Siege of St. Barthélemy

Siege of St. Barthélemy
Part of the Exponential Occupation of Monsa
"The End of the Great Siege" (Matthius Alaricus, Galería Palatium Monsa, Paradise, Blackhelm Confederacy)
Date 1659 – 1661 Location St. Barthélemy Result Imperial-Monsan Treaty of 1661
Belligerents
Empire of Exponent Royal Commonwealth of the Scottopian Isles	Sovereign Military Order of Montesa Monsa Cadenzan ratafran
Commanders and leaders
Septimus Barbo Gaius Asparius Marcellus Tagnarius Iann Mackenzie Renfrew	Prince Lucas II Giusti Sebastian Carrillo y Suárez de Garena Vesrik Taipor
Strength
1,200 Exponential Troops 300 Scottopian Claidheamhan (Swordsmen)	200 knights 800 armed civilians 46 Cadenzan ratafran

The Siege of St. Barthélemy (Spanish: Sito de San Bartolomé; Latin: Obsidio Sanctus Bartholomaeus) was a two year blockade of the island of St. Barthélemy by the Imperial Exponential Navy & forces from the Kingdom of Scottopia during the First Exponential-Monsan War against the Monsan House of Giusti.

The episode is part of the Exponential Occupation of Monsa, which starts in the principality with the occupation and expulsion of its Princely family after their refusal to pay tributes to the Exponential crown. The Giustis formally left Monsa in 1659 together with thousands of Monsans starting a period of three years of exile. Although well prepared on their defence, historical records remark that Monsans suffered the scarcity of aliments and elements for basic subsistence. During the three years that lasted the siege, Exponential forces twice attempted to force their way on land, but were repulsed in each instance. In the Kingdom of Alcantara, a revolt and social uprising against the House of Ortegal prevented them from joining the Monsan resistance. The siege was finally brought to a close with the signing of the Imperial-Monsan Treaty of 1661, which concluded the war and constant threats between the two crowns through mutual concessions; the treaty was celebrated with the marriage of Diana Carolina, Princess of Monsa, who married the future Empreror of Exponent and included the refusal to any colonial initiative from Monsa, the protection of Exponential vassals in the port of Monsa and the return of the family to their territory in Teudallum.  

The Siege is widely remembered and studied by scholars in Monsa, and marked the relations between the two nations during several centuries until the early 20th century. The aftermath of the siege and occupation brought to an end the Exponent demand for Monsa to pay tributes, which consolidated the Monsan state and sovereignty under the Princely Decrees of del Soto.

Background

Conquest of Monsa

The main force of Monsan militia and knights were defeated at the Battle of Montecarlo, after which sporadic urban combat continued for two days before Imperial troops secured the city.

During the years prior to the Exponential invasion of Monsa, the Principality had been the scenario of some of the conflicts that formed the War of the Magpie and the Dragon between Cadenza and the Empire of Exponent, which was at the time, considered the protector of Monsa and held a beneficial position on its port. This situation was sustained on large tributes paid by the Monsan crown in order to increase its security against threats. In 1614, however, the port was raided by a fleet of the Cadenzan Earl, Khaledro Pamma, whose expedition, although was unsuccessful, achieved a considerable destruction of the Monsan port.

Surrounded by a growing dissatisfaction, the Monsan population urged the Prince to stop paying its tributes to Exponent in 1651, causing a diplomatic distancing between the two crowns. The measures were maintained by the following Princes of Monsa, which were gradually approached by Cadenzan expeditions, until the visit of the Cadenzan ratafrë Vesrik Taipor consolidated this closeness between the two nations. The news was received with discontent in Paradisa, that saw Cadenza as its direct rival for influence in the area; the refusal of the Monsan crown and its diplomats to achieve a treaty and recompose the relation took the Exponential crown to send a fleet and secure the Principality. In 1659, with the order to overthrow the Prince if it was needed, the fleet of the Imperial navy departed towards south Teudallum.

The defenders of Monsa and the knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Montesa had been aware of the likelihood of an Exponential attack for weeks, and had taken significant preparations to defend the principality against the coming invasion. Despite the preparations, however, the relatively small force of knights and militia were woefully outnumbered by the Imperial Army, and were quickly brushed aside during an open battle at the Battle of Montecarlo. Smaller resistance continued throughout the city as the knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Montesa attempting to defend strongpoints around the city, especially the Prince's Palace, but their resistance was typically shortlived. Within two days of the initial landing, Imperial forces had decisively secured Monsa and eradicated any meaningful forms of resistance.

