Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-09-10
THE FLIBUsTIERs.

perS,) anu dS tH0 Hi''oiy VI lidt Pa a'iNAi
Commonwealth is perhaps not familiar to
most of our readers, we now give short
sketch of their remarkable history:
Their chief prowess was confined mostly
to the latter half of the l7th century, but
they had their origin, though not under that
name, as early as 1925, in party of free
hooters, chiefly Frenchmen, who then took
possession of the island of St. Christopher,
and carried on piratical expeditions against
the Spaniards. About the year 1880 they
left that island and established themselves
on the northwest part Of the island of st.
Domingo, (now Haytl,) then belonging to
the Spaniards, aud the small islands in the
neighborhood. Here they maintained them
selves by piracy, and in hunting and killing
the wild cattle, of which large numbers re-
NAMED on these islands. They dried the
flesh of these cattle and made an article OF
trade of their skins.
After this set of men came the Bucaniers,
named, it is said, from the Caribbee word
Boucan, which was the name given to the
places for drying and smoking OF beef
They had an organization founded on
community of labor and property, but OF en-
tire lawlessness, from which all women were
excluded. All disputes were settled by SIN
gle combat New comers, who.were chiefly
from France, were subjected to three
years apprenticeship, during which they
were pledged to give their aid against the
common enemy, the Spaniards. Two cir
cumstances led TO the establishment OF this
community into an exclusively piratical re-
public, and to their acquiring degree Of
power which made them an object OF terror
for half century. In the course of few
years the herds Of cattle in St. Domingo,
which had afforded them their Chief means
of support, had been all destroyed, and at
the same time the war which then prevail
ed between the Spaniards and the English
and French afforded favorable opportunl-
ty for the carrying on Of pratical eXpedl-
tons against the vast property Of the former
in the West Indies. These temptations at
tracted to them adventurers from all ma
tons, and piracy became their only trade,
and they obtained the name Of Fh6ustierS,
from the Spanish name Of light boat FL
bole, in French, FHboi, derived perhaps from
the English, Flybodt. In the beginning
they were few in number, with miserable
appointments and small means of action, but
they soon grew into naval power which
became formidable to the Spaniards, from
the mad courage with which they attacked
and captured the largest Spanish ships, even
ships-of.war, and from the focking together
of sea-faring adventurers, and the favor
showed by France and England because
they were the means of annoyance to the
Spanish. Thus was created sort OF plratlcal
republic, in which, by common consent or
the choice of the majority, the bravest and
most skilful were made leaders, some OF
them proving so powerful that they gained
great ascendency over their comrades. In
process of time they formed an organization
which exacted the most severe discipline
and subordination among themselves, but
allowed the greatest license towards others.
The first commander who led the Flibus-
tiers to the greatest undertakings, and join
ed them all into an organized whole, was an
Englisman of the name of Mansfield, who,
about the middle of the seventeenth centu-
ry, was at the head of small fleet of sew
enteen sail, numbering about six hundred
men, which increased rapidly, and obtained
possession of some of the Spanish Islands,
among others St. Catharines. The celebra-
ted Fice-Admiral Morgan served under him.
He was native of Wales, who, after the
death ofMansfeld, in the year 1868, was cho-
sen commander and brought the power OF the
Flibustiers to its greatest height. st. Domn-
60, with the adjoining islands on the north,
and Jamaica, were then their headquarters.
Morgan did not confine himself to piracy on
the sea, but made important demonstrations
against several cities, which he burnt, vast
ed, and plundered in horrible manner
Puerto del Principe, the present Port au
Prince,) in st. Domingo, Porto Bello, and
Maracaibo, were among these but the most
celebrated was his expedition against Pana-
ma. On the oath of October, 1910, he went
with 1920 men on fleet of thirty-seven
vessels under sail landed near Chagres,
and crossed with his army under indescrib-
able difficulties over the lsthmus towards
Panama, which he reached on the 9th jan
uary, 1911, destroyed the Spanish garrison
in two hours, plundered the city, with the
most cruel treatment ofthe inhabitants, and
then set it on fire. After this expedition,
which embroiled him with his own people,
because they accused him Of keeping the
best part of the booty to himself, Morgan
withdrew to jamaica gave up his piratical
courses. married and died at an advanced
age.
Among the most celebrated Filbustier
captains under Morgan, and who succeeded
him, was the Frenchman Francis Nau,
called TOlennais, noted for his cruelty, who,
in 1866, took Gibraltar, near Maracaibo,
burnt the place, and laid Maracaibo under
contributions but in 1867 was taken on the
Baru Islands by the Indians and put to
death. In the year 1858 the Fibustiers,
under the command of Laurent de Graft, a
Dutcbman and Frenchman named Grand
mont, took the fortress of Vera Cruz, plum
dered and put it under contribution, and the
booty. which, after being divided, they car
red back to Jamaica, amounted to eight
millions of dollars. In the year 1884 Grand
mont also took possession of the suburbs OF
Carthagena and Campeachy.
From this time the Flibustiers began to
decline for as, under the influence Of the
French in St. Domingo, they began TO be
dangerous to the English, their Captain,
Montauband, in his piracies on the coast OF
Guinea in 1851, having taken several Dutch
and English ships, England began to op-