CHAPTER XXIX

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

CHAPTER XXIX, CHRONICLE OF THE CONQUEST OF GRANADA by Washington Irving

HOW KING FERDINAND COMMENCED ANOTHER CAMPAIGN AGAINST
THE MOORS, AND HOW HE LAID SIEGE TO COIN AND CARTAMA.


The recent effect of the battering ordnance in demolishing the
Moorish fortresses induced King Ferdinand to procure a powerful
train for the campaign of 1485, intending to assault some of the
most formidable holds of the enemy.

An army of nine thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry
assembled at Cordova early in the spring, and the king took the
field on the 5th of April. It had been determined in secret council
to attack the city of Malaga, that ancient and important seaport on
which Granada depended for foreign aid and supplies. It was thought
proper previously, however, to get possession of various towns and
fortresses in the valleys of Santa Maria and Cartama, through which
pass the roads to Malaga.

The first place assailed was the town of Benamexi or Bonameji. It
had submitted to the Catholic sovereigns in the preceding year, but
had since renounced its allegiance. King Ferdinand was enraged at
the rebellion of the inhabitants. "I will make their punishment,"
said he, "a terror to others: they shall be loyal through force, if
not through faith." The place was carried by storm: one hundred
and eight of the principal inhabitants were either put to the sword
or hanged on the battlements; the rest were carried into captivity.*

*Pulgar, Garibay, Cura de los Palacios.


The towns of Coin and Cartama were besieged on the same day-- the
first by a division of the army led on by the marques of Cadiz; the
second by another division commanded by Don Alonso de Aguilar
and Luis Fernandez Puerto Carrero, the brave senior of Palma. The
king, with the rest of the army, remained posted between the two
places to render assistance to either division. The batteries opened
upon both places at the same time, and the thunder of the lombards
was mutually heard from one camp to the other. The Moors made
frequent sallies and a valiant defence, but they were confounded by
the tremendous uproar of the batteries and the destruction of their
walls. In the mean time, the alarm-fires gathered together the
Moorish mountaineers of all the Serrania, who assembled in great
numbers in the city of Monda, about a league from Coin. They made
several attempts to enter the besieged town, but in vain: they were
each time intercepted and driven back by the Christians, and were
reduced to gaze at a distance in despair on the destruction of the
place. While thus situated there rode one day into Monda a fierce
and haughty Moorish chieftain at the head of a band of swarthy
African horsemen: it was Hamet el Zegri, the fiery-spirited alcayde
of Ronda, at the head of his band of Gomeres. He had not yet
recovered from the rage and mortification of his defeat on the banks
of the Lopera in the disastrous foray of old Bexir, when he had been
obliged to steal back furtively to his mountains with the loss of
the bravest of his followers. He had ever since panted for revenge.
He now rode among the host of warriors assembled at Monda. "Who
among you," cried he, "feels pity for the women and children of Coin
exposed to captivity and death? Whoever he is, let him follow me,
who am ready to die as a Moslem for the relief of Moslems." So
saying, he seized a white banner, and, waving it over his head, rode
forth from the town, followed by the Gomeres. Many of the warriors,
roused by his words and his example, spurred resolutely after his
banner. The people of Coin, being prepared for this attempt, sallied
forth as they saw the white banner and made an attack upon the
Christian camp, and in the confusion of the moment Hamet and his
followers galloped into the gates. This reinforcement animated the
besieged, and Hamet exhorted them to hold out obstinately in defence
of life and town. As the Gomeres were veteran warriors, the more
they were attacked the harder they fought.

At length a great breach was made in the walls, and Ferdinand, who
was impatient of the resistance of the place, ordered the duke of
Naxara and the count of Benavente to enter with their troops, and,
as their forces were not sufficient, he sent word to Luis de Cerda,
duke of Medina Celi, to send a part of his people to their assistance.

The feudal pride of the duke was roused at this demand. "Tell my
lord the king," said the haughty grandee, "that I have come to
succor him with my household troops: if my people are ordered to any
place, I am to go with them; but if I am to remain in the camp, my
people must remain with me. For the troops cannot serve without
their commander, nor their commander without his troops."

