Descripción
First edition. In later cardboard with title vignette on front panel. 27 [1] p. Extremely scarce document related to the treason trial of the Spanish officials after the Siege and Surrender of Havana in 1762. Colonel Balthasar Ricaud de Tirgale was the chief engineer of the fortification works in Cuba before the Siege of Havana in 1762. After the death of his brother, Francisco who served as the director and head of the work, Balthasar took over his responsibilities. After the surrender, he was among the officials who were tried for treason due to their activities before and during the siege of Havana. This scarce pamphlet was supposedly printed only for the court's use, thus in very limited numbers, during the large-scale and lengthy trial aftermath of the surrender, it contains Ricaud de Tirgale's confession at the court martial during a section of the trial between September 2 and October 10, 1763, related to his role in the defense and the surrender of Havana. Before Spain entered into the ongoing global conflict, the Seven Years' War on France's side in 1762, Charles III of Spain sent a flotilla under the command of Admiral Gutierre de Hevia to Havana to defend the city, and ordered to strengthen Cuba's fortresses against an expected offensive of the British navy. For managing the fortification works Juan de Prado was appointed as Captain General of Cuba and arrived at Havana in February 1761 with his main confidant and assistant, Captain Don José (Joseph) García Gago, and Balthasar Ricaud de Tirgale the chief architect of the project. The improvement of the fortifications began immediately after their arrival, but soon an epidemic of yellow fever hit the city, the construction slowed down and remained incomplete at the time of the British attack, commanded by George Pocock and George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle, on June 6, 1762. After six weeks of fighting, the city surrendered on August 13. The British gained control over the most important harbor in the Spanish West Indies, seized one-fifth of the strength of the Spanish Navy, and obtained possession over the city's military equipment, and its economic and financial assets. The surrender of Havana and a few weeks later Manila (6 October 1762), the capitals of the West and East Indies, was an enormous loss of prestige for Spain which hammered a nail into the coffin of the Spanish Empire and proved the British naval supremacy. The two cities eventually returned to Spain as a result of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, which concluded the Franco-British conflicts of the Seven Years' War. After the surrender, the Spanish military and civil leaders involved in the defense were tried before a court martial in Madrid. Prado, Hevia, and nine other officials - among them Gago - were accused of treason. Prado was found guilty, and sentenced to death, but was reprieved, and died in prison. Hevia was condemned to house arrest for 10 years and the loss of his office and titles but was later pardoned and reinstated. Others were dismissed from office or sentenced to less severe penalties. An extremely scarce and important document, we could not trace any copies in institutional holdings. Light water stain at the gutter, and lower edge otherwise in fine condition. In later cardboard with title vignette on front panel. N° de ref. del artículo 2855
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