Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-09-18

many men 10 uestiOy q City 81 UTTERLY
that IL is never rebuilt. That is what
cant John Morgan, the master buc-
lancer did In 1911, when he led his
hond of cutthroats down from the
hills upon Panama. After he had fin
Isbed with that big, hourishing city
,bore was SO little left OF it that the
spanish moved i've miles west along
tbe coast and there built new Pan
ama-the Panama we know today.
The story of Morgan's Justly famous
expoit, often told, never grows stale.
II 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 we'll said: I'm the case Of the
Esuuemeling history, it 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
Esquemeling. who was one of the
band, tells 1t. Some of II, at least,
must be given in his quaint language,
beginning with the capture by 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
river, surrounded by strong palisades.
or wooden walls, filed with earth,
which secures them as well as the
best wall of stone or brick. The top
of this mountain is, in manner, d.
yided 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 IL 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
ceived the pirates, but they fred in
cessantly at them with the biggest of
their guns. They came to an anchor
in small port about 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
their guides served them very exact
ly, 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 we're repulset
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 al
arrow In his back, which pierced hi
body through, he pulled it out bold.
nj hA otI 10 90 10 NJ md min M
a little cotton about it, he put it int
his musket, and shot 1t back to thu
castle, but the cotton being kndleC
by the powder, fred two or thre'
houses In the castle, beint
matched with palm leaves, which tn
Spaniards perceived not SO soon al
was necessary; for this fire meeting
with parcel of powder, 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 b,
the buccaneers, and they set fire Il
the palings and gained a foothol'
within them, despite many flaming
pots full of combustible matter, an,
odious smells, which destroyed man,
of the English" All next mornin
the fight ragged, but about noon tn
English gained a breach through
which they fought their way to tn
heart of the castle. "The Spaniard
who remained alive cast themselve
down from the castle into the sea
choosing rather to die thus (few o
none surviving the falD than to as
quarter for their lives. The governo
himself retreated to the corps d
guard before which were placed tw
pieces of cannon; here he still d.
Tended himself, not demanding an
quarter, till he was killed with a mus
ket shot in the head"
In few days Captain Morgan a.
rived Sith the rest of his feet and o.
ganized the expedition against Pan;
ma. He took his men by boat up tn
Chag-es as far as Cruces, now a vi
lage not two miles from the canal, an
- Il