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Underwater Archaeology in the Azores |
Historical account of the 1591
silver fleet disaster
The wreck of a civil war blockade
runner in Angra Harbour, 1864
Historical account
of the 1591 silver fleet disaster
Of the sucess of the Armada
that went to the Terceira Islands in the year 1591
translated from a spanish manuscript, written by
Andres Falcão de Resende,
that is in the Coimbra University's Library, Archivo dos Açores, vol VI,
pp 463-468
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Already the brightly star
that causes night and day
marching through it's twelve houses
into the sixth wanted to come in.
A day before of the mighty one
that! behold for ever Virgin Mary!
that your divinal body and soul
in the heaven was received,
And from your act of birth
of our joy was born,
over three five hundred years
ninety one was on:
When the spanish armada
that the catholic king is sending
from the good port of Ferrol
with it's General is leaving,
Don Alonso de Bazan,
due to it's post, it's being and it's valour
the Marquis de Santa Cruz
his brother, dutifully was following
Ships seven multiply by seven
in this armada were going
and some more caravelas,
that for servicing were coming.
Already all of them with the Almiranta
and certain capitanias
the capitain general
in seven fleets was leaving
Giving orders to everyone
and rightous instructions and path
the Royal capitana
that goes by the name of San Pablo,
It is full of ammunition
and of ..... artillery
with three hundred musketeers
and noble cavalry.
And veteran soldiers
of experience and chivalry,
that with Don Pedro Basan
son of the Marquis were coming
And Don Juan Maldonado
with general leadership
and also the captains
Varela and Miguel Garcia.
And Don Diego Paresa,
that to Don Lope was obeying
to San Pablo, San Felipe
and San Martin was a follower
Tremendously strong galleons
that looked like towers in the sea
to this Gaspar de Sosa
........
With Don Francisco
de Toledo the squadron was going
with it's 2nd lieutenant Luiz Velasco
and it's infantry of choice.
And some of the delayed ones
that from Lisbon had departed
like Don Jorge Trojano
and Don franscisco Mexia.
And Don Diego de Leiva
Morillon was also coming
with some more noble soldiers
that I cannot name them all.
The San Martin galleon
was to be the general
with the Lusitan squadron
that in Lisbon was being formed.
It's field master
Gaspar de Sosa was carrying
of value and wise
of spirit and valour.
His efforts and experience
to his age gave way
to Don Christoval de Sosa
being his nephew, he said.
Carrying valorous people
and a very noble company
Antonio Leite, high in body
and high in cavalry.
To it's African grandfather,
in name and manner he was like,
he's bringing Diego de Sosa,
and Luiz Alves d'Atouguia.
Also Juan Roiz Pereira,
and the two Farias brothers
Vasco Carvalho Sosa
and Simon d' Araujo still were going.
To some others, the field master
gives them place at his table everyday
with it's ancient 2nd lieutenant Sanchez,
that goes with it's company.
And to Geronimo Soarez,
captain of infantry,
and to captain Luiz Herrera
Valdevez, that in galantry
In honnour, effort, and excellence
between a thousand we would glow
Herrera, and two more there were
these four brothers..... as they are called.
The master Sargeant is coming
Garcez of the ancient valour
with some more officers, ....
that this squadron is sending.
Another fourteen banners
on the fleet were reparted
in the galleon San Christoval
that the Portuguese was called
Francisco Pereira is coming
with it's good infantry
and it's aventurous friends
that in advantage were kept.
The Christoval de Tojal
of ancient honnour and experience,
and Pedro Alvares Vieira
that to the former nothing yielded.
The experienced Texera
nicknamed the Escoso
and from the Lusitan squadron
the Auditor was also going.
That in such an honnoured journey
it's old age was not an handicap
and also it's son Luiz Falcon
that to this company belongs.
2nd Lieutenant, that in other journeys
has served very well
the captain Giraldo
in Santo Thomaz was bringing.
His handpicked soldiers
in Lisbon were chosen
by captain Valadares
the people here were also going.
In another ship Juan Travaços
is going with his infantry
and in some other ones Juan Francisco
and Juan Roiz de Faria are going.