The reply of the high-spirited grandee perplexed the cautious
Ferdinand, who knew the jealous pride of his powerful nobles. In the
mean time, the people of the camp, having made all preparations for
the assault, were impatient to be led forward. Upon this Pero Ruyz
de Alarcon put himself at their head, and, seizing their mantas or
portable bulwarks, and their other defences, they made a gallant
assault and fought their way in at the breach. The Moors were so
overcome by the fury of their assault that they retreated, fighting,
to the square of the town. Pero Ruyz de Alarcon thought the place
was carried, when suddenly Hamet and his Gomeres came scouring
through the streets with wild war-cries, and fell furiously upon the
Christians. The latter were in their turn beaten back, and, while
attacked in front by the Gomeres, were assailed by the inhabitants
with all kinds of missiles from their roofs and windows. They at
length gave way and retreated through the breach. Pero Ruyz de
Alarcon still maintained his ground in one of the principal streets:
the few cavaliers that stood by him urged him to fly: "No," said he;
"I came here to fight, and not to fly." He was presently surrounded
by the Gomeres; his companions fled for their lives: the last they
saw of him he was covered with wounds, but still fighting desperately
for the fame of a good cavalier.*

*Pulgar, part 3, cap. 42.


The resistance of the inhabitants, though aided by the valor of the
Gomeres, was of no avail. The battering artillery of the Christians
demolished their walls; combustibles thrown into their town set it
on fire in various places; and they were at length compelled to
capitulate. They were permitted to depart with their effects, and
the Gomeres with their arms. Hamet el Zegri and his African band
rode proudly through the Christian camp, nor could the Spanish
cavaliers refrain from regarding with admiration that haughty
warrior and his devoted and dauntless followers.

The capture of Coin was accompanied by that of Cartama: the
fortifications of the latter were repaired and garrisoned, but Coin,
being too extensive to be defended by a moderate force, its walls
were demolished. The siege of these places struck such terror into
the surrounding country that the Moors of many of the neighboring
towns abandoned their homes, and fled with such of their effects as
they could carry away, upon which the king gave orders to demolish
their walls and towers.

King Ferdinand now left his camp and his heavy artillery near
Cartama, and proceeded with his lighter troops to reconnoitre
Malaga. By this time the secret plan of attack arranged in the
council of war at Cordova was known to all the world. The vigilant
warrior, El Zagal, had thrown himself into the place, put all
the fortifications, which were of vast strength, into a state of
defence, and sent orders to the alcaydes of the mountain-towns
to hasten with their forces to his assistance.

The very day that Ferdinand appeared before the place El Zagal
sallied forth to receive him at the head of a thousand cavalry, the
choicest warriors of Granada. A sharp skirmish took place among
the gardens and olive trees near the city. Many were killed on both
sides, and this gave the Christians a foretaste of what they might
expect if they attempted to besiege the place.

When the skirmish was over the marques of Cadiz had a private
conference with the king. He represented the difficulty of besieging
Malaga with their present force, especially as their plans had been
discovered and anticipated, and the whole country was marching to
oppose them. The marques, who had secret intelligence from all
quarters, had received a letter from Juceph Xerife, a Moor of Ronda
of Christian lineage, apprising him of the situation of that
important place and its garrison, which at that moment laid it open
to attack, and the marques was urgent with the king to seize upon
this critical moment, and secure a place which was one of the most
powerful Moorish fortresses on the frontiers, and in the hands of
Hamet el Zegri had been the scourge of Andalusia. The good marques
had another motive for his advice, becoming a true and loyal knight.
In the deep dungeons of Ronda languished several of his companion-
in-arms who had been captured in the defeat in the Axarquia. To
break their chains and restore them to liberty and light he felt to
be his peculiar duty as one of those who had most promoted that
disastrous enterprise.

King Ferdinand listened to the advice of the marques. He knew the
importance of Ronda, which was considered one of the keys to the
kingdom of Granada, and he was disposed to punish the inhabitants
for the aid they had rendered to the garrison of Coin. The siege of
Malaga therefore, was abandoned for the present, and preparations
made for a rapid and secret move against the city of Ronda.