Capture of Santiago (1585)

Capture of Santiago
Part of the Anglo–Spanish War

Drake at Santiago, Cape Verde, 1589 hand-colored engraving, by Baptista Boazio, 1589
Date11–28 November 1585
Location
Cidade Velha, São Domingos & Praia
(Present day Santiago Cape Verde)
Result English victory[1][2]
Belligerents

 Spain

England England
Commanders and leaders
Gaspar de Andrade Francis Drake
Christopher Carleill
Strength
500 soldiers & militia
3 batteries[3]		 23 ships
1,000 soldiers & sailors[4]
Casualties and losses
Light
8 ships captured		 2 killed[2]

The Capture of Santiago was a military engagement that took place between 11 and 28 November 1585 during the newly declared Anglo-Spanish War. (Santiago is the largest island of the Cape Verde archipelago.) An English expedition led by Francis Drake captured the port town of Cidade Velha in the Cape Verde islands that had recently belonged to the Crown of Portugal. He sacked it and then marched inland before doing the same at São Domingos and Praia. Afterwards Drake left and continued his expedition to successfully raid the Spanish possessions in the Americas.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Andrews pg. 219
  2. ^ a b Keeler 27-8
  3. ^ Konstam p.34-42
  4. ^ Sugden185-86
  5. ^ Rogers, Cameron (1928). Drake's Quest. Doran & Company. p. 183.
  6. ^ "The Spanish War, vol. XI". Retrieved 2014-03-06.
  7. ^ Bicheno 186-88