The History of Cuba, vol. 1Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 1
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
But while the population of the island enjoyed comparative security and
prosperity, that of the coast towns was steadily worried by danger of
invasion. When Governor Salamanca retired from office, the menace was
still far from removed. After a provisional government of ten months,
Don Rodrigo de Flores y Aldama, Field Marshal and Caballero de
Alcantara, entered upon his administration on the fifteenth of June,
1663. With him arrived also a new bishop, Don Juan Saenz de Manosca, a
Mexican of immaculate purity and uncompromising severity. He took charge
of the diocese on the sixth of August and continued with greater success
than Governor Salamanca in the moralization of the community. Realizing
the increasing danger of invasion Governor Aldama at once set about to
push the work on the walls of Havana. The garrison was increased by two
hundred men.
But Aldama was only a year later appointed Captain-General of Yucatan,
and a new governor succeeded him, the Field Marshal Don Francisco Davila
Crejon y Gaston, who had previously been governor of Gibraltar and
Venezuela. He entered upon his office on the thirtieth of July, 1664,
and immediately set to work with great energy and perseverance to hasten
the construction of more fortifications. His predecessors had stored up
an immense amount of building material and there was no reason why the
work should not be carried on without delay. But Davila encountered
serious difficulties and obstacles because his plans were opposed by the
engineer Marcos Lucio and the viceroy la Espanola Marques de Muncere.
The resources of the exchequer were at that time so scanty that Orejon
ordered the provisory use of fagots in the construction of the
fortifications of Havana.
However, El Morro of Santiago de Cuba which had been blown up by
filibusters a few years before, was rebuilt under his orders. The
batteries of La Punta, la Estrella and Santa Clara were established.
The governor of Santiago and D. Pedro Bayone finished these works and
also walled up the convent of San Francisco making it equivalent to a
fort. In the year 1665 the French pirate Pedro Legrand penetrated into
Santo Espiritu with a force of filibusters. He set fire to thirty-three
houses and demanded a ransom from every inhabitant. During that and the
following year, the pirates plundered more than two hundred haciendas
(farms) carrying off cattle and furniture. They committed unspeakable
outrages, violating even the wives and daughters of the men whose homes
they destroyed or robbed.
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