Villalobos and the Caldera,
and the Peralta here are coming;
and also the Olivera
del Puerto's company
With his 2nd lieutenant and the d'Arcã
the mine he is also bringing
and the Lobo and Marcos Hernandes
with dignified capitanias.
In front of the Generala
guide of the second fleet
Don Luiz Cotinho
from Lisbon is departing.
In ten light ships
with skilled and handpicked people
Castillian and Portuguese
as Spain uses to give.
Here Don Fernando d'Agreda,
and Don Arias de la Silva,
and Don Pedro Avalos de Ayala
with royal saddle were coming.
Don Francisco Carvajal,
each of them from infantry,
the captain D. Gabriel
that in Lisbon was overseeing
And the Portuguese Gaspar Limpo,
and the Tavora d'Anciania
spirited captain
that was getting old at the sea.
And Manuel Paez, with others
being brought in Felipotes,
was going Ochiola in the third
fleet, that is from Biscay.
In the fourth one Sancho Pardo,
who is guiding the fifth,
the brave Bretendona,
a brave one from Biscay.
Don Bertholome in the sixth,
and in San Thomas he was coming.
Marcos de Azanbucha is bringing
the seventh from Seville.
And the Garibá, with pataxos
all the fleet he was serving
at the last day of August
tthe Sun had already arrived.
When at Terceira Island
the fleet was appearing
all aboard are shouting land, land
with joy and applause.
Already we are seeing it rough rocks
it's fields, it's mountains
it's freshness, and clear waters
that some are more wishing than seeing
Because it's only in seeing that
they are enjoying fruits and cold water
from Tantalo the greed and anxiousness
that they were imitating, it seemed
Oh, how much owes the King to all
who serve at the wild sea!
Who has tasted in salted misadventures
is the best one to know it.
The General captain
that was asking for no gifts
runs around the stream
but no one appeared at it.
And so the General
sends forth a pataxo
commanded by Don Luis
(that at the very front was coming)
That to windward he goes
between corvo and Flores he proceeds
being it's main concern
to find out the enemy fleet.
And to the leeward at east ....
to the windward he sents him:
soon after the rest of the fleet
well ordered was leaving.
Already at the islands of Faial
and São Jorge were they visible
and at Pico, that in height
was superseeding the ships.
Soon in the Azores
they take their own ways
and they are forewarned
that the enemy was indeed there.
All was said by the pataxo
that the english fleet was seeing
the sails were four times seven
as they counted, they said
And firing a large caliber shot
they warned everybody
the foes are in a hurry
and the friendly ones get noticed
They all cry to the arms, to the arms
to the arms in loud shouts
from each of the boats
the seamen and the soldiers
Captains and 2nd lieutenants
are putting everybody into an order
the soldiers and their weapons
of the solemn Artilery
And everybody is taking it's post
that were for them more convenient
and the .... ennemy
while this was being done
from between one island and the other
surprised he was leaving:
this was one Thomas Hstras
that as a General was coming.
And the great Richart Green Field
was he bringing as an admiral:
these said ones coming around Corvo
our fleet were discovering
And they at her were arrogantly
coming, without knowing what it was
thinking that these were ships
from the Indias, and merchantmen
But the royal Capitana
promptly at them it goes,
and at the windward side it takes them
in order to stop them from fleeing.
And the squadron from Sevilla
that was commanded by Azambucha
putting herself in the lead
the ennemy was chasing
But, no having yet come forward
Saint Felipe was there charging
at the english Almiranta
that was carrying Greenville
Soon after, a cruel cannon shot
that the englishman had fired
killed George Troyano
that was dying well for his king
Immediately nine soldiers
had jumped aboard the the englishman
and the General had fought
in fire and musket shot |
The galleon Saint Fleip
was being dismantled
the same happened to nao Ascención
from Sevilla´s fleet
That was carrying aboard the
Antonio Anrique's infantry,
to the ennemy Almiranta
had stucked with great strenght
And soon Bretendona
with valour was charging,
together with some ships
from the Biscaya and Sevilla's fleet
With the other more, that the ennemy
were fighting, was coming
our Portuguese master of arms
that was also arriving
They are circling the ennemy
and are preventing it's escape
and to the ennemy ship
they were asking its surrender
The General is ordering his return
under the penalty of death
and that he joins his fleet
which belongs to its company
With this the brave Sosa
the prize and the timing losong
and to the General returning
was joining was obeying
But Don Luis that from a far
was seeing the shooting of artillery
and the ...... being done
was resolved the get the grand prize
Until coming to the naval
fury that in waters was burning,
had managed to reach the ship
of the ennemy
When the General
sends to him by a pataxo
a rsolution to give assault
to the ships he was fighting
With the Richard ......
