Sir Henry Morgan – The King of All Pirates
After the English captured Jamaica in 1655, they converted it to an English Colony. Henry Morgan launched his amazing pirate career during this time. He was very successful at attacking Spanish cities and ports on land and plundering them for their gold and silver. To name a few, he successfully attacked Vilahermosa, which was the Capital of the Mexican province of Tobasco, and Gran Granada, a silver mining center in Nicaragua.
Henry Morgan married the daughter of his uncle, Sir Edward Morgan who was the commander of all English troops in the West Indies, and became friends with Thomas Modyford, the Governor, who appointed him commander of the militia in Port Royal.
Henry Morgan had a commission that allowed him to capture Spanish ships, but nothing was mentioned about Spanish cities. If he captured a Spanish ship, one half of the booty went to the English Government. If he captured a Spanish city, he and his crew could split all the booty, making it a much more profitable adventure, even though attacks on cities were considered an act of piracy.
One of Henry Morgan’s most cunning and bold attacks was on the fortified city of Porto Bello in Panama. This was the port where the Spanish treasure ships sailed for Spain. Under the cover of darkness, his crew slipped into the harbor in canoes undetected. Porto Bello had three forts, the first and second were captured quickly. The third fort was more difficult, but Morgan used Catholic Priests and Nuns to shield his men as they scaled the walls of the fort. When the battle was over, Morgan and crew collected 250,000 pieces of eight and 300 slaves. After this victory, Morgan was nicknamed, Morgan “The Terrible”.
Henry Morgan also led an attack on the Venezuelan cities of Maracaibo and Gilbraltar. Although the booty from the attack was not as great as other victories, Morgan used cunning and brilliant tactics to outwit the Spanish and escape right under their noses, in addition to destroying two of their Man-o-war ships in the process, and capturing a third. After this battle, Morgan was certainly the undisputed king of the buccaneers.
In 1670, Morgan again sailed to Panama with 36 ships and 2,000 buccaneers. They captured Fort San Lorenzo, and went on an overland journey for many days navigating thick dense jungle. The Spaniards were prepared, and they used 600 cavalry to attack Morgan and his men, but the pirates stood fast. The Spanish also attack the pirates with a stampede of 2,000 Spanish bulls, but that did not work either, and the Spanish made a speedy retreat. This siege netted the pirates 100,000 English Pounds. Since England was no longer at war with Spain, Morgan was called back to England to stand trial for piracy. Once King Charles II, was made aware of the accomplishments of Morgan, the king knighted Morgan in 1673 and appointed him Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. Who says crime doesn’t pay! Morgan was given orders to rid the seas from all buccaneers, and when he died in 1688, there were hardly any buccaneers left. With his intelligence, cunning, daring, and brutality he was one of the most respected and feared pirates of all time, truly the king of all pirates.
To find more information about Sir Henry Morgan including ship names, tactics and strategies, and places of attack, see the great sources listed below. Arrgh!
Sources:
www.piratesinfo.com/cpi_The_King_of_All_Pirates_915.asp, Copyright © 1996 – 2008 Krzysztof Wilczynski, All rights reserved.
The History of Pirates by Angus Konstam, The Lyons Press, 1999, 2002.