Juan Garcia (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1622) was a 17th-century Spanish privateer. He was among a number of Spaniards who served the Spanish Crown as Dunkirkers during the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

. Both he and Pedro de la Plesa were caught by the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

naval force as they attempted to break through a blockade of

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Jan Jacobsen to face nine pursuing Dutch warships alone.

Biography

In October 1622, he and Pedro de la Plesa left Dunkirk with Jan Jacobsen attempting to break through the blockade imposed on the city by the

. However, a Dutch yacht spotted Pedro de la Plesa as he sailed out of

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

. The ship's captain, Jacob Volckertzoon Vinck, immediately sailed to a small fleet stationed nearby. Its commander, Admiral Harman Kleuter, set off after the blockade runners at once and was later joined by another squadron under Captain Lambert Hendrikszoon. Garcia and Pedro de la Plesa fled instantly upon encountering the fleet, however Jacobsen stayed behind to fight the nine pursuing warships. Both because of his heroic last stand, as well as for covering his comrades' escape, Jacobsen and his crew became national heroes.

Biography

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Further reading