Michiel Andrieszoon
Encyclopedia
Michiel Andrieszoon was a Dutch buccaneer
who served as lieutenant to Captain Laurens de Graaf
. He commanded the le Tigre which was manned by a 300-man crew and armed with between 30-36 guns and, in 1683, was one of the leaders of the raid on Veracruz
. This was one of the last major buccaneering raids in the Spanish Main
and included such captains as Yankey Willems, Nicholas van Hoorn
and Michel de Grammont
. He was with de Graaf when they rendezvoused with the rest of the fleet from Petit-Goâve in February 1683. The two men had with them two ships, a bark and a sloop, and 500 men. Andrieszoon took part in raiding Spanish ships in the Bay of Honduras and off the coast of Central America
for several weeks. They arrived at Veracruz on May 17 and, after some reconnaissance, attacked at dawn the following morning and successfully looted the Spanish stronghold.
In late-November, Andrieszoon was with de Graff, Yankey Willems, François Le Sage and several others attacking the local coastal traffic near Cartagena
. When Viceroy Juan de Pando Estrada was informed of the buccaneer's presence, he ordered three Spanish warships to confront them. On December 23, the small squadron sailed out to meet the enemy fleet. Under the leadership of 26-year-old Captain Andres de Pez y Malzarraga, his command consisted of the 40-gun San Francisco, 34-gun Paz and a 28-gun galliot carrying 800 soldiers. Instead of fleeing, the smaller ships sailed around the Spaniards and confusing its gunners. The San Francisco ran aground early in the battle, the galliot was captured by Willems while the Paz struck after four hours of fighting. Casualties were relatively light with only twenty buccaneers and ninety soldiers killed and the rest taken prisoner. The buccaneers took the warships for themselves, de Graaf raising the San Francisco and making it his new flagship, and later released the prisoners with a message for the governor thanking him for the Christmas present
. Andrieszoon presumably remained with the expedition as they blockaded for three weeks before de Graff headed northwest for Roatan
and Saint Domingue.
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
who served as lieutenant to Captain Laurens de Graaf
Laurens de Graaf
Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf (ca. 1653, Dordrecht, Dutch Republic – probably 24 May 1704, Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue, alias Laurencillo/Lorencillo & El Griffe (Spanish); Sieur de Baldran, alias de Graff (French); or...
. He commanded the le Tigre which was manned by a 300-man crew and armed with between 30-36 guns and, in 1683, was one of the leaders of the raid on Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. This was one of the last major buccaneering raids in the Spanish Main
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
and included such captains as Yankey Willems, Nicholas van Hoorn
Nicholas van Hoorn
The pirate Nicholas van Hoorn was born in Holland and died near Vera Cruz, Mexico. Nikolaas or Klaas was engaged in the Dutch merchant service from about 1655 until 1659, and then bought a vessel with his savings. With a band of reckless men whom he had enlisted, he became a terror to the...
and Michel de Grammont
Michel de Grammont
Michel de Grammont was a French pirate. He was born in Paris, France and was lost at sea, north-east Caribbean, April 1686. His pirate career was from c.1670 - 1686. His flagship was the Hardi.-Pirate career:...
. He was with de Graaf when they rendezvoused with the rest of the fleet from Petit-Goâve in February 1683. The two men had with them two ships, a bark and a sloop, and 500 men. Andrieszoon took part in raiding Spanish ships in the Bay of Honduras and off the coast of Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
for several weeks. They arrived at Veracruz on May 17 and, after some reconnaissance, attacked at dawn the following morning and successfully looted the Spanish stronghold.
In late-November, Andrieszoon was with de Graff, Yankey Willems, François Le Sage and several others attacking the local coastal traffic near Cartagena
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
. When Viceroy Juan de Pando Estrada was informed of the buccaneer's presence, he ordered three Spanish warships to confront them. On December 23, the small squadron sailed out to meet the enemy fleet. Under the leadership of 26-year-old Captain Andres de Pez y Malzarraga, his command consisted of the 40-gun San Francisco, 34-gun Paz and a 28-gun galliot carrying 800 soldiers. Instead of fleeing, the smaller ships sailed around the Spaniards and confusing its gunners. The San Francisco ran aground early in the battle, the galliot was captured by Willems while the Paz struck after four hours of fighting. Casualties were relatively light with only twenty buccaneers and ninety soldiers killed and the rest taken prisoner. The buccaneers took the warships for themselves, de Graaf raising the San Francisco and making it his new flagship, and later released the prisoners with a message for the governor thanking him for the Christmas present
Christmas Present
- References :*...
. Andrieszoon presumably remained with the expedition as they blockaded for three weeks before de Graff headed northwest for Roatan
Roatán
Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan...
and Saint Domingue.
Further reading
- Galvin, Peter R. Patterns of Pillage: A Geography of Caribbean-based Piracy in Spanish America, 1536–1718. New York: Peter Lang, 1999. ISBN 0-8204-3771-9
- Little, Benerson. The Buccaneer's Realm: Pirate Life on the Spanish Main, 1674–1688. Potomac Books, 2007. ISBN 1-59797-101-4
- Marley, David. Sack of Veracruz: The Great Pirate Raid of 1683. Winsor, Ontario: Netherlandic Press, 1993. ISBN 0-919417-32-9