Juan de Amézqueta[1][2][3] (born c. 1595), was a captain in the Puerto Rican Militia who defended Puerto Rico from an invasion by the Dutch in 1625. He fought and wounded Captain Balduino Enrico (Boudewijn Hendricksz) who was ordered by the Dutch Government to capture Puerto Rico.
Area where the "Battle of San Juan of 1625" took place
The Netherlands was a world military and commercial power by 1625, competing in the Caribbean Sea. The Dutch wanted to establish a military stronghold in the area, and dispatched Captain Balduino Enrico (also known as Boudewijn Hendricksz or Bowdoin Henrick) to capture Puerto Rico. On September 24, 1625, Enrico arrived at the coast of San Juan with 17 ships and 2,000 men and sent a message to the governor of Puerto Rico, Juan de Haro, ordering him to surrender the island. De Haro refused; he was an experienced military man and expected an attack in the section known as Boqueron. He therefore had that area fortified. However, the Dutch took another route and landed in La Puntilla.[4]
Seventeenth-century Spanish painting commemorating Enrico's defeat at San Juan de Puerto Rico; by Eugenio Caxés, Museo del Prado
De Haro realized that an invasion was inevitable and ordered Captain Juan de Amezqueta, plus 300 men stationed at "San Felipe del Morro Castle" (also known as "El Morro") and the city of San Juan evacuated. He also had former governor Juan de Vargas organize an armed resistance in the interior of the island. On September 25 Enrico attacked San Juan, besieging El Morro Castle and La Fortaleza (the Governor's Mansion). He invaded the capital city and set up his headquarters in La Fortaleza. The Dutch were counterattacked by Captain Juan de Amezqueta and 50 members of the civilian militia on land and by the cannons of the Spanish troops in El Morro Castle. The land battle left 60 Dutch soldiers dead and Enrico with a sword wound to his neck which he received from the hands of Amezqueta, who is considered as one of the best swordsman of the island.[5][6]
The Dutch ships at sea were boarded by the Puerto Ricans who defeated the Dutch in the land battle. After a long battle, the Spanish soldiers and volunteers of the city's militia were able to defend the city from the attack and save the island from an invasion. On October 21, Enrico set La Fortaleza and the city ablaze. Captains Amezqueta and Andre Botello decided to put a stop to the destruction and led 200 men in an attack against the enemy's front and rear guard. They drove Enrico and his men from their trenches and into the ocean in their haste to reach their ships.[7][8]
Enrico, upon his retreat, would leave behind him one of his largest ships stranded and over 400 of his men dead.[7] He then tried to invade the island by attacking the town of Aguada. He was again defeated by the local militia and abandoned the idea of invading Puerto Rico.[4][8]
Later yearsedit
Monument at El Morro honoring Capt. Juan de Amézqueta
Captain Amezqueta received 1,000 ducats (gold coins), and in 1632 was appointed Governor of Cuba and given command of the Spanish forces in Santiago de Cuba.[7] On March 15, 1635, the Dutch forces had an invasion of Cuba in mind. The Dutch naval forces sent crew members on a reconnaissance mission disguised as Spanish soldiers ashore. One of Amezqueta's men became suspicious and a small skirmish ensued. Under Amezqueta's command, 14 men manned their guns and attacked the Dutch crew members who in turn withdraw and fled.[9] Amezqueta renounced his position in 1636 and returned to Puerto Rico.[7]
Honorsedit
The Spanish government honored the defenders of San Juan with a funerary monument on the grounds of El Morro. The monument was dedicated to Amézqueta in 1925, on the 300th anniversary of the defeat of the Dutch. In the 1940s, the United States inaugurated Fort Amezquita, in Isla de Cabras. During World War II, this fort served as a military reservation, or a "concrete gun battery" for the US Army.[10] Juan de Amezqueta's descendant, Jose Andino y Amezquita, would in the future become the first Puerto Rican journalist.
