FORAY OF CHRISTIAN KNIGHTS INTO THE TERRITORY OF THE MOORS.
The Spanish cavaliers who had survived the memorable massacre among the
mountains of Malaga, although they had repeatedly avenged the deaths of
their companions, could not forget the horror and humiliation of their
defeat. Nothing would satisfy them but a second expedition of the
kind to carry fire and sword throughout a wide part of the Moorish
territories, and leave the region which had triumphed in their disaster
a black and burning monument of their vengeance. Their wishes accorded
with the policy of the king to destroy the resources of the enemy; every
assistance was therefore given to their enterprise.
In the spring of 1484 the ancient city of Antiquera again resounded with
arms; numbers of the same cavaliers who had assembled there so gayly
the preceding year came wheeling into the gates with their steeled and
shining warriors, but with a more dark and solemn brow than on that
disastrous occasion, for they had the recollection of their slaughtered
friends present to their minds, whose deaths they were to avenge.
In a little while there was a chosen force of six thousand horse and
twelve thousand foot assembled in Antiquera, many of them the very
flower of Spanish chivalry, troops of the established military and
religious orders and of the Holy Brotherhood.
Precautions had been taken to furnish this army with all things needful
for its perilous inroad. Numerous surgeons accompanied it, who were to
attend upon the sick and wounded without charge, being paid for their
services by the queen. Isabella also, in her considerate humanity,
provided six spacious tents furnished with beds and all things needful
for the wounded and infirm. These continued to be used in all great
expeditions throughout the war, and were called the Queen’s Hospital.
The worthy father, Fray Antonio Agapida, vaunts this benignant provision
of the queen as the first introduction of a regular camp hospital in
campaigning service.
Thus thoroughly prepared, the cavaliers issued forth from Antiquera
in splendid and terrible array, but with less exulting confidence and
vaunting ostentation than on their former foray; and this was the order
of the army: Don Alonso de Aguilar led the advance guard, accompanied
by Don Diego Fernandez de Cordova, the alcayde de los Donceles, and Luis
Fernandez Puerto Carrero, count of Palma, with their household troops.
They were followed by Juan de Merlo, Juan de Almara, and Carlos
de Biezman of the Holy Brotherhood, with the men-at-arms of their
captaincies.
The second battalion was commanded by the marques of Cadiz and the
master of Santiago, with the cavaliers of Santiago and the troops of
the house of Ponce Leon; with these also went the senior commander of
Calatrava and the knights of that order, and various other cavaliers and
their retainers.
The right wing of this second battalion was led by Gonsalvo de Cordova,
afterward renowned as grand captain of Spain; the left by Diego Lopez
de Avila. They were accompanied by several distinguished cavaliers and
certain captains of the Holy Brotherhood with their men-at-arms.
The duke of Medina Sidonia and the count de Cabra commanded the third
battalion, with the troops of their respective houses. They were
accompanied by other commanders of note with their forces.
The rear-guard was brought up by the senior commander and knights of
Alcantara, followed by the Andalusian chivalry from Xeres, Ecija, and
Carmona.
Such was the army that issued forth from the gates of Antiquera on one
of the most extensive “talas,” or devastating inroads, that ever laid
waste the kingdom of Granada.
The army entered the Moorish territory by the way of Alora, destroying
all the cornfields, vineyards, and orchards and plantations of olives
round that city. It then proceeded through the rich valleys and fertile
uplands of Coin, Cazarabonela, Almexia, and Cartama, and in ten days
all those fertile regions were a smoking and frightful desert. Hence it
pursued its slow and destructive course, like the stream of lava of a
volcano, through the regions of Pupiana and Alhendin, and so on to the
vega of Malaga, laying waste the groves of olives and almonds and the
fields of grain, and destroying every green thing. The Moors of some of
those places interceded in vain for their groves and fields, offering to
deliver up their Christian captives. One part of the army blockaded the
towns, while the other ravaged the surrounding country. Sometimes the
Moors sallied forth desperately to defend their property, but were
driven back to their gates with slaughter and their suburbs pillaged and
burnt. It was an awful spectacle at night to behold the volumes of black
smoke mingled with lurid flames rising from the burning suburbs, and the
women on the walls of the town wringing their hands and shrieking at the
desolation of their dwellings.
The destroying army on arriving at the sea-coast found vessels lying off
shore laden with all kinds of provisions and munitions sent from Seville
and Xeres, and was thus enabled to continue its desolating career.
