The copper era and Morenci leader., 1913-08-22

that 1t is never rebuilt That is what Capt. John Morgan, the master buc- cancer, did in 1871, when he led his band of cutthroats down from the hills upon Panama. After he had fin ished with that big, f1ourishing city there was so little left of it that the Spanish moved five miles west along the coast and there built a new Pan ama-the Panama we know today.
 The story of Morgan's justly famous exploit, often told, never grows stale. It is a wonderful story of desperate bravery, endurance, suffering and ruth less cruelty, and as John EsQuemeling was the first to relate it in detail, so he has been the best. Howard Pyle has well said: Tn the case of the EsQuemeling history, 1t should be de cidedly hands off. One touch of the modern brush would destroy the whole tone of dim colors of the past made misty by the lapse of time"
 So wish had space to quote the en- tire story of Morgan and Panama as sEsQuemeling, who was one of the band, tells it Some of it, at least, must be given in his quaint language, beginning with the capture by a part of Morgan's fleet of Fort San Lorenzo at the mouth of the Chagres river. Says Esquemeling:
 Captain Brodely being made com mander, in three days after his de parture (from St. Catherine's) ar rived in sight of the said castle of Chagre, by the Spaniards called St. Lawrence. This castle is built on a high mountain at the entry of the river, surrounded by strong palisades, or wooden walls, filled with earth, which secures them as well as the best wall of stone or brick. The top of this mountain is, in a manner, di- vided into two parts, between which is ditch thirty feet deep. The castle hath but one entry, and that by a drawbridge over this ditch. To the land it has four bastions, and to. the sea two more. The south part is to- tally inaccessible, through the craggi ness of the mountain. The north is surrounded by the river, which here is very broad. At the foot of the castle, or rather mountain, is . strong fort, with eight great guns, commanding the entry of the river. Not much low CT are two other batteries, each of six pieces, to defend likewise the mouth of the river.
 No sooner had the Spaniards per ceived the pirates, but they fired in cessantly at them with the biggest of their guns. They came to an anchor in a small port about a league from the castle. Next morning, very early, they went ashore and marched through the woods to attack the castle on that side. This march lasted till two of the clock in the afternoon, be- fore they could reach the castle, by reason of the difficulties of the way, and it's mire and dirt; and though their guides served them very exact 1y, yet they came so nigh the castle l at first that they lost many of their men by its shot, they being in an open place without covert
 The pirates bravely assaulted the castle, sword in one hand and fire ball in the other, but were repulsed with heavy loss. Renewing the at tack under cover of darkness, there happened very remarkable accident which occasioned their victory One of the pirates being wounded with an arrow in his back, which pierced his body through, he pulled it out boldly at the side of his breast, and winding little cotton about it, he put it into castle, but the cotton being kindIed 1 by the powder, fired two or three houses in the castle, being matched with palm leaves, which the Spaniards perceived not so soon as
 
 with 8 parcel of powder, blew it up, thereby causing great ruin, and no less consternation to the Spaniards, who were not able to put 8 stop to 1t. p
 Full advantage was taken of this by the buccaneers, and they set fire to the palings and gained a foothold within them, despite many flaming pots full of combustible matter, and odious smells, which destroyed many of the English" All next morning the fight ragged, but about noon the English gained a breach through which they fought their way to the heart Of the castle. "The Spaniards who remained alive cast themselves down from the castle into the sea, choosing rather to die thus (few or none surviving the falD than to ask quarter for their lives The governor himself retreated to the corps du guard, before which were placed two pieces of cannon; here he still de tended himself, not demanding any quarter, till he was killed with a mus ket shot In the head"
 In a few days Captain Morgan ar rived with the rest of his fleet and or ganized the expedition against Pana- ma He took his men by boat up the ChAgres as far as Cruces, now a vil- lage not two miles from the canal. and there landed them for the overland march. Leaving 1eo men with the