Queen Elizabeth almost immediately sent a new expedition led by the third Earl of Cumberland, Sir George Clifford,[4] so that he could seize San Juan and hold as long as possible.

After refreshing his fleet for nearly a week, the Earl transferred to the Virgin Islands on 11 June and celebrated a final muster three days later before laying in a course for San Juan.

[5] On the morning of 16 June, Cumberland disembarked 700 men at Cangrejos Bay twelve miles east of San Juan, then marched until nightfall.

[5] They managed to repel the English assault, inflicting forty casualties on them,[5] while the Earl of Cumberland himself almost drowned trying to cross the San Antonio channel.

[8] After nearly 15 days huddled inside El Morro, short of food and ammunition and being constantly bombarded, the Spanish governor Antonio Mosquera requested terms on 30 June for a surrender.

[10][11] With barely enough troops to crew his ships, much less maintain control of the prize he had seized from Spain, Cumberland finally decided to leave the island.

[12] Clifford on his return to England was proclaimed as a hero of sorts and as a consequence with his limited booty was well rewarded for his efforts including a patent from the Queen.