He Was A Military Man
One of the interesting facts about Miguel de Cervantes is that he was a military man. Manco de Lepanto is another name for Miguel de Cervantes. His occupation was to defend his mother country, historians claim, and he made the decision to enlist as his call was being drafted. He enlisted in the Spanish army while in Italy. He joined the army in Napoles, France, in 1570, under Don Miguel de Moncada's command. On October 7, 1571, Cervantes and his brother Rodrigo were on board the La Marquesa for the Battle of Lepanto.
He participated in the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where he earned a reputation for bravery. He suffered a terrible injury to his left hand during the conflict, rendering it largely immobile. Nevertheless, this did not deter him; following his recovery, he fought in other conflicts from 1572 to 1575, until Cervantes and his brother Rodrigo left for a trip back to Spain. The captain of the Moorish ship Dali Mami, better known as "El Cojo," had the misfortune to capture and take them prisoner in Algiers, where he kept them. His family was unable to pay the "500 escudos de oro" ransom demand, therefore he was held captive for 5 years despite making numerous fruitless efforts to flee. Then he became ill, but he was determined to fight alongside his brothers and would not remain in the spectator area.
The Ottoman Turks severely wounded Cervantes. He actually 'healed' for a further two years despite having a crippled hand and two chest wounds. Even with his left hand immobile, he took part in the battles of La Goleta and Tunis.
