Simón Susarte
Encyclopedia
Simón Rodríguez Susarte, commonly known as Simón Susarte, was a Spanish
goatherd
from Gibraltar
, who in 1704 aided a Spanish
attempt to seize Gibraltar by revealing a concealed path to the attackers which led to the top of The Rock
. Susarte then guided a Spanish contingent along this difficult trail, aiming to surprise the Anglo-Dutch garrison in hopes of recovering the fortress. Although the resulting assault proved unsuccessful, Susarte's bravery and resourcefulness made him a local legend.
to the city in September, mainly attacking from the northern slopes of The Rock. Despite numerous Spanish batteries
in this area, the British defenders managed to hold the city's entrance by creating an inundation
, with fire support provided by a large ship at the port's northern end.
to advise the troops of a path which led from the east side of The Rock to its summit. This path was known to Susarte and other goatherds from Gibraltar
, as they had used it regularly prior to the British capture of The Rock in search of pasture
for their goat
s. The Marquis of Villadarias
was in command at the camp; after confirming the veracity of Susarte's account, he decided to send a Colonel Figueroa together with 500 men led by Susarte to take the British by surprise from the top of The Rock, in conjunction with a general attack to be launched by the remaining Spanish forces. On the night of 9 October, Figueroa's soldiers left the Spanish camp and began climbing up the jagged eastern slopes of Gibraltar to the "Paso del Algarrobo" . They later descended, guided by Susarte, along the path to the area known to him as "Los Tarfes" and took refuge in St. Michael's Cave
on the western slopes of The Rock.
to displace British troops so that Figueroa's men might take over their posts; however, Figueroa saw no movement from the camp on 10 September, and so decided not to attack. Shortly after sunrise, a boy taking supplies to his father at the Signal Station found that all its occupants were dead, and immediately notified the British garrison.
led by a Colonel Whetham was quickly sent out to engage the Spanish troops. Despite their greater numbers, the British had the disadvantage of advancing up the high sloping terrain, whilst the Spanish were able to cause their enemies more damage from such heights than they would have on flat land. Unfortunately for Figueroa's troops, each soldier was equipped with only three gunpowder
cartridges for defense, due to the limited amount of equipment they could transport to The Rock's summit. After using up their munitions they began to retreat, whilst the British riddled them with bullets. Many soldiers who did not perish during the man-to-man battle fell from the "Salto del Lobo" , a high precipice on The Rock's western face. The remaining 160 Spaniards, including their colonel and 30 other officers, were taken prisoner.
(History of Gibraltar and its Campo), in 1860. However, the official accounts of the siege published in the Gaceta de Madrid or the letters of Villadarias (which generically talks about l'affaire de la montagne, the mountain affair) do not mention it. It has been argued, however, that it does not prove that Susarte did not exist, but only that his alleged participation was hushed up.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
goatherd
Goatherd
A goatherd or goatherder is a person who herds goats as a vocational activity. Similar to a fisherman who catches fish for a living, the drover here herds goats. Goatherds are popular in countries where goat populations are significant; for instance, in Africa and South Asia...
from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, who in 1704 aided a Spanish
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
attempt to seize Gibraltar by revealing a concealed path to the attackers which led to the top of The Rock
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
. Susarte then guided a Spanish contingent along this difficult trail, aiming to surprise the Anglo-Dutch garrison in hopes of recovering the fortress. Although the resulting assault proved unsuccessful, Susarte's bravery and resourcefulness made him a local legend.
The Gibraltar siege
Following their loss of Gibraltar on 4 August 1704, the Spanish Army counterattacked by laying siegeSiege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
to the city in September, mainly attacking from the northern slopes of The Rock. Despite numerous Spanish batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
in this area, the British defenders managed to hold the city's entrance by creating an inundation
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
, with fire support provided by a large ship at the port's northern end.
The path
On 8 October, Simón Susarte visited the Spanish army camp on the north end of the isthmusIsthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
to advise the troops of a path which led from the east side of The Rock to its summit. This path was known to Susarte and other goatherds from Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, as they had used it regularly prior to the British capture of The Rock in search of pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
for their goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s. The Marquis of Villadarias
Francisco Castillo Fajardo, Marquis of Villadarias
Francisco Castillo Fajardo, 2nd Marquis of Villadarias , was a Spanish general.- Service Record :...
was in command at the camp; after confirming the veracity of Susarte's account, he decided to send a Colonel Figueroa together with 500 men led by Susarte to take the British by surprise from the top of The Rock, in conjunction with a general attack to be launched by the remaining Spanish forces. On the night of 9 October, Figueroa's soldiers left the Spanish camp and began climbing up the jagged eastern slopes of Gibraltar to the "Paso del Algarrobo" . They later descended, guided by Susarte, along the path to the area known to him as "Los Tarfes" and took refuge in St. Michael's Cave
St. Michael's Cave
St Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve of Gibraltar, at a height of over 300 metres above sea level...
on the western slopes of The Rock.
Spanish surprise attack
Susarte's party emerged from the cave before sunrise and proceeded to the "Torre del Hacho" (Signal Station), killing the guards posted there on sentry duty. Shortly after, they took the area then known as "La Silleta" at Gibraltar's summit. Simón Susarte's task as guide ended here. Having accomplished the first part of their mission, Figueroa's men awaited a signal from the Spanish camp to take the Upper Town by surprise at various points. The Marquis of Villadarias planned a supporting assault across the isthmus frontierFrontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
to displace British troops so that Figueroa's men might take over their posts; however, Figueroa saw no movement from the camp on 10 September, and so decided not to attack. Shortly after sunrise, a boy taking supplies to his father at the Signal Station found that all its occupants were dead, and immediately notified the British garrison.
The British counter-attack
A regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
led by a Colonel Whetham was quickly sent out to engage the Spanish troops. Despite their greater numbers, the British had the disadvantage of advancing up the high sloping terrain, whilst the Spanish were able to cause their enemies more damage from such heights than they would have on flat land. Unfortunately for Figueroa's troops, each soldier was equipped with only three gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
cartridges for defense, due to the limited amount of equipment they could transport to The Rock's summit. After using up their munitions they began to retreat, whilst the British riddled them with bullets. Many soldiers who did not perish during the man-to-man battle fell from the "Salto del Lobo" , a high precipice on The Rock's western face. The remaining 160 Spaniards, including their colonel and 30 other officers, were taken prisoner.
Susarte's fate and legacy
According to some sources, Simón Susarte saved his own life by taking a path unknown to the either the Spanish or the British, thus escaping the scuffle. A park in San Roque featuring Susarte's statue is named after him.Existence of Simón Susarte
There is no consensus about the existence of Simón Susarte, since some contemporary sources did not mention him at all. Susarte's story is mentioned by Ignacio López de Ayala in its Historia de Gibraltar (History of Gibraltar), in 1782, and by Francisco María Montero in its Historia de Gibraltar y su CampoCampo de Gibraltar
The comarca of the Campo de Gibraltar is a comarca in the province of Cádiz, Spain, in the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Andalusia, the southernmost part of continental Western Europe...
(History of Gibraltar and its Campo), in 1860. However, the official accounts of the siege published in the Gaceta de Madrid or the letters of Villadarias (which generically talks about l'affaire de la montagne, the mountain affair) do not mention it. It has been argued, however, that it does not prove that Susarte did not exist, but only that his alleged participation was hushed up.