Retreat to St. Barthelemew

"The Battle of the Bay" by the Monsan painter, Benito de Acevedo, 1670.

The retreat to the island was announced by the Prince to his family and the people of Monsa during the night. With the situation dire in the principality, Lucas II was followed to the port from where he, the Giustis and several groups of people fled the port in five small vessels (Pedro de Gama, El Príncipe, La Pequeña, Infanta María and La Corte). The Monsan navy had yet to sail through the cord created by the Imperials on the coast, which outnumbered the Monsans and were already prepared to set fire against the enemy vessels. Without hope to make it to the open sea, Prince Lucas II Giusti and the Knights Commander, Sebastian Carrillo y Suárez de Garena, opted instead to fee in direction to the colony of St Bartholomew, from where they could plan their negotiations and comeback with the Imperial forces.

Although the reatreat seemed impossible, the desperate breakout against the Imperial vessels achieved the defeat against a much larger force. During the Battle of Monsa Bay (La Batalla de la Bahía), the two forces encountered themselves and counted with the presence of the Cadenzan ratafrë Vesrik Taipor, who at the moment was considered a close advisor of the Sovereign Prince of Monsa. However, the first loss of the expedition happened twelve kilometres away from the Monsan coast, when one of the five vessels, La Corte, was approached by one of the Imperial forces that provoked its sinking and loss. According to several texts, the morning during which the Monsan forces commenced their retreat is described as covered by a "mist of death, sorrow and the smell of gunpowder", supposedly from the cannons. During the morning, another of the vessels, El Príncipe suffered a delay and was counted as lost by the Monsan forces; however, the ship took an alternative route and was remained stocked in a port of Costa de Ouro before resuming its expedition the next morning.

Pursuit and defence of the island

From left to right: Lucas II of Monsa; Sebastian Carrillo y Suárez de Garena, Grand Master of the Knights of Montesa; Septimus Barbo, something; Vesrik Taipor, Cadenzan ratafrë.

Noticing that Pedro de Gama, La Pequeña and Infanta María attempted to break from the harbour, Admiral Septimus Barbo ordered his fleet in full pursuit. The mperial forces achieved the mobilisation of over a dozen ships that resulted ineffective in preventing the Giustis and Monsans to leave the mainland and reach the safety of St Bartholomew's harbour. The pursuit was followed by a strong defence of the island by the Monsan knights, which loosed several volleys from the forts dotting the shoreline to dissuade the invaders from approaching the shore. The exile in the island remained in the city of Pozuelo, with the Giustis occupying the Convento del Carmen and the Montesa Knights the Alarcón Island on the harbour.

Realizing that the Monsans were escaping to St Bartholomew, the Imperial commander, Septimus Barbo, ordered two vessels - Canis and Immanitas - to patrol between Monsa and St Bartholomew with orders to sink any vessel not flying the Imperial or Scottopian banners.

Siege

Blockade of St. Barthelemew

With Monsa in Exponential hands, the capture of St. Barthelemew became of a secondary concern. Exponential commanders spent several days celebrating their victory, allowing much of the Monsan royal family, their guards and thousands of Monsans to slip away and bolster St. Barthelemew's defences. After about a week of celebration, Septimus Barbo finally ordered his fleet to commence a full encirclement of St. Barthelemew, which was only being picketed by a pair of smaller vessels previously. The Imperial fleet swiftly moved to surround the island, bombarding the facilities in the coast surrounding Pozuelo and the harbour's island of Alarcón in an attempt to force the defenders into capitulation. After 2 days, 3 frigates of the Scottopian Navy, following the Monsan Fleet after their victory during the Engagement at Cabo del Piro, arrived at the island bringing an additional armament of 48 guns to the blockade.

St. Barthelemew's defenders, led primarily by the knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Montesa and supported by Vesrik Taipor's Cadenzans, had been well prepared for the blockade, and stockpiled enough supplies to last for some time. In addition, farms and livestock on the island meant that the defenders would be able to resupply themselves, and ample, clean wells promised sufficient water supplies to carry on indefinitely. It soon then became clear that the Imperial forces would need to force a landing against St. Barthelemew, or at least find some way to destroy the farms, if they wished to capture the island and the Monsan royals.

First Assault

The defenders of St. Barthelemew had been nearly overwhelmed during the second Imperial landing, and the survivors were left battered and bruised, unsure as to how they might survive a third assault.

