Henry Morgan And The Buccaneers

As the seventeenth century passed on, Spain, under the influence of

religious intolerance and bad government, grew weak, both at home and

abroad. Its prominent place in Europe was lost. Its vast colonial

provinces in America were scenes of persecution and anarchy. There the

fortresses were allowed to decay, the soldiers, half-clothed and unpaid,

to become beggars or bandits, the treasures to be pilfered, and commerce

t become a system of fraud; while the colonists were driven to detest

their mother land. This weakness was followed by dire consequences. Bands

of outcasts from various nations, who had settled on Spanish territory in

the West Indies, at first to forage on the cattle of Hispaniola, organized

into pirate crews, and, under the name of buccaneers, became frightful

scourges of the commerce of Spain.



These wretches, mainly French, English, and Dutch, deserters and outlaws,

the scum of their nations, made the rich merchant and treasure ships of

Spain their prey, slaughtering their crews, torturing them for hidden

wealth, rioting with profuse prodigality at their lurking-places on land,

and turning those fair tropical islands into a pandemonium of outrage,

crime, and slaughter. As they troubled little the ships of other nations,

these nations rather favored than sought to suppress them, and Spain

seemed powerless to bring their ravages to an end. In consequence, as the

years went on, they grew bolder and more adventurous. Beginning with a few

small, deckless sloops, they in time gained large and well-armed vessels,

and created so deep a terror among the Spaniards by their savage attacks

that the latter rarely made a strong resistance.



Lurking in forest-hidden creeks and inlets of the West India islands, they

kept a keen lookout for the ships that bore to Spain the gold, silver,

precious stones, and rich products of the New World, pursued them in their

swift barks, boarded them, and killed all who ventured to resist. If the

cargo was a rich one, and there had been little effort at defence, the

prisoners might be spared their lives; if otherwise, they were flung

mercilessly into the sea. Sailing then to their place of rendezvous, the

captors indulged in the wildest and most luxurious orgies, their tables

groaning with strong liquors and rich provisions; gaming, music, and

dancing succeeding; extravagance, debauchery, and profusion of every kind

soon dissipating their blood-bought wealth.



Among the pirate leaders several gained prominence for superior boldness

or cruelty, among whom we may particularly name L'Olonnois, a Frenchman,

of such savage ferocity that all mariners of Spanish birth shuddered with

fear at his very name. This wretch suffered the fate he deserved. In an

expedition to the Isthmus of Darien he was taken prisoner by a band of

savage Indians, who tore him to pieces alive, flung his quivering limbs

into the fire, and then scattered the ashes to the air.



Most renowned of all the buccaneers was Henry Morgan, a native of Wales,

who ran away from home as a boy, was sold as a slave in Barbadoes, and

afterwards joined a pirate crew, in time becoming a leader among the

lawless hordes. By this time the raids of the ferocious buccaneers had

almost put an end to Spanish commerce with the New World, and the daring

freebooters, finding their gains at sea falling off, collected fleets and

made attacks on land, plundering rich towns and laying waste thriving

settlements. So greatly had Spanish courage degenerated that the pirates

with ease put to flight ten times their number of that Spanish soldiery

which, a century before, had been the finest in the world.



The first pirate to make such a raid was Lewis Scott, who sacked the town

of Campeachy, robbing it of all its wealth, and forcing its inhabitants to

pay an enormous ransom. Another named Davies marched inland to Nicaragua,

took and plundered that town, and carried off a rich booty in silver and

precious stones. He afterwards pillaged the city of St. Augustine,

Florida. Others performed similar exploits, but we must confine our

attention to the deeds of Morgan, the boldest and most successful of them

all.



Morgan's first enterprise was directed against Port au Prince, Cuba,

where, however, the Spaniards had received warning and concealed their

treasures, so that the buccaneer gained little for his pains. His next

expedition was against Porto Bello, on the Isthmus, one of the richest and

best fortified of American cities. Two castles, believed to be

impregnable, commanded the entrances to the harbor. When the freebooters

learned that their leader proposed to attack so strong a place as this the

hearts of the boldest among them shrank. But Morgan, with a few inspiring

words, restored their courage.



