_The origin and descent of Captain Henry Morgan--His exploits, and the
most remarkable actions of his life._
CAPTAIN HENRY MORGAN was born in Great Britain, in the principality of
Wales; his father was a rich yeoman, or farmer, of good quality, even as
most who bear that name in Wales are known to be. Morgan, when young,
had no inclination to the calling of his father, and therefore left his
country, and came towards the sea-coasts to seek some other employment
more suitable to his aspiring humour; where he found several ships at
anchor, bound for Barbadoes. With these he resolved to go in the service
of one, who, according to the practice of those parts, sold him as soon
as he came ashore. He served his time at Barbadoes, and obtaining his
liberty, betook himself to Jamaica, there to seek new fortunes: here he
found two vessels of pirates ready to go to sea; and being destitute of
employment, he went with them, with intent to follow the exercises of
that sort of people: he soon learned their manner of living, so exactly,
that having performed three or four voyages with profit and success, he
agreed with some of his comrades, who had got by the same voyages a
little money, to join stocks, and buy a ship. The vessel being bought,
they unanimously chose him captain and commander.
With this ship he set forth from Jamaica to cruise on the coasts of
Campechy, in which voyage he took several ships, with which he returned
triumphant. Here he found an old pirate, named Mansvelt (whom we have
already mentioned), busied in equipping a considerable fleet, with
design to land on the continent, and pillage whatever he could. Mansvelt
seeing Captain Morgan return with so many prizes, judged him to be a man
of courage, and chose him for his vice-admiral in that expedition: thus
having fitted out fifteen ships, great and small, they sailed from
Jamaica with five hundred men, Walloons and French. This fleet arrived,
not long after, at the isle of St. Catherine, near the continent of
Costa Rica, latitude 12 deg. 30 min. and distant thirty-five leagues
from the river Chagre. Here they made their first descent, landing most
of their men, who soon forced the garrison that kept the island to
surrender all the forts and castles thereof; which they instantly
demolished, except one, wherein they placed a hundred men of their own
party, and all the slaves they had taken from the Spaniards: with the
rest of their men they marched to another small island, so near St.
Catherine's, that with a bridge they made in a few days, they passed
thither, taking with them all the ordnance they had taken on the great
island. Having ruined with fire and sword both the islands, leaving
necessary orders at the said castle, they put to sea again, with their
Spanish prisoners; yet these they set ashore not long after, on the firm
land, near Puerto Velo: then they cruised on Costa Rica, till they came
to the river Colla, designing to pillage all the towns in those parts,
thence to pass to the village of Nata, to do the same.
The governor of Panama, on advice of their arrival, and of the
hostilities they committed, thought it his duty to meet them with a body
of men. His coming caused the pirates to retire suddenly, seeing the
whole country was alarmed, and that their designs were known, and
consequently defeated at that time. Hereupon, they returned to St.
Catherine's, to visit the hundred men they left in garrison there. The
governor of these men was a Frenchman, named Le Sieur Simon, who behaved
himself very well in that charge, while Mansvelt was absent, having put
the great island in a very good posture of defence, and the little one
he had caused to be cultivated with many fertile plantations, sufficient
to revictual the whole fleet, not only for the present, but also for a
new voyage. Mansvelt was very much bent to keep the two islands in
perpetual possession, being very commodiously situated for the pirates;
being so near the Spanish dominions, and easily defended.
Hereupon, Mansvelt determined to return to Jamaica, to send recruits to
St. Catherine's, that in case of an invasion the pirates might be
provided for a defence. As soon as he arrived, he propounded his
intentions to the governor there, who rejected his propositions, fearing
to displease his master, the king of England; besides, that giving him
the men he desired, and necessaries, he must of necessity diminish the
forces of that island, whereof he was governor. Hereupon, Mansvelt,
knowing that of himself he could not compass his designs, he went to
Tortuga; but there, before he could put in execution what was intended,
death surprised him, and put a period to his wicked life, leaving all
things in suspense till the occasion I shall hereafter relate.
