those sent from North America, was 14,041.  The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Pocock, and the army by General the Earl of Albemarle.  Lord Albemarle was descended from that Arnold van Keppel who came into England, not with William the Conqueror, but with William of Orange, and who, through the favor of the Dutch King of England, founded one of the most respectable of British patrician houses.  He was a good soldier, and in Cuba he showed considerable energy; but his name is not high in the list of commanders.

It is uncertain whether the Spaniards had knowledge of the intentions of the English, who, in those days, did not announce their points of attack to the enemy; but the Captain-General, Don Juan de Prado Porto Carrero, found it so very difficult to believe that the English would attack his Government, that even so late as the 6th of June, when the invaders were within a few hours of landing, he insisted that their fleet was a homeward-bound convoy from Jamaica; and he found fault with one of his officers who had taken some precautionary measures.  The next day he was compelled to admit that he was mistaken, for then the British troops had landed.  He could not have been more blind to the coming storm, had he lived in 1861, and held a high post in the Government of the United States.  Once convinced of his error, he went vigorously to work, and prepared for defence.  He had 27,610 men, including soldiers, seamen, marines, militia, and negroes,—­for, in those days, it was not thought wise to refuse the services of black men, and even slaves were allowed the honor of being slain in the service of their masters.  There were, however, but few regular troops at the command of the Captain-General,—­only 4,610; but the seamen and marines, who numbered 9,000, helped to make the deficiency good.  The Spaniards were situated somewhat as were the Russians, the other day, at Sebastopol.  Their naval force was too small to have any chance whatever against that of the English, and the men who belonged to it were employed on land, where they behaved bravely.  The best officers among the defenders were from the fleet.  The Morro was put under the charge of Don Luis de Velasco, captain of a line-of-battle ship, who maintained the credit of his ancient name; and he was well supported by the Marques de Gonzales, another naval officer.  Don Manuel Brizenio, also from the fleet, with a brother-officer for his lieutenant, had charge of the Punta castle.  The army-officers did not like these arrangements, but it was argued that seamen were better qualified than either cavalry or infantry to defend fortified places; and of regular artillerists there were but three hundred in the whole Spanish force.  These considerations had their weight with the soldiers, and the conduct of the seamen fully justified the conduct of the Captain-General.