Advancing to the neighborhood of Malaga, it was bravely assailed by the
Moors of that city, and there was severe skirmishing for a whole day;
but, while the main part of the army encountered the enemy, the rest
ravaged the whole vega and destroyed all the mills. As the object of the
expedition was not to capture places, but merely to burn, ravage, and
destroy, the host, satisfied with the mischief they had done in the
vega, turned their backs upon Malaga and again entered the mountains.
They passed by Coin and through the regions of Allazayna, and Gatero,
and Alhaurin, all which were likewise desolated. In this way did they
make the circuit of a chain of rich and verdant valleys, the glory of
those mountains and the pride and delight of the Moors. For forty
days did they continue on like a consuming fire, leaving a smoking
and howling waste to mark their course, until, weary with the work of
destruction, and having fully sated their revenge for the massacre of
the Axarquia, they returned in triumph to the meadows of Antiquera.
In the month of June, King Ferdinand took command in person of this
destructive army; he increased its force, and added to its means of
mischief several lombards and other heavy artillery, intended for the
battering of towns and managed by engineers from France and Germany.
With these the (7) marques of Cadiz assured the king he would soon be able
to reduce the Moorish fortresses, which were only calculated for defence
against the engines anciently used in warfare. Their walls and towers
were high and thin, depending for security on their rough and rocky
situations. The stone and iron balls thundered from the lombards would
soon tumble them in ruins upon the heads of their defenders.
The fate of Alora speedily proved the truth of this opinion. It was
strongly posted on a rock washed by a river. The artillery soon battered
down two of the towers and a part of the wall. The Moors were thrown
into consternation at the vehemence of the assault and the effect of
those tremendous engines upon their vaunted bulwarks. The roaring of the
artillery and the tumbling of the walls terrified the women, who beset
the alcayde with vociferous supplications to surrender. The place was
given up on the 20th of June, on condition that the inhabitants might
depart with their effects. The people of Malaga, as yet unacquainted
with the power of this battering ordnance, were so incensed at those
of Alora for what they considered a tame surrender that they would not
admit them into their city.
A similar fate attended the town of Setenil, built on a lofty rock
and esteemed impregnable. Many times had it been besieged under former
Christian kings, but never taken. Even now, for several days the
artillery was directed against it without effect, and many of the
cavaliers murmured at the marques of Cadiz for having counselled the
king to attack this unconquerable place.*
* Cura de los Palacios.
On the same night that these reproaches were uttered the marques
directed the artillery himself: he levelled the lombards at the bottom
of the walls and at the gates. In a little while the gates were battered
to pieces, a great breach was effected in the walls, and the Moors were
fain to capitulate. Twenty-four Christian captives, who had been taken
in the defeat of the mountains of Malaga, were rescued from the dungeons
of this fortress, and hailed the marques as their deliverer.
Needless is it to mention the capture of various other places which
surrendered without waiting to be attacked. The Moors had always shown
great bravery and perseverance in defending their towns; they were
formidable in their sallies and skirmishes, and patient in enduring
hunger and thirst when besieged; but this terrible ordnance, which
demolished their walls with such ease and rapidity, overwhelmed them
with dismay and rendered vain all resistance. King Ferdinand was so
struck with the effect of this artillery that he ordered the number
of lombards to be increased; and these potent engines had henceforth a
great influence on the fortunes of this war.
The last operation of this year, so disastrous to the Moors, was an
inroad by Ferdinand, in the latter part of summer, into the Vega, in
which he ravaged the country, burnt two villages near to Granada, and
destroyed the mills near the very gates of the city.
Old Muley Abul Hassan was overwhelmed with dismay at the desolation
which during the whole year had raged throughout his territories and had
now reached the walls of his capital. His fierce spirit was broken by
misfortunes and infirmity; he offered to purchase a peace and to
hold his crown as a tributary vassal. Ferdinand would listen to no
propositions: the absolute conquest of Granada was the great object of
this war, and he was resolved never to rest content without its complete
fulfilment. Having supplied and strengthened the garrisons of the
places taken in the heart of the Moorish territories, he enjoined their
commanders to render every assistance to the younger Moorish king in the
civil war against his father. He then returned with his army to Cordova
in great triumph, closing a series of ravaging campaigns which had
filled the kingdom of Granada with grief and consternation.