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750:
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annually to France until it declared war on
Britain. The British had learned of the treaty, and knew it was likely that Spain would declare war soon after the arrival of the treasure ships. Since the British also knew that by law the fleet could only land at
777:
In practical terms, the
British interception of the four Real Armada frigates represented the end of an era for Bourbon Spain and regular specie shipments from the Spanish Empire's New World mines and mints. The squadron to which
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801:
in silver and gold coin, as well as 150,000 gold ingots, 75 sacks of wool, 1,666 bars of tin, 571 pigs of copper, seal skins and oil, although 1.2 million in silver, half the copper and a quarter of the tin went down with the
810:
payment was made amounting to £160,000, of which the four
Captains would have received £15,000 each (equivalent to £1,152,000 in 2023). Captain Gore had previously received an even greater sum as captain of
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belonged was the last of its kind that the world would see: a
Spanish treasure fleet moving bullion from the New World Viceroyalties to the Iberian kingdoms.
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At dawn on 5 October, the
Spanish frigates sighted the coast of Portugal. At 7 a.m. they sighted the four British frigates. Bustamante ordered his ships into
681:, to explain his orders. Bustamante naturally refused to surrender and, impatient of delays, at 10 a.m. Moore ordered a shot be fired ahead over the bows of
1079:
535:
476:
797:
ruled that the three ships were "Droits of the
Admiralty", and all revenues would revert to them. The four Spanish ships carried a total of 4,286,508
793:. Technically Britain and Spain were not at war at the time of the action, so the seizure of the ships and their cargo was an act of piracy and the
806:. Still, the remaining ships and cargo were assessed at a value of £900,000 (equivalent to £69,103,000 in 2023). After much legal argument an
599:, as well as its place and approximate time of departure from South America, it was not difficult to position a squadron to intercept it.
150:
51:"Battle of Cape Santa Maria" redirects here. For the battle in the American Revolutionary War that took place in the same vicinity, see
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was a naval engagement that took place off the southern
Portuguese coast, in which a British squadron under the command of Commodore
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18:
466:
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Spain declared war on Great
Britain on 14 December 1804, but suffered a catastrophic defeat less than a year later at the
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exploded destroying the ship, and killing all but 40 of her 240 crew, including almost the entire family of the future
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of the Crown" and became the property of their captors, who received the full value of the ships and cargo in
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40-gun frigate, Flagship carrying
Admiral Bustamante, commanded by Capitán Francisco de Piedrola y Verdugo
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Under the terms of the
Cruizers and Convoys Act of 1708 ships captured at sea were "
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loaded with gold and silver, as well as much other valuable cargo. On 22 September
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685:. Almost immediately a general exchange of fire broke out. Within ten minutes the
199:
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71:
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1031:"The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)"
798:
665:
542:
239:
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Moore's ship arrived off Cadiz on 29 September and was joined on 2 October by
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Moore, the British Commodore, sent Lieutenant Ascott to the Spanish flagship
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20:
989:
844:
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the day after. In line abreast they patrolled the approaches to Cádiz.
603:
621:, to intercept and detain the Spanish ships, peacefully, if possible.
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attacked and defeated a Spanish squadron commanded by Brigadier Don
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ordered Captain Graham Moore, commanding the 44-gun razee frigate
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Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving the United Kingdom
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Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata
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36-gun frigate, Capitán Jose Manuel De Goicoa y Labart
668:, and within an hour the British came up in line, to
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Naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars involving Spain
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Publications of the Navy Records Society, Volume 21
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a few hours later. The three frigates were taken to
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34-gun frigate, Capitán Miguel Zapiain y Valladares
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753:Sir Graham Moore's Action, 5 October 1804. HMS
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1083:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
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723:quickly followed. Moore ordered the faster
672:of the Spaniards and "within pistol-shot".
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1027:inflation figures are based on data from
1056:
1000:
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652:
1080:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
1136:
1010:. 20 October 1804. pp. 1309–1310.
911:34-gun frigate, Capitán Aleson y Bueno
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927:44-gun frigate, Flagship, Commodore
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14:
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828:was taken into the Royal Navy as
53:Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)
1066:. 9 November 1805. p. 1402.
