HOW THE MARQUES OF CADIZ CONCERTED TO SURPRISE ZAHARA, AND THE RESULT OF
HIS ENTERPRISE.
The valiant Roderigo Ponce de Leon, marques of Cadiz, was one of the
most vigilant of commanders. He kept in his pay a number of converted
Moors to serve as adalides, or armed guides. These mongrel Christians
were of great service in procuring information. Availing themselves of
their Moorish character and tongue, they penetrated into the enemy’s
country, prowled about the castles and fortresses, noticed the state of
the walls, the gates, and towers, the strength of their garrisons, and
the vigilance or negligence of their commanders. All this they minutely
reported to the marques, who thus knew the state of every fortress upon
the frontier and when it might be attacked with advantage. Besides the
various town and cities over which he held feudal sway, he had always
an armed force about him ready for the field. A host of retainers fed
in his hall who were ready to follow him to danger, and death itself,
without inquiring who or why they fought. The armories of his castles
were supplied with helms and cuirasses and weapons of all kinds, ready
burnished for use; and his stables were filled with hardy steeds that
could stand a mountain-scamper.
The marques was aware that the late defeat of the Moors on the banks of
the Lopera had weakened their whole frontier, for many of the castles
and fortresses had lost their alcaydes and their choicest troops. He
sent out his war-hounds, therefore, upon the range to ascertain where a
successful blow might be struck; and they soon returned with word that
Zahara was weakly garrisoned and short of provisions.
This was the very fortress which, about two years before, had been
stormed by Muley Abul Hassan, and its capture had been the first blow
of this eventful war. It had ever since remained a thorn in the side
of Andalusia. All the Christians had been carried away captive, and no
civil population had been introduced in their stead. There were no
women or children in the place. It was kept up as a mere military post,
commanding one of the most important passes of the mountains, and was a
stronghold of Moorish marauders. The marques was animated by the idea
of regaining this fortress for his sovereigns and wresting from the
old Moorish king this boasted trophy of his prowess. He sent missives,
therefore, to the brave Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, who had
distinguished himself in the late victory, and to Juan Almaraz, captain
of the men-at-arms of the Holy Brotherhood, informing them of his
designs, and inviting them to meet him with their forces on the banks of
the Guadalete.
It was on the day (says Fray Antonio Agapida) of the glorious apostles
St. Simon and Judas, the twenty-eighth of October, in the year of grace
one thousand four hundred and eighty-three, that this chosen band of
Christian soldiers assembled suddenly and secretly at the appointed
place. Their forces when united amounted to six hundred horse and
fifteen hundred foot. Their gathering-place was at the entrance of
the defile leading to Zahara. That ancient town, renowned in Moorish
warfare, is situated in one of the roughest passes of the Serrania de
Ronda. It is built round the craggy cone of a hill, on the lofty summit
of which is a strong castle. The country around is broken into deep
barrancas or ravines, some of which approach its very walls. The place
had until recently been considered impregnable, but (as the worthy Fray
Antonio Agapida observes) the walls of impregnable fortresses, like the
virtue of self-confident saints, have their weak points of attack.
The marques of Cadiz advanced with his little army in the dead of
the night, marching silently into the deep and dark defiles of the
mountains, and stealing up the ravines which extended to the walls of
the town. Their approach was so noiseless that the Moorish sentinels
upon the walls heard not a voice or a footfall. The marques was
accompanied by his old escalador, Ortega de Prado, who had distinguished
himself at the scaling of Alhama. This hardy veteran was stationed,
with ten men furnished with scaling-ladders, in a cavity among the
rocks close to the walls. At a little distance seventy men were hid in
a ravine, to be at hand to second him when he should have fixed his
ladders. The rest of the troops were concealed in another ravine
commanding a fair approach to the gate of the fortress. A shrewd and
wary adalid, well acquainted with the place, was appointed to give
signals, and so stationed that he could be seen by the various parties
in ambush, but not by the garrison.
By orders of the marques a small body of light cavalry passed along the
glen, and, turning round a point of rock, showed themselves before the
town: they (6) skirred the fields almost to the gates, as if by way of
bravado and to defy the garrison to a skirmish. The Moors were not slow
in replying to it. About seventy horse and a number of foot who had
guarded the walls sallied forth impetuously, thinking to make easy prey
of these insolent marauders. The Christian horsemen fled for the ravine;
the Moors pursued them down the hill, until they heard a great shouting
and tumult behind them. Looking round toward the town, they beheld a
scaling party mounting the walls sword in hand. Wheeling about, they
galloped for the gate: the marques of Cadiz and Luis Fernandez Puerto
Carrero rushed forth at the same time with their ambuscade, and
endeavored to cut them off, but the Moors succeeded in throwing
themselves within the walls.
While Puerto Carrero stormed at the gate the marques put spurs to his
horse and galloped to the support of Ortega de Prado and his scaling
party. He arrived at a moment of imminent peril, when the party was
assailed by fifty Moors armed with cuirasses and lances, who were on
the point of thrusting them from the walls. The marques sprang from
his horse, mounted a ladder sword in hand, followed by a number of
his troops, and made a vigorous attack upon the enemy.* They were soon
driven from the walls, and the gates and towers remained in possession
of the Christians. The Moors defended themselves for a short time in
the streets, but at length took refuge in the castle, the walls of which
were strong and capable of holding out until relief should arrive. The
marques had no desire to carry on a siege, and he had not provisions
sufficient for many prisoners; he granted them, therefore, favorable
terms. They were permitted, on leaving their arms behind them, to
march out with as much of their effects as they could carry, and it was
stipulated that they should pass over to Barbary. The marques remained
in the place until both town and castle were put in a perfect state of
defence and strongly garrisoned.
* Cura de los Palacios, c. 68.
Thus did Zahara return once more in possession of the Christians, to the
great confusion of old Muley Abul Hassan, who, having paid the penalty
of his ill-timed violence, was now deprived of its vaunted fruits.
The Castilian sovereigns were so gratified by this achievement of the
valiant Ponce de Leon that they authorized him thenceforth to entitle
himself duke of Cadiz and marques of Zahara. The warrior, however, was
so proud of the original title under which he had so often signalized
himself that he gave it the precedence, and always signed himself
marques, duke of Cadiz. As the reader may have acquired the same
predilection, we shall continue to call him by his ancient title.