[MR] Wikipedia: Drake Sacks St. Augustine

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1586, Francis Drake (not yet knighted) raided St. 
Augustine in Spanish Florida. Wilipedia has a bit to say about this: On 
May 28 and 29, 1586, soon after theAnglo-Spanish War 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Spanish_War_%281585%E2%80%931604%29>began 
between England and Spain, the English privateer SirFrancis Drake 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Drake>sacked and burned 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_St._Augustine>St. Augustine.The 
approach of his large fleet obliged GovernorPedro Menéndez Márquez 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Men%C3%A9ndez_M%C3%A1rquez>and the 
townspeople to flee for their safety. When the English got ashore, they 
seized some artillery pieces and a royal strongbox containing goldducats 
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducat>, the garrison payroll.The killing 
of their sergeant major by the Spanish rearguard caused Drake to order 
the town burnt.

Not in our period, but South Carolina colonial governor James Moore laid 
siege to St. Augustine's fortress in 1702. When he gave up the siege, he 
had the surrounding town burned. The English were very dangerous when 
they played with fire.

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot