The siege of Santo Domingo was fought between April23, 1655 and April30, 1655, at the Spanish Colony of Santo Domingo. A force of 2,400 Spanish troops led by Governor Don Bernardino Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalba successfully resisted a force of 13,120 soldiers led by General Robert Venables and 34 ships under Admiral Sir William Penn of the English Commonwealth.
Background In 1655 the Commonwealth of England, under Oliver Cromwell, decided to declare war on Spain. Religious fanaticism played a role in this, as the puritans running the Commonwealth loathed the Catholicism of Spain. More practically, England had a large standing army with ambitious commanders and Cromwell wished to occupy them with a successful campaign, preferably far from home. In addition it was believed that war with Spain would be both easy and profitable.
Command of an expedition to the Caribbean to capture Spanish colonies named the "Western Design" was given to General Robert Venables, with Admiral Sir William Penn commanding the naval contingent of 34 ships. Their authority was constrained by two Civil Commissioners whom Cromwell has tasked with ensuring the loyalty of both Venables and Penn. The 13,000 troops sent to the Caribbean were selected for the mission based on which would be least missed due to perceived practical or political weakness. Administrative and financial problems meant that the expedition sailed short of equipment and supplies. It was hoped that the English might take possession of Santo Domingo, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Invasion
High winds and surf made it difficult for the English to land near their first objective, the city of Santo Domingo. They eventually landed on April13, 1655. However, the 13,000 Englishmen were put ashore at the mouth of the Nizao River, some thirty miles from the city. It took them four days, short of water, food and military supplies, to make their way to within sight of the city. They were then ambushed and routed by approximately 300 Spanish militiamen. Venables' troops suffered approximately 600 men killed and 400 wounded or taken prisoner. The English fleet carried out an ineffectual attempt to bombard the city into submission, then sailed off to re-embark the army's survivors.
Aftermath
British historian Nicholas A. M. Rodger wrote that "in one afternoon the invincible reputation of the New Model Army had been thrown away". The English left Santo Domingo and sailed for Jamaica, which they successfully conquered in a six-day campaign.
Venables and Penn were disgraced and imprisoned in the Tower of London. Historian C.H. Firth opined that the main cause of the failure at Hispaniola was the lack of co-operation on the part of Venables and Penn. Venables never obtained the confidence either of his officers or his soldiers. Samuel Pepys, Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board, considered Admiral Penn a "false knave". Historian John Morrill wrote "[Venables] was over-promoted and under-supported in a high-profile fiasco in the Caribbean that cost him his reputation." His army was composed of inferior and undisciplined troops hastily assembled and badly equipped.
The site of the battle between the Spaniards and the English was renamed after the battle as the Puerta del Conde in honor of Governor Bernardino Meneses y Bracamonte, Count of Peñalba, who had commanded the Spanish forces resisting the invasion. It was subsequently claimed afterwards by the Spanish that English forces had been frightened by the nocturnal noise of the crabs on the beach of Haina; in honour of the victory the Spaniards created a commemorative gold crab, which they paraded down the streets of Santo Domingo in triumph. The gold crab has not survived; it was stolen by General Joseph de Barquier, the last French governor on the island.
Order of battle
English fleet +Admiral William Penn's fleet at the 1655 Siege of Santo Domingo Ship Name Ship Type Guns Crew Captain Swiftsure (flag) Warship 60 380 Jonas Poole Paragon (vice-flag) Warship 54 330 William Goodson Torrington (rear-admiral) Warship 54 330 George Dakins Gloucester Warship 54 330 Benjamin Blake Marston Moor Warship 54 330 Edward Blagg Indian Warship 44 210 Captain Terry Lion Warship 44 260 John Lumbert Mathias Warship 44 230 John White Dover Warship 40 190 Robert Saunders Laurel Warship 40 190 William Crispin Portland Warship 40 190 Richard Newberry Bear Warship 36 180 Francis Kirby Great Charity Warship 36 150 Leonard Harris Selby Warship 24 ? John Clark Grantham Warship 24 ? John Lightfoot Martin Warship (galley) 12 60 Willam Vessey Convertine Transport 30 ? John Hayward Heart's Ease Transport 30 ? Thomas Wright Katherine Transport 30 ? Willoughby Hannam Half-Moon Transport 28 ? Bartholomew Ketcher Rosebush Transport 28 ? Richard Hodges Golden Cock Transport 25 ? William Garrat Gillyflower Transport 24 ? Henry Fenn Adam & Eve Transport 20 ? William Coppin Arms of Holland Transport 20 ? Robert Story Crow Transport 20 ? Thomas Thompson Marigold Transport 20 ? Humphrey Felsted Sampson Transport 20 ? John Hubbard Westergate Transport 20 ? Samuel Hawkes Cardiff Transport 18 ? John Grove Tulip Transport 18 ? Jeffrey Dane Falcon Flyboat 24 ? Thomas Fleet Falcon Fireship 12 ? William Tickell Hound Transport ? ? Richard Rooth Falmouth Transport ? ? Robert Mills Adventure Dogger ? ? ? Unknown two ketches, one hoy ? ? ?
English army +General Robert Venables Army at the 1655 Siege of Santo Domingo Regimental Commander Senior Officers No. of Officers No. of Private Soldiers General Robert Venables Major John FergusonCaptain Henry DisneyCaptain Thomas HancockCaptain George ButlerCaptain Obadiah HindeCaptain ParsonsCaptain CookeCaptain PawletCaptain Paris 13210 Staff officers 912 Major General James Heane Lt.-Colonel ClarkeMajor Samuel BarryCaptain WaltersCaptain Gregory TomCaptain Richard YoungCaptain SmithCaptain Richard BamfordCaptain Henry Archibold 12010 Staff officers 1,052 Colonel Richard Fortescue Lt.-Colonel William HillCaptain Henry BartlettCaptain Samuel LeveringtonCaptain Thomas WhiteCaptain Bartholomew DavisCaptain Richard WellsCaptain KeeneCaptain Edwards 12010 Staff officers 1,064 Colonel Anthony Buller Lt.-Colonel Francis BarringtonMajor Michael BlandCaptain BarnardCaptain MinneCaptain BoultonCaptain Thomas ThrockmortonCaptain BinghamCaptain CooperCaptain CorbetLieutenant Francis Price 12010 Staff officers 916Colonel Andrew Carter Lt.-Colonel BushellCaptain Nicholas HolfordCaptain Nathaniel BowersCaptain BluntCaptain HowCaptain SalkieldCaptain Abraham FincherCaptain Filkins 12010 Staff officers 834Colonel Edward D'Oyley Lt.-Colonel Francis MercerMajor John ReadeCaptain Thomas ThornhillCaptain NoellCaptain SmithCaptain Richard StevensCaptain VavasterCaptain Augustine ThornhillCaptain Downes 12010 Staff officers 630Total . 732 5602Scoutmaster General's Company Isaac Berkenhead 60Artillery TrainCaptain Hughes . 60Firelocks?Captain Johnson 12 120HorseCaptain Carpenter 10 56Reformados (unassigned forces)Captain Jennings2100HorseCaptain John Heane 12 65Total . 36 445Grand Total . 768 6,047 6,815
Notes
See also Anglo-Spanish War (1654–60)
References
Further reading Kris E. Lane, Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas, 1500–1750.