University of Virginia Library

27. CHAPTER XXVII.
Foray of Christian Knights into the territory of the Moors.

The Spanish cavaliers who had survived the
memorable massacre among the mountains of Malaga,
although they had repeatedly avenged the death of
their companions, yet could not forget the horror
and humiliation of their defeat. Nothing would satisfy
them but to undertake a second expedition of the
kind, to carry fire and sword throughout a wide part
of the Moorish territories, and to leave all those regions
which had triumphed in their disaster a black
and burning monument of their vengeance. Their
wishes accorded with the policy of the king, who
desired to lay waste the country and destroy the resources
of the enemy; every assistance was therefore
given to promote and accomplish their enterprise.

In the spring of 1484, the ancient city of Antiquera
again resounded with arms; numbers of the same
cavaliers who had assembled there so gaily the preceding
year, again came wheeling into the gates with
their steeled and shining warriors, but with a more
dark and solemn brow than on that disastrous occasion,
for they had the recollection of their slaughtered
friends present to their minds, whose deaths they
were to avenge.

In a little while there was a chosen force of six
thousand horse and twelve thousand foot assembled

in Antiquera, many of them the very flower of Spanish
chivalry, troops of the established military and
religious orders, and of the Holy Brotherhood.

Every precaution had been taken to furnish this
army with all things needful for its extensive and
perilous inroad. Numerous surgeons accompanied
it, who were to attend upon all the sick and wounded,
without charge, being paid for their services by the
queen. Isabella, also, in her considerate humanity,
provided six spacious tents furnished with beds and
all things needful for the wounded and infirm. These
continued to be used in all great expeditions throughout
the war, and were called the Queen's Hospital.
The worthy father, Fray Antonio Agapida, vaunts
this benignant provision of the queen, as the first
introduction of a regular camp hospital in campaigning
service.

Thus thoroughly prepared, the cavaliers issued
forth from Antiquera in splended and terrible array,
but with less exulting confidence and vaunting ostentation
than on their former foray; and this was the
order of the army. Don Alonzo de Aguilar led the
advance guard, accompanied by Don Diego Fernandez
de Cordova, the alcayde de los Donzeles, and
Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, count of Palma,
with their household troops. They were followed
by Juan de Merlo, Juan de Almara, and Carlos de
Biezman, of the Holy Brotherhood, with the men-atarms
of their captaincies.

The second battalion was commanded by the marques
of Cadiz and the Master of Santiago, with the

cavaliers of Santiago and the troops of the house of
Ponce Leon: with these also went the senior commander
of Calatrava and the knights of that order,
and various other cavaliers and their retainers.

The right wing of this second battalion was led by
Gonsalvo de Cordova, afterwards renowned as grand
captain of Spain; the left wing, by Diego Lopez de
Avila. They were accompanied by several distinguished
cavaliers, and certain captains of the Holy
Brotherhood, with their men-at-arms.

The duke of Medina Sidonia and the count de
Cabra commanded the third battalion, with the
troops of their respective houses. They were accompanied
by other commanders of note, with their
forces.

The rear guard was brought up by the senior
commander and knights of Alcantara, followed by
the Andalusian chivalry from Xerez, Ecija, and Carmona.

Such was the army that issued forth from the gates
of Antiquera, on one of the most extensive talas, or
devastating inroads, that ever laid waste the kingdom
of Granada.

The army entered the Moorish territory by the
way of Alora, destroying all the cornifields, vineyards,
and orchards, and plantations of olives, round that
city. It then proceeded through the rich valleys and
fertile uplands of Coin, Cazarabonela, Almexia, and
Cartama; and in ten days, all those fertile regions
were a smoking and frightful desert. From hence it
pursued its slow and destructive course, like the

stream of lava of a volcano, through the regions of
Papiana and Alhendin, and so on to the vega of Malaga,
laying waste the groves of olives and almonds,
and the fields of grain, and destroying every green
thing. The Moors of some of those places interceded
in vain for their groves and fields, offering to deliver
up their christian captives. One part of the army
blockaded the towns, while the other ravaged the
surrounding country. Sometimes the Moors sallied
forth desperately to defend their property, but were
driven back to their gates with slaughter, and their
suburbs pillaged and burnt. It was an awful spectacle
at night to behold the volumes of black smoke mingled
with lurid flames that rose from the burning suburbs,
and the women on the walls of the town wringing
their hands and shrieking at the desolation of their
dwellings.

