SIEGE OF MALAGA CONTINUED.--DESTRUCTION OF A TOWER BY FRANCISCO RAMIREZ
DE MADRID.
Seeing the infatuated obstinacy of the besieged, the Christians now
approached their works to the walls, gaining one position after another
preparatory to a general assault. Near the barrier of the city was a
bridge with four arches, defended at each end by a strong and lofty
tower, by which a part of the army would have to pass in making an
attack. The commander-in-chief of the artillery, Francisco Ramirez de
Madrid, was ordered to take possession of this bridge. The approach
to it was perilous in the extreme, from the exposed situation of the
assailants and the number of Moors that garrisoned the towers. Francisco
Ramirez therefore secretly excavated a mine leading beneath the first
tower, and placed a piece of ordnance with its mouth upward immediately
under the foundation, with a train of powder to produce an explosion at
the necessary moment.
When this was arranged he advanced slowly with his forces in face of the
towers, erecting bulwarks at every step, and gradually gaining ground
until he arrived near to the bridge. He then planted several pieces of
artillery in his works and began to batter the tower. The Moors replied
bravely from their battlements, but in the heat of the combat the piece
of ordnance under the foundation was discharged. The earth was rent
open, a part of the tower overthrown, and several of the Moors were
torn to pieces; the rest took to flight, overwhelmed with terror at this
thundering explosion bursting beneath their feet and at beholding the
earth vomiting flames and smoke, for never before had they witnessed
such a stratagem in warfare. The Christians rushed forward and took
possession of the abandoned post, and immediately commenced an attack
upon the other tower at the opposite end of the bridge, to which the
Moors had retired. An incessant fire of crossbows and arquebuses was
kept up between the rival towers, volleys of stones were discharged, and
no one dared to venture upon the intermediate bridge.
Francisco de Ramirez at length renewed his former mode of approach,
making bulwarks step by step, while the Moors, stationed at the other
end, swept the bridge with their artillery. The combat was long and
bloody--furious on the part of the Moors, patient and persevering on the
part of the Christians. By slow degrees they accomplished their advance
across the bridge, drove the enemy before them, and remained masters of
this important pass.
For this valiant and skilful achievement King Ferdinand after the
surrender of the city conferred the dignity of knighthood upon Francisco
Ramirez in the tower which he had so gloriously gained.* The worthy
padre Fray Antonio Agapida indulges in more than a page of extravagant
eulogy upon this invention of blowing up the foundation of the tower by
a piece of ordnance; which, in fact, is said to be the first instance on
record of gunpowder being used in a mine.
* Pulgar, part 3, c. 91.