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657:5 October 1804, the battle of
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1144:Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808)
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602:Bustamante had set sail from
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1097:UK public library membership
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590:Spain had to pay 72 million
85:The action of 5 October 1804
7:
606:on 9 August 1804 with four
576:José de Bustamante y Guerra
10:
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707:. Within half an hour the
568:Battle of Cape Santa Maria
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1114:Seizing the Gold of Spain
820:Action of 16 October 1799
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963:32-gun frigate, Captain
951:32-gun frigate, Captain
939:38-gun frigate, Captain
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1029:Clark, Gregory (2017).
228:349 killed and wounded
1089:10.1093/ref:odnb/11094
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701:Carlos María de Alvear
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502:Colonia del Sacramento
170:Commanders and leaders
1119:Account of the action
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727:to pursue, capturing
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586:Under the terms of a
220:Casualties and losses
34:36.89663°N 7.895033°W
232:3 frigates captured
225:9 killed and wounded
1164:October 1804 events
866:Battle of Trafalgar
835:(later renamed HMS
659:Cabo de Santa María
234:1 frigate destroyed
39:36.89663; -7.895033
30: /
1077:"Gore, Sir John".
1063:The London Gazette
1025:Retail Price Index
1007:The London Gazette
941:Graham Eden Hamond
775:
662:
612:Admiral Cornwallis
195:José de Bustamante
1159:Conflicts in 1804
1129:HMS Indefatigable
1095:(Subscription or
868:in October 1805.
715:had surrendered.
588:secret convention
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452:St. George's Caye
272:Anglo-Spanish War
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522:3rd Buenos Aires
482:2nd Buenos Aires
472:1st Buenos Aires
403:10 December 1800
373:19 December 1796
336:25 November 1804
331:Cape Santa Maria
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467:Río de la Plata
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437:Newfoundland
383:15 July 1798
356:4 April 1808
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321:7 April 1800
183:Graham Moore
136:Belligerents
84:
70:Part of the
57:
48:Naval battle
15:
1058:"No. 15861"
1002:"No. 15747"
909:Santa Clara
841:Santa Clara
791:prize money
741:, England.
709:Santa Clara
536:East Indies
507:2 June 1807
398:7 July 1799
274:(1796–1808)
37: /
1138:Categories
1124:HMS Lively
1099:required.)
971:References
837:Imperieuse
604:Montevideo
582:Background
497:Montevideo
408:6 May 1801
311:Santa Cruz
215:4 frigates
212:4 frigates
22:36°53′48″N
965:John Gore
958:HMS
946:HMS
934:HMS
922:HMS
856:HMS
845:HMS
832:Iphigenia
830:HMS
813:HMS
808:ex gratia
745:Aftermath
735:Gibraltar
640:HMS
633:HMS
631:, and by
626:HMS
616:HMS
548:Zamboanga
512:San Pedro
487:Maldonado
413:Algeciras
351:Trafalgar
25:7°53′42″W
902:Mercedes
870:Napoleon
847:Leocadia
804:Mercedes
780:Mercedes
711:and the
692:Mercedes
687:magazine
670:windward
608:frigates
517:Miserere
477:Perdriel
447:San Juan
442:Trinidad
431:Americas
285:Atlantic
207:Strength
107:Location
948:Amphion
916:Britain
767:Liveley
763:Amphion
739:Gosport
689:of the
642:Amphion
378:Menorca
1093:
960:Medusa
936:Lively
815:Triton
787:Droits
765:, and
755:Medusa
725:Lively
721:Medusa
649:Battle
635:Medusa
628:Lively
592:francs
543:Manila
492:Cardal
326:Ferrol
197:
148:
124:Result
1042:7 May
888:Medea
881:Spain
826:Medea
713:Medea
705:Medea
683:Medea
678:Medea
597:Cádiz
553:Macau
306:Cádiz
164:Spain
1044:2024
895:Fama
858:Fama
852:Fama
850:and
730:Fama
717:Fama
638:and
566:The
111:Off
99:Date
1085:doi
1023:UK
988:at
854:as
843:as
839:),
423:2nd
418:1st
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1016:^
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87:,
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263:e
256:t
249:v
55:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
