The day of reckoning had finally arrived. At 1:00 p.m. on the afternoon of July 30 a thunderous boom announced the detonation of the mine. The rubble from El Mono's bastion had failed to throw enough debris into the ditch to fill it completely. Although the passage of troops across it appeared difficult, it did not seem impossible, and an impatient Albemarle decided to proceed with the assault by 699 picked men. Initially. 16 of them filed across and gained the platform of the bastion. The Spanish troops facing them appeared surprised and they delayed in coming out anticipating another explosion. Velasco eventually rallied his regulars and rushed to the breach. An hour of hand to hand fighting ensued during which Velasco was mortally wounded in the chest by a musket shot. El Morro was finally carried by the British. After a truce was declared for clearing the dead and wounded. Velasco was allowed to be transferred to the city still alive. In spite of all attempts to save him he died at 9:00 p.m. on the following day.

The fall of El Morro sealed the fate of the city but it would take two more weeks for it to be forced to surrender. No longer hindered by flanking fire from El Morro, the British were now free to build a string of batteries facing the city along the entire length of the harbor entrance from El Morro to La Cabana hill. By August 10 a total of 47 cannon (fifteen 32 pounders and thirty-two 24 pounders), 10 mortars and 5 howitzers were ready to open fire from a distance of only 500 to 800 meters. Prado declined Albemarle's demand for surrender and the bombardment began the following dawn. The besiegers' superiority in artillery immediately became apparent and after nine hours of continuous firing, Prado realized that the situation was hopeless and ordered flags of truce hoisted. Articles of capitulation were negotiated for the next two days and on August 14 the British entered the city triumphantly.

The capture of Havana was a debacle for Spain. Not only did it represent the loss of its most prized possession in the Caribbean but with it there also fell into British hands one fifth of the ships of the line of the Spanish navy and a considerable amount of military materiel plus 1,828,116 Spanish Pesos in cash and over 1,000,000 Spanish Pesos in goods. The leadership of Captain General Prado and Admiral Hevia and of the war council had proven inept, their decisions always being governed by a policy of excessive prudence and minimum risk. At the very least they should have burned the fleet and vacated the royal treasury from the city to prevent their capture. It is not surprising that when the full details of their performance became known to Carlos III he decided to convene a court martial that eventually resulted in their conviction. 

In this charade of incompetence Velasco shone as the only example of tenacity, skill and devotion to duty. To signal his gratitude and admiration Carlos III granted a pension to his widow and a peerage to his brother. In addition, he decreed that a commemorative coin be minted bearing his likeness and that thereafter the Spanish navy would always have a ship named Velasco. No less gracious in victory, the British erected a memorial to his person within the confines of Westminster Abbey. Like Nelson at Trafalgar, Velasco could have gone to his deathbed with the claim "Thank God, I have done my duty".

Selected Bibliography

Albi, Julio. La Defensa de las Indias (1764-1799). Ediciones Cultural Hispanica, Madrid, 1987. An Authentic Journal of the Siege of the Havana (May27-August 15, 1762) by an Officer. Lost Cause Press. Louisville, 1966.
Bachiller y Morales, Antonio. Cuba: Monografa Historica que Comprende desde la perdida de La Habana hasta la restauracion espanola. Vol. 2. Coleccion del Bicentenario de 1762. Oticina del Historiador de la Ciudad de La Habana, La Habana, 1962.
Beatson, Robert. Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain From 1727 to 1783. Gregg Press. Boston, 1972.
Blanes Martin, Tamara. Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro de La Habana. Editorial Letras Cubanas. La Habana, 1998.
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Coxe. William. Memoirs of the kings of Spain of the House of Bourbon, from the Accession of Phillip V to the death of Charles III. 1700 to 1788. Longman, Hurt, Rees, Orme, and Brown. London, 1815.
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Defensa, y Satisfaction, Que par la de su obligation, y honor propio expone el Marques del RI. Transporte, Gefe de Esquadra de la Real Armada, y Comandante Principal de todos los Batallones de ella. A los Cargos que se Le han formado, en la causa, mandada instruir, en virlud de Real Orden, par la Junta de enerales, que S.M. se ha dignado nombrar para ello. Sabre la conducta que tuvieron en la Defensa, Capitulation, Perdida, y Rendicion de la Plaza do la Habana, y Esquadra que se hallaba en su Puerto. (Madrid?: s.n,,1764?) Manuscript at the University of Miami Cuban Collection, Otto G. Richter library, Coral Gables, Florida.
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Keppel, Sonia. Three Brothers at Havana 1762. Michael Russell, Lid. England, 1981.
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Luis de Velasco The Siege of Havana, 1762

Introduction and Background
War Between Spain and England
Plan of Defense and Offense
The Siege
Day of Reckoning
Illustration: Spanish Artillerists 1740 (slow: 76K)
Losses at El Morro: Day by Day 6/22-7/30 1762
Plan of El Morro (slow: 123K)
Contemporary Map of Havana (slow: 142K)

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