2021 - Postal editado por Edifotopostal concordante com selo Batalha da Salga 440 anos obliterado com carimbo de 1.º dia de circulação de Angra do Heroísmo datado de 2021/07/25.
Exactly 440 years ago, on July 25, 1581, the Battle of Salga took place in Terceira, a moment in local history, in which the population and cattle played an essential role in the defense of the island, the archipelago and even from Portugal.
When King Sebastião died in 1578, in Alcácer Quibir, his closest relative, great-uncle Cardinal D. Henrique, who, already old, died in 1580, without direct heirs, succeeded him, thus opening a crisis of succession. There were three main heirs, all grandsons of King Manuel I: D. Catarina de Bragança, D. Filipe II of Spain and D. António, Prior do Crato. The latter was acclaimed as king in Santarém, against the wishes of the High Nobility, supporter of D. Filipe II, for whom Portugal was a very important kingdom for the strategy of the Spanish Empire. D. Filipe II ended up sending his army, which, better prepared, defeated D. António's supporters. The Prior of Crato ended up taking refuge in Terceira, the only point in the country that was on his side. D. Violante do Canto, who had inherited a large fortune in 1577, supported D. António's cause, supporting the Anglo-French troops stationed on the island. The third became, then, the target of Spanish attention.
At this moment, History and Legend were mixed, the reality of facts being difficult to decipher. On July 25, 1581, a Spanish fleet commanded by Pedro de Valdés, consisting of ten ships, eight of which were high-board galleons, attempted to conquer the Azorean island.
When Spanish troops disembarked, they began to set fire to the fields and houses in the vicinity of Salga. They occupied the Casa da Salga, hoisted the flag against the wishes of the Merens de Távora family, a prominent family in Terceira politics, and most likely the house of Brianda Pereira, imprisoning the men they found. Among the prisoners was Bartolomeu Lourenço, Brianda's husband, who was to be wounded. The latter, in a feeling of revolt and defense, encouraged as she could, full of strength and determination, the people of Terceira to fight, and taking what she had at hand, she also went to combat.
The battle hardened, and by nine o'clock in the morning the fighting was fierce, sweeping the Spaniards across the coast with their artillery, making the defenders' task more difficult. Around midday, with the battle undecided, the religious Augustine Frei Pedro, who actively participated in the fight, had the idea of driving cattle to the Spanish positions and, thus, disbanding them. Quickly, more than a thousand cattle were gathered and, by the force of shouts and musket fire, they launched themselves on the enemy. This stratagem led the Spaniards to retreat and gave the Terceirenses time to regroup and prepare a new defense of the island. Hundreds of Castilians died in the fighting or drowned in the flight of cattle. It is said that no more than fifty.
