Home >
Judaica mention...
Judaica mention...
Item # 705054
Currently Unavailable. Contact us if you would like to be placed on a want list or to be notified if a similar item is available.
December 18, 1679
THE LONDON GAZETTE, England, Dec. 18, 1679 The front page has a very lengthy report from "Tangier" concerning a military operation, mentioning in part: "...retreat of our men in Ann and Monmouth Forts would have been cut off, if his Excellency had not presently sent them orders to abandon them...The 13th, 14th and 15th the enemy began to be more quiet, as if they had thoughts of retiring, and on the latter day a Jew came in with a flag of truce with a letter to his Excellency from the Alcaide, signifying that what had happened was occasioned by our building of fortress in the country...the Jew adding that the Alcaide was desirous of peace..." with more.
Complete as a single sheet issue, 6 1/2 by 11 inches, very nice condition.
background: Forts Ann and Monmouth were two key outworks constructed by the English during their occupation of Tangier (1661–1684), designed to extend the city's defensive perimeter against persistent attacks by Moroccan forces loyal to Sultan Moulay Ismail. Built outside the main fortifications, Fort Ann—likely named after Anne Hyde, wife of the Duke of York—and Fort Monmouth—named after the Duke of Monmouth, an English military figure—served as advanced posts to monitor enemy movements, delay assaults, and assert control over the contested surrounding terrain. However, their exposed positions made them highly vulnerable to constant raids, ambushes, and sniper fire from tribal fighters such as the Banu Gurfat, who used the rugged landscape to their advantage. Supplying and reinforcing these forts proved increasingly difficult as English troops struggled with disease, poor morale, and overstretched resources. Rather than strengthening English control, the forts became costly liabilities, and by the early 1680s, they were either abandoned or destroyed as part of a strategic withdrawal. Their fate reflected the broader failure of England’s efforts to hold Tangier, culminating in the full evacuation and demolition of the city’s defenses in 1684.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
No Longer Available
