1582 Cagayan battles

1582 Cagayan battles
Date1582
Location
Result Spanish victory
Belligerents

Spain Spanish Empire

Wokou
Commanders and leaders
Spain Juan Pablo de Carrión
Spain Pedro Lucas  
Tay Fusa[1]
Strength
60 soldiers
20 sailors[2]
unknown number of native allies and ships
1 galleon
5 small vessels
1 light vessel[1]
1 junk
18 sampans
<1000 Wako pirates[1]
Casualties and losses
10–20 casualties[1]
unknown number of native allies killed or injured
estimated hundreds of casualties[1]

The 1582 Cagayan battles were a series of clashes between the forces of the Spanish Philippines led by Captain Juan Pablo de Carrión and wokou (possibly led by Japanese pirates) headed by Tay Fusa. These battles, which took place in the vicinity of the Cagayan River, finally resulted in a Spanish victory.[3]A[1][4][5][6]B

This event is a recorded battle between European soldiers and sailors against Japanese pirates,[1][6] which followed similar events like the battles of Manila and Fukuda Bay. The clash pitted Spanish musketeers, pikemen, rodeleros and sailors assisted by allied native warriors against a larger group of Japanese, Chinese and likely native Filipino pirates made up of rōnin, soldiers, fishermen, and merchants (smugglers and legitimate).[7] The pirates had a large junk, and 18 sampans which are flat bottomed, wooden fishing boats.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g General Archive of the Indies, Philippines, file 6, bunch 2, number 59. Letter from Gonzalo Ronquillo, Governor of the Philippines, to the Viceroy of Mexico, 1st of June, 1582
  2. ^ A.G.I. Filipinas, legajo 29, ramo 3, número 62. Letter from Juan Bautista Román governor to the Viceroy of Mexico 25 June 1582
  3. ^ [1] General Archive of the Indies, Philippines, file 29, bunch 3, number 62. Letter from Juan Bautista Román to the Viceroy of México, 25 June 1582
  4. ^ General Archive of the Indies, Philippines, file 6, bunch 2, number 60. Letter from the Governor of the Philippines to the Viceroy of México, 20 July 1583
  5. ^ General Archive of the Indies, Philippines, file 74, bunch 1, number 24. Letter from Bishop of the Philippines to the King of Spain, 18 January 1583
  6. ^ a b [2] General Archive of the Indies, Council of the Indies, 339,L.1,F.286V-287R. Order to send men to the Philippines from Mexico, 14 June 1583
  7. ^ Contemporary Maritime Piracy: International Law, Strategy, and Diplomacy at Sea By James Kraska [3]
  8. ^ General Archive of the Indies, Council of the Indies, 339,L.1,F.286V-287R. Order to send men to the Philippines from Mexico, 14 June 1583