Battle of San Juan (1625)

Fought on 29 September 1625 in Puerto Rico

For other uses, see Battle of San Juan (disambiguation).

Battle of San Juan (1625)

Part of the Eighty Years' War

Seventeenth-century Spanish painting commemorating Hendricksz's defeat at San Juan de Puerto Rico. By Eugenio Caxés, Museo del Prado.
| Date| 24 September – 2 November 1625

|

Location|

San Juan (present-day Puerto Rico)

Result|  Spanish victory
Belligerents

Spain

* Puerto Rico

|  United Provinces
Commanders and leaders
Juan de Haro y Sanvitores|  Boudewijn Hendricksz

* v
* t
* e

Eighty Years' War

Origins – List of battles

* * *

1566–1572

Western Europe

* Beeldenstorm
* Valenciennes
* Wattrelos
* Lannoy
* Oosterweel
* Dahlen
* Heiligerlee
* Jemmingen
* Jodoigne
* Le Quesnoy

* * *

1572–1576

Western Europe

* Brielle
* Mons
* 1st Mechelen
* Goes
* Naarden
* Middelburg
* Haarlem
* IJsselmeer
* Alkmaar
* 1st Geertruidenberg
* Leiden
* Delft
* Valkenburg
* Mookerheyde
* Oudewater
* Schoonhoven
* Zierikzee

European waters

* Flushing
* Borsele
* Haarlemmermeer
* Zuiderzee
* Reimerswaal
* Lillo

* * *

1576–1579

Western Europe

* 1st Antwerp
* Gembloux
* Rijmenam
* 1st Deventer
* Borgerhout

* * *

1579–1588

Western Europe

* 1st Maastricht
* 2nd Mechelen
* Diest
* 1st Steenwijk
* Kollum
* 1st Breda
* Noordhorn
* Niezijl
* Lochem
* 1st Lier
* 2nd Antwerp
* Eindhoven
* Steenbergen
* Ghent
* Aalst
* 3rd Antwerp
* Arnhem
* Empel
* Boksum
* 1st Grave
* 1st Venlo
* Axel
* Neuss
* 1st Rheinberg
* 1st Zutphen
* 1st Sluis

European waters

* Ponta Delgada

* * *

Ten Years, 1588–1598

Western Europe

* 1st Bergen op Zoom
* 2nd Geertruidenberg
* 2nd Breda
* 2nd Zutphen
* 2nd Deventer
* Delfzijl
* Knodsenburg
* 1st Hulst
* Nijmegen
* Rouen
* Caudebec
* 2nd Steenwijk
* 1st Coevorden
* 1st Luxemburg
* 3rd Geertruidenberg
* 2nd Coevorden
* Groningen
* 2nd Luxemburg
* Huy
* 1st Groenlo
* Lippe
* 2nd Lier
* Calais
* 2nd Hulst
* Turnhout
* 2nd Rheinberg
* 1st Meurs
* 2nd Groenlo
* Bredevoort
* Enschede
* Ootmarsum
* 1st Oldenzaal
* 1st Lingen

European waters

* 1st English Channel · Flanders
* Bayona Islands
* Gulf of Almería
* 1st Cádiz
* Azores

* * *

1599–1609

Western Europe

* 1st Schenckenschans
* Zaltbommel
* Rees
* San Andreas
* Lekkerbeetje
* Nieuwpoort
* 3rd Rheinberg
* Ostend
* 1st 's-Hertogenbosch
* 2nd Grave
* Hoogstraaten
* 3rd Sluis
* Spinola's campaign
* (Oldenzaal, 2nd Lingen, Bergen op Zoom, Mülheim, Wachtendonk, Krakau Castle, Berkumerbridge, Lochem, 4th Rheinberg, 3rd Groenlo)

European waters

* Dover Strait
* 2nd Sluis
* 2nd English Channel
* 1st Cape St. Vincent
* 1st Gibraltar

* * *

Twelve Years' Truce, 1609–1621

Western Europe

* Aachen

East Indies

* Ternate
* Playa Honda

* * *

1621–1648

Western Europe

* Jülich
* 2nd Bergen op Zoom
* Fleurus
* 1st Veluwe
* 3rd Breda
* 2nd Oldenzaal
* 4th Groenlo
* 2nd 's-Hertogenbosch
* 2nd Veluwe
* Meuse (2nd Maastricht, 2nd Venlo, 1st Roermond)
* 5th Rheinberg
* Leuven
* 2nd Schenkenschans
* 4th Breda
* 3rd Venlo
* 2nd Roermond
* Kallo
* 3rd Hulst
* 4th Hulst
* Mardyck
* Dunkirk

European waters

* 2nd Gibraltar
* 2nd Cádiz
* Slaak
* Lizard Point
* Dunkirk
* 3rd English Channel
* The Downs
* 2nd Cape St. Vincent

Americas

* 1st Salvador
* Puerto Rico
* Bay of Matanzas
* Abrolhos
* Trujillo · Campeche
* 1st Saint Martin
* 1st Unare
* 2nd Salvador
* Cabañas
* Itamaracá
* Southern Chile
* 2nd Saint Martin

East Indies

* Mormugão
* Galle
* Malacca
* 1st San Salvador
* 2nd San Salvador
* Manila
* Cavite

* * *

Peace – Aftermath – Historiography

The Battle of San Juan was fought on 29 September 1625, and was an engagement of the Eighty Years' War. A Dutch expedition under the command of Boudewijn Hendricksz attacked the island of Puerto Rico, but despite besieging San Juan for two months, was unable to capture it from Spain.