Don Luis soon was .......
and thinking that ........
still wanted to flee
And don Antonio Leite
was getting him by his ship
ordered the trumpet to be sounded
giving the friendly side courage
and scaring the ennemy;
was charging his stern
and the riggings and the people
wounding, cutting and destroying
Soon after the dark night
was closing in and the light was gone
all except the one coming from fires
and from artillery shots
And still the english Almiranta
is defending herself
surround by other ships
that from our side were coming
Like the brave bull
the in the arene was running
full of blood and courage
inflicting fear and respect
Like some fearful greyhounds
our ships were charging
slightly bitting its ears
annoying him overtime
The bull is screaming and brave
even grappled he wants to flee
until the brave young man
goes to him for the final blow
That was what brave Richard:
to don Luis was doing;
in all the dark night
he rebukes and repels him
And seeing himself so attacked
he didn't wanted to surrender himself
until the morning
when we saw that his fleet had fled
And then, already wounded
he surrendered his ship
that was carrying aboard forty six
pieces of bronze
That fiery shots fired
of ninety and more pounds
but the sad greenville
in red was turning
His face and hair
matted with its own blood
with a hundred tied down soldiers
he was bringing himself forward
In the Royal Capitana to whom he
had caused a lot of deadman
the wounded, emprisioned Greenville
died at the second day
The Ascención was a winner
carrying aboard Anrique
that in her had fought
with strenght and valour
Honoured by a thousand
at last it finnaly sunk
its captain was rescued and
some of the people come out alive
And do Luis's ship
that he barely was controling
was also sinking
and nothing could be done about it
And Don Luis with its people
got aboard another ship
being the Richard's ship
no longer a problem
The royal and then capitana
and Saint Martin were following
the english capitana
and the other ennemy ships
Seeing that during all night
they could not reach her
they returned to the english Almiranta
destroyed and shot down
Full of dead bodies
and empty of live ones
and entering into their conquest
the conquerors were admiring her
Her form and graciousness
her strong artillery
her different types of ammunitions
and its cargo
Due to former prizes and lootings
it was carrying fine silver and gold
and our wise Bazan
everything was taking aboard
He is following the route
of the fleeing ennemy
........
that destroyed were going
With the other seven Queen's
galleons that he was bringing
he was more than fifty leagues
away from our fleet
Besides that the Indian fleet
was also due to arrive
it was already the 18th of September
and they were already late
Cruising in that way our fleet
suddenly we seen the Indian fleet
promptly the alarm was sounded
between all of our ships
That was until of our galleons
that was the first to reconigze them
and, coming forth, they show
great joy and happiness
These were eleven ships
that were arriving in front
and that the bad weather had separated
from the other company
Together we waited for them
until the 23th
cruising Flores Island
until they finnaly appeared
Our combined fleet happily
approached the new arrivals
underastanding from the beggining
that the one that came to attack
Was lying battered, destroyed and taken
as he had wanted to do:
we were on the prousperous
road to Terceira
Then a very vicious storm
with a strong stubbornness
cames down on our fleet
destroying and dividing it
And topmasts, masts, sails
...... and riggings were broken
and the strong fittings
of the ships were weakened
And the extraordinary seas
wanted us in the deep
in a minute we touched the sky in
the other we were sinking to the center
And the combat fatigued ships
of water and terror were filling in
the former was rising
and the latter was disappearing
It does it with a sad show
looking like ... were
the tired seaman that night
and day worked in shifts in the ships
They give and take the sails
the wind is not decreasing
finnaly the sails are not used
and the storm increases
So terrible and stubborn
that it exceeds human strenght
that is asking God for help
and to its Saints salvation
Two terrible nights are thus spent
and to very sorrowfull days;
and of the friendly ships
few were ever sighted
The wind with its black wings
had spread them all
until its fury had in part
decreased a little bit
Already the royal capitana
close to us is revealing herself
and it went to Terceira
where it run aground
From the fortresses of the beach
they had already rescued us
and aboard the capitana
in small ships people were coming
They were not bringing no good
news from the rest of the other ships
because some of them were destroyed
and some of them were sunk
But we were not there for
more than three hours
that another terrible wind
suddenly made its appearance
It made us cut our anchorlines
and it made us lose our anchors
and in the shaken waves
it was carrying us around
San Martin, in São Miguel
Island, with others was coming
but our capitana
was going straight to Spain.
