Hisapnola. This looks far more like a classic European set piece battle of the era rather than a typical New world skirmish. |
Cartagena
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| A very interesting illustration of Drake's attack on Cartagena, Columbia. The troops can be seen marching along the coast in formation with separate blocks of arquibusiers and pikemen interspersed. Individual units appear to have their own flags. In the "F" section skirmishing calivermen can be seen assaulting the Spanish cannon followed closely by a block of pikes. |
Bibliography
Bigges, Walter. Sir Francis Drakes West Indian Voyage. (Da Capo Press: New York 1969)
Conner, Jeannette T. "The Nine Old Wodden Forts of St. Augustine," Florida Historical Society Quarterly, IV 1925-1926) pp.103-111, 171-180.
Covington, James W. "Drake Destroys St. Augustine," Florida Historical Society Quarterly, XLIV 1965 np.s 1&2), pp.81-93.
Hoffman, Paul. "St. Augustine 1580, The Reasearch Project," El Escribano (Vol.14 Saint Augustine Historical Society 1978) pp.5-19.
Lyon, Eugene. "St. Augustine 1580: The Living Community," El Escribano (Vol.14 Saint Augustine Historical Society 1978) pp.20-33.
Manucy, Albert. "Towards Re-Creation of 16th Century St. Augustine," El Escribano (Vol.14 Saint Augustine Historical Society 1978) pp.1-4.
Quinn, David Beers. ed. The Roanoke Voyages 1584-1590 Vol. I (Dover Publications: New York 1991) pp.303-306.
Robinson, Willard B. American Forts: Architectural Form and Function (University of Illinois Press, Urbana 1977)
Waterbury, Jean (Editor). Oldest City : St. Augustine, Saga of Survival (Saint Augustine Historical Society, St. Augstine 1983)
Wright, Irene A. Further English Voyages to Spanish America: Documents
from the Archives of the Indies at Seville illustrating English voyages
to the Caribbean, the Spanish Main, Florida, and Virginia (The Hakluyt
Society, London 1951)
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