The Book of Pirates and Highwaymen (16 page)

On January 27th, 1671, which was the tenth of their march, the pirates advanced at a very early hour, with their military music, and took the road leading to Panama. By the advice, however, of one of the guides, they quitted the main road, and went out of the way across a thick wood, through which there was no foot-path. For this the Spaniards were unprepared; having confined themselves to the erection of batteries, and the construction of redoubts, on the highway. They soon perceived the inutility of this measure, and were obliged to relinquish their guns, in order to oppose their enemies on the contrary side; but, not being able to take their cannons away from their batteries, they were consequently incapacitated from making use of one part of their defensive means.

After two hours’ march, the freebooters discovered the hostile army, which was a very fine one, well equipped, and was advancing in battle array. The soldiers were clad in party-coloured silk stuffs, and the horsemen were strutting on their mettlesome steeds, as if they were going to a bull fight. The president in person took command of this body of troops, which was of considerable importance, both for the country, and likewise for the forces supported there by Spain. He marched against the pirates with four regiments of the line, consisting of infantry, besides two thousand four hundred foot soldiers of another description, four hundred horsemen, and two thousand four hundred wild bulls under the conduct of several hundred Indians and negroes.

The army, which extended over the whole plain, was discovered by the pirates from the summit of a small eminence, and presented to them a most imposing appearance, insomuch that they were struck with a kind of terror. They began now to feel some anxiety as to the event of an engagement with forces so greatly superior in point of numbers; but they were convinced that they must either conquer or die, and encouraged each other to fight until the very last drop of their blood was shed; a determination this, which, on the part of these intrepid men, was by no means a vain resolution.

They divided themselves into three bodies, placed two hundred of their best marksmen in the front, and marched boldly against the Spaniards, who were drawn up in order of battle in a spacious plain. The governor immediately ordered the cavalry to charge the enemy, and the wild bulls to be at the same time let loose upon them. But the ground was unfavourable for the purpose; the horsemen encountered nothing but marshes, behind which were posted two hundred marksmen, who kept up a continual and well directed fire, that horses and men fell in heaps beneath their shots, before it was possible to effect a retreat. Fifty horsemen only escaped this formidable discharge of musketry. The bulls, on whose services they had calculated so highly, it became impracticable to drive against the pirates. Hence such a confusion arose as completely reversed the whole plan of the battle. The freebooters in consequence attacked the Spanish infantry with so much the greater vigour; they successively knelt on the ground, fired, and rose up again. While those, who were on one knee, directed their fire against the hostile army, which began to waver, the pirates, who continued standing, rapidly charged their fire-arms. Every man, on this occasion, evinced a dexterity and presence of mind which decided the fate of the battle; almost every shot was fatal.

The Spaniards nonetheless continued to defend themselves with much valour, which provided of little service against an exasperated enemy; whose courage, inflamed by despair, derived additional strength from their successes. At length the Spaniards had recourse to their last expedient; the wild bulls were let loose upon the rear of the freebooters. The former never dreamt that these had, in this expedition, associated with the Buccaneers, who had for a long time been accustomed to act against these animals: and this attack, which was to be decisive, frustrated all their plans. The Buccaneers were in their element; by their shouts they intimidated the bulls, at the same time waving party-coloured flags before them, fired on the animals, and laid them upon the ground without exception. The engagement lasted two hours; and notwithstanding the Spaniards were so greatly superior in both numbers and arms, it terminated entirely in favour of the freebooters. The Spaniards lost the chief part of their cavalry, on which they built their expectations of victory; the remainder returned to the charge repeatedly, but their efforts only tended to render their defeat the more complete. A very few horsemen only escaped, together with the ruins of the infantry, who threw down their arms to facilitate the rapidity of their flight. Six hundred Spaniards lay dead on the field of battle; besides whom, they sustained a considerable loss in such as were wounded and taken prisoners.

Among the latter were some Franciscans, who had exposed themselves to the greatest dangers, in order that they might animate the combatants, and afford the last consolations of religion to the dying. They were conducted into Morgan’s presence, who instantly pronounced sentence of death upon them. In vain did these hapless religeuse implore that pity, which they might have claimed from a less ferocious enemy! They were all killed by pistol shot. Some Spaniards who were apprehensive lest they should be overtaken in their flight, had concealed themselves among the flags and rushes along the banks of the river. They were mostly discovered, and hacked to pieces by the merciless pirates.

The freebooters task, however, was by no means executed; they had yet to take Panama, a large and populous city, which was defended by forts and batteries, and into which the governor had retired, together with the fugitives. The conquest of this place was the more difficult, as the pirates had dearly purchased their victory, and the remaining forces were by no means adequate to encounter the difficulties attending such an enterprise. It was, however, determined to make an attempt. Morgan had just procured, from a wounded captive Spanish officer, the necessary information; but he had not a moment to lose. It would not do to allow the Spaniards time to adopt new measures of defence; the city was therefore assaulted on the same day, in defiance of a formidable artillery, which committed great havoc among the freebooters; and, at the end of three hours, they were in possession of Panama.

The capture of that city was followed by a general pillage. Morgan, who dreaded the consequences of excessive intoxication, especially after his men had suffered such a long abstinence, prohibited them from drinking wine, under the severest penalties. He foresaw that such a prohibition would infallibly be infringed, unless it was sanctioned by an argument far more powerful then the fear of punishment; he therefore caused it to be announced, that he had received information that the Spaniards had poisoned all their wine. This dexterous falsehood had the desired effect: and, for the first time, the freebooters were temperate.