Le Sieur Simon, governor of St. Catherine's, receiving no news from
Mansvelt, his admiral, was impatiently desirous to know the cause
thereof: meanwhile, Don John Perez de Guzman, being newly come to the
government of Costa Rica, thought it not convenient for the interest of
Spain for that island to be in the hands of the pirates: hereupon, he
equipped a considerable fleet, which he sent to retake it; but before he
used violence, he writ a letter to Le Sieur Simon, telling him, that if
he would surrender the island to his Catholic Majesty, he should be very
well rewarded; but, in case of refusal, severely punished, when he had
forced him to do it. Le Sieur Simon, seeing no probability of being able
to defend it alone, nor any emolument that by so doing could accrue
either to him, or his people, after some small resistance delivered it
up to its true lord and master, under the same articles they had
obtained it from the Spaniards; a few days after which surrender, there
arrived from Jamaica an English ship, which the governor there had sent
underhand, with a good supply of people, both men and women: the
Spaniards from the castle having espied the ship, put forth English
colours, and persuaded Le Sieur Simon to go aboard, and conduct the ship
into a port they assigned him. This he performed and they were all made
prisoners. A certain Spanish engineer has published in print an exact
relation of the retaking of this isle by the Spaniards, which I have
thought fit to insert here:--
_A true relation, and particular account of the
victory obtained by the arms of his Catholic
Majesty against the English pirates, by the
direction and valour of Don John Perez de Guzman,
knight of the order of St. James, governor and
captain-general of Terra Firma, and the Province
of Veraguas._
THE kingdom of Terra Firma, which of itself is sufficiently strong to
repel and destroy great fleets, especially the pirates of Jamaica, had
several ways notice imparted to the governor thereof, that fourteen
English vessels cruised on the coasts belonging to his Catholic Majesty.
July 14, 1665, news came to Panama, that they were arrived at Puerto de
Naos, and had forced the Spanish garrison of the isle of St. Catherine,
whose governor was Don Estevan del Campo, and possessed themselves of
the said island, taking prisoners the inhabitants, and destroying all
that they met. About the same time, Don John Perez de Guzman received
particular information of these robberies from some Spaniards who
escaped out of the island (and whom he ordered to be conveyed to Puerto
Velo), that the said pirates came into the island May 2, by night,
without being perceived; and that the next day, after some skirmishes,
they took the fortresses, and made prisoners all the inhabitants and
soldiers that could not escape. Upon this, Don John called a council of
war, wherein he declared the great progress the said pirates had made in
the dominions of his Catholic Majesty; and propounded "that it was
absolutely necessary to send some forces to the isle of St. Catherine,
sufficient to retake it from the pirates, the honour and interest of his
Majesty of Spain being very narrowly concerned herein; otherwise the
pirates by such conquests might easily, in course of time, possess
themselves of all the countries thereabouts." To this some made answer,
"that the pirates, not being able to subsist in the said island, would
of necessity consume and waste themselves, and be forced to quit it,
without any necessity of retaking it: that consequently it was not worth
the while to engage in so many expenses and troubles as this would
cost." Notwithstanding which, Don John being an expert and valiant
soldier, ordered that provisions should be conveyed to Puerto Velo for
the use of the militia, and transported himself thither, with no small
danger of his life. Here he arrived July 2, with most things necessary
to the expedition in hand, where he found in the port a good ship, and
well mounted, called the _St. Vincent_, that belonged to the company of
the negroes, which he manned and victualled very well, and sent to the
isle of St. Catherine, constituting Captain Joseph Sanchez Ximenez,
major of Puerto Velo, commander thereof. He carried with him two hundred
and seventy soldiers, and thirty-seven prisoners of the same island,
besides thirty-four Spaniards of the garrison of Puerto Velo,
twenty-nine mulattoes of Panama, twelve Indians, very dextrous at
shooting with bows and arrows, seven expert and able gunners, two
lieutenants, two pilots, one surgeon, and one priest, of the order of
St. Francis, for their chaplain.
Don John soon after gave orders to all the officers how to behave
themselves, telling them that the governor of Carthagena would supply
them with more men, boats, and all things else, necessary for that
enterprise; to which effect he had already written to the said governor.
July 24, Don John setting sail with a fair wind, he called before him
all his people, and made them a speech, encouraging them to fight
against the enemies of their country and religion, and especially
against those inhuman pirates, who had committed so many horrid
cruelties upon the subjects of his Catholic Majesty; withal, promising
every one most liberal rewards, especially to such as should behave
themselves well in the service of their king and country. Thus Don John
bid them farewell, and the ship set sail under a favourable gale. The
22nd they arrived at Carthagena, and presented a letter to the governor
thereof, from the noble and valiant Don John, who received it with
testimonies of great affection to the person of Don John, and his
Majesty's service: and seeing their resolution to be comfortable to his
desires, he promised them his assistance, with one frigate, one galleon,
one boat, and one hundred and twenty-six men; one half out of his own
garrison, and the other half mulattoes. Thus being well provided with
necessaries, they left the port of Carthagena, August 2, and the 10th
they arrived in sight of St. Catherine's towards the western point
thereof; and though the wind was contrary, yet they reached the port,
and anchored within it, having lost one of their boats by foul weather,
at the rock called Quita Signos.