Sending in a fleet to Sevilla
with some of the Indian ships
and even having headwinds
we set our course to Galicia
The winds made us to see
the high rock of Sintra
and the Lisbon harbour
that was so well known to us
But to enter into to the river the little
wind that we were having was denied
just to think that its excess did
such harm to us a short moment ago
Until all the other vessels
from our fleet had appeared
we stayed at the fatherly Tagus river
that has giving Lisbon nobility
After the General
had arrived with the others
also our field master that with
him in San Martin was coming
Already their arrival
was causing such joy
arrived had also Coutinho
who carrying the banner
Between his sails
that was conquered to the english
and a captain of his squadron
called Manuel Paes
He had taken a corsair has a prize that
was carrying Don Arias as a prisioner
taking him to England;
but he lost the ship and the people
And in Lisbon harbour
all the tercio was appearing
almost all the ships of the armada
that was commanded by don Alonso
Be God praised
Him who is our light, life and guide
its pure faith, and the holy Church
be praised and always victorious
and to our Catholic King
may he give a long and prosperous life
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The wreck
of a civil war blockade runner in Angra Harbour, 1864
During the course of a
pre-disturbance archaeological survey, conducted by the Angra Harbour
Authority and the Regional Government of Azores in an area of Angra Bay
- Terceira, Azores - soon to be impacted by the construction of a marina,
the field team discovered the remains of a Confederate blockade runner,
sunk there in 1864.
The Run'Her was built by
the John & William Dudgeon, Isle of Dogs, in London. Although there are
no register of this particular ship at Lloyd's, the builders had a
register of her sister ship, the Mary, also a blockade runner. She had
an overall length of 230 feet, with a breadth of 27 feet, a depth of
14,06 feet and a draft of 10 feet. The ship was one of a series built
for the William G. Crenshaw Company, a British company with joint
British and Confederate shareholders: The Run'Her was built to meet a
Confederate Government contract to carry CSA military, medical and
commissary goods into the Confederacy.
She departed London, with
a crew of 50, and took 4 days to reach Terceira Island, Azores, en route
to Bermudas. According to local sources, the ship reached Angra roads on
the 5th of November, 1864, a Saturday, at noon. The captain proceeded,
full speed ahead, straight into the harbour of Angra Bay. Refusing to
take aboard a local pilot, captain Edwin Courtenay ended up running the
ship aground on the sandy bottom of Angra Bay, quite close to the shore,
near the Custom's pier. The captain then tried to free the ship from the
bottom's grip - which leads us to believe that she was a side wheeler
instead of a twin screw - but all efforts were in vain.
On the 18th of November
1864, twelve days after the grounding of the steamer, the majority of
her crew - 35 seamen - embarked to Lisbon, via Saint Michael Island,
aboard the portuguese steamer Maria Pia. Aboard this ship was also going
an american citizen, Hunter Davidson, which we believe was the southern
navy captain assigned to aid Run´Her's British merchant captain,
Courtenay.
Hunter was born in 1827
and was appointed a midshipman on December, the 29th, 1841. We was a
member of the second class to complete their studies in Annapolis. He
resigned from the US Navy and joined his native state of Virginia when
it seceded from the Union and was then appointed a First Lieutenant in
the CS Navy in June 1861. He was aboard the CSS Virginia where he helped
fight the battle with the USS Monitor. He then worked with the naval
scientist Matthew Fontaine Maury during his experiments to develop an
effective system of defensive explosives for Southern harbours, better
known as submarine torpedoes.
