Sebastián de Eslava y Lazaga (January 19, 1685 in
Enériz,
Navarre
Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
– June 21, 1759 in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
) was a Spanish general and colonial official. From April 24, 1740 to November 6, 1749 he was viceroy of the newly reestablished
Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
. He was governing the viceregal at the time of the defeat of British Admiral
Edward Vernon at the
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war w ...
. After his death he was named ''marqués de la Real Defensa de Cartagena de Indias''.
The reestablishment of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
In 1740 the Viceroyalty of the ''Nuevo Reino de Granada'' (New Granada) was reestablished. This part of South America, including what are today the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Ecuador, had originally been part of the
Viceroyalty of Peru
The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
. It was removed from Peru and established as the separate viceroyalty of New Granada in 1718. However, this first viceregal establishment lasted only from 1718 to 1724. In 1724 it was returned to Peru.
There were difficulties governing this large territory from Lima, however. In 1740 New Granada was reestablished as a viceroyalty, for the same reasons as it had originally been established — large distances, growing population, tax collection, defense, and administrative control. In August 1739 Sebastián de Eslava was named the first viceroy of this second incarnation, with express instructions from the Crown to defend the viceregal against British attacks.
Beginning of his term as viceroy
Eslava studied at the Royal Military Academy in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
. He was a lieutenant general in the Royal Army of Spain and commander in the
Order of Calatrava
The Order of Calatrava ( es, Orden de Calatrava, pt, Ordem de Calatrava) was one of the four Spanish military orders and the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Orde ...
. In April 1740 he arrived at Cartagena de Indias. He remained there for the duration of his term as viceroy, not traveling to the interior.
He repaired the Castle of Bocachica and various forts protecting the port. In the Castle of San Lázaro he started a factory of gun carriages and
esplanade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
s. He took steps to supply arms, ammunition and military training to the Spanish forces. Elsewhere in the viceregal, he built defensive works in
Santa Marta
Santa Marta (), officially Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta ("Touristic, Cultural and Historic District of Santa Marta"), is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena ...
,
Puerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello () is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State, about 210 km west of Caracas. As of 2011, the city had a population of around 182,400. The city is home to the largest and busiest port in the coun ...
and
Gaira. He strengthened the fort at
Ayara and the Castle of San Antonio in the province of
Cumaná
Cumaná () is the capital city of Venezuela's Sucre State. It is located east of Caracas. Cumaná was one of the first cities founded by Spain in the mainland Americas and is the oldest continuously-inhabited Hispanic-established city in South ...
. He approved the construction of the fort on the islet of
Caño de Limones and equipped the presidio of Guayana.
The War of Jenkins' Ear
These steps were necessary because Britain, fighting for the commercial control of America, declared war on Spain in 1739 (the
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear, or , was a conflict lasting from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and the Spanish Empire. The majority of the fighting took place in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations largely ended by 1742. It is con ...
). The defense of the coast was essential.
On November 21, 1739 British Admiral Edward Vernon captured
Portobelo, on the Atlantic side of the
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama ( es, Istmo de Panamá), also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien (), is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country ...
, which was part of the new Viceroyalty. This was just before Eslava's arrival in Cartagena as viceroy of the colony. After this success, Vernon turned his attention to Cartagena. On March 13, 1741 he blockaded the port with 51 warships, 135 transports, 2,000 cannon and more than 28,000 men, possibly the strongest fleet ever assembled up to this time. The city was defended by the Spanish Admiral
Blas de Lezo
Admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish navy officer best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in the Viceroyalty of New Granada, where Spanish imperial forces under his command ...
, who had at his command 3,000 Spanish troops, 600 Indian archers, and six
Ships of the Line. He also relied on his careful preparations and the sturdy fortifications of the city.
On the night of April 19, as part of the
battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war w ...
, the British began a major assault on the wall of the fort of San Felipe. However, the attackers soon found that their scaling ladders were shorter than the walls they were attacking. The British were unable to advance and impeded from retreating by the equipment they carried. The Spanish opened fire on them, and then counterattacked outside the walls with bayonets. The carnage was great, and the remaining British soldiers were forced to remain on board their ships, with provisions running out.
Vernon finally had to raise the blockade and return to Jamaica. Eight thousand British were said to have died,
[Fortescue, J. W. ''A History of the British Army'', MacMillan, London, 1899, Vol. II, pp. 72-79, gives a detailed account of the rapid and devastating withering away of the land forces to disease. By 7 May, only 1700 men were fit for service and no more than 1000 in condition to land against the enemy and within a month of leaving Cartagena 1100 died. British strength was reduced to 1400 and American to 1300.] against only 1,000 Spanish. Blas de Lezo, who had already lost a leg, an eye and an arm in other battles, lost his life after this one, dying of disease.
After the siege of Cartagena
During his administration, Viceroy Eslava founded hospitals and towns, constructed roads, promoted the pacification of the
Motilones Indians, and contributed arms, money and provisions to defend some cities (like
Pamplona
Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region.
Lying at near above ...
and
San Faustino), and to maintain navigation on the
Zulia River
Zulia River () is a river in Venezuela and Colombia. It is a tributary of the Catatumbo River. The Zulia forms a small part of the international boundary between the two countries.
Zulia
Zulia State ( es, Estado Zulia, ; Wayuu: ''Mma’ipaka ...
. He built 20 churches, repaired and enlarged others, protected the established missions and organized those of
Darién, in Panama. He improved the finances of the colony and the administration of justice.
He left New Granada for Spain on February 23, 1750. After his return to Spain, King
Ferdinand VI
, house = Bourbon-Anjou
, father = Philip V of Spain
, mother = Maria Luisa of Savoy
, birth_date = 23 September 1713
, birth_place = Royal Alcazar of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
, death_date =
, death_place = Villavic ...
named him captain general of
Andalucia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...
, and later, on July 2, 1754, minister of war. In 1760 he was posthumously granted the title of ''marqués de la Real Defensa de Cartagena de Indias''.
Bibliography
* Colmenares, Germán (Ed.) ''Relaciones e informes de Los gobernantes de la Nueva Granada''. Bogotá: Banco Popular, 1989.
* Restrepo Sáenz, José María. ''Biografías de los mandatarios y ministros de la Real Audiencia (1671 a 1819)''. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Historia, 1952.
* Rodríguez Maldonado, Carlos. "Don Sebastián de Eslava y don Blas de Lezo". ''Boletín de historia y antigüedades'' (Bogota). Vol. 39, No. 447-448 (Jan./Feb. 1952), pp. 76–84.
* Beatson, Robert. ''Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, from 1727 to 1783'', London, 1804.
* Hart, Francis Russle. ''Admirals of the Caribbean'', Boston, 1922.
* Fortescue, J. W. ''A History of the British Army'', MacMillan, London, 1899, Vol. II.
References
External links
Short biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eslava, Sebastian de
1685 births
1759 deaths
Marquesses of Spain
Viceroys of New Granada
Spanish generals