"What boots it," he exclaimed, "how small our number, if our hearts be

great! The fewer we are the closer will be our union and the larger our

shares of plunder."



Boldness and secrecy carried the day. One of the castles was taken by

surprise, the first knowledge of the attack coming to the people of the

town from the concussion when Morgan blew it up. Before the garrison or

the citizens could prepare to oppose them the freebooters were in the

town. The governor and garrison fled in panic haste to the other castle,

while the terrified people threw their treasures into wells and cisterns.

The castle made a gallant resistance, but was soon obliged to yield to the

impetuous attacks of the pirate crews.



It was no light exploit which Morgan had performed,--to take with five

hundred men a fortified city with a large garrison and strengthened by

natural obstacles to assault. The ablest general in ordinary war might

well have claimed renown for so signal a victory. But the ability of the

leader was tarnished by the cruelty of the buccaneer. The people were

treated with shocking barbarity, many of them being shut up in convents

and churches and burned alive, while the pirates gave themselves up to

every excess of debauchery.



The great booty gained by this raid caused numerous pirate captains to

enlist under Morgan's flag, and other towns were taken, in which similar

orgies of cruelty and debauchery followed. But the impunity of the

buccaneers was nearing its end. Their atrocious acts had at length aroused

the indignation of the civilized world, and a treaty was concluded between

Great Britain and Spain whose chief purpose was to put an end to these

sanguinary and ferocious deeds.



The first effect of this treaty was to spur the buccaneers to the

performance of some exploit surpassing any they had yet achieved. So high

was Morgan's reputation among the pirates that they flocked from all

quarters to enlist under his flag, and he soon had a fleet of no fewer

than thirty-seven vessels manned by two thousand men. With so large a

force an expedition on a greater scale could well be undertaken, and a

counsel of the chiefs debated whether they should make an assault upon

Vera Cruz, Carthagena, or Panama. Their choice fell upon Panama, as the

richest of the three.



The city of Panama at that time (1670) was considered one of the greatest

and most opulent in America. It contained two thousand large buildings and

five thousand smaller, all of which were three stories high. Many of these

were built of stone, others of cedar wood, being elegantly constructed and

richly furnished. The city was the emporium for the silver- and gold-mines

of New Spain, and its merchants lived in great opulence, their houses rich

in articles of gold and silver, adorned with beautiful paintings and other

works of art, and full of the luxuries of the age. The churches were

magnificent in their decorations, and richly embellished with ornaments in

gold and silver. The city presented such a prize to cupidity as

freebooters and bandits had rarely conceived of in their wildest dreams.






STREET IN OLD QUARTER OF PANAMA.





The daring enterprise began with the capture by four hundred men of the

Fort of St. Laurence, at the mouth of the Chagres River. Up this

serpentine stream sailed the freebooters, as far as it would bear them,

and thence they marched overland, suffering the greatest hardships and

overcoming difficulties which would have deterred men of less intrepid

spirit. Eight days of this terrible march brought the adventurers within

sight of the far-spreading Pacific, and of the spires of the coveted city

on its shores.



The people of Panama had been apprised of what was in store for them, and

had laid ambuscades for the buccaneers, but Morgan, by taking an indirect

route to the town, avoided these. Panama was but partly fortified. In

several quarters it lay open to attack. It must be fought for and won or

lost on the open plain. Here the Spaniards had assembled to the number of

two thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry, well equipped and

possessing everything needed but spirit to meet the dreaded foe. They had

adopted an expedient sure to prove a dangerous one. A herd of wild bulls,

to the number of more than two thousand, was provided, with Indians and

negroes to drive them on the pirate horde. The result resembled that in

which the Greeks drove elephants upon the Roman legions. Many of the

buccaneers were accustomed to the chase of wild cattle, and, by shouts and

the waving of colored flags, turned the bulls back upon the Spanish lines,

which they threw into disorder.