## Background

[edit]

The Twelve Years' Truce brought de facto recognition of the Dutch Republic by Spain, while its end saw the Dutch receive assistance from France and England. The Estates General sought an aggressive commercial expansion into the New World, which included the formation of the Dutch West India Company, and the financing of privateers to prey upon Spanish and Portuguese shipping.[1][2]

## Battle

[edit]

On 24 September 1625, 17 Dutch ships arrived at San Juan de Puerto Rico, whose Spanish governor — naval and military veteran Captain General Juan de Haro y Sanvitores — had been in office less than a month. Nevertheless, he got ready to receive the enemy as best he could preparing El Morro's battery to close the main entrance to San Juan Bay, and sending his predecessor, Juan de Vargas, to nearby Boquerón with militia to hinder any landings in the Escambrón Inlet.[3][4] Cannon were placed at Boquerón and Goat's Creek, and trenches dug.[2][1]

Hendricksz implemented a bold plan. At 1:00 P.M. the next day the entire Dutch fleet sailed directly into San Juan’s harbor, led by his flagship. Both sides exchanged fire, but the fleet was soon past El Morro, with the Dutch flagship suffering only 4 dead and a few wounded. However, shoals prevented an immediate disembarkation of troops. The delay allowed Spanish civilians to flee inland over San Antonio Bridge, while the governor marshaled his slender strength of 330 men within Castillo San Felipe del Morro.[2][1]

On 26 September, Hendricksz led 800 men ashore and occupied the empty city, making La Fortaleza his headquarters. The Dutch occupied El Cañuelo and the San Antonio Bridge, cutting El Morro off from supplies. The Dutch began digging siege trenches, and installing a 6 cannon battery on a height called "Calvary". Hendricksz demanded the surrender of the fort, "in the name of the States General and of His Highness the Prince of Orange, "threatening otherwise that "we will spare neither old nor young, woman nor child." De Haro responded with a counter offer, "if you will deliver the ships in which you came to me, I will let you have one to return with." From that day onwards, a 21-day cannon duel started with El Morro.[2][1]

Yet, Puerto Rican militiamen were able to recapture San Antonio Bridge, and Capt. Andrés Botello's partisans regained control of the Bayamón River, while burning El Cañuelo. This allowed supplies to reach El Morro once again. By then the Dutch siege trenches had reached El Morro's glacis. On 4 Oct., de Haro started ordering sorties of 80 men in 3 parties, with Juan de Amézqueta personally leading a sortie on 5 Oct.[2][1]

Hendricksz again called upon de Haro to capitulate on 21 October, "surrender, or we burn the town." De Haro responded with "We have enough courage and wood and stone to build again." On 22 Oct., the Dutch started burning all buildings, over 100 houses, including Bishop Balbueno's palace and library, and the city archives. Capt. Amézqueta led a sortie from El Morro, while Capt. Botello led one from San Antonio Bridge, which drove the Dutch from their trenches, as they retreated to their ships.[2][1]

## Aftermath

[edit]

The Dutch finally left on 2 November, leaving behind one of their ships and over 400 dead. Nevertheless, Spain concluded that it needed to further strengthen Puerto Rico's defenses to prevent future invasions.[2][1]

## See also

[edit]

* Puerto Rico portal

* Military history of Puerto Rico
* Annus mirabilis

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Van Middeldyk, R.A. (1903). Brumbaugh, Martin (ed.). The History of Puerto Rico: From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation. D. Appleton and Company. pp. 123-128. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
2. ^ a b c d e f g The Forts of Old San Juan. Washington, D.C.: Division of Publications, National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. 2018. pp. 39–48\. ISBN 9780912627625.39-48&rft.pub=Division+of+Publications,+National+Park+Service,+U.S.+Dept.+of+the+Interior&rft.date=2018&rft.isbn=9780912627625&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Battle+of+San+Juan+(1625)" class="Z3988">
3. ^ Lane, Kris (2015). Pillaging the Empire: Global Piracy on the High Seas, 1500-1750. Routledge. p. 62\. ISBN 978-1317524472.
4. ^ Government Printing Office (1996). Forts of Old San Juan: San Juan National Historic Site, Puerto Rico. DC: Government Printing Office. p. 43\. ISBN 091262762X.

## References

[edit]

* David F. Marley. Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present ABC-CLIO(1998) ISBN 0-87436-837-5

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