The destroying army, on arriving at the sea-coast,
found vessels lying off shore laden with all kinds of
provisions and munitions for its use, which had been
sent from Seville and Xerez: it was thus enabled to
continue its desolating career. Advancing to the
neighborhood of Malaga, it was bravely assailed by
the Moors of that city, and there was severe skirmishing
for a whole day; but while the main part of the
army encountered the enemy, the rest ravaged the
whole vega and destroyed all the mills. As the object
of the expedition was not to capture places, but merely
to burn, ravage, and destroy, the host, satisfied
with the mischief they had done in the vega, turned
their backs upon Malaga, and again entered the

mountains. They passed by Coin, and through the
regions of Allazayna, and Gatero, and Alhaurin; all
which were likewise desolated. In this way did they
make the circuit of that chain of rich and verdant
valleys, the glory of those mountains and the pride
and delight of the Moors. For forty days did they
continue on like a consuming fire, leaving a smoking
and howling waste to mark their course, until, weary
with the work of destruction, and having fully sated
their revenge for the massacre of the Axarquia, they
returned in triumph to the meadows of Antiquera.

In the month of June, king Ferdinand took command
in person of this destructive army; he increased
its force, and added to its means of mischief several
lombards and other heavy artillery, intended for
the battering of towns, and managed by engineers
from France and Germany. With these, the marques
of Cadiz assured the king, he would soon be able to
reduce the Moorish fortresses. They were only calculated
for defence against the engines anciently used
in warfare. Their walls and towers were high and
thin, depending for security on their rough and rocky
situations. The stone and iron balls thundered from
the lombards would soon tumble them in ruins upon
the heads of their defenders.

The fate of Alora speedily proved the truth of this
opinion. It was strongly posted on a rock washed
by a river. The artillery soon battered down two
of the towers and a part of the wall. The Moors
were thrown into consternation at the vehemence
of the assault, and the effect of those tremendous en

gines upon their vaunted bulwarks. The roaring of
the artillery and the tumbling of the walls terrified
the women, who beset the alcayde with vociferous
supplications to surrender. The place was given up
on the 20th of June, on condition that the inhabitants
might depart with their effects. The people of Malaga,
as yet unacquainted with the power of this battering
ordnance, were so incensed at those of Alora
for what they considered a tame surrender, that they
would not admit them into their city.

A similar fate attended the town of Setenil, built
on a lofty rock and esteemed impregnable. Many
times had it been besieged under former christian
kings, but never had it been taken. Even now, for
several days the artillery was directed against it
without effect, and many of the cavaliers murmured
at the marques of Cadiz for having counselled the
king to attack this unconquerable place.[1]

On the same night that these reproaches were uttered,
the marques directed the artillery himself: he
levelled the lombards at the bottom of the walls,
and at the gates. In a little while, the gates were
battered to pieces, a great breach was effected in the
walls, and the Moors were fain to capitulate. Twenty-four
christian captives, who had been taken in the
defeat of the mountains of Malaga, were rescued
from the dungeons of this fortress, and hailed the
marques of Cadiz as their deliverer.

Needless is it to mention the capture of various

other places, which surrendered without waiting to
be attacked. The Moors had always shown great
bravery and perseverance in defending their towns;
they were formidable in their sallies and skirmishes,
and patient in enduring hunger and thirst when besieged;
but this terrible ordnance, which demolished
their walls with such ease and rapidity, overwhelmed
them with confusion and dismay, and rendered vain
all resistance. King Ferdinand was so struck with
the effect of this artillery, that he ordered the number
of lombards to be increased; and these potent engines
had henceforth a great influence on the fortunes of
this war.

The last operation of this year, so disastrous to the
Moors, was an inroad by king Ferdinand, in the latter
part of summer, into the vega, in which he ravaged
the country, burnt two villages near to Granada, and
destroyed the mills near the very gates of the city.

Old Muley Aben Hassan was overwhelmed with
dismay at this desolation, which, during the whole
year, had been raging throughout his territories, and
had now reached to the walls of his capital. His
fierce spirit was broken by misfortunes and infirmity;
he offered to purchase a peace, and to hold his crown
as a tributary vassal. Ferdinand would listen to no
propositions: the absolute conquest of Granada was
the great object of this war, and he was resolved
never to rest content without its complete fulfilment.
Having supplied and strengthened the garrisons of
the places he had taken in the heart of the Moorish
territories, he enjoined their commanders to render

every assistance to the younger Moorish king, in the
civil war against his father. He then returned with
his army to Cordova, in great triumph, closing a
series of ravaging campaigns, that had filled the kingdom
of Granada with grief and consternation.