Absent from the Caribbean for nearly ten years, Sir Francis Drake was finally given the opportunity for a last foray into Spanish territory in 1595. Accompanied by his former mentor, Sir John Hawkins, El Dracon sailed for Puerto Rico in pursuit of the one thing neither he nor his Queen could resist – Spanish gold.
Privateer No More
After the bitter disappointment felt by Sir Francis Drake’s financiers in the attacks on Santo Domingo and Cartagena in the 1580’s, Queen Elizabeth kept Drake on a short leash. For ten years she kept him busy as Her Majesty’s Admiral-at-the-Seas supervising her ships, a mostly land-based position. Only once did Drake venture out to sea against the Spanish, and it was when they attacked England in 1588.
Treasure Ship spotted in San Juan Puerto Rico
When Spain issued a moratorium on its debts in the mid-1590’s, waiting on its annual shipment of gold to come in, Drake made his pitch to the Queen for one final voyage to the Caribbean in her service. He urged the Queen to send him to Panama to intercept the gold, but Elizabeth stalled until it was too late, reluctant to empower Drake once again.
A second chance presented, however, when one crippled ship carrying three million ducats was left in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Queen then endorsed Drake’s plan to attack provided he was accompanied by the then elderly Sir John Hawkins, Drake’s former mentor. Army Captain Thomas Maynarde’s account of the voyage documented “cholericke speeches” between Hawkins and Drake aboard the Defiance, indicating some friction between the two. Neither was used to sharing command. It was a short-lived nuisance for Drake however, as the cantankerous Hawkins died before they reached San Juan.
Fort at San Juan prepared for Drake
The voyage’s late start guaranteed that Drake’s one tactical advantage of surprise was gone before he even arrived. Even so, Drake sailed boldly into cannon range where he dropped anchor. Cannon fire from El Moro immediately brought down the Defiance’s mizzen, killing some and wounding many. Drake was forced to reorient his attack, only to be repelled a second time by the aggressive Spanish fleet. After the Spaniards sacrificed several of their own ships to block the harbor, Drake’s failure was complete.
Death of Privateer Sir Francis Drake
In an attempt to gain the promised riches, Drake ransacked a series of Caribbean towns including La Hacha, Rancheria, and Santa Marta. The treasure was minimal. He then proceeded to his old haunt of Nombre de Dios in Panama, sending 750 men to take Panama. Encountering much Spanish resistance, however, Thomas Baskerville and the men he had taken up the Camino Real returned to find Nombre de Dios and its harbor in flames. Drake and his disappointed men then moved on to Porto Bello.
It was in Porto Bello that Drake fell ill with a tropical illness causing bloody flux and delirium. On January 28, 1597, the disease resulted in his death. He was buried at sea off the coast of Porto Bello, Panama.
Sir Francis Drake is best known for circumnavigating the globe in his ship The Golden Hind. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his efforts, Drake then proceeded to terrorize the Spanish on the high seas. His final voyage in no way recaptured the success of his youth in the Caribbean, but his reputation remained intact as El Dracon.
Sources:
- Carini, Marco & Macallan, Flora. Pirates: A Swashbuckling Journey Across the Seven Seas. Parragon.
- Chronicles of America. The Death of Sir Francis Drake. (Accessed December 5, 2010)
- National Parks Service. El Morro. (Accessed December 6, 2010).
- Lane, Kris, E. Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas. New York, 1998.
- Sir Francis Drake The Buccaneer. (Accessed December 5, 2010)
- Wood, Peter. The Seafarers. The Spanish Main. New York, 1930.
Jennifer Groepl - Living the good life in beautiful Cape Coral, Florida, Jennifer Groepl is currently working on her YA fiction projects. An intrinsically ...
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