HOW KING FERDINAND INVADED THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE KINGDOM OF GRANADA,
AND HOW HE WAS RECEIVED BY EL ZAGAL.
“Muley Abdallah el Zagal,” says the venerable Jesuit father Pedro
Abarca, “was the most venomous Mahometan in all Morisma;” and the worthy
Fray Antonio Agapida most devoutly echoes his opinion. “Certainly,”
adds the latter, “none ever opposed a more heathenish and diabolical
obstinacy to the holy inroads of the cross and sword.”
El Zagal felt that it was necessary to do something to quicken his
popularity with the people, and that nothing was more effectual than a
successful inroad. The Moors loved the stirring call to arms and a wild
foray among the mountains, and delighted more in a hasty spoil, wrested
with hard fighting from the Christians, than in all the steady and
certain gains secured by peaceful traffic.
There reigned at this time a careless security along the frontier of
Jaen. The alcaydes of the Christian fortresses were confident of the
friendship of Boabdil el Chico, and they fancied his uncle too distant
and too much engrossed by his own perplexities to think of molesting
them. On a sudden El Zagal issued out of Guadix with a chosen band,
passed rapidly through the mountains which extend behind Granada, and
fell like a thunderbolt upon the territories in the neighborhood of
Alcala la Real. Before the alarm could be spread and the frontier roused
he had made a wide career of destruction through the country, sacking
and burning villages, sweeping off flocks and herds, and carrying away
captives. The warriors of the frontier assembled, but El Zagal was
already far on his return through the mountains, and he re-entered the
gates of Guadix in triumph, his army laden with Christian spoil and
conducting an immense cavalgada. Such was one of El Zagal’s preparatives
for the expected invasion of the Christian king, exciting the warlike
spirit of his people, and gaining for himself a transient popularity.
King Ferdinand assembled his army at Murcia in the spring of 1488. He
left that city on the fifth of June with a flying camp of four thousand
horse and fourteen thousand foot. The marques of Cadiz led the van,
followed by the adelantado of Murcia. The army entered the Moorish
frontier by the sea-coast, spreading terror through the land: wherever
it appeared, the towns surrendered without a blow, so great was
the dread of experiencing the woes which had desolated the opposite
frontier. In this way Vera, Velez el Rubio, Velez el Blanco, and many
towns of inferior note to the number of sixty yielded at the first
summons.
It was not until it approached Almeria that the army met with
resistance. This important city was commanded by the prince Zelim, a
relation of El Zagal. He led forth his Moors bravely to the encounter,
and skirmished fiercely with the advance guard in the gardens near the
city. King Ferdinand came up with the main body of the army and called
off his troops from the skirmish. He saw that to attack the place with
his present force was fruitless. Having reconnoitred the city and its
environs, therefore, against a future campaign, he retired with his army
and marched toward Baza.
The old warrior El Zagal was himself drawn up in the city of Baza with a
powerful garrison. He felt confidence in the strength of the place, and
rejoiced when he heard that the Christian king was approaching. In the
valley in front of Baza there extended a great tract of gardens, like
a continued grove, intersected by canals and water courses. In this he
stationed an ambuscade of arquebusiers and crossbowmen. The vanguard of
the Christian army came marching gayly up the valley with great sound of
drum and trumpet, and led on by the marques of Cadiz and the adelantado
of Murcia. As they drew near El Zagal sallied forth with horse and foot
and attacked them for a time with great spirit. Gradually falling back,
as if pressed by their superior valor, he drew the exulting Christians
among the gardens. Suddenly the Moors in ambuscade burst from their
concealment, and opened such a fire in flank and rear that many of the
Christians were slain and the rest thrown into confusion. King Ferdinand
arrived in time to see the disastrous situation of his troops, and gave
signal for the vanguard to retire.
El Zagal did not permit the foe to draw off unmolested. Ordering out
fresh squadrons, he fell upon the rear of the retreating troops with
triumphant shouts, driving them before him with dreadful havoc. The
old war-cry of “El Zagal! El Zagal!” was again put up by the Moors, and
echoed with transport from the walls of the city. The Christians were in
imminent peril of a complete rout, when, fortunately, the adelantado
of Murcia threw himself with a large body of horse and foot between the
pursuers and the pursued, covering the retreat of the latter and giving
them time to rally. The Moors were now attacked so vigorously in turn
that they gave over the contest and drew back slowly into the city. Many
valiant cavaliers were slain in this skirmish; among the number was Don
Philip of Aragon, master of the chivalry of St. George of Montesor: he
was illegitimate son of the king’s illegitimate brother Don Carlos,
and his death was greatly bewailed by Ferdinand. He had formerly been
archbishop of Palermo, but had doffed the cassock for the cuirass,
and, according to Fray Antonio Agapida, had gained a glorious crown of
martyrdom by falling in this holy war.
The warm reception of his advance guard brought King Ferdinand to a
pause: he encamped on the banks of the neighboring river Guadalquiton,
and began to consider whether he had acted wisely in undertaking
this campaign with his present force. His late successes had probably
rendered him over-confident: El Zagal had again schooled him into his
characteristic caution. He saw that the old warrior was too formidably
ensconced in Baza to be dislodged by anything except a powerful army
and battering artillery, and he feared that should he persist in his
invasion some disaster might befall his army, either from the enterprise
of the foe or from a pestilence which prevailed in various parts of the
country. He retired, therefore, from before Baza, as he had on a former
occasion from before Loxa, all the wiser for a wholesome lesson in
warfare, but by no means grateful to those who had given it, and with a
solemn determination to have his revenge upon his teachers.
He now took measures for the security of the places gained in the
campaign, placing in them strong garrisons, well armed and supplied,
charging their alcaydes to be vigilant on their posts and to give no
rest to the enemy. The whole of the frontier was under the command
of Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero. As it was evident from the warlike
character of El Zagal that there would be abundance of active service
and hard fighting, many hidalgos and young cavaliers eager for
distinction remained with Puerto Carrero.
All these dispositions being made, King Ferdinand closed the dubious
campaign of this year, not, as usual, by returning in triumph at
the head of his army to some important city of his dominions, but by
disbanding the troops and repairing to pray at the cross of Caravaca.