The majority of the inhabitants of Panama had betaken themselves to flight; they had embarked their women, their riches, and their moveables that were of any value, and small in bulk, and had sent this valuable cargo to the island of Taroga. The men were dispersed over the continent, but in sufficiently large numbers to appear formidable to the pirates; whose forces were much diminished, and who could not expect any assistance from abroad. They therefore continued constantly together; and, for their greater security, most of them encamped without the walls.

We have now reached a time when Morgan committed a barbarous and incomprehensible action; concerning which his comrades (some of whom were his historians), have given only a very ambiguous explanation.

Notwithstanding all the precious articles had been carried away from Panama, there still remained, as in every great European trading city, a vast number of shops, warehouses, and magazines, filled with every kind of merchandise. Besides a great quantity of wrought and manufactured articles, the productions of luxury and industry, that city contained immense stores of flour, wine, and spices; vast magazines of that metal which is justly deemed the most valuable of all, because it is the most useful, extensive buildings, in which were accumulated prodigious stores of iron tools and implements, anvils, and ploughs, which had been received from Europe, and were destined to revive the Spanish colonies. Some judgement may be formed, respecting the value of the last-mentioned articles only, when it is considered that a quintal (1 cwt.) of iron was sold at Panama for thirty-two piasters (about £6 12s).

All these multifarious articles, so essentially necessary for the furnishing of an hemisphere with provisions, were (it would seem) of no value in the estimation of the ferocious Morgan, because he could not carry them away; although, by preserving them, he might have made use of them to demand a specific ransom for them. Circumstances might also enable him to derive some further advantages from them; but, in fact, whatever was distant, or uncertain, presented no attraction to this barbarian, who was eager to enjoy, but most ardent to destroy. He was struck with one consideration only. All these bulky productions of art and industry were, for the moment, of no use to the freebooters. Of what importance to him was the ruin of many thousand innocent families? He consulted only the ferocity of his character; and, without communicating his design to any individual, he secretly caused the city to be set on fire in several places. In a few hours it was almost entirely consumed. The Spaniards that had continued to Panama, as well as the pirates themselves, who were at first ignorant from whence the conflagration proceeded, ran together, and united their efforts in order to extinguish the flames. They brought water, and pulled down houses, with a view to prevent the further progress of that destructive element.

All their exertions were fruitless. A violent wind was blowing; and, in addition to this circumstance, (as already intimated), the principal part of the buildings in that city were constructed with wood. Its finest houses, together with their valuable furniture, among which was the magnificent palace belonging to the Genoese, the churches, convents, court-houses, shops, hospitals, pious foundations, warehouses filled with merchandize,– all were reduced to ashes! The fire also consumed a great number of beasts, horses, mules, and many slaves, who had concealed themselves, and who were burnt alive. A very few houses only escaped the fire, which continued burning upwards of four weeks. Amidst the havoc produced in every quarter by the conflagration, the free-booters did not neglect to pillage as much as they possibly could; by which means they collected a considerable booty.

Morgan seemed ashamed of his atrocious resolution; he carefully concealed that he had ever adopted it, and gave out that the Spaniards themselves had set their city on fire. In the morning it was nothing but a heap of ashes. A retired quarter, however, which was poor, wretchedly built, and occupied only by muleteers, was spared by the flames; as also were two convents, and the palace belonging to the president, which was sheltered by its remote situation.

After this deplorable catastrophe, the pirates assembled together, and entrenched themselves under the ruins of a church. Morgan detached a large body of well armed troops to go and announce his victory to those who had been left behind at Chagre, and to inform them of their situation. He likewise sent out two other detachments, of one hundred men each, to collect and bring in prisoners: he further sent out a well manned ship to cruise in the South Sea, and attempt the capture of some prizes there. This vessel, in fact, returned at the end of three days, with three ships that had been taken; but brought, at the same time, some information which extremely chagrined both the pirates and their chieftain. A large galleon had escaped their vigilance, which was laden with the treasures of the churches, as well as with a large quantity of silver, gold, and other precious articles, belonging to the king and the most opulent traders of Panama. On board this galleon also were the wives of the principal inhabitants, together with all their jewels, and every other article that could possibly be conveyed away. They had also succeeded in embarking on board a great number of children, and all the religeuse in the city. She had no other cargo, and did not even carry any ballast; or rather, the ingots of gold and silver supplied the place of ballast. This vessel, although laden with so many objects, the preservation of which was of such vast moment, was defended by no more than six guns and a scanty crew; besides which, she was in other respects but indifferently provided. She was sailing very securely: for, as the free-booters had arrived by land, the Spaniards were fully persuaded they could undertake nothing by sea.

It seemed impossible for a prize of such immense consequence to escape the rapacity of those corsairs. They discovered her, towards evening, at some distance from them; and had the address to intercept, without being discovered, the ship’s boat, on board which were seven persons, from whom they received information highly necessary for the furtherance of their designs. From this moment, Chart, who was the commander of the pirate ship, considered the capture of the galleon as infallible; he waited only for the return of day, that he might take possession of her. It would otherwise have been impossible to attempt a capture, easy as it might appear, during the night. His crew, who were abundantly stocked with wine, and who had been in quest of women and girls in the small islands that lay in the vicinity of Panama, were so given up to excess of intoxication and debauchery, that, for the moment, they were incapacitated from firing at her. On the following day they had cause to repent of this forced delay, the consequences of which were irreparable. He still entertained hopes of overtaking the galleon; but she was now completely out of his reach. What despair must his comrades have experienced, on seeing that their negligence had deprived them of such a valuable prey; and that a few inconsiderable prizes constituted the whole fruit of their cruise!