The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-11-14

Panama, r. Pit is not given to
many men to destroy city so utterly
that 1t is never rebuilt That Is what
Capt. John Morgan, the master buc-
cancer, did In 1911, when he led his
band of cutthroats down from the
hills upon Panama. After he had fin
ished with that big, fourishing 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, ofteR told, never grows stale.
1t is a wonderful story OF desperate
bravery, endurance, suffering and ruth
less cruelty, and as John Esquemeling
: was the first to relate 1t in detail, so
he has been the best. Howard Pyle
has well said: I'm 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 l had space to quote the en-
tire story of Morgan and Panama as
Esquemeling, who was one of the
band, tells 1t. Some of it, at least,
must be given In his quaint language,
beginning with the capture by part
OF Morgan's feet 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 q
high mountain at the entry of the
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 manner, di-
vided into two parts, between which
is a ditch thirty feet deep. The castle
hath but one entry, and that by a
drawbridge over this ditch. To the
land 1t 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 a strong fort,
with eight great guns, commanding
the entry of the river. Not much low
er are two other batteries, each of six
pieces, to defend likewise the mouth
OF the river.
mo sooner had the Spaniards per-
h. III h,xE %h0xy &-o IN,
cessantly at them with the biggest of
their guns. They came to an anchor
in a small port about league from
the castle. Next morning, very early,
they went ashore and marched
through the woods to attack the sstle
on that side. This march lasted till
two of the clock IN the afternoon, be-
fore they could reach the castle, by
treason of the difficulties OF the way
and It's mire and dirt: and though
their guides served them very exact
~, yet they came so nigh the castle
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 Fl
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. ne put 1t into
his musket, and shot 1t back to the
castle, but the cotton being kindled
by the powder, fired two or three
houses in the castle, being
matched with palm leaves, which the
Spaniards perceived not so soon al
was necessary; for this fire meeting
with a parcel of eowder, blew it up
thereby causing great ruin, and NJ
less CONSERVATION to the Spaniards
who were not able to put stop to it.
Full advantage was taken of this By
the buccaneers, and they set fire tt
the palings and gained a footholC
within them, despite many flaming
pots full of combustible matter, and
odious smells, which destroyed man.
OF the English. ALI next mOTulQ;
the fight ragged, but about noon the
English gained breach through
which they fought their way to thu
heart of the castle. THE Spaniardi
who remained alive cast themselvei
down from the castle into the sea
choosing rather to die thus (few o.
none surviving the fall) than to asl
quarter for their lives. The governo
himself retreated to the corps d.
guard, before which were placed tw,
pieces of cannon; here he still de
Tended himself, not demanding an,
quarter, till he was killed with a mus
ket shot in the head"
In a few days Captain Morgan al
rived with the rest Of his feet and OF
Eanixed the expedition against Pana
ma. He took his men by boat up tn
Chagres as far as Cruces, nov q vi
lage not two miles from the canal, an
there landed them for the overlan
march. Leaving 100 men with tn