He then formed the
Submarine Battery Service which sank dozens of Union vessels. In 1864 he
was promoted to Commander after he personally guided a small
semi-submersible spar torpedo boat attack which damaged the steam
frigate USS Minnesota. By 1864 Davidson had developed a sophisticated,
electrically detonated submarine system. Unable to obtain needed
materials in the South, he was assigned to special duty in Great Britain.
He then worked with
several english explosives and underwater telegraphy experts to further
refine his ideas. Once he had a working system, Davidson ordered huge
quantities of materials from British manufactures. Materials included
several varieties of electrical storage batteries, insulated submarine
cable, ebonite machines to assist in waterproofing mines, telegraphy
switches, testing apparatus, detonators and empty mine cases. These
submarine mining supplies were sent to the Confederacy as the primary
cargo of three new blockade running steamers, including Run'Her, and a
sailing ship.
After the grounding, the
ship was probably declared a total loss because on December the 8th,
1864, she was auctioned for 800$00 reis. This value covered everything,
except the steam engine and a box full of platinum that was still in the
hold of the ship. On December the 19th, a new auction took place in
order to sell the remaining goods. Unfortunately for the buyers, a
tremendous south-east storm hit Angra, on that very night, and the ship
was badly beaten against the rocky shoreline, where it broke in several
pieces. Those pieces were, afterwards, swept offshore. We believe that
the military cargo was still aboard the ship, awaiting either for the
Whisper or the Rattlesnake, two blockade runners that arrived long after
the storm had completely wrecked the Run'Her. No mention of it has been
made on local press. Part of her cargo was, anyhow, rescued as can be
attested by the purchase, by an english ship returning from Mexico, of
several boxes with salted meat that were part of the Run'Her's cargo.
The boxes were sold on the 9th of April 1865.
Davidson returned to
England where he gained command of another blockade runner carrying mine
supplies, the City of Richmond. This steamer was diverted from her
maiden voyage to supply the ironclad ram CSS Stonewall. The delay and a
subsequent mishap kept the blockade runner from reaching a Confederate
port before the war ended.
The Run'Her was the
second shipwreck to be located inside the survey zone. Situated almost
20 meters to the north-east of area E9, the only visible remains of the
wreck are an iron structure - tentatively identified as an annelar super
heater, part of the boiler-steam exhaust system structure - and an iron
structure that protrudes from the sand and looks like part of a side
wheel. Extensive excavation on all of the north-west area of Angra Bay
have revealed iron plates and structures and odd-dimensioned artefacts
that seem to belong to the cargo of the ship. It is our guess that the
wreck has been flattened out and that its parts are strewn in a debris
field, covered up by up to 1,5 meter of sand and fine silt, at an
average depth of -6 meters.
By archival research, it
is know that only two iron ships have been wrecked in Angra Bay. The
other one - the brazilian steam ship Lidador, sunk in 1878 - has been
located and identified. She retains hull integrity and she lies more
than 300 meters from the area where these debris have been found which
rules out the possibility that the iron structures found are from the
Lidador.
At first, the
archaeological potential was not realised since the team thought that
the Run'Her was an english ship that had sunk on her maiden voyage. It
was not until January, 1997, when at the SHA meeting we were casually
introduced to Dr. Kevin Foster, from the History Division of the
National Maritime Heritage Program - National Park Service, that we
realised that we had found out the remains of a blockade runner. You can
also get additional information, regarding this issue, with Dr. Kevin
Crisman at the Institute of Nautical Archaeology.
To complicate things
further, a wooden wreck (ANGRA D) has been found lying directly beneath
the main debris of the Run'Her. Radiocarbon dating is in progress for
this hull. Right now the survey has been completed and a second stage is
now going to be implemented which demands for selective excavation.
Besides ANGRA D and the Run'Her, the team has another priority: the
excavation of a XVth century wreck located 25 meters to the south of the
main debris area from the Run'Her.
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