The buccaneers followed with an impetuous charge which broke the ranks of

the defenders of the town, who, after a two hours' combat, were completely

routed, the most of them being killed or taken prisoners. The assault was

now directed upon the town, which was strongly defended, the pirates being

twice repulsed and suffering much from the numerous Spanish guns. But

after a three hours' fight they overcame all opposition and the city fell

into their hands.



A scene of frightful bloodshed and inhumanity followed. The buccaneers

gave no quarter, killing all they met. Lest they should be exposed to a

counter assault while intoxicated, Morgan called them together and forbade

them to taste the wine of the town, saying that it had been poisoned.



Conflagration followed massacre. Fires broke out in several quarters of

the city, and great numbers of dwellings, with churches, convents, and

numerous warehouses filled with valuable goods were reduced to ashes.

These fires continued to burn during most of the month in which the

freebooters held the city, and in which they indulged to the full in their

accustomed cruelty, rapacity, and licentiousness.



Treasure was found in great quantities in the wells and caves, where it

had been thrown by the terrified people. The vessels taken in the harbor

yielded valuable commodities. Detachments were sent into the country to

capture and bring back those who had fled for safety, and by torturing

these several rich deposits of treasure were discovered in the surrounding

forests. A few of the inhabitants escaped with their wealth by sea,

seeking shelter in the islands of the bay, and a galleon laden with the

king's plate and jewels and other precious articles belonging to the

church and the people narrowly escaped after a hot chase by the

buccaneers. With these exceptions the rich city was completely looted.



After a month spent among the ruins of Panama Morgan and his villainous

followers departed, one hundred and seventy-five mules carrying their more

bulky spoil, while with them were six hundred prisoners, some carrying

burdens, others held to ransom. Thus laden, they reached again the mouth

of the Chagres, where their ships awaited them and where a division of the

spoil was to be made.



Treachery followed this stupendous act of piracy, Morgan's later history

being an extraordinary one for a man of his infamous record. He was

possessed with the demon of cupidity, and a quarrel arose between him and

his men concerning the division of the spoil. Morgan ended it by running

off with the disputed plunder. On the night preceding the final division,

during the hours of deepest slumber, the treacherous chief, with a few of

his confidants, set sail for Jamaica, in a vessel deeply laden with

spoils. On waking and learning this act of base treachery, the infuriated

pirates pursued him, but in vain; he safely reached Jamaica with his

ill-gotten wealth.



In this English island the pirate chief gained not only safety, but

honors. In some way he won the favor of Charles II., who knighted him as

Sir Henry Morgan and placed him on the admiralty court in Jamaica. He

subsequently, for a time, acted as deputy governor, and in this office

displayed the greatest severity towards his old associates, several of

whom were tried before him and executed. One whole crew of buccaneers were

sent by him to the Spaniards at Carthagena, in whose hands they were

likely to find little favor. He was subsequently arrested, sent to

England, and imprisoned for three years under charges from Spain; but this

was the sole punishment dealt out to the most notorious of the buccaneers.



The success of Morgan's enterprise stimulated the piratical crews to

similar deeds of daring, and the depredations continued, not only in the

West Indies and eastern South America, but afterwards along the Pacific,

the cities of Leon, in Mexico, New Granada, on the lake of Nicaragua, and

Guayaquil, the port of Quito, being taken, sacked, and burned. Finally,

France and England joined Spain in efforts for their suppression, the

coasts were more strictly guarded, and many of the freebooters settled as

planters or became mariners in honest trade. Some of them, however,

continued in their old courses, dispersing over all seas as enemies of the

shipping of the world; but by the year 1700 their career had fairly come

to an end, and the race of buccaneers ceased to exist.