How Belize was Destined to Win the Battle of St. George’s Caye

Nearly two hundred and twenty-seven years later, the Battle of St. George’s Caye remains one of the most significant events in Belize’s history. The monumental conflict between British settlers and Spanish forces seeking to invade the territory helped shape Belize’s future as the only English-speaking nation in Central America. As the country gears up to celebrate this historic win on September 10th, we’re taking a closer look at what really tipped the scales in Belize’s favor. In tonight’s edition of Belize on Reel, we take a closer look at some of the factors that contributed to the Spaniards failure on that fateful day. Here’s News Five’s Zenida Lanza, with that story.

 

Zenida Lanza, Reporting

Every year, the Tenth of September is remembered as the day the Baymen stood their ground. But rarely do we hear what went wrong for the other side. Spanish manuscripts reveal that the downfall began long before the battle, detailing betrayal and division within their own ranks. Doctor Angel Cal, an Associate Professor at the University of Belize, states that the Spanish Governor Arturo O’Neil, who commanded the Spanish forces was sabotaged by his own people from the very beginning.

 

Dr. Angel Cal, History Lecturer, University of Belize

“Even though the king had authorized it, those folks ensured that they did not collaborate fully with O’Neil. And so, the second experienced officer that came with O’Neil, also refused to lead the charge on the 10th of September. He just refused. Bocanegra refused. He said he would not. So O’Neil had to select another person to lead the charge, Pedro Gonzalez. Pedro Gonzalez was less experienced, less capable.”

 

Internal sabotage wasn’t the only issue. The Spaniards also lacked manpower. O’Neil left behind nearly fifteen hundred soldiers in Bacalar, hoping the initial thirteen hundred troops could seize control first, which was a gamble that failed.

 

Dr. Angel Cal

“The fleet that attacked at St. George’s Caye did not bring all the land troops. They left about fifteen hundred thereabouts, roughly thirteen hundred troops in Bacalar, as a reserve. They thought that with about thirteen hundred, they can do it.”

 

It’s common knowledge that the Spaniards did not know the lay of the land. This is evident in that several of their ships couldn’t even make it through the channels to reach Belizean waters.

 

Dr. Angel Cal

“The other thing to mention in terms of the lay of the land, and in this case, a lay of the coast, is that eight of the bigger ships could not cross a channel called, Boca Chica or Bar Sígnon. Couldn’t cross, they were too big. And so a lot of that equipment, a lot of the provisions and whatnot had to be put on canoes and transferred to smaller vessels.”

 

It’s a tale that has been passed down from generation to generation. One that depicts Belizeans resilience in times of hardships and our ability to face adversity. Reporting for News Five, I’m Zenida Lanza.