By: Jesus Terán Gil (chronicler of the city of Tarifa)
Wherever you are, take the history of Spain, always comes out a heroic feat of our City. One of them, no doubt, the site and protection of the City. Rate tested in those days with Copons to the French general, which proved 517 years ago Don Alonso Perez de Guzman to the Moors and the treachery of a renegade and ambitious child.
Besieged City by a French army corps (about 10,000 men) of which he was Commander in Chief, a Baron of the Empire Knight Grand Cross of Carlos Federico de France and Officer of the Legion of Honor, was none other than Levalle general, which came from Algeciras, nevertheless, due to the active surveillance that observed the general Ballesteros was at the Campo de Gibraltar in command of a division of English troops. Portrait of General
Copons. (Photo taken from the magazine Carteya, No. 4, April 1976)
When you reach the Puerta del Retiro put the headquarters of French troops and breaking to the right of the door facing the field, when he was already close to being practical, French general sent a summons to the brave quarterback Don Francisco Navía Copons and defending the place, conceived in these terms: Camp Fee December 30, 1811, Major General, Commander of troops from the site of Tarifa, the Lord Governor of the Plaza de Tarifa.Señor Governor: With the defense that makes this place the command of VS., Has sufficiently justified that opinion is the basis of military honor, so that I do not doubt, that penetrated VS. the multitude of longer endurance, try to avoid the dire consequences of their obstinacy could draw on the city and inhabitants of Tarifa. Since yesterday, the gap is open in a few hours which will be practicable. Choose VS. between an honorable capitulation or the horrors of an assault that threatens him. Complázcome to believe that it will accept my first proposition, whenever you stop to consider that the same honor impels him to defense, prescribes the same time save the blood of a people whose fate lies in VS. before he saw her buried in its ruins. Be VS. to right, Governor, to admit the expressions of the most distinguished consideration in that I have. Levall.PD warn VS. which only has two hours to send me your reply.
Having read carefully the general intimidation Copons you do get the following reply: Mr. General LevallSin certainly ignores VS. I am I in this square. when the governor proposes to support a capitulation to find the next gap to be practicable. When it is, at the head of my troops to defend them, I find VS. and then we'll talk. Is available to VS. in the Plaza de Tarifa to December 30, 1811, at a quarter past two o'clock. Francisco de Copons and Navía.PD Please VS. hereinafter omitted parliaments.
immediately Copons, given the claims that follows, the garrison: Soldiers: General Levalle, head of the French troops you have at your face, boldly intimated me that your beloved sovereign Plaza Ferdinand VII, she was delivered by surrender, or that do not assail the gap. I secured your loyalty and courage you have shown me, I have answered that: "Mr. General Levalle. Undoubtedly VS ignores ,....... hereinafter parliaments." My heart is penetrated, soldiers who have given this reply to the enemy, the most inexperienced of you have done the same thing. You know that ahead of you on the risks that have arisen so far I have seen, and therefore deserve your cofianza I am convinced that you hold me by the partner and the first in the gap if the enemy tries to attack. Rate December 30, 1811. Francisco de Copons and ships.
fortification rate was reduced at that time the Castle of Guzman, small town enclosed in an irregular quadrilateral formed by fragile walls with 26 towers, truth is that its proponents had to withdraw as necessary to the Island Pigeons and Fort Santa Catalina (where he is currently the traffic light). Copons artillery enabled the fort as well as a cistern and storage on the island, using an ancient underground called Cuevas de Moras "that it existed. He also fortified other height in the way of the Creek (in the hills where until recently was the traffic light).
In the city the inhabitants were prepared to defend it. Streets were cut, was barricaded with fences torn from many windows and strengthened as much as possible given the type of items that could be seized in those days.
was Governor Don Manuel Davan square, and heads of Engineers and Artillery Don Eugenio lraurqui and Pablo Sanchez. Useful forces commanded our Lorenzo Parra, who had under his command 300 sailors of the City who voluntarily enlisted. Such forces with others of similar English class were our defense army commanded by the protagonist, Commander Francisco de Copons and Navía who was second in command Colonel Skerrett English. View of the Gate
removal as pictorial construction of local scholar Juan Lavao. (Photo: Author Archive)
opened the gap, having destroyed the tower of Jesus. Accountability for Levalle Intifada and discarded in tone rather strongly in Copons, gave December 31 assault on the gap 23 French companies with verve and bravery, but was as much or more of the sites that received the enemy with heavy fire from the houses and parapets that had mattresses up behind the wall. Such was the valiant defense that the French fled, leaving 500 men in the gap between injury and death. Levalle asked parliament, more humble than it did the day before in order to obtain an armistice, the same as that awarded the Tarifa with such courage and humanity, they helped themselves to carry on their shoulders to the wounded, we pursue.
Great example given by the Tarifa with the vanquished, worthy of the noble city in southern Europe. Copons
took advantage of the disappointment that was great in the enemy and it rains raged with such force that overwhelmed the creek that passed by the City and a torrent poured over the trenches, the destroyed and flooded the field, depriving from shelter to assailants who decided to lift the siege of Tarifa on January 5, 1812. Rate This not surrender or capitulate knew that peace was not won with honor and prestige to the low of two thousand French and quite a few guns. And the chronicles
that January 5, 1812, Our Lady of Light was taken on the shoulders of Tarifa to the walls. That
Virgen de la Luz (the chronicles) which was entrusted the general Copons, watching Tarifa the miracle of miracles, which was the heavy rain that wiped out an enemy completely defeated already.
From tradition to the Virgin of Light is granted traditional military honors and also (it is said that ever since) that the procession of September, the military governor of the Plaza go behind the screen holding the tail of the mantle. Military vassalage he still continues to follow today.
also said to have been the very Copons which ended after the siege, handed over the sash and the baton to the Pattern of Tarifa.
Tarifa Thus ended for the war against the invasion of native land, looking away from the walls an army of ten thousand
Source: n2 Aljaranda
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