On September 8th, 1659, Barbo ordered a double attack against Punta de la Cruz, which was the entrance to the harbour and port of Pozuelo. He ordered 50 small vessels to launch a sea attack against the promontory using about 400 Imperial soldiers and 100 Scottopia, while a diversionary attack was carried out against the Ciudadela de Garzón on the opposite side of the island. Luckily for the Monsans, a defector warned Carrillo y Suárez about the coming assault and the Grand Master had time to construct a palisade along the Punta de la Cruz promontory, which successfully helped to deflect the attack. Despite the defensive works, however, the Imperial force suffered the most casualties after coming into point-blank range (less than 200 yards) of a sea-level battery at the base of Garzón. That five cannon battery there had been hastily constructed by militia commander Juan Ignacio Borón with the sole purpose of stopping such an amphibious attack, and Borón's foresight paid dividends: just two salvos sank all but one of the invading vessels, killing or drowning over 200 of the attackers. The diversionary attack failed simultaneously when the relief forces led by Vesrik Taipor were able to cross to the Ciudadela across a floating bridge, with the result that St. Barthelemew was saved for the day.

Second Assault

After nearly two years of siege, the Imperial fleet had managed to ring the tiny island with some 65 warships, and subjected the defenders to a tremendous barrage each morning and afternoon. With constant attacks having largely destroyed one of the town's crucial bastions, Barbo ordered another double assault to take place on May 17th, 1661, this time against the Ciudadela de Garzón and the town of Pozuelo itself. On this occasion, the Imperial forces aided by 300 Scottopian Claidheamhan, breached the town walls and it seemed that the siege was over, but unexpectedly the invaders retreated. While Ian Mackenzie Renfrew, Scottopian hero from the battles to capture Milpitas & Puerto Isabela, was able to seize the high ground between the Ciudadela & Lozoya, a Monsan cavalry commander named Captain Marcos Fernández y Giménez, had attacked the unprotected Exponential baggage train. His daring attack overwhelming the guards on the shore and sowed chaos into the invaders ranks. The Imperial forces, thinking that a relief force had arrived in their rear, broke off their assault and retreated back to the sea leaving the Scots exposed to counter-attack on 3 flanks. Fearing being pressed against the cliffs overlooking the sea by the cavalry themselves should they remain in position, Renfrew also ordered a retreat of his army back to the Imperial camps.

Aftermath

Diana Carolina, who became Empress of Exponent and Countess of Montecarlo.

With the failure of the second assault on St. Barthelemew and the growing need to redeploy the Imperial Navy elsewhere, the Empire began searching for a more diplomatic solution. Imperial envoys arrived on St. Barthelemew on May 21st and began negotiations with the Monsan Prince Lucas II to find a mutually beneficial end to the siege.

After three days of negotiation, the delegation agreed that the Countess of Montecarlo Diana Carolina, would be sent to Paradisa to marry the Crown Prince of the Exponential Empire, and the Principality of Monsa would be forced to cede the Islas de Alameda, Islas de Sacramento, Valle de San Joaquin, and Las Desgracias. Additionally, Imperial ships would be free to use the port of Monsa without issue, and the Monsan crown pledged to continue developing a relation of friendship with the Empire. The Monsans, for their part, were allowed to return to Monsa — thus ending the two-year-long occupation of the country.

Monsan colonies and Alcantara

During most of the siege, the Kingdom of Alcantara, whose royal house was an allied of the House of Giusti, was living a social uprising against the King Bermudo Ortegal. The episode that concluded with the overthrown of the Ortegals and the crowning of Afonso Bragante of Alcantara, prevented the Alcantaran forces from aiding Monsa against the invasion exile and siege. Although extraordinary vessels achieved circumventing the blockade of the island with provisions and news from the mainland, these were scarce during the two years that lasted the blockade.

The colonies of Monsa, which were mostly of them located on the Scottopian Isles, were owned under a condominium with the Alcantaran crown. The Imperial-Monsan Treaty of 1661 specified the Monsan renounce to new colonialist expeditions and its possessions in Scottopia; although the new Alcantaran monarch was at first reticent to the handover of its colonies, economic pressure from the revolt concluded with the withdrawal of their presence in the four colonies. The island of St. Barthelemew, which after the exile and siege remained as de facto Monsan, was also handed over to Alcantara a year later, leaving Monsa without any other possession overseas, something that consolidated the Principality of Monsa as a modern nation-state years later happened with the Princely Decrees of del Soto.