Drake's Assault on Panama

On 6 January 1596 Drake and his men dropped anchor off Nombre de Dios without opposition. From the ships' boats they landed near the town but in order to seize it a small fort stood in its way, protected by around hundred militia.[4] Baskerville ordered an assault, following which the fort was overwhelmed and the defenders were put to flight. The town was seized with scant resistance but little plunder was obtained.[9] The place had been warned and the town's few Spanish defenders had retreated and dispersed into the jungle.[11]

Drake stayed for two weeks and ransomed the town but on hearing no answer he ordered the town destroyed and so it was set ablaze. All of the ships in the harbour (consisting of frigates, barks, and galliots) were thoroughly pillaged, after which they were all destroyed or burnt. Although no money was found in the town, a watchtower on the summit of a nearby hill was discovered which contained a chest of silver along with two bars of gold, some pearls, and other valuables.[12]

Alonso de Sotomayor the Spanish soldier who organised Panama's defence

In order to clear the environs of lurking parties of the Spanish, Baskerville picked a force of 750 men. On 20 January they started upon the perilous march by the old Panama road. They occupied the small settlement of Venta de la Quebrada two days later but on the third day, after an exhausting march of nearly thirty miles in incessant rain and high humidity, Baskerville had found himself confronted by a gorge near another settlement of Capirilla. Further forward this became more precipitous and the road was dominated from above by a menacing hill.[13] Surrounding the top of the hill was an impressive defensive structure composed of a defile with an impenetrable abatis. Defending this fort were around seventy Spanish troops under Captain Juan Enríquez Conabut dug in to bar the English advance across the isthmus.[11] Baskerville nevertheless ordered an attack to take the hill but this terrain was well chosen by the Spanish; the English attempted for three hours to dislodge the defenders. Each time they assaulted however they were repelled and suffered heavy casualties.[14] The Spaniards were then reinforced by an additional fifty arquebusiers under Captain Hernando de Lierno Agüero, which turned the tide.[4] By this time half of Baskerville's remaining provisions and ammunition were ruined by the wet due to the rain and heavy humidity. Even if he did take the hill, he realised that he would have to fight his way through a succession of such obstacles to Panama and would have no troops left to hold it. The English retreated leaving the hill in the hands of the victorious Spaniards. Losses for the English were over sixty men killed or wounded including Baskerville's brother Nicholas. Spanish losses were only seven killed with an unknown number wounded.[11]

Baskerville's contingent, many of them sick and now demoralised, sent a desperate note to Drake to meet him with supplies and 200 men on the way back.[10] Eventually the depleted force rejoined Drake at Nombre de Dios on 22 January. Drake's and the crews' morale plummeted and three days later they departed westward.[13]

On January 27 Drake's fleet anchored off Escudo de Veraguas Island, but his force by this time was ravaged by the disease.[15] The fittest men, numbering 37 men, attempted to draw water from the Fator River, and were set upon by angry Spanish residents (many of whom were freed slaves) of Santiago del Príncipe from the mainland opposite.[16] The English party were then massacred with only handful escaping.[17] With this bitter news, Drake ordered the fleet to sail east toward Porto Bello but within a few days he himself was suffering from severe dysentery.[4]

On the night of 28 – 29 January 1596, Drake succumbed aboard his flagship Defiance. The following morning, before dying Drake asked to be dressed in his full armour. He was buried at sea in a lead-lined coffin, off Buenaventura Island near Porto Bello.[1] Baskerville assumed command of the fleet and, after contemplating a repeat attack against Santa Marta, he decided rather to order his disheartened men toward Santiago.[15]

According to the information they had, a fleet of sixty sail had been sent out from Spain against them, and this they believed would be stationed at the Yucatan Channel to intercept their homeward course. It was therefore agreed to hold together and attempt to escape by the outward bound route.[4] To this end the fleet was compressed and reorganised, and as though in honour of the name, Thomas Drake was made vice-admiral.[18] Once there and with the crews further weakened by disease he finally completed a retreat to England. In the process the 195-ton Elizabeth and 50-ton Delight were scuttled due to their poor condition and a lack of crew to sail them.[19]

Drake's coffin is assumed to have been deposited off Buenaventura Island, near the Elizabeth and the Delight, which were scuttled in Portobelo Bay. Wreckage thought to be that of the two ships was found by divers in 2011 but attempts to locate the coffin have been unsuccessful.[25]