The pirates, seeing our ships come to an anchor, gave them presently
three guns with bullets, which were soon answered in the same coin.
Hereupon, Major Joseph Sanchez Ximenez sent ashore to the pirates one of
his officers to require them, in the name of the Catholic King his
master, to surrender the island, seeing they had taken it in the midst
of peace between the two crowns of Spain and England; and that if they
would be obstinate, he would certainly put them all to the sword. The
pirates made answer, that the island had once before belonged unto the
government and dominions of the king of England, and that instead of
surrendering it, they preferred to lose their lives.
On Friday the 13th, three negroes, from the enemy, came swimming aboard
our admiral; these brought intelligence that all the pirates upon the
island were only seventy-two in number, and that they were under a great
consternation, seeing such considerable forces come against them. With
this intelligence, the Spaniards resolved to land, and advance towards
the fortresses, which ceased not to fire as many great guns against them
as they possibly could; which were answered in the same manner on our
side, till dark night. On Sunday, the 15th, the day of the Assumption of
our Lady, the weather being very calm and clear, the Spaniards began to
advance thus: The ship _St. Vincent_, riding admiral, discharged two
whole broadsides on the battery called the Conception; the ship _St.
Peter_, that was vice-admiral, discharged likewise her guns against the
other battery named St. James: meanwhile, our people landed in small
boats, directing their course towards the point of the battery last
mentioned, and thence they marched towards the gate called Cortadura.
Lieutenant Francis de Cazeres, being desirous to view the strength of
the enemy, with only fifteen men, was compelled to retreat in haste, by
reason of the great guns, which played so furiously on the place where
he stood; they shooting, not only pieces of iron, and small bullets, but
also the organs of the church, discharging in every shot threescore
pipes at a time.
Notwithstanding this heat of the enemy, Captain Don Joseph Ramirez de
Leyva, with sixty men, made a strong attack, wherein they fought on both
sides very desperately, till at last he overcame, and forced the pirates
to surrender the fort.
On the other side, Captain John Galeno, with ninety men, passed over the
hills, to advance that way towards the castle of St. Teresa. Meanwhile
Major Don Joseph Sanchez Ximenes, as commander-in-chief, with the rest
of his men, set forth from the battery of St. James, passing the port
with four boats, and landing, in despite of the enemy. About this same
time, Captain John Galeno began to advance with the men he led to the
forementioned fortress; so that our men made three attacks on three
several sides, at one and the same time, with great courage; till the
pirates seeing many of their men already killed, and that they could in
no manner subsist any longer, retreated towards Cortadura, where they
surrendered, themselves and the whole island, into our hands. Our people
possessed themselves of all, and set up the Spanish colours, as soon as
they had rendered thanks to God Almighty for the victory obtained on
such a signalized day. The number of dead were six men of the enemies,
with many wounded, and seventy prisoners: on our side was only one man
killed, and four wounded.
There were found on the island eight hundred pounds of powder, two
hundred and fifty pounds of small bullets, with many other military
provisions. Among the prisoners were taken also, two Spaniards, who had
bore arms under the English against his Catholic Majesty: these were
shot to death the next day, by order of the major. The 10th day of
September arrived at the isle an English vessel, which being seen at a
great distance by the major, he ordered Le Sieur Simon, who was a
Frenchman, to go and visit the said ship, and tell them that were on
board, that the island belonged still to the English. He performed the
command, and found in the said ship only fourteen men, one woman and her
daughter, who were all instantly made prisoners.
The English pirates were all transported to Puerto Velo, excepting
three, who by order of the governor were carried to Panama, there to
work in the castle of St. Jerom. This fortification is an excellent
piece of workmanship, and very strong, being raised in the middle of the
port of a quadrangular form, and of very hard stone: its height is
eighty-eight geometrical feet, the wall being fourteen, and the curtains
seventy-five feet diameter. It was built at the expense of several
private persons, the governor of the city furnishing the greatest part
of the money; so that it cost his Majesty nothing.