This one Marine Infantry fight against the English nearly 1790. Here is his history
"Today it's old war stories. With this addition, a debt balance. Or I try. I was going by train
when a young man approached me politely. He carried in his hand a long object
narrow a cloth cover. I'm a Marine lieutenant said, and I will
join a destination. His reader'm also since I started to read. So
as this is my officer's saber, I want you to be you. After my stupor, and after the
Natural resistance to allow detached from the sword, and insisted there was no other.
I got off the train with his gift under his arm, which is now in my house, in the company of
two dozen sabers and swords linked to the history of Spain from the four
centuries. Thankfully, I sent a book too young a few times centenary
and acknowledgment came a request: to devote an article to grenadier
Martin Alvarez, Spanish Marine's naval combat in the San Vicente. And here
I have. Complying with the saber.
The February 14, 1797, a squadron commanded by a coward Spanish
incompetent, Admiral Córdoba, was defeated by an English one near Cape San
Vicente. In the English commanded by Admiral Jervis, who had fewer ships but
crews better trained and more eager to fight. Furthermore, the bracket
Spanish was ill-disposed, while the British kept the line. Of
so they gave us theirs and octopus. Only seven Spanish ships entered
in combat and lost four. Two of them, the St. Joseph and St. Nicholas, taken to
approach by the Captain, with Commodore Nelson directing the attack. The remaining
Spanish ships fled without rescue the imprisoned comrades, and if not
also lost to Holy Trinity, which lowered flag aboard Córdoba was
because the brigadier Cayetano Valdés, a tough and intelligent eight years marine
much later would beat decency in Trafalgar, came to the rescue with his ship Pelayo, and
Trinity said or flag hoisted again and still fighting, or
cannonaded.
Cayetano Valdés Spanish was not the only decent that day. And since there are
precisely those who best speak English in his memoirs of the dirty
spaniards-they spend playing guitar battles and garlic-smelling, has even more
value data following come from the relationship of a sailor named Sir John
Butler. During the British approach of St. Nicholas, Commander Tomas
Geraldino placed on the poop, where waves the flag, a Marine with order
that nobody Lowering and render the ship. The mission has fallen on a grenadier
Extremadura 31 Martin Alvarez called Galan. And at that point the
combat, with the English ship flooded, the dead commander and officers
surrendering, Grenadier remain in post, sword in hand, defending the halyards
of teaching because no one has said it is removed from there. So when the piece of
English approach comes to the poop, and Marine Sergeant William Morris
aims to lower the flag, Martin Alvarez, who goes loose language to explain
talking-not even read or write-hits a saber to this Morris who
digs into a bulkhead, with such force that the sword does not release, so grab a
rifle as a bludgeon, beat her to death a second British officer and injured two others leave
blond before they fry to death. And that's where the Commodore Nelson, who has
witnessed the scene, always hated the French, but he respected the Spanish
when they were chivalrous and brave-, behaves like a gentleman: when
collecting the dead to be thrown into the sea with a cannonball as ballast,
Martin Alvarez orders envelop you in the flag so bravely defended.
And comes the surprise: the grenadier is not dead, but wounded. And evacuated to a
Portuguese hospital, where he saves his life.
Martin Alvarez returned to sea and died four years later, after an accident
degenerated into tuberculosis. It saved perhaps repeat in Trafalgar. But he had
the satisfaction of being promoted to corporal and awarded a pension of four
monthly shields. What I never knew is that, by royal decree would always be a
Spanish Navy ship that would bear his name, nor that Gibraltar would be one
barrel with the plate: "Hooray for Captain, hooray for the San Nicolas, hooray for Martin
Alvarez '. Neither knew at the Naval Museum in London would be preserved until today,
with reverence and respect, the sword with which, under the flag of the ship due but
not given, a humble Spanish marine bulkhead pierced Sergeant
Major William Morris.
Arturo Perez-Reverte"
