CHAPTER LXI

Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada

by Washington Irving

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

SIEGE OF MALAGA CONTINUED.--DESTRUCTION OF A TOWER BY
FRANCISCO RAMIREZ DE MADRID.


Seeing the infatuated obstinacy of the besieged, the Christians
now approached their works to the walls, gaining one position after
another preparatory to a general assault. Near the barrier of the
city was a bridge with four arches, defended at each end by a strong
and lofty tower, by which a part of the army would have to pass in
making an attack. The commander-in-chief of the artillery, Francisco
Ramirez de Madrid, was ordered to take possession of this bridge.
The approach to it was perilous in the extreme, from the exposed
situation of the assailants and the number of Moors that garrisoned
the towers. Francisco Ramirez therefore secretly excavated a mine
leading beneath the first tower, and placed a piece of ordnance with
its mouth upward immediately under the foundation, with a train of
powder to produce an explosion at the necessary moment.

When this was arranged he advanced slowly with his forces in face
of the towers, erecting bulwarks at every step, and gradually gaining
ground until he arrived near to the bridge. He then planted several
pieces of artillery in his works and began to batter the tower. The
Moors replied bravely from their battlements, but in the heat of the
combat the piece of ordnance under the foundation was discharged.
The earth was rent open, a part of the tower overthrown, and
several of the Moors were torn to pieces; the rest took to flight,
overwhelmed with terror at this thundering explosion bursting
beneath their feet and at beholding the earth vomiting flames and
smoke, for never before had they witnessed such a stratagem in
warfare. The Christians rushed forward and took possession of the
abandoned post, and immediately commenced an attack upon the
other tower at the opposite end of the bridge, to which the Moors
had retired. An incessant fire of crossbows and arquebuses was kept
up between the rival towers, volleys of stones were discharged, and
no one dared to venture upon the intermediate bridge.

Francisco de Ramirez at length renewed his former mode of approach,
making bulwarks step by step, while the Moors, stationed at the other
end, swept the bridge with their artillery. The combat was long and
bloody--furious on the part of the Moors, patient and persevering on
the part of the Christians. By slow degrees they accomplished their
advance across the bridge, drove the enemy before them, and
remained masters of this important pass.

For this valiant and skilful achievement King Ferdinand after the
surrender of the city conferred the dignity of knighthood upon
Francisco Ramirez in the tower which he had so gloriously gained.*
The worthy padre Fray Antonio Agapida indulges in more than a
page of extravagant eulogy upon this invention of blowing up the
foundation of the tower by a piece of ordnance; which, in fact, is
said to be the first instance on record of gunpowder being used
in a mine.

*Pulgar, part 3, c. 91.