Sancho Jimeno de Orozco

Sancho Jimeno (Born as Sancho Jimeno de Orozco y Urnieta, in 1640 in Hondarribia, Spain) was a governor of Cartagena, Colombia, between 1693 and 1695 and later, the Lord of the Castle of San Luis in the island of Tierrabomba, fort that was defended by him during the Raid of Cartagena in 1697. After the escape of the governor Diego de los Rios, Don Sancho was called to govern Cartagena between 1698 and 1699.

Life

In accordance with Rodolfo Segovia^[1] and Soledad Acosta de Samper,^[2] Don Sancho Jimeno de Orozco, was a spanish nobleman of a become impoverished family of the Basque Country. He served as a page of John of Austria The Younger, and fought if the Spanish Netherlands wars. Later he traveled to Cartagena in the Americas in 1670. He was married with Maria Ines Blanco de Salcedo y Fernandez Calvo and have one children, Maria Teresa Jimeno Orozco y Blanco de Salcedo who married in the XVIII century with Juan Fernandez de Miranda Gandarillas whose descendants formed part of the most important families of the Colombian Caribean zone until now.

Don Sancho Jimeno was owner of farms near Cartagena, where he had cattle and slaves. He is recognized to had fought violently the runway slaves in the surrounding area of Cartagena. In part because they help to escape other slaves and because they steal the travelers.^[3]

After his government of Cartagena between 1693 and 1695, he was designated as the Lord of the Castle of San Luis de Bocachica since 1695. Was in those time, when the castle was attacked by the French and pirate forces of the Baron of Pointis and the freebooter Ducasse in April 1697.

The defense of the Castle of San Luis de Bocachica

The 13th april 1697, 29 ships of Pointis fleet was seen from Bocachica.^[4] They landed troops in the coast of the island of Tierra Bomba and sieged the castle, preventing the arrive of reinforcements. Although it was known by the Spanish about the French attack, because spies have discovered the departure of the fleet from the port of Brest in January, the city of Cartagena and its forts were poor prepared when the pirates arrived. In the castle of San Luis were only 139 men, some Spanish soldiers and most of them slaves, with enough weapons and gunpowder, but with few foodstuffs. The food supply was arriving just when the pirates surrounded the castle in two small ships that was sunk. The 15th april 1697, the fort was bombarded by the French warships each one with 80 cannons. The slaves rise up, asking to accept the defeat when the pirates reach the drawbridge. Don Sancho denied surrend the castle, despite the rebellion, so the French had to capture him inside the fortress being alone. When he was captured, he denied to surrend the castle of San Luis de Bocachica, action that was considered admirable by Pointis. According to the popular legend, Don Sancho, to not accept the defeat, broke his sword as Lord of the Castle; then, when Pointis wanted to make him honor by his bravery, he gave him his own sword.

Captured by the French, Pointis granted to Don Sancho a prison in his own farm in Isla Baru, where he was brought by a French guard. He was hold as a prisoner until the French leaved Cartagena starting June of 1697.

Don Sancho was designated again governor of Cartagena in 1698, after the escape of the former governor Don Diego de los Rios, who has handed over the city to the French in may 1697 without fighting.

At the beginning of the XVIII century Don Sancho was judged by the Spanish tribunals, by the suspect that the Spanish public servants was corrupted by French spies before the attack and the story of the sword of Pointis was an evidence against Don Sancho. After many years of a penal process he was declared innocent.

Legacy

The legend of Don Sancho Jimeno heroic defense of the Castle of San Luis de Bocachica has a cultural impact in the Colombian Caribean Coast, in spite of it was diminished by the fame of Don Blas de Lezo who impede the defeat of Cartagena 45 years later. The ability of Don Sancho to defend the fort with a small forces convinced the Spanish to increase de defenses on Cartagena Bay during the next years; and the other European powers was convinced that in later attacks they will need more forces and strong artillery.

Two writers stand out by their work on the legend of Don Sancho. The recogniced Colombian writer of the XIX century Soledad Acosta de Samper, who wrote an emotive love story of Don Sancho to his wife during the Raid of Cartagena; and the poet Alvaro Miranda, who in 1982 wrote the poem “Indiada, los escritos de Don Sancho Jimeno”.^[5]

In Cartagena exists a streed called Calle de Don Sancho, that can be visited by tourists.^[6]

The Colombian Navy had a ship called ARC Sancho Jimeno that served during 1953 to 1974.^[7]

References