Santa Marta Cathedral.
Santa Marta is a port city on the Caribbean coast of New Granada.
The city was founded on 29 July 1525 by the Spanish conquistador and explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas, making it one of the oldest cities in South America. Santa Marta was exposed to seaborne attack by rival European nations and pirates. It was sacked in 1543, and again in 1555, and was leveled by Sir Francis Drake in 1596.
During the War of Salvation Santa Marta fell to the Mexican Third Fleet under Admiral Howard Loyo on 4 March 1890. The city served as a jumping off point for Colonel David Brewster's march on Bogotá at the head of the 34th Marine Brigade. The city remained under military rule by Admiral Loyo until Victoriano Hermión was appointed President of New Granada by his brother, Mexican Chief of State Benito Hermión.
Sobel erroneously refers to Santa Marta as Santa Maria.