Henry Morgan (born January 24, 1635 - died August 25, 1688) is one of the most famous English pirates from the island of Jamaica, who in 1668-1671. was the avowed king of the pirates of the Caribbean. He became famous for the seizures and plunder of the cities of Puerto Principe (modern. Camaguey) in Cuba, Puerto Bello on the Isthmus of Panama, Maracaibo and Gibraltar in Venezuela and Panama.
Origin
Its origins and origins in the West Indies are still shrouded in mystery. Exquemelin claimed that Morgan ended up there as an indentured servant, being sold on a plantation in Barbados. But British researchers do not agree with this, and this was denied by Morgan himself, who stated that he had never been anybody's servant except His Majesty.
Henry appears to have been the nephew of the Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica, Sir Edward Morgan. After 1665, Henry Morgan married his cousin Mary Elizabeth Morgan - the second daughter and fourth child of Sir Edward and his wife, who in turn was the daughter of the Saxon nobleman Johann Georg, Baron von Pelnitz, and the Dutch woman Anna Petronella van Hell.
The first mention of Morgan. Plundering cities
The Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modiford, first mentioned Morgan in August 1665 in a report to the Duke of Albemarl when he wrote about a detachment of Jamaican filibusters who sailed from Port Royal in late 1663 with a letter of marque from Lord Windsor. The detachment consisted of approximately 150 people, led by captains David Maarten, Jacob Fakman (Jacob Jackman), Henry Morgan, Freeman and John Morris.
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The British archives preserved Modiford's detailed account of this expedition, compiled on September 20, 1665, based on the testimony of three captains - Morris, Fakman and Morgan. This report indicated that their detachment first operated in Mexico, where they robbed the Spanish city of Villa Hermosa, then arrived in the Gulf of Honduras and there captured the city of Trujillo. From there filibusters went to the coast of Nicaragua, entered the river. San Juan and, having penetrated Lake Nicargua, sacked the city of Granada. Summer 1665 - laden with booty, they safely returned to Port Royal.
1668 year. January - The Council of Jamaica approves the Governor's proposal to give Captain Morgan a special assignment "to gather English privatizers and capture prisoners of the Spanish nation, whereby he could learn of the enemy's intentions to invade Jamaica." This order essentially sanctioned the pirate actions of the filibusters of Jamaica against the subjects of the Spanish crown.
Gathering a flotilla of 12 ships with a crew of 700 people off the southern coast of Cuba, Morgan decided to attack the city of Puerto Principe (modern. Camaguey), which is located in the interior of Cuba. Having defeated a Spanish detachment on the outskirts of Puerto Principe, Morgan and his men burst into the city. According to Spanish sources, Puerto Principe was captured by pirates on Good Thursday March 29, 1668 at dawn; at the same time, about 100 soldiers and militias were killed in the battle. Having seized the city, the filibusters herded all the Spaniards and their slaves into two churches - La Merced and San Francisco - while they themselves went to rob the abandoned houses. During the pogrom, the city archive with documents and valuable church books was burned or, perhaps, stolen.
Morgan interrogates the prisoners
When there was nothing to plunder and no one to plunder, the pirates decided to leave. But before leaving, Morgan demanded a ransom from the Spaniards - 500 head of cattle. He took with him six of the noblest inhabitants as hostages and left the city on April 1. The proceeds from this expedition amounted to 50 thousand piastres in gold, silver and various goods.
1668 June - With only 460 men under his command, Morgan attacked the city of Puerto Bello. After plundering this flourishing city and taking a ransom from the townspeople - 100 thousand piastres - Morgan loaded the ships with money, treasures, valuable goods, captured guns and food, and then went to the islands of Jardines de la Reina. There the filibusters divided the booty. According to the Spanish ambassador in London, "the share of each soldier was 600 (ounces), or 80 pounds in half-crown ounces, from where it is possible to imagine how much the officers, the governor and their proxies could get."
By the early autumn of 1668, the pirates who took part in the campaign to Puerto Bello squandered the looted wealth in Port Royal and were determined to undertake a new expedition to the shores of America. Their next victim was to be Cartagena, but due to the loss of the flagship frigate "Oxford", which exploded during a feast near the island of Vash, Morgan changed the original plan and decided to attack the cities of Maracaibo and Gibraltar in Venezuela. Repeating the "feat" of François Olone, he completely ruined these cities, and when leaving, defeated the Spanish armada de Barlovento that blocked his way. The writer Rafael Sabatini later skillfully played these events in his novel "The Odyssey of Captain Blood".
Admiral and Commander-in-Chief Henry Morgan
Returning to Port Royal, the pirates, as always, quickly squandered the proceeds of the campaign and were ready to go on a new expedition. 1670, June 29 - An emergency meeting of the Council of Jamaica was convened in Spanish Town after receiving news of a Spanish corsairs' raid on the Jamaican coast. The Council decided to "welcome the letter of marque to Admiral Henry Morgan to be admiral and commander-in-chief of all warships assigned to this harbor, and all officers, soldiers and sailors assigned to them." In addition, Morgan was allowed to attack Spanish ships, storm fortresses and capture cities.
According to the "True Account of the Expedition of Admiral Henry Morgan against the Spaniards in the West Indies in the Year 1670", written on the basis of the admiral's own report, on September 2 he arrived at the Isle of Vash, designated a meeting place for all filibusters of the Caribbean. Edward Collier, commander of the frigate Satisfaction, was elected Rear Admiral of the Fleet. A few days later, Morgan sent Collier to the coast of New Granada with a flotilla of six ships, carrying 400 people. This detachment was to obtain food and information from the Spaniards "about the Spanish invasion of Jamaica being prepared."
Collier returned to Vash in November with two Spanish prizes and 38 captives.
"Morgan's ships were ready," says Exquemelin, "no one else was expected … Now the entire flotilla consisted of 37 ships and several small barges."
Hike to Panama
Early December - Morgan assembled his captains aboard the flagship frigate Satisfaction. At the council of war, the officers decided to march on Panama, about which they notified the admiral in writing. The text of this decision was sent to Modiford. The governor received it when he already knew about peace with Spain. And yet, according to the testimony of John Peak (Morgan's secretary), the governor did not cancel this expedition.
Henry Morgan: 17th century engraving
On the way to the Isthmus of Panama, the pirate flotilla captured the island of Santa Catalina (modern Providencia), where they found several guides who knew how to get across the isthmus to Panama. Then Morgan selected 470 volunteers and sent them aboard 4 ships and 1 barge to capture Fort San Lorenzo de Chagres. This fortification covered the entrance to the mouth of the river. Chagres, from where the pirates planned to start their journey across the isthmus. The vanguard was led by Flotilla Vice Admiral Joseph Bradley, who boarded the Mayflower frigate. The fort was captured after a fierce battle that cost the lives of many pirates, including Bradley.
Meanwhile, Morgan, who was on Santa Catalina, ordered the anchors. Out on the open sea, the pirate flotilla headed for the fortress of San Lorenzo. Having repaired the captured fort, Morgan decided not to hesitate to prepare for a march across the isthmus. January 8 (according to Morgan - "Monday 9th") a detachment of 1200 to 1400 people set out on an unprecedented campaign across the Isthmus of Panama. Because this campaign and the fierce battle under the walls of Panama, which took place on January 18, 1671, has been described more than once by different authors, we will omit the story about it and see what happened after that.
When the filibusters entered Panama, the whole city was already in flames. Exquemelin claimed to have been set on fire by pirates. His information is refuted by the author of the "True Report …", who wrote that, upon entering the city, “we were forced to put all our efforts into extinguishing the fire that engulfed the houses of our enemies, which they themselves set on fire to prevent us from robbing them; but all our efforts were in vain, for by midnight the whole city had burned down, except for a part of the suburbs, which, thanks to great efforts, we managed to save, including two churches and about 300 houses."
All night long filibusters stood in the vicinity of Panama, and at dawn they entered the city again - or rather, into what was left of it. The wounded were taken to the church of one of the monasteries, around which they set up arsenals and set up a battery of guns.
After staying in Panama for three weeks and "conscientiously plundering everything that came to his hand on the water and on land," Morgan ordered to prepare to leave. 1671, February 14 - filibusters left the city, leading 175 mules loaded with broken and chased silver, as well as hostages - 500 or 600 men, women, children and slaves.
The booty that Morgan took in Panama could have cost 6 million escudos. Morgan himself estimated all the production at 30 thousand pounds. According to the chief surgeon of the expedition, Richard Brown, silver and other valuable booty were worth about 70 thousand pounds sterling, not counting other rich goods, but people were deceived, each had only 10 pounds, not counting black slaves. Be that as it may, the most grandiose campaign of filibusters in the West Indies brought them a relatively modest income.
Returning to Port Royal, Morgan compiled a report on the Panamanian Expedition on April 20, which was presented to the Governor and the Council of Jamaica. On May 31, a meeting of the Jamaican Council was held in Spanish Town, whose members made a public thanks to the admiral.
In Spain, the announcement of the fall of Panama was overwhelming. The English ambassador, William Godolphin, wrote that the queen regent was "so upset, sobbing and tossing about in rage, that those who were next to her were afraid that this would shorten her life." The Anglo-Spanish treaty, signed on July 8, 1670, was in jeopardy. Godolphin tried to calm the Spanish ministers, assuring that his government had nothing to do with the "Panama action". The government of Charles II placed all the blame for the burning of Panama on the governor of Jamaica. The new governor of the island, Sir Thomas Lynch, was ordered to arrest Modiford and send him to England for trial. In November, the disgraced governor was placed in the Tower of London, where, however, he was kept in complete comfort.
Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica
April 1672 - Morgan is sent to England aboard the frigate Welcam. No charges were brought against him, because it was believed that he was carrying out the instructions of the official authorities. As for the former Jamaican governor, the court treated him favorably: it was not possible to "prove" his guilt. The case of the "Panama action" eventually turned into a farce and ended with the fact that Charles II appointed Modiford the chief judge of Jamaica, and Morgan was knighted (in November 1674) and sent there as vice-governor. Making such an unusual decision, the monarch took into account "his devotion, prudence and courage, as well as a long acquaintance with this colony."
For 14 years, Morgan served as lieutenant governor of Jamaica, constantly in conflict with the governors appointed there. He was reproached for secret deals with pirates and behavior unworthy of a royal officer. In the end, the former king of filibusters drank himself to death and became seriously ill. The famous doctor and collector, founder of the British Museum, Hans Sloan, who lived in Jamaica in those years, was invited to examine the sick ex-filibuster. Morgan he found "thin, with an earthy complexion, yellowish eyes, prominent belly, or bulging." The patient complained of lack of appetite, weakness, nausea and diarrhea. Sloane decided it was due to "drunkenness and [promiscuous] nightlife."
Death of Sir Henry Morgan
Morgan died in Port Royal on August 25, 1688. The next day, his body was brought to the government building of Port Royal, then to the church of St. Catherine, and from there to the Palisados cemetery, where he was buried. The ships in the harbor gave an artillery salute in his honor.
Thus, the former king of the filibusters of Jamaica was given admiral's honors.
They say that the family of the American tycoon John Pierpont Morgan later inscribed the name of the famous Jamaican filibuster in their pedigree and were very proud of this circumstance.
V. Gubarev