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Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
(CUBA.) Manuscript account of the naval Battle of Havana between Spanish and English squadrons. 4 manuscript pages, 12 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches, on one folding sheet; folds, edge wear and vermin damage to inner margin slightly affecting text. No place, circa 1748
In the 12 October 1748 Battle of Havana, the British Jamaican Squadron under Admiral Sir Charles Henry Knowles was on the hunt for the Spanish treasure fleet, hoping to catch a final prize before an expected peace treaty was announced. They were met by the Spanish Havana Squadron under Admiral Don Andrés Reggio. The seven Spanish ships suffered great damage. The ship Conquistador was captured, and the ship Africa was run aground and destroyed to avoid the same fate. This was the final battle in the long-running War of Austrian Succession, which included the War of Jenkins' Ear and King George's War.
This Spanish-language narrative by an unknown author begins a month before the battle with the capture of an English prisoner, and then the Spanish pursuit of the British fleet. It explains that Reggio's squadron mistook the British squadron for an endangered treasure convoy. The specifics of the battle are discussed, including the destruction of the Africa and subsequent efforts at a prisoner exchange. The final page lists six of the ships in the Spanish fleet, and the dead and wounded officers aboard each.
