Action of 5 October 1804: British frigates attack Spanish treasure convoy
- When
- 1804
- Where
- Off Cadiz; Off Cabo de Santa Maria
- Episodes
- 2
On 5 October 1804, a British squadron under Commodore Graham Moore intercepted four Spanish frigates carrying treasure off Cape Santa Maria. Although Britain and Spain were technically at peace, Moore acted on intelligence that the squadron was carrying gold from Montevideo to Cádiz to bolster Spain's finances before a declaration of war. The engagement sank Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and captured the other three frigates, ensuring none of the gold reached Spain.
Episodes
- Interception Order
Admiral Cornwallis ordered Captain Graham Moore to intercept the Spanish squadron peacefully, anticipating a future declaration of war.
- Action Off Cape Santa Maria
The British squadron engaged the Spanish frigates, sinking La Mercedes and capturing the remaining three ships.
Background and detail
Background. Bustamante sailed from Montevideo in August 1804 with four frigates loaded with gold, silver, and valuable cargo. British intelligence suggested Spain would declare war soon after the treasure arrived. Admiral Cornwallis ordered Captain Graham Moore to intercept the squadron peacefully. Moore’s squadron, including HMS Indefatigable, Lively, Medusa, and Amphion, assembled off Cadiz in early October to detain the Spanish ships.
The Engagement. At dawn on 5 October, the Spanish frigates sighted the coast of Portugal. Moore sent Lieutenant Ascott to the Spanish flagship Medea to explain his orders. The resulting action saw the destruction of one Spanish frigate and the capture of the other three. The engagement ensured that none of the transported gold reached Spain, marking the end of regular specie shipments from the New World.
People involved
- Commodore Graham Moore · British Commander
- Brigadier José de Bustamante · Spanish Commander
- Captain Graham Eden Hamond · Captain of HMS Lively
Sources
- Action of 5 October 1804 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-21
- Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-24
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.