^ abcdMiddeldyk, R.A. Van Identifier: etext12272 The History of Puerto Rico From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation 2008-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
^ abInsight Guides Puerto Rico; By Barbara Balletto; Pg. 32; Published 2003 Langenscheidt Publishing Group; ISBN981-234-949-9
^"Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present"; by David F. Marley, David F. Marley; Publisher: ABC-CLIO, Incorporated; ISBN978-0-87436-837-6; ISBN0-87436-837-5
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January 04, 2024
juan, amézqueta, born, 1595, captain, puerto, rican, militia, defended, puerto, rico, from, invasion, dutch, 1625, fought, wounded, captain, balduino, enrico, boudewijn, hendricksz, ordered, dutch, government, capture, puerto, rico, captain, juan, amezquetabor. Juan de Amezqueta 1 2 3 born c 1595 was a captain in the Puerto Rican Militia who defended Puerto Rico from an invasion by the Dutch in 1625 He fought and wounded Captain Balduino Enrico Boudewijn Hendricksz who was ordered by the Dutch Government to capture Puerto Rico Juan de AmezquetaCaptain Juan de AmezquetaBorn1595San Sebastian Gipuzkoa Province SpainDiedSan Juan Puerto RicoAllegiancePuerto Rican MilitiaRankCaptainCommands heldSan Felipe del Morro CastleBattles warsDefense of San Juan 1625 Contents 1 Early years 2 Defense of San Juan 3 Later years 4 Honors 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly years editAmezqueta birth name Juan de Amezqueta y Quijano note 1 was born and raised in the town of San Sebastian Gipuzkoa Province Spain Defense of San Juan edit nbsp Area where the Battle of San Juan of 1625 took placeThe Netherlands was a world military and commercial power by 1625 competing in the Caribbean Sea The Dutch wanted to establish a military stronghold in the area and dispatched Captain Balduino Enrico also known as Boudewijn Hendricksz or Bowdoin Henrick to capture Puerto Rico On September 24 1625 Enrico arrived at the coast of San Juan with 17 ships and 2 000 men and sent a message to the governor of Puerto Rico Juan de Haro ordering him to surrender the island De Haro refused he was an experienced military man and expected an attack in the section known as Boqueron He therefore had that area fortified However the Dutch took another route and landed in La Puntilla 4 nbsp Seventeenth century Spanish painting commemorating Enrico s defeat at San Juan de Puerto Rico by Eugenio Caxes Museo del PradoDe Haro realized that an invasion was inevitable and ordered Captain Juan de Amezqueta plus 300 men stationed at San Felipe del Morro Castle also known as El Morro and the city of San Juan evacuated He also had former governor Juan de Vargas organize an armed resistance in the interior of the island On September 25 Enrico attacked San Juan besieging El Morro Castle and La Fortaleza the Governor s Mansion He invaded the capital city and set up his headquarters in La Fortaleza The Dutch were counterattacked by Captain Juan de Amezqueta and 50 members of the civilian militia on land and by the cannons of the Spanish troops in El Morro Castle The land battle left 60 Dutch soldiers dead and Enrico with a sword wound to his neck which he received from the hands of Amezqueta who is considered as one of the best swordsman of the island 5 6 The Dutch ships at sea were boarded by the Puerto Ricans who defeated the Dutch in the land battle After a long battle the Spanish soldiers and volunteers of the city s militia were able to defend the city from the attack and save the island from an invasion On October 21 Enrico set La Fortaleza and the city ablaze Captains Amezqueta and Andre Botello decided to put a stop to the destruction and led 200 men in an attack against the enemy s front and rear guard They drove Enrico and his men from their trenches and into the ocean in their haste to reach their ships 7 8 Enrico upon his retreat would leave behind him one of his largest ships stranded and over 400 of his men dead 7 He then tried to invade the island by attacking the town of Aguada He was again defeated by the local militia and abandoned the idea of invading Puerto Rico 4 8 Later years edit nbsp Monument at El Morro honoring Capt Juan de AmezquetaCaptain Amezqueta received 1 000 ducats gold coins and in 1632 was appointed Governor of Cuba and given command of the Spanish forces in Santiago de Cuba 7 On March 15 1635 the Dutch forces had an invasion of Cuba in mind The Dutch naval forces sent crew members on a reconnaissance mission disguised as Spanish soldiers ashore One of Amezqueta s men became suspicious and a small skirmish ensued Under Amezqueta s command 14 men manned their guns and attacked the Dutch crew members who in turn withdraw and fled 9 Amezqueta renounced his position in 1636 and returned to Puerto Rico 7 Honors editThe Spanish government honored the defenders of San Juan with a funerary monument on the grounds of El Morro The monument was dedicated to Amezqueta in 1925 on the 300th anniversary of the defeat of the Dutch In the 1940s the United States inaugurated Fort Amezquita in Isla de Cabras During World War II this fort served as a military reservation or a concrete gun battery for the US Army 10 Juan de Amezqueta s descendant Jose Andino y Amezquita would in the future become the first Puerto Rican journalist See also edit nbsp Puerto Rico portal nbsp Biography portalBattle of San Juan 1625 List of Puerto Ricans List of Puerto Rican military personnel Military history of Puerto RicoNotes edit In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Amezqueta and the second or maternal family name is Quijano References edit General Archive of the Indies Expediente de informacion y licencia de pasajero a indias del capitan Juan de Amezqueta Quijano 14 April 1633 El capitan D Juan de Amezqueta y Quijano Armada espanola desde la union de los Reinos de Castilla y Aragon 1898 Vol IV 1621 1652 pag 60 a b Historias de Puerto Rico by Paul G Miller 1947 pgs 221 237 Don Juan de Haro y los holandeses 24 de Septiembre de 1625 Archived March 20 2008 at the Wayback Machine El Morro testigo inconquistable Coleccion Espalda Author Jose Morales Dorta Publisher Isla Negra Editores 2006 pages 60 73 ISBN 1932271791 9781932271799 a b c d Middeldyk R A Van Identifier etext12272 The History of Puerto Rico From the Spanish Discovery to the American Occupation Archived 2008 01 22 at the Wayback Machine a b Insight Guides Puerto Rico By Barbara Balletto Pg 32 Published 2003 Langenscheidt Publishing Group ISBN 981 234 949 9 Wars of the Americas A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World 1492 to the Present by David F Marley David F Marley Publisher ABC CLIO Incorporated ISBN 978 0 87436 837 6 ISBN 0 87436 837 5 FortsExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juan de Amezqueta Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Juan de Amezqueta amp oldid 1180097918, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
