The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-22

N~Ay ~ ~ |
against which is directed the strength
of the Yankee fleet, has fallen in the
past before aggressive AnglO-SaxOns,
as it will again in the near future.
The American people, moved past all
endurance at the barbarous inhuman-
tiles by Spain against the Cubans, have
''in the name of humanity, in the name
of civilization" invoke the aid of the
army and navy to establish peace and
the blessings of liberty will confer upon
the blood-soaked soil of the Pearl
of the Antilles"
The ultimate object Of the former
successful invasion was as far removed
from tina actuating America at the
present time as is possible to conceive.
1t was conducted solely for the OBJ
ject of personal gain, under the cOm-
mand Of Sir Henry Morgan, the most
daring and bloodthirsty freebooter hat
ravished the Spanish main in the lat
ter portion Of the seventeenth century.
The history Of Captain Morgan's ex-
ploits in the West indies was written
by one j. E~squemeling, a reformed pi-
rate, who accompanied him on his nu-
merous forays, dating from the capture
OF the island of ST. Catherine, in 1865,
to the sacking of the city of Panama
in 1871. A fine old ballad also COM
memorates this later adventure. The
memoirs were published in England in
1704, and contain, as the title page sets
forth, THE History Of the Buccaneers
Of America, From the First Original
Down to this Time: Written in Several
Languages and Now Collected into One
Volume. The Whole Newly Translated
into English and Illustrated with 25
Copper Plates
This quaint old chronicle was first
written and printed in Holland Dutch,
and afterward translated and published
in English. In passing through the
translator's hands it has acquired the
stilted and pedantic figures of Eng
lish "as she was spoke" in those early
days, but enough of the spirit of the
original author reveals itself in the de-
taileddescription to give one an excel
lent idea of the atrocities perpetrated
by Morgan's gentlemen of Fortune"
Then, as now, Havana was the strong
est fortified city in Cuba. 1t was also
chief in size n commercial import
ance. Following it in these respects
came Santiago. Each Of these two
cities had half of the island under its
jurisdiction to which, says the chrOn-
icler, "all the Towns and Villages there
Of give obedience" Gomez and Garcia
could relate quite a different story at
the present time.
The islands of Tortuga and Jamaica
were. the common refuge of the free
hooters, who operated against the
Spaniards of Florida, West Indies, eVn-
Zuela and the northern coast of South
America. This portion of the world
constituted the Spanish main of bloody
romance and savage adventure. Spain
at this period did an immense amount
Of trade with these islands in tobacco,
hides and sugar, and hundreds Of
Spanish merchant vessels traVersed
yearly that part of the Caribbean sea
lying southeast Of the northern South
American coast. This was the popular
route, and here the pirates waged mer.
ciless warfare, at first against the ships
alone, but as their numbers increased
they made successful incursions against
the villages and w situated on the
islands and along the coasts of Florida
and South America.
Jamaica, in Morgan's time, was under
the domination of an English governor.
who, among other characteristics, pos
sessed an extremely ductile conscience.
He was hand in glove with the free
hooters, assisting them to outfit their
ships with supplies and men and af-
fordipg them a safe asylum from all
attacks in the fortified harbors of ia
maica. In 1865 Morgan began his adj
venturous career. On account of his
active part in a number of successful
exploits, he was chosen ~vice-admiral OF
a piratical fleet OF fifteen vessels which
put out from Jamaica fitted for a gen.
eral conquest Of coast and island cities.
The first descent was upon the garrison
Of St. GATHERINGS island, near Costa
Rico, which surrendered under the at
tack. The town was promptly looted
and a great number of the inhabitants
slaughtered and taken prisoners. A
portion Of the fleet laden with booty
and captives returned to Jamaica, first
leaving a force of 100 pirates on the
island to hold it, in the command of
one ell Sieur Simon as governor. Ar
irving at Jamaica it was proposed to
the English governor to send recruits
to the new acquisition with the pur-
pose Of terrifying and holding it as a
perpetual haven for. the freebOOters.
This plan seemed to be altogether too
bold for Jamaica's governor, who, fear
ing to ~displease the king of England
and realizing he would be obliged to
reduce his own military force to supply
the needed recruits. promptly refused
his assent to the proposal. Morgan's
piratical partner whose name was
Mansvelt, who had been entrusted to
negotiate the affair, then sailed to Tor
tuga. to secure the needed allies. Here
he suddenly died. Meanwhile the Span
iards recaptured st. Catherine and at
nee transported and executed the pi-
rates.
OPERATIONS I NCUBA.
Notwithstanding this misadventure,
Captain Morgan with undiminished
courage rapidly equipped another fleet.
the vessels Of which were to be brought
by their crews to a certain part Of
Cuba, where a general ouncil would
be held and plans for future expedi-
lions made.
The literary buccaneer at this point
gives a detailed account Of the council
of war, which, in the printed chron-
icles, is set forth in all the usual plen-
titude Of lengthy paragraphs and cap