Drake

Uncommissioned privateer who struck the Spanish Main and returned with a fortune.

Sir Francis Drake led an uncommissioned privateering expedition from 1572 to 1573, targeting the western and southern Caribbean Sea. This voyage is historically regarded as a precursor to the hostilities of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). Departing Plymouth in May 1572 aboard the Pascha and Swan, Drake assembled a fleet including two small pinnaces carried in kit form. Alongside his brothers John and Joseph, he sought to replicate the success of his earlier cruises. The expedition involved complex maneuvers across Dominica, Port Pheasant, and Nombre de Dios, culminating in a successful interception of a treasure train near Venta Cruces before returning to Plymouth in August 1573.

Lore & Background

Drake's journey began when he departed Plymouth in May 1572, landing on southern Dominica on June 29 to refresh provisions. By July 12, they reached Port Pheasant (Zapzurro Cove), where James Rause (or Raunce) joined with a ship and crew. On July 29, Drake and Rause landed at Nombre de Dios. At 3:00 am, they seized the town's six-gun battery but were forced to retreat after a rainstorm drenched their gunpowder and Drake fainted from blood loss due to a gunshot wound in his leg. While recuperating at Bastimentos, Francis Drake allied with Panamanian cimarrones by September 24. The expedition faced setbacks including the death of brother Joseph in December 1572 and the loss of brother John earlier that month.

Reader's Guide

This expedition utilized specific tactical adaptations, such as carrying disassembled pinnaces to build them on-site at Port Pheasant. Drake managed fleet composition by scuttling the Swan and burning a prize ship when stretched thin across multiple vessels. Strategic bases like Port Plenty in the Gulf of San Blas allowed for five or six weeks of raids along the Spanish Main. The alliance with cimarrones proved critical, providing intelligence that confirmed the arrival of the Spanish plate fleet on January 30. Despite finding settlements deserted at Santa Marta due to Spanish forewarning, Drake captured a 90-ton supply ship on November 12. The campaign concluded in late April when Drake departed Port Plenty with a reduced crew of 30 men, provisioning at the Magdalena River before anchoring at Plymouth on August 9.

Did You Know?

During the raid on Nombre de Dios in July 1572, Drake fainted from blood loss after sustaining a gunshot wound to his leg while his gunpowder was soaked by rain.
The silver train captured at Venta Cruces alone was valued at £20,000, though total voyage profits are often cited as higher or uncertain.
Both of Drake's brothers died during the voyage: John succumbed to death before November 27, and Joseph died from a fatal fever in December 1572.
Guillaume Le Testu joined the expedition in March 1573 with 70 men but was mortally wounded while leading an ambush on April 1.