Henry Morgan

Henry Morgan was a known legendary Welsh Privateer. He raided many cities in his time and successfully captured Panama. Morgan was an owner of plantations and was a married man as well.  According to David Cordingly, "Henry Morgan was no ordinary buccaneer. He had received a knighthood and been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica by King Charles the second" (43). Morgan's methods of attack are explained in many ways as well as the stories told about his many exploits because of the different points of views of writers in which some state facts while others state fiction. 

In Buccaneers and Pirates, it is said that Henry Morgan came from parents who were farmers and he disliked farming so much, that he ran away to become a sailor. And since he had no money, he had to work in plantations for three years. On the other hand, Under the Black Flag explains the events that led up to his legendary raids in more detail. Cordingly explains that very little is known about Henry Morgan parents, but he had two uncles who were soldiers in which he wanted to follow in their footsteps and became a soldier too. Henry Morgan then joined the expeditionary force with General Venables and Admiral Penn in aim of capturing Hispaniola, which was not successful. He then spent the next few years part taking in other raids, one of which he had the responsibility of being the captain of the one of the ships. This is where he established his leadership role and his journey began.

The sacking of Porto Bello was one of the most famous exploits led by Captain Morgan. Buccaneers and Pirates states, “Porto Bello was one of the strongest towns possessed by the Spaniards” (Stockton 145). Stockton also mentions that Captain Morgan "was helped" by the religious people, which were the monks and nuns of Porto Bello. Henry Morgan and his men used these people as human shields by using them to put up their ladders that would help them climb over the wall of Porto Bello and lead them inside the town. Because of the men defending their town of Porto Bello, they were told to shoot their own people if it meant keeping the privateers and pirates out. Once they were over the wall Henry Morgan asked for a ransom from the Governor of Panama to not burn the town down, so after sending a messenger back and forth the Governor paid the ransom and Henry Morgan and his men abandoned the place.

Under the Black Flag puts the event differently and is based off facts. "Morgan had learned that the forts which defended the town from the sea were poorly manned" (Cordingly 45). Although this was true, there was times when the towns ships were at their ports and the towns had significant defenses. Also mentioned is the fact that Morgan’s men did use ladders to climb the walls but did not use the people as human shields in this manner. But Morgan then made the decision to drag the Mayor, women, old men, and some friars and nuns to precede the buccaneers as human shields in this manner. 

Captain Henry Morgan then proceeded to ask for a ransom, like mentioned in both readings but in Under the Black Flag, Henry Morgan asks the President of Panama for a payment of 350,000 pesos for Porto Bello in which the President proceeds to pay only a part of, after three weeks of negotiations. Captain Henry Morgan left Porto Bello with his men and with 250,000 pesos in his possession.

Sources Consulted:
Cordingly, David. Under the Back Flag- The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006.

Stockton, Frank. Buccaneers and Pirates